West Coast’s triple-digit heat wave drives statewide energy conservation effort
As California faces a record-breaking heat wave that is expected to last through Thursday, state officials have urged residents not to turn down the thermostat so as to conserve as much energy as possible.
The California Independent System Operator Corporation (ISO) issued a statewide Flex Alert, calling for voluntary electricity conservation from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday. Residents were asked to turn off unnecessary lights and to keep thermostats to 78 degrees or higher as the temperature in some areas reached triple digits, the ISO said in a news release.
Such alerts are issued when “the electricity grid is under stress because of generation or transmission outages, or from persistent hot temperatures,” the ISO said. It expected widespread heat to drive energy demand to 42,800 megawatts on Tuesday.
Parts of California, including the cities of Indio, Palm Springs, Coachella and Palm Desert, are under an excessive heat warning through Wednesday night, with highs of 110 degrees to 113 degrees possible, according to the National Weather Service in San Diego.
