BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — As Kern County sweats out this most recent heat wave, another Flex Alert is scheduled for Thursday, September 8th, from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm. So far, thanks to so many state residents doing when they can to conserve energy, the state electrical grid has remained steady and there has been no need for rolling blackouts.
“Our customers have been answering the call to conserve through this prolonged heat wave,” said Katie Allen, a representative from Pacific Gas & Electric. “The state has not had to initiate rotating outages.”
Elliot Mainzer, President and CEO of the California Independent System Operator agrees that the credit belongs to the people who follow the Flex Alerts.
“Californians have shown their tremendous capacity to come together in difficult circumstances, and their actions have made a major difference in the past week,” said Mainzer. He added that the purpose of extending the number of hours for the Flex Alert on Thursday is because CAISO expects to have less solar energy available and operators are hoping to get ahead of that challenge.
Not all power outages in a heat wave like this are grid related. There have been 68 heat-related outages in Kern County in September alone, many of them a result of equipment failure.
“When we see extreme temperatures, whether it’s in the winter or the summer, extremely cold or extremely hot, there is a potential increase of power outages because of that weather impacting our electric infrastructure and causing outages,” said Allen.
PG&E’s advice for preparing for outages includes having extra batteries and flashlights available, keeping cell phones and medical devices charged, and if you can, keeping a portable charger at the ready.
To keep your space as cool as possible during the Flex Alert, remember to close window blinds and curtains, and to save energy, avoid using large appliances from 3:00 pm until 10:00 pm. To sign up for automatic Flex Alert notifications, visit CAISO's Flex Alert website.
