UPDATE: Expected “rotating power outages” no longer needed Monday
MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION)
UPDATE 8/17/20 8:20 p.m. -
After announcing on Monday that "rotating power outages" were likely, due to information from California Independent System Operator, PG&E later reported that the move was no longer needed.
California ISO issued a "Stage Two Emergency" earlier in the day, due to "excessive heat driving up electricity use and putting
strain on the grid." If the energy strain was as bad as believed, California ISO would have directed PG&E to begin rotating power outages yet again.
California ISO says demand on Monday ended up being lower than they their forecast.
“We are grateful to families and businesses across the state that answered the call to reduce electricity use during a crucial time on the grid,” said Steve Berberich, ISO president and CEO. “This heat storm is not over, and we still expect exceedingly hot temperatures tomorrow and Wednesday. With continued help from California residents in conserving energy, much like today, we can reduce the risk of power outages.
A "Flex Alert" remains in effect through Wednesday, asking people to conserve electricity between 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
However, these rotating outages have been called for multiple times in the last few days. On Saturday, they impacted Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.
Gavin Newsom criticized CAISO at his Monday press conferences. He says they implemented the blackouts with little notice and called them unprepared. Newsom wants an investigation into the blackouts.
“These blackouts, which occurred without warning or enough time for preparation, are unacceptable and unbefitting of the nation’s largest and most innovative state,” Newsom wrote in a letter to CAISO, the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission.
CAISO says this is the first time since 2001 that the energy demand this high and outages had to be directed.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
The City of Monterey said California ISO and PG&E have provided a warning about expected power outages Monday.
The city said they are expected to last for up to 3 hour periods between 3 and 10 p.m.
These are the numbers of customers that the agencies expect to be affected:
- 1,200 in Monterey
- 20,000 in Salinas
- 5,000 in Seaside
- 2,400 in Pebble Beach
- 4,000 in Pacific Grove
- 1,500 in King City
- 2,300 in Gonzales
- 1,800 in Carmel Valley
- 2,500 in Carmel-by-the-Sea
There is currently a statewide Flex Alert in effect. California ISO is asking Californians to limit their power usage between 3 and 10 p.m. to prevent power outages and take stress off the grid.
