Watch CBS News

Statewide Flex Alert To Expire Saturday

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Officials canceled a statewide Flex alert issued for the weekend , however it will remain in effect through Friday.

The Flex Alert, asking Californians to conserve power, was issued by CAL ISO after energy demands reached 5663 megawatts Wednesday. The alert initially went into effect Friday at 9 a.m.  It was scheduled to last through 6 p.m. Sunday.

According to the LADWP, its all-time energy demand record was 6177 megawatts on Sept. 29, 2010. Thursday's energy demand was expected to approach 6000 megawatts.

Residents are being asked to cut their usage between the peak hours of 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

"Should the situation worsen for any reason and power reserves drop to dangerous levels, the independent system operator could direct utilities to conduct involuntary rotating outages — for blocks of customers — across their service areas until sufficient reserve levels are achieved," Southern California Edison officials said.

The LADWP recommended the following tips to conserve power:

- Adjust thermostats to 78 degrees to reduce energy usage during the hottest hours of the day

- Limit the use of appliances like washing machines, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners and other heavy appliances

- Close draperies, shades or blinds during the day to reduce the extra heat from direct sunlight

- Ventilate homes at night and early mornings by opening windows and doors to clear out the heat and allow cooler air to circulate

- Turn off lights and equipment when they are not in use

- Unplug "energy vampires" like cell phone chargers, DVD players, microwave ovens and appliances that use electricity even when turned off or in sleep mode

In response to the heath wave, LA County has extended the hours of certain cooling centers. For a complete list, click here.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.