Scorching Temps Trigger Calif. Statewide Flex Alert Over Labor Day Weekend
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A heat wave which arrives Friday and will remain through Labor Day Weekend has prompted a statewide Flex Alert.
The California Independent System Operator announced Thursday that the Flex Alert will run between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
The heat wave arrives Friday and is expected to push temperatures well into triple digits across the Southland.
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During the Flex Alert, people are asked to conserve energy as much as possible by keeping their air conditioning thermostats no lower than 78 degrees and limiting the use of major appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers. They should also turn off lights and unplug cell phone chargers when not in use.
"High heat is also predicted throughout the West for the weekend, which can limit the ISO's ability to import energy to serve demand," Cal ISO said in a news release.
There were several Flex Alert days in mid-August due to a heat wave which lasted over a week and forced California to implement its first rolling blackouts since 2001, including across the Southland. During one period on Aug. 15, Southern California Edison reported that about 70,000 customers were affected by rolling blackouts from Santa Monica to Woodland Hills.
While the L.A. Department of Water and Power was spared from rolling blackouts because it owns it own power plants and transmission lines, it still experienced power outages. On Aug. 18, more than 12,000 LADWP customers lost electricity due to stress on the utility's power grid.
