California ISO Declares Stage 2 Emergency, Announces Possible Outages As Extreme Heat Spreads Statewide
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- The California Independent System Operator, which oversees the operation of the state's bulk electric power system, declared a Stage 2 emergency on Saturday that could lead to rotating power outages statewide.
A Stage 2 emergency means "the CA ISO has taken all mitigating actions and is no longer able to provide its expected energy requirements. A Stage 2 warning requires ISO intervention in the market, such as ordering power plants online,'' the agency's website said.
In Los Angeles County, thousands of people were without electricity as a record-breaking heat wave continued to sweep throughout SoCal.
Woodland Hills broke its all-time record with a temperature of 118 on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. In Van Nuys, temperatures reached 115 degrees by 3 p.m.
As a result, a Flex Alert, urging voluntary energy conservation among residents, remains in effect from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday through Monday to help prevent additional power outages.
RELATED: What Is The Purpose Of Flex Alerts During A Heat Wave?
So far, outages have been reported between the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and Southern California Edison.
SCE reported 122 outages affecting more than 21,000 customers around 4:30 p.m.
The LADWP said around that same time that approximately 14,000 people were without power. As of 10 p.m., about 9,000 customers were affected, with most of those concentrated in El Sereno, Sun Valley and Reseda.
More crews were coming on at midnight and are expected to work overnight to restore power. According to the website, the estimated response time for LADWP outages is between four to 12 hours.
As the heat continues to spread throughout the Southland, several cooling centers will be open throughout the weekend in Los Angeles County and Orange County.
ISO said conservation is key to battling this heat. Customers who are staying home are asked to set their air conditioner to at least 78 degrees, avoid using major appliances between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., close blinds and drapes, and use a fan if possible.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
