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Cal ISO Encourages Energy Conservation To Help States Struggling With Power Outages In Winter Storm

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Millions across the country are out of power due to an extremely cold winter storm, so Cal ISO – which issues Flex Alerts when the state's power grid is overloaded – is encouraging residents to conserve energy to help other states in the West.

Millions of people, most of whom are in Texas, were left shivering in the dark after a dangerous winter storm left the Lone Star State struggling to meet power demands. The storm has been blamed for several deaths, including at least two due to carbon monoxide poisoning from a running car used to heat a home in Houston.

The storm has not impacted California's electrical grid, but Cal ISO says they continue to monitor the extreme winter weather conditions beyond the Golden State.

"If your health permits, we encourage you to conserve energy during the evening hours to help ease stressed grid conditions in other areas of the West," Cal ISO tweeted.

The encouragement to conserve energy to help ease electrical grid conditions beyond California comes just about a month after several Southland areas experienced power outages to prevent wildfires during a Santa Ana wind event.

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