Heat wave to continue into the weekend; PG&E urges energy conservation in afternoon and evening hours

By Santa Ynez Valley Star Staff · Tue Mar 17 2020

Staff Report

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is reminding customers to continue taking steps to conserve energy today, despite slightly less adverse weather conditions than earlier in the week. The state’s electric grid operator, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), has lifted their statewide Flex Alert, but with hot weather in today’s forecast, PG&E urges all customers to take the conservation steps that helped avoid rotating outages all week.

This week, PG&E and other California utilities informed customers of potential outages due to high demand driven by the continued heatwave. Customers across the state responded to the call to conserve energy, helping to avoid the need for rotating outages for the fourth day in a row.

PG&E’s Wildfire Safety Operations Center continues to monitor several substantial fires in our service area, including the LNU Lightning Complex in the North Bay, SCU Lightning Complex in San Jose, the Loyalton Fire in the Tahoe National Forest and the River Fire in Monterey County.

During any wildfire, PG&E works closely with CAL FIRE and local fire agencies to de-energize PG&E equipment when necessary to protect first responders and the public.

PG&E funds the operation of existing cooling centers throughout the state. These centers fill a critical need for those who might not have the means to cool and shelter themselves from prolonged hot temperatures. To find a cooling center near you, please call your local city or county government, or call PG&E’s toll-free cooling center locator line at 1-877-474-3266 or visitpge.com/coolingcenters.

Energy conservation is the best way to prevent stress and strain on the local power grid, which helps to reduce heat-caused power outages.

PG&E Tips to Save Energy and Reduce Usage

PG&E strongly urges all customers to conserve energy through Thursday.