The ISO declares Stage 2 Emergency; power outages expected
Published on September 06, 2020
The California Independent System Operator (ISO) declared a statewide Stage 2 Emergency at 5:55 p.m. today, due to excessive heat driving up electricity use and putting strain on the grid.
The ISO called the emergency after a transmission line carrying power from Oregon to California and another in-state power plant went offline unexpectedly. The cause of the outages is unknown at this time.
The emergency declaration allows the grid operator to use reserve power and to tap into emergency assistance from neighboring balancing authorities. During this emergency, if system conditions do not improve, the ISO may declare a Stage 3 Emergency, which will lead to rotating power outages.
Consumer conservation was credited with helping to avoid power outages yesterday.
Extreme heat coupled with wildfires are contributing to increased energy demand and reduced supplies. Grid operators are predicting a shortfall of as much as 4,000 megawatts (MW) in supply this late afternoon and evening. Fires took out 1,600 MW of transmission resources yesterday. Approximately 500 MW of that was returned to service. Today, unexpected power plant outages due to the heat reduced supplies by another 625 MW.
Based on the current forecast and without significant conservation efforts, rotating power outages are likely throughout the state today between now and 9 p.m.
The ISO also called a Flex Alert, a voluntary call to consumers to conserve electricity, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. today and tomorrow. Consumers are urged during those times to set air conditioner thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, turn off unnecessary lights, and defer use of major appliances.
These conservation measures can help the power grid during a time of tight demand and supply. Reduced energy use during a Flex Alert can prevent further emergency measures, including the incidence of rotating power outages.
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