CA Under Flex Alert Wednesday August 17th 2022

The California Independent System Operator has issued a Flex Alert for  Wednesday, August 17th 2022:

The period of concern is 4 – 9 p.m.

Consumers are urged to conserve electricity, especially during the late afternoon and early evening, when the grid is most stressed due to higher demand and less solar energy. Reducing energy use during a Flex Alert can help stabilize the power grid during a time of tight supply conditions, and prevent further emergency measures, including power outages.

Flex Alert Reminders

• Flex Alerts are issued by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), not by SCE.
• A Flex Alert is a call for consumers to voluntarily conserve electricity when there is an anticipated shortage of energy supply, typically between the hours of 4-9 p.m.
• SCE shares messages urging customers to conserve energy during an event to help with energy supply constraints.
• Here are tips on what customers can do to conserve energy during a Flex Alert:

To prepare for the Flex Alert, customers can take these steps before 4 p.m.:

• “Pre-cool” homes or lower air conditioning thermostats.
• Charge electric vehicles.
• Charge mobile devices and laptops.
• Run dishwashers, washing machines and other major appliances.
• Set pool pumps to run in the early morning or late at night.

Here are some other ways customers can conserve energy:

• Set your thermostat to 78 degrees when you are home and to 85 degrees or “off” when you are away. Here in the desert, you may be able to have higher settings.
• Cook with a microwave to keep your home cooler.
• Supplement your air conditioner with fans. Maybe this will let you raise the thermostat.
• Shut off lights when leaving a room.
• Close your blinds to keep out the afternoon heat.
• Limit the opening and reopening of refrigerators, which are major users of electricity in many homes.
• Unplug electronic devices and chargers when they are not in use.
• Give your dryer a break and hang-dry your clothes.
• When possible, businesses should shift power-intensive work to morning or late-evening hours.

 

Flex Alert Sign shows a person’s hand, pushing down on an electric light switch to turn the light off, with the words FLEX ALERT on a lime green background.

Photo from Flex Alert.org