Record-breaking temperatures are leading to historic high forecasted demands for power, putting even greater strain on the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) electrical grid, the grid operator reported on Labor Day, Sept. 5.
This has significantly increased the likelihood of rotating outages unless consumers can reduce their energy use even more than they have so far, CAISO said.
“This is an extraordinary heat event we are experiencing, and the efforts by consumers to lean in and reduce their energy use after 4 p.m. are absolutely essential,” said Elliot Mainzer, the California Independent System Operator’s president and CEO, on Sept. 5.
“Over the last several days we have seen a positive impact on lowering demand because of everyone’s help, but now we need a reduction in energy use that is two or three times greater than what we’ve seen so far as this historic heat wave continues to intensify,” he said.
The ISO declared an Energy Emergency Alert 1 (EEA) the morning of Sept. 5 from 5 to 9 p.m that day. That emergency designation signals to utilities and consumers that all resources are committed or forecasted to be in use, and that energy deficiencies are expected.
Later in the day on Sept. 5, CAISO elevated emergency notifications to an EEA 2.
This move triggered deployment of a suite of emergency tools designed to keep supply and demand for the power system balanced during extreme conditions, and potentially freeing up to a few thousand megawatts of additional resources.
A Flex Alert urging consumers to reduce their power use in the late afternoon and evening was also in effect for Sept. 6, marking seven consecutive days the call to cut demand has been issued.
Forecasted loads were currently very high Sept. 5 and Sept. 6, with Sept. 6 showing peak demand at 51,145 megawatts (MW), which would set a new record from the previous high of 50,270 MW in 2006, the grid operator said on Sept. 5. The load was forecast at 50,002 MW for Sept. 7.
Consumer and commercial demand response, including Flex Alerts, has been helping to extend tight resources over the past week, with a load reduction of around 1,000 MW for each of the past several days, with more now needed as the heat continues to increase.
