Californians Urged to Conserve Power, Reduce Grid Strain Amid Record-Breaking Heat Wave

A photo illustration shows a background of electric power infrastructure with an Apple iPhone showing an Emergency Alert notification from CalOES urging the public to conserve energy to protect health and safety as the electricity grid is strained during a heat wave in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 6, 2022. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday urged residents to conserve electricity between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. as the power grid struggles to accommodate increased air conditioner use amid a heat wave.

In a bid to relieve pressure on the state’s strained power grid, Newsom, a Democrat, asked Californians to “pre-cool” their homes earlier in the day when more power is available. He suggested people run their air conditioning in the morning and keep their doors and windows closed.

“This heat wave is on track to be both the hottest and longest for this state and many parts of the west for the month of September,” Newsom said on Twitter.

“But we’re heading into the worst part of this heat wave and the risk for outages is real and it’s immediate. These triple-digit temperatures throughout much of our state are leading, not surprisingly, to record demand on the energy grid.

“Everyone has to do their part to help step up for just a few more days,” he said.

He urged Californians to turn their thermostats up to 78 degrees by 4 p.m. and refrain from using large appliances, such as washing machines.

‘Emergency Alert’

California’s grid operator issued an “emergency alert” on Tuesday afternoon advising residents to reduce power consumption between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.

“The emergency designation indicates the real-time analysis shows all resources are committed or forecasted to be in use, and energy deficiencies are expected,” California Independent System Operator (CAISO) said in a bulletin (pdf).

“We know conservation from Californians has been helping lower the loads at the time it’s needed the most. Consumer and commercial demand response, including Flex Alerts, has been helping to extend sparse supplies at critical hours so far this week, giving operators extra cushion in supplies.”

Numerous heat advisories and excessive heat warnings are in place across the west of the state, according to CAISO.

CAISO expects that demand for power will peak at around 51,600 megawatts on Tuesday, breaking a 2006 record. Power demand for Wednesday is forecast at 50,000 megawatts.

In an aerial view, low water levels are visible at Shasta Lake in Redding, Calif., on July 2, 2021. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

This comes as severe drought has impacted reservoirs, and hydroelectric power output is expected to be cut by half, according to a report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The EIA report revealed that California’s two largest reservoirs—Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville—are currently at critically low levels. Lake Shasta’s water level is only 48 percent of the historical average, while Oroville’s level is 67 percent of the historical average.

California has experienced its driest year since record-keeping began 128 years ago, with August being abnormally dry.

According to the California Energy Commission, 19 percent of California’s in-state electricity generation in 2019 and 2020 came from hydropower, but due to high temperatures and drought, the share of hydropower dropped to 11 percent and could drop further.