Sweltering temperatures across Southern California prompted calls Monday for electricity customers to lessen their energy use in reducing strain on something already weakened from the absence on the troubled Aliso Canyon propane storage plant.
Utility companies urged their residential customers to voluntarily delay washing clothes and dishes until bedtime also to keep their thermostats at 78 degrees or maybe more. In addition, the facility companies asked business customers to voluntarily suspend unnecessary daytime operations including production line work until nightfall.
The so-called flex alert initiated with the California Independent System Operator, which manages the state’s electric grid for many of the state, was scheduled to operate from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“We’re doing everything we are able to to reduce the burden,” said Ronald Nichols, president of Southern California Edison. “It’s something we’re closely monitoring.”
Nichols said there have been a small number of outages Monday approximately 10,000 to 20,000 of Edison’s customers, but there were no expectation of forced rolling blackouts.
To help manage available power, Edison along with utilities also initiated other energy saving programs Monday, called “demand response.”
Business and residential customers that register for the programs can earn credits on the bills by agreeing to lower their electricity usage in periods of high electricity use.
The programs tapped for Monday’s high temperatures were largely voluntary, though customers going to some programs can say yes to have service interrupted with the utility when electricity use is high.
“We are extremely watching temperatures,” said Lynsey Paulo, a spokeswoman for Pacific Gas & Electric, which asked its customers to save lots of energy although higher temperatures were south of the service area. “We are encouraging our customers in Northern California … to organize for the heat now.”
This round of high temperatures are required to be short-lived, but it really still was obviously a test of how prepared the utilities will be to handle summer need for electricity.
Part on the concern raised by Cal-ISO is that gas supplies used as fuel for several power generators inside Los Angeles area might be tight within this heat event because on the inability to access propane stored at Southern California Gas Co.’s Aliso Canyon facility. A well for the storage facility began leaking in October and wasn’t plugged for four months, which ended in a moratorium on gas withdrawals.
The California Public Utilities Commission as well as other state energy agencies have warned that because with the lack of operations for the Aliso Canyon field, the state's largest propane storage facility, Southern California could face blackouts during up to 14 days come july 1st.
In May, the commission gave Edison approval to acquire battery storage for electricity in lowering strain on the electric system. Nichols said Edison offers to have the batteries available next summer, though some could come online since the end on this year.
Air quality regulators recently accepted allow the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to violate pollution rules come july 1st by burning diesel fuel at three L.A. Basin power plants to avoid blackouts.
Utility companies urged their residential customers to voluntarily delay washing clothes and dishes until bedtime also to keep their thermostats at 78 degrees or maybe more. In addition, the facility companies asked business customers to voluntarily suspend unnecessary daytime operations including production line work until nightfall.
The so-called flex alert initiated with the California Independent System Operator, which manages the state’s electric grid for many of the state, was scheduled to operate from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“We’re doing everything we are able to to reduce the burden,” said Ronald Nichols, president of Southern California Edison. “It’s something we’re closely monitoring.”
Nichols said there have been a small number of outages Monday approximately 10,000 to 20,000 of Edison’s customers, but there were no expectation of forced rolling blackouts.
To help manage available power, Edison along with utilities also initiated other energy saving programs Monday, called “demand response.”
Business and residential customers that register for the programs can earn credits on the bills by agreeing to lower their electricity usage in periods of high electricity use.
The programs tapped for Monday’s high temperatures were largely voluntary, though customers going to some programs can say yes to have service interrupted with the utility when electricity use is high.
“We are extremely watching temperatures,” said Lynsey Paulo, a spokeswoman for Pacific Gas & Electric, which asked its customers to save lots of energy although higher temperatures were south of the service area. “We are encouraging our customers in Northern California … to organize for the heat now.”
This round of high temperatures are required to be short-lived, but it really still was obviously a test of how prepared the utilities will be to handle summer need for electricity.
Part on the concern raised by Cal-ISO is that gas supplies used as fuel for several power generators inside Los Angeles area might be tight within this heat event because on the inability to access propane stored at Southern California Gas Co.’s Aliso Canyon facility. A well for the storage facility began leaking in October and wasn’t plugged for four months, which ended in a moratorium on gas withdrawals.
The California Public Utilities Commission as well as other state energy agencies have warned that because with the lack of operations for the Aliso Canyon field, the state's largest propane storage facility, Southern California could face blackouts during up to 14 days come july 1st.
In May, the commission gave Edison approval to acquire battery storage for electricity in lowering strain on the electric system. Nichols said Edison offers to have the batteries available next summer, though some could come online since the end on this year.
Air quality regulators recently accepted allow the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to violate pollution rules come july 1st by burning diesel fuel at three L.A. Basin power plants to avoid blackouts.
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