Record temperatures during the day turned into rotating power outages for hundreds of thousands across the Bay Area on Friday night.
The outages were expected to last until at least 11 p.m, and for about an hour per impacted neighborhood, according to a PG&E tweet. The Stage 3 Electrical Emergency was declared because of increased electricity demand due to the high heat. The outages were expected to impact between 200,000 and 250,000 customers, according to PG&E.
There may be more outages through the weekend as most forecasts call for the heatwave to blister the region until early next week. The ISO, California’s Independent System Operator, which oversees the state grid, issued a release on its web site Saturday at 12:26 p.m. saying a potential system reserve deficiency was possible between 5-9 p.m. (You can find PG&E’s outage report here and look for ISO alerts and warnings here.)
Friday night was the first time since 2001 that the ISO called for a statewide rolling blackout because power demand exceeded power supply as customers blasted air conditioners and fans in an attempt to beat the 100-degree plus heat that baked the region.
PG&E and ISO warned of potential outages and pleaded for reduced power use throughout the day, but PG&E said in a release Friday night that because the outages were an “emergency, PG&E will be unable to notify customers in advance of the power shutoffs, which could occur anywhere within PG&E’s service area.”
As of 9:30 p.m., the North Bay appeared to be taking the brunt of the outages. More than 23,000 customers in San Rafael and more than 9,000 in Sebastopol had lost power, according to the PG&E web site. Nearly 5,500 customers in San Jose were without power, while there were less than 700 reported for San Francisco.
Given Strain on Power Grid During Excessive Heat, PG&E Begins Rotating Power Outages at Direction of State Grid Operator- Outages Expected to Affect Approximately 200-250k Customers in Rotations of About One Hour Each – PG&E Is Not Calling A PSPS https://t.co/T6zB9U4pX2 pic.twitter.com/1JCCo5dO7f
— PG&E (@PGE4Me) August 15, 2020
The emergency was declared about 6:35 p.m. and utilities were ordered to implement rotating power outages to protect the stability of the grid. By 7:50 p.m., the grid had stabilized and utilities began restoring 1,000 megawatts of electricity that had been taken out of service. The emergency declaration was lifted just before 9 p.m.
With temperatures soaring into the triple digits in most of the region during the day, PG&E warned customers to conserve electricity to avoid disruptions of power. But around 7 p.m., the lights began to go out in many neighborhoods throughout the Bay Area.
PG&E announced on its web site that “The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) has asked customers to conserve power Friday until 11 p.m. PG&E has begun turning off power in rotating outages at CAISO’s direction. This is not a Public Safety Power Shutoff. Approximately 200,000 to 250,000 customers are impacted.”
ISO called for a flex alert Friday and will be calling the shots throughout the weekend. The alert serves as a warning for customers to conserve electricity when air conditioners are at peak use. Customers are encouraged to keep their thermostat at 78 degrees, to draw their drapes and to turn off unnecessary lighting. Phone chargers, power strips and other electrical devices should be unplugged when not in use, the utility company said, and charging of electric vehicles should be delayed until after 10 p.m.
Please check back for updates.