Flex Alert: Tracker shows how close we are to overloading the power grid
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- As the Bay Area continues to deal with a dangerous heat wave Thursday, Cal ISO issued an extended Flex Alert, asking Californians to conserve energy to avoid overloading the grid.
LIVE: Track real-time temperatures amid Bay Area heat wave here
Cal ISO, or the California Independent System Operator, oversees the state's power grid and infrastructure. In the afternoon hours on hot days, when most people are running air conditioners and high-energy appliances, power use is highest, putting the most pressure on California's infrastructure.
The agency created a real-time tracker that shows how close we are to that tipping point.
As of 1:30 p.m. Friday, demand was around 42,716 megawatts.
See how current demand compares to our maximum capacity by viewing Cal ISO's tracker.
If demand on the grid if expected to exceed capacity, the state sometimes triggers rolling blackouts to conserve energy, as they did in the late summer of 2020.
It's supposed to stay hot through Friday.
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