CA heat wave: Flex Alert issued for Monday due to hot temps, wildfires

Monday, July 12, 2021

So a Flex Alert has been issued in California amid a heat wave, but what exactly does that mean?

A statewide Flex Alert will be in effect Monday, July 12, California ISO announced Sunday.

This means residents are asked to conserve as much electricity as possible from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. due to extremely hot weather and wildfires.

Is a statement, California ISO said:

"With electric transmission lines from Oregon still unreliable due to the explosive Bootleg Fire and continued high temperatures across the West resulting in increased demand for electricity, the California Independent System Operator (ISO) issued a statewide Flex Alert for Monday, July 12 to help stabilize the state's electric grid and deal with uncertainty created by the extraordinary conditions."

During the hours that a Flex Alert is in effect, consumers are strongly encouraged to take these specific actions:

Set thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, if your health permits
Avoid using major appliances, like dish washers and clothes washers and dryers
Turn off all unnecessary lights

Consumers are also encouraged to use fans for cooling and unplug unused electrical items.

In the hours before a Flex Alert takes effect, consumers are encouraged to the following steps, which help people be more comfortable when cutting back on their electricity usage:

Pre-cool your home by lowering the thermostat
If you need to use your major appliances, do it earlier in the day, when solar energy is abundant
Close window coverings to keep your home or apartment cool
Take advantage of the solar energy to charge electronic devices and electric vehicles so there's no need to do it later, when solar is not available

Go here for tips on how to prepare for the Flex Alert and for ways to help save energy.

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