August 14, 2020 – PG&E on Friday (August 14) was prompted by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) to turn off power to approximately 200,000 to 250,000 customers simultaneously in rotary power outages, seeing the voltage on the power grid during the statewide heat wave. Other power programs in the state are targeted to take similar actions.
The power is turned off in rotating blocks until approximately 11pm. Power could be off for about one hour for each block.
Californians are urged to continue maintaining power until 11 a.m. tonight to reduce energy consumption as supplies run tight throughout the full peak period today.
Rotating failures do not shut off Power Safety, which are performed during specific conditions with high fire threat.
Due to the emergency, PG&E customers will not be able to be notified in advance of the power outages, which can occur anywhere in PG & E’s service area.
CAISO oversees the larger power grid and balances the demand for energy with supply. Today’s heat wave greatly increased the demand for power and has the potential to flood springs for several hours today.
“The safety of our customers and the communities we serve is the main responsibility of PG & E. We encourage our customers to take immediate steps to reduce their energy consumption. We will work to restore power safely and as quickly as possible, “said Michael Lewis, interim president of PG&E.
PG&E has already implemented programs with key customers to reduce energy consumption today, but calls for more voluntary efforts by customers to reduce overall energy consumption.
