California faces chance of blackouts as officials predict all-time high electricity demand

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Tuesday marks the seventh consecutive day operators of California’s power grid called for a statewide voluntary conservation of electricity, and predictions for the day show the state rivaling its all-time high for electricity demand.

State energy officials said the electrical load Tuesday afternoon could top 51,000 megawatts, the highest demand the state has ever seen.

“This is about to get significantly more intense,” said Elliot Mainzer, president and chief executive officer of the California Independent System Operator, on Monday.

The system operator is in charge of managing and maintaining reliability on the electric grid, a challenging job during hot weather when energy demand soars as people crank up their air conditioners.

Grid managers have several options available before power outages, like tapping backup generators, buying more power from other states and using so-called demand response programs, where people are paid to use less energy.

They have since requested use of backup generators in Roseville and Yuba City. Officials say in total, those generators can provide up to 120 megawatts of electricity to the grid, which is enough to power 120,000 homes. In addition to the backup generators in Northern California, the California Department of Water Resources is coordinating with Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Company to use dozens of its backup generators.

But keeping the lights on will also require Californians to continue conserving as they have been, even as temperatures rise.

Most of California’s 39 million people are facing extremely hot weather.

Temperatures in Los Angeles, topped 100 degrees this week, which is unusually warm temperatures for September.

Energy officials and power companies have been urging people to use less power from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. by keeping air conditioners at 78 degrees or higher and avoiding using major appliances like ovens and dishwashers.

Those flex alerts have allowed the grid operator to keep the lights on so far.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.