In the Bay Area, heat-related issues with equipment had already downed electricity to about 20,300 PG&E customers in the South Bay, and another 5,100 around the region as of 5 p.m., according to PG&E.
The California Independent System Operator has directed the state's utilities to prepare for rotating power outages, PG&E spokesperson Deanna Contreras said late Wednesday afternoon.
As of Wednesday at 5:15 p.m., the ISO website showed capacity at 56,737 megawatts and demand at 49,585 megawatts. The grid operator hasn't asked PG&E to implement outages yet.
An ISO’s statement said, "However, out of an abundance of caution, PG&E has given advanced notification to approximately 525,277 customers to prepare for potential rotating outages this evening in case they need to take place.”
With a Flex Alert in place, the state and utilities are urging customers to conserve power from 4 to 9 p.m.
Customers can reduce their power during a Flex Alert by setting their thermostat to 78 degrees or higher, avoiding the use of major appliances and turning off unneeded lights.
Customers can visit www.pge.com/rotatingoutages to check to see if they will be affected.
