Flex Alert Extended To Saturday, CAL ISO Urges People To Conserve Energy

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - Officials at the California Independent System Operator extended Friday's Flex Alert to Saturday, asking residents of the state to conserve energy from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

A Flex Alert is designed to reduce stress on the power grid and avoid the possibility of rolling blackouts. During that time, residents are voluntarily urged to avoid using major appliances, turn off any unnecessary lights, set their thermostats to 78 degrees or higher and use fans for cooling.

According to officials at CAL ISO, the Bootleg Wildfire in Southern Oregon continues to threaten transmission lines used to import energy to California. That threat, along with extreme heat in parts of California, are putting new stresses on the state's electricity grid and makes the need for conservation efforts more critical.