Flex Alert issued for Saturday ahead of Labor Day weekend heat up
FOLSOM -- As expected with the intense heat wave expected for California during the long Labor Day weekend, the state's Independent System Operator has issued a statewide Flex Alert for Saturday.
It is the fourth consecutive day that a Flex Alert has been issued by the California Independent System Operator as high heat and heightened demand for electricity continues across the Golden State. Cal ISO alert is a statewide call for voluntary electricity conservation, from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday.
The latest Flex Alert ordered by California's power grid operators went into effect Friday afternoon.
Officials are urging consumers to reduce use of electricity from during those times when there is most stress on the grid and solar energy production is declining. Meaningful consumer conservation during the first two days the Flex Alert was called helped reduce the stress on the state's energy grid and keep the system balanced, officials said.
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Cal ISO announced the extension of the Flex Alert Thursday evening. While an additional extension has not been announced yet, chances were good that officials would call for a Flex Alert on Saturday and Sunday given the anticipated spike in temperatures.
During Flex Alerts, consumers are asked to pre-cool their homes by lowering the thermostat to 78, use major appliances, close window coverings and avoid charging their electric vehicles.
More conservation tips can be found at FlexAlert.org.
Additional Flex Alerts could be issued through the Labor Day weekend and into next week as triple-digit temperatures are forecast across much of California and the West, Cal ISO officials said.
While warnings and alerts from the National Weather Service were already in place in the state's interior and Southern California, the most of the Bay Area continued to enjoy a reprieve from the hot temperatures Friday. However some inland cities including Concord, Pleasant Hill and Livermore were expected to hit the mid to upper 90s. In Brentwood, the mercury rose to 102 by Friday afternoon.
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The heat up will continue Saturday as a high pressure dome settles over the region for the Labor Day weekend.
The weather service has issued an excessive heat warning starting at 11 a.m. Saturday to 8 p.m. Tuesday for the Sonoma Coastal Range, North Bay Interior Mountains, North Bay Interior Valleys, East Bay Interior Valleys, the Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Clara Valley.
The remainder of the Bay Area will be under an excessive heat watch.
Temperatures in Northern California are expected to be 10-20 degrees warmer than normal through Tuesday. In Southern California, temperatures are expected to be 10-18 degrees warmer than normal. A majority of weather stations in California's interior are poised to break their respective daily records over the holiday weekend, with the chance of monthly records being broken at some stations
Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday over the western heat wave during a news conference Wednesday. The executive order allows the state to procure additional short-term energy supply and encourages businesses and industry to restrict energy use.
"Mega drought, means less megawatts," Newsom said, referring to the state's ongoing drought impacting the production of hydroelectric power.
