SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A statewide flex alert will be in effect Thursday afternoon. This is the 9th straight day for the alerts, and rainy weather is expected to make its way through the county. But experts say we could still see these alerts during wet weather.
SDG&E says San Diegans still need to conserve energy during the wet weather and cooler temps. A representative from the company says all regions of California are interconnected to the grid, so the state still needs everyone to reduce their electricity.
“We certainly think we are close to turning the corner but we still have some challenges ahead of us,” says CAISO president Elliot Mainzer. “This evening and even tomorrow’s forecast is lower, significantly lower, than the record-breaking temperatures and demand that we’ve seen this week. But we must remain vigilant even as we work into the tail end of the week.”
The statewide flex alert for Thursday has been extended two additional hours. It will run from 3 pm to 10 pm, instead of the usual 4 pm to 9 pm. Mainzer says the reason for the extension is due to the uncertainty of how much energy we get on the front and tail ends of the flex alert.
CAISO says Tuesday the state came dangerously close to utility companies, like SDG&E, to putting those rotating outages into effect. But with everyone working together to reduce their energy use it prevented them.
With the flex alert in effect, consumers are urged to:
- Set their thermostats to 78 degrees
- Avoid using major appliances
- Turn off all unnecessary lights
SDG&E is still encouraging San Diegans to do what they can to save energy before the flex alert.
