California heat creates electricity woes

California heat creates electricity woes

Apr 02 - Tulsa World

Unseasonably warm temperatures set records Monday across Southern California and contributed to an electrical emergency caused when the state's power reserves dropped suddenly.

Dozens of records were broken, including highs of 89 degrees at Los Angeles International Airport and 97 degrees at the University of California at Riverside. Bakersfield had its hottest March day on record, reaching 94 degrees.

Increased demand caused electricity reserves to fall, prompting a minor emergency and recommendations that customers reduce use of air conditioners and other appliances.

The agency that manages much of the state's power grid saw electricity use surpass projections by 1,100 megawatts.

A megawatt can supply power to about 1,000 homes.

Higher temperatures contributed to the problem but did not account for all the increased demand, officials said.

"Probably what we're seeing is an increase in growth due to the economy rebounding," said Stephanie McCorkle, a spokeswoman for the California Independent System Operator.

The agency announced a State 1 emergency, the least serious of three levels used to classify electrical problems. Stage 2 involves interruption of service to selected utility customers. Stage 3 requires rolling blackouts to keep the system from collapse.

No blackouts were expected, but Southern California Edison urged its 12 million customers to conserve by setting thermostats to 78 degrees, turning off unnecessary lights and avoiding using some appliances until evening.