Pleas for conservation renewed amid heat wave

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California residents were asked to voluntarily conserve power again Friday as the heat wave that is baking the US West strained the state’s energy grid and raised the possibility of rotating outages.

As temperatures spiked on Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an emergency proclamation that suspended certain permitting requirements — allowing power plants to ramp up operations if necessary to meet the demand for electricity. The proclamation cited the “extreme heat peril” facing the state this week.

The California Independent System Operator, which runs the state’s energy grid, issued a Flex Alert for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday.

During those hours, people were urged to set their thermostats to 78 degrees or higher and to avoid using washers, dishwashers and other major appliances. An alert was also in place Thursday evening.

Pacific Gas & Electric said rotating power outages were possible for about 121,000 Northern California customers Thursday night but that step did not need to be taken because the power supply proved adequate.

During an intense Western heat wave last August, the state had two days of rotating outages that affected more than 200,000 people. They were the first such blackouts since 2001.

Lancaster and Palmdale set record highs for the date for the third day in a row. Lancaster’s 110 bettered the previous mark of 104, while Palmdale’s 108 eclipsed the old mark of 105. Both previous records were set in 1985.

Edwards Air Force Base also peaked at 108 degrees, while California City soared to 110. Other highs included 104 in Mojave and 102 in Acton.