CA Power Grid Threatened Amid Fire In Oregon, Flex Alert Extended

CALIFORNIA — The Golden State extended its Flex Alert Saturday and asked residents to conserve energy for a second consecutive day as a rapidly spreading wildfire in Southern Oregon threatened vital transmission lines used to power California.

The alert from the California Independent System Operator originally came down Friday and asked residents to conserve energy from 4 to 9 p.m. On Saturday, CAISO again asked residents to lower thermostats and continue to conserve power during the evening hours.

Rolling outages were possible for the state yet again on Saturday, but officials said conservation could save CAISO from having to pull the plug on residents as a last resort.

The news comes as a weekend swelter bears down on California. Triple-digit heat plagued much of the state on Friday, posing a significant challenge for the electric grid. Also on Friday, Death Valley National Park in California recorded a blazing high of 130 degrees and could reach the same high on Saturday and Sunday.

The 130-degree reading would be the hottest high recorded there since July 1913, when the same Furnace Creek desert area hit 134 F (57 C), considered the highest reliably measured temperature on Earth.

The National Weather Service warned the dangerous conditions could cause heat-related illnesses across the state. And while mounting heat contributed to the possibility of rolling blackouts for a second day, the Bootleg Fire burning in Southern Oregon proved to be a wildcard for grid operators Saturday.

"Conditions deteriorated quickly as the Bootleg Fire continued to grow and posed an imminent threat to transmission lines leading into the California Oregon Intertie," CAISO said.

The wind-fanned blaze, which has burned more than 76,000 acres, has forced evacuations and was not projected to be contained for another two weeks. The fire doubled in acreage burned in less than 24 hours, officials said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation on Friday suspending some rules to allow for more power capacity.

Californians are asked to voluntarily conserve electricity from 4 to 9 p.m.

When Flex Alerts were called in mid-June and during last summer in August and September, consumers significantly reduced energy use greatly limiting rotating power outages.

During the Flex Alert

• Set thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, if your health permits
• Avoid using major appliances, like dish washers and clothes washers and dryers
• Turn off all unnecessary lights Consumers are also encouraged to use fans for cooling and unplug unused electrical items. In the hours before a Flex Alert takes effect, consumers are encouraged to take these steps to help the state manage energy use later in the day.

Before the Flex Alert

• Pre-cool your home by lowering the thermostat
• If you need to use your major appliances, do it earlier in the day, when solar energy is abundant
• Close window coverings to keep your home or apartment cool
• Take advantage of the solar energy to charge electronic devices and electric vehicles so there's no need to do it later, when solar is not available

The Associated Press contributed to this report.