SDG&E Thanks Customers For Patience After Record Power Demand, Outages

SAN DIEGO, CA — As the region cools slightly from record-high temperatures in the past two weeks, San Diego Gas & Electric Monday thanked customers for patience during unplanned blackouts.

Last week's exceptionally high temperatures across the region drove electricity use to the highest levels ever seen by the Sempra Energy-owned utility. Last Wednesday, SDG&E reached a record peak net system energy demand of 5,209 megawatts, surpassing the previous peak of 4,890 megawatts set in September 2014.

"Our focus throughout this heat event was on our customers and the communities we serve," said Kevin Geraghty, SDG&E's chief operating and safety officer. "While localized outages occurred, our teams remained focused on restoring service safely and maintaining reliability across the broader electric system. We are grateful for the patience of our customers and proud of the crews who worked in extreme conditions to serve our communities."

Energy spiked statewide, with the California Independent System Operator -- the agency managing the flow of electricity across the high- voltage, long-distance transmission system that serves around 80% of California -- reporting a year-to-date peak load on Wednesday of 50,335 megawatts.

"The same prolonged heat and elevated electricity demand that drove record system usage also created challenges for some customers," the utility said. "While most maintained service throughout the heat event, some experienced localized outages. SDG&E recognizes that losing power is especially difficult during periods of extreme heat. Sustained extreme temperatures and unusually high electricity demand can place additional strain on electric equipment, contributing to failures that require repair and restoration."

Thousands of homes and businesses were left without power on that Wednesday in northern San Diego County.

The blackout struck at about 1:30 p.m., knocking out power to 8,719 San Diego Gas & Electric customers in Del Dios, Green Valley, the Lake Hodges vicinity, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Penasquitos and San Pasqual, according to the utility.

When localized outages occurred, line workers and supporting crews responded quickly, working in extreme conditions to safely restore service and help minimize the impact on customers, officials said.

— City News Service