Business & Tech
Rolling Blackouts Lifted: PG&E
The order to conduct rolling blackouts was lifted hours earlier than expected because of an increase in wind energy.
BAY AREA, CA — Bay Area residents caught a break Saturday night when a Stage 3 Electrical Emergency was lifted by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) hours earlier than expected.
Originally, rolling blackouts ordered by CAISO were expected to last until about 10 p.m. because of increased electricity demand due to the heatwave, the unexpected loss of a 470-megawatt (MW) power plant, and the loss of nearly 1,000 MW of wind power.
However, wind resources increased and CAISO canceled the emergency order.
Find out what's happening in San Franciscofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
However, a significant number of outages remained at 9 p.m., according to the outage map.

- Have a buddy system: Check in on elderly or people with access and function needs.
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water, even when you are not thirsty.
- Stay cool: Take a cool shower or bath and wear lightweight, loose, light-colored clothing.
- Stay safe: Stay out of direct sunlight and avoid alcoholic or caffeinated beverages.
At direction of California’s Grid Operator- PG&E has initiated a rotating outage impacting approximately 200K - 250k customers. More information to come. Please conserve energy. Thank you for your patience. https://t.co/O213eqyJpF
— PG&E (@PGE4Me) August 16, 2020

Find out what's happening in San Franciscofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.