By the California Independent System Operator
The California Independent System Operator (ISO) has issued a statewide Flex Alert, a call for voluntary electricity conservation, for today, Aug. 17, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., due to predicted high temperatures pushing up energy demand and tightening available power supplies.
With above-normal temperatures in the forecast across much of the state tomorrow, the power grid operator is expecting an increase in electricity demand, primarily from air conditioning use, and is calling for voluntary conservation steps to help balance supply and demand.
Consumers are urged to conserve electricity, especially during the late afternoon and early evening, when the grid is most stressed due to higher demand and less solar energy.
Reducing energy use during a Flex Alert can help stabilize the power grid during a time of tight supply conditions, and prevent further emergency measures, including power outages.
For information on Flex Alerts, and to get more electricity conservation tips, visit the ISO’s Flex Alert website.
Conservation Tips
Today, before 4 p.m., Californians should:
- Pre-cool home by setting the thermostat to as low as 72 degrees
- Use major appliances, including:
- Washer and dryer
- Dishwasher
- Oven and stove for pre-cooking and preparing meals
- Adjust blinds and drapes to cover windows
Today, during the Flex Alert from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m, Californians should:
- Set thermostat to 78 degrees or higher, if health permits
- Avoid using major appliances
- Turn off all unnecessary lights
Yeah! Instead of being smart, let’s continue to dig the hole deeper!
Only people who don’t know their burros from burrows would suggest that adding even more CO2 to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels is going to help our CO2 induced problems.
All I know about naty gas around here is when we fish outside Sands beach there is a bunch of gas bubbles all the time and you cut a 2ltr. bottle in half and put the cap end up and you can light the gas like a torch.
So, not much.
You talkin’ to me?
You know O.
I’ll believe Californians are serious about electric vehicles when they build out all the infrastructure needed and are honest with everyone that future needs for electricity outstrip the projected growth of renewables
Californians like to outsource polluting activity to other states, countries so we can be sanctimonious
Californians use 2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas per year and only produce 163 million cubic feet.
Californians import natural gas to generate electricity and Natural gas is projected to lead all other methods of power generation within the state until at least 2050. Longer if electric cars beat projections
Californians import 30% of our electricity from other states and that number is projected to go way up as electric vehicles become ubiquitous
Californians produce 463,000 barrels of oil a day and use 1.8 million. Most of that from overseas, so it comes on fuel burning tankers.
25% of Cailfornians electricity is provided by wind and solar. Projections say that number should continue to climb, but will not climb as fast as Californians demand for electricity. In other words, even as wind and solar grow, they will flucuate around a 25-30% supply to the demand.
We may import a lot of energy, but we export a lot of food.
@ 8:19 you mean we export a lot of water. Growing food in the desert doesn’t consume massive amounts of energy, it consumes massive amounts of water – which we then export. EDNEY, delivering with the straight facts yet again.
Diablo alone produces nearly double the electricity generated byall wind power and 2/3 of what all of solar does.
Another way to put it would be that 10 Diablo Canyons would produce 100% on Californians current needs.
I think we should be facilitating research into things like Thorium molten salt reactors
No, you’re way off with your carbon shill nonsense.
11:12: “and I will discredit you with names like ‘carbon shill’ rather that facts!” _____Here is a fact for you @11:12, Diablo Canyon and the Thorium salt reactors Edney mentioned in the comment you replied to are CARBON FREE POWER SOURCES.
Edney made no mention of thorium salt reactors, which are a figment of your imagination. Fission power is too expensive, too dangerous, and too slow to come online. Pitching them is a big carbon tactic to try to stall the development of rational renewable non-carbon power sources.
Here, since you spout nonsense about them:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium-based_nuclear_power
@3:56 well you’re wrong about what Edney wrote, not surprising because too often you jump on the keyboard to argue without even reading the entire comment, let alone formulating a fact based and rational response. So if a carbon free power source is expensive and slow it’s not worth doing? You’re also wrong on the dangerous part if you actually look into it, how it works, how the waste product is stored, and the actual stats beyond the fearmongering anti-nuclear sites. You’d be surprised to find out more people are killed each year working on wind turbines than have ever been killed in a nuclear power plant accident. But you know… don’t let facts get in the way of your narrative.
Carbon Shill Nonsense?
https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2021-total-system-electric-generation
I was off on my wind numbers and I apologize for using old data.
One thing that concerns me about the numbers the State of CA releases is the 6.8% power generated from outside, unspecified, non-renewable sources from a State of CA entity that itemizes down to the 0.2% for “Waste Heat/ Petroleum Coke”.
“Flex Alert” is actually a cool sounding newspeak term for inadequate alternative energy supply. This state sits on an ocean of natural gas, and we could easily supply all our electrical needs if we used it for electrical generation. This is a completely avoidable situation.
Has anyone seen a plan from Governor Newsom, or any state lawmaker for that matter, on how CA is supposed to generate the additional electricity required for all the EV’s they anticipate over the coming decade? __ They “should” have estimates on new housing/new EV’s over the coming years to calculate we’ll need x megawatts of new green (and reliable) power generation to accommodate that new demand. ___ As we’re currently hanging on by a thread meeting our current electrical needs, it seems banning nat-gas connections in new construction (meaning heating and cooking will now be via electricity) and mandating only EV’s be sold in a decade, is putting the cart in front of the horse.
Lol what “ocean” of gas? CA makes up less than a percentage point of national gas production. There’s only a small bit of reserves off our coast. It’s harder to drill here both for geological and regulatory reasons. The pesky Nimby people don’t want rust and “proprietary lubrication chemicals” from fracking and drilling in their tap water like they have in rural Pennsylvania. Everybody from Scranton knows it builds character! Come on, man!
Chillin, we don’t even have the infrastructure to generate our own electricity in california anymore. California relies on imported electricity for nearly 1/3 of its total generation. The scheduled closure of Diablo canyon would take away one of the cornerstones of our remaining generation capacity and lead to a significant decrease in the reliability of electricity. Thank goodness newsom and Biden have teamed up to save Diablo canyon!
9.3% is your idea of a cornerstone?
https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2021-total-system-electric-generation
It’s a fair bit more than that when it’s dark and the wind isn’t blowing. That’s why coal, gas, and nuclear are critically important for a reliable electric grid. If alerts are going out now because we’re at risk of coming up short of the amount of power we need, imagine how much worse it would be if we shut down 10-15% of our generation capacity. Rolling blackouts would become the norm, and unlike energy production we can’t outsource power outages to other states.
Nope. That’s just more of your carbon propaganda. That’s a total for 2021, and includes nuclear sourced from outside CA. So, as usual, you’re blowing smoke.
Right. Let’s strip mine the local mountains to harvest expensive carbon fuel that will take years to acquire, and in the end only add to our problems. Brilliant marketing from big carbon!
That’s not how you extract natural gas @2:16 but you knew that since you’re such an expert in these matters. Brilliant! Apparently you’re okay strip mining third would countries, where the there is little to no care for their local environment or people, to procure the material needed to build EV batteries and solar panels – out of sight out of mind!
Just your usual whataboutism. Please, learn how methane is extracted from shale deposits.
From the appropriately-named “office of fossil energy”:
https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/04/f0/complete_brochure.pdf
@3:53 Talking about strip mining for energy [storage] and resulting environmental damage responding to a comment about…. strip mining for energy and the resulting environmental damage is…. whataboutsim? Okay boss…..
Scanned your link, couldn’t find where they use strip mining to extract natural gas. What page is it on?
You not only don’t understand fission power generation and the destructive effects of shale extraction, you don’t even know what whataboutism is, though you employ it very generously.
It’s called the Monterey Shale Formation, full of natural gas. It’s politically untouchable. The political leaders of this state would have vulnerable people swelter in the dark with their groceries warming up rather than use it for continuous, reliable electrical generation.