SCE Urges Continued Energy Conservation
Very hot weather is expected to continue for most of Southern California through Wednesday and extended heat causes additional stress on the power grid.
All customers are urged to voluntarily conserve power throughout the duration of the heatwave, particularly from 3-10 p.m. Air-conditioning use is at its peak at that time. Conservation reduces stress on the statewide electrical grid and helps prevent possible power outages.
“In anticipation of several days of high heat, Southern California Edison has taken the necessary steps to prepare for the heat wave and crews will be available to make repairs as quickly and safely as possible,” said Tony Edeson, SCE’s director of Grid Operations. “We are also reviewing scheduled maintenance outages and, when possible, scheduling work to take place in the morning.”The company also has ensured there are adequate stores of transformers, wire and other materials often needed for heat-related outages.
Since the heatwave began, the California Independent System Operator has issued two statewide Stage 3 Emergencies and directed SCE to reduce its electrical load. As a result, SCE began taking circuits, or “blocks” of customers, out of service on a rotational basis. The first rotating outage took place Friday evening and affected about 132,000 customers for approximately an hour and the second rotating outage took place this evening for about 15 minutes and affected about 70,000 customers.
A few ways customers can help conserve energy include:
- Set air conditioners to 78 degrees or higher.
- Turn off unused appliances and equipment.
- Use electric fans instead of air conditioning when practical.
- Shut off lights when leaving a room.
- Close drapes and blinds to keep out direct sunlight during hot periods.
- Avoid using evaporative coolers or humidifiers at the same time an air conditioner is running.
- Operate swimming pool equipment and energy-intensive appliances, such as dishwashers, washing machines and dryers, during early-morning and late-evening hours.
- Limit the opening and reopening of refrigerators, which are major users of electricity in many homes.
- When possible, businesses should shift power-intensive work to morning or late-evening hours.
Safety is SCE’s top priority. If you see a downed power line, stay away and call SCE at 800-611-1911 or call 911.
Customers can report or inquire about outages at 800-611-1911 and get the latest information using the SCE outages app at sce.com/outages. They can also stay informed by visiting sce.com/staysafe, twitter.com/sce and facebook.com/sce.
