Heat Wave Sparks Power Emergency

The California Independent System Operator, which operates the state’s electric power grid, declared a “stage two” emergency Monday after power use neared record levels and caused intermittent power outages in the region, thanks to Southern California’s current heat wave. Southern California Edison asked neighboring utilities to send crews to help restore power to thousands of customers in its 50,000-square-mile service area. Earlier in the day, the ISO had declared a “stage one” emergency, in which utilities urge customers to conserve power. The emergency escalated to stage two when the ISO determined that operating reserves had dipped below 5%. Utilities were then allowed to interrupt power to large commercial and industrial customers with whom they have prearranged agreements. The worst kind of emergency is a “stage three” in which the state’s electricity system is within 1.5% of failure and utilities are allowed to begin rolling blackouts. California has never experienced a stage three power emergency.