Heat could strain power grid, PG&E warns
(Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
Triple-digit weather expected on Friday and Saturday has the potential to strain the power grid due to increased appliance use, officials with the Pacific Gas & Electric Company said this week.
In the past, periods of intense power grid strain have triggered localized blackouts that can leave households and businesses without electrical service for several hours.
On Thursday, thousands of customers in Fairfield and Travis Air Force Base lost electrical service around 2:30 p.m. At the time of the outage, the temperature was observed to be in the upper-90s, according to AccuWeather.
The cause of that power outage has not yet been revealed by PG&E. A spokesperson has not yet returned a request for additional information.
An Excessive Heat Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service from Friday morning until Saturday afternoon due to anticipated triple-digit temperatures throughout the Sacramento Valley, including most of Solano County.
In a blog post published early Thursday morning, a PG&E spokesperson said hot weather leads customers to use more electricity during peak demand, which strains available power resources.
“As homes across the state crank up the air conditioning to battle the high temperatures, this can put pressure not only on the grid but also on energy bills as air conditioning is one of the biggest drivers of energy consumption in the home that can increase bills quickly,” the spokesperson said. “PG&E encourages customers to take simple and inexpensive steps to minimize increases in their monthly energy bill this summer while keeping the comfort inside their home.”
PG&E says customers can avoid expensive bills and help alleviate pressure on the power grid by pre-cooling homes with air conditioners during off-peak hours, setting thermostats above 78 degrees, using ceiling fans instead of air conditioners during peak power use times, keeping blinds and windows closed during the hottest parts of the day and by shutting off unnecessary light fixtures.
Residents and businesses should also avoid using large appliances during the hottest parts of the day, including washers, dryers, dishwashers and air conditioners. Oven use should also be limited, with PG&E recommending people use the stove top or a microwave oven instead.
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