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It's a Hot One -- Be Prepared!

27 July 2006

Southern California, and especially the High Desert, is experiencing a hot summer this year. Because of the weather conditions, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) is experiencing high demands for electricity. It is our responsibility to understand what this means and how it will affect us. Summary descriptions of Emergency Stages are as follows:

Stage 1 Emergency: May be declared at any time it is clear that an operating reserve shortfall is unavoidable (such as less than 7%) or is forecast to occur within the next two hours. Consumers are urged to reduce their use of electricity voluntarily to avoid severe conditions.

Stage 2 Emergency: May be declared at any time it is clear that an operating reserve shortfall of less than 5% is unavoidable or is forecast to occur within the next two hours. Voluntary interruption of service to select customers is possible to avoid more severe conditions.

Stage 3 Emergency: May be declared at any time it is clear that an operating reserve shortfall of less than 1.5% is unavoidable or is forecast to occur within the next two hours. Consumers are advised that involuntary interruptions of service (rotating outages) have begun and will continue until the emergency has passed.

Be sure your family disaster preparedness plan is up-to-date, including a survival kit. Residents should be ready to care for their own needs during any type of disaster. Be prepared and stay cool!