California Flex Alert Issued for Friday Due to High Heat, Heightened Demand for Electricity

The Flex Alert will be in effect from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday to avoid power disruptions.

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As high heat and heightened demand for electricity continues across California, the state's Independent System Operator has issued a statewide call for voluntary electricity conservation, issuing a Flex Alert from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday.

As daytime temperatures continue to soar past 100 degrees in most of the Golden State and throughout the West, the power grid operator -- California ISO -- is once again anticipating high electricity demand, particularly from air conditioning use, and needs voluntary conservation steps to assist in balancing electricity supply and demand.

As Californians prepare for more hot weather, some Bay Area cities and businesses are bracing themselves for extreme heat this holiday weekend. Chief Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri and Cheryl Hurd report.

A Restricted Maintenance Operations -- RMO -- remains in place now through Tuesday between noon to 10 p.m. The declaration orders market participants to avoid any scheduled routine maintenance during those times to ensure all available resources are in service.

Heat wave is still on the way with a mix of heat warnings and advisories. Meteorologist Kari Hall has an update on the Excessive Heat Warning in the Microclimate Forecast.

The Flex Alert covers the time of day -- late afternoon and early evening -- when the power grid is most compromised from higher demand and less solar energy. During that time, the state's consumers are urged to conserve power by setting thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, if health permits, and avoiding use of major appliances and turning off unnecessary lights.

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