California has issued a Flex Alert for Monday June 20 2016.
California needs consumer to conserve electricity during the Monday June 20 2016 heatwave.
A Flex Alert is a call for consumers to conserve electricity during heat waves when power use outstrips electricity supply and other challenging grid conditions, such as when power plants or power lines are unexpectedly unavailable making electricity deliveries difficult.
A Flex Alert is issued by the California Independent System Operator (ISO), a nonprofit, public benefit corporation that operates the high voltage grid in California and in parts of six western states.
The ISO does not own transmission lines or power plants, but does tell power plants when to generate electricity, how much to generate and where the electricity will be delivered.
The ISO is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C.
Flex Alerts can be triggered by :
high peak demand
unplanned power plant outages
fires that cause transmission line overloads, losses, or limitations
humid, hot weather and heat storms.
A Flex Alert is most effective when issued a day in advance of when conservation is needed so consumers can adjust their electricity usage ahead of time such as turning thermostats off before leaving for work.
However, grid emergencies can happen suddenly, so if conservation is needed, the ISO will issue a Flex Alert with little or no advance notification.
When possible, Flex Alerts are targeted to the local areas where the system is stressed.
