San Diego County

Brutal Heat Wave Leads to Power Outages for Thousands of San Diegans, More Blackouts Possible Tuesday

The electrical load Tuesday afternoon could top 51,000 megawatts, the highest demand the state has ever seen. The Cal ISO said blackouts were possible, again

NBC Universal, Inc. Heat was indeed a factor in the power shutoffs, SDG&E confirmed.

What to Know

  • At one point, the outage affected more than 6,000 people. By 6:15 a.m. Tuesday, 257 customers were without power
  • Outages were recorded in La Jolla, Poway and Carlsbad
  • Check SDG&E's website for when power is expected to be restored

More than 6,500 San Diego Gas & Electric customers were without power Monday evening amid an extreme heat wave that was straining California's power grid, and it was likely more outages would come Tuesday, officials said.

Monday's outages came amid a statewide Flex Alert issued to reduce strain on California's energy grid when many residents are relying on electricity to keep cool. The outages affected La Jolla, Poway and Carlsbad, which was hit the hardest.

Less than 300 customers remained without power Tuesday morning. If you're affected, check when power will return here.

California Independent Systems Operator, which manages California's energy grid, said the state was entering "the most challenging days of the heat wave" and said it was likely more outages could come Tuesday.

The California Independent Systems Operator (CAISO) predicts the electrical load by the afternoon could top 51,000 megawatts, the highest demand the state has ever seen.

California could fall more than 5,000 megawatts short of its power supply at peak demand, forecasted for 5:30 pm., the CAISO site showed.

In order to reduce the strain, CAISO urged residents to conserve energy, a flex alert was also issued for Tuesday from 4 to 9 p.m., making seven alerts in as many days. Consumers were urged to keep air conditioners at 78 degrees (25.5 degrees C) or higher during the period and avoiding using major appliances such as ovens and dishwashers.

The California Independent Systems Operator issued an additional Energy Emergency Alert 2 on Monday. This type of alert means that the ISO is requesting emergency energy from all resources and has activated its emergency demand response program.

Even on the coasts, temperatures are just too high. NBC 7's Ramon Galindo has the story.

"Our crews are working as quickly and as safely as possible to restore power to neighborhoods affected by today's unplanned outages. While our troubleshooters are assessing the cause of each outage, initial reports are showing that heat can be a factor," SDG&E wrote in a statement Saturday night.

In the meantime, customers could check SDG&E's map of unplanned outages for when power will return.

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