The California Independent System Operator on Sept. 7 issued a heat bulletin due to the continuance of above-normal temperatures and increased electricity demand into this week for California.
"Though we have seen slight cooling throughout the West and Northern California regions, Southern California continues to experience significant above-normal minimum and maximum temperatures which is increasing electricity demand for California through the weekend and into early" the week of Sept. 9.
Persistent heat and warm overnight temperatures are expected to remain through mid-week for California.
Restricted Maintenance Operations were issued for Monday, Sept. 9, from noon to 10 p.m. due to high loads and temperatures across the state. During the RMO, market participants are cautioned to avoid scheduled maintenance to ensure all available generation and transmission lines are in service.
"While no supply shortfalls are anticipated, it is important to emphasize that extreme heat that lingers for many consecutive days can overtax generators running at high outputs for long periods, increasing the risk of outages and reduced generation. Wildfires can also pose a threat to generators and transmission lines. And hot weather, which continues to affect other Western states, could limit the potential for importing energy," it said.
If weather or grid conditions worsen, the ISO said it could issue a series of emergency notifications to access additional resources, and prepare market participants and the public for potential energy shortages.
The ISO could also issue a Flex Alert encouraging consumers to voluntarily reduce electricity use from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on certain days. Flex Alerts are typically issued for the subsequent day based on day-ahead market outcomes.
