PG&E Says Rolling Blackouts Likely Monday Night, Urging Californians To Save Electricity Amid Heatwave

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) – PG&E said continual power outages are a possibility during the heat wave and the utility is encouraging customers to conserve energy and prepare for outages.

The utility company tweeted on Monday afternoon that blackouts would likely occur after California’s ISO declared a Flex alert.

In the East Bay, the Genova Deli in Walnut Creek is hoping that PG&E will not cut off power to businesses.

“It gives me great anxiety. We don’t know whether this is happening or not. It happened last year and it was not good,” manager Andrew Takach said.

RELATED: Extreme Heat Wave Bakes Bay Area After Hit By Power Outages Amid Record High Temperatures

Genova has been in business for 52 years. The store doesn’t have a generator to run things, so if PG&E cuts off the power, it will quickly lose most of its inventory.

“Well, the meats… we have about four hours if it’s refrigerated, it depends on the heat outside,” Takach said.

At Ace Hardware around the corner, residents run an errand on items to help them cope with heat and loss of power.

RELATED: What to Do Now to Prepare for a Planned Power Outage

“Basically the fans and the flashlights. As you can see we’re devastated. It started on Sunday. Hopefully we have some stock after 1pm,” Assistant Manager Jeff Marshall said as he stood in front of empty shelves that once held Fans.

The store has learned from the past year and made some changes.

“We ended up improving our battery registers. Last year they died on us but they were old, so we got new backup batteries so these last a few hours,” Marshall said.

VIDEO: What is a Flex Alert?

Walnut Creek resident Charlie Gibson went further. He now has a Tesla battery installed on his solar panels so he can power his house during an outage. He made the upgrade six months ago after facing power outages.

“Was it last year? Last winter? We were away for ten hours. And I said ‘I can’t do this.’ Activities for the kids, everyone in the house, that’s it. “stop. And we have the ability to do that, so why not,” Gibson said Monday morning, showing us his power situation on an app on his phone.

The California Independent System Operator (ISO) has issued a statewide Flex Alert Sunday through Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day to promote electricity conservation.

PG&E strongly encourages all of its customers to save energy in hot weather and offers these tips:

• Raise the thermostat: Cool homes and use air conditioners more in the morning. Set the thermostat to 78 degrees when you’re home for the rest of the day, health permitting. Rotate it up to 85 degrees or turn it off when you are not at home.
• Use a Ceiling Fan: Turn on a ceiling fan when using the air conditioner, which will allow the thermostat to be raised about 4 degrees to save on cooling costs without reducing comfort. Turn off fans and lights when you leave the room.
• Cover Windows: Use blinds and awnings so the air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard to cool the house.
• Avoid using the oven: cook on the stovetop instead, use a microwave or grill outside.
• Limit the opening of refrigerators, which are the main users of electricity in most homes. The average refrigerator is opened 33 times a day.
• Clean clothes and dishes early: Use large, energy-hungry appliances like washing machines and dishwashers earlier in the day or late at night after 10 p.m.

For the latest information on PG&E outages in the Bay Area, click here.
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