California declared an electricity emergency as it braces for another power-demand record and the possibility of the most severe energy shortfall in five years because of a persistent heat wave.
A stage 2 emergency was declared at 1 p.m. local time by the California Independent System Operator, indicating that the reserve margin, a measure of surplus power, is below 5 percent. Utilities will be allowed to restrict power to some customers who accept cuts during emergencies in exchange for lower rates.
California, with an economy twice the size of Russia's, has struggled to improve the reliability of its electricity system as a growing population spurs demand. The state said it may call the first stage 3 emergency, which would lead to rolling blackouts, since 2001, when an industry restructuring and market manipulation by traders led to widespread electricity shortages.
Rolling blackouts, if necessary, would likely be implemented for a couple of hours during the late afternoon today, Mansour said.
Electricity demand will exceed 52,000 megawatts, compared with a record 49,036 megawatts set at the end of last week, the system operator forecast on its Web site.
California would declare a stage 3 and call for rolling blackouts when the reserve margin is less than 1.5 percent. The state earlier today issued a stage 1 emergency alert, which is a public call for conservation, before upgrading it to a stage 2.
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California is running commercials on 235 radio and TV stations calling for energy conservation. Schwarzenegger ordered state agencies to reduce power consumption by 25 percent by limiting air conditioning and lighting.
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Meteorologists blame the scorching temperatures on high pressure that heats air, dampens sea breezes and reduces cloud cover.
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``The high-pressure system is dominating the western portion of the country,'' Diana Henderson, a National Weather Service forecaster in Monterey, California, said in an interview.
The heat and humidity led the weather service in Los Angeles to issue an excessive heat warning for southwestern California until at least 7 p.m. local time, indicating that a prolonged period of dangerously high temperatures will occur.
Yesterday in the Central Valley, temperatures soared to 113 Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) in Modesto, beating a record of 105, while temperatures in Stockton topped 115, exceeding a record of 107, the weather service reported. The previous records were both set in 1960.
