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SDG&E to Change Language After Heat Wave Miscommunications

California power grid officials say San Diego Gas and Electric will use different language when describing "local" power supply difficulties. On Monday, SDG&E officials talked about a stage three aler

SDG&E to Change Language After Heat Wave Miscommunications

California power grid officials say San Diego Gas and Electric will use different language when describing "local" power supply difficulties. On Monday, SDG&E officials talked about a stage three alert and the chance for rolling blackouts because the local distribution system was under stress.

The state power grid agency's Greg Fishman says there was plenty of electricity available so using the stage three alert term wasn't really accurate.

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Fishman : Those kinds of terminologies, those kinds of words, typically mean something that is occurring on the statewide power grid, and those are words that we tend to use to describe a specific situation.

SDG&E has agreed to find a different way to communicate the need to conserve. More than 80,000 customers lost power on Labor Day because demand was high at the same time that high temperatures were putting stress on the utility's distribution system.