High temperatures increased electricity demand while one power plant was down and wind power fell short Saturday, prompting a Stage 3 Electrical Emergency that lasted 20 minutes.
The Stage 3 Electrical Emergency was called at 6:28 p.m., making rolling outages imminent or in progress, according to the California Independent System Operator.
"The load was ordered back online 20 minutes later at 6:48 p.m., as wind resources increased," the ISO explained.
"Extreme heat throughout the West has increased electricity usage, causing a strain on the power grid. All available resources are needed to meet the growing demand," the ISO said.
The city of Anaheim explained the current status to its residents on Twitter, saying, "The Stage 3 emergency event has been canceled and we are back to a Stage 2. This means that rotating outages are no longer imminent for the time being. If conditions change, we could move back into Stage 3, so we encourage voluntary electricity reduction tonight."
Under a Stage 2 Electrical Emergency, the ISO has done all it can to mitigate shortages and must intervene in the market to meet energy requirements, including ordering power plants online, according to the ISO's website.
A Stage 1 Electrical Emergency signals a "strong need for conservation," the ISO said.
"Although a Stage 3 Emergency is a significant inconvenience to those affected by rotating power interruptions, it is preferable to manage an emergency with controlled measures rather than let it cause widespread and more prolonged disruption," the ISO noted in a statement.
