California Independent System Operator STAGE 2 EMERGENCY NOTICE

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STAGE 2 EMERGENCY NOTICE [200000232]

Effective 09/14/2000 at 14:00 the California Independent System Operator is implementing Stage 2 of the Electrical Emergency Plan. The Plan has been implemented for the following reason(s):

The ISO is forecasting reserves to fall below 5%.

Stage 2 is expected to be in effect from Hour Ending 15 through Hour Ending 20.

Participating transmission owners are to notify the Utility Distribution Companies within their operational areas.

Stage 2: Operating reserves are expected to fall below 5%. The UDC will implement interruptible service programs AS DIRECTED BY THE ISO and will take all additional actions necessary in preparation for immediate implementation of electrical emergency plans and await further orders from the ISO.

This message is from Market Operations at the California ISO.

Notice issued at: 09/14/2000 13:37

-- PHO (owennos@bigfoot.com), September 14, 2000

Answers

Again? Into Sept. and we still have to put up with this? Ah, yes, it's been great fun living in California this summer.

-- JackW (jpayne@webtv.net), September 14, 2000.

This is because everyone's using their
air cond . . . No wait, it's because
everyone's using their electric hea . . .
No wait, it's all those TVs. :-'

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), September 14, 2000.

Power alert hits blistering California Forecasters expect heat to linger around county By Kristen Green UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER September 14, 2000

Two El Cajon high schools sent students home early yesterday, sparing thousands of teen-agers an unpleasant lesson in synonyms.

Can you say: Toasty? Roasting? Blistering?

Andrea Andersen, a junior at El Cajon Valley High School, had her own vocabulary for the 93-degree day: "Sweaty and nasty."

As San Diego County baked, a combination of factors led to declaration of a statewide Stage 2 power emergency. Electricity reserves dipped below 5 percent, forcing the Independent System Operator, which regulates 75 percent of the state's electricity supply, to ask people to cut back.

In the classroom, even teachers seemed annoyed as temperatures steadily rose, Andrea said.

"It's too hot for them," she said. "They don't want to teach, and we don't want to learn."

Only 40 percent of El Cajon Valley High is air-conditioned, said Mark Pettis, a spokesman for the Grossmont Union High School District.

Said Danyelle Bacon, an El Cajon Valley junior: "It just gets so hot you can't concentrate. You don't want to stay in school."

On the electricity front, Independent System Operator spokeswoman Stephanie McCorkle said high temperatures in Northern California and a fire there that took out some power lines caused the Stage 2 alert.

Business customers that receive electricity at a reduced rate in exchange for agreeing to shut down during emergencies were asked to close for part of yesterday.

The ISO reported that California's use reached 40,559 megawatts, and San Diego County's power use maxed out at 3,331 megawatts, well below the record of 3,980 megawatts set in August 1998.

Temperatures reached 82 in Chula Vista, 109 in Borrego Springs and 89 in Rancho Bernardo.

McCorkle said there have been significant drops in electricity use in San Diego County since the power crisis began.

"I think without a doubt our operators are surprised the load isn't higher on a day like today," McCorkle said. "It's making an enormous difference."

So as students at two East County schools were dismissed early -- El Cajon Valley at 12:48 p.m. and Granite Hills High at 12:55 p.m. -- they probably did not have air-conditioned houses to go home to.

With high electricity rates only recently capped, many still are concerned about using air conditioning.

"We don't run it that much," Danyelle said.

Down the street from the school, Daniel Banuelos said he was trying to make do with fans. Daniel said his family runs the air conditioner only a couple of hours a day.

"I would like to have it nice and cool inside, but the electricity's too high," he said.

The hot weather is expected to last through the weekend.

"It'll be pretty warm for a while," said Brandt Maxwell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Low clouds were expected to move in last night, making today a tad cooler, Maxwell said.

"Friday and Saturday it should be warmer again, but no hotter than it was the past day or two," he said.

You will not hear any complaints about the hot weather from Joe Conchas, a letter carrier with the U.S. Postal Service who works an El Cajon route.

"I'd rather have the heat than the cold," Conchas said. "I'm just glad it's sunny."

http://www.uniontrib.com/news/metro/20000914-0010_3m14heat.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), September 15, 2000.


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