As households and businesses fire up their air conditioners to escape what is expected to be a scorching heatwave, the California power system operator advised the public to prepare to conserve electricity next week if necessary.
Electricity rates have already risen to their highest level since the February freeze in Texas, when natural gas pipes and wind turbines froze, leaving millions without power.
“It is still too early to tell the specific impact that next week's high temperatures will have on the electric grid,” the California ISO, which oversees the state's electricity infrastructure, said in a statement.
However, the ISO stated that if it is necessary to take actions to minimize electricity use, it will alert the public.
According to AccuWeather predictions, high temperatures in Los Angeles will reach the low 90s degrees Fahrenheit next week, which is roughly 20 degrees higher than the average high for this time of year.
When energy supplies ran low last summer, California utilities were compelled to implement alternating blackouts, which left over 400,000 households and businesses without electricity for up to 2-1/2 hours.
