Berkeley Officials: Prepare For Power Outages Through Wednesday

BERKELEY, CA—According to Berkeley city officials, thousands of residents may experience rolling blackouts from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

City officials said that residents should take prompt action to prepare by charging cell phones and medical devices, signing up for emergency alerts, reviewing emergency supplies and conserving electricity by using high energy appliances only during early morning or late night hours.

Rolling blackouts happening statewide due to high energy demand

These rotating outages due to extreme heat and high energy demand have been initiated by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), the organization that runs the state’s electric grid, city officials said. CAISO has called a statewide flex alert, a rare measure taken only when extreme heat pushes energy demand past the grid’s capacity.

City officials said these blackouts are not public safety power shutoffs, which happen in response to extreme weather conditions that create heightened fire danger. Nonetheless, everyone should be aware that we are in fire season -- when people in the hills, especially, should prepare for wildfire evacuation.

Prepare for an outage

Even brief power outages may disrupt communications, water, and transportation and affect medical devices. Take steps now to prepare for outages lasting 2-5 hours.

• Fully charge your essential devices before 3 p.m. Charge backup power sources if you have them. Reduce screen brightness, put your phone in airplane mode, and turn off unused apps to maximize battery life.
• Sign up to get alerts. Sign up for outage alerts from PG&E and emergency notifications from the City of Berkeley at acalert.org.
• Review your supplies. You should have flashlights with extra batteries for every household member.
• Make a paper list of emergency, family, and work contacts.

During an outage

• Keep freezers and refrigerators closed. A refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours. A full freezer will keep food cold for 48 hours.
• Turn off or disconnect appliances and electronics so they are not damaged by a surge when power returns.
• Use alternate plans for refrigerating medicines or power-dependent medical devices
• Check on your neighbors.

Help prevent outages by conserving energy

City officials said everyone can do their part to help prevent blackouts by conserving energy:

• Set thermostats to 78 degrees or higher. When you’re not at home, turn thermostats to 85 degrees.
• Close drapes and blinds to keep rooms cool.
• Don’t turn on your oven. Use the stovetop or a microwave for cooking.
• If you have a ceiling fan, use it to keep rooms cool. Even for those who have air conditioning, ceiling fans allow you to raise the thermostat by 4 degrees with no reduction in comfort.
• Turn off lights and fans when you leave a room.
• Limit use of energy-intensive appliances like washing machines and dishwashers during peak hours. Clean clothes and dishes early in the morning or after 10pm at night.

Call PG&E’s 24-hour customer service line at 1-800-743-5000 for more information. If you have a life-threatening emergency, call 911.