Conserve energy to prevent rotating outages
No rotating block outages are planned.
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When we all conserve, outages are preventable
- The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) decides when rotating outages are necessary to reduce demand on the power grid.
- You may be notified by text, email and/or phone before PG&E enacts a rotating outage in your area. Outages typically last 1-2 hours.
- Remember—all outage start times are estimates. They're meant as guidelines, not definitive schedules.
- You can help prevent outages. This summer, discover simple ways to conserve energy, save money and help ease the burden on the power grid.
Flex Alert Energy Savings Tips
Before the Flex Alert, Californians should:
- Pre-cool your home or workspace. Lower your thermostat in the morning. As the temperature rises outside, raise your thermostat and circulate the pre-cooled air with a fan.
- Use major appliances, including:
- Washer and dryer
- Dishwasher
- Oven and stove for pre-cooking and preparing meals
- Close your shades. Sunlight passing through windows heats your home and makes your air conditioner work harder. Block this heat by keeping blinds or drapes closed on the sunny side of your home.
During the Flex Alert, Californians should:
- Set your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher, health permitting. Every degree you lower the thermostat means your air conditioner must work even harder to keep your home cool.
- When it's cooler outside, bring the cool air in. If the outside air is cool in the night or early morning, open windows and doors and use fans to cool your home.
- Avoid using major appliances.
- Turn off all unnecessary lights.
Find your block and possible rotating outage period
A rotating outage is an electric power outage that rotates from area to area, so no single neighborhood is down for very long. It’s designed to reduce demand and maintain power grid reliability. Brief outages protect against longer and larger outages.
Find your estimated shutoff time
- If your block isn't listed in the table below, we don't expect an outage at your location.
- Block number 50 customers are not usually included in rotating outages because they share a circuit with a hospital or other essential facility. More than 50% of customers are in block number 50. Other types of outages are still possible.
| Block number | Estimated shutoff time | |
|---|---|---|
|
There are no current plans for rotating outages. |
There are no current plans for rotating outages. *In certain cases, your estimated shutoff time may be postponed an hour or more. For more information, scroll down to the FAQ. |
Shutoff times can be postponed or cancelled
When demand for electricity is higher than supply, such as during a heat wave, Californians might be asked to use less energy. If enough people conserve electricity at once, rotating outages can be cancelled or postponed by an hour or more.
Frequently asked questions
What is Energy Emergency Alert 3 (EEA 3) and why does it result in customers losing power?
An Energy Emergency Alert 3 (EEA 3) is issued when the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) is unable to meet minimum Contingency Reserve requirements for electricity and a load interruption—otherwise known as a power outage—is imminent or in progress. These emergencies are issued by the CAISO.
The CAISO will typically order the state's utilities, including PG&E, to reduce electrical load by initiating rotating outages to prevent larger outages on the grid. Due to the emergency nature of these outages, we may not be able to give advance warning to customers.
How long will my outage last? How often will it happen?
If your block is called, you'll experience an outage of typically 1-2 hours. Once your outage is over, your block shouldn't be shut off for a rotating outage again until all the other blocks in PG&E's service territory have been called.
Why was my estimated shutoff time postponed?
Your block's shutoff time was pushed into the next timeslot because a shutoff wasn’t needed. For example, if your block was estimated to be shut off from 4-5 p.m. and a shutoff wasn't required, your block becomes first on the list for 5-6 p.m. This continues until the risk for outage passes completely or until rotating outages are enacted.
Who's the California Independent System Operator (CAISO)?
The CAISO manages the power grid in California. PG&E, along with the San Diego Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison, are participating members in the CAISO.
Is a rotating outage the same as a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS)?
No. Rotating outages are due to statewide supply-and-demand issues. The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) operates the state's power grid and tells PG&E when to enact a rotating outage. A PSPS helps prevent a wildfire in areas where severe weather and dry vegetation conditions are present. PG&E determines when a PSPS is needed—not the CAISO.
If rotating outages are called, how will customers know if/when it’s their turn? How long do they last?
If we are in a situation that requires the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) to call for rotating outages, PG&E will communicate to customers through local media, social media and phone calls to alert them of the situation.
Due to the emergency nature of these outages, we may not be able to give advance warning to customers. Customers are being asked to conserve power and plan for the possibility of losing power for a brief period, should an Energy Emergency Alert 3 (EEA 3) be issued by the CAISO.
A rotating outage typically lasts 1-2 hours. We manage and rotate the outage across blocks of customers throughout the service territory to protect the integrity of our electric system, while limiting the inconvenience to any one customer or community.
To look up your outage block and see a list of possible rotating outages, visit the rotating outages status page.
How does PG&E determine which customers lose power in the event of a CAISO-issued Energy Emergency Alert 3 (EEA 3) and rotating outage?
In the event of an Energy Emergency Alert 3 (EEA 3), the CAISO will communicate to California's utilities the amount of energy load (in megawatts) they need to take offline. PG&E then selects the number of blocks in our service territory that, when taken offline, will meet the required reduction in energy.
What are Flex Alerts and how do they relate to rotating outages?
Flex Alerts are part of a statewide program run by the CAISO which manages the power grid in California.
The purpose of a Flex Alert is to encourage customers to conserve as much energy as they can during a designated period. The ISO typically calls a Flex Alert when statewide forecasts are trending higher than average.