[SCE] – The California Independent System Operator issued a Flex Alert that will begin at 9 a.m. Friday and last through Sunday to urge California businesses, governments and residents to reduce electricity use voluntarily.

The request made today, which will remain in effect through 6 p.m. Sunday, was made because of increased demand for electricity due to the heat wave.

As California’s power reserves continue to fall and local temperatures rise, the state’s independent system operator and Southern California Edison (SCE) are urging customers to reduce their electricity use.

Should the situation worsen for any reason and power reserves drop to dangerous levels, the independent system operator could direct utilities to conduct involuntary rotating outages — for blocks of customers — across their service areas until sufficient reserve levels are achieved.

SCE recommends that customers:

Set thermostats no lower than 78 degrees.

Use electric fans instead of air conditioning when practical.

Turn off unused appliances and equipment.

Shut off lights when leaving a room.

Avoid using evaporative coolers or humidifiers when an air conditioner is running.

Operate energy-intensive appliances during early morning or evening hours.

Limit the opening and reopening of refrigerators.

When possible, businesses should shift power-intensive work processes to off-peak times.

About Southern California Edison

An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.