SoCal Heat Wave Strains Power Grid

LOS ANGELES - Parts of Southern California were in for another hot day Tuesday after a week of sweltering in triple-digit temperatures that contributed to power outages that left thousands without air conditioning.

Temperatures soared in the San Fernando Valley with Woodland Hills reporting 102 degrees on Monday and Van Nuys at 99, according to the National Weather Service. Tuesday wasn't much better, with a forecast high of 98 in Woodland Hills, but a cool-down was on the way.

In the meantime, 20,000 Southern California Edison customers in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino counties lost electricity, spokesman Steve Conroy said.

San Diego Gas and Electric Co., which serves San Diego County and southern Orange County, declared a power emergency and prepared for potential rolling blackouts as demand hit a record. About 30,000 of its customers experienced outages Monday, but electricity was restored to 22,000 of them by the afternoon, spokesman Peter Hidalgo said.

"We need immediate energy conservation, or else there will be rolling blackouts," Hidalgo said.

In addition, about 9,000 customers in scattered parts of Los Angeles were without power Monday, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power spokeswoman MaryAnne Piersen said. It wasn't known when their power would be restored.

"Probably more than 90 percent of them are due to stress on the system due to the heat," she said. "Different pieces of equipment get fatigued and blow out, so they have to be replaced."

Lightning strikes on grid equipment due to scattered desert thunderstorms also were adding to the strain.

The California Independent System Operator, which oversees the state's power grid, said no major shortages were expected. But it was urging customers to conserve electricity by setting air conditioning thermostats higher and waiting to use major appliances until after dark.

Relief was in sight with cooler temperatures forecast over the next several days.

"Everyone will see a drop of eight to 11 degrees on Tuesday," said Stuart Seto of the National Weather Service. "By Thursday, things will be getting back to normal."