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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - With temperatures soaring in the Southland and beyond, a Flex Alert calling on residents to voluntarily cut their power use will be in effect tonight in hopes of reducing strain on the state's power grid.
According to the California Independent System Operator, which manages the state's power grid, the Flex Alert will be in effect from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday.
A Flex Alert is a call for voluntary energy conservation, essentially a plea for residents across the state to cut their power use to reduce overall demand and lower the risk of outages.
Around midday Wednesday, Cal-ISO projected it would have adequate energy supplies through Thursday, although it urged residents “to remain vigilant'' in case demand suddenly increased and threatened the availability of power reserves.
But shortly after 2 p.m., Cal-ISO announced plans for the Flex Alert.
According to Cal-ISO, residents are urged to take steps prior to the alert taking effect, such as pre-cooling their homes, using major appliances and closing window coverings to preserve cool air indoors. Once the alert takes effect, residents should set their thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, avoid using major appliances and turn off all unnecessary lights.
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