Californians Urged to Conserve as Temperatures Rise.

News Editors and Energy Writers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 7, 2001

With a week of above-average temperatures forecasted, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and Pacific Gas and Electric Company are urging Californians to conserve energy to help the state meets its electricity demands, and reduce the need for power emergencies, including rotating block outages.

With the warmer weather, electricity demand goes up primarily because of increased air conditioning use. The increased demand, along with limited imports and more than 12,500 megawatts of generation off-line for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, have combined to force the CAISO to declare a Stage 2 emergency already today.

"This week's hot weather will give Californians their first chance to really show what they can do to conserve energy," said Jeff Butler, vice president of operations, maintenance, and construction for the utility. "We believe our customers will rise to the challenge, and do their part to reduce energy use during this crisis."

For 32 consecutive days earlier this year, California was in Stage 3 emergencies due to lack of energy resources. In January and March, the CAISO had to order rotating outages as a result of the state's diminished power supply.

In March, Pacific Gas and Electric Company launched a customer education campaign entitled "The More You Know About Conserving Energy, The Less Energy You Need," designed to make customers aware of the urgent need for energy conservation and provide tools to help consumers reduce their overall energy usage. The campaign includes rebates on a variety of consumer items, as well as use of the Internet, direct customer outreach and paid advertising.

To help the state meet electricity demands, Pacific Gas and Electric Company is asking its customers to conserve energy both at home and in the office. Following are some ways customers can reduce electric demand immediately:

-- Avoid using major appliances this afternoon and early evening, if possible.
If you must, do only full loads when using your dishwasher and clothes washer.
Use the cold water setting whenever possible, and select the air-dry setting,
rather than heat-dry setting on your dishwasher, if you can.

-- Turn off PCs, monitors, printers, and copiers when not in use or not needed.
If you can, simply turn off the power strip after shutting down your computer
and peripherals. If you cannot turn off the whole computer, turn off the
monitor and the printer.

-- Unplug energy leaking electronic equipment. Many new electronic devices
(TVs, VCRs, computer peripherals, etc.) use electricity even when turned off.
If possible, unplug electronic devices with block-shaped transformers on the
plug when not in use.

-- Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms. Turn off unnecessary and decorative
lighting around your home and office.

-- Cook in your toaster oven, microwave or broiler oven. They use half the
energy of a regular oven.

For more energy saving tips, please visit our website at www.pge.com/123 or contact the Smarter Energy Line at 1-800-933-9555.

OUTAGE SAFETY FACT SHEET

The California Independent System Operator predicts California could be short 600 to 3,700 megawatts of power on any given day between May and the end of September, which could result in power outages for millions of Californians. An electrical outage, no matter what its cause, is a time to exercise caution for the safety of our families and our homes, our neighbors and ourselves. Safety also means being prepared and knowing what actions to take before an outage occurs.

Be Prepared For Outages

-- Things You Need: As part of your general emergency

preparedness kit, you should keep a battery-powered radio and

electric lantern, and two or three flashlights available as

well as fresh batteries of the correct size.

-- Other Essentials: Have a first-aid kit and know how to use it.

Keep a manual can opener available, and also stock easy-open

prepared foods and snacks as well as a few gallons of bottled

water. If you have pets, don't forget to put aside some food

for them.

-- Food Spoilage: Food generally can stay fresh or frozen for

about 24 hours in the refrigerator or freezer. To prolong that

time, fill a couple of two-liter bottles of water and put them

in the freezer. In an outage, put the ice-filled bottles in

the food storage compartment of your refrigerator. Open the

door only when necessary.

-- Medication: Questions about medications that require

refrigeration can be answered by your physician or pharmacist.

When An Outage Occurs...

-- Home Safety /Security: Chances are good that if your

streetlights are out, your home's lighting will be out, too.

Be careful and use a flashlight when entering a dark house.

Keep a flashlight in your auto or near the entry door.

-- Candles: Pacific Gas and Electric Company does not recommend

using candles during an outage because of the danger of fire.

If you must use candles, keep them away from flammable

materials, drafts and children.

-- Appliances: Turn off all electrical appliances. Leave one

light on to let you know electricity has been restored.

-- Telephones: Telephone service should not be affected by a

power outage. Cordless phones need electricity and will not

work during an outage.

Outage Safety Outside the Home

-- Streetlights: At night, the streets will be much darker than

usual and will look different. Follow all posted speed limits

- or drive a bit slower. Use turn signals when changing lanes

and especially at corners with crosswalks.

-- Traffic Signals: If traffic signals are out, or flashing red,

come to a full stop at every intersection, and proceed as you

would at a four-way stop.

-- Children and pedestrians: When driving, watch for children and

pedestrians crossing streets in or out of the crosswalk. They

may be wearing dark clothing and be difficult to see. If you

are walking at night, take a flashlight with you and wear

light-colored or light-reflective clothing.

-- Electric generators: If you use a stand-by electric generator,

be sure that it is installed safely, and call Pacific Gas and

Electric Company to let us know you have one. An improperly

installed generator risks both your property and the lives of

our utility employees who may be working in the area.

Additional Resources

-- For more information about gas and electric safety and

preparedness, visit our web site at www.pge.com/safety.

-- Get a copy of Pacific Gas and Electric's free brochure,

"Standby Electric Generator Safety." Call us at

1-800-PGE-5000, or read it on the web at www.pge.com/safety.

-- For information about food safety and power outages, call the

U.S. Department of Agriculture's meat and poultry hotline at

1-800-535-4555 or use the USDA website at

www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/pofeature.htm.

-- For energy saving tips, please visit our Energy Crisis web

site http://www.pge.com/123 or call the Smarter Energy Line at

1-800-933-9555