POWER STRESS CALIFORNIA'S ENERGY USE TRIGGERS ALERT.Byline: Orith Goldberg Staff Writer Temperatures in the 90s on Monday forced utilities to declare a record 10th Stage One electric power alert for the summer, officials said. The mercury in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. registered from the middle to upper 90s, with the high of 99 in Chatsworth, said National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Hoffer Forecasters expect today's daytime high temperatures to range from 90 to 100 in the Valley. Thursday through Saturday will be slightly cooler, with temperatures ranging from the 80s to 90s, Hoffer said. ``It's going to be clear, sunny and warm all the way through Saturday,'' Hoffer said. The heat, coupled with an economy-driven increase in power demand and a lack of generating reserves, prompted the California Independent System Operator, which coordinates the use of power in California, to issue a Stage One alert, meaning operating reserves for energy throughout the state have fallen below 7 percent. Lorie O'Donley, spokeswoman for the California ISO (1) See ISO speed. (2) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.iso.ch) An organization that sets international standards, founded in 1946. The U.S. member body is ANSI. , said eight Stage One alerts was the previous record, set in 1998. So far this summer, there also have been five Stage Two alerts, indicating the state's operating reserves have fallen below 5 percent. The previous record was four in 1998. During a Stage Two alert, some businesses voluntarily cut power in exchange for reduced year-round rates. More generating capacity is expected by 2002, O'Donley said. ``With the current situation of growing demand within the state and generators not expected to be here until 2002, we expect things to be tight,'' O'Donley said. In a Stage Three alert, which has never been declared statewide, utilities would shut off power for hours at a time from block to block. High demand for energy was ruled out as the cause of a power outage Noun 1. power outage - equipment failure resulting when the supply of power fails; "the ice storm caused a power outage" power failure equipment failure, breakdown - a cessation of normal operation; "there was a power breakdown" at 1:20 p.m. Monday that affected about 120,000 Southern California Edison Southern California Edison (or SCE Corp), the largest subsidiary of Edison International (NYSE: EIX), is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California. It provides 11 million people with electricity. customers, said SCE SCE (in Scotland) Scottish Certificate of Education SCE n abbr (= Scottish Certificate of Education) → Schulabschlusszeugnis in Schottland spokesman Steve Jansen Steve Jansen (born Stephen Batt, December 1 1959, in Beckenham, Kent, England) with his brother David Sylvian, Mick Karn, Richard Barbieri, and Rob Dean formed the band Japan. Jansen played drums and percussion. . A tree-trimming company's boom hit a 220,000-volt power line in Inglewood, he said. The bulk of customers in Hollywood, Culver City, Inglewood, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills received power again within four minutes. Power was restored to the remaining customers within an hour, he said. CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1) Cory Atkinson, 12, dons goggles goggles, n the protective eyewear worn by dental personnel and patients during dental procedures. goggles see periocular leukotrichia. for his swim Monday at Northridge Park. (2( Anthony Peccerillo takes flight between hot air and cool water in Northridge. (3) Youngsters play in the pool under the watchful eye of two Kamp Kaleidoscope counselors. Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer |
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