California's grid operator says no need for rolling blackouts Monday night

Bridgette Bjorlo reports

BRIDGETTE THE OLDER SHOWS USTONIGHT, THE COLLECTIVE ACTIONPREVENTED WHAT COULD HAVE BEENA HISTORIC BLACKOUT.THE POSSIBILITY OF A NIGHTIN THE DARK FOR MILLIONS OFCALIFORNIANS HAD HOMEOWNERSTURNING UP THE THERMOSTAT AT ATIME ENERGY CONSERVATION WASNEEDED MOST YOU CAN EVENTUALLYCRASHED AS SOME OF YOUR TAKESTEPS WHICH IS WHAT OUROPERATORS ARE DOING.THEY'RE TAKING STUFF TOENSURE THAT THERE'S NOT AWIDESPREAD COLLAPSE EARLYMONDAY AFTERNOON ENERGYREGULATOR SAID THE HIGH DEMANDFOR ELECTRICITY AMID RECORDBREAKING HEAT WAS OUTPACINGTHE SUPPLY FORCING THEM TOCONSIDER ISSUING ANOTHER ROUNDOF ROLLING BLACKOUTS SOMETHINGTHAT BEFORE THIS WEEKEND HADBEEN DONE IN 19 YEARS.THE MOST RECENT ISOBLACKOUT WAS BACK IN 2001WHERE 1.5 MILLION CALIFORNIANSLOST POWER AND MONDAY COULDHAVE SEEN DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OFPEOPLE IMPACTED AFTER EXPERTSWARNED 3.3 MILLION CALIFORNIAHOMES COULD HAVE HAD THELIGHTS TURNED OFF TO PROTECTTHE ENERGY GRID FROM BECOMINGOVERWHELMED IN, BUT IT WOULDHAVE BEEN THE LARGEST ROLLINGBLACKOUT IN STATE HISTORYTHANKFULLY OFFICIALS WITH CALISO OUTAGES WERE NEEDED THANKSTO COOLER TEMPERATURES ANDCOOPERATION FROM THE PUBLICBUT THE NEXT 2 DAYS COULD FACEA SIMILAR THREAT ESSENTIALTHERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT ITAND I KNOW THAT.IT WILL BE HIGHLYDISRUPTIVE PEOPLE ALIKE TRULYTRULY WISH THAT THERE WEREOTHER THAT WE HAVE AM.I CAN TELL YOU WE'RE GOINGTO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TOKNOW THAT IT'S A DARK REALITYTHAT THE PRESIDENT OF CAL, ISOSAYS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDEDHAD PREVENTATIVE ACTION BEENTAKEN SOONER BUT TELL ME.THE REGULATORY AUTHORITIESHOW THE GRID OPERATES.

OFPEOPLE TO DO A LOT OFDIFFERENT THINGS I GUESS WHATI HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OFMAKING OUR VOICES HEARDTHROUGH ALL OF THAT STATELEADERS SAY THE ROTATINGOUTAGES WOULD TYPICALLY LASTNO MORE THAN 2 HOURS ANDWARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECTTHROUGH WEDNESDAY, A REASONEVERYONE LIVING UP AND DOWNTHE GOLDEN STAGE AND STAYPREPARED AND CONTINUE TO SAVEENERGY WHEN POSSIBLE IN FOLSOM