California Avoids Outages During Grid-Straining Heat

LOS ANGELES (AP) – California kept the lights on during extreme heat, as operators of the state’s electricity grid continued to warn that unprecedented demand on energy supplies could force them to periodically cut power to some customers. The California Independent System Operator on Wednesday thanked residents and businesses for heeding another “flex alert,” a request to reduce electricity consumption during peak evening hours. Another flex alert was issued for Thursday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. as temperatures are expected to spike again. The head of Cal-ISO says miscommunication led to a small number of power outages Tuesday as the system was under great strain.