CA - STAGE 3 EMERGENCY NOTICE - Effective 01/16/2001 at 07:20

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STAGE 3 EMERGENCY NOTICE [200100652]

Effective 01/16/2001 at 07:20 the California Independent System Operator has implemented Stage 3 of the Electrical Emergency Plan. The Plan has been implemented for the following reason(s):

Insufficient reserves and energy.

Stage 3 is expected to be in effect from HE 8 through HE 24.

Participating transmission owners are to notify the Utility Distribution Companies within their operational areas.

Stage 3: Operating reserves are expected to fall below 1-1/2%. The UDC will implement their electrical emergency plan and/or other load dropping to effect 0 MW of involuntary firm demand reductions (i.e., in addition to ALL Interruptible Service reductions) no later than hours.

This message is from Market Operations at the California ISO.

Notice issued at: 01/16/2001 07:20

-- PHO (owennos@bigfoot.com), January 16, 2001

Answers

California Independent System Operator

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Patrick Dorinson

January 16, 2001 Director of Communications

1 (888) 516-NEWS

STAGE THREE ELECTRICAL EMERGENCY DECLARED

Rotating Blackouts Not Required At This Time; Teleconference at 10:30 a.m.

(Folsom, CA) The California Independent System Operator (California ISO) declared a Stage Three Emergency today at 7:20 a.m., Tuesday, January 16, 2001. Rotating blackouts have not been ordered at this time. The Stage Three declaration enables the California ISO to receive additional emergency assistance from federal and state agencies. The forecasted peak demand is 32,315 megawatts at approximately 6:00 p.m. this evening. The total number of units off line due to planned and unplanned outages equals 10, 700 megawatts. Four units or 1,600 megawatts tripped off line over the weekend because of reported equipment malfunctions. In addition, gas curtailments in the San Diego area have led to a derating of a major power generator, cutting supply by 800 megawatts as the three units convert to oil. The California ISO is strongly urging consumers statewide to conserve electricity today. Stage One and Stage Two emergencies were extended from yesterday and will remain in effect until midnight. Twelve hundred (1,200) megawatts of interruptible load was curtailed this morning. Today’s Stage Three emergency is also in effect until midnight. Today’s ISO Teleconference Updates TIMES (ALL PST): 10:30 a.m. 2 p.m. 6:15 p.m. PHONE NUMBER: 800/374-1387 PASSCODE: ISO News

-- PHO (owennos@bigfoot.com), January 16, 2001.


Calif. declares highest level power alert

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 16 (Reuters) - California, in the grips of its worst-ever electric power crisis, on Tuesday declared a Stage Three power emergency, the highest-level alert, citing a severe shortage of power and of the natural gas needed to generate electricity. At the same time, Southern California Edison, a unit of Edison International , told financial markets it could not pay some $596 million it owes creditors, putting California's second biggest utility a step closer to bankruptcy.

A spokesman for the California Independent Operator System (ISO), the agency manages most of the state's power grid, said it did not appear likely it would have to trigger rolling blackouts to relieve the heavy load on the system. That possibility exists whenever a Stage Three alert is called.

Rolling blackouts, in which service is cut to entire neighborhoods for about an hour at a time, are a desperate last minute bid to avoid an uncontrolled collapse of the state's electricity grid.

The alert was in effect from 8 a.m. PST (11 a.m. EST) until midnight PST (3 a.m. Wednesday EST)

The ISO spokesman said 10,700 megawatts of generation were off line in California for repairs or maintenance. One megawatt powers about 1,000 homes.

Reopening schools, offices and factories on Tuesday after the Martin Luther King Day U.S. holiday was a key factor pushing up electricity demand.

The spokesman said there was also a shortage of natural gas available in southern California, forcing power plants there to switch to oil to run their generators. About a third of all California power is produced at gas-fired plants.

California has declared a statewide Stage Three alert only twice before, but each time narrowly averted rolling blackouts as emergency supplies were made available from neighboring states.

It was not clear whether the gas shortage in Southern California was related to Southern California Edison's dire financial predicament

http://newsnet.reuters.com/cgi-bin/basketview.cgi? b=rcom:general&s=nN16388623

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), January 16, 2001.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Patrick Dorinson

January 16, 2001 (888) 516-NEWS

CONTINUED CONSERVATION EFFORTS URGED

Curbed Electricity Usage from 5-9 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. Critical

(Folsom, CA) Wednesday, January 17th has been declared a Power Watch Day by the California Independent System Operator (California ISO). Power reserves remain slim with a large amount of the state’s generation capacity unavailable due to planned and forced outages. Tuesday the state’s power grid was under a day- long Stage Three Electrical Emergency declaration with the threat of rotating customer outages. Wednesday’s peak demand on the ISO-controlled Grid is expected to reach 32,279 megawatts at approximately 6:00 p.m. The California ISO urges Californians to watch their energy consumption, curtailing their use of electricity whenever possible. Increased conservation efforts during the peak usage hours of 5:00- 9:00 a.m. and 4:00-7: 00 p.m. would be helpful. Power Watch is a public awareness campaign sponsored by the California ISO to communicate the current electricity resource outlook, in light of the rising demand for power in California. By providing regular updates on system conditions and peak demand forecasts, the California ISO hopes to convey the importance of using electricity wisely on days when electricity reserves may run low. Incorporated under California law (AB 1890), the not-for-profit California ISO is chartered by the state to manage the flow of electricity along the long-distance, high-voltage power lines that make up the bulk of California’s transmission system. Following restructuring of the state’s electricity industry, the California ISO’s mission is to keep the open market power grid in California reliable, safe, competitive and accessible. Information about the California ISO control area’s electricity supply and the current demand is available on the web at www.caiso.com. For questions relating to the status of the electrical distribution systems that carry electricity directly to homes and businesses, please contact your local utility. - ISO -

-- pho (owennos@bigfoot.com), January 16, 2001.


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