California, Facing Power Crisis, Frets Over Electric Car Charging Routines
As temperatures hit triple digits during California's heat wave last week, the state's power grid operators encouraged residents to relieve pressure on the grid by charging their electric vehicles before the peak energy use times of day.
The California Independent System Operator (ISO), which oversees the grid, called upon Californians to conserve energy twice last week through the use of Flex Alerts, which ask residents to practice energy conservation on a voluntary basis. Charging electric vehicles before the time period covered by the alerts was included on a list of energy conservation tips the California ISO posted on Twitter, as was avoiding use of large appliances and turning off extra lights.
"Now is the perfect time to do a load of laundry," the state's Flex Alert Twitter account posted on June 18. "Remember to use major appliances, charge cars and devices before #FlexAlert begins at 6 p.m. today."
A graphic the California ISO tweeted earlier in the day also identified proactive electric vehicle charging as a strategy for conserving energy.
