EXTREME HEAT CAUSES POWER OUTAGES TO OVER 14,000 SDG&E CUSTOMERS

By Miriam Raftery

September 9, 2024 (San Diego) – At least 14,000 SDG&E customers across San Diego had power outages yesterday afternoon, left sweltering in triple-digit heat.

The majority of those outages were due to a problem at a substation in Rancho San Diego, which was likely caused by the extreme weather conditions, according to SDG&E communications manager Alex Welling,Times of San Diego reports.

Extreme heat causes wear and tear on infrastructure equipment and the power grid.  A key issue yesterday may have been numerous households running air conditioning overnight, since low temperatures remained uncomfortably hot in many areas.

Fortunately, power to most customers was restored within a few hours, as SDG&E crews toiled through the heat to make repairs.

How can you prepare for future outages during high heat?  Here are some tips.

• Precool your home in the early morning, then set thermostats to 78 or higher during peak demand hours from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. to reduce stress on the power grid and help cool your home more efficiently.
• Keep plenty of water and nonperishable food on hand, so you can stay hydrated and eat without opening your refrigerator or freezer. Food will keep for a few hours during an outage. You can also keep a cooler and get ice from a store to chill drinks and more.
• Have flashlights and batteries on hand, as well as battery-powered lanterns. Never use candles or anything with open flames that could spark a fire.
• Find a free Cool Zone at the County’s Cool Zone site,including many libraries.
• If you need a ride to a Cool Zone,  call 211.
• Other places open to the public with air conditioning include indoor shopping malls (such as Parkway Plaza in El Cajon), movie theaters, recreation centers, restaurants, and bowling alleys. Casinos have generators to keep power on even when nearby businesses lose power.You can take a ride on an air-conditioned trolley or bus, or go for a brief drive in your air-conditioned vehicle to beat the heat,  or visit a friend with AC.
• If you lose power, check to see if neighbors are in the dark, too. If it’s only your house, you may have a breaker that’s been thrown off or a switch that needs to be turned back on. If that’s not the problem, report the outage by calling 1-800-411-SDGE or use the SDGE mobile app to report it.
• Check the outage map at SDG&E’s website and click on the outage in your area to find out the estimated power restoration time and cause, if known.
• Be sure to check up on family, friends and neighbors during outages—especially elderly or disabled individuals.
• Taking a cool shower can provide refreshing relief when air condtioning is not available. 
• Battery powered fans can also help keep you cool.
• If anyone in your home relies on a life-saving medical devices that requires electricity, notify SDG&E in advance and have a plan in place, such as a backup generator.