Post by Tulameen on Jul 25, 2006 8:56:25 GMT -5
Scorching heat is still severely stretching power supplies in parts of the US with consumers warned of more shortages unless they reduce demand.
California's electricity grid was pushed to breaking point on Monday but rolling blackouts were averted.
"It looks like we dodged a bullet," a power grid spokesman told Reuters.
Electricity is now back on in many of the hundreds of thousands of homes hit by power outages in the past few days, including in California and New York.
But on Monday night, more than 150,000 people were still without power in St Louis, Missouri, where supplies were knocked out last week by storms.
Tens of thousands of homes and businesses also lost supplies in recent days because of heavy electricity use and high temperatures that caused transformers and other equipment to break down.
Dire warnings
At least 29 deaths are being linked to the heatwave across the US.
Monday saw demand for electricity rise to a record high in California, stretching the power grid, California Independent System Operator (Cal ISO) to the limit.
Earlier in the day, the authorities issued dire warnings that they might have to implement rolling blackouts and called on the public to conserve power.
Tuesday is forecast to be another hot day in California, with parts of the state again set to register around 44C (111F).
The power grid and utility companies say they will again ask businesses and consumers to conserve power to help avoid disruptions.
"Conservation is absolutely necessary. It's not just key or guidance. It is absolutely necessary if we are going to avoid rolling blackouts," Marlon Walker of Southern California Edison told Reuters news agency.
Story from BBC NEWS:
news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/5212650.stm
Published: 2006/07/25 10:01:00 GMT
© BBC MMVI
California's electricity grid was pushed to breaking point on Monday but rolling blackouts were averted.
"It looks like we dodged a bullet," a power grid spokesman told Reuters.
Electricity is now back on in many of the hundreds of thousands of homes hit by power outages in the past few days, including in California and New York.
But on Monday night, more than 150,000 people were still without power in St Louis, Missouri, where supplies were knocked out last week by storms.
Tens of thousands of homes and businesses also lost supplies in recent days because of heavy electricity use and high temperatures that caused transformers and other equipment to break down.
Dire warnings
At least 29 deaths are being linked to the heatwave across the US.
Monday saw demand for electricity rise to a record high in California, stretching the power grid, California Independent System Operator (Cal ISO) to the limit.
Earlier in the day, the authorities issued dire warnings that they might have to implement rolling blackouts and called on the public to conserve power.
Tuesday is forecast to be another hot day in California, with parts of the state again set to register around 44C (111F).
The power grid and utility companies say they will again ask businesses and consumers to conserve power to help avoid disruptions.
"Conservation is absolutely necessary. It's not just key or guidance. It is absolutely necessary if we are going to avoid rolling blackouts," Marlon Walker of Southern California Edison told Reuters news agency.
Story from BBC NEWS:
news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/5212650.stm
Published: 2006/07/25 10:01:00 GMT
© BBC MMVI