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Heat wave: LA hits record energy demand; Edison offers cash to conserve
In this file photo, the sun shines over towers carrying electrical lines August 30, 2007 in South San Francisco, California. On Monday, thousands were without power due to an extreme heat wave settling across Southern California.
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The city of Los Angeles hit an all-time high for energy demand Monday breaking a Sept. 2010 record, according to the LADWP.
"In a day, we’re at 6,196 megawatts (MW), which is about 20 MW higher than the old record," spokesman Joe Ramallo told KPCC around 4:00 p.m. Monday.
Ramallo says most of the energy comes from air conditioners. The LADWP is predicting Angelenos' energy use to be even higher Tuesday.
"On a typically summer day, we'll see demand in the 5,000 to 5,500 range, so this is significantly beyond that," said Ramallo. "On a typical cool Southern California day, you're talking about nearly half that amount of energy."
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The agency released these tips to help consumers conserve energy.
Meanwhile in Los Angeles County, power has been restored to most Edison customers.
And if you were wondering, this is what hot sounds like:
Listen: An audio postcard from hot people
Update 2:55 p.m.: Highs hit 106 in Mission Hills, 101 in San Fernando, 102 in Riverside and 107 in Palm Springs by noon Monday. It's 93 in downtown Los Angeles and 97 in San Diego.
Heat warnings are in effect for wide areas of the mountains, coasts and valleys and authorities say there's extreme fire danger.
In Los Angeles County, 62 Edison customers are without power Monday afternoon.
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Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) tweeted that the city of L.A. is approaching an all-time high record for energy demand. The agency asked that residents conserve energy to reduce strain on the grid.
Previously: Thousands of customers across Southern California were without power Monday morning as a triple-digit heat wave continued to bake the region, and a local utility began offering cash to customers who conserve energy during the hottest parts of the day.
Southern California Edison announced Monday would be a "Save Power Day," during which customers who conserve energy between 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. can earn credits toward their power bills — up to $100 a year.
In Los Angeles County, 5,079 Edison customers were without power shortly before 9 a.m., according to the company's outage map. The company listed "extreme heat" and "weather conditions" as the cause of many of those outages.
Most customers were expected to have power again by the afternoon, according to Edison's outage map.
Two more days of intense heat are expected to keep searing the region before a midweek cooling trend kicks in, according to the Associated Press.
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Here's more from the AP:
The National Weather Service says excessive-heat warnings are in effect and temperatures could get as high as 107 degrees Monday in the San Fernando Valley, the San Gabriel Valley and the Santa Clarita Valley. Highs in the Coachella Valley will approach 110 degrees.
Forecasters say inland Los Angeles and Orange County could also hit triple digits, and the San Diego area could see temperatures in the upper 90s.
The utility offered the following energy reduction tips:
- Keep your thermostat at 78 degrees during the hottest parts of the day, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Get out of the house for a while: Visit a cool place such as a library, mall or movie theater
- Try not to use major appliances during peak hours — washing machines, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners and other heavy appliances
- Close the drapes, shades or blinds to keep the direct sunlight from heating your home
- Open windows and doors in the morning and evening to help cool your home
- Turn off lights and other electrical appliances when not in use
- Unplug your "energy vampires," such as DVD players, microwave ovens, cell phone chargers, computers or anything else that draws energy when not in use
LADWP crews were also working Monday to restore power for customers.
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