Blackout in San Luis Obispo could be followed by major outages
A blackout hit San Luis Obispo today, amid an extreme heat wave that prompted yet another flex alert in California.
2,000 PG&E customers lost power today in the Laguna Lake area, which has seen similar outages the last few days.
This comes as state agencies and utilities are warning of possible widespread blackouts this evening, as demand on the electrical grid reaches an “all-time high.”
PG&E issued a release saying rotating outages could affect customers for 1-2 hours, if the state mandates them. The utility said they would relieve stress on the grid to help prevent more widespread power outages.
Cal-ISO, the agency that oversees the state’s electrical grid, plans to issue what’s called an energy emergency alert stage 3 at 5:30p.m. That’s one step before mandating rotating power outages.
The flex alert in place from 4p.m. to 9p.m. calls for voluntary reductions in how much power people use. Cal-ISO says that’s critical in maintaining the grid’s reliability and preventing more blackouts.
Omicron boosters coming to SLO County
Covid-19 boosters that protect against the Omicron strain will soon be available in San Luis Obispo County.
The vaccines will provide protection against the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 strains of Covid as well as the original strain. Two updated boosters will be available: a Moderna booster for ages 18 and older and a Pfizer booster for ages 12 and older.
Residents may get an updated booster two months after completing the primary series, or two months after receiving a previous booster dose.
County Public Health says updated booster doses will be available at local pharmacies, doctor’s offices and mobile clinics in the coming weeks.
To schedule an appointment, you can contact your local pharmacy or healthcare provider.
