California Independent System Operator

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Stephanie McCorkle August 16, 2000 Senior Public Information Officer

1 (888) 516-NEWS

STATEWIDE ELECTRICAL EMERGENCY REACHES STAGE TWO

Voluntary Power Curtailment Programs Activated by States Privately-Owned Utilities

(Folsom, CA) A pervasive heat wave covering most of California is narrowing the states electricity operating reserves, prompting the California Independent System Operator (California ISO) to declare a Stage Two Electrical Emergency from 12:30-8 p.m. Consumer demand throughout the state today is trending nearly 1,000 megawatts higher than usage forecasts. This afternoons forecasted peak has been revised to 44,070 megawatts. The California ISO has asked utilities Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas and Electric to shed all of the voluntary load available, approximately 1,900 megawatts. The ISO urges interruptible customers to wait to shed their contracted electrical load until specified to do so by their local utility. Interruptible customers, mainly commercial and industrial users, receive a reduced rate in exchange for a commitment to come off line when asked to do so for reliability purposes. A Stage Two Emergency is declared when operating reserves dip below five percent or are expected to within the next two hours. If an operating reserve shortfall of less than one-and-a-half percent is unavoidable, Stage Three will be initiated. Involuntary curtailments of service to customers, including rotating blackouts, are possible during this emergency declaration. The California ISOs Electrical Emergency Plan (EEP) is part of the states enhanced reliability

-- PHO (owennos@bigfoot.com), August 16, 2000