| Dear Valued Customer: |
| On Friday and Saturday nights, due to the record heatwave and at the direction of the state’s independent electric grid operator, PG&E conducted rotating outages. |
| We recognize that interruptions in electric service are difficult for our customers—but they are especially challenging during this extreme heat and while many of us are working and learning from home. |
| Unfortunately, the possibility of rotating outages will remain with us—and even increase—throughout this heatwave as high electricity demand continues to put pressure on the state’s energy infrastructure. This condition is not unique to PG&E. It is impacting other electricity providers and almost all their customers across California. |
| What You Can Do to Help |
| To minimize the possibility of these types of outages, we’re asking all Californians to reduce your power usage every day through Thursday, August 20, especially from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. |
| You can do this by adjusting your air conditioning thermostat to 78 degrees or higher, cooling your home to below normal levels in the morning and reducing your air conditioning during the afternoon hours, using a fan instead of air conditioning, drawing your drapes and window coverings, using large appliances less, and turning off unnecessary lighting. |
| Also, you can run your washing machine, dryer and dishwasher earlier in the day instead of the afternoon or evening. For more ways to conserve, visit pge.com/tips. |
| What You Need to Know About These Outages |
| The California Independent System Operator, or CAISO, oversees the state’s electric grid, balancing daily energy demand with available sources of electricity, like power plants, large solar arrays and wind farms. |
| Rotating outages become necessary when the CAISO anticipates that the state won’t have enough power in reserves given the customer demand forecast. During these emergencies, the CAISO orders the state’s utilities, including PG&E, to immediately turn off a certain amount of service, which prevents larger outages on the grid. |
| These rotating outages should only last one to two hours and I can assure you that PG&E will work diligently to restore power safely and as quickly as possible. For the most up-to-date information, please check our posts on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, or visit www.pge.com. |
| A Final Important Note |
| These outages are not Public Safety Power Shutoffs, which are called during specific high fire threat conditions, and they are not related to any issues with PG&E’s equipment or our ability to deliver energy locally. |
| We value our responsibility to serve our customers safely and reliably. Thank you for your support and patience, and for working together with all of us across the state to conserve energy. |
| Be safe, |
Laurie Giammona
Chief Customer Officer
Pacific Gas & Electric Company |
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