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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2001 0516 CC REG ITEM 11FITEM (1. F. CITY OF MOORPARK,CALIFORNIA City Council Meeting of --ice—o'IDO! D1Recrez ST79FF7D; r'Kaurut OFO ACTION: RE:jnsPE4xioN SC 1-EA. Fog at.). TrErz.ti pF R ATc. ss/N ,. IAV4sr j1JglLll/ •D•TD Mr4NUeLL..•f OUP .R1OQ• MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL RR Aarascg-ieAd ss Nr;. papooe ;Gsr•POk-13•u. t-• Fbe.TEAM is AGENDA REPORT y Nr145r L-JRT l 5 P aietrai r,.74 1215Lo t pc-r-fiGes.5e-tir rtji z-r- TO: The Honorable City Council Fog S PEG t triTem ' PP bPRiT FROM: Hugh R. Riley, Assistant, City Manager DATE: May 8, 2001 (CC Meeting of May 16, 2001) SUBJECT: Consider Report on the City of Moorpark' s Energy Shortage Contingency Plan to Address Rotating Energy Outages Affecting Moorpark. BACKGROUND: During the City Council meeting of May 2 , 2001, Councilmember Millhouse requested a report about the City' s Energy Shortage Contingency Plan to deal with situations when rotating blackouts imposed by the State ' s Independent System Operator (ISO) affect areas of Moorpark. ENERGY SHORTAGE CONTINGENCY PLAN On October 30, 2000 , the City of Moorpark established a plan for dealing with rotating blackouts ordered by the Independent System Operator affecting Moorpark. These blackouts occur when the State' s Energy System reserve supply falls below the 1 . 5% of the system' s average load demand for a specified time period. This is known as a Stage 3 Emergency. Rotating outages typically will last for one hour for each area. An outage for a particular area will not reoccur until all other areas in the system designated have experienced the outage . ALERT SEQUENCE When a Stage 3 emergency is declared, utilities are directed to curtail power deliveries to customers . The City is advised by telephone from the Region Manager of Southern California Edison SCE) that a Stage 3 Emergency has been declared effecting Moorpark. The call is made to the Assistant City Manager' s Cellular Phone. The duration of time from the call to the first curtailment may be as short as 5 to 10 minutes . The information provided includes the area of the city to be affected. These areas are designated by number according to SCE ' s system power grid. C 90077 City Council Agenda May 16, 2001 Page 2 When such a call is received, the following steps are taken in order: 1. The Assistant City Manager immediately notifies the Moorpark Police Department (805) 532 -2700 to alert the Chief of Police or designated shift commander of the emergency. 2. The Police Department then takes the following steps to protect the health and safety of Moorpark residents and business: a. An alert is immediately broadcast to all field personnel with the information available. (NOTE: Ventura County Sheriff's Department Policy precludes the stationing of personnel at signalized street intersections. There are insufficient personnel in most instances to properly cover the signals. Driver's are responsible for obeying the California Traffic Code that provides that an inoperable traffic control signal is to be considered a Stop Sign) . b. Field personnel remain alert and available for alarm systems that may be activated and for other emergency situations that may arise including the function of railroad grade crossing barrier devices. (NOTE: All railroad crossing barrier equipment is equipped with battery power that is activated when the regular power source is interrupted. These batteries, when fully charged, will operate the signal for 8 to 16 hours). CITY OPERATIONS The City has prepared for power outages as follows: 1. Continue to maintain emergency generator to provide power to City Hall Offices. The generator activates automatically within seconds of a power interruption. 2. Installed "Tripp Lite" power protection devices at principal computer workstations to maintain computers without any interruption. The City has also implemented a number of energy conservation measures and capital conversion projects to reduce energy consumption as reported to the City Council in February. Future planning includes studying the feasibility of installing battery power, back -up equipment at traffic signal installations. City Council Agenda May 16, 2001 Page 3 PUBLIC NOTIFICATION The City's ability to notify members of the general public is very limited due to the short notice of the curtailment order. The following actions have been or are being taken to improve the ability to provide warning to Moorpark residents and businesses: 1. Beginning with June billing cycles, Southern California Edison will notify its customers with the number of their particular area. With this information disseminated, alerts need only contain the numbers and times of the areas to be effected. 2. The City has requested this information from SCE in advance of the billing notifications and the request is pending. 3. The City is cooperating with the Chamber of Commerce in the development of a Rapid Notification System using "Splash Fax" and e -mail messages and internet notification via various web sites. 4. The City has and will continue to utilize its Cable Government Access Channel (10) to provide information to the viewing public about rotating blackouts. However the window of opportunity for the placement of other than general messages on the channel's teleprompter prohibits its use for specific warnings of imminent outages. The public is strongly advised to actively seek information regarding rotating power outages and to be prepared for such events. It is highly probably that Moorpark will have such outages periodically throughout the coming summer as temperatures increase creating higher statewide energy demands. Southern California Edison provides information about the situation regularly on its web site, through the news media and separate communications with its customers. There are numerous steps that should be taken by residents and businesses in preparation for such outages. Conservation is the best approach for everyone in California. Reducing the demand is the only way to prevent the rotating outages in the immediate future. e: 3()07 City Council Agenda May 16, 2001 Page 4 STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Receive and file report. Attachments: ISO Alerts and Emergency Background Information for Cities February 7, 2001 Agenda Report: City Energy Conservation Measures Information Bulletin- Governor's Office of Emergency Services Tips for Conserving Energy and Safety During blackoute for the Public" 08i17I00 10:49 $ PUBLIC AFFAIRS. ISO Alerts and Emergencies Background Information for Cities In California's current restructured electricity industry, the Independent System Operator (ISO) has the responsibility for managing the transmission grit!, ensuring grid reliability, providing nondiscriminatory open access to the transmission system, assuring short term power supply adequacy, coordinating power schedules and for dispatching the power when and where needed. If the TSO believes that energy supplies in the Power Exchange are insufficient to maintain Operating Reserve of 7% of demand, ISO initiates the following electric emergency notification._ Alert: When, in the Day -Ahead Market, the Operating Reserve is forecast to be less than 7.0% Warning: When, in the Hour -Ahead Market, Operating Reserve is forecast to be marginal or less than 7.0 %. Stage I. Emergency: Any time it is clear that Operating Reserve below ?% is unavoidable, or exists in real -time operations. Public appeals for energy conservation are initiated and interruptible customers should prepare for possible interruption. Stage 2 Emergency: Anytime it is clear that Operating Reserve below 5 %is unavoidable, or exists in real -time operations. A Stage 2 Emergency Notice normally will be accompanied by a request to U.DCs to implement curtailment of interruptible load. Stage 3 Emergency: Anytime it is clear that Operating Reserve below 1.5% is unavoidable, or exists in real -time operations. A Stage 3 Emergency Notice normally will be accompanied by a request to UDCs to implement curtailment of firm load. If market conditions warrant it, the ISO may "skip" the Alert and Warning phases, and go directly to an Emergency declaration. Although the notices are listed sequentially in order of their importance and severity, the ISO can issue ANY notice at any time. C300 1 0.8/17/00 10:49 $ PUBLIC AFFAIRS X003 Stage 3 Emergency When the ISO declares a Stage 3 emergency, utilities are directed to curtail power deliveries to customers. To meet this load curtailment requirement, SCE will implement its generating Capacity Shortage Contingency Plan, a program of rotating outages in compliance with requirements set forth by the, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The CPUC has designated several classes of customers who provide essential public health, safety, and security services, such as large hospitals, fire and police stations, prisons, national defense agencies, as "Essential Use Customers" who are normally to be exempted from rotating outages. Under this plan, SCE will make all practical efforts to exempt such Essential Use customers. Under this plan, SCE customers have been divided into groups of approximately 100 megawatts each. Each group is composed of customers from all customer classes e.g., residential, commercial, agricultural) dispersed throughout SCE's 50,000 square mile service territory, so if rotating outages are required, the impacts are dispersed throughout the service area_ When the ISO calls for SCE to curtail service to customers, SCE implements its Capacity Shortage Contingency plan and begins interrupting these groups. The groups are normally selected in sequential order depending on the amount of customer load the ISO requires to be curtailed and operating requirements A customer group normally would be affected by a Stage 3 outage for one hour at a time. Depending uport operating requirements, however, the outage could be shorter or longer_ Once a customer group has bm-a restored, it is rotated to the end of the list. C-13 0 082 08/17/00 10:49 PUBLIC AFFAIRS X1004 SOUTHERN CAUM IA EDISON An F&SON M- MRNAVONAL Company Questions about rotating outages, if they become necessary 1. Why has SCE had to resort to rotating outages? SCE will implement rotating outages when directed by the California independent System Operator (ISO) to reduce electrical load due to energy reserves falling to alarming low levels. The ISO classifies this action as a STAGE 3 Emergency indicating that energy reserves have fallen below 1 r/Z percent throughout the state. Without this significant intervention by the ISO, the electric system would be in danger of imminent collapse causing uncontrolled and widespread outages. The ISO will only request a reduction of load from SCL,. SCE will then reduce load levels in accordance with requirements set forth by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Z How are neighborhoods selected? Our plan for controlled outages has been approved by the CPUC. Most of SCE's circuits are subject to these rotating outages. Under the CPUC rules, only those circuits which serve specifically designated classes of customers who provide essential public health, safety, and security services (such as large hospitals, and fire and police stations) are exempted from these- outages. All the rest of the circuits are grouped into "blocks" that represent all customer classes which we serve (i.c, residential, commercial and industrial). 3. ,Clow long are the outages expected to last? The rotating outages are temporary and scheduled to last approximately one hour, but could be shorter or longer, depending upon circumstances. It should be noted that totally unrelated incidents (such as a car hitting a utility pole or transformer /equipment failures) might also inwnupt power for customers in and outside the controlled- outage areas_ 4. How does the rotation work? SCE has identified the circuits available for rotating outages in accordance with CPUC requirements (see question 2 above). These circuits have been arranged into groups. Each group includes a number of circuits which comprise approximately 100 MW of electricity per group. The amount of power the ISO designates for curtailment will determine the number of groups that are interrupted at any one time (e.g. if the ISO calls for 500 MW, we would interrupt service to five groups)_ The group(s) will be called upon in sequential order in the amount requested from the ISO. At the end of the hour, service will be restored to the affected group(s) and the next group(s) will be interrupted to maintain the amount of load requested by the ISO. The previously affected group(s) will then be rotated to the end of the rotating outage list and will not be interrupted again until all other groups have been called upon_ U$_ 08/17/00 10:50 $ PUBLIC AFFAIRS 3 1@ 005: 5. How could one customer's power be out, but a neighbor across the street still have electric service? Chances are, the neighbor is on.a different circuit. Circuits do not necessarily align with streets, neighborhoods or community boundaries, One street could easily be served by two different circuits. A circuit can serve up to 2,000 customers. What about a customer who requires hfe- support (or other special medical equipment)? Will his/her power be shut off too? All customers who have made their medical situation known to us by applying and qualifying for medical baseline, are identified oil our customer service system. Those whose physician has certified with a two (2) hour or less tolerance without electricity are noted as critical care." We advised all known critical care customers via a letter earlier this year 5 /12/00), that they should have a backup plan in case of any type of power outages regardless of what might be the cause. Unfortunately, SCE cannot guarantee uninterrupted electric service. 7. How are customers notifted about the Stage 3 Emergency declaration? As soon as the Stage 3 Emergency is declared, we will contact the news media, especially radio and television stations, which arc encouraged to broadcast the news immediately. We may have as few as ten minutes after a Stage 3 Emergency is declared before we begin rotating outages. Obviously, that is not enough time to allow individual notifications for the affected customers_ Customers can contact SCE at (800) 655 -4555 to find out whether their neighborhood is part of a current controlled outage. We will utilize the media as much as possible to announce whatever information We have available at the time a Stage 3 declaration is made_ 8. What should a customer do if their power is out for substantially more theta air hour? The first thing the customer should do is find out whether neighbors have electrical service_ If neighbors are also without power, the customer should call SCE emergency services at 800) 611 -1911, and we will send a troublema . out to investigate. If the neighbors do hove service, the customer might have an isolated electrical problem in their hone or business_ 9. Does being part of'thc first group to be affected by a controlled outage mean that one will always be in the first group to losepower? No. Per the established CPUC emergency orders for rotating outages, we will interrupt service to portions of communities based upon the amount of electric load we are directed to reduce, "groups" of circuits will be interrupted on a rotating basis throughout or service territory. Once a block has been used in a rotating outage, it is moved to the bottorn of the list, so the impact is fairly spread among eligible circuit blocks. C30064 08/17/00 10:50 $ PUBLIC AFFAIRS " r 1 { xr ;.a QO06 10. Do customers get bill reductions for having power cut off during a controlled outage? No. California Public Utilities Commission rules prohibit utilities from offering any discounts due to emergency situations, including rotating outages. 11. 1v there any way one can findlttd out if their circuit is on the list, and when it rnight be affected? Because the amount of electric load needed to be reduced is unknown until the ISO calls for interruptions, we are unable to predict which "blocks" will be interrupted. We will utilize the media to announce whatever information we have at the time. 12. Will the controlled outages continue into the night, rend wouldn't that be dangerous? We recognize the safety concerns posed by darkened streets and intersections. The Stage 3 emergencies are not expected to last beyond the hours of highest demand, typically mid and late afternoons on summer weekdays —well within daylight hours. 13. What can customers do to stay safe and coal? Customers should minimise driving in an outage area, if at all possible. If they must drive through a controlled outage area, they should be particularly careful at intersections controlled by traffic lights as these lights may not'be functionitlg. These intersections should be treated as four-way slops. Turn off all appliances, maehineiy and equipment in use when the power goes out- Leave one light on as an indication that power has been restored. This will prevent injuries as machinery and equipment suddenly restarts. It will also prevent circuits from overloading when power is restored. Remain in areas with plenty of shade. Drink plenty of liquids. Dress in light fabric clothes, wear short sleeves and shorts if you can. Minimizc strenuous activities. TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: DISCUSSION I I- r-- MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT The Honorable City Council Mary K. Lindley, Director of Community Services'11; January 30, 2001 (CC Meeting of February 7, 2001) City Energy Conservation Measures At the request of the Governor's Office, the League of California Cities requested that its member cities reduce their energy consumption by five percent. As a result, your staff reviewed the City's typical energy use and attempted to identify steps that can be taken to reduce energy consumption with relatively little impact or inconvenience to the public. Attached to this Agenda Report is a memo drafted by Ken Gilbert, Director of Public Works that gives a summary of the City's energy use for the month of November. As you can see, streetlights make up the bulk of the City's energy usage, at approximately 82,844 KWh per month. Arroyo Vista Community Park, the Recreation Center and gym, is the City's second largest usage source at approximately 13,777 KWh per month. Mr. Gilbert also indicates that the City plans to perform a LED conversion of its and Caltrans' traffic signals prior to June, 2001. Once completed, it is anticipated that the City will reduce its electrical usage by 34,800 KWh per month, which will lead to an 18 percent reduction, well in excess of the 5 percent requested by the Governor. Additionally, staff identified more actions that could be taken to help reduce the City's consumption and each staff member was asked to implement these steps effective immediately. These steps include, turning off lights when leaving an empty room, M :1MLindley\Administration\Energy Reduction ccagda.doc _ Energy Conservation Page 2 shutting down all computers at the end of each day, discontinuing the use of space heater and fans, changing out the fluorescent 40 watts lights to 34 watts lights, discontinuing the use of the oldest copier that often stands idle, and discontinuing the practice of keeping one light on in City Hall, the Community Center, and AVRC overnight. It is not anticipated that these steps alone will create a five percent reduction in energy use. There are other policy related steps the City Council could consider that will have greater energy reduction impacts including, but not limited to: discontinuing the rental use of softball field (AVCP and Peach Hill Park) and basketball court Griffin Park) lights - it is recommended that the City continue to allow Moorpark Basketball Association's use of the AVCP gym for it's season; discontinue building rentals (AVRC and Community Center); reduce AVRC hours with concurrent reduction of programs; reduce hours at City Hall; discontinue lighting the Community Center flag pole and monument sign; supply City Hall energy needs via the emergency generator for a specific number of hours per week; and install motion sensors to activate certain security lights. Staff will continue to evaluate and implement other measures as determined feasible based on cost, safety and other factors. We do not propose turning off any streetlights at this time. STAFF RECOI- ZMNDATION Receive and file report. Attachment: Ken Gilbert Memorandum COOOLR7 M E M O R A N D U M TO: Steven Kueny, City Manager FROM: Ken Gilbert, Director of Public Works DATE: January 12, 2001 SUBJECT: Electrical Energy Use Reduction Based on a quick review of one month's invoice from SCE, the following statistics are offered for your consideration: A. Costs per Month 1. $28,000+ Total - $13,700 lamp fee = $14,300: energy use 2. $18,000+ Street lights - $13,700 = $ 4,300: St. light energy 3. Only $4,300+ of the $18,000 + / Mo. for street lights is for energy -- the rest is a per lamp charge 4. Street light energy costs is $0.05+ / KWh S. The rate for all other invoices is $0.065 / KWh B. Use Per Month 1. 190,000 KWh Total [5% of Total is 9,500KWhJ 2. 82,844 KWh Street Lights (43 %) 3. 8,490 KWh City.Hall 4. 2,190 KWh Annex 5. 13,777 KWh nity CenterZoMea-)3utypical6. 1,415 KWh traffic signal 7. 1,133 KWh Yard 8. 24,759 KWh AVCP C. LED Conversion Projects: The Traffic Signal LED conversion projects will result in a considerable reduction in electrical usage, summarized as follows: 1.Initial Project (City Signals): Before: 1400 KWh / mo. After: - 200 KWh / mo. 1200 KWh / mo. / signal savings x 15 signals 18,000 KWh / mo. savings 2. Phase 2 (Caltrans Signals): Before: 1400 KWh / mo. After: - 200 KWh / mo. 1200 KWh / mo. / signal savings x 14 signals 16,800 KWh / mo. savings 3. Total Savings: 34,800 KWh / mo. Electrical Energy Use Reduction Iii ®88 Electrical Energy Use Reduction January 12, 2001 Page 2 D. Other Use Reduction Efforts 1. Practices: a. Shorter work week b. Shorter time for use of facilities by the public c. Turn -off ball field lights during rain d. Turn -off flag pole light (remove flag at night) e. Turn -off civic center monument sign light f. Turn -off computers at night g. Turn -off lights when area not in use h. Turn -off copier (three in City Hall) i. Intermittent use of Emergency Generator to power City Hall 2. Capital Conversion Projects: The cost for the following capital conversion projects have not yet been determined. a. Florescent bulbs: 40W to 34W b. Install motion sensor to activate security lights instead of leaving lights on all night c. Change to solar irrigation controllers d. Upgrade Generator to power City Hall at all hours e. Add Gas service at the Yard Electrical Energy Use Reduction Background information ouNotin Governor's Office of Emergency Services Law Enforcement Branch Michael Guerin, Chief Electrical Energy Situation and Issues for the Summer Months May 03, 2001 By Michael Guerin In December of 2000 the OES Law Enforcement Branch published an Information Bulletin on Law Enforcement Issues related to power outages. In January 2001 Governor Gray Davis declared a State of Emergency due to the energy emergency, and later issued an Executive Order on enforcement of conservation measures by retailers. This latest Information Bulletin will discuss strategic and tactical planning issues for California law enforcement, with particular attention to the summer months. Conservation still remains key in the short term and for the foreseeable future. If there are outages, despite such measures, law enforcement agencies and personnel need to be prepared for the situations and demands outages might bring about. Situation Mayand June. According to briefings by the California Energy Commission, the electrical energy situation in California will remain a concern for some time to come. Surprisingly, in the short term they express most concern about the next two months — May and June. While new generation capacity will begin to come on line in July, hopefully helping California through the late summer months, the early summer will be difficult. A greater than usual number of generating plants are or will be down for maintenance over the next couple of months. Higher than usual early summer temperatures, with any unexpected additional loss of generation could mean rotating outages during this early summer period. Rotating outages, if needed, are still planned for 1 — 2 hour periods only. Their frequency will depend on the demand and capacity available in the system. j0. Electrical Energy Situation and Issues for the Summer Months May 3, 2001 Page Two July — September New generation is scheduled to come on line during this period, and the Energy Commission feels this may give the state the added capacity needed to avoid major problems during this period. Assessment is ongoing, and should this forecast change, additional information will be passed from the OES Law Enforcement Branch through Regional Mutual Aid Coordinators. Variables The Energy Commission estimates that 30% of electrical use during summer months is for air conditioning. An extreme heat wave during any of the summer months could stretch the system. If there are unplanned generation or transmission disruptions, outages could result. High winds have also brought down distribution and transmission poles and towers. This can bring local or wider scale outages. Another variable is the effect of the drought in the Pacific Northwest. This area of the United States received lower than usual rainfall during the winter, and officials in that area will be making decisions as to water storage vs. the use of that water for hydroelectric generation. California buys this hydroelectric power on a frequent basis, and a deficiency in this source means one less resource is available when needed. Conservation is still vital. California's residents and businesses have already made strides in this area, but every additional effort is important. The California Department of General Services has the lead on developing best practices for conservation in government buildings, as it is important to lead by example. Local governments should consider adopting similar practices. The more we conserve, the lower the probability of outages — and the lower our utility bills. Fire can always affect the electrical generation and transmission system. Some of the long distance transmission lines in California and in adjacent states are in areas of vegetation, and as such can be damaged during forest or brush fires. Lines or generating plants are somewhat susceptible to sabotage, however it is important to note that there is absolutely no intelligence information that would suggest such activity is any more likely during this time. Lastly, the state is doing everything possible to bring additional generation on line by mid summer. Factors that would delay this would seriously hamper our collective ability to power California. 30 Electrical Energy Situation and Issues for the Summer Months May 3, 2001 Page Three Issues In a meeting with representatives of California's Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Regions, the California State Sheriff's Association, the California Police Chief's Association and the California Highway Patrol, consensus was reached that to date, no significant rise in criminal activity can be attributable to the rotating outages experienced so far. There have been increased calls for service and activity during the outages. Communications centers are immediately flooded with inquiries about the outage and from calls reporting traffic signal failures. Called- for - service increases seem to be limited to traffic collisions and hazards, false alarm calls and medical emergencies. Scenarios Based on the information available to date, if demand exceeds supply during the summer months, particularly during May and June, rotating outages will occur. These outages should be similar in nature to those experienced so far, with the outage lasting for one to two hours per area (electrical service "block "). If the deficiency exists over a protracted period, the outages could move from area to area on a frequent basis until the demand drops or the supply increases. As such, a local law enforcement agency could see outages "hop" between areas in the community on a continuous basis for one or more hours each, over a period of many hours. At this point there is no reason to believe the outages will last any longer than the "standard" one to two hours per block, nor should they extend into nighttime hours. They could be more frequent, however. There are also two "worst case" scenarios worth consideration. They are highly unlikely, but contingency planning should take them into account. Both of these were of concern long before the current electrical energy emergency. The first is the possibility of a large -scale "cascading" power failure on a regional and /or multi -state basis. Again, though this is highly unlikely, unchecked imbalance in the electrical grid can cause problems that take much longer to alleviate. Utilities must re -start generation and transmission from a "black start" condition which takes hours. The greater the percentage of the grid that goes out, the longer it takes to resume operations. Outages could last from a few hours to a day — longer in some areas. There is no reason to believe this is any more likely at this time than in the past or near -term future. Another "worst case" can occur with or without power outages — heat emergency. In Chicago during the summer of 1995 a protracted period of extreme heat in an urban area caused in excess of 500 deaths. This was not related to a power failure. Several years later, Dallas suffered a similar problem. OES, working with the Department of Health Services and the Emergency Medical Services Authority, is developing "best practices" information on this topic. 30051? Tips for Conserving Energy and Safety During blackouts for the Public Learn Steps To Help Reduce Power Demand There are important measures consumers can take to help reduce the pressure on the State's overburdened electricity system. To help reduce electricity demand, the Energy Commission suggests consumers immediately take the following steps to conserve energy. This information is courtesy of CBS2000. How To Conserve Energy At Home Turn the thermostat down to 68 degrees or below. Reduce setting to 55 degrees or less before retiring or when away for the day. Avoid running large appliances such as washers, dish and clothes dryers and electric ovens. Close off vents to rooms that are not being used. Turn off all non - essential electrical lights. Close shades and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through your windows. How To Conserve Energy At The Office Minimize heating by keeping the thermostat at 68 degrees or below. Wear comfortable business attire. Dress appropriately for cooler temperatures. Turn off any lights that are not needed, especially in unused offices and conference rooms. Turn down the remaining lighting levels if you can. Turn off your computer if you are out of the office for more than a few minutes. If a Stage 3 is imminent, back up your computer and don't forget to frequently save what you are working on, to be ready if the power goes off. These actions can be taken quickly to reduce electricity consumption. With a little bit of planning, you can save even more energy and money. Keep Your Home Comfortable When It's Cold Outside Check your heating ducts to make sure that they are properly connected and not leaking air. Studies show that one out of every four homes loses as much as one -third of their heating (or cooling) from bad ducts. Repair them as needed, using approved materials and methods. Insulation, properly installed, offers the single most effective means of conserving energy in the home - it provides a thermal blanket around the house. Install it yourself, or hire an insulation contractor. Purchase insulation materials by the R" factor. In general, R -30 is recommended for ceilings and R -19 for walls. The greater the "R" factor, the greater the insulating value. Properly installed, roll or blown bulk materials of the same "R" value offer the same insulation. In glass areas, prevent winter heat loss with dual glass panes. Draperies also provide effective insulation, especially those that are thermal - lined. Draw draperies and window shades to limit heat loss. Open them during the day to let sunshine in. As much as 18 percent of your home's heating loss can be through building openings. Stop this loss by weather - stripping all doors and windows and caulking openings. Consider installing a clock thermostat to automatically set back your thermostat at night. Never cover the thermostat with draperies or decorations. So do not put lamps, television sets or appliances that produce heat close to the thermostat. If you have a waterbed, be sure to make your bed and save up to one -third of the energy it uses. Use bathroom heaters sparingly, if at all. Regularly replace or clean filters. Conserve In the kitchen Plan meals that can be cooked together in the oven all at once to make full use of the energy it takes to heat your oven. Do not preheat your broiler or range - it only wastes energy. Avoid opening the oven door when baking. Taking a "peek" wastes energy. Never use the oven, candles or oil lamps as room heaters. 00c5 ",4 Microwave cuisine is faster, more efficient than conventional cooking. It can save a lot of your time and energy too! Wash only full loads of dishes in your dishwasher. Let the dishes air dry by turning the washer off after the last rinse cycle and opening the door slightly. What If The Power Goes Off? An electricity curtailment is a controlled event that can occur during a Stage 3. If one is implemented in your area, the electricity should come back on within two hours. Until then, use the warmest part of the house. Drive carefully. Remember that traffic signals may be out in a rolling blackout. Consider each intersection to be a four -way stop, and drive defensively. If you are a pedestrian, be extra alert, since normal traffic patterns are disrupted. Be sure you have flashlights and fresh batteries. Dress to stay warm in cold weather. A warm hat and socks can help you reduce the amount of heat loss through your head and feet. Avoid opening your refrigerator and freezer as much as possible. Food inside should stay cold for hours if the door is left closed. Check on you elderly neighbors or those who may have medical conditions or use medical machinery that operates on electricity. REMEMBER THAT CORDLESS PHONES WILL NOT FUNCTION IF THE ELECTRICITY IS OFF. A HARD WIRED OR CELL PHONE IS NECESSARY TO CALL FOR EMERGENCY HELP (9 -1 -1) IF NEEDED. For additional information, contact the Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services at 805) 654 -2551.