California and the Western United States are experiencing unprecedented temperatures. This heat wave is on track to be both the hottest and longest on record in California for September. California is heading into the worst part of this heat wave, and the more power we all save, the less likely Burbank is to experience power outages.
The Burbank community has stepped up to keep the lights on by conserving and alerting Burbank Water and Power (BWP) to outages due to overheated equipment and falling trees. Starting Monday, September 5 at 4 pm, BWP asks that Burbankers avoid using big appliances, set their thermostat to 78 degrees or higher, and conserve one extra hour until 10 pm.
“Today we are asking a lot of our community, it is not only time to conserve, but tomorrow we start our no outdoor watering restrictions,” says Dawn Roth Lindell, General Manager of Burbank Water and Power. “But Burbank always pulls together, and we don’t take that for granted. We have crews out in this blistering heat to make sure electricity and water are flowing and are ready to respond to any issues that arise.”
“BWP wants to remind the community to deeply water trees and plants today after 6 pm. For plants that are most sensitive to drought, ensure the soil is moist 8 inches below the surface. Less is required the more drought tolerant the plant is,” says Jeannine Edwards, Assistant General Manager of Sustainability.
For more conservation tips and heatwave-related information, visit BurbankWaterAndPower.com or call at (818) 238-3730.
Thanks for the update. Serious question, if BWP is concerned about the ability to service the needs of existing customers, why is the City Council approving large-scale building projects such as the Second Century Project (over 800,000 square feet) and the long list of dozens of development projects that the City is approving or has already approved. If the BWP cannot handle the current summer demand, why build even more properties that will further burden our power grid?
I believe BWP asking us to conserve is disingenuous. The fact is we have an over generating capacity, so much so we sell electricity to other cities. When our largest user of electricity left town (Lockheed) we had more generating capacity than we knew what to deal with. When Enron failed, the Public Utilities Commission started handing out power plant permits like candy. Burbank got one even though we did not need one. Now, the rate payers are stuck paying for a gas turbine plant WE DID NOT NEED for decades to come. We are using less power than ever. LED’s, power saving appliances, and on and on. Not buying this article one bit.
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