http://www.caiso.com/awe/systemstatus.html

STAGE 3 EMERGENCY NOTICE [200100910]

The California Independent System Operator is implementing Stage 3 of the Electrical Emergency Plan for the period 03/19/2001 11:46 through 03/19/2001 23:59.

The CAISO is continuing to request additional Supplemental Energy bids during this period. The Plan has been implemented for the following reason(s):

Loss of Generation; Insufficient Resources

Participating Transmission Owners are to notify the Utility Distribution Companies within their operational areas.

Stage 3: Operating reserves are currently, or forecast to be, below 1-1/2%. The UDC will implement their electrical emergency plan and/or other load dropping to effect involuntary firm demand reductions, in addition to ALL Interruptible Service reductions AS DIRECTED BY THE CAISO.

This message is from Market Operations at the California ISO.

Notice issued at: 03/19/2001 11:47

The system conditions described in this communication are dynamic and subject to change. While the ISO has attempted to reflect the most current, accurate information available in preparing this notice, system conditions may change suddenly with little or no notice.

-- Swissrose (cellier3@mindpsring.com), March 19, 2001

Answers

California Independent System Operator

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Patrick Dorinson March 19, 2001 Director of Communications 1 (888) 516-NEWS

ELECTRICAL EMERGENCY ESCALATES TO STAGE THREE

ROTATING OUTAGES UNDERWAY

More than a Third of the Generation Connected to the ISO Grid is Off- line

(Folsom, CA) Immediate rotating blackouts have been ordered after operating reserves the California Independent Systems Operator (California ISO) depends on to maintain power grid reliability dropped dramatically. Grid operators declared a statewide Stage Three Emergency between the 11:46 a.m. and midnight today, March 19, 2001.

The California ISO has requested the state’s utilities to curtail 500 megawatts at noon today, affecting both northern and southern California. The extent of the outages and whether they are anticipated to last all afternoon and possibility into the evening will be evaluated on an hourly basis today.

Specific details will be available at a 1:00 p.m. media briefing. Media News Teleconference TIME (PST): 1:00 p.m. PHONE NUMBER: 800/374-1387 PASSCODE: ISO News

Operating reserves started out low this morning when 11,500 megawatts worth of power plants reported they couldn’t produce electricity due to planned maintenance or malfunctioning equipment. By mid morning, another 1,000 megawatts became unavailable when two units at a desert facility tripped offline.

-- PHO (owennos@bigfoot.com), March 19, 2001.

I believe this response generator is not working....

oh well, i am resonding to a post of which this is a part...

"Operating reserves started out low this morning when 11,500 megawatts worth of power plants reported they couldn’t produce electricity due to planned maintenance or malfunctioning equipment. By mid morning, another 1,000 megawatts became unavailable when two units at a desert facility tripped offline".

Ok, what is your take on this anyone?? The above includes, "couldn't produce electricity due to planned maintenance OR malfunctioning equipment....

-- Tess (webwoman@iamit.com), March 19, 2001.