Red BluffCooling center opens due to extreme heat
Red Bluff Daily News
RED BLUFF >> Pacific Gas and Electric Co. was prompted to open a cooling center Tuesday in Red Bluff due to the extreme heat conditions Tehama County and most of the rest of the state are experiencing. The cooling center was at the Veterans Memorial Hall and was open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Cold water, snacks and free WiFi were available for all who came. Company Spokesman Paul Moreno said the utility company has contracts with various community centers throughout the service area if it needs to open Community Resource Centers. “We coordinate with counties about using CRCs during Public Safety Power Shutoff events but also during extreme weather conditions such as this,” Moreno said. Many communities do their own cooling centers. Over the weekend, PG&E reached out to more than a dozen counties asking if they would like the company to open CRCs, and Tehama, Contra Costa and Alameda counties requested them. By 5 p.m. there was no one using the cooling center besides the staff and Moreno said there are no plans to open it Wednesday. No other cooling centers were planned for Wednesday as of that time. On Tuesday afternoon, the state’s grid operator directed utilities to begin preparing for possible rotating power outages due to the potential for electricity supply on the larger Western region grid to fall short of the increased demand. PG&E notified some 525,277 customers to prepare for potential rotating outages that evening in case they need to take place. To help avoid the outages, PG&E suggested customers set their thermostat at 78 degrees or higher, health permitting, when it is cooler outside bring the cool air in, avoid using major appliances, turn off all unnecessary lights and avoid charging electric vehicles. To find whether your area will be affected by the outages, visit https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/outages/planning-and-preparedness/safety-and-preparedness/find-your-rotating-outage-block/find-your-rotating-outage-block.page.