As you may have heard or read, on July 9, 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency for Santa Clara County. The Santa Clara Valley Water Board of Directors has also declared a water shortage emergency for the county and called for a mandatory 15% reduction in water use from 2019 water use levels.
At the same time, due to the extreme heat in California, wildfires in Oregon and the high demand for electricity, the California Independent System Operator issued a Flex Alert last week. The Flex Alert encouraged California residents to take immediate steps to conserve energy to help reduce the strain on the power grid, limit possible power outages and minimize the risk of local wildfires.