Pacific Gas & Electric Co. today announced plans to conduct a series of rotating power outages based on current energy supply forecasts. These outages are expected to last up to three hours at a time in 34 cities in the Bay Area, according to PG&E.
PG&E and the
California Independent System Operator also
issued a statewide flex alert starting today and lasting until Thursday. The flex alert asks residents to conserve energy from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. to help reduce demand for electricity.
With our first scheduled day of classes tomorrow, we anticipate this might be an issue for many of our teachers and students and hope to set in place plans to reduce the impact.
We are still planning to start school on time tomorrow, Tuesday, August 18. However, we are asking students to prepare for the potential of a power outage and take the time today to download the Zoom app and Google Classroom to their mobile phones.
Teachers will notify students of specific class assignments. Please have students check their email regularly for updates and details.
If a student cannot attend Zoom classes based on a power outage, the student is expected to make a good faith effort to connect with each of his teachers via email once power is back online. Parents should still plan to follow Serra attendance protocols by alerting the Attendance Office if your son is absent.
In the event that a teacher is unable to teach a Zoom class, we ask that students remain in the waiting room of the class Zoom room for at least 10 minutes and then check their email for further instruction.
We realize that this is a challenge and we thank you for your patience.
In the meantime, stay safe. PG&E recommends preparing for a rotating outage ahead of time.
Here are some suggested safety nets:
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Protect sensitive electronic equipment such as televisions and computers with surge suppressors. Unplug any such equipment that is in use when the power goes out.
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Stock up on the right batteries for items you rely on.
We will monitor the situation and will communicate more information as it becomes available.
