美國部分地區現正遭受焦旱高溫影響，不少人因此喪命。加州中央河谷地區幾乎整個週末籠罩在華氏115度的高溫下，造成38起死亡案例，加州政府正著手調查其死因是否與高溫有直接關聯。加州資源署暨能源事務次長戴斯蒙（Joe Desmond）指出：「本州正經歷過去57年來從未見過的熱浪侵襲。」
加利福尼亞獨立系統營運公司（簡稱：加利福尼亞ISO）在上週二發佈第一級的用電緊急狀態，因為許多民眾在炙熱天氣下，都開啟了空調，購物商城亦湧入成群的避暑人潮。
加利福尼亞ISO公司是負責管制輸送多數加州高壓電力配送網絡的非營利公司，務求以相同的供電量來平衡用戶的高用電需求，ISO公司是發電廠及服務超過3千萬用戶的公共設施間聯繫的橋樑。
ISO公司執行長曼索（Yakout Mansour）指出，加州公共設施在上週一停止供應將近850百萬瓦的電力，並且貯存了1,400百萬瓦的電力作為備用之需。
由於氣象預報預測，26日將會有另一個猛烈的熱浪來襲，在前一週才剛創下3次用電新高紀錄之後，加利福尼亞ISO公司將持續因應破紀錄的高用電量。
加利福尼亞ISO公司要求所有用電戶盡可能節約用電，以避免更多的運轉停擺。
在上週，雷暴摧毀了聖路易州、密蘇里州及伊利諾伊州的電力系統之後，直到25日仍有超過20萬1000個家庭和企業仍然無電可用。無電可用意謂著沒有空調系統，溫度攀升到華氏100度（攝氏38度）之上，風暴或高熱已造成這個地區4人死亡。
7月18日的熱浪及猛烈的風暴，癱瘓了紐約市的電力系統，造成皇后鎮自治區近4,000人已連續10天沒電可用。
企業的負責人說，停電使得他們必須丟掉不新鮮的食物，導致上萬美元的損失。紐約Con Edison電力公司提供企業7,000美元及個人用戶350美元作為補償。
紐約州長帕塔基（George Pataki）批評Con Edison電力公司指出，「你能體諒偶發的失誤事件，但實在無法苟同一個星期、甚至10天之後仍無法讓民眾的生活回歸正常軌道。」他承諾將調查此事
不過相反地，紐約市長彭博（Michael Bloomberg）發言悍衛電力公司，他說：「Con Edison電力公司己盡其所能、公平合理地做好了一件差事，他們的系統也已恢復正常運轉。」
Searing temperatures are proving deadly across the United States. California authorities are investigating 38 deaths blamed on the heat, mostly in the Central Valley area, where the temperatures peaked at 115 degrees over the weekend. “The state is experiencing a heat event unprecedented in the past 57 years,” said Joe Desmond, undersecretary of energy affairs with the California Resources Agency.
The California Independent System Operator Corporation (California ISO) issued a Stage One Emergency on Tuesday as more people turned on their air conditioners in the scorching heat, and mobbed the cool air conditioned shopping malls.
The California ISO is the nonprofit corporation that operates the majority of California’s high-voltage wholesale power grid. Balancing the demand for electricity with an equal supply of megawatts, the ISO is the link between power plants and the utilities that serve more than 30 million consumers.
California utilities on Monday stopped supplies of about 850 megawatts and conservation saved 1,400 megawatts more, said Yakout Mansour, ISO chief executive.
As weather forecasters predict a break in the heat wave starting today, the California ISO continues to deal with record electricity usage, with three new records being set within the last week.
The California ISO is asking all electricity customers to conserve electricity as much as possible to avoid more rolling blackouts.
In St. Louis, Missouri and in Illinois, just over 201,000 homes and businesses still had no power Tuesday after thunderstorms devastated the system last week. No electricity means no air conditioners as temperatures soared above 100 degrees. Four deaths in the area have been blamed on the storms or the heat.
In New York City, 4,000 people are going on 10 days in a row without power in Queens due to the heat wave and violent storms on July 18 that knocked power out to the borough.
Business owners say the blackout has cost them tens of thousands of dollars because they have had to throw out food. The Con Edison power company is offering $7,000 compensation to businesses and $350 to individuals.
But ConEd is being criticized by the state's governor. "You can understand an occasional failure but you can't understand a week later, ten days later, still not having the people back on line," said New York Governor George Pataki, who promises an investigation.
By contrast New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg defends the power company. "Con Ed, in all fairness, has done a good job, and their system has stood up very well," Bloomberg said.
