Jul. 19--State regulators asked residents on Monday to conserve energy, warning that a heat wave was stressing California's power supply.

Even with the higher temperatures, the California Independent System Operator said the energy outlook is pretty good for this summer. On Monday, peak demand hit 43,679 megawatts at 4:25 p.m.; the state's capacity is 55,000 megawatts.

Monday was the eighth consecutive day that the peak has surged above 40,000 megawatts.

At the start of the day, regulators predicted that electricity demand would hit an all-time high Monday, after setting a new Sunday record the day before. But cooler-than-expected weather in the Bay Area curbed demand, easing concerns.

Temperatures in the East Bay ranged from the 70s along the coast to 101 in Danville and 100 in Antioch, and the weather is expected to get even cooler as the week goes along.

Still, the ISO stressed that an unexpected event, such as a natural disaster or power plant failure, could cause a breakdown in the state's power supply and possible blackouts. For that reason, it asked residents to conserve energy, especially during the peak hours of 4 to 7 p.m.

Grid operators asked Californians to set their thermostats at 78 to 80 degrees while at home and at 85 degrees when out of the house. They also suggested switching off lights in empty rooms and avoiding the use of appliances until after 7 p.m.

"We're doing fine, but conservation is appreciated and you'll thank us for it when you see your bill at the end of the month," said ISO spokeswoman Stephanie McCorkle.

California's energy consumption is increasing, she said. The state adds 600,000 new residents each year, and many move to inland areas, where temperatures are higher.

So far, the state is keeping up with demand, said Paul Moreno, a spokesman for PG&E. Since the power debacle of 2001-02, it has added new plants and upgraded transmission lines. The situation is tighter in Southern California than Northern California, where hydroelectricity is in more plentiful supply.

"As California's population continues to grow, it has a thirst for power," he said. "With that, there's a need to continue to plan and build infrastructure so that we can stay ahead of that need."

CONSERVATION TIPS:

--Set your thermostat at 78 to 80 degrees when home, 85 degrees or off when away.

--Switch off lights when you leave the room.

--Avoid using appliances during peak hours of 4 to 6 p.m.

--Reset your pool pump to run during off-peak hours.

--Clean vacuum coils underneath refrigerator and change furnace filters to make the units run more efficiently.

--Draw shades on the sunny side of the house.

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