North County power today: charge now or wait?

Heat and alerts today

Coast (Solana Beach) 88°F · Inland (Escondido) 100°F (NWS forecast).

• Extreme Heat Warning until Thu Oct 8, 8PM
• Beach Hazards Statement until Fri Oct 9, 11PM
• Coastal Flood Advisory until Fri Oct 9, 11AM

Power shutoffs: check SDG&E's PSPS dashboard for your address. Our prep guide: SDG&E power shutoff & heat wave: what to do.

San Diego's grid this week

Yesterday (Mon Oct 5) San Diego's grid peaked at 5,044 MW around 5-6pm, the most since Wed Sep 9 (5,354 MW). This summer's high (since Fri May 1) was Tue Sep 8 at 5,395 MW. The highest forecast this week is Tue Oct 6, 4,931 MW.

How CAISO's forecasts did lately. Sat Oct 3: actual 5,014 MW; 2-day forecast 4,486 (11% low), 7-day forecast 3,379 (33% low). Sun Oct 4: actual 4,965 MW; 2-day forecast 4,616 (7% low), 7-day forecast 3,750 (24% low). Mon Oct 5: actual 5,044 MW; 2-day forecast 5,136 (2% high), 7-day forecast 4,253 (16% low). They've been running low in this heat, so this week's real peaks may come in higher than the table.

Demand is the California grid operator's (CAISO) load for SDG&E's area, in megawatts, hour of the daily peak. High demand by itself doesn't switch the lights off: if the state grid runs short, a Flex Alert comes first. Actuals since Fri May 1; forecasts refresh every morning.

When the heat or the lights go out

• Lights out? SDG&E's outage map shows whether it's just your street and when they expect power back: SDG&E outage map. Source: SDG&E, outage.sdge.com, checked Oct 4, 2026.
• Too hot at home? The County's Cool Zones are air-conditioned public spaces, mostly libraries, including the Solana Beach, Del Mar, Cardiff and Encinitas branches: County Cool Zones. Source: County of San Diego, 2026 Cool Zones map, checked Oct 4, 2026.
• Asked to cut back? When California's grid runs short, the grid operator issues a Flex Alert asking everyone to save power in the late afternoon and evening: Flex Alert. Source: California ISO, flexalert.org, checked Oct 4, 2026.
• Planned shutoffs: SDG&E's Public Safety Power Shutoffs are for fire weather (strong wind, dry brush), not heat by itself: SDG&E PSPS dashboard. Source: SDG&E, sdge.com/psps-dashboard, checked Oct 4, 2026.
• Ice for the fridge and the cooler when an outage outlasts the cold, brought to your door in Solana Beach, Del Mar or Cardiff: $35 a stop plus the ice at the store's price. Ice delivery · Text PJ.

Today's SDG&E time-of-use windows

Below 130% of baseline, TOU-DR1 is 26.7¢ / 35.7¢ / 58.4¢ (super off-peak / off-peak / on-peak).

SDG&E non-CCA total rates, summer season, effective Aug 1, 2026 (SDG&E). CCA customers (San Diego Community Power, Clean Energy Alliance) pay a different generation rate. Which plan fits you: EV-TOU-5 vs TOU-DR1. Curious about tides and waves? Can San Diego run on ocean power?

What solar is worth today

Noon exports earn about 5.5¢/kWh today; the best hour is 6pm at 19.2¢. These are SDG&E's published Solar Billing Plan export prices (generation + delivery, non-lock-in, non-CCA) from SDG&E's export-price file.

Yesterday on the open grid (CAISO real-time, SDG&E area): low 3.9¢ at 8am, high 18.7¢ at 6pm. That's the wholesale market under your bill, not your retail rate.

Selling solar back, step by step: what you actually get from SDG&E · is a battery worth it? · balcony solar (SB 868) · installer out of business?

The North County energy exchange board

Prices, ways to get paid, and places to plug in

Retail = SDG&E EV-TOU-5 non-CCA totals (Aug 1, 2026). Export = SDG&E's published Solar Billing Plan prices. Open grid = CAISO real-time, SDG&E area.

Ways to get paid

• Grid-emergency events (SDG&E ELRP): $2/kWh for verified load reduction during CAISO-triggered events, 4-9pm, May through October. Homes with batteries join through an aggregator or their battery company, not directly. Details and sources.
• Sell solar back: bill credits at the hourly export price above; the evening pays most. What you actually get.
• Batteries and EVs as grid capacity (SB 913): the CPUC must open a path by June 30, 2028. Nothing pays households yet; worth knowing before you buy a battery. Battery math.
• Dead system? An orphaned 6 kW solar system can cost an estimated $330-416 a month. The Orphan Solar Check.

Plug in near Solana Beach (public fast chargers)

• Solana Beach, CA - Tesla Supercharger (Solana Beach, 0.3 mi) · 8 fast ports · Tesla · what to do while you charge
• Whole Foods - Flower Hill Promenade (Del Mar, 1.3 mi) · 1 fast port · eVgo Network
• Jimmy John's - Tesla Supercharger (Cardiff, 2.4 mi) · 12 fast ports · Tesla NEW · PJ paid $0.43/kWh here Oct 1 ~10:30am; what to know
• 145 S El Camino Real (Encinitas, 3.8 mi) · 8 fast ports · HYPERFUEL
• Encinitas, CA - Encinitas Boulevard - Tesla Supercharger (Encinitas, 3.8 mi) · 8 fast ports · Tesla
• Encinitas City Hall – Lower Lot (Encinitas, 3.9 mi) · 6 fast ports · eVgo Network

Federal NREL station data, refreshed every morning. Prices vary by network and time; check the app.

Neighbor listings

• No neighbor listings yet. Be the first: got a home charger, a battery or spare solar? Text PJ to list flat-fee EV or e-bike charging.

List a plug, battery or spare solar

How the board works: SideGuy is the board, not a seller of electricity. Listings are EV and e-bike charging at a flat fee, which California allows (Public Utilities Code 216(i)); selling home electricity to neighbors generally isn't allowed (218). PJ verifies every listing before it goes up.