CAL-ISO Urges Residents To Help Conserve Power After Historic Storm Hits Texas, Midwest

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - The California Independent System Operator (CAL-ISO) is urging residents to conserve energy to help ease stressed grid conditions in Texas, the Midwest and other parts of the country.

Millions are without water and power after a massive winter storm brought snow, ice and record-breaking cold temperatures to the Lone Star State.

The bitter cold has already claimed at least 20 lives and many are struggling to stay warm.

Former Los Angeles hairstylist Mikey Giovanni, who moved to Dallas in September in search of a change of pace, said he does not have running water.

He says the roads aren't plowed, traveling is a mess and the Whole Foods store near his apartment has been closed indefinitely.

"I live above a Whole Foods, and the Whole Foods has been shut down for the last three days," he said.

Dallas resident Brian Tyson and his family have been dealing with power outages since Monday.

He says the cold temperatures caused pipes to burst in his home, leaving the family of six without running water.

"It's really frustrating for us because as soon as the power comes on, you know you're
scrambling around trying to cook something, you're trying to get your iPhone powered and you're just trying to do as much as you can in that short time span because you don't know when it's going to come back on," Tyson said.