SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Salesforce is being criticized for telling San Franciscans to “power down” while the building showed it kept most of its lights on throughout the night.
A video was posted on Reddit showing several buildings in San Francisco with lights on amid the ongoing Flex Alert.
This incident allegedly occurred during a relentless heat wave sending energy use soaring in the state. On Tuesday temperatures in San Francisco were in the 90s.
To avoid blackouts, California Independent System Operator issued a Flex Alert to call on residents and businesses to voluntarily conserve energy. People took to social media to weigh in on the Salesforce Tower.
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One post read:
“Flex alert on Salesforce tower tonight. Have you tried turning the lights off in empty office buildings?”
Another reads:
“A classic Salesforce tower reminder to turn off the power while using…a bunch of power.”
Surrounding high-rise buildings could also be seen with lights on. KRON4 reached out to Cal ISO about saving energy during flex alerts in high-rise buildings.
A spokesperson said flex alerts are voluntary. CALISO’s Flex Alert website gives tips for office and commercial buildings that include:
- Turning off unnecessary office lights
- Setting the thermostat to 78 degrees or higher
- Turning off any office equipment that is not currently in use
- Looking for sleep or power-saving modes in between uses during the day
KRON4 reached out to Salesforce for comment and received a statement from Salesforce Tower LED light artist Jim Campbell, who said “The Salesforce Tower message two nights ago was a direct request from (Gov.) Newsom’s office. It ran at a reduced 500 watts but usually uses 5,000 watts.”
