California’s power grid, already strained from days of triple-digit temperatures, faced a nearly record-breaking level of demand Tuesday. The California Independent System Operator, which provides electricity to most of the state, issued an emergency alert for the afternoon and evening, expecting energy deficiencies as a heat wave in the U.S. West was forecast to peak in some places. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said the heat wave is expected to be the state’s longest and hottest on record for the month of September, and he urged Californians to conserve energy. “We’re heading into the worst part of this heat wave,” Mr. Newsom said in a video Tuesday afternoon. “The risk for outages is real and immediate.” Officials have been asking people to conserve energy since last week, as temperatures began rising across the state. California narrowly avoided blackouts Monday, as conservation helped meet surging demand, according to the California ISO. […]