Californians were hit with power shut-offs last weekend and were told to conserve energy by minimizing use as power needs could exceed availability. But some energy experts, including former CPUC president Loretta Lynch, are doubtful that unusually high demand led to the shutdowns, alleging mismanagement on the part of the state’s energy grid operator. A spokesperson for the Independent System Operator wrote in a statement that the operator sought every available megawatt of energy to cover demand and reserves.