As heat wave sweeps through California, grid asks not to charge electric vehicles from 16 to 21 p.m.

September 2, just a week ago, California introduced new regulations that will ban the sale of new fuel cars in the local market starting in 2035. This week, however, a heat wave has restricted the charging hours of electric vehicles, requiring owners to refrain from charging their vehicles between 16:00 and 21:00.

The California Independent System Operator, which operates the state's power grid, issued a Flex Alert asking all residents to voluntarily reduce their electricity use between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and warned that more warnings could be issued over the weekend.

Temperatures are expected to soar above 37 degrees Celsius as a heat wave sweeps across California. High temperatures are forcing residents to turn on their air conditioners, and electricity use will spike. The California government is also urging local residents to conserve electricity by turning their air conditioners above about 26 degrees Celsius, avoiding major appliances, and turning off lights when possible.

This isn't the first time hot weather has affected U.S. electric car owners. During the heat wave that swept through Texas in July, Tesla asked customers to avoid charging their electric cars during peak hours.

California's power restrictions drew fire from conservatives as well as the coal and gas industries. "This state is asking everyone to buy an electric car by 2035," Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise (R) tweeted on social media, "and that's a joke."

The warning comes as California lawmakers submitted a series of climate bills to Gov. Gavin Newsom around midnight Wednesday, including a record $54 billion in spending, strict limits on oil and gas drilling and an order to stop emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by 2045.

Erin Mellon, a spokeswoman for California's governor, said critics have misrepresented the request to limit electric vehicle charging.

"We're not saying no charging," Mellon said, "we're just saying no charging between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m."