The cities of Bryan and College Station report rotating electrical blackouts were suspended early Wednesday afternoon. State officials could resume the outages if and when electricity use spikes again.
The Associated Press reported what caused the rolling brownouts:
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ Burst water pipes at two coal-fired power plants forced them to shut down, triggering rolling power cuts across the state, the lieutenant governor said Wednesday. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said this is something that “should not happen.” Dewhurst said he was told that water pipes at two plants, Oak Grove and Sand Hill, forced them to cut electricity production. Natural gas power plants that should have provided back up had difficulty starting due to low pressure in the supply lines, also caused by the cold weather. The lieutenant governor said the demand placed on the Texas grid was nowhere near peak capacity. He said he was frustrated by the situation. The statewide electricity authority ordered cities across the state to start rolling power outages to cope with the crisis.
From WTAW’s Chace Murphy:
College Station Director of Electric Utilities David Massey says they are trying to minimize the inconvenience. But, just because your power goes out once does not mean it will not go out again.
Click below to hear Massey talk with WTAW’s Chace Murphy
David Massey, February 2
There’s no indication of how long the outages will last, but the important thing to remember is that they are controlled. The outages will likely last anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes.
Meantime, authorities also ask you to unplug all unnecessary electrical equipment and even minimize heater usage while you do have power.
That reduces the need for more outages to keep up with demand.
The following is from the city of College Station:
College Station Utilities customers, both residential and commercial, may experience 5-10-minute power outages today through rolling brown-outs. This move has been ordered by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, in order to avoid any catastrophic failure of the state’s electric grid due to the winter storms affecting much of Texas.
According to CSU Manager David Massey, non-emergency main lines could be affected throughout the day. Hospitals and other critical functions will not be included in the brown-outs.
It’s unknown how long this emergency period will last, but ERCOT officials are expected to communicate with the state’s utilities throughout the day.
Information below is from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT):
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has instructed utilities to begin rotating outages to compensate for a generation shortage due to numerous plant trips that occurred because of the extreme weather.
* Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible.
* Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.
http://www.puc.state.tx.us./ocp/conserve
Rotating outages are controlled, temporary interruptions of electric service, typically lasting 10-45 minutes per neighborhood. The locations and durations are determined by the local utilities. Critical need customers such as hospitals and nursing homes are generally not included.
It is not known at this time how long the need for rotating outages will last.
Consumers and businesses are urged to reduce their electricity use to the lowest level possible, including these steps:
* Limit electricity usage to only that consumption which is absolutely necessary. Turn off all unnecessary lights, appliances, and electronic equipment.
See more conservation tips at “Powerful Advice,” Public Utility Commission of Texas:
BACKGROUND
A Power Emergency indicates that the regional electric grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), has instructed utilities to implement rotating outages to reduce load.
Rotating outages are controlled, temporary interruptions of electrical service initiated by each utility when supplies of reserve power are exhausted. Without this safety valve, generators would overload and begin shutting down to avoid damage, risking a domino effect of a region-wide outage.
Rotating outages primarily affect residential neighborhoods and small businesses and do not typically include critical-need customers such as hospitals and nursing homes.
The outages are limited to 10-45 minutes before being rotated to a different neighborhood. Some customers may experience longer outages if power surges cause equipment failure during the restoration process. Customers can minimize power surges by turning off appliances, lights and other equipment, except for one task light to determine when power has been restored.
ERCOT REGION
The ERCOT Region includes Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, Corpus Christi, Abilene and the Rio Grande Valley. It does not include the El Paso area, the Texas Panhandle, Northeast Texas (Longview, Marshall and Texarkana), and Southeast Texas (Beaumont, Port Arthur, and the Woodlands). Region map: