At a press conference Thursday, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg told San Antonians to “remain calm” after Texas’ power grid operator warned of rolling power outages due to record energy demand.
“There is a very strong probability of power outages throughout the state, including San Antonio, this afternoon and evening,” Nirenberg told reporters.
CPS Energy CEO Rudy Garza said customers shouldn’t expect outages to last longer than “an hour or two” at most, adding that most would end within 10 to 15 minutes. The outages are most likely to occur from 7-9 p.m., he added.
“Maybe we get there today, maybe we don’t, but today is probably the likeliest that I’ve seen that it could happen,” Garza said
Conditions for grid operator the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) are at their most serious since 2021’s Winter Storm Uri, according to Garza. The resumption of school, the ongoing heatwave and less wind energy being generated in the afternoons combined to stress the state’s grid, he added.
Due to the likely outages, Nirenberg said city libraries will remain open as cooling centers until 9 p.m. The city also will release a list of senior centers and county facilities that will serve as cooling centers.
Nirenberg advised residents to keep devices charged, disconnect appliances and keep refrigerators and freezer doors closed. People should never use power generators indoors, he added.
Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter| Or sign up for our RSS Feed
Related Stories
Renewable energy helped Texas’ grid survive summer heat, analyst says
The governor’s grid gambit
Texas ranks as the state most susceptible to billion-dollar climate disasters
ERCOT warns Texans of possible rolling power outages Friday evening
This article appears in Aug 23 – Sep 5, 2023.
