Texas utility: Power outages could last another week or more thehill.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thehill.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Outcry over bright lights around Austin amid energy conservation call
FOX 7 Austin s Bridget Spencer asked why the downtown area remained bright and Austin Energy released a statement saying that the downtown network is excluded for now from load shedding (power outages) during controlled outages mandated by ERCOT.
Officials say it s a complicated, inter-connected network which includes critical buildings like the Dell Seton Medical Center, warming centers, the COVID-19 Alternate Care Site, Capitol Complex and Austin City Hall, as well as other critical infrastructure and government buildings. Shutting down the downtown network would also cut off electricity to these critical buildings, which may also house vital communications equipment.
As millions of Texans went to bed on Feb. 15 without power statewide, Downtown Austin was lit up while its neighboring areas were left in the dark. The scene made its rounds on social media. While the images drew criticism from Austinites online, there is a reason why downtown has remained with power while other areas are left without it, according to Austin Energy. A tale of two cities - on the right is downtown Austin - to the left East.
Officials want Texans to conserve energy So why was downtown Houston s bright skyline lit up? lmtonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from lmtonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.