AEP Texas was instructed to increase the number of service interruptions that began early Monday morning.
At 6:30 p.m. Monday, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas instructed AEP Texas and other electric utilities to increase the number of interruptions, according to a news release.
As of 9:30 p.m. Monday, there were 441,000 outages for AEP Texas, following the directive from ERCOT. The number of outages increased from 367,000 AEP customers without power in the state Monday afternoon, the release states.
As of Tuesday morning, there were 47,751 customers without power in Nueces County, according to the AEP website.
Earlier Monday, ERCOT expected utilities would be given the “go-ahead” Tuesday to begin full service restoration. There were no new details Monday night.
“AEP Texas is prepared to begin restoration of service to customers as soon as it receives the order from ERCOT,” the release reads. “Circuit loading due to the length of time customers have been without power could result in some customer groups not having their service restoration delayed further.”
If you lost power
- If you lose power, turn off your heating, and large appliances to enable smoother service restoration.
- Once power is restored, you should switch the devices back on gradually over the following 30-to-45 minutes. Taking this step will help prevent a sudden surge in demand after power is restored, which could cause a second outage.
- Energy conservation measures are urgently needed now through Tuesday. Steps to help reduce electricity use include:
- Turn the thermostat down 2-to-3 degrees • Set programmable thermostats to lower temperatures when no one is home.
- Limit use of large appliances (i.e., dishwasher, washer, dryer, etc.) • If you cook indoors from 2-to-8 p.m., use a microwave or slow cooker.
- Close blinds and drapes during late afternoon
Source: AEP Texas
Alexandria Rodriguez covers breaking news and crime in South Texas. Support local news by checking out our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe