Austin Energy prepared for extreme weather and continued restoration efforts

February 14, 2021

Austin Energy knows being without power is a big deal. When you rely on something as much as electricity, it can be unnerving when your power goes out. So, what should you do?

• Find more information about Austin Energy’s current outages on the Austin Energy Outage Map and enter your address into the search bar at the top of the page.

• Customers with questions about their outage status, or who want to report an outage, can call 512-322-9100.

Austin Energy knows our customers are counting on us to restore power during extreme weather events like the winter storm we’re currently experiencing. As of Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021, at 11 a.m., fewer than 200 customers are without power with four remaining active outages. At our peak, we had almost 50,000 customers without power. Since last Thursday, the average amount of time customers were without power was about three hours.

Thank you to Austin Energy customers for your patience as our crews work around the clock to ensure everyone’s power is restored. Although most Austin Energy customers have power restored right now, we are still seeing outages occur because of ice accumulation on trees. It’s important to know this is an ongoing event and outages may continue due to current conditions or worsen as additional severe weather moves into the area. 

For customers experiencing longer outages, lights, electronics and thermostats left on prior to the issue can overload a circuit when the power is restored. This is called cold load pickup and may cause a second outage on that circuit. You and your neighbors can help us avoid cold load pickup by:

• Lowering your thermostat.

• Turning off or unplugging any fixtures or appliances.

• Only leaving on one light to indicate when the power is back on.

Extreme cold weather conditions across the state could also require additional measures to ensure sufficient power generation capacity. Earlier today, ERCOT issued a conservation appeal. 

If you’re looking for ways to stay warm and conserve energy, please visit our winter savings tips and information page.

Austin Energy is closely monitoring our system and evaluating existing and approaching storm conditions while mobilizing resources, personnel and equipment. While we can’t control Mother Nature, we are prepared to dispatch all of our crews and resources to restore power.