Austin Energy has deployed a permanent fix to a transformer substation following a power outage experienced in Southwest Austin, including the West Campus area.
On the evening of Aug. 22, 6,400 residents lost power due to an equipment failure, according to a statement by Austin Energy. A temporary rerouting of power through other circuits provided a short-term solution and power to all affected residents returned three hours after the initial outage. A permanent fix was implemented the following day, Austin Energy said in a statement following the outage.
The repair, which consisted of equipment replacement in the substation transformer, was fully completed on Aug. 25, with all power restored that morning, according to a statement from Austin Energy.
“It’s very rare that you have two transformers go down on two consecutive days at a substation,” said Matthew Mitchell, public information officer for Austin Energy. “It was very much, ‘Why is this happening now? How can we make sure that we keep power flowing while at the same time preparing folks for the possibility that we could have an outage or two?’”
During repairs the next morning, Austin Energy asked community members to conserve power so repairs could be completed without causing further outages in the area.
“When we put out that call, we saw just a really laudable, noticeable significant conservation effort by that community,” Mitchell said. “(The effort from the community) allowed us to safely reset that transformer, make those repairs and not have to do something that would result in an outage.”
However, Austin Energy has encouraged Austin residents to always have a plan in case a prolonged outage occurs.
“I would tell anyone who is concerned about an outage or what to do when an outage happens is to have a plan,” Mitchell said. “Know where you can go if it’s an extended outage, and you need a cooling center, for instance.”
In recent history, Austin has experienced prolonged outages, with the most recent major outage impacting approximately 170,000 residents in February 2023 following the winter storm.
During the prolonged outages in February 2023, the University did not experience a power outage, due to the Carl J. Eckhardt Combined Heating and Power Complex that provides all of the University’s electricity and heating, with a connection to the Austin city electrical grid for emergencies.
“Operating as a CHP and district energy system, the University is able to function with much greater reliability and efficiency than that afforded through purchased energy,” the University states on the Utilities and Energy Management website.
The best way to stay up-to-date regarding the outages in the area or to know if a residence is affected is by joining the outage message alert system provided by the company, Austin Energy said.
Mitchell said outage trackers are meant for “blue sky” days with good weather conditions and sporadic outages, but he added that it is virtually impossible to provide this information in crises with long-term outages.
With warm days ahead, Austin Energy has reiterated that conservation efforts from community members will help reduce the number of outages due to power demand.
“Being mindful of when you use energy helps your pocketbook in terms of lower bills, but it also really helps the local grid,” Mitchell said.
