Rolling blackouts hit Austin
4/17/2006 5:20 PM
By: News 8 Austin Staff
Record spring heat has created an emergency situation for the state's power grid and led to some rolling blackouts in Austin.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is asking electricity customers to cut usage to a minimum. That means keeping the thermostat set at 78 or higher, turning off electric lights unless needed for safety reasons and keeping the refrigerator and freezer shut as much as possible.
Austin Energy officials say the power shortage is the source of rolling blackouts around town that will continue until around 6 p.m.
–http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=159857
Holy crap, that’s hot! What happened to spring? 99 is even rather extreme for me.
Yeah, this weather is just NOT RIGHT! I am not at all looking forward to this summer. I fear it’s going to be pure hell. And the funny thing about the rolling blackouts is that they were planned and executed, and they decided tos start them at 4:20pm, the beginning of rush hour, and that made some folks’ trips home pretty awful. Perfect timing, huh? Do people making these decisions not think at all? :D
wow, while we are getting a ton of rain, seems you all are sweatin it out!