We turned off the power to the Bandera area, affecting about 2,400 members, from 5:12 p.m. until 5:42 p.m. The outages would have rolled to another area, likely Cico, Mason Creek, Medina Lake substation, etc. if the emergency condition had not been lifted by ERCOT shortly after BEC tripped out the Bandera substation. We would have turned the power off for about 20 minute intervals and rotated from station to station. This is a way to share what power is available and is the way a rolling black-out works.  

The power emergency was prompted by the extreme heat which was near 100 degrees in most areas. April is traditionally a month when many power plants are taken off-line for routine maintenance. The load from air conditioners straining to keep buildings cool and other appliances, created an unusually high demand for power on Monday. Other electric suppliers in Texas were also ordered to begin the rolling-blackout process Monday.

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