Dear Neighbors,
I feel deeply frustrated and disappointed, like all of you. This has gone on much too long. Many are without power, water, and heat in the middle of an ice storm and a pandemic.
I am doing everything that I can and I am writing again to provide you with an update. I wish I could do more.
Upwards of over 175,000 Austin Energy account holders are currently without power, which is fewer than yesterday but continues to be an unacceptable and unsustainable number of accounts. I do not have additional information on when power in specific areas can be restored due to the amount of discretion ERCOT has and the limited options we have locally to restore power anywhere without disrupting power to critical infrastructure like hospitals, nursing homes, first responders and others. You may see other homes with power and wonder why they cannot be rotated off. Those buildings are on a line with other critical infrastructure, and we cannot rotate those homes off without turning off the power to the critical infrastructure sharing those lines.
We are working hard to obtain additional options from ERCOT, and to find ways to conserve energy to allow us to bring more households online.
My office has been working diligently with our city staff and the Austin Disaster Relief Network to open as many warm shelters as possible. A new shelter opened late last night in Great Hills at the Mosaic Church located at 12675 Research Blvd, Austin, TX 78759. The Mosaic Church has capacity for 50 people. If you need transportation to the Mosaic Church, church volunteers have offered to do what they can to meet that need, call 512-633-4236 to request transportation to Mosaic Church. Additional shelters can be found at: https://adrn.org/shelters/. As new ADRN shelters come online, they will be advertised at that site as well.
We urge you to make the decision during daylight hours, if you are going to use a shelter to avoid travelling hazardous conditions at night. If you decide to travel, be extremely careful, travel slowly, keep your distance from other cars, and be prepared for an emergency. Bring a flashlight and car charger, additional layers of clothing or blankets, water, and snacks. If you choose to shelter with a family or friend who has power, make sure that you practice the 3 W’s while in their home – wear a mask, watch your distance, and wash your hands frequently.
Two additional warming shelters opened yesterday near or in District 10 and are open from 9 AM to 9 PM:
Lee Elementary School - 3308 Hampton Road, Austin, TX 78705
Murchison Middle School - 3700 N. Hills Drive, Austin, TX 78731
The ice storm from yesterday evening has caused new damage to infrastructure which has impacted service to some customers, including some customers who had been restored overnight and some who had not previously been impacted. Our staff continue to work around the clock, many have been on their shifts without respite for several days, to repair damage and respond to calls. I am grateful for the risks our crews and first responders are taking to keep us as safe as possible.
We are hearing a lot of concern and speculation about hospitals, but all hospitals and other Tier 1 critical loads are currently energized.
Please continue to conserve as much energy as you can, as ERCOT operating reserves are extremely low and additional calls for load shedding are occurring. In addition, as Austin Energy attempts to restore power to those impacted, it is important for the public to unplug and turn off as many devices as possible to prevent “cold load pickup” which makes restoration more difficult.
Residents are also urged to stay off the roadways unless absolutely necessary. First responders are working to respond to calls as quickly as possible, however they are also impacted by the same travel conditions. To help free up demand on 9-1-1 operations, Austin Police Department has asked the public to not call 9-1-1 to report power outages and only call 9-1-1 if it is a life or death emergency.
Ways to Help
If you have power, conserve energy to help stabilize the power grid for the rest of our community. Turn off lights, turn down thermostats to 68-degrees or lower, close shades & blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows, turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances, avoid using large appliances (i.e., ovens, washing machines, etc.).
The Austin Area Urban League has launched an emergency donation drive, called the #LoveThyNeighborTX campaign, to accept monetary donations.
Austin's Free Lunch program provides home-cooked meals to people experiencing homelessness. Free Lunch is a business that cooks and delivers meals four days a week to the Esperanza Community, Visit https://freelunchatx.com/ to make a donation.
If you want to donate a warm blanket, Front Steps is accepting blankets at their downtown location, or you can order the blanket online and have it shipped directly to the shelter.
I will continue to provide updates as I have new information. Please continue to check in on your neighbors.
Regards,
Alison Alter
City Council Member, District 10
