SAN ANTONIO, Texas — It is almost one year after the February winter storm and another cold snap is coming. Many of us are still skeptical about the power staying on during frigid weather events.
CPS Energy said Monday it is much more prepared than last year. That is because it took several steps to make sure the power stays on this time.
The utility activated the incident management team ahead of the cold weather.
Warming centers, should they be needed, will now show on CPS Energy’s outage map so you can quickly locate the one closest to you.
The outage system was reprogramed. This is means there will be more outages spread out over more customers, but they should be shorter. Take note, this means if you didn’t lose power last year, you may this year.
Customers will also receive a text from CPS Energy Wednesday with a weather update and asking you prepare.
There is one key difference with this cold snap and it could be the big difference that keeps the power on:
“This is going to be a cold snap that doesn’t, at least currently, include precipitation,” said Rudy Garza, the interim CEO of CPS Energy. “That precipitation really is the factor in really shutting down the community and making it difficult to move around.”
We also are unlikely to see temperatures so cold for so long like we did in February.
Yet, now is the time for you to prepare, as well.
Sign up for CPS Energy alerts either through your online account or by calling (210) 353-2222.
Have a plan in place should you lose power. This is especially critical for people who depend on medical devices. This plan should include arrangements to relocate, if necessary.
Fill your gas tank in your vehicles.
Insulate pipes that are at risk of freezing.
Charge your devices and have battery powered flashlights ready to go.
Keep your fridge door closed if you lose power. Food should stay safe for up to four hours.
CPS Energy released this statement about its winter weather preparations during the last year:
“According to ERCOT, record-high demand is forecasted for the state as freezing temperatures are expected later in the week. CPS Energy generating units and plant teams are prepared for the anticipated winter weather.
Since Winter Storm Uri, CPS Energy has strengthened the resiliency of our power plants against sustained freezing temperatures by implementing winterization initiatives to protect the plants, pipes, and other critical equipment. More than 100 structures have been installed to protect critical equipment, and other protective measures have been implemented. These include the placement of additional heaters, protective barriers, and new measures totaling $2 million since February 2021. This builds on nearly $20 million invested following a winter freeze in 2011.
Additionally, since last February, we have re-evaluated our circuits to more precisely isolate the ones providing electricity to critical infrastructure such as hospitals, police and fire stations. As a result, 155 circuits were added to the list of eligible circuits to rotate in the event of state-mandated outages. The approach minimizes the duration of each customer's outage by spreading the outages out among more circuits and more customers.
Winterization efforts will continue as part of our recently approved rate increase. Thirty-one million dollars of the revenue from the increase is allocated for infrastructure resiliency, power generation, and distribution projects to support operations during extreme weather.
As a reminder, customers are encouraged to sign up for Energy Alerts or call (210) 353-2222 to provide their emergency contact information. Visit our winter preparation pages in English at cpsenergy.com/prepare and Spanish at cpsenergy.com/preparar and continue following the CPS Energy social media channels for weather-related updates.”