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A major power grid that spans 14 states, from North Dakota to Texas, ordered blackouts amid an explosion of extreme cold that hit the south.
Southwest Power Pool (SPP), headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, ordered the power outages on Monday, declaring an energy emergency. Extreme weather conditions had already cut power to millions of homes in Texas, where temperatures have reached record highs.
The power grid connects utilities in Oklahoma and Kansas, as well as parts of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, North Dakota, Southern Montana, Nebraska and New Mexico, The New York Times reported.
The network operator said in a statement on Twitter it was the first time that he had ordered massive blackouts, and that he did so to prevent further uncontrolled blackouts.
“It is a last resort, which we believe places a burden on our member utilities and the clients they serve, but it is a step we are consciously taking to prevent circumstances from escalating. that could lead to uncontrolled blackouts on an even greater scale ”Lanny Nickell, executive vice president and chief operating officer of SPP, said in the statement.
SPP is not alone in ordering power outages following the winter storm.
The Texas Electric Reliability Council (ERCOT) on Monday released power outages in Texas and electricity supplier Oncor tell customers that the supply of electricity was “below demand”. The cold snap also caused T-Mobile outages in the state.
Alabama and Kentucky officials confirm residents of their states have been affected by outages – Tuscaloosa County, Alabama Emergency Management Agency told local Fox 6 that at least 1,800 customers had lost electricity on Monday, while Kentucky Local Channel KYWX said at least 22,000 customers lost power.
As of 2 p.m. Monday, at least 2.8 million Texans had suffered power outages, according to PowerOutage.us.
Dan Woodfin, senior director of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages the state’s electricity grid, told a news conference that the outages are expected to continue on Tuesday, according to Bloomberg.
“We anticipate that we will have to continue these controlled interruptions for the rest of the day and possibly all day tomorrow,” he said.
Bill Magness, head of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, told Bloomberg that all grid operators and power companies in the state “are fighting to restore power” as soon as possible.
Extreme cold and snow are rare in Texas, and the state’s National Weather Service, based in Midland, tweeted early Monday that it recorded a temperature of minus 2 degrees Fahrenheit, the coldest temperature in the region in 32 years.
All 254 counties in Texas were subject to winter weather advisories Sunday night and President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency, granting Texas assistance with shelter and mass care.
The Department of Energy also released an emergency order on Monday allowing Texas power plants to generate more electricity to help deal with power outages, Bloomberg reported.
The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang reported that the storm and extreme cold across Texas and other southern areas, including Oklahoma and Missouri, were caused by a disturbance from the polar vortex in January.
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