News

Austin Energy Working to Fix Transformer in SW Austin

August 23, 2024

Customers in the area may experience outages

At 8:20 p.m. Thursday night, a transformer at a Southwest Austin substation went offline, and 6,400 customers lost power. Crews immediately responded to the issue and rerouted power to other equipment. This work restored power to all affected customers, but it is a temporary fix.

The hot temperatures expected today could overload that equipment because of the additional power demand, causing more outages for the customers in this area. Austin Energy crews have been working through the night to investigate the issue and find a permanent solution.

Working Toward a Long-Term Fix

Austin Energy is testing the existing transformer to see if it can be put back into service. If test results are favorable, that equipment could be back in service Friday afternoon to lower the risk of outages.

While testing is going on, Austin Energy is positioning a temporary transformer to serve customers. That work could take 24 hours, and those customers may experience outages today.

Get Ready. Stay Ready.

Customers in the Southwest Austin area should be prepared for potential power outages.

Review emergency plans and check emergency kits. Customers who experience outages can minimize power surges by turning off appliances, lights and other equipment.

Find cooling center locations and hours of operation at austintexas.gov/alerts.

Please Conserve

Conservation can help. Customers in these areas should use as little energy as is safely possible, especially between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

  • Raise thermostats by a few degrees.
  • For central air, do not close vents in unused rooms. This could increase pressure and cause duct leaks.
  • For window units, close off unused rooms.
  • Close shades and curtains on windows hit by direct sunlight to prevent heat from getting indoors.
  • Avoid turning on the oven during the hottest time of the day.
  • Unplug appliances, chargers and electronic devices when not in use. They use energy even when they are turned off.

Find more conservation tips at austinenergy.com/summer.

Austin Energy will continue to keep affected customers updated as new information is available.

Media: Austin Energy is planning a media advisory around this issue later today. Look for more information as it’s available.