By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-949951.mp3
Dallas, TX – Rotating power outages are in effect in North Texas, as well as other parts of the state. ERCOT, the electrical grid manager, says the extreme cold caused a large number of power plants to "trip", shutting them down, creating power shortage. KERA's BJ Austin reports.
The rolling outages affect the state's major urban areas; Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston Austin, San Antonio, plus Abilene, Corpus Christi and the Valley. ERCOT calls it a "power emergency" and urges everyone to conserve.
Officials say the outages should last 10 to 15 minutes. Ashley Burton is with Oncor in North Texas says they're trying to do short 15 minute outages that affect selected neighborhoods and smaller businesses. Critical services stay online.
Burton: The feeders that would be affected would NOT affect hospitals, police stations, a lot of our critical care first responders.
DART Light Rail has been affected by the rotating outages. Morgan Lyons says the outages were unannounced and have caused "extended systemwide delays".
Lyons: Typically ERCOT notifies us so we can make arrangements to back feed, or switch the power so we can shift it from one part of the system to another.
Lyons says the outages have been a lot longer than 15 minutes. The Red Cross and the city of Corsicana have opened a "warming center" at Northside Baptist Church. Red Cross officials say they are in touch with emergency managers across the area in case other communities need to provide someplace warm during the rolling blackouts.
Downtown Dallas and Fort Worth are not affected by the outages. ERCOT cannot say when they will end.
Texas schools dealing with rolling power outages
Eds: APNewsNow Children at some schools across Texas faced being in the dark during rotating electrical outages ordered by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.
Dallas and Fort Worth school districts already had canceled classes Wednesday, prior to the ERCOT announcement.
Classes were continuing as scheduled Wednesday in the Houston Independent School District, the state's largest with more than 200,000 students.
Some campuses had sporadic power outages. HISD spokesman Norm Uhl says Houston schools were not closed.
The National Weather Service says temperatures were in the teens early Wednesday in Houston.
Brrr! Packers, Steelers move practices indoors
The Green Bay Packers are moving their Super Bowl practices indoors because of snow, ice and freezing temperatures.
The Packers were scheduled to practice outdoors at SMU but instead are shifting to a local high school that has an enclosed facility.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy says Wednesday he's not concerned about the change.
Green Bay's opponent in Sunday's Super Bowl, the Pittsburgh Steelers, have also gone to their backup plan because of the weather. They're practicing indoors at TCU.
The Packers will work out at Highland Park High School, where Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford played.
The Dallas Cowboys are one of 10 NFL teams without an indoor practice facility.