Texas Power Emergency Knocks Out My Electricity This Morning In Rolling Blackout

Around 6 this morning I sensed something was not right. A few minutes later I saw a light blinking on my computer that usually is not blinking.

A few seconds after that I realized the power was out.

Having no power, in the dark, when it is 11 degrees out makes for an interesting morning.

I figured the power would quickly come back on.

After an hour and a half of getting ever more cold I called ONCOR.

Busy signal.

That was encouraging. A busy signal indicated to me that this must be a REAL big problem.

When the sun finally arrived to provide me some illumination I found my propane camp stove, a teapot and some green tea.

I was suffering though a cup of green tea when the power came back on. I am now suffering through a cup of hot coffee.

After I was finally able to re-connect with the outside world I looked at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and learned that the entire state of Texas is having a power emergency. With rolling blackouts, or "Planned power outage" as the Star-Telegram put it in the screen cap below.

Apparently the cold and the lack of wind has brought wind power generation to a halt in West Texas.

An ONCOR spokesperson told KXAS Channel 5 that the emergency measures were instituted shortly before 6 am in North Texas.

Great. My neighborhood got blacked out in the first wave.

The spokeswoman also said ONCOR was selecting feeders to go out for 15 minutes at a time.

I don't know what a feeder is, but, what ever feeds me electricity went out for over an hour and a half.

I am really ready for an end of the Global Warming problem.

TXU & Oncor Energy Service Sucks

Well, I had me a fine, fun Sunday morning. Sometime around 9 this morning my second computer monitor went blank just as I Googled "Bull Freeway" looking for a picture of the bull that terrorized my neighborhood yesterday, shutting down I-30 for an hour or so.

I thought my monitor had died. About 20 minutes later I noticed the little battery power icon was on. It was then I realized the power was out.

This was a bit unusual, as there was no storming going on, no wind, no lightning, nothing.

After about an hour I opened my latest TXU bill and called the number for reporting a power outage. After having a real fine time wading through the TXU auto phone tree deal that uses voice recognition, I finally came to the part where I was asked to say my Zip Code.

I say the Zip Code and am told that Oncor Energy takes care of outages in my area and that I needed to call them to report the outage.

Huh?

Would you not think that since it is TXU that I pay for my electricity that when I call TXU to tell them the power is out that TXU would take it from there? And notify Oncor if that is what is needed?

So, I called Oncor. Another auto phone tree thing. Only this time it said it did not recognize my phone number and to please enter my phone number or my EID number that can be found on my bill.

I hung up.

Then I looked at the bill til I found the EID number. It was very very small and about 30 digits.

I called Oncor back, got to the enter the EID number part and it told me to enter the last 7 digits.

I entered the 7 digits and was then told that the outage had been reported and that a crew was working on the problem.

By then it was around 11. I got out of here and headed to the Tandy Hills for some peaceful relaxation. It was chaos going through my neighborhood powerless traffic lights.

About an hour later I got a call telling me the power was back on.

Now, how did it come to pass that you don't call the business you are paying for your electricity, when that electricity is not being delivered?

Very annoying.