CenterPoint Energy started rolling out blackouts amid low temperatures in the Houston region by order of state energy regulators.
During the night, as temperatures dropped for teenagers, the Texas Electric Reliability Council declared a “statewide power generation deficit emergency” to save energy. Energy use has increased because families are trying to stay warm during the winter storm.
Controlled interruptions started around 1 am and are expected to last throughout the morning. At least 10,500 customers across the state have been shut down, but twice as many have been reported without power under the jurisdiction of CenterPoint Energy in Harris County, according to ERCOT estimates.
Nearly 60,000 homes – about 20 percent of the service area – were without power in Montgomery County.
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The CenterPoint power outage map was not available after 7 am to check where outages were reported.
The initial blackout saved “enough energy to serve approximately 2 million households,” said ERCOT officials in a statement.
The Houston energy distributor warned that customers would begin to lose energy as part of that plan to reduce the load. Interruptions have been reported in the Pearland area and west of Houston.
Mayor Sylvester Turner said families without power should do their best to stay warm.
“Power is cut off in many parts of the city and could stay much longer than expected due to a loss of generation,” he said in a statement on Twitter.
The state agency previously encouraged families to use as little electricity as possible until Tuesday and to lower thermostats to at least 68 to reserve energy.