CPS ENERGY WORKING TO RESTORE POWER TO CUSTOMERS AFFECTED BY SEVERE STORMS- UPDATE AS OF 11:30 A.M.

September 29, 2021 (SAN ANTONIO) – Severe thunderstorms swept through CPS Energy’s service area last night and early this morning, delivering nearly 9,000 lightning strikes between the onset of the storms and 8 a.m. today. The lightning strikes and high wind gusts contributed to power outages of at least five minutes for nearly 54,000 customers.

Potential storms are in the National Weather Service forecast through today as well as the next three days. Crews worked through the storms overnight and this morning and will continue restoration efforts throughout the day until all customers have service again. As of 11 a.m., there are 178 active outages affecting about 900 customers.

Crews address outages affecting the largest number of customers first and then will work the smaller outages, which are more time consuming as they travel block to block to repair wires, transformers or other equipment at individual homes and in alleys. Crews will safely navigate around any flooded areas or roadways and other obstructions.

Customers who are experiencing extended outages may want to consider activating their personal emergency plans and relocating, if needed.

CPS Energy is asking customers to be prepared for any additional storms this week and offers the following tips:

• Please stay away from downed power lines and report them to CPS Energy. Do NOT attempt to move or drive over the lines. Treat them as if they are live. Even in an outage, power lines may still have electricity running through them. 
• Keep the refrigerator door closed as much as possible. Refrigerated food should be safe for up to 4 hours. Visit the U.S. Food & Drug Administration website to learn how to keep food safe at fda.gov.
• If your neighbors have power and you do not, check your breakers. Tripped breakers account for about 20% of our service calls
• For more information on power restoration, watch this video.

Additionally, per State law, drivers are reminded to please be safe and slow down around working crews to ensure everyone’s safety.

###

About CPS Energy

Established in 1860, CPS Energy is the nation’s largest public power, natural gas, and electric company, providing safe, reliable, and competitively-priced service to more than 884,811 electric and 366,709 natural gas customers in San Antonio and portions of seven adjoining counties. Our customers’ combined energy bills rank among the lowest of the nation’s 20 largest cities – while generating $8 billion in revenue for the City of San Antonio for more than seven decades. As a trusted and strong community partner, we continuously focus on job creation, economic development, and educational investment. True to our People First philosophy, we are powered by our skilled workforce, whose commitment to the community is demonstrated through our employees’ volunteerism in giving back to our city and programs aimed at bringing value to our customers. CPS Energy is among the top public power wind energy buyers in the nation and number one in Texas for solar generation.