AUSTIN, Texas — Editors note: The image above is not the exact equipment responsible for the power outage.
The Texas heat caused equipment from Austin Energy to fail, leaving some of their customers without power Thursday evening.
Austin Energy said the first outage at around 6 p.m. was due to failure from a piece of equipment called a "disconnect," which separates power lines that come in from out of town. The second outage at around 10 p.m. was due to a failed jumper, which is the piece of equipment that joins two different electrical lines on a pole.
"Those lines are hot anyway because of a current going through them, but when you throw in 105 degrees, 106 and 107, that makes those lines even hotter and it does present more of an opportunity for that equipment to fault," said Matt Mitchell, public information officer for Austin Energy. "That was what was the case for those two outages."
Each incident left around 4,000 customers without power. Mitchell said the percentage of customers with power during those hours was still in the upper 90%.
Austin Energy said its crews were quick to respond and restore the equipment within 15 to 30 minutes of each incident.
But with more triple-digit temperatures on the way, Austin Energy is reminding customers to sign up for text alerts and make a plan of where to go to in the event of more outages.
"Make sure you have a plan," Mitchell said. "We never want it to happen, but they do happen from time to time and you want to make sure, first and foremost, that you're thinking of your safety."
You can text "OUT" to 287846 if you lose power, and you can check the status of power outages on Austin Energy's outage map.
While temperatures are expected to remain high throughout the weekend and into next week, ERCOT issued a Weather Watch, which is in effect through Wednesday, June 21.
ERCOT said it is expecting an increase in electrical demand.
As of June 16, ERCOT stated that the grid conditions are expected to be normal. According to its supply and demand chart, the demand remained under the projected power supply or capacity for Friday.
In the next six days, ERCOT is showing that demand is expected to stay below capacity as well. You can check ERCOT's supply and demand chart by visiting its website.
During the hot months, Austin Energy is also reporting scam calls. According to a tweet, the utility company reported 10 customers were tricked this week. Austin Energy wants to remind customers that it will not call with immediate cut-off deadlines or ask for payment with a prepaid debit card.
If you think someone is trying to scam you, Austin Energy has tips to help you identify, report and stop scammers.
KVUE also received a statement from Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) about how it plans to keep its infrastructure safe in the hot weather:
"PEC’s system is equipped to handle extremely hot temperatures, and we maintain our infrastructure year-round to ensure it is safe and reliable.
High temperatures may cause spikes in energy demand, as Central Texans turn down their thermostats to remain cool. This can strain the Texas electric grid. Sometimes high temperatures and high loading on equipment can cause interruptions. This is why PEC strongly encourages members to be mindful of their electric use—especially when power demand is high on hot summer days throughout the afternoon and evening hours.
We always encourage our members to have a plan in place, including knowing where the nearest cooling centers in the area are located."
Members can find additional information online at pec.coop, including tips to stay cool and to conserve."