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Why Did Your Power Go Out And Theirs Didn't? Austin Energy's Grid Map Of 376 Circuits

A map of the 376 circuits that make up Austin Energy's power grid.
Image from Austin Energy. Map enhanced by Torrie Hardcastle for KUT News
A map of the 376 circuits that make up Austin Energy's power grid.

Note: This story was published in 2011. Austin Energy was not able to provide KUT an updated map for 2021.

Not all parts of Austin are created equal when it comes to rolling blackouts. 

As youmay have heard, the power outages that hit the city on February 2nd left some parts of town in the dark for hours, while other areas were spared completely. 

At City Hall this week Austin Energy General Manager Larry Weis gave a presentation on the power emergency. The presentation in included a map delineating areas of the city connected to so-called "load shed" circuits. These are the circuits that are the first to get turned off in the event of rolling blackouts. 

If your home or business is connected to a "load shed" circuit, you are likely to experience an outage in the event of a rolling blackout.

If your home or business is connected to "under frequency" circuits, you will only experience blackouts in extreme power emergencies. These circuits were not turned off during the rolling blackouts earlier this month.

If your home or business is connected to "industrial, "critical care," or "downtown network" circuits, you will not be subject to rolling blackouts.

The map included in Weis's presentation didn't provide detail at the street level.  But it was detailed enough for KUT to superimpose it over a Google map with major highways included. 

Click the picture above to expand the image and get a better picture of where your neighborhood fits into Austin's grid.

NOTE: This map will likely change in the future as the city grows and Austin Energy re-tools its power grid.

Mose Buchele focuses on energy and environmental reporting at KUT. Got a tip? Email him at mbuchele@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @mosebuchele.
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