KILLEEN, Texas (KXXV) — A Killeen woman who says she has dealt with frequent power outages for more than two years says she fears what summer heat could mean for her and her neighborhood.
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Connie Schied moved to Killeen more than two years ago and soon began experiencing frequent power outages, later found to be caused by blown fuses. After reaching out to 25 News and Oncor working on the equipment, she hoped the problem was resolved — but the outages have continued.
In a recent stretch of about seven or eight days, Schied said her home lost power twice, and both times she could hear the transformer blow.
Schied said Oncor attributed the outages to a lightning strike, bad weather, and vegetation — but she believes the problem runs deeper than weather conditions.
"If foliage was the problem last time. Then seven days earlier when it blew out because of lightning, did they not see the foliage at the time," Schied said. "Putting a band-aid on a gunshot wound because I think that's what they've been doing and that's because they want us to have power right away. They want to, you know, turn it on, get it back on quick. They do. I understand that."
With Texas triple-digit temperatures approaching, Schied said she is nervous the problem could spread beyond her home to her broader neighborhood.
"if it is a faulty piece of equipment that affects and, and they're saying like 36 homes um then. Fix it, you know, do whatever you need to do because this has been 2.5 years of pretty much the same, same situation."
25 News reached out to Oncor for comment. The company said it has been in direct contact with Schied and has deployed a team to inspect the line serving the area.
"We recognize the disruption outages can cause and are committed to improving reliability, even in the face of severe weather. Our team has been in direct contact with Ms. Schied to address her concerns and outline next steps. We have deployed a team to inspect the line serving this area and will soon be implementing targeted system improvements to help strengthen the system and reduce future impacts."
Oncor said while it did not identify any vegetation concerns, it will be implementing targeted system improvements — including adding additional infrastructure equipment — to help reduce future severe weather outage impacts. The company said the work is expected to be completed in the coming weeks as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance reliability for customers in the area.
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