Friday night plans in far East El Paso were cut short when thousands of homes and businesses suddenly lost electricity, with multiple outages rolling across the area. The trouble started around 5 p.m., knocking roughly 5,500 customers offline at the peak. Restoration estimates hovered near 7 p.m. as crews fanned out to several neighborhoods, and work to bring the lights back on continued into the night.
Outage Map Shows Multiple Hot Spots Across Far East
According to KTSM 9 News, El Paso Electric's outage map listed about 5,561 customers affected across five separate outages in far East El Paso. KTSM reported that the issues were first spotted around 5 p.m. and that its newsroom had reached out to the utility for more information as the situation unfolded.
How El Paso Electric Tracks Repairs And Restoration Times
Per El Paso Electric's Outage Center, customers can use an interactive map to see current outages and report their own. The utility lists a Texas outage phone line at (915) 877-3400. The outage center also notes that estimated restoration times shown on the map are based on field assessments and can shift as crews get a better handle on damage and complete repairs.
Repeat Outages Stir Reliability Concerns
Areas in East and Far East El Paso have already dealt with similar large-scale outages this spring. KVIA reported that more than 5,200 customers were affected in mid-April. Those earlier outages clustered near the Fountains at Farah and other east-side corridors, prompting fresh questions from residents about how reliable the grid is during high-demand periods.
What Residents Are Urged To Do While Waiting For Power
Customers who are still without electricity are urged to report the outage through El Paso Electric's online map or by calling the outage line, and to follow basic safety steps such as staying away from any downed power lines. The utility's outage guidance also stresses that generators should be kept outside and well away from windows. Residents can check the outage center for live updates on crew progress and any changes to estimated restoration times.
This story will be updated if El Paso Electric or city officials release information about the cause of Friday's outages or adjust restoration estimates. KTSM reported that it had reached out to the utility for comment as the outages were developing.
