Mayor Steve Adler told FOX Business’ Ashley Webster that Austin is a “very entrepreneurial, creative and innovative city” during an appearance on “Varney & Co.”
Thousands of Austin residents were left without power for several hours over the weekend during a mid-spring heat wave, the latest sign that the Texas capital is struggling to keep up with growing population growth .
Temperatures neared 100 degrees Saturday and Sunday in central Texas, forcing Austin Energy to cut power to about 3,600 customers due to increased demand.
CENTRAL TEXAS POPULATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH ARE DOWN: OWNERSHIP NOW UNAFFORDABLE, STUDY SAYS
“These actions are not the result of a [Electric Reliability Council of Texas] mandate, but rather were necessary to safely operate Austin Energy’s distribution system,” Austin Energy told KVUE in a statement, noting that the shutdown was made to mitigate overload circuits in the area.
“Austin Energy restored service to affected customers through early evening and all services were restored around 7:30 p.m. Saturday.”
The capital of Texas is the fourth fastest growing metropolitan area in America. (iStock/iStock)
The Texas capital has had no shortage of growing pains as it faces a population boom that has seen it become the fourth fastest growing metropolitan area in America, according to census bureau figures.
In February, the city issued its second boil water advisory in a year after the Ullrich sewage treatment plant experienced “an internal treatment process issue that resulted in high turbidity.”
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In March, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport sent out a fuel shortage alert and told arriving flights to land with more fuel than normal in case they ran out of fuel to supply them.
“It has become a more regular occurrence as the airport experiences an increase in flight activity,” ABIA spokesman Sam Haynes told Fox Business at the time.