PSC orders after-action review after two load-shed events that left north Louisiana customers in the dark

The Louisiana Public Service Commission on its Lafayette agenda directed staff to conduct a formal after-action review of two emergency load-shed events that left parts of north Louisiana without power in April and ordered the written report delivered by July 9, 2025.

Chair read the directive placing the review at the front of the agenda and charging staff — assisted by consultants and special counsel — to examine the causes (including root causes), communications with the commission and customers, any noncompliance with General Order R32786 (Attachment A), recommended improvements to communications protocols, and whether fines or other monetary penalties were warranted. The report is to be placed on the August business-and-executive session agenda.

Commissioners and local officials described prolonged outages in a small ‘‘load pocket’’ east of Bossier City and in nearby communities, which commission members said included a contiguous area of roughly 30,000 customers. Commissioners said residents and small-business owners reported outages of several hours, lost revenues and spoiled food.

Paul Sesi, executive vice president and general counsel for Southwest Power Pool, told the commission the April 2 event was driven mainly by transmission damage from a storm, while the April 26 event combined generation and transmission outages with demand about 300 megawatts above forecast in the local pocket. "We never want to have to shed load," Sesi said, adding that targeted load reduction is sometimes the only way to stop a cascading outage that could damage grid assets and cause much broader disruption.

Brett Madison, president of SWEPCO, confirmed SWEPCO executed a SP order to remove about 140 megawatts of load and said the company classified the second event as an emergency load shed. SWEPCO described communications steps it took after the event and told commissioners it began sending emergency alerts and media messages once it could assess the duration and scope of the outage.

Hunter Tims, mayor of the nearby town of Halton, told commissioners his town suffered multi-hour outages and urged the commission to press for accountability and communicate findings to affected residents. Commissioners said staff would add the mayor to distribution for the forthcoming report.

The directive requires staff to examine compliance with notification rules and the timing of customer alerts, the communications between SP, member utilities and the commission, and whether operational or planning changes could prevent recurrence. The July written report will provide the next formal milestone for the commission’s oversight of the incidents and any recommended regulatory action.