Centerpoint Energy

State utility officials have asked power companies to institute "rotating outages" to compensate for increased demands for electricity during the wintery cold snap gripping the state.Hospitals and other critical services, such as nursing homes, are not affected by the plan.In the Houston area, CenterPoint Energy has begun the rotating outages, which are limited to brief periods of about 15 minutes at a time, officials said.

Officials said some customers can expect to have power out today, but it is unclear how many people will be affected.ERCOT officials said the rolling blackout involves controlled, temporary interruptions of electrical service as supplies of reserve power are exhausted..

Source: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7409001.html