CLECO Addresses Sunday's Necessary Power Interruptions
CLECO Addresses Sunday's Necessary Power Interruptions
May 26, 2025
The power grid is currently stable following Sunday’s controlled outages. Cleco remains vigilant in monitoring the electrical infrastructure to minimize the risk of future interruptions. Jennifer Cahill, director of corporate communications, explained that if energy supply cannot consistently meet demand, temporary, localized power interruptions might be necessary to safeguard the grid's stability and avert a broader, more significant outage. This was the situation encountered Sunday when, following instructions from the Midcontinent Independent Reliability System Operator (MISO), Cleco initiated controlled outages affecting some customers in St. Tammany Parish.
MISO, which serves as Cleco’s reliability coordinator, mandated the controlled outages at 5 p.m. CT on May 25th. Cleco is obligated to act upon directives from MISO.
Cahill emphasized that controlled outages represent a final measure, implemented only after all other options have been considered. “We make every effort to inform customers beforehand,” she stated. “However, the complexities of the electrical power grid mean that such events can arise unexpectedly and without prior warning.” Approximately 25,000 Cleco customers in Covington, Mandeville, Madisonville, Lacombe, and Franklinton experienced brief interruptions, lasting under two hours during the peak of the event.
"We regret the inconvenience caused to customers who lost power during the mandatory service interruption," Cahill said. “While we always aim to provide advance notice, the urgency of this emergency prevented us from doing so.”
Cleco is collaborating with MISO to ensure continued system monitoring. A joint investigation is underway to determine the root cause of the outage and to implement preventative measures against recurrence.
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