Residents demand answers after frequent power outages in Schertz neighborhood spark frustration

SCHERTZ, Texas – Residents of a Schertz neighborhood say they have had enough of dealing with power outages that occur almost weekly.

“It’s just back to back to back power outage problems,” resident Steve Stanger said. “Somebody needs to be responsible for it.”

Neighbors in the Rhine Valley subdivision said the outages happen regularly and last anywhere from a couple of minutes to a couple of hours. While this might sound like a minor inconvenience, residents said it’s bringing major unexpected costs. Now, they want answers as to what is happening.

“Everything that was hooked to the router was fried,” Stanger said, looking at his pool.

Stanger said a power outage surge wiped out the equipment that operates his pool, costing about $15,000 to replace it.

“We’ve lived here for almost five years,” he said. “I haven’t had one problem until this year.”

He said he’s spent thousands of dollars replacing lights and miscellaneous items of technology damaged by the outages. He is not alone.

“Everything was bad in the refrigerator,” resident Walt Aldridge said.

Aldridge said he went out of town with family one weekend when the power went out for less than a minute, according to a CPS Energy report he showed KSAT. But he said his breakers tripped, and the power never came back on. He said his family lost $150 worth of frozen food.

“It’s not getting fixed,” Aldridge said. “We’re still seeing power outages.”

Aldridge, who moved to the subdivision in 2016, said that before 2025, he could count on one hand how many times the power went out. Now, he said it can happen multiple times a day.

“There’s no rhyme or reason to it,” Aldridge said. “It’ll be a sunny day like this, and the power goes out. The wind starts blowing, the power goes out.”

So, why does the power keep shutting off? KSAT took that question directly to the City of Schertz and CPS Energy.

Below is the statement the City of Schertz sent to KSAT:

“The City of Schertz has heard the concerns of our residents in the Rhine Valley neighborhood regarding recent power outages. Our team has reached out to CPS Energy numerous times to seek answers and advocate for our community. Some City staff members also live in the affected area and share in our residents’ frustration.

“To date, we have not received a satisfactory response from CPS Energy. We continue to urge them to investigate the cause of these outages and provide a long-term solution.

“While the City of Schertz does not own or operate the utilities and has no direct control over CPS Energy, we remain committed to pushing for answers and advocating on behalf of our residents.”

CPS Energy’s statement can be read below:

“CPS Energy has investigated the outages occurring in Schertz. Most of the outages were brief, lasting less than a minute; the other outages were caused by weather or animal contact.

“One outage lasted over an hour due to severe weather and complex repairs. We will be sending CPS Energy personnel to inspect the area and will determine if any further work is needed to address the issue.

“We are committed to keeping the City of Schertz and its residents informed.”

After frequent outages and costly bills, neighbors, like Norma Benavidez, said a more thorough investigation is needed.

“There are no reasons for the power outages,” Benavidez said.

Benavidez said she has spent hundreds of dollars on a surge protector for her house. This “is a lot cheaper than replacing a TV,” she said.

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