Laredo College is in constant communication with the City of Laredo and AEP Texas to monitor ongoing developments with massive power outages in the region as a result of severe weather. In solidarity with the concerted efforts of state and city officials, Laredo College has stepped up to do its part in conserving energy and helping the community overcome this crisis.
Although power at both campuses has been restored, college administrators have made the decision to switch off non-essential electrical power until Monday, Feb. 22. Laredo College has an energy optimization system running 24/7 at both campuses. The system will be shut down effective immediately to minimize the impact on the energy usage in the region.
A few select buildings that maintain essential infrastructure such as college servers and online networks that control virtual services, including the college website and student portals such as CANVAS and PASPort, will remain with power.
“Our institution has made the decision to shut down power to all non-essential buildings at our campuses to aid the massive energy conservation efforts across our state,” Laredo College President Dr. Ricardo J. Solis said. “This represents a blackout to over 60 percent of our campus buildings. Every kilowatt of energy counts, and by minimizing our electrical consumption on both campuses, we hope that energy can be redirected to those who need it most in our community.”
Laredoans are urged to do their part to conserve energy to prevent more citizens from experiencing power outages due to increased electrical usage. These simple actions are energy saving: unplugging unused home appliances, keeping the lights off as much as possible, and using natural light to warm and light the home during the day.
“I applaud Laredo College for its commitment to lead by example in conserving energy,” AEP Texas Manager of External Affairs Tony Arce Jr. said. “I am not surprised that the number 1 rated college is now implementing energy saving measures that can result in a number 1 ranking for energy conservation.”
