Can You Sue When the Power Goes Out? Liability Shields Explained
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/my-electricitys-out-can-i-take-someone-to-court-for-damagesFeb. 17, 2021
Legal shields offer power companies broad protections for most weather-related blackouts. That may compound the frustrations for the millions of people left in the dark amid crippling winter power outages in Texas and beyond.
Threats of class action lawsuits and other challenges are cropping up on social media and message boards—mostly unfocused and hasty complaints targeting electric utilities and grid operators. Similar grievances tend to arise during every major electricity outage, but most never get traction offline....
...Most electricity providers have protections against power outage lawsuits written into contracts, known as tariffs, that govern how much customers pay for power.
Recent tariffs for Texas energy providers, for example, include standard provisions that companies aren’t liable for service interruptions that stem from “acts of God†or other events beyond their control. “In our business, we cannot guarantee an uninterruptable supply of power,†AEP Texas, one of the state’s utilities, says on its claims website....
