Critical Care & Critical Load Information

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Critical Care Information

If you are on special life support equipment that must have electricity and are a member of VEC, we would like to be made aware of your condition so that we can add you to our critical care list. Click the button below to complete the VEC Critical Care Account Form now.

What You Need To Know

  • For planned outages, we will attempt to contact you in advance so arrangements can be made, if necessary.
  • We will try to let you know if a long power outage is expected, but that is not always possible.
  • We can never guarantee power will always be flowing as circumstances beyond the Cooperative's control can interfere with power delivery.
  • We suggest you have a backup system for use if there is a power outage or have plans to go where power is available.

What We Need From You

  • We will need a note from your doctor with information regarding your condition and electrical equipment requirements.
  • We will try to let you know if a long power outage is expected, but that is not always possible.
  • Click the button below to complete and submit a VEC Critical Care Account Form.

Critical Load Information

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) Substantive Rules § 25.497(a) defines a “critical load public safety customer” as a customer with “loads for which electric service is considered crucial for the protection or maintenance of public safety; including but not limited to hospitals, police stations, fire stations, critical water, and wastewater facilities, and customers with special in-house life-sustaining equipment.”  They further define a “critical load industrial customer” as a customer “for whom an interruption or suspension of electric service will create a dangerous or life-threatening condition.”  For more information on critical load, click the button below.