Residents and businesses in critical need of electricity in the event of a power outage have the opportunity to register it with the city of Farmersville.

City officials revised their Critical Load Public Safety or Industrial Consumers and Residential Critical Care and Chronic Condition programs Dec. 16, 2022 and are encouraging those who satisfy the criteria to apply.

The program is also specifically designed to protect these electric customers when the Energy Reliability Council of Texas has planned outages or service interruptions. According to an informational flyer for the program, advance notices of these outages or interruptions will be communicated in advance so necessary arrangements can be made.

It also states that these customers will be given priority in election power restoration efforts. By applying, these customers will not have guaranteed exemptions from planned outages nor from service interruptions.

Businesses eligible to apply for this program include fire stations, hospitals, police stations, wastewater treatment facilities or others that provide for the public safety in a community. Industrial customers qualify for the program in the event that a loss of electricity will create a life-threatening condition on the premises, according to the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

Additionally, residential electric customers with a documented chronic condition or those requiring critical care are eligible to apply for the program. The flyer says that individuals applying for this program use life-sustaining medical equipment that requires electrical power to operate.

Those with a chronic condition must have a physician’s diagnosis of it documenting the need for heating or cooling or an electric device to prevent the impairment of a major life function. The status must be maintained through an annual application.

Individuals with a lifelong chronic condition must satisfy the same criteria but are not required to reapply on an annual basis.

The criteria for critical care require a resident to have electric-powered equipment to sustain life and are required to reapply every two years. Those with a lifelong critical care need are not required to apply for recertification.

To apply for the residential program, residents can visit farmersvilletx.com and visit the Utilities and Public Works page to view the online application. The two-part application will require information about an individual and require a physician to complete the medical portion of the form.

Business owners can request an application from the city by calling 972-782-6151. Pick up can be completed at the city’s main office, located at 205 S. Main St. 

Applications can be printed off and completed and emailed to the city’s customer service department at [email protected]. 

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