Students at Texas Tech University were given an unexpected early start to Spring Break after a series of explosions rocked the campus on March 12. The university temporarily shut down operations, allowing officials to assess the situation. However, as students returned to class on Monday, March 24, they were met with yet another challenge—a power outage affecting parts of the south and west sides of campus.
Power Outage Disrupts Campus Upon Reopening
According to a TechAlert sent out Monday morning, multiple buildings experienced a power outage. Crews from Lubbock Power & Light (LP&L) were immediately dispatched to diagnose and resolve the issue. The university assured students and staff that the outage was unrelated to the explosions that led to the campus closure earlier in the month.
By 2:30 p.m., a campus-wide update confirmed that power had been restored. However, university officials cautioned that some essential systems, such as climate control and chilled water, would take additional time to stabilize.
University President Addresses the Campus Community
In a statement to the Texas Tech community, the university’s president acknowledged the frustration caused by recent power disruptions but reiterated that LP&L had determined the outage was due to an underground circuit issue and was not connected to the previous incidents.
"LP&L has assured us that our power supply is stable," the statement read. "While power has been restored, it will take additional time for some essential systems—such as chilled water and climate control—to fully stabilize."
The university is now working closely with LP&L to conduct a root cause analysis and implement long-term solutions to improve the reliability of the campus electrical infrastructure.
Students Return to Class with Six Weeks Remaining
Despite the unexpected start to Spring Break and the latest power disruption, Texas Tech officials emphasized their commitment to continuing face-to-face instruction for the remainder of the semester. With six weeks of classes left, students and faculty are adjusting back to their normal routines while hoping for no further interruptions.
