Small businesses frustrated over repeated power outages, leading to thousands in losses
By Amelia Mugavero
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CELINA, Texas (KTVT) — Small businesses in Celina say they are dealing with more than typical growing pains in the booming downtown area. They say repeated power outages are now costing them thousands of dollars in losses.
One ice cream shop said the problem is melting more than just dessert.
Inside Stella’s Ice Cream in Celina’s historic downtown square, owner Ashley Chism built her business around a simple recipe: community and scoops of homemade ice cream.
“We wanted to plug in and be a part of everybody’s experience,” Chism said. “And so, ice cream is that experience that most of the time, when you’re having ice cream, you’re making a memory.”
But alongside the excitement of opening a new shop, Chism said she has faced an unexpected challenge: repeated power outages.
“In that six months, we have lost power nine times,” she said. “It’s an ice cream business, so that’s everything. We make our ice cream here, and then obviously we have to keep it cold.”
She said just last week the shop lost power for 12 hours, and another outage lasted 17 hours last month. The result, she said, was thousands of dollars in spoiled products.
“And then for it to go out again, then we had to remake it all again,” Chism said. “So, we’ve lost thousands of dollars in just inventory, let alone revenue.”
Business owners across the downtown square said they have experienced similar disruptions, with some reporting more than a dozen outages over the past year.
Cellphone video from a nearby business shows a dark storefront during what workers described as peak lunch hours.
“It’s another Oncor outage during peak lunchtime,” one business owner said in a video provided to CBS News Texas.
In a statement, Oncor said it recognizes how disruptive repeated outages are for Celina’s residents and business community and the importance of delivering safe and dependable power.
The company said it is in the midst of a multi-phase critical reliability improvement effort in Celina, with work actively underway to strengthen local service and system resiliency.
Oncor said the project was prioritized and accelerated due to repeated outages and continued growth across the community.
The utility company said the work includes installing new electric poles and hardware, modernizing equipment, and completing vegetation management to help keep trees and vegetation from causing power outages.
Oncor said while the majority of the project is expected to be completed this summer, additional work to support the growth of Celina is expected, and the company will continue to partner with the city to meet expanding service needs.
The company said recent outages were primarily the result of severe weather and equipment challenges, both of which will be addressed by the reliability improvement project.
Oncor said beginning in fall 2025, it completed comprehensive infrastructure inspections and assessed system conditions and areas of need. In early 2026, it performed vegetation management and tree trimming.
The company said the remaining phases of the project include installing new electric poles and hardware and modernizing equipment, with completion expected this summer.
Oncor added that additional work to support Celina’s continued growth is expected beyond that timeline.
The utility company said it sincerely appreciates the time, engagement and valuable feedback shared by business owners at the meeting this week and remains dedicated to strengthening its partnership with the Celina business community.
Chism said she also filed a claim with Oncor to recover losses, but she was denied. The company cited weather-related outages as ineligible for reimbursement.
“But it’s just the uncertainty and the lack of maybe transparency that’s frustrating,” she said. “And really a lack of accountability.”
Still, Chism said she is focused on moving forward as the city continues to grow, especially as summer approaches, her busiest season.
“I just worry. We’re getting ready to hit summer. This is our busiest season,” she said. “But we’re going to do it, and we’re going to be optimistic about it. I mean, who can be sad when you’re serving ice cream? But still, it’s hard.”
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