Governor Abbott Gives Update On Winter Weather Response, Continued Reliability Of Power Grid
Governor Greg Abbott today held a press conference to provide an update on the State of Texas' ongoing response to severe winter weather conditions. The Governor noted that the Texas power grid continues to be reliable and fully functioning, even at peak demand. Governor Abbott directed Texans to visit TDEM.TEXAS.GOV for a list of winter weather resources from state agency partners. He added that more than two dozen state agencies are continuing to work around the clock to respond to the storm.
"The Texas power grid is more reliable and resilient than it has ever been, and we are continuing to actively respond to the impact of this winter storm," said Governor Abbott. "Over two dozen of our state agency partners are working collaboratively to ensure that Texans continue to have the resources they need to stay safe. I encourage Texans to visit TDEM.TEXAS.GOV for a full list of resources available to them including warming shelters, information on local power providers, updates on road closures, and more. Most of our communities will continue to experience freezing temperatures over the next few day, so I urge Texans to stay off the roads if you can and continue to heed the guidance of their local officials."
Governor Abbott stated that Texas will experience freezing temperatures over the next few days, but the power grid has performed well and will continue to perform well. Power demand reached 69,000 MWs this morning, and the State of Texas does not expect demand to exceed that amount for the rest of this weather event. At the time of the press conference, there is still enough extra power to serve over three million additional homes in Texas. The Governor credited the grid's strength to a variety of proactive strategies including winterization, the availability of alternate fuels, the designation of natural gas facilities as critical infrastructure, and a 15% increase in power generation capacity compared to last year.
The Governor reported that there are currently 20,000 Texans without power due to local power issues such as high winds, ice on power lines, and downed trees and branches. Texans are encouraged to contact their local power provider if they experience an outage.