Governor Greg Abbott Waives Regulations To Turn Power Back On In North Texas
Governor Greg Abbott today waived regulations to help restore power as quickly as possible to those impacted by the severe weather in North Texas on June 9. Under the Governor’s Limited Purpose Disaster Declaration, the weight, size and registration requirements for commercial vehicles seeking to assist those without power have been waived. Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri have agreed to assist Texas in rebuilding its electrical infrastructure, but due to height and weight restrictions on Texas roads, their trucks would risk being ticketed by the Department of Public Safety.
With nearly 300,000 Texans without power, it would take ten days to restore power to everyone impacted, but thanks to the assistance of Texas’ neighbors and Governor Abbott’s waiving of these regulations, ONCOR expects for that time to be cut in half to five days. By temporarily waiving these regulations, electrical companies will be able to reduce the amount of time it takes reach those impacted.
“As we deal with aftermath of the severe weather that impacted a large portion of the North Texas area, it is imperative we do all we can to help those affected restore power as quickly as possible,” said Governor Abbott. “By waiving these regulations, these electrical companies will be able to assist all those impacted in a more efficient and effective manner. I thank our neighboring states for lending a hand in helping get power restored to residents in Texas.”