Austin Energy said 21 lineworkers and support personnel will make the trip east starting at 6 a.m. Saturday, equipped with bucket trucks and support vehicles. Crews are prepared to stay in Houston for up to two weeks, but that could change.
Austin Energy said it received the call for help from CenterPoint Energy, which was one of the companies that assisted Austin after the 2023 ice storm.
“Providing mutual aid in natural disasters is a tradition among public utilities, and this will offer tremendous training opportunities for our crews,” said Elton Richards, Austin Energy vice president of electric system field operations, in a press release. “I am honored to work with such caring individuals who work not only on behalf of the Austin community but are also willing to help others in need.”
CenterPoint is still assessing damage and working on restoration and has so far requested 4,000 lineworkers and 1,000 vegetation professionals total to help with recovery.
CenterPoint said strong winds caused significant damage to its electric system, including in Bellaire, Cypress, Baytown, Greenspoint, Humble and Spring Branch. Crews did make progress overnight, restoring power to more than 180,000 customers in the last 12 hours.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Comments / 0