CenterPoint Teams Restore Power in Houston Amid Winter Storm
CenterPoint Energy has mobilized its workforce to restore power in Houston as a severe winter storm causes significant disruptions. The utility company reports that over 99% of its customers have electricity restored, but challenges remain due to ongoing icy conditions.
Current Power Restoration Status
As of early Sunday morning, fewer than 2,000 of the approximately 2.9 million customers across 12 counties were without power. This represents less than 1% of their customer base. Over the weekend, around 27,000 customers regained power since Saturday morning.
Details of Outages
- Active outages reported: 78
- Customers without power: 1,350
Emergency Response Efforts
In response to the winter storm, CenterPoint has activated its Emergency Operations Center since January 21. The company has taken proactive measures to facilitate effective restoration efforts:
- Deployment of a workforce of over 3,300 personnel for electric restoration
- Staging more than 700 natural gas workers for emergencies
- Inspection of all 270 electric substations
- Pre-staging essential equipment, including:
- 9,200 distribution poles
- 11,500 transformers
- 100,000 cable splices
- 1,500 vehicles
- Outreach to Critical Care and Chronic Condition customers
- Coordination with local and state officials
Weather Conditions and Safety Measures
The cold weather remains a concern for infrastructure as temperatures are expected to drop to near 20 degrees on Sunday night and Monday night. This could further impact electrical systems. Nathan Brownell, Vice President of Resilience and Capital Delivery, emphasized the company’s commitment to restoring power, stating, “Any outage is one too many for us.”
CenterPoint urges residents to maintain a safe distance of at least 35 feet from downed power lines and to report any fallen lines immediately, as they may still carry electricity.
Additional Utility Conditions
Other local utilities also face outages. Entergy Texas reported that 2,555 customers were affected as of 6:59 A.M. on Sunday. Utility crews continue to work as conditions remain problematic, advising residents to limit travel and exercise caution, especially overnight.
