According to CenterPoint Energy, some areas of Houston could experience power outages lasting hours due to the temperature increases expected for the coming month.
In a letter, CenterPoint CEO Jason Wells said the company launched the first phase of a plan to strengthen the city’s energy resilience on Monday after the governor ordered changes last month and gave the company a deadline to implement those changes.
At least eight people died of hyperthermia in Harris County after Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Houston on July 8, leaving millions without power for several days following the Category 1 storm.
The company promised to take exactly 40 actions to strengthen its transmission and distribution system before the next hurricane. To avoid days-long power outages in the future, some customers will likely experience more sustained outages over the next 30 days.
RELATED TOPICS: CenterPoint begins months-long effort to prepare infrastructure for next big storm
“Some customers may experience temporary service interruptions while we replace poles, upgrade critical equipment, and trim or remove vegetation,” a message on the company’s outage tracking webpage said. “We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding as we work hard to improve our storm response and enhance system stability in the communities we are privileged to serve.”
Temporary outages could last between four and eight hours. Wells said the temporary outages are “necessary to protect the public and our workers while we complete the important work.”
He said the company will put up door hangers at the locations where the work is taking place to notify affected customers and prepare them for outages. Those customers will also receive automated calls, texts and direct emails informing them of the expected timing of the outages.
According to the Texas Office of Public Utility Counsel, all personnel working in the municipality are required to carry an identification card and present it upon request.
Contractors and CenterPoint employees will work seven days a week to install 1,000 stronger and more storm-resistant poles. Crews will also trim or clear 2,000 miles of power lines with high-risk vegetation and install 300 automated devices to reduce outages, the company said.
As part of the resilience plan, CenterPoint has launched a new power outage tracker map that shows how many customers in the Houston area are without power, broken down by zip code, county and city.
More than 500 customers were without power on Thursday morning. According to the tracker, power has been restored to nearly 16,000 customers since Wednesday.
Temperatures are expected to rise over the next few days, while some CenterPoint Energy customers will experience temporary power outages. A heat wave will drive temperatures up Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with highs reaching 100 degrees, according to Space City Weather.
