Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that the state is prepared for whatever Winter Storm Cora dumps on Texas. (Photo by Matt Hennie)
Thousands of state employees and nearly two-dozen agencies prepared for the arrival of Winter Storm Cora across Texas.
Gov. Greg Abbott sought to reassure worried Texans on Wednesday that the state — and its troubled power grid — were ready for the winter storm rolling through North Texas.
An additional 10,000 megawatts of capacity for the power grid certainly helps.
Abbott, flanked by leaders of the state agencies tasked with responding to emergencies, detailed the thousands of people and pieces of equipment and the long list of agencies already responding to the winter storm. Pablo Vegas, CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, sat next to Abbott during the press conference in the underground bunker that houses the State Operations Center. ERCOT manages most of the state’s power grid.
“We are putting public safety first, obviously,” Abbott said. “The lives of our fellow Texans by far are the most important thing.”
Abbott and Vegas were clear that whatever damage Winter Storm Cora leaves behind in Texas, the state’s power grid wouldn’t be among the casualties. In 2021, the grid failed during Winter Storm Uri, leaving millions of people without power during record amounts of snow and frigid temperatures. Some 246 people died in Texas.
Vegas, who joined ERCOT in October 2022, said the state has added more than 10,000 megawatts of power generation since last winter. One megawatt of electricity can serve about 250 homes during peak demand, according to the agency.
“We’ve got more supply on the grid than we’ve ever had before and we’ve been coordinating very closely with all the power generators and the transmission distribution facility companies over the last week in preparation for this upcoming weather event,” Vegas said.
He said ERCOT inspected about 150 power transmission facilities in December and will check more than 170 stations in January. Abbott said the Texas Railroad Commission has assured that the state’s supply of natural gas — which fuels nearly half of the state’s power generating capacity — will be enough to weather the storm.
Pablo Vegas, CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, said the state’s power grid has added power generating capacity since last winter. (Photo by Matt Hennie)
ERCOT: Texas power grid ready for winter storm
Abbott and Vegas also repeatedly pushed responsibility for any power outages during the latest winter storm from the state’s power grid to local utility companies.
“If there is a loss of power, it’s not going to be because of the power grid, it’s going to be because of some impact on a local power line that your local power provider is going to be responsible for addressing,” Abbott said.
Ice can cause tree limbs to snap and bring down power lines as they fall, or power lines covered in ice can also break, Vegas said. Motorists braving unsafe roads can also crash into utility polls, he added.
“If you do experience a power outage, it’s very likely due to a local utility issue,” Vegas said.
More than 2,100 employees from the Texas Department of Transportation are treating roadways to prevent icing. But Abbott warned drivers to stay off roads if they ice.
“I cannot emphasize enough to my fellow Texans: We are not used to driving on ice and snow. We are not used to driving in conditions like this. Be careful. Be cautious. Make sure that you’re protecting your own life,” Abbott said.
Overall, Abbott’s office said more than 3,400 state personnel, 1,860 vehicles and pieces of equipment, and over 21 state agencies are responding to the winter weather. The response includes brine on key roadways, first responders stocked with food and blankets, saw crews from the Texas A&M Forest Service, and game wardens from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department armed with high-profile vehicles to help stranded motorists and drones to observe areas hit hard by the storm.
Abbott also pointed to more than 345 warming centers opened by local officials across the state, which are among the resources included on the Texas Division of Emergency Management website. People impacted by the winter weather can also search for food, health, and housing through a database from Texas Health & Human Services. Abbott also displayed the back of a Texas driver’s license to show the number for the Texas Roadside Assistance (1-800-525-5555). Stranded drivers can call that number for assistance, he said.
In Dallas, several agencies geared up ahead of the storm to provide resources.
