The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) recently held a workshop in Houston on extreme weather preparedness and response by utilities.
The five PUCT Commissioners heard from members of the Houston community about experiences during Hurricane Beryl and the May derecho, received comments from state lawmakers, and heard expert testimony on extreme weather preparedness best practices.
“I want to thank every member of the Houston community that took the time to attend our workshop today and share their experiences with the recent storms. We heard loud and clear that you expect better from your electric utility, and we plan to use your feedback to ensure Houston-area utilities are prepared the next time extreme weather hits,” PUCT Chairman Thomas Gleeson said. “We also appreciate the comments from Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and other members of the Texas Senate, whose leadership will be essential as we implement needed policy changes to improve infrastructure resiliency in Texas.” The workshop was held as part of the PUCT’s ongoing investigation into the emergency preparedness and extreme weather response of utilities in the Greater Houston region. The workshop was open to the public and more than 100 residents of the Greater Houston region attended. Members of the public outlined their personal experiences with recent power outages and suggested potential policy and community outreach changes that could improve utilities’ response to future storms.
In addition to comments from the public and state leaders, executive leadership from CenterPoint Energy provided an update on their ongoing efforts to improve the resiliency of their transmission and distribution systems.
Experts from the Texas Division of Emergency Management, National Weather Service, Edison Electric Institute, MG Spoor Consulting, GridSky Strategies Inc., Texas A&M Forest Service and Southeastern Electric Exchange all presented on the best strategies for responding to emergencies and hardening infrastructure so that it can withstand extreme weather.