Power infrastructure winterization made a Legislative priority by Governor

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott gave an update last Wednesday regarding the response to the severe weather conditions two weeks ago and the power outages caused by that weather. Among other concerns, Gov. Abbott said he has made it a legislative priority to mandate and fund the winterization of the state’s power infrastructure.

Gov. Abbott spoke Wednesday from the State Emergency Operations Center in Austin and said many in the state were upset by the state’s response and he said those residents deserve answers for why the system failed when they needed essential services.

“The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, known as ERCOT, manages the flow of power in Texas. Before the storm hit, ERCOT repeatedly assured the state and the public that ERCOT was prepared. Those assurances turned out to be false,” Gov. Abbott said Wednesday. “We now know that power generators of all sources were not prepared for this severe winter weather. We have also learned that ERCOT operators should have acted quicker to stabilize the grid and to prevent power generators from being knocked offline.”

Gov. Abbott said he made it a legislative priority to respond to the storm and is currently working with the Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Speaker of the House Dade Phelan and with the legislature on solutions. He said the spikes in electricity bills are not something that should be placed on residents.

“The state is already investigating multiple electric providers about these spikes. Also, we have ordered that Texans will not have their power shut off because of unpaid bills until the legislature has time to act on this,” Gov. Abbott said Wednesday.

Gov. Abbott announced that ERCOT must be overhauled with comprehensive investigations of ERCOT beginning Thursday, Feb. 25, by the legislature. Additionally the Office of the Attorney General of Texas has also launched a formal investigation into ERCOT.

He said the legislature will be working to add more power to the grid to make sure an event of this scale does not happen again. He said power from natural gas, coal, nuclear, wind and solar were affected by the winter weather due to inadequate safeguards.

“That is why I have made it a Legislative priority to mandate and to fund the winterization of the Texas power infrastructure. This will protect our power grid from future winter weather events,” Abbott said Wednesday.

Disaster Declaration

President Biden partially approved Texas for a Major Disaster Declaration last Saturday, following a week of historic winter weather which blew through the state and left many without power and options.

Texas Gov. Greg. Abbott requested the declaration Thursday for individual assistance and public assistance in all 254 counties, but the federal government partially approved the request for individual assistance for 77 counties, not including Young County. Public Assistance, for emergency protective measures only, was approved for all 254 counties.

“I thank President Biden for his assistance as we respond to impacts of winter weather across our state,” Gov. Abbott said last Saturday. “While this partial approval is an important first step, Texas will continue to work with our federal partners to ensure all eligible Texans have access to the relief they need. The funds provided under the Major Disaster Declaration may provide crucial assistance to Texans as they begin to repair their homes and address property damage.”

On Monday, Feb. 22, the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved an additional 31 counties to be added to the Major Disaster Declaration for individual assistance, which did not add Young County, Throckmorton, Jack or Archer Counties.

“I thank FEMA for their swift approval of these additional counties and for their continued partnership as we ensure Texans have access to relief following the winter storm,” Gov. Abbott said Monday. “I urge Texans to use the Texas Individual Assistance Reporting Tool so that the state can continue to identify damages and fight for the crucial assistance that our communities need.”

The counties approved for individual assistance bordering Young County are Palo Pinto and Stephens Counties. The governor requested the declaration to provide individual assistance, public assistance and hazard mitigation for individuals and communities affected by last week’s winter weather.

Individuals who sustained losses in the 108 counties included in the President’s declaration can apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or by calling 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585. Gov. Abbott and the Texas Division of Emergency Management are urging Texans to report their damage in a survey to help show damages throughout the state. The survey can be found at tdem.texas.gov/warming-center, and will help emergency management officials understand the winter weather impact.

Gov. Abbott Friday, Feb. 19, announced the state’s priorities regarding the winter weather response and said the first priority was restoring power to homes. The second priority of the state is to support local officials who are working to restore water for Texans. The third priority of the state is to ensure residents have the food and supplies they need and the fourth priority is helping fuel refineries get back running to provide those in the state with fuel.

“Thanks to the efforts of linemen, plumbers, first responders, truckers, farmers, ranchers, grocery store workers, refinery workers, and more, we continue to make tremendous strides to overcome the challenges of the past week,” Gov. Abbott wrote Friday, Feb. 19. “We know that this past week has been challenging for far too many Texans. Our state agencies are working around the clock to restore power and water, and to ensure Texans have food and supplies. I want to reassure the people of Texas that we are using every tool at our disposal to help those in need. We have overcome challenges in the past, and we will overcome this challenge together.”

Gov. Abbott announced Tuesday that the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners had identified an additional 500 licenses as of Sunday, Feb. 21, who were capable of performing plumbing under general supervision. This went back to the waivers granted by Abbott two weeks ago to increase the availability of plumber’s apprentices for pipe repair from the winter storm.

“Thank you to our plumbers and other utility professional that have stepped up to serve their fellow Texans as we recover from the severe winter weather,” Gov. Abbott said Tuesday. “We will continue to cut red tape and ensure that Texans have access to the resources they need to quickly repair their homes and put our state on a path to recovery.”