"Don't begin getting prepared late tomorrow, or think you can get around doing it on Saturday" said Texas Governor Gregg Abbott as the state braces for an extreme blast of winter weather this weekend.
Gov. Abbott met Thursday with leaders from multiple state agencies for a briefing on preparations for a looming winter storm expected to bring subfreezing temperatures, ice and snow across much of the state.
The meeting at the State Operations Center in Austin included officials from the Texas Department of Emergency Management, the Texas Department of Transportation, the Public Utility Commission and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Abbott announced a disaster declaration for 134 counties that could be impacted by the storm.
Abbott said the state is better prepared than ever for a major winter weather event, pointing to changes made since the catastrophic 2021 storm that killed more than 200 people and left millions without power for days. “We are confident there will be abundant power available throughout this entire storm,” Abbott said.
Officials emphasized that any power outages would likely be caused by ice or strong winds damaging power lines, not a failure of the state’s electric grid.
PUC Commissioner Thomas Gleeson said the grid is “positioned to perform extremely well” following what he called historic investments since 2021. He said Texas has added about 40,000 megawatts of generation capacity over the past five years, and new laws — including a requirement that power plants have alternative fuel supplies — are designed to prevent a repeat of past failures.
Gleeson also said a 2023 law allowed Oncor, the primary power distributor in much of North Texas, to replace 20,000 additional power poles and clear trees from 8,000 more miles of power lines than previously planned.
ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas said all available generation capacity will be online for the storm and that new systems have been implemented to improve grid efficiency and direct power to areas with the greatest need.
TxDOT executive director Marc Williams said highways across the state are being pre-treated with brine solution to help ice melt more easily. He warned that the brine will not prevent all ice, and that dangerous conditions are expected. A map with the latest road conditions statewide is available at DriveTexas.org.
More than 5,000 TxDOT personnel and hundreds of vehicles will be in position across the state to respond to accidents and help clear ice or debris like downed trees, Williams said.