The service said the team is ready to help for up to two weeks.
AUSTIN, Texas – Austin Energy is doing its part to help restore power to Houston after damage from severe weather there knocked out power service to about 922,000 customers.
Early Saturday morning, 21 workers and other Austin Energy employees departed for Houston with bucket trucks and support vehicles to restore power to parts of the city.
The service said the team is ready to help for up to two weeks.
Austin Energy said it received the mutual aid request from CenterPoint Energy, which was among the companies that sent mutual aid crews to Austin in the wake of the 2023 ice storm.
RELATED: Houston-area storm deaths: Mother of four and man in heights killed by trees; 5 others died during the storms
“Providing mutual aid in natural disasters is a tradition among utilities and this will provide tremendous training opportunities for our crews,” said Elton Richards, vice president of electric system field operations for Austin Energy. “I am honored to work with such caring individuals who not only work on behalf of the Austin community but are also willing to help others in need.”
CenterPoint has requested 4,000 line workers and 1,000 vegetation specialists for mutual aid support, Austin Energy said. According to CenterPoint’s website, a strong storm system with winds of up to 85 mph caused significant damage to the company’s electrical system, including Bellaire, Cypress, Baytown, Greenspoint, Humble and Spring Branch.
RELATED: EF-1 tornadoes tore through Cypress and Waller County with winds over 100 mph, NWS reports
Restoration efforts in the most affected areas are expected to take several days or more.
As of 9:30 a.m., more than 72% of CenterPoint Energy customers, or 2 million customers, currently have power.
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