Texas Governor Greg Abbott said his state is eagerly preparing for the approaching winter storm.
“The state of Texas is working around the clock to respond strongly to a significant winter storm expected to affect our state in the coming days,” Abbott said in a statement. a news release on Tuesday.
“Every state agency is communicating and working closely to provide valuable resources and information to keep Texans safe during this winter weather. As we work together, to keep our loved ones safe,” he said.
According to the news release, the governor also mentioned how the state is increasing its generating capacity.
“The Governor addressed generating capacity ahead of the upcoming winter weather and discussed the additional generation of electricity the state has put online to strengthen the resiliency of the grid. ERCOT [Electric Reliability Council] It is forecasted that the power grid will be reliable and provide enough electricity for demand. PUC (Texas Public Utilities Commission) has completed a months-long inspection of the generators and more than 99 percent have chilled their facilities. Power generation and transmission systems meet and exceed federal cryogenic standards. The state has also identified critical natural gas infrastructure to ensure it stays powered up and running during winter weather. PUC will continue to monitor grid health statewide. In addition, ERCOT will monitor weather conditions and will update power demand forecasts as the weather event unfolds.”
The Texas Department of Transportation began pre-processing the roads Sunday and will continue to do so in the coming days. Meanwhile, Abbott is urging people to stay off the roads when possible.
The governor also warned residents to avoid bringing generators indoors because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Areas of Texas are being notified for winter weather, winter storm warnings and winter storm monitoring, according to the National Weather Service.
