To support its customers and communities, and following several days of actively preparing for this weekend's forecasted severe winter weather system, CenterPoint Energy secured over 600 additional frontline workers for an expanded workforce of 3,300 workers to address the approaching winter storm.
Additionally, the company is standing up three staging sites at strategic locations across the northern portion of the Greater Houston area to pre-position resources to support potential restoration efforts.
In addition to CenterPoint's Emergency Operations Center staff of 200 personnel and on-system workforce of approximately 2,500 internal line workers, local contractors and vegetation management resources, the company has secured an additional approximately 600 frontline workers including more line workers, vegetation management resources, and damage assessors. The company's Emergency Operations Center was activated this morning and will remain activated through the weekend as CenterPoint continues executing its cold weather action plan.
CenterPoint continues to work closely with government officials and emergency agencies to prepare for the approaching winter weather system and continues to diligently monitor weather models and deploy cold-weather mitigations across its electric and gas infrastructure.
"We know how important it is for homes and businesses to have the electric and natural gas service they expect and deserve, especially when severe weather is forecasted to impact our region. Our teams are mobilized across the area now, performing pre-storm checks, conducting additional tree trimming, and preparing to respond to any impacts on our system from the forecasted winter weather conditions, including icy weather, strong winds, and wintry precipitation. We will remain alert and continue to coordinate with local officials, and we urge our customers to stay weather alert, take steps to prepare now and have an emergency plan in place," said Don Daigler, CenterPoint's Senior Vice President, Emergency Preparedness and Response.
The company's three staging sites will be strategically placed, with two located across the northern portion of CenterPoint's Greater Houston service area where impacts are forecasted at this time to be the strongest. The staging sites will host the approximately 3,300 workers and help pre-position crews, vehicles, equipment and materiel needed for restoration across its service territory to be able to respond to service issues safely and as quickly as possible.
The company is prepared to respond to cold weather and has performed a series of proactive pre-winter preparedness actions to strengthen and winterize its electric and natural gas infrastructure across Texas, as well as inspect and test cold-weather critical equipment ahead of potential severe cold weather. CenterPoint is also actively working plans to mobilize emergency response resources and coordinating with relevant local emergency responders and government officials in preparation.
