Utility strengthens system post Hurricane Harvey

Entergy Texas, Inc. officials said the utility has worked to rebuild and strengthen its electricity delivery system in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

The utility has taken steps to protect electric infrastructure and improve restoration efforts following extreme weather, officials said, restoring all flooded substations while also working to prevent future flooding at the substations that suffered catastrophic flooding.

Other measures to enhance services include joining the industry group Regional Equipment Sharing for Transmission Outage Restoration. (RESTORE), which seeks to more effectively cooperate and share equipment, such as transformers and mobile substations for faster recovery from disasters. The utility has also participated in several Public Utility Commission of Texas task forces on hurricane restoration best practices since the storm; ordered an additional mobile substation, which played a crucial role in quickly restoring power to affected customers; and used data analytics to improve response efforts.

“Harvey’s impact on our communities didn’t end a year ago. We know that customers and communities continue the rebuilding process, and we want to be there for them,” Sallie Rainer, president and CEO of Entergy Texas, said. “Entergy Texas is working to fund grants for nonprofit organizations and educational initiatives that will brighten the lives of so many who were affected by this tragic storm.”

Officials said the company has conducted flood forecasting based on publicly available information, which will better predict water levels so Entergy can deploy emergency protection at vulnerable equipment promptly.