Southeast Texas Recieves a $200 Million Grid Reliability Grant

Governor Greg Abbott (R) announced a $200 Million Texas Energy Fund grant to help Entergy Texas strengthen power infrastructure, improve storm resilience, and reduce outages for more than 538,000 customers across Southeast Texas.

What is the grant funding?

Gov. Abbott stated that the grant will be used to improve electric reliability and resilience throughout its service area.

The funding will support infrastructure upgrades designed to strengthen power lines, reinforce utility poles, and protect critical electric equipment from severe weather and flooding.

According to state officials, the projects are expected to benefit more than 538,000 Entergy Texas customers across Southeast Texas.

What improvements will be made?

The largest project funded by the grant will strengthen more than 400 miles of transmission and distribution lines and upgrade more than 9,000 utility structures throughout Entergy Texas' service territory.

Many of the upgrades will focus on replacing or reinforcing utility poles that are vulnerable to damage during hurricanes, severe storms, and other extreme weather events.

A second project will improve protections at five electrical substations, helping them remain operational during flooding and severe weather conditions.

What leaders are saying

Gov. Greg Abbott: "Texans deserve reliable electricity no matter where they live."

Gov. Abbott continued: "These grants will strengthen the power infrastructure that Southeast Texas families, businesses, schools, and hospitals rely on every day."

PUCT Chairman Thomas Gleeson: "These projects will strengthen critical power equipment, reduce storm-related outages, and help restore power more quickly when severe weather strikes."

Entergy Texas CEO Eliecer Viamontes: "We are fast-tracking critical grid upgrades to better defend against extreme weather."

The Bottom Line

Texas is investing $200 million through the Texas Energy Fund to strengthen Southeast Texas's electric infrastructure. The upgrades are expected to improve reliability, reduce storm-related outages, and help restore power more quickly during severe weather events for more than half a million customers.