Media Contact:  Austin Energy Communications, Communications@austinenergy.com, Media Line: (512) 322-6514

Austin Energy is sending 21 lineworkers and support personnel to Houston to help with restoration efforts in the wake of devastating storms that left more than a million people without power.

The Austin Energy team plans to leave at 6 a.m. on Saturday, May 18 with bucket trucks and support vehicles to help restore power to affected communities. The team is prepared to provide help for up to two weeks, though that may change depending on the direct impacts of the storm.   

“Providing mutual aid in natural disasters is a tradition among public utilities and this will offer tremendous training opportunities for our crews,” said Elton Richards, Austin Energy Vice President of Electric System Field Operations. “I am honored to work with such caring individuals who work not only on behalf of the Austin community but are also willing to help others in need.”

CenterPoint Energy's damage assessment and restoration efforts are ongoing, with approximately 4,000 lineworkers and 1,000 vegetation professionals requested for mutual assistance support. According to the CenterPoint website, a strong storm system with winds topping 85 miles per hour caused significant damage to the company's electric system, including Bellaire, Cypress, Baytown, Greenspoint, Humble and Spring Branch.

Restoration efforts in hardest-hit areas are expected to take several days or longer. While there is still extensive damage to assess, crews made progress overnight restoring more than 180,000 customers in the last 12 hours. As of 9:30 a.m., more than 72% of CenterPoint Energy's customers, or 2 million, currently have power. Damage from the severe weather resulted in electric service interruptions peaking at nearly 922,000 customers.

About Austin Energy
Customer Driven. Community Focused.
Austin Energy, the City of Austin’s electric utility, serves more than 550,000 customer accounts and more than one million residents in Greater Austin. The utility’s mission — to safely deliver clean, affordable, reliable energy and excellent customer service — has guided Austin Energy in powering the community and supporting the region’s growth since 1895. For more information about Austin Energy, visit austinenergy.com.