HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 24-213RESOLUTION NO.24-213
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT:
THAT the City of Beaumont supports the Entergy Texas' Southeast Texas Energy Plan
also known as the "STEP Ahead" Plan.
The meeting at which this resolution was approved was in all things conducted in strict
compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 551.
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL of the City of Beaumont this the 3rd day of
�) ntergy
NEWS RELEASE
FOP, IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2024
Entergy Texas announces resiliency plan to strengthen the Southeast
Texas power grid
The plan benefits communities by minimizing outages, reducing restoration costs and
improving recovery times for extreme weather events while keeping rates affordable
THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Extreme weather has become more frequent and severe in
Texas. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, there have been 179
extreme weather events in Texas from 1980 to June 2024, Including hurricanos and winter
storms, These extreme events, coupled with an increased dependence on electricity to power
homes, businesses, and essential services, underscore the need for an even more resilient
electrical grid.
To better protect the Southeast Texas power grid from extreme weather and improve service
reliability, Entergy Texas recently filed an application with the Public Utility Commission of
Texas for approval of Phase I of Its comprehensive Texas Future Ready Resiliency Plan, Once
approved, the investments included in Phase I at'o expected to benefit customers by decreasing
future storm restoration costs by approximately $129 million and reducing the duration of power
outages fallowing significant weather events by 4,5 billion minutes over the next fifty years.
"The increasing frequency and cost of storm restoration, the increasing impact from prolonged
outages and recently passed state legislation demonstrate that now Is the optimal time to
pursue trey grid hardening investments," said Eliecor Viamontes, president and CEO of Entergy
Texas, "While Entergy Texas has historically Invested In the reliability and resiliency of its
generation, transmission, and distribution systems, significant and emerging circumstances
support the need to accelerate the pace of these investments, Our comprehensive Resiliency
Plan creates stronger communities while• managing customer bill impacts."
Phase I of the company's Resiliency Plan is a multiyear proposal that Includes six key rneasures
to prevent, withstand, and recover from damage imposed by significant storm events.
8 Distribution feeder hardening: Rebuilding main feeder lines to a storm- resillent
overhead design standard.
Lateral hardening: rebuilding neighborhood distribution lines to a storm -resilient
overhead design.
• Transmission rebuild: Replacing poles with higher wind -rated structures and
equipment on high -voltage lines.
• Lateral undergrounding: Undergrounding select overhead neighborhood lines.
• Substation control house remedlation: Hardening substations by upgrading roofs to
meet wind standards,
4 Targeted vegetation management: Proactive inspections and trimming to mitigate
vegetation -related outages and wildfire risks,
The accelerated •hardening projects Included in Phase I total a $335 million investment In the
Southeast Texas power grid, To minimize the impact on monthly customer bills, Entergy Texas
plans to seek $198 million in non -ERGOT grants from the Texas Energy Fund to help finance
these projects. The company has also applied for federal dollars under the Department of
Energy's Grid Innovation and Resilience Partnerships program to invest more than $107 million
to strengthen the Port Arthur grid, a portion of which would offset fhe cost of hardening projects
Included in Phase I, Entergy Texas continues to look for Innovative ways to lessen the storm
risks and costs for its coastal communities. Another example involves exploring an expedited
storm securitization process, which could save customers minions of dollars over the long term
compared to traditional financing methods.
Since the early 2000s, Entergy Texas has been making strategic investments to make the
Southeast Texas power grid more resilient. Recent projects include the Palms substation on the
Bolivar Peninsula, which Is raised on platforms to better withstand potential storm surges, and
the re lacement of a-ging power Imes and utility.noles in the Port Arthur community to withstand
weather events as strong as a Category 4 hurricane,
"The City of Port Arthur holds dear the commitment by Entergy Texas in our joint partnership to
harden the Southeast Texas power grid and build a more resilient energy future for our
community," said Thurman Bartle, mayor for the City of Port Arthur,
"We are grateful that Entergy Texas is planning for the future and staying a `STET' Ahead' of
growing electrical needs in Beaumont," said Roy West, mayor for the City of Beaumont.
"Because of Entergy Texas' hard work, Beaumont and the entire Southeast Texas area
continue to have a bright energy future."
The accelerated resiliency efforts proposed in Entergy Texas' Resiliency Plan are a key
component of the company's Southeast Texas Energy Plan, also known as the STEP Ahead
plan. This strategic initiative aims to add 1,600 megawatts of generation capacity to the
Southeast Texas power grid by 2028 by keeping rates affordable, building more generation,
investing in a diverse mix of generation resources, and strengthening the grid to withstand
extreme weather.
For more information about Entorgy Texas' STET' Ahead plan and ongoing efforts to meet the
region's growing energy needs, click here..
About Entergy Texas
Entergy Texas, Inc. provides electricity to approximately 512,000 customers in 27 counties.
Entergy Texas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 electric company. Entergy
powers life for 3 million customers through its operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana,
Mississippi and Texas. Were Investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system
while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our
communities for more than 100 years, Entorgy is a nationally recognized loader in sustainability
and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic
benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteorism and advocacy,
Entorgy is headquartered in Now Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees,
For the latest news from Entergy Texas, visit the Newsroom and connect with c@EnterclVTX on
social media.
Media inquiries:
Entergy Texas Media
281-297-2353 (media line)
EnterclyTexasMedla@enlergy.coTn