Oklahoma Gas and Electric company reports its 105 line workers helping bring power back to Houston residents hit hard by Hurricane Beryl manage to restore about 1,500-customers a day.
An update from the company stated that thousands have seen restoration of electric power, thanks to the utility offering CenterPoint Energy which at one point saw more than 2 million customers without power.
Line workers are currently assisting with restoration in Sugar Land, Barrett, and Baytown after several days of work in Angleton, Texas where there was significant structural damage. The team is working 16-hour days to complete extensive circuit work, which involves restoring power to individual homes and businesses, removing dangerous obstacles and repairing essential electrical equipment.
According to CenterPoint Energy’s outage tracker, over 2.2 million customers were initially left without power. CenterPoint Energy expects to restore power to 90 percent of all impacted customers by the end of day today, Monday, July 15. Despite the challenging conditions, OG&E linemen and restoration personnel continue to work around the clock in difficult areas and re-energizing approximately 1,500 CenterPoint customers every day.
OG&E Distribution Construction Manager Chris Bristol said the outpouring of support from Oklahomans and Texans alike has positively impacted the crew’s attitude as they continue to help communities impacted by the hurricane.
“Our crews have made great progress in restoring power to thousands of Houston-area customers,” said Bristol. “CenterPoint customers have expressed their gratitude for our assistance and level of expertise, even offering our crews water and snacks as they work to get the lights back on for even more folks. This encouragement means a lot to our team and helps keep up morale as we continue restoration work.”
Mutual assistance crews are typically deployed for up to 14 days. At this time, OG&E crews are expected to remain in the area to assist with storm restoration efforts through the end of the week. If more assistance is needed, the electric company will rotate in additional crews to relieve the current team.
Daily operations and support will continue for OG&E customers in its service area throughout Oklahoma and western Arkansas.
