AUSTIN, TX — Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday that more than $8 million in funding has been awarded through the Texas Energy Fund to improve electric reliability for members of the Bailey County Electric Cooperative Association in the Texas Panhandle and South Plains.
The grant will support projects designed to strengthen electric transmission infrastructure, reduce wind-related damage to power lines and improve the overall reliability of the electric system.
“Texas works to improve electric reliability and deliver affordable power to every corner of the state,” Abbott said. “This grant provides critical funding for projects that will strengthen our electrical infrastructure and protect Texas families for generations to come.”
Public Utility Commission of Texas Chairman Thomas Gleeson said the grant program helps local electric providers build more resilient systems.
“This important reliability grant program is protecting Texans in every corner of our great state,” Gleeson said. “Every Texan needs to know we’re doing all we can to partner with local power providers to make their systems stronger, more resilient, and more reliable.”
The projects will benefit customers served by Bailey County Electric Cooperative Association in portions of Bailey, Castro, Cochran, Lamb and Parmer counties.
The larger of the two projects will upgrade equipment on 2,000 transmission poles to better withstand high winds, helping prevent power lines from colliding and reducing outages.
A second project will upgrade approximately two miles of transmission line to improve reliability, reduce power restoration times and make repairs safer and more efficient.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas administers the Texas Energy Fund Outside ERCOT Grant Program, which provides funding for projects that improve electric reliability and resiliency for utilities that operate outside the ERCOT power grid.
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