Texas public power utility CPS Energy has completed winter readiness and preparations for the upcoming winter season.
The utility conducted unit maintenance and increased energy reserves, bringing CPS Energy’s total energy capacity to 11,444 megawatts (MW). This energy supply is more than enough to cover the record-breaking energy peak demand experienced on January 16, 2024.
The utility also invested in advanced technology, such as reclosers or smart switches, to improve grid reliability. The technology limits the number of customers impacted by outages and improves restoration times. Currently, CPS Energy has nearly 1,300 of these intelligent switches throughout the service area. The utility also conducted inventory checks to ensure sufficient materials are available for emergencies.
As part of reliability and resiliency measures, the utility’s plants have infrastructure insulation, temporary enclosures, thermostats, temperature sensors, heating equipment, and heat tracing to the piping systems, all designed to improve the units’ performance as required by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT).
During the winter season, trees touching lines due to freezing rains are among the most common causes of power outages. As part of efforts to limit weather-related outages, CPS Energy is on schedule this year to trim 1,000 miles of tree vegetation that encroaches on its infrastructure, it noted.
For its gas operations, the utility contacted natural gas suppliers to confirm they had also completed their weatherization efforts.
In compliance with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) winter readiness efforts, CPS Energy certified that winter preparedness activities were completed by December 1, 2025. CPS Energy submitted the required Declaration of Preparedness for winter weatherization to ERCOT for the utility’s transmission systems and power plants.
The utility also submitted a Weather Emergency Attestation to the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) describing the compliance with seasonal preparedness inspections, maintenance of critical infrastructure serving power generation and gas distribution as required.
