Abbott says Texas lawmakers must mandate weatherization of power plants in wake of storm

AUSTIN, Texas -- As the state's power grid operator works to restore power to hundreds of thousands of Texas households in the wake of a massive winter storm, Gov. Greg Abbott called on lawmakers to mandate the weatherization of the state's power plants and provide funding for it.

The governor made the plea Thursday during a briefing on the state's storm response.

“What happened this week to our fellow Texas is unacceptable and should never be replicated again,” Abbott said.

RELATED STORY: Texas governor says he is responsible for the status of ERCOT, vows reforms

He indicated progress had been made in restoring power, with outages in Texas on Thursday afternoon dropping to 325,000.

But Texans across the state are also facing water quality issues, with many lacking any access to water.

Texas officials have ordered 7 million people to boil tap water before drinking it following days of record low temperatures that damaged infrastructure and froze pipes.

That’s one-quarter of the population of the nation’s second-largest state.

Restoring Texans’ access to water is the second priority after power restoration, Abbott said, although he provided no details.