Entergy Texas has chosen electricity utility infrastructure services provider United Utility to support the Texas Future Ready Resiliency Plan, intended at bolstering the Southeast Texas power grid in the US.

The multiyear programme will see United Utility offering engineering design, construction, and material management services, including pole inspections using aerial drones.

This collaboration marks a significant expansion of United Utility's operations in the state and reinforces its status as one of the key providers of electric grid resilience programmes in the US.

The company is already engaged in similar grid-improvement initiatives with Entergy Louisiana, as well as Duke Energy and NextEra Energy in Florida.

Engineering design is set to commence by next month, with construction activities expected to begin later in the year.

The Public Utility Commission (PUC) of Texas gave its unanimous approval to the first phase of Entergy's Texas Future Ready Resiliency Plan this January.

United Utility's alliance with Entergy Texas for distribution system resiliency is in line with the PUC filing.

This initial phase, spanning three years, involves $137m in strategic projects designed to fortify the power grid, minimise storm-related outages, and potentially save millions of dollars in restoration expenses over the coming decades.

Entergy Texas, serving around 524,000 customers across 27 counties in the state, is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, which is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana.

United Utility west region president Ty Carmeans said: "We're incredibly excited Entergy Texas has chosen to expand our strategic partnership to support their large-scale grid resiliency programme.

"As a national leader in grid resilience services for electric utilities, United Utility is an ideal partner for Entergy Texas to design and construct the grid enhancements that will reduce storm-related outages times and restoration costs for families and businesses across Southeast Texas."