Macie Kelly/ Houston Public Media
The Third Ward Multi-Service Center in Houston is one of the sites being utilized as a summertime cooling center.
With financial support from Reliant Energy, the City of Houston and Harris County are again operating several cooling centers during the summer months to help residents cope with the heat.
Reliant, an electricity retailer that operates in Houston and other cities across Texas, is donating $80,000 as part of its “Beat the Heat” program, which helps provide heat relief for seniors, disabled individuals and families in need. The company is helping to support 22 cooling centers in the Houston region and nearly 40 across Texas, typically housed at multi-service centers, public libraries and community centers. The sites include air-conditioned spaces, water, snacks and entertainment — free of charge to community members.
With Houston seeing a record number of days with 90-plus-degree temperatures last year, local officials are gearing up to keep residents cool and informed on heat safety.
Speaking during a Monday news conference at the Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center, one of the designated cooling centers, Houston Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Tran said extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. Young children and seniors are especially vulnerable to heat exhaustion, Tran said, with just a few hours of extreme heat potentially being fatal.
“These units are not luxuries; they are preventative medicine,” Tran said of the cooling centers. “They help people stay out of the hospital, reduce medical crises and, more importantly, save lives.”
Along with 12 cooling centers operated by the City of Houston, the “Beat the Heat” program also supports seven centers in Harris County, two operated by the Tejano Center for Community Concerns and one at a Reliant building in the East End.
Houston’s subtropical climate creates a mix of humidity and intense heat. This combination can prevent the body from cooling down efficiently. However, Tran says heat-related illnesses are preventable if residents stay aware and prepared.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire said the city is upgrading its 12 cooling centers against power outages.
“When I got elected (in 2023), I found out that our multiple service centers, cooling centers, didn’t have generators,” he said.
The city is equipping mobile, backup generators for each center so they can continue service, even after a disaster such as Hurricane Beryl in 2024, when there were widespread prolonged power outages in the region.
“This will be a working cooling center during the worst of times,” Whitmire said.
Along with the monetary donation, Reliant Energy Senior Vice President Bill Clayton said the company also is supplying 300 air-conditioning units that will be distributed to Houston-area residents in need.
Reliant also provides financial assistance to eligible customers in need to help pay their electricity bills. Those who want assistance can call 211 or visit 211texas.org to connect with local agencies or reach out to Reliant directly.
“Reliant is here for each and every one of you,” Clayton said. “We’re going to work tirelessly to support you and your individual energy needs.”
To be notified when emergency cooling centers open, city residents can register for Alert Houston notifications or call 311.
Visit the “Beat the Heat” website for a complete list of cooling centers that are part of the initiative in Texas, including in the Dallas-Fort Worth, McAllen, Corpus Christi and Lubbock areas.