You’ll pay a little more each year for the improvements that AEP says are necessary to the future of Texas power grid resiliency.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — When the lights go out in South Texas during a hurricane or hard freeze, it’s more than an inconvenience…. it’s an economic gut punch. Homes, businesses, and lives grind to a halt.

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Now, AEP Texas says it’s had enough of that. The company announced a $310 million, three-year “resiliency plan” to strengthen the power grid and help make sure customers aren’t left in the dark the next time nature throws a tantrum.

According to AEP spokesperson Omar Lopez, the company plans to rebuild or reconductor 433 miles of power line, replace 16,000 utility structures, and clear vegetation along 218 distribution feeders across South Texas.

AEP says this upgrade will make the grid smarter and more responsive and that means shorter outages and quicker recovery times after hurricanes, freezes, or even everyday equipment failures.

Still, that kind of investment doesn’t come free. The company says customers will see a small increase on their bills.  It’s about 1.45 cents per year once all the work is complete.

“When you take all the work that’s been done at the end of three years and add up how much the customer pays, it works out to about 1.45 cents each year,” Lopez said.

City leaders say the effort is long overdue. Corpus Christi City Councilman Roland Barrera says residents remember too well what it was like during Hurricane Hanna, when parts of the city were without power for nearly a week.

“That was tough and making sure hospitals and first responders are covered is critical,” Barrera said. “I’m glad they’re finally making this investment.”

AEP says crews are already working in several areas.

For customers, it’s simple: the company wants to make sure the next time the storm hits that the lights stay on.