Mayor Whitmire announces permanent generator, resiliency hub for Kashmere Gardens

Mayor Whitmire announced an agreement with private and philanthropic partners to install a permanent natural-gas generator and supporting infrastructure at the Kashmere Gardens Multi-Service Center, saying the site will serve as a model resiliency hub for the city.

"Today is an exciting time for the citizens of Houston because this is going to be our new model," Mayor Whitmire said, announcing the partnership and recognizing Councilmember Plummer, Councilmember Tyler Carter and Angela Blanchard for their roles in the project. The mayor said the city will not send residents to locations that lack backup power.

The city’s chief resiliency officer, Angela Blanchard, described a citywide power-protection initiative and said the administration is seeking dependable solution providers. "Enchanted Rock's contract speaks to under 12 months," Blanchard said, and added that maintenance and ongoing service are part of the plan. A city official later said the project’s price tag is "around $900,000." Those figures were presented as the administration’s planning estimates in the press event.

Councilmember Plummer, speaking at the event, tied the proposal to local needs, noting that the Kashmere Gardens community "has a 20% lower life expectancy rate than any other community in Harris County" and has experienced repeated power outages during extreme weather. Community leader Etta Stevens told officials the permanent generator is "what we need," saying the multi-service center can serve surrounding neighborhoods for charging devices, warming or cooling during disasters.

Officials said the project is a public-private-philanthropic effort: city funds secured by council, site-preparation funds provided by Shell, and a contract with Enchanted Rock to provide an installed solution. Mayor Whitmire and Blanchard said repaired solar panels at the site are operational and that surplus energy from the generator will be put onto the ERCOT grid, which the city expects could produce a modest revenue stream.

City officials declined to present a signed contract at the press event but described a clear schedule: Blanchard and other staff said they expect an operational, permanent generator within 12 months and that the city has identified roughly two dozen additional sites that need similar resiliency upgrades. Officials said they will publish lists of guaranteed sites when works are complete and invited solution providers to present proposals.

The administration framed the project as the foundation for broader neighborhood resiliency work: officials said the city's early priorities are facilities that serve the most people, are cost-effective and that can be completed quickly. The city will continue to rely on nonprofits and corporate partners for programming and operations at resiliency hubs.

Next steps: city staff will proceed with procurement and site preparation and aim to have the Kashmere Gardens generator operable within 12 months, according to statements at the event.