HOUSTON – CenterPoint Energy’s executives have been at the front center by Texans after millions in the Houston area were left without power for more than a week -- even two weeks for some -- following Hurricane Beryl.
Since then, state leaders are holding the energy company accountable for its response to the hurricane’s aftermath and demanding preventative measures to be laid out for the future.
Gov. Greg Abbott has joined several leaders and members of the public in criticizing the company’s response to the storm. The governor gave CenterPoint until the end of July to submit plans to protect the power supply through the rest of what could be an active hurricane season, as well as trim trees and vegetation that threaten power lines.
Abbott requested the following from the energy company by July 31:
- Identify how CenterPoint Energy will complete the elimination of all vegetation issues by August 31, 2024.
- Specify all actions CenterPoint Energy will take in the future that it failed to do during the preparation for and response to Hurricane Beryl that will reduce or eliminate power outages for your customers.
- Ensure that CenterPoint Energy has a sufficient number of pre-staged workers to be able to immediately respond to any power outages that may occur for any tropical storm or hurricane that hits your service area.
- Describe how CenterPoint Energy will retain or quickly restore power for at-risk Texans in hospitals, nursing homes, and senior living facilities.
- Describe how CenterPoint Energy’s pole replacement process for Hurricane Beryl will be accelerated and will prioritize the deployment of new, highly resilient poles before the end of this hurricane season.
- Specify CenterPoint Energy’s plan to improve communication with its customers before, during and after a weather event. Additionally, how CenterPoint Energy will ensure the failure of its outage tracker during Hurricane Beryl will be reconciled.
At the time of this writing, CenterPoint Energy has a day before the deadline to complete Abbott’s request.
The energy company’s CEO, Jason Wells, testified before a special senate committee in Austin Monday morning for its response to Hurricane Beryl.
Here’s five things that have happened with CenterPoint Energy so far:
- CEO Jason Wells goes on apology tour to Texans left without power in sweltering heat.
- CenterPoint’s Plan of Actions: Improvements in resiliency; improvements in communications; and greater collaboration with our local partners and emergency responders.
- Introduce a new and reliable outage tracker by August 1.
- Lyanne Wilson, who served as Senior Vice President of Electric Business for the energy giant, “is no longer with the company.”
- Wells admitted CenterPoint would ask for a rate increase, claiming the vast majority is to pay back the line workers, vegetation management, and people who helped restore power, as well as materials used in the restoration efforts like power poles, and transformers.
What happens if CenterPoint Energy does not meet governor’s demands by the deadline?
- An Executive Order will be issued in response to any impending tropical storm or hurricane to impose needed requirements on CenterPoint Energy. The Executive Order would be aimed at keeping the power on throughout hurricane season and until the next legislative session.
- The governor will oppose requests brought to the PUC by CenterPoint Energy to raise utility rates on Texans or to obtain any profit or rate of return.
- Texas would also consider limiting the utility service area of CenterPoint Energy.
READ: ‘Several levers he can use’: Does Gov. Greg Abbott really have power over CenterPoint Energy?