Harris County – A new survey from the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston sheds light on what mattered most to Harris County voters as they went into the voting booth for the 2024 election.
The Texas Votes 2024 survey conducted online from September 26 to October 10 asked likely voters about key issues and their views on political candidates.
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Here’s what the survey revealed:
- Electricity reliability is at the top of voters' minds. Thirty-six percent of Harris County voters said it’s one of their top three concerns, more than other issues like property taxes (33%) and housing affordability (32%). Voters are worried about power outages and the impact of weather events like Hurricane Beryl that swept through the Houston-area causing power outages for Houstonians for days on end.
- The survey realized that voters would like to hold Centerpoint Energy accountable financially and literally. Voters supported a bill that would give the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) more power to ensure utilities like CenterPoint improve their infrastructure. Eighty-two percent of Harris County voters are in favor, with strong backing across party lines and demographics.
- Also, there was strong support revealed within the survey for legislation that would make CenterPoint Energy cover the $800 million cost of unused mobile generators. A massive 86% of Harris County voters back this idea, including both Democrats (88%) and Republicans (86%). Voters want CenterPoint to pay the bill and reimburse ratepayers, according to the survey.
- Nearly half (48%) of Harris County voters have thought about moving out of the Houston area in recent years. Among those, 70% say weather events—like floods and hurricanes—are a major or minor reason. Extreme weather is a concern for many residents.
- When it comes to quality of life, opinions are mixed. About 23% of voters think life in Houston is better than in other major cities, while 21% feel it’s worse. The majority (37%) believe it’s about the same.
The survey shows that Harris County voters care most about practical issues, especially energy reliability and weather concerns.
CenterPoint responded to the survey saying the company hears the calls for change, is determined to re-earn the trust of customers, and looks forward to working collaboratively to find solutions to issues.
Here is there full statement:
All of us at CenterPoint have heard the calls for change loud and clear and we are determined to re-earn the trust of our customers, our community, and elected leaders by taking a suite of actions and operational improvements that are unprecedented in our company’s history. These actions are already underway and we’re making good progress by undertaking the Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative to build the most resilient coastal grid in the country and agreeing to forego approximately $110 million in profit from our large-scale emergency generation fleet. To be clear, CenterPoint is committed to working with state lawmakers and regulatory officials to evaluate the future role of the large-scale temporary emergency generation units that were leased to comply with the changes in Texas law and PUCT regulations following the devastating impacts of Winter Storm Uri. We look forward to working cooperatively to find creative and constructive solutions and the best path forward for our customers, the Greater Houston region, and the state of Texas.
