HOUSTON – As KPRC 2 continues to look at the back-and-forth with CenterPoint Energy and its rate reviews, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) approved to audit of how it is spending taxpayer dollars.
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Before the Derecho and Hurricane Beryl ravaged parts of the Greater Houston area, CenterPoint was negotiating increasing its rates. After Beryl, the company decided it would stop negotiations. The PUC agreed not to pick up its rate review but for the company to return to negotiations.
City of Houston Attorney Arturo Michel told KPRC 2 Investigates' reporter Amy Davis that CenterPoint reached out to resume negotiations, but a date hasn’t been set yet.
During the PUC’s meeting Thursday, the CenterPoint rate review was on the agenda but since the energy giant agreed to move forward with the review last Friday the PUC took no action on that item.
RELATED: CenterPoint Energy agrees to move forward with rate review amid hike proposal
This means that CenterPoint will now resume negotiations with the City Leaders, where it provides services to agree on a fair rate.
Once the agreement has been discussed, they are set to return to the PUC with a final answer.
SEE ALSO: CenterPoint releases independent third-party review of company’s Hurricane Beryl response
Additionally, the PUC voted to find a third party to audit CenterPoint, citing Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s call to investigate the energy giant’s use of mobile generators during their October hearing in Houston.
“We can look at how they evaluate customer needs for where the mobile generation needs to go, including looking at their emergency operation plan and how it deals with this,” PUC Chairman Thomas Gleeson said.
“It will hopefully allow the public that has any questions about CenterPoint currently to get some answers and move forward, and hopefully gain that trust back with their providers,” Commissioner Courtney Hjaltman added. “So we will get some good answers for them.”
Gleeson said he wants whoever completes the audit to have a report completed by April.
CenterPoint said they welcome the review and that the company is committed to being transparent and accountable.
CenterPoint releases independent third-party review of company’s Hurricane Beryl response
Here’s their full statement:
CenterPoint Energy is committed to working in full transparency and accountability and we welcome further review on this subject. As a reminder, the temporary generation procurement went through an open, transparent and thorough PUCT review process. It was also the subject of another third-party, independent review that found the procurement process to be competitive. CenterPoint has also engaged PA Consulting – a third-party consultancy with deep expertise in issues affecting utilities and other industries – to conduct a full review of CenterPoint’s Hurricane Beryl response, which we released publicly last month. As part of our commitment to improve, CenterPoint has already implemented, or is in the process of implementing, two-thirds of PA’s 77 recommendations. We look forward to working cooperatively to find constructive solutions and the best path forward for our customers, the Greater Houston region, and the state of Texas.
