Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is demanding answers for ongoing power outages week after Beryl

John C. Moritz and Bayliss Wagner, Austin American-Statesman
·4 min read
22

Gov. Greg Abbott has given the electric company under fire for the prolonged and widespread power outages in the Houston area in the wake of Hurricane Beryl until the end of the month to develop a plan to minimize future outages or face unspecified executive orders to address its shortcomings.

"Just suffice it to say that the clock is ticking for CenterPoint to step up and get the job done," Abbott said at a news conference Monday in Houston, where he was joined by Mayor John Whitmire and Thomas Gleeson, chairman of the Texas Public Utility Commission.

CenterPoint Energy, which is responsible for delivering electricity from the generation source to the homes and businesses in its service area, has taken the brunt of criticism for the high-water mark of 2.2 million Houston area electric customers who lost power after Beryl slammed ashore last week as a Category 1 hurricane. The company has said 98% of those customers have had their power restored, but that still leaves nearly 300,000 customers without lights, refrigeration and air conditioning amid sweltering heat. Houston had a heat index of 103 degrees Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

Gov. Greg Abbott and Houston Mayor John Whitmire, behind Abbott, tour a resource staging area Monday and thank first responders who have worked throughout Hurricane Beryl and its aftermath.
Gov. Greg Abbott and Houston Mayor John Whitmire, behind Abbott, tour a resource staging area Monday and thank first responders who have worked throughout Hurricane Beryl and its aftermath.

"The lack of power (from) CenterPoint continues to compromise lives here in the Greater Houston-Harris County area," Abbott said. "If you are without power in the extreme heat that we are facing, that alone can cause challenges."

Meanwhile, state and local agencies are providing ready-made meals to people without power and without access to food, water and other necessities, Abbott said. Additionally, law enforcement presence in the area has been beefed up with the deployment of more Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and other officers from various parts of Texas.

In a news release Monday, CenterPoint said it was "repositioning crews and equipment" to make repairs to damaged wires and poles in areas with the most urgent needs. Although power has been restored to nearly 2 million customers, a top company official acknowledged that too many people are still having to wait.

“We know the remaining customers are counting on us and are committed to restoring power to all remaining customers able to receive it," said Lynnae Wilson, a senior CenterPoint vice president.

Gov. Greg Abbott is joined by Houston Mayor John Whitmire, Public Utility Commission Chairman Thomas Gleeson and Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd for a briefing and news conference on Texas’ response and recovery efforts for Hurricane Beryl.
Gov. Greg Abbott is joined by Houston Mayor John Whitmire, Public Utility Commission Chairman Thomas Gleeson and Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd for a briefing and news conference on Texas’ response and recovery efforts for Hurricane Beryl.

More: Days after Beryl, oppressive heat and no power for more than 500k in Texas

As CenterPoint scrambles to alleviate the remaining outages, Abbott's directives require it to provide the governor's office detailed plans for removing all vegetation that threatens power lines, specify how it will prepare for future tropical storms that threaten the Gulf Coast, and specify action it will take to position personnel "to immediately respond to any power outages that may occur for any tropical storm that hits their service region."

Gleeson, whose agency regulates the Texas electricity market, said the PUC will also investigate CenterPoint's actions related to the outages.

"CenterPoint has to do better. I cannot urge this enough," Gleeson said. "I have tried to stress with their executives that CenterPoint has to have a sense of urgency. What I guarantee to the governor is I will bring back actions that we can do immediately and not wait to address. I will expect those to be done during this hurricane season."

CenterPoint Energy has been ordered to provide the governor's office detailed plans for removing all vegetation that threatens power lines, specify how it will prepare for future tropical storms, and specify action it will take to position personnel "to immediately respond to any power outages that may occur for any tropical storm that hits their service region."

This isn't the first time CenterPoint has taken heat for power outages. In 2020, Texas grocery store chain H-E-B sued the energy company over a requested rate increase, arguing that it had been forced to install backup generators at its stores due to repeated outages and that it shouldn't have to foot a larger energy bill in addition to those costs. H-E-B won, and the company ousted its CEO.

As Abbott's news conference Monday was being streamed on his Facebook page, commenter Teresa Ybarra expressed frustration with the officials' comments about CenterPoint failures.

"This is in the past," Ybarra wrote. "Come back to the present and tell us what you’re going to do NOW to help the people."

Jay Carmo, another commenter, added, "You have one job: regulate CenterPoint."

Others aired grievances about their current conditions, discussing costs they'd incurred as a result of the storm and expressing outrage over unmet needs for food and repairs.

"We are not getting any help (for) loss of food, hotel stays, gas to other cities just to name a few," Leila Lewis wrote. "I called my renter's insurance and I have to pay a deductible to even file a claim for the food. The whole thing is a JOKE."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Greg Abbott wants CenterPoint held to account for Beryl power outages