Texas Governor Greg Abbott has criticized CenterPoint Energy for its handling of power outages in Houston following Hurricane Beryl, despite the utility's assurance that power will be mostly restored by Wednesday. The Texas Public Utility Commission has launched an investigation into CenterPoint's storm preparation and response. Abbott has demanded plans to protect the power supply for the rest of the hurricane season, but some experts argue that the state's regulatory framework has failed to ensure resilient transmission lines. The prolonged outages have exacerbated heat-related illnesses and other issues in the Houston area.
Houston attorney Tony Buzbee is filing a class-action lawsuit against CenterPoint Energy on behalf of several Houston area restaurants, alleging negligence and failure to restore power after Hurricane Beryl. The lawsuit claims CenterPoint Energy failed to invest in infrastructure, maintain equipment, train personnel, and respond adequately to the storm, leaving businesses without power for days. The case aims to compel the energy company to improve its operations.
Nearly 300,000 people in southeastern Texas remain without power a week after Hurricane Beryl, as temperatures soar amid a heat wave. Governor Greg Abbott has demanded that CenterPoint Energy improve its hurricane preparation plans and has directed the Public Utility Commission of Texas to investigate the prolonged outages. CenterPoint is working to restore power and has deployed thousands of staff to address the damage.
Texans, particularly in Harris County, are entering their second week without power following Hurricane Beryl, which caused widespread damage and outages. Residents are struggling with the heat, relying on generators, and facing frustration with utility company CenterPoint Energy's slow restoration efforts. Governor Greg Abbott has called for an investigation into the company's response. Despite the challenges, communities are coming together to support each other.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has given CenterPoint Energy a deadline to improve its power reliability and storm preparedness following widespread outages caused by Hurricane Beryl. If CenterPoint fails to comply by July 31, Abbott will impose his own requirements to ensure power stability through the hurricane season. Abbott criticized CenterPoint for inadequate vegetation management and slow response times, and threatened to reconsider the size of the company's service area if issues persist.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is demanding an investigation into CenterPoint Energy's slow response to restoring power after Hurricane Beryl left 350,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area without electricity. Despite restoring power to 1.9 million customers, the utility faces scrutiny over its preparedness and response. Abbott has given CenterPoint until the end of the month to outline plans to prevent future outages, including vegetation management and worker pre-staging. CenterPoint defended its actions, citing extensive storm damage and safety concerns.
Governor Greg Abbott criticized CenterPoint Energy for its slow response to power outages caused by Hurricane Beryl and demanded a detailed plan to improve future reliability. He ordered an investigation into the utility's practices and warned of potential executive action if improvements are not made. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced upcoming Senate hearings to question CenterPoint's business practices. CenterPoint acknowledged customer frustrations and committed to restoring power and improving future responses.
Hundreds of Houston residents are still without power over a week after deadly storms hit the area, with 563 customers affected as of May 27. CenterPoint Energy attributes the delays to substantial damage in specific areas and unrelated service issues. The company had previously estimated nearly full restoration by May 22.
Heavy storms in the Houston area led to over 100,000 power outages, with around 145,000 customers affected at the peak. The severe weather warning subsided after 7 a.m., leading to a decrease in the number of outages.
The Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC) is recommending a significant reduction to CenterPoint Energy Indiana’s proposed $118.8 million (16%) base rate increase, suggesting an increase of $33.1 million (4.5%) instead. The recommendation follows testimonies from thirteen OUCC witnesses and extensive community engagement, with specific proposals to maintain customer service charges, decrease the utility’s authorized return on equity, and implement consumer protections. CenterPoint Energy's rebuttal testimony is due on Apr. 9, 2024, with a final order from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission expected in the fall.
Power outages have been reported in the Houston area as storms move through, with most of the outages concentrated in the city of Houston. Several hundred customers are also without power in Fort Bend County. As of just before 10 p.m., a total of 20,022 customers are affected, according to the CenterPoint Energy outage map.
18,000 residents in north Harris County are still without power after severe storms hit Houston, with CenterPoint Energy warning that it could be Sunday before everyone's power is restored. The utility has over 350 crews working around the clock to repair complicated issues and significant damage caused by the storm. With triple-digit temperatures returning, CenterPoint is asking for customers' patience as they work to get as many homes back on as possible at a time. Residents are advised to visit their nearest cooling center if they do not have air conditioning.
CenterPoint Energy customers in Spring, Texas, are expected to have their power fully restored by Sunday after a storm on June 21 caused extensive damage to the company's equipment and infrastructure. As hurricane season approaches, CenterPoint Energy has protocols in place to prevent damage and react quickly to outages. The company is also evaluating the deployment of mobile generation to restore power. In the meantime, customers without power are advised to follow local guidance on where to go to stay cool.
Strong storms across the Houston area on Wednesday night caused power outages for nearly 200,000 people, with most of the outages concentrated to the north of Houston. CenterPoint Energy reported over 166,000 customers affected by outages, while Entergy reported over 31,000 customers affected. Lone Star College campus closures were also announced due to power outages.
