Texas Gov.
In Houston today, I directed the @PUCTX to investigate power failures in the Greater Houston area following Hurricane Beryl.
I also demanded CenterPoint take immediate action to improve their hurricane preparation and response efforts.
Learn more: https://t.co/txnhJkIasm pic.twitter.com/9Jxb8sI35O
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) July 14, 2024
Greg Abbott demanded answers on Sunday as around 270,000 homes and businesses in Houston remained without power nearly a week after Hurricane Beryl hit the state. Abbott called to investigate CenterPoint Energy’s response and preparations for future storms.
This is great: A company that makes (& monitors) fire prevention sensors has more accurate data on power outages than Centerpoint does.
Reminds me of the ways crime researchers often need to get creative to measure crime that isn't accurately reported. https://t.co/lqD2UW97rC
— Jennifer Doleac (@jenniferdoleac) July 13, 2024
“Power companies along the Gulf Coast must be prepared to deal with hurricanes, to state the obvious,” Abbott said at his first news conference about Beryl since returning from an economic development trip to Asia. CenterPoint Energy has restored power to about 2 million customers since the storm hit on July 8. However, the slow pace of recovery has put the utility under scrutiny.
NOAA-21 captured imagery of the devastating power loss across Texas following Hurricane Beryl's landfall. pic.twitter.com/b8Kim2O8WE
— CIRA (@CIRA_CSU) July 12, 2024
Abbott announced he would be sending a letter to the Public Utility Commission of Texas to investigate the delayed power restoration and to determine necessary preventative measures. He expects CenterPoint to provide detailed plans by the end of the month to mitigate power outages for future storms, including efforts to remove vegetation that could threaten power lines.
Gov. Abbott demands CenterPoint’s storm response
Abbott criticized CenterPoint for not having an “adequate number of workers pre-staged” before the storm.
The failure of power companies to provide power to their customers is unacceptable.
Today in Houston, I demanded CenterPoint take action to improve their hurricane preparation and response efforts.
Texas will do everything necessary to get the power on and keep it on. pic.twitter.com/X29nRPYSQT
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 14, 2024
CenterPoint stated its top priority was restoring power “as safely and quickly as possible,” and projected that power would be restored to 90% of its customers by Monday. The utility emphasized its commitment to working with state and local leaders and pledged to conduct a “thorough review” of its response.
CenterPoint defended its preparation for Hurricane Beryl, having invested for years to enhance the area’s storm resilience. The utility brought in about 12,000 additional workers from outside Houston, arguing it would have been unsafe to preposition these workers within the predicted storm impact area. Brad Tutunjian, Vice President for Regulatory Policy at CenterPoint, indicated that extensive damage to trees and power poles had significantly hindered power restoration efforts.
A post on CenterPoint’s website by its President and CEO, Jason Wells, highlighted the scale of the damage: over 2,100 utility poles were damaged, and over 18,600 trees had to be cleared from power lines. This affected over 75% of the utility’s distribution circuits. As the region confronts the lasting impact of Hurricane Beryl, Abbott’s administration is pushing for swift action and robust planning to prepare for the remainder of the hurricane season.
