HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — CenterPoint Energy is planning open houses that will run through September to inform the public about improvement efforts. However, this comes when the public gets a better picture of the company’s donations to politicians.
The company is planning to host 16 open meetings in the Gulf region, one of the hardest-hit places without power during Hurricane Beryl. At least five of them will be held across Harris County.
Our ABC13 partners at the Houston Chronicle obtained records showing CenterPoint’s donations to lawmakers.
RELATED: ‘Do better’: CenterPoint to host 1st open house this weekend to speak on ways it plans to improve
Texas officials Governor Greg Abbott received around $115,000, and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick received $91,000.
Despite the dollars, both Republican leaders sounded off against CenterPoint following the storm.
The company has also made large donations to local Democrats, including Houston Mayor John Whitmire and former mayor Sylvester Turner, who each received more than $40,000.
After the storm, lawmakers held intense hearings with CenterPoint executives.
The company says the feedback helped them make 40 improvements, including a new outage tracker.
CenterPoint says it wants to hear from neighbors, but Fifth Ward residents said they feel shut out because no meeting is scheduled in their area.
A meeting is good, but results are better
Alonzo Lincoln, Fifth Ward resident
ABC13 spoke with some residents in the Fifth Ward, asking, “What’s your message to them, or what would you want to ask them?”
“No, we don’t have anything to begin with. We lost the little bit that we did have. No concern. No, nothing,” Hazel Garrett said.
“Do better,” longtime Fifth Ward resident Ruby Lincoln responded.
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The first CenterPoint open house will be held this Saturday at the Tom Bass Community Center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
If you can’t attend this event, you can view the full schedule on CenterPoint’s website.
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