HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — CenterPoint was in the crosshairs at an hourslong hearing Saturday before the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
The commission is investigating CenterPoint’s response to the widespread power outages in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl in July.
During the public comment portion of Saturday’s hearing, commissioners heard from multiple frustrated CenterPoint customers.
“I tried to call CenterPoint for three straight days,” one woman complained.
Some customers waited as long as 12 days after Beryl hit to have their power restored.
“This is the greatest job ever. I can screw up and still get paid. That’s kind of how I feel in this situation,” another customer said.
In Harris County, at least 20 deaths have been attributed to Beryl and many were caused by heat exhaustion.
Those who survived had to spend days in the heat and dark with few answers about when power would be restored, and many had to empty their refrigerators of spoiled food.
“Of all the items I threw out, I was really hurt and upset. I had to throw out my jar of Hellmann’s mayonnaise. That was my favorite,” Michelle Blackwell told commissioners.
CenterPoint said it’s committing $5 billion to improving its infrastructure.
Since Beryl, the company said it’s already replaced more than 1,100 power poles with stronger concrete poles and trimmed vegetation along more than 2,000 miles of power lines.
By June 2025, it hopes to put 400 miles of power lines underground and install 25,000 concrete poles.
But commissioners still had questions after CenterPoint’s presentation on Saturday.
“From CenterPoint, it would be really good to know where are the power line miles that have had vegetation management? Where are the poles that you all have replaced?” Commissioner Jimmy Glotfelty said.
It’s unknown how long the PUC’s investigation will take or what consequences CenterPoint could face at its conclusion.
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