Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into why CenterPoint Energy failed to protect Houston residents’ power during Hurricane Beryl.
CenterPoint Energy is an electric and natural gas utility company that services much of Greater Houston.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, CenterPoint has been accused of harming Houston-area residents by increasing rates, failing to prepare for power outages, and imposing long wait times to restore power.
According to a Monday press release by the attorney general, CenterPoint’s actions may have violated state law.
“My office is aware of concerning allegations regarding CenterPoint and how its conduct affected readiness during Hurricane Beryl, a storm that left millions of Texans without power,” Paxton stated. “If the investigation uncovers unlawful activity, that activity will be met with the full force of the law.”
State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) reacted in support of Paxton’s investigation:
I, for one, welcome this investigation by the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Office into CenterPoint Energy’s response to Hurricane Beryl, especially in the area of “…allegations of fraud, waste, and improper use of taxpayer-provided funds” per th[e] Texas Attorney General’s Office press release. I have repeatedly stated that if I were an Inspector General, I would be investigating their 800-million-dollar generator contract for fraud. In recent weeks, CenterPoint has finally admitted that the 15 32 MW “mobile” generators acquired with a profit at ratepayer expense are “not” mobile, and a half dozen or more Senators repeatedly questioned this change during the 7/29 Senate Special Committee hearing chaired by Senator Charles Schwertner. The CenterPoint ratepayers and the whole community deserve to know the truth!
Late last month, Texas senators blasted CenterPoint leadership over the company’s communication issues, failed response, and an $800 million investment in temporary mobile generators that were not used during the storm.
“I think it will be demonstrated today the seriousness with which the state acted in anticipation of this hurricane, in contrast to the multitude of failures of CenterPoint that have been highlighted in the media and felt by millions of Texans,” State Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) told CenterPoint Energy CEO, Jason Wells.
Schwertner is the chair of a 13-member committee assembled by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to investigate the issue.
Democrat State Sen. Borris Miles (Houston) was, like his Republican counterparts, disappointed by CenterPoint’s ineptitude. “I’m not happy to be here today because, colleagues, it seems like déjà vu all over again. The human error could have been prevented. And we could have saved the most precious resources of Texas: Texans,” he said.
