What to know
PUCT Chairman Thomas Gleeson led the discussion of Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s call for an audit to be conducted following the allegation of CenterPoint Energy overcharging customers over $100 million.
“I think there are a few things we can look at—CenterPoint’s policies and procedures when procuring goods from a third party, we can look at how they evaluate customer needs for where the mobile generation needs to go, including looking at their emergency operation plan and how it deals with this,” Gleeson said.
Gleeson added that while he did not have any specifics as to what the audit should include, he would like for it to be completed by April 2025.
"I think it will be important to be able to discuss this no later than May so that we can have some findings and potentially some recommendations on future actions if needed and we get that in prior to the end of the legislative session," Gleeson said.
In a Nov. 8 news release, CenterPoint said it proposed a recovery plan that would surcharge customers over $1 beginning in the second half of 2025 and then below $1 in 2026.
How we got here
At a July meeting, CenterPoint Energy senior executives discussed how Hurricane Beryl and derecho restoration costs came with a price tag costing the utility company an estimated $1.6 billion-$1.8 billion, as previously reported by Community Impact.
CenterPoint Energy executives previously laid out a three-phase resiliency and communications plan while appearing in front of the state's public utility commissioners in Austin on July 25.
In a Nov. 8 news release, CenterPoint said it proposed a recovery plan that would surcharge customers over $1 beginning in the second half of 2025 and then below $1 in 2026, as previously reported by Community Impact.
Quote of note
“CenterPoint Energy is committed to working in full transparency and accountability and we welcome further review on this subject," company officials said in a statement. "As a reminder, the temporary generation procurement went through an open, transparent and thorough PUCT review process. As part of our commitment to improve, CenterPoint has already implemented or is in the process of implementing two-thirds of PA’s 77 recommendations. We look forward to working cooperatively to find constructive solutions and the best path forward for our customers, the Greater Houston region, and the state of Texas."
