The details
The committee was formed nine days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall on the Texas coast. Around 2.7 million customers in East Texas lost power as a result of the Category 1 hurricane, and crews were still working to restore power to thousands on July 17.
Residents and state leaders have heavily criticized CenterPoint Energy for its response to the hurricane and questioned whether the electric utility—the largest in the Greater Houston area—did enough to prepare.
The 13-member committee will “review what happened and establish why certain electric utility companies appear to have been woefully unprepared” for the storm and ensure companies “respond more effectively” to future storms, Patrick said in a news release.
Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, was appointed to lead the committee. Schwertner, an orthopedic surgeon, also chairs the Senate’s Business and Commerce Committee, which handles legislation related to the electric grid. The following lawmakers will also join the Special Committee on Hurricane and Tropical Storm Preparedness, Recovery and Electricity:
- Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford (vice chair)
- Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston
- Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston
- Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe
- Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen
- Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston
- Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham
- Sen. Morgan LaMantia, D-Palm Valley
- Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston
- Sen. Borris Miles, D-Houston
- Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville
- Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo
Zooming in
The Public Utility Commission of Texas is conducting a formal investigation into CenterPoint’s response to and lack of public communication about Hurricane Beryl, officials announced July 15. Leaders from CenterPoint and other utility companies testified about their storm recovery efforts at the PUC’s July 11 meeting.
The PUC will likely publish a report with its findings and “long-term fixes” before the Texas Legislature meets in January, PUC chair Thomas Gleeson said.
Gov. Greg Abbott also ordered CenterPoint to submit storm preparedness plans to his office by July 31, including details on how the company will prioritize future power restoration for hospitals and nursing homes, how company leaders will improve communication with customers, and what the company may have missed when preparing for Hurricane Beryl.
“Texans must be able to rely on their energy providers to keep the power flowing, even during hurricane season,” Abbott said in a July 16 letter to CenterPoint president and CEO Jason Wells. “It is your responsibility to properly prepare for these foreseen incidents and work tirelessly to restore power as quickly as possible when it is lost. Anything less is unacceptable.”
One more thing
“The Senate and I are committed to getting the answers” about issues with CenterPoint’s response to Hurricane Beryl, Patrick said in a July 12 social media post.
“People have a right to be extremely frustrated with CenterPoint,” he wrote. “People are suffering through terribly oppressive heat, a lack of food and gasoline availability, debris everywhere, and much more. The poor and most vulnerable are suffering the most.”
