What you need to know
Following a number of reported power outages within the village of Creekside Park, the township received an update from Colby Gravatt, director of electric operations for CenterPoint. Issues with power outages have existed since late 2022, when the township initially requested comment from CenterPoint Energy and was not able to receive answers regarding why the outages occurred during normal conditions.
Gravatt told the board that staff identified a number of issues around Creekside, including:
- Above-ground lines touching
- Trees coming into contact with the lines
- Transformer issues
- Adding circuits
- Moving above-ground power lines underground
- Adding infrared monitors to watch for potential contact points
- Inspecting smaller lines directly to homes
“I will make sure that we figure out what's going on, what we need to address, get them addressed, and then move forward with plans to try and mitigate that from continuing to happen,” Gravatt said. “I've been with this company for 26 years. I value what we do; I value what we're capable of, and I recognize that that's not what's been provided to you all.”
“The residents of Creekside Park, on the east side in particular, are fed up ... the wind blows, and the residents hold their breath to see if the power goes out,” said Nancy Becker, president of the Creekside Park Village Association.
