Three weeks have passed since Hurricane Beryl struck Texas, and the repercussions from the resulting energy crisis are still unfolding.
On Monday morning, Texas lawmakers in Austin scrutinized CenterPoint Energy, the company at the center of the crisis, as part of a state-ordered investigation into the incident.
Hurricane Beryl made landfall on July 8, causing over 2.5 million people in the Houston area to lose power. The storm and prolonged outages, which lasted nearly two weeks in the intense July heat, led to at least 23 deaths, many from heat-related illnesses.
Critics have questioned whether CenterPoint failed to properly maintain trees, if they were adequately staffed, and if their resources met industry standards.
In response, the Public Utility Commission of Texas has launched an investigation. Last week, CenterPoint executives issued a public apology during the PUC’s monthly meeting and outlined planned improvements. Over the weekend, CEO Jason Wells assured customers in a letter that the company would enhance its operations starting August 1.
On Monday, Wells is testifying before a special committee hearing in the Texas Senate, joined by Houston Mayor John Whitmire. The hearing began at 10 a.m.
A deadline set by Texas Governor Greg Abbott is approaching this week. Abbott had previously demanded that CenterPoint Energy detail its plans for improving hurricane preparedness by July 31. He warned that failure to comply could result in an executive order establishing new guidelines to prevent future power outages.
Additionally, Abbott has requested a comprehensive report on the issues encountered during Hurricane Beryl by the end of the year.
