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Published on July 24, 2024
Houston Utility Faces Backlash Over Response to Hurricane Beryl Amid Mass Power OutagesSource: Google Street View

As Houston grapples with the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, the spotlight has turned sharply onto CenterPoint Energy Inc. The Houston-based utility company has faced criticism for what many perceive as a less-than-adequate response to the widespread power outages caused by the storm. According to a Houston Chronicle report, more than 2.26 million CenterPoint customers were without power at the height of the storm-induced outages.

Delays and missteps by the utility compelled Houston’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to rapidly create their own power outage map — a tool typically sourced from CenterPoint. "We were in the dark," OEM spokesperson Brent Taylor was noted saying by the Houston Chronicle. The city's emergency response teams, customarily reliant on CenterPoint's outage map for deployment of resources, were forced to instead utilize a less precise tracker indicating only the number of impacted customers. This made it difficult to precisely deliver immediate help where it was most needed.

On the other hand, CenterPoint's response capacity during Beryl has been debated. A Bloomberg article brought forward concerns from a cadre of experts, indicating a shortage of workers and insufficient vegetation management as key issues affecting the recovery efforts. Interviews and reports cited in the article suggest that these combined issues delayed the restoration process significantly.

"These storms are not surprising. Why do we react like they are? Why are we not prepared? Why a week later, when we know it’s going to be 100 degrees in July, do we still have hundreds of thousands of people without power?" queried Thomas Coleman, CEO of Structure Energy Solutions, according to his interview with Bloomberg. Meanwhile, graffiti with the words "CenterPointle$$" found traction among locals, reflecting discontent with the company amidst sweltering post-storm conditions.

Despite the operational hiccups, CenterPoint ultimately provided zip code information on outages to OEM. Yet the improvised mapping process still represented a costly detour, diverting time that could have been spent on direct response to emergencies. Houston officials plan to return to using CenterPoint’s outage map, though its fallibility during Beryl has been widely noted.

The state of Texas itself seems to be a new epicenter for extreme weather in the U.S., adding strain on an already fragile electric grid. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has launched an investigation into CenterPoint's preparation and response to Beryl's blows. Facing heat from the public and officials alike, the company defended its restoration efforts. Brad Tutunjian, a vice president at CenterPoint, proudly told Bloomberg, "I have never seen anything this swift," in comparison to previous hurricane responses, even though the community's experience suggests otherwise.