Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into CenterPoint Energy, the national utility company that left millions in the state without power during Hurricane Beryl.
Paxton’s investigation will cover allegations of fraud, waste, and improper use of taxpayer-provided funds. CenterPoint Energy covers the Houston area, and nearly 3 million people were left without power during July after Hurricane Beryl hit southeastern Texas.
“The Office of the Attorney General is aware of allegations that CenterPoint’s conduct may have resulted in significant harm to Houston residents, including rate increases, outages, and lengthy delays in restoring power during Hurricane Beryl,” Paxton’s office said in a statement.
“If the investigation uncovers unlawful activity, that activity will be met with the full force of the law,” it added.
Hurricane Beryl killed 22 people in the Houston area, with at least half of those being heat-related due to the power outage.
Other Texas lawmakers, including Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and the state Public Utility Commission, are supporting Paxton’s investigation as they have all called for investigations into the company since the hurricane. Even the Harris County Attorney’s Office, which is oftentimes at odds with the state attorney general, was in agreement that the investigation was justified.
“These days it’s hard for folks to agree on much, but everyone agrees that Houston residents were not well served during the Houston derecho and Hurricane Beryl,” Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee told the Hill. “People have real concerns about CenterPoint’s preparation before the storms, how long it took to get the power back on, and why CenterPoint didn’t communicate better.”
“I support the Attorney General’s investigation, and my office is ready to help,” he said.
Last week, CenterPoint responded to Abbott’s feedback about its plan for the next hurricane. The company said it would accelerate its timeline to strengthen its infrastructure in the Houston area, plan to complete more than 40 tasks to strengthen the electric grid, and improve its communications with customers ahead of the next hurricane.
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“We have heard the calls for change, and we are taking action now. This first phase of our Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative will focus on a series of targeted actions to immediately strengthen our infrastructure across our communities,” CenterPoint President and CEO Jason Wells said. “We know have a lot of work to do to re-earn our customers’ trust. This initiative reflects our commitment to become most resilient coastal utility in the country.”
It is unclear at this time whether charges will be pressed or if Paxton’s investigation will lead to further legal action taken against the company.