CenterPoint Energy CEO Faces Lawmakers Over Hurricane Beryl Outages
- The Texas Senate has convened a special committee to address the power outages experienced during Hurricane Beryl.
- Executives from Houston's major utility provider are being questioned about the failure to maintain electricity during the storm.
- This inquiry aims to uncover lapses in response and ensure accountability for the disruptions.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Jason Wells, the CEO of CenterPoint Energy, faced intense scrutiny from Texas lawmakers on Monday regarding the prolonged power outages following Hurricane Beryl, which struck the Texas coast earlier this month. During a legislative hearing, Wells acknowledged his personal accountability for failing to meet customer expectations during the crisis, which left nearly 3 million people without power and resulted in at least 36 fatalities. He emphasized that resigning would hinder the company's momentum in implementing necessary changes. In response to the criticism, Wells announced the launch of an outage tracker aimed at better preparing customers for future storms, as well as plans to hire a chief communications officer to enhance the company's messaging. This hearing marked the first public questioning of Wells since the hurricane's landfall on July 8, with lawmakers demanding answers about the company's lack of preparedness and the delayed deployment of the outage tracker. Republican state Senator Brandon Creighton highlighted the tragic impact of the storm on his constituents, while Senator Paul Bettencourt pressed Wells on calls for his resignation from frustrated residents. Despite the backlash, CenterPoint Energy defended its storm preparedness efforts, noting the deployment of approximately 12,000 additional workers to restore power. The aftermath of Hurricane Beryl adds to a troubling history of natural disasters affecting Houston, including a severe storm in May and the catastrophic winter storm in 2021 that left millions without power.