'Clock is ticking': Texas Gov. Abbott gives utility company deadline to fix power outages

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has given the utility company under fire for the prolonged and widespread power outages in the Houston area until the end of the month to develop a plan to minimize future outages or face unspecified executive orders to address its shortcomings.

CenterPoint Energy, which is responsible for delivering electricity from the generation source to the homes and businesses in its service area, has taken the brunt of criticism for the high-water mark of 2.2 million Houston area electric customers who lost power after Beryl slammed ashore last week as a Category 1 hurricane. The company has said 98% of those customers have had their power restored, but that still leaves nearly 300,000 customers without lights, refrigeration, and air conditioning amid sweltering heat.

A deadly heat wave has baked the region in the past week as some residents who lost power took shelter in their vehicles, cooling centers, and hotels. Houston had a heat index of 103 degrees Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

"Just suffice it to say that the clock is ticking for CenterPoint to step up and get the job done," Abbott said at a news conference Monday in Houston, where he was joined by Mayor John Whitmire and Thomas Gleeson, chairman of the Texas Public Utility Commission.

"The lack of power (from) CenterPoint continues to compromise lives here in the Greater Houston-Harris County area," Abbott added. "If you are without power in the extreme heat that we are facing, that alone can cause challenges."

Meanwhile, state and local agencies are providing ready-made meals to people without power and access to food, water, and other necessities, Abbott said. Law enforcement presence in the area has also increased with the deployment of more Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and other officers from various parts of Texas.

'No end in sight':Days after Beryl, oppressive heat and no power for more than 500k in Texas

CenterPoint Energy promises to restore power to remaining customers

In a news release Monday, CenterPoint said it was "repositioning crews and equipment" to make repairs to damaged wires and poles in areas with the most urgent needs. Although power has been restored to nearly 2 million customers, a top company official acknowledged that too many people are still having to wait.

“We know the remaining customers are counting on us and are committed to restoring power to all remaining customers able to receive it," said Lynnae Wilson, a senior CenterPoint vice president.

As CenterPoint scrambles to alleviate the remaining outages, Abbott's directives require it to provide the governor's office with detailed plans for removing all vegetation that threatens power lines, specify how it will prepare for future tropical storms that threaten the Gulf Coast, and specify action it will take to position personnel "to immediately respond to any power outages that may occur for any tropical storm that hits their service region."

Gleeson, whose agency regulates the Texas electricity market, said the state Public Utility Commission will also investigate CenterPoint's actions related to the outages.

"CenterPoint has to do better. I cannot urge this enough," Gleeson said. "I have tried to stress with their executives that CenterPoint has to have a sense of urgency. What I guarantee to the governor is I will bring back actions that we can do immediately and not wait to address. I will expect those to be done during this hurricane season."

This isn't the first time CenterPoint has taken heat for power outages. In 2020, Texas grocery store chain H-E-B sued the energy company over a requested rate increase, arguing that it had been forced to install backup generators at its stores due to repeated outages and that it shouldn't have to foot a larger energy bill in addition to those costs. H-E-B won, and the company ousted its CEO.

Aftermath of Hurricane Beryl

Beryl, the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, churned through the Caribbean earlier this month as it damaged infrastructure and power lines in Jamaica, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. At least 11 people were killed across the Caribbean.

In the United States, Texas took the brunt of the storm as it slammed the state's Gulf Coast last Monday as a Category 1 hurricane.

Heavy rain and strong gusts flooded streets, trapped people in their cars, and knocked out power to more than 2 million homes and businesses. Beryl also spun numerous tornadoes in the state and parts of the Ohio Valley.

Residents were left without electricity for days and at least one death is believed to be linked to heat exposure while at least two people in Harris County died from carbon monoxide poisoning, a major risk when operating home generators, USA TODAY previously reported. The Houston Chronicle reported that storm-related deaths in the region climbed to 13.

Contributing: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY