HOUSTON — In a surprise appearance, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick grilled members of the Public Utility Commission of Texas at a public hearing and workshop in Houston.
The lieutenant governor said he has heard from businesses who are reluctant to move to Houston due to worries over how long it could take to get power back after a major storm. He went on to ask the PUCT board to recommend that the CEO of CenterPoint Energy, Jason Wells, resign.
Patrick cited a previous hearing in which Wells said he wasn't sure whether customers were being overcharged in a $800 million generator lease deal. The lieutenant governor called it a bad deal.
The PUCT responded by saying they've requested a previous resilience plan that was denied, but agreed to look into the lieutenant governor's concerns.
Saturday's workshop was intended for PUCT to address Houston's concerns on electric utilities' preparations and responses to recent major storms. The workshop was open to the public and Texans were invited to share their experiences with the board.
CenterPoint drew heavy criticism over its response to Hurricane Beryl, which left much of the Houston area in the dark for weeks. Since the storm, the company has worked to improve the resilience of its power grid in Southeast Texas by installing and replacing power poles, trimming vegetation along powerlines and installing automated devices.