Michael Minasi
CenterPoint Energy is walking back a previous request to the state’s Public Utility Commission to increase customer electricity bills by $1.25 monthly.
The company said the request withdrawal was “part of a company-wide commitment to act urgently and immediately to improve and strengthen the resiliency of the energy system during this hurricane season.”
CenterPoint filed the original request on March 6. It was set to recover $6 billion the company invested in the electric grid by installing more than 2,000 miles of new distribution lines, six new distribution substations, 25 new generation resources interconnected to the grid and 11 substations elevated to aid in flood mitigation.
The rate increase was in the process of being reviewed by the public utility commission when it was pulled on Thursday, according to the company.
According to the company’s request documents filed in March, the rate increases would have raised the company’s revenue by more than $17 million. The company stated the rate would “present an opportunity to establish a solid foundation to enable CenterPoint Houston to continue meeting customer needs.”
“We are acting urgently to strengthen our resiliency, improve our communications and emergency coordination,” CEO Jason Wells said in a statement Thursday. We believe any delay or distraction from this mission is unacceptable.”
A decision was set to be made on the rate increases by September.
After customers endured weeks of lasting and rolling power outages after Hurricane Beryl made its way through Houston, the company established an action plan to address customer frustrations after Texas Governor Greg Abbott implored the company to make changes.
The action plan includes more than 40 actions to address the resiliency of the electric system, improve customer communications and strengthen emergency response coordination.
CenterPoint Energy early Thursday published a long awaited power outage map after months of complaints when the company removed its former map that showed the general location of power outages in the greater Houston region.
RELATED: CenterPoint publishes new power outage map after Hurricane Beryl, derecho criticisms
“Nothing is more important than being ready for the next hurricane and rebuilding the trust of the community we are privileged to serve,” Wells said Thursday.