Texas Governor Greg Abbott toured NRG Arena on Monday to assess the 250 beds established for Houstonians who have been discharged from area hospitals but lack a safe place to stay following Hurricane Beryl.
The state set up the operation at NRG Arena to ensure healthcare access and provide ready-made meals, water, ice, and shelter for those who lost power during the storm.
With Houston Mayor John Whitmire by his side, Abbott emphasized Texas’s commitment to assisting residents directly impacted by the storm and those still without power. Abbott also addressed the response from CenterPoint Energy, expressing his dissatisfaction and demanding answers.
“If CenterPoint does not respond to my request, I will be issuing an executive order imposing, what I think, are the appropriate standards,” Abbott stated. “The standards I want to impose on CenterPoint would be far more costly than what they may be coming up with. If they don’t comply with my request, we’re going to completely re-evaluate the current status of CenterPoint in our area.”
On Sunday afternoon, Abbott criticized CenterPoint for its failures in restoring power to Houstonians and the broader area. “The failure of power companies to provide power to their customers is completely unacceptable,” Abbott said.
Back in the state after an economic trade mission to Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan, Abbott joined Lt. Governor Dan Patrick at a news conference Sunday afternoon at Gallery Furniture. He stressed the ongoing hurricane season and the necessity for CenterPoint to address key issues to prevent future power outages.
“I will give CenterPoint until July 31st to provide my office with specific actions they will take to improve power reliability,” Abbott announced. He outlined several demands, including the removal of vegetation threatening power lines and the pre-staging of sufficient workers to address power outages immediately.
Governor Abbott made it clear that the state would reassess CenterPoint’s presence in Texas if these demands are not met. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick added that hearings would take place next month in Austin to investigate the prolonged power outages in Houston.
“A freight train is coming,” Patrick warned. “You better be prepared.”
