Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into the beleaguered electricity transmission company CenterPoint Energy on Monday, citing accusations of fraud, waste and improper use of taxpayer money in its response to widespread power outages in the Houston area after Hurricane Beryl slammed the Gulf Coast on July 8.
“My office is aware of concerning allegations regarding CenterPoint and how its conduct affected readiness during Hurricane Beryl, a storm that left millions of Texans without power,” Paxton said in a news release. “If the investigation uncovers unlawful activity, that activity will be met with the full force of the law.”
CenterPoint, which serves about 7 million customers in U.S. markets along the Gulf and in the Upper Midwest, has been under intense political fire for the protracted restoration of power for some 2.2 million customers in the Houston area after the Category 1 storm struck. In a state Senate hearing last month, company CEO Jason Wells expressed remorse and vowed to “immediately improve resiliency” of its electric power-providing infrastructure.