Houston-area cities are pushing back against CenterPoint Energy’s plans to charge customers $1.3 billion for last year’s Hurricane Beryl and other storms.
As the region’s primary electric distributor, CenterPoint is legally allowed to charge customers all of its “reasonable and necessary” costs preparing for and responding to extreme weather events. In exchange, its proposed rates must be scrutinized and approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the state’s utility regulator.
If approved, CenterPoint’s $1.3 billion in storm charges would add $2.13 per month to the average household’s electricity bill, according to the company’s application to raise rates…