Luttrell Leads Letter to Secretary Granholm Addressing Concern with Decision Affecting Texas Power Company CenterPoint Energy

WASHINGTON – Congressman Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) led a letter to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm expressing concern over a DOE decision to deny CenterPoint Energy’s, a Houston-based utility company, application of roughly $100 million from the DOE’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program following a recent report. This decision potentially had a significant impact on Texas’ power restoration and recovery efforts after Hurricane Beryl. The letter was cosigned by Texas Congressmen Michael McCaul, Brian Babin, Dan Crenshaw, Randy Weber, John Carter, and Lance Gooden.

The Members wrote in part, “According to reports, CenterPoint specifically requested the assistance “to fund high wind and flood mitigation projects.” It should be noted that it was flooding and high winds from Hurricane Beryl that caused one of the largest – and ongoing – power outages in CenterPoint’s history. Further, it seems this denial was issued despite our region being particularly susceptible to weather events that impact grid infrastructure.

The DOE’s decision appears to have significant implications for Texas’s recovery efforts and raises questions about the criteria and reasoning behind such determinations. It seems apparent to us that our region should have been a high priority applicant based on the consistent severe weather that impacts grid infrastructure.”

Read the full text of the letter here.