Austin, Texas – The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) has issued requests for information (RFI) to utilities impacted by Hurricane Beryl as part of its ongoing investigation into Houston Area utility storm preparedness and response. Utilities must file their responses to the RFIs by Aug. 30 in PUCT Docket No. 56822.
“Hurricane Beryl had devastating effects along the Texas coast, left millions without power, and made it clear that utilities have to be better prepared for natural disasters” PUCT Chairman Thomas Gleeson said. “A key step in our investigation is gathering information from utilities and impacted Texans to get a clear picture of what went wrong and where improvements need to be made. Texans deserve answers and expect solutions, and that’s why our investigation will be open to the public every step of the way.”
The PUCT opened the investigation into utility preparedness and response in the Greater Houston area on July 15, 2024 at the direction of Governor Greg Abbott. The investigation will assess the emergency preparedness and response of utilities in the aftermath of the May 2024 derecho event and Hurricane Beryl, develop recommendations for utilities and the Texas Legislature to minimize storm-caused utility service disruptions, and identify potential changes to Commission rules.
The PUCT issued the RFIs to all electric, water and sewer, and telecommunications utilities serving the greater Houston area. The RFIs include questions on utilities’:
- Emergency drills and planning
- Public communication and coordination
- Customer restoration processes
- Physical infrastructure
- Vegetation management (electric and telecommunications utilities only)
- Staffing and mutual assistance (electric utilities only)
- Use of mobile generation (electric utilities only)
As part of the ongoing investigation, the PUCT also invited affected local governments, community centers and organizations, power generation companies, trade associations, retail electric providers, and medical and eldercare facilities in the Houston region to respond to RFIs.
The PUCT continues to encourage utility customers impacted by the derecho or Hurricane Beryl to fill out the public questionnaire, available on the PUCT website. More than 14,000 responses have been received so far.
All information filed in PUCT Docket No. 56882 is publicly available unless otherwise considered confidential by state law.
