Greater than a yr after Hurricane Beryl left greater than 2.2 million Houston-area properties and companies with out energy, Harris County residents nonetheless have an overwhelmingly adverse opinion of CenterPoint Vitality, which provides electrical energy to a lot of the area. That’s in keeping with a brand new survey by the College of Houston Interest College of Public Affairs.
In accordance with the survey of Harris County voters printed Tuesday, 63% of respondents had an unfavorable opinion of CenterPoint, with 33% having a good opinion and 4% not having any opinion.
Supplied/ UH Interest College of Public Affairs
On July 8, 2024, Hurricane Beryl made landfall as a class 1 storm and handed virtually straight over Houston lower than two months after town had skilled hurricane-level winds throughout a derecho storm in Might. Beryl left roughly 80% of CenterPoint’s clients with out energy. For greater than every week afterwards, tons of of hundreds remained with out electrical energy.
The native dying toll from Hurricane Beryl reached at least 42, with 22 deaths occurring in Harris County. No less than 10 deaths in Harris County have been brought on by hyperthermia related to a scarcity of energy amidst the summer season warmth.
In June of this yr, CenterPoint reached a $3.2 billion settlement with a number of Houston-area municipalities. The funds will likely be used over the following a number of years as a part of a systemwide resiliency plan to enhance the ability grid.
The survey additionally requested residents about their notion of CenterPoint’s progress on hardening the realm’s electrical grid since Hurricane Beryl.
In accordance with the survey, 44% of respondents mentioned CenterPoint had solely made “just a little bit” progress on bettering the grid’s reliability. Simply over 1 / 4 of respondents mentioned they felt the ability firm had made no enhancements in any respect, whereas 23% mentioned the corporate had made “a good quantity” of progress. Solely 7% believed CenterPoint had made “an excellent deal” of progress.
Supplied/ UH Interest College of Public Affairs
The survey additionally discovered that the overwhelming majority of Harris County residents are frightened about extreme summer season climate. Lack of energy was the best concern, with excessive wind harm and flooding additionally being prime of thoughts.
In accordance with the survey, 42% of residents have been “very frightened” about shedding energy, whereas 27% have been “reasonably frightened,” 19% have been “just a little frightened” and 12% have been “in no way frightened.”
Worries about excessive wind harm have been decrease, with 25% being “very frightened,” 29% being “reasonably frightened,” 31% being “just a little frightened” and 15% being “in no way frightened,” in keeping with the survey.
Amongst survey respondents, flooding was much less of a priority, with about 20% being “very frightened,” 24% being “reasonably frightened,” 27% being “just a little frightened” and 29% being “in no way frightened.”
Supplied/ UH Interest College of Public Affairs
The research surveyed 2,300 registered voters in Harris County between July 9-18. The margin of error was +/- 2.04%.
