Hurricane Beryl has left Houston struggling to recover amidst significant criticism directed towards CenterPoint Energy. Power interruptions affecting 1.2 million consumers are causing anger and significant disruptions for both residents and businesses. Calls have been made for CenterPoint Energy to increase accountability and hasten the integration of alternative power sources.
The timeframe for power restoration remains uncertain despite assistance from out-of-state technicians. This ambiguity is further fuelling local discontent and raising concerns about the company’s crisis management ability. The delay is compromising the trust locals have in CenterPoint Energy, not alleviated by the efforts of outside staff.
Molly McPherson, a former FEMA crisis communications strategist, has called for swift power restoration and enhanced communication from CenterPoint Energy. She emphasizes clear, consistent updates on the restoration timeline and the obstacles encountered, insisting that transparency can assuage consumer frustrations. A delayed response, according to McPherson, could inflict long-term reputational damage for the company.
CenterPoint’s new outage map has attracted criticism for perceived inaccuracies and vagueness.
Houston’s power outage: CenterPoint’s credibility questioned
Despite the company’s assertion that the map is a positive development intended for periodic updates and improvements based on user feedback, querying its usefulness due to a lack of precision in identifying affected locations. Concerns also loom large over the reliability of estimated power restoration times.
Doug Lewin, an energy advisor, enhances criticism pointing out the outage map’s inaccuracies. He argues that these errors, coupled with the company’s lackluster response, cast doubt on their credibility. He urges CenterPoint to address these issues promptly.
First Ward resident and ex-staff of Houston mayors, Bill Kelly, adds further scrutiny on the accuracy of the outage map as the map misrepresents a lineman’s house’s power status. This questions the validity of the outage map, triggering widespread, local discussion.
Both McPherson and Kelly recommend heightened communication clarity, effective reporting, and timely power restoration from CenterPoint Energy. They stress that thorough updates reflecting transparency and accountability should be coupled with service restoration. This balance, they believe, is crucial in regaining customer trust while ensuring prompt power restoration.
