Public Utility Commission of Texas Commissioner Lori Cobos talks to CenterPoint Energy CEO Jason Wells during a PUC meeting on July 25.

Linemen tend to fallen power lines in the East End neighborhood of Houston, days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall in July.

CenterPoint Energy CEO Jason Wells speaks to a reporter at a CenterPoint Energy office in Houston about the effort to restore power in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.

A team from CenterPoint Energy, including CEO Jason Wells, center, finishes speaking with commissioners during a meeting of the Public Utility Commission of Texas on July 25.

A lineman tends to fallen power lines in the East End neighborhood of Houston, days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall, July 11, 2024 in Houston.

The Public Utility Commission will hear testimony in Houston on Saturday about how badly CenterPoint Energy failed during recent severe storms and what they should do about it.

Commissioners appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott will hear first from the utility responsible for distributing electricity in Greater Houston and then listen to the public. That’s backward, because the PUC should be collecting the public’s questions to ask CenterPoint’s executives.

In recent weeks, CenterPoint’s spin doctors have shifted from apology mode into an attack strategy. CEO Jason Wells is fighting to keep his job after badly mishandling Hurricane Beryl and its aftermath, and he’s done asking for forgiveness and hopes to escape consequences.

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