Tilemahos Efthimiadis via Flickr Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the investigation into CenterPoint Energy Monday morning, August 12, 2024. On Thursday, CenterPoint Energy released proposed plans to send 15 of its mobile generators — currently located in Houston — to San Antonio this summer to alleviate an anticipated electricity shortfall and allegedly reduce the bills of Houston-area customers.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl — which resulted in more than 40 deaths, and the loss of power for more than 2.2 million homes, schools and businesses — CenterPoint faced scrutiny for its response to the storm. One of the main sticking points for many was the company's $800 million lease of mobile generators that went unused during the storm. CenterPoint said via a statement that the generators had been leased in response to Winter Storm Uri.
According to CenterPoint, the recent proposal to send the generators to San Antonio would alleviate the cost for Houstonians. The company also said this proposal would assist the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the state while making no profit from the possible deal. CenterPoint did not provide exact figures for how the deal would reduce customers’ bills.
"As part of our commitment to better serve our customers, listen to feedback, and help address the state's growing energy needs, we've been working diligently to determine the future role of these 15 large-scale emergency generation units that were originally acquired to help protect customers against extreme weather events like Winter Storm Uri," President & CEO of CenterPoint Energy said via a statement. "Our top priority has remained finding a positive, Texas-driven solution for these units that helps address the energy needs of Texans while helping reduce our customers' bills."
CenterPoint said that the 15 generators could be used to offset the projected shortfall of 800 megawatts in San Antonio this summer. The shortfall will be caused by the request from ERCOT to retire and replace three gas-fired units. Each of CenterPoint's generators creates 27 to 32 megawatts of power, meaning its 15 generators could make up for approximately 450 megawatts.
It is currently unclear if ERCOT will proceed with the proposal, but if the agreement goes through, CenterPoint said the generators would arrive in San Antonio by the summer of 2025.
Until then, the units will remain in Houston in the case of a winter storm or extreme cold, according to CenterPoint.