HOUSTON — CenterPoint Energy has decided to withdraw its request to raise consumer rates.
The power company announced on Thursday it's withdrawing its March 6 filing that was under review by the Public Utilities Commission. The increase would have raised monthly bills by around $1.25.
Instead, CenterPoint said it wants to focus on resiliency this hurricane season and restoring the public’s trust after Beryl.
“Our company’s collective focus for the remainder of this hurricane season will be on being ready: that is our mission,” said CenterPoint CEO Jason Wells in a release. “Nothing is more important than being ready for the next hurricane and rebuilding the trust of the community we are privileged to serve.”
Wells has been on the hot seat since Hurricane Beryl for the company’s preparation for and response to Beryl. Earlier this week, he testified before a special committee set up to look at how the storm was handled by power companies.
After Beryl, the company released a list of actions it's taking to make sure the electrical system can bounce back. CenterPoint was also addressing communication with customers.
Thursday morning, the company also released a new outage tracking map. The previous one had been down since the May 16 derecho.