(before and after the storm)
The 100 or more Oklahoma Gas and Electric workers sent to Houston to help restore power arrived to help a beleagered CenterPoint Energy, a power company that’s facing criticism over its lack of speed in bringing back power after Hurricane Beryl hit the city last weekend.
The OG&E workers left Wednesday morning as millions of Texans remain without electricity while temperatures reached sweltering conditions.
The Associated Press reports CenterPoint is Houston’s utility provider and there is growing criticism over whether the huge company was sufficiently prepared before the storm hit. According to the AP, nearly 1.3 million homes and businesses were still without power as of Wednesday afternoon.
Some members of the Houston city council raised critical questions about CenterPoint’s inability to restore power quickly. CenterPoint defended its position and explained it had brought in another 12,000 workers from outside Houston—-that’s’ where the OGE workers come into play.
The wire service quoted CenterPoint Energy’s Brad Tutunjian, vice president for regulatory policy as explaining the additional help could not have been brought in before the storm because it would not have been safe for them to “ride out” the hurricane.
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