Attorney General Paxton opens investigation into CenterPoint Energy

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced weeks ago that he wanted to know more about how a Houston-area utility company responded to Hurricane Beryl early last month, even going so far as to demand an investigation.

On Monday, the probe into CenterPoint Energy was officially launched.

In a Monday release, Attorney General Ken Paxton says he is aware of allegations that CenterPoint’s conduct may have resulted in significant harm to Houston residents, including rate increases, outages, and lengthy delays in restoring power during Hurricane Beryl. Paxton confirmed the investigation was open and suggested that CenterPoint Energy might be in violation of Texas law.

“My office is aware of concerning allegations regarding CenterPoint and how its conduct affected readiness during Hurricane Beryl, a storm that left millions of Texans without power,” said Attorney General Paxton. “If the investigation uncovers unlawful activity, that activity will be met with the full force of the law.”

The release says the investigation will examine allegations of fraud, waste, and improper use of taxpayer-provided funds.

This is a developing story and KTSA News will give more details when possible.