Texas governor criticizes Houston Energy as utility says power will be largely restored by Wednesday

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Houston area’s main electric company said it expects power to be restored to most residents by Wednesday. But Gov. Greg Abbott continued to criticize CenterPoint Energy on Monday for its preparation and response to the storm. He said the company appears “incapable of doing its job.” Still, some energy experts question whether Abbott and state regulators have long failed to get tough on utilities or upgrade and strengthen the state’s power distribution system. Texas has seen repeated massive blackouts due to weather events. CenterPoint defended its response and the pace of restoring outages after Hurricane Beryl. A spokesman did not respond to an email seeking comment Monday.

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