Texas lawmakers ask DOE why it rejected Houston grid upgrade

Seven Texas lawmakers are asking the Biden administration to explain its rejection last year of a funding request from a now-struggling Houston utility to shore up its power distribution system.

The Department of Energy has rejected a request from CenterPoint Energy for $100 million to strengthen utility poles and wires against hurricane winds and flooding.

The company is under investigation in Texas over its response to Hurricane Beryl, which knocked out power to more than 2 million people in the Houston area. Many CenterPoint customers were without power for days as the Houston area was subjected to “extremely dangerous” heat, according to the National Weather Service.

The seven House members, all Republicans, told Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm they were “troubled” by the department’s rejection of CenterPoint’s funding request, which was first reported by POLITICO’s E&E News. The company said in its grant application that it needed the money to “fund wind and flood hazard reduction projects.”