Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
All right.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We talk about Centerpoint, and we talk about power demand
all the time, and we have talked recently about rising
power demand, not just from all the people who've moved
here to Texas and all the businesses that have moved
to Texas, but the types of businesses that are moving
to Texas. You've got a bunch of AI projects coming
to Houston with Apple and Nvidia, and they draw a
(00:20):
lot of energy. The question is will we be prepared?
It hers joins us energy fellow at the University of Houston, ed,
Welcome to the show. I don't think we're looking good morning, Yeah,
good morning, do you sir? I don't think we're prepared yet.
The question is will we be prepared?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
We'll be fine. These projects, these are in industrial constructions.
This is going to take a couple of three years
to get everything put together and built. We certainly have
enough generation capacity around the Houston area to serve everybody.
Center Point really is going to be in charge of
hooking up the wires, if you will, making sure the
(00:55):
connections are able to be made, and that's what they do.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
That simple huh, I think it really is.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
You know, it's uh, we've seen the work around town
that Center Points doing to harden the grid with the
steel poles, the composite poles hanging the wires above the
tree canopy going underground in some places. You know, what
what's concerning is the Public Utility Commission cut Center Point's
(01:26):
resiliency plan from five point seven billion to two point
seven billion. You know, they proposed something really in response
to criticism from the local government, the city and county.
This is where we where they had their service area
and the well. The governor's appointees on the Public Utility
(01:49):
Commission took a took a hacket to it and cut
it by more than half.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Why why did they do that?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
I can I can't tell you. I don't know why.
They said, well, we don't want to keep the rates up,
we don't want to do this. But we know that
this time last year we were still reeling from having
Hurricane Beryl go through a small category one that took
certain point more than three weeks in some places to
restore the grid.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Yeah, this is quickly morphing it. I think into a
little bit of a different conversation here, because it sounds
to me like you may be feeling a little critical
towards the Public Utility Commission, And I can tell you
I certainly am. I do not believe that the people
the governor appointed this commission know what the hell they're doing.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Now. The three commissioners now are well, they're in ground,
they've never run a utility. They're lawyers, their lobbyists, that's
their qualification.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Are they political paybacks? Is that what they are?
Speaker 2 (02:50):
I don't think they're political paybacks. They've never gotten a
position to be of any political power.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
They're just Google de Trump. Are they supporters of Governor
Abbitt who really shouldn't have the position with that? Absolutely,
but the only and they only had it because of
the relationship with.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Them, Right, that's the first qualification. You know, we don't
We don't have anybody on the commission from the Houston
area either.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I would think that, you know, I'm a little surprised
that more attention hasn't been paid to that aspect of it,
because certainly this commission was in charge. When they allowed
Centerpoint to get to the point where they hadn't really
maintained the things the way they should. Everybody got upset,
including the governor, put a lot of pressure on Center
Point in order to doubt Danny's spend more money to
(03:34):
do what they had to do to make the grid safe,
and they responded by doing that. Unfortunately they had to
be forced into doing it. But through all of this,
you've got the same Public Utility Commission members that you
had before. I would have thought they would be the
first people you've wanted to change.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Well, it's a little different. We did have a Houstonian
on the Commission this time last year, and we had
a several resign over the past couple of three years,
as you know. And the folks who are the three
commissioners who are serving now, I think they can have
up to five are Abbot loyalists from Bostin.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Well, I don't mind if the governor wants to have
a loyalist on the Public Utility Commission, as long as
they know what they're doing, some background, have some background
in energy for goodness eggs.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah, the Public Utility Commission has been a problem for
a long time. During Rick Perry's reign, the commissioners for
primarily right of way lawyers, and they they advertise for
their right of way legal services even while they were
ruling on wires and underground utilities, pipelines and things that
(04:47):
are necessary for the local distribution of electricity and gas.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
So sounds like some changes need to be made. Ed.
Thank you, appreciate your tonight.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
I think we do.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Okay, okay, all right, you to have a great day.
HER's Energy Fellow at the University of Houston is five
fifty seven.
All right.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We talk about Centerpoint, and we talk about power demand
all the time, and we have talked recently about rising
power demand, not just from all the people who've moved
here to Texas and all the businesses that have moved
to Texas, but the types of businesses that are moving
to Texas. You've got a bunch of AI projects coming
to Houston with Apple and Nvidia, and they draw a
(00:20):
lot of energy. The question is will we be prepared?
It hers joins us energy fellow at the University of Houston, ed,
Welcome to the show. I don't think we're looking good morning, Yeah,
good morning, do you sir? I don't think we're prepared yet.
The question is will we be prepared?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
We'll be fine. These projects, these are in industrial constructions.
This is going to take a couple of three years
to get everything put together and built. We certainly have
enough generation capacity around the Houston area to serve everybody.
Center Point really is going to be in charge of
hooking up the wires, if you will, making sure the
(00:55):
connections are able to be made, and that's what they do.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
That simple huh, I think it really is.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
You know, it's uh, we've seen the work around town
that Center Points doing to harden the grid with the
steel poles, the composite poles hanging the wires above the
tree canopy going underground in some places. You know, what
what's concerning is the Public Utility Commission cut Center Point's
(01:26):
resiliency plan from five point seven billion to two point
seven billion. You know, they proposed something really in response
to criticism from the local government, the city and county.
This is where we where they had their service area
and the well. The governor's appointees on the Public Utility
(01:49):
Commission took a took a hacket to it and cut
it by more than half.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Why why did they do that?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
I can I can't tell you. I don't know why.
They said, well, we don't want to keep the rates up,
we don't want to do this. But we know that
this time last year we were still reeling from having
Hurricane Beryl go through a small category one that took
certain point more than three weeks in some places to
restore the grid.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Yeah, this is quickly morphing it. I think into a
little bit of a different conversation here, because it sounds
to me like you may be feeling a little critical
towards the Public Utility Commission, And I can tell you
I certainly am. I do not believe that the people
the governor appointed this commission know what the hell they're doing.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Now. The three commissioners now are well, they're in ground,
they've never run a utility. They're lawyers, their lobbyists, that's
their qualification.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Are they political paybacks? Is that what they are?
Speaker 2 (02:50):
I don't think they're political paybacks. They've never gotten a
position to be of any political power.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
They're just Google de Trump. Are they supporters of Governor
Abbitt who really shouldn't have the position with that? Absolutely,
but the only and they only had it because of
the relationship with.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Them, Right, that's the first qualification. You know, we don't
We don't have anybody on the commission from the Houston
area either.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I would think that, you know, I'm a little surprised
that more attention hasn't been paid to that aspect of it,
because certainly this commission was in charge. When they allowed
Centerpoint to get to the point where they hadn't really
maintained the things the way they should. Everybody got upset,
including the governor, put a lot of pressure on Center
Point in order to doubt Danny's spend more money to
(03:34):
do what they had to do to make the grid safe,
and they responded by doing that. Unfortunately they had to
be forced into doing it. But through all of this,
you've got the same Public Utility Commission members that you
had before. I would have thought they would be the
first people you've wanted to change.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Well, it's a little different. We did have a Houstonian
on the Commission this time last year, and we had
a several resign over the past couple of three years,
as you know. And the folks who are the three
commissioners who are serving now, I think they can have
up to five are Abbot loyalists from Bostin.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Well, I don't mind if the governor wants to have
a loyalist on the Public Utility Commission, as long as
they know what they're doing, some background, have some background
in energy for goodness eggs.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah, the Public Utility Commission has been a problem for
a long time. During Rick Perry's reign, the commissioners for
primarily right of way lawyers, and they they advertise for
their right of way legal services even while they were
ruling on wires and underground utilities, pipelines and things that
(04:47):
are necessary for the local distribution of electricity and gas.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
So sounds like some changes need to be made. Ed.
Thank you, appreciate your tonight.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
I think we do.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Okay, okay, all right, you to have a great day.
HER's Energy Fellow at the University of Houston is five
fifty seven.
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