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ccaggie05
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AgLA06 said:

texasaggie2015 said:

The communication has been objectively awful and that's really all I ask for. I would be perfectly okay if they said "this damage is severe and we're unsure of a timeframe, but please plan to be without power for 7-10 days".

That would suck.. but at least people could make concrete plans and know what to expect.



I don't think it would change a thing, but I can understand wanting more communication.


Are you intentionally being obtuse? Read the comment posted above this about the decision needing to be made regarding either being a jerk and taking back a generator or forcing one's own family to sleep in the heat due to CenterPoint's complete lack of communication.


AgLA06
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I'm not sure it's possible for them to timely communicate the results of their work order system. By the time it was translated to a map it would already completed or no longer correct. Even if they could, I have no idea how they would show the future projections that are changing minute by minute. It would be practically useless as it would be constantly changing and making the situation worse as a person's expected time would be jumping all over the place.

I imagine that's why we're getting a high level generic map that isn't showing much. I think it's completely fair to pressure then to find a way to do so moving forward. Maybe some tech guys can comment on how they could turn the live data into something useful.
AgLA06
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Stat Monitor Repairman said:

Centerpoint screwed up by creating a duty.

They created a duty upon themselves to keep and maintain a detailed outage map.

Now thats the standard. Thats the state of the art.

From now until the end of time people will demand a house by house outage map accurate in real time.

Centerpoint would be better off posting updates on a large scale map by zip code.

Residents might be better off because it eliminates the phycological effect of staring at an outage tracker.

A watched pot takes longer to boil.

A lot of what we are seeing is people trying to reason through something they don't know anything about.

'My neighbor has power and I don't'

'they have it across the street and I don't'

'Haji mart one block away has lights and we don't'

Watching the tracker is like being on a longhaul flight and checking the map every hour. You better off not thinking about it, and you'll get there sooner not thinking about it.


The problem is even on the same street people can have power and be in the dark. Neighborhoods or even zip codes would be more complex. The only way to communicate it would be in something like GIS mapping that would have to automatically pull the data from whatever the system is they are using. Probably a custom mapping system that if even possible would be ridiculously expense.
AgLA06
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https://www.eenews.net/articles/doe-rejected-houston-grid-improvement-a-year-before-beryl-blackout-2/

I hate politics, but this just popped up in my feed. Probably because of this thread.



In the grand scheme of things that $100m grant seems like couch change. I tried to see what Centerpoint's grid hardening plan was because I know they've done things around my neighborhood like replacing wood poles with fiberglass and replacing main lines between substations with larger and stronger structures. There's probably some hundred page document somewhere. Their website references $6 billion spent since 2019, $2.5 Billion in 2025-2027 to be spent and $20 Billion planned.

https://www.centerpointenergy.com/en-us/corporate/about-us/energy-for-the-future

TXTransplant
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AgLA06 said:

I'm not sure it's possible for them to timely communicate the results of their work order system. By the time it was translated to a map it would already completed or no longer correct. Even if they could, I have no idea how they would show the future projections that are changing minute by minute. It would be practically useless as it would be constantly changing and making the situation worse as a person's expected time would be jumping all over the place.

I imagine that's why we're getting a high level generic map that isn't showing much. I think it's completely fair to pressure then to find a way to do so moving forward. Maybe some tech guys can comment on how they could turn the live data into something useful.


Centerpoint used to notify customers when there was an outage, give status updates on the progress of the repairs, and provide ETAs for restoration.

I would get them in the form of emails. There was a time when they were decently accurate. They would tell you when your power would be restored, usually within a couple of hours accuracy. Sometimes you'd get emails saying the repair was taking a little longer.

Then, maybe it was the freeze, but I can't remember, they stopped sending the status updates. They just sent two emails - one notifying you of the outage, and another notifying you power was back on.

Sometime last year, even these emails started to become erratic. If you got one, it might be hours after the power went off. Or you might erroneously get an email that power had been restored (sometimes within minutes of power going out).

There was a storm last June that knocked our power out for 46 hours. We didn't get a single update. Then power went out again for 7, 3, and 5 hours on three separate days in Sept. Zero acknowledgement of the outage and zero updates. This one was really frustrating because the outage was not due to weather. We had no clue what was going on.

So, I don't believe this isn't possible. I do believe it costs money, and that possibly someone has made the decision to eliminate this service to save money. I also believe that it's probably more difficult when outages are widespread and affecting millions of customers.

But saying that it's not possible and/or that our expectations are unreasonable is not consistent with Centerpoint's previous practices during outages.
jopatura
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How I would expect communication to look:

Power goes out.

You tell their system 123 Main St is out of power. You get a text and email to the information on file confirming your outage and that a team will be dispatched.

Once they dispatch a team to assess the outage, you get another message that says "We are on site assessing the issue."

If the worker puts in the system that the transformer is blown and they need a new part that's coming Sunday, you get a message back that says "Outage has been assessed, power cannot be restored at this time. ETA is Sunday."

Or

"Your line is energized. Text 1 if you have power. Text 2 if you are without power." Once you text 2, it puts your address back in the work order system.

Or

"Your line is partially energized. If you are still without power, further work is needed. ETA for reassessment for 123 Main St is Saturday."

I feel like the work order system should be able to handle notifications like that automatically. If it cannot, that's where the money should go first. Fix that and you have a lot more leeway with everything else.
Stat Monitor Repairman
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Quote:

The Biden administration rejected a request from Houston's power utility last year for $100 million to strengthen its electric poles and wires against the type of hurricane winds and flooding that knocked out power..
$100 million seems like chump change considering they spent close to that setting up Covid tents in the Astrodome parking lot.

How much money was wasted on covid outreach, vaccine gift cards, and other covid measures that had zero effect on the outcome.

Americans may be the dumbest and most gullible people alive.

Running a public utility is a fundamental function of government. In fact, you cant get any more basic than keeping the lights on and potable water coming out of the tap.

But somehow they manage to spend on everything else.

Hell, they probably spent more than $100 million installing bike lanes.

Just because its called Centerpoint doesn't change the fact that it's a public utility.
ccaggie05
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TXTransplant said:

AgLA06 said:

I'm not sure it's possible for them to timely communicate the results of their work order system. By the time it was translated to a map it would already completed or no longer correct. Even if they could, I have no idea how they would show the future projections that are changing minute by minute. It would be practically useless as it would be constantly changing and making the situation worse as a person's expected time would be jumping all over the place.

I imagine that's why we're getting a high level generic map that isn't showing much. I think it's completely fair to pressure then to find a way to do so moving forward. Maybe some tech guys can comment on how they could turn the live data into something useful.


Centerpoint used to notify customers when their was an outage, give status updates on the progress of the repairs, and provide ETAs for restoration.

I would get them in the form of emails. There was a time when they were decently accurate. They would tell you when your power would be restored, usually within a couple of hours accuracy. Sometimes you'd get emails saying the repair was taking a little longer.

Then, maybe it was the freeze, but I can't remember, they stopped sending the status updates. They just sent two emails - one notifying you of the outage, and another notifying you power was back on.

Sometime last year, even these emails started to become erratic. If you got one, it might be hours after the power went off. Or you might erroneously get an email that power had been restored (sometimes within minutes of power going out).

There was a storm last June that knocked our power out for 46 hours. We didn't get a single update. Then power went out again for 7, 3, and 5 hours on three separate days in Sept. Zero acknowledgement of the outage and zero updates. This one was really frustrating because the outage was not due to weather. We had no clue what was going on.

So, I don't believe this isn't possible. I do believe it costs money, and that possibly someone has made the decision to eliminate this service to save money. I also believe that it's probably more difficult when outages are widespread and affecting millions of customers.

But saying that it's not possible and/or that our expectations are unreasonable is not consistent with Centerpoint's previous practices during outages.


This is an excellent example of where communication is indeed the issue and needs to be fixed. Keep us in the loop when and where there is new information so again, we as customers can make decisions.

This is far from impossible or unrealistic despite what AgLA06 would have us believe.
Stat Monitor Repairman
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23-years after 9-11 and TRILLIONS wasted in the name of 'homeland security.'

Now you got old folks dying of heat stroke in their own house.

But at least they didn't get killed by a terrorist.
Stat Monitor Repairman
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Quote:

CenterPoint Energy sought the money from a new $10.5 billion Department of Energy program that is helping utilities, states and local agencies protect the electric grid from the growing threats of extreme weather and climate change.
How much tax money is wasted under the nebulous banner of 'fighting the effects of climate change?'

Fighting the effects of climate change is code for wasting money on things that don't concern you ot have anything to do with your life.

They want to spend your money to fight climate change, but not the climate change in your own house when the power is out and it's 105 degrees at night.

Fighting the effects of climate change is hardening the electric grid for windstorms caused by climate change.
BBRex
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Actually Centerpoint is worse than that. It's a monopoly. You get the same lack of oversight and accountability and crappy customer service as government, but you also get CEO's with multi-million dollar salaries and bonuses and bean counters trying to exact cost-cutting measures to boost the stock price. It's a lose-lose situation.
Stat Monitor Repairman
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Politicians will find some way to spend money on everything BUT fortifying public utility against high probability disaster.

Hell, they spent money on an industrial plant to scrub carbon out of the atmosphere and inject it into the ground for god's sake.

They'll literally find a way to spend money on ANYTHING but flood control and basic infrastructure projects.

I'm sure Centerpoint would've been happy to spend the money to replace poles, trim trees and upgrade aging equipment; but no money was allocated for that.

People weren't interested in it.

It wasn't sexy.

Doing flood control projects; not sexy.

Upgrading electrical distribution; not sexy.

Fixing the buffalo bayou fart button; not sexy.

Timing the traffic lights downtown; not sexy.

Point is nobody gives a rats ass about power poles until its 105 degrees and they trying to sleep at night.
BBRex
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Stat Monitor Repairman said:

Quote:

CenterPoint Energy sought the money from a new $10.5 billion Department of Energy program that is helping utilities, states and local agencies protect the electric grid from the growing threats of extreme weather and climate change.
How much tax money is wasted under the nebulous banner of 'fighting the effects of climate change?'

Fighting the effects of climate change is code for wasting money on things that don't concern you ot have anything to do with your life.

They want to spend your money to fight climate change, but not the climate change in your own house when the power is out and it's 105 degrees at night.

Fighting the effects of climate change is hardening the electric grid for windstorms caused by climate change.


Asking for government money when you're cranking out record profits does seem like corporate welfare, even if the request fits the definition of what the aid is for.

Quote:

CenterPoint Energy annual/quarterly gross profit history and growth rate from 2010 to 2024. Gross profit can be defined as the profit a company makes after deducting the variable costs directly associated with making and selling its products or providing its services.
CenterPoint Energy gross profit for the quarter ending March 31, 2024 was $1.832B, a 10.3% increase year-over-year.
CenterPoint Energy gross profit for the twelve months ending March 31, 2024 was $6.707B, a 7.12% increase year-over-year.
CenterPoint Energy annual gross profit for 2023 was $6.536B, a 4.91% increase from 2022.
CenterPoint Energy annual gross profit for 2022 was $6.23B, a 3.54% increase from 2021.
CenterPoint Energy annual gross profit for 2021 was $6.017B, a 6.06% increase from 2020.


https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/CNP/centerpoint-energy/gross-profit
txags92
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BBRex said:

Actually Centerpoint is worse than that. It's a monopoly. You get the same lack of oversight and accountability and crappy customer service as government, but you also get CEO's with multi-million dollar salaries and bonuses and bean counters trying to exact cost-cutting measures to boost the stock price. It's a lose-lose situation.
Speaking of that, as a government granted monopoly, why is Centerpoint allowed to spend money advertising or sponsoring the Astros? They don't need to advertise for anything because their customers have no choice but to pay them.
txags92
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BBRex said:

Stat Monitor Repairman said:

Quote:

CenterPoint Energy sought the money from a new $10.5 billion Department of Energy program that is helping utilities, states and local agencies protect the electric grid from the growing threats of extreme weather and climate change.
How much tax money is wasted under the nebulous banner of 'fighting the effects of climate change?'

Fighting the effects of climate change is code for wasting money on things that don't concern you ot have anything to do with your life.

They want to spend your money to fight climate change, but not the climate change in your own house when the power is out and it's 105 degrees at night.

Fighting the effects of climate change is hardening the electric grid for windstorms caused by climate change.


Asking for government money when you're cranking out record profits does seem like corporate welfare, even if the request fits the definition of what the aid is for.

Quote:

CenterPoint Energy annual/quarterly gross profit history and growth rate from 2010 to 2024. Gross profit can be defined as the profit a company makes after deducting the variable costs directly associated with making and selling its products or providing its services.
CenterPoint Energy gross profit for the quarter ending March 31, 2024 was $1.832B, a 10.3% increase year-over-year.
CenterPoint Energy gross profit for the twelve months ending March 31, 2024 was $6.707B, a 7.12% increase year-over-year.
CenterPoint Energy annual gross profit for 2023 was $6.536B, a 4.91% increase from 2022.
CenterPoint Energy annual gross profit for 2022 was $6.23B, a 3.54% increase from 2021.
CenterPoint Energy annual gross profit for 2021 was $6.017B, a 6.06% increase from 2020.


https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/CNP/centerpoint-energy/gross-profit

Those comparisons using gross profit are pretty worthless IMO. Net income is a far more useful measure, and they were averaging about $1B in net income per year for the last 4 years. They could have easily covered that $100M they asked the government for with 2.5% of their profit over the last 4 years.
Stat Monitor Repairman
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BBRex said:

Actually Centerpoint is worse than that. It's a monopoly. You get the same lack of oversight and accountability and crappy customer service as government, but you also get CEO's with multi-million dollar salaries and bonuses and bean counters trying to exact cost-cutting measures to boost the stock price. It's a lose-lose situation.
Yeah you right.

Centerpoint is a de facto government contractor and all this is just a ruse.

The voters decided through their representatives to contract out the most basic government function.

Which is keep the lights on in the city.

This is like hiring some staffing firm in Mumbai to do your core business function and when your customers ask why the product is crap, you up and blame it on people in India and pretend like you ain't the ones that hired 'em.
BBRex
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I agree that isn't the best metric, but I think the point is the same. Centerpoint isn't exactly have to check the couch cushions for change to keep its own lights on.
Stat Monitor Repairman
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That said, private utilities is the way to go.

Nobody would be better off with county workers administering the electrical utility. It would make the situation worse by far.

But on the other hand you get what you pay for.

Give Centerpoint money to upgrade and maintain lines and they'd would be happy to spend it.

But at the end of the day Houstonians got Champagne taste on a beer budget.

Thats all it boils down to.
BBRex
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I'm a conservative who believes in capitalism (although I have some thoughts about corporations that go against the grain), but I believe that government does have certain functions, one of which is building and maintaining infrastructure for the public good. Turning that responsibility over to a private monopoly was a terrible idea.
txags92
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Stat Monitor Repairman said:

That said, private utilities is the way to go.

Nobody would be better off with county workers administering the electrical utility. It would make the situation worse by far.

But on the other hand you get what you pay for.

Give Centerpoint money to upgrade and maintain lines and they'd would be happy to spend it.

But at the end of the day Houstonians got Champagne taste on a beer budget.

Thats all it boils down to.
They made a billion dollars of profit PER YEAR for the last 4 years. It was not a shortage of money that prevented them from doing basic line maintenance that should be the minimum effort necessary to retain their monopoly status. It was pure greed that made them say let's not do the one thing we know we HAVE to do to keep our network functioning and just pocket all that money as stock options for our executives instead.

Oh and about that beer budget comment, last I checked we paid among the highest utility prices in the country for our electricity and Centerpoint was charging us more in line fees than every other carrier in Texas. So the budget we were paying them is not the problem. We have been paying for champagne for years, but the execs and shareholders are the ones getting to drink it, while the customers are served warm Bud Light.
BBRex
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Edit: txags92 beat me to it. But here are the numbers:

Quote:

CenterPoint Energy annual/quarterly net income history and growth rate from 2010 to 2024. Net income can be defined as company's net profit or loss after all revenues, income items, and expenses have been accounted for.
CenterPoint Energy net income for the quarter ending March 31, 2024 was $0.350B, a 11.82% increase year-over-year.
CenterPoint Energy net income for the twelve months ending March 31, 2024 was $904M, a 12.58% increase year-over-year.
CenterPoint Energy annual net income for 2023 was $0.867B, a 13.99% decline from 2022.
CenterPoint Energy annual net income for 2022 was $1.008B, a 27.53% decline from 2021.
CenterPoint Energy annual net income for 2021 was $1.391B, a 246.58% decline from 2020.

Stat Monitor Repairman
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Quote:

Asking for government money when you're cranking out record profits does seem like corporate welfare, even if the request fits the definition of what the aid is for.
I don't see it as government welfare in a traditional sense.

Taxpayers were happy flying economy until they weren't.

People are ultimately getting what they paid for.

Centerpoint's record profits is simply graft money that would've been skimmed by politicians or wasted for some other purpose if the utility was to be government owned and government run.

So we got to pick our poison in that regard,
Stat Monitor Repairman
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I see what y'all are saying but on the other hand, nothing is stopping anybody from buying stock in Centerpoint and reaping their share of that profit in the form of a 2.64% dividend.

But the average person would rather spend money on an iPhone 15 Pro than buy stock in Centerpoint.

A government owned and operated not-for profit entity might not be the answer either.

It's pick your poison.
whiskey02
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Wow. I haven't seen it discussed, but CP updated their map now to include different colors. The colors seem to indicate "circuits" through July 19. After that it says restoration date pending review. Guess what? I'm on that F'n color.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/195bcf03ae0c491f9f14bf77f2c43420

I guess I have another week of this *****

And yes, I am prepared.
whiskey02
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By the way, anyone know if Harris County will be picking up tree stumps/debris?

I have plenty, and would like to not have to pay our southern friends to haul ot off.
Stat Monitor Repairman
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txags92 said:

BBRex said:

Actually Centerpoint is worse than that. It's a monopoly. You get the same lack of oversight and accountability and crappy customer service as government, but you also get CEO's with multi-million dollar salaries and bonuses and bean counters trying to exact cost-cutting measures to boost the stock price. It's a lose-lose situation.
Speaking of that, as a government granted monopoly, why is Centerpoint allowed to spend money advertising or sponsoring the Astros? They don't need to advertise for anything because their customers have no choice but to pay them.
Centerpoint is not advertising its product in a traditional sense.

This is Centerpoint advertising for the sale of its own stock.
Guitarsoup
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JAgLA06 said:

https://www.eenews.net/articles/doe-rejected-houston-grid-improvement-a-year-before-beryl-blackout-2/

I hate politics, but this just popped up in my feed. Probably because of this thread.



In the grand scheme of things that $100m grant seems like couch change. I tried to see what Centerpoint's grid hardening plan was because I know they've done things around my neighborhood like replacing wood poles with fiberglass and replacing main lines between substations with larger and stronger structures. There's probably some hundred page document somewhere. Their website references $6 billion spent since 2019, $2.5 Billion in 2025-2027 to be spent and $20 Billion planned.

https://www.centerpointenergy.com/en-us/corporate/about-us/energy-for-the-future


Maybe Biden refused the funding because they raked in over $25 billion in profit in the last 4 years so they clearly had the money to do it. Did they go ahead and do the needed projects they asked for a handout to do, or did they just have MarComm put out an angry press release?
Stat Monitor Repairman
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Centerpoint is gonna do the absolute minimum amount of preventative maintenance they can get away with.

If the customer wants more preventative maintenance then they going to have to pay extra in the form of taxes.

The people that are in charge of allocating tax money chose not to give extra money to Centerpoint because it wasn't a priority for them.

Now it is a priority and people are mad.
tamugmidn
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Stat Monitor Repairman
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If Centerpoint was government owned and still managed to generate $1 billion in revenue, that money would simply be dumped into the general fund and wasted on some other project unrelated to maintaining power lines.
TC09
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It's baffling to see them not catching any quick wins at this point either.

Neighbor had a tree on our line. On Tuesday North Houston Pole came out and energized the line without walking it first. Tree starts to smolder and we flag North Houston Pole to see the tree about to catch fire and they quickly cutoff power. We offer to have the tree crew working across the street remove the tree and if they could come back in an hour to energize. Response is "No" we have to get a new ticket for it. Neighbor ends up paying tree crew to remove tree from line. Tuesday evening an assessment crew comes out to look for the tree sees it removed and says "all we have to do is energize now" and puts that note in the ticketing system.

There hasn't been a line truck in the neighborhood since Tuesday. We have effectively what is a flip of a switch that would take less than 30 minutes time and would restore power to 30 homes. Incredible.
Sea Speed
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Really nasty out there on the east side this morning.
Dill-Ag13
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The vast majority of people know what MUD they are in, some might even know their property tax property number. It would not be hard to create a simple database, whereby you punching your address and it gives you the status for your grid number. No map, ignore ZIP Code, A much simpler way to provide information
Dill-Ag13
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Sea Speed said:

Really nasty out there on the east side this morning.


Humid? Foggy here and eleventy% humidity in the woodlands/south dallas
Sea Speed
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Dill-Ag13 said:

Sea Speed said:

Really nasty out there on the east side this morning.


Humid? Foggy here and eleventy% humidity in the woodlands/south dallas


Heavy rain and lightning
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