CPS Energy’s frustrated customers criticize the utility’s management of the winter energy crisis

San Antonio – Dozens of irritated customers of CPS Energy gave the most important utility providers a mind during the first meeting of the CPS Board of Directors since last week’s controlled outages.

At the peak of the controlled utility outage strategy, there were approximately 372,000 customers without electricity. Administrators heard the stories behind the statistics during nearly two and a half hours of public comment Monday afternoon.

Although 108 people were pre-registered to speak, not all did so, as they were called one by one to the conference call.

Those who spoke told the council about their struggles with spoiled food, talking outside walks to warm themselves from the cold of an unheated house and being forced to store precious insulin in the snow. Among other complaints, they also criticized the forced interruptions of utility that left some people without power for several days.

“The trust is gone and saying ‘sorry’ is empty,” said one caller. “You don’t have to say ‘people first’.”

Ad

Many opposed the idea that customers should bear the cost of the event – even in the long run. Some have suggested giving up bills for the storm.

The amount that CPS pays for fuel is usually included in customer bills over a period of 45 to 60 days. However, given the massive rise in gas prices – up to 16,000% – CEO Paula Gold-Williams said CPS plans to extend costs by 10 years or more rather than let the cost fall. a single bill.

However, CPS is still finding out how much more it spent during the winter event and what it could do to reduce that amount before paying the cost to taxpayers.

“I understand very well how customers do not want to pay anything associated with the storm “, said Gold-Williams during the meeting. “We will do everything we can to reduce these prices, to work with state and local officials, so that we can look for any possible resource to help us.”

Ad

Some speakers said that the CPS should be placed under the control of the City Council rather than the appointed administrators – an issue that arose in the failed petition “Recall CPS”. According to the San Antonio Report, the petition failed to get enough signatures to reach the May 1 election, and the utility went to court in an attempt to cut off its legs.

Related stories: