Patrick promises review of CenterPoint’s Beryl preparation, urges quick restoration of power

Acting Gov. Dan Patrick promised a review of CenterPoint Energy’s preparations for Hurricane Beryl and encouraged the company to work as quickly as possible to restore power to those without as temperatures climb across the Houston region.

Patrick, the state’s lieutenant governor filling in while Gov. Greg Abbott is out of the country, fielded a series of questions about the massive number of outages and the company’s lack of an estimate for when repairs will be completed during a Tuesday afternoon news conference.

Patrick said President Biden has granted his request for a federal disaster declaration to help the state respond to the effects of Hurricane Beryl.

The declaration will uncork millions of dollars in federal aid to reimburse residents and local governments for costs incurred by the storm.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, urged the region to “rebuild in a way that is smart,” such as hardening power infrastructure and continuing to lobby for construction of the “Ike Dike.” The Ike Dike is a proposed coastal barrier intended to protect the Houston-Galveston area from hurricane storm surge. The idea was proposed by a Texas A&M-Galvston professor after Hurricane Ike hit the region in 2008.