In Montgomery County, we are no strangers to storms. We know how to prepare, we know how to help our neighbors, and we know how to rebuild. But what we experienced in July 2024 during Hurricane Beryl was unacceptable.
As the storm cleared, hundreds of thousands of our residents were left sweltering in the Texas heat—not because the storm was unprecedented, but because the utility company entrusted with our power was unprepared.
CenterPoint Energy failed Montgomery County. Their lack of preparation, poor communication, and slow response time put lives at risk. As your County Judge, I refused to stay silent while our families suffered.
Calling Out the Failure
While CenterPoint executives issued apologies and vague excuses, I took the fight directly to them. I used every platform available—from social media to the steps of the County Courthouse—to demand immediate answers.
We saw a utility monopoly that had lost “situational awareness.” Their outage tracker was broken, their communication was misleading, and their crews were nowhere to be found in the critical early hours.
I made it clear: Montgomery County residents are not second-class customers. We pay for a service, and we demand reliability.
Taking the Fight to Austin
Social media pressure is one thing; legislative action is another. On July 31, 2024, I traveled to Austin to testify before the Texas House State Affairs Committee.
I didn’t go there to make friends with lobbyists. I went there to represent you.
In my testimony, I delivered a clear message to the State Legislature: CenterPoint’s leadership had prioritized profits over people. I publicly called for the resignation of CenterPoint CEO Jason Wells, asking the committee:
“Do we really believe that the CEO who so blatantly failed to lead… is going to take the company to the next level, when he can’t even manage the people and assets he has now?”
Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough
I exposed how the company provided “misleading and sometimes known false information” to elected officials, hampering our local emergency response efforts.
Results: Turning Anger into Action
Because we stood up and made our voices heard, the State of Texas took decisive action. Our advocacy helped trigger a cascade of accountability measures that are now making our grid stronger:
- PUC Investigation: The Public Utility Commission of Texas launched a sweeping investigation into CenterPoint’s preparation and response, going beyond standard reviews to demand structural changes.
- Mandated Improvements: Under intense scrutiny from state leaders, CenterPoint was forced to commit to – and complete – 42 specific resiliency actions ahead of schedule. This included aggressive vegetation management (tree trimming) and hardening of critical distribution poles that they had previously neglected.
- Legislative Oversight: The Texas Senate formed a Special Committee on Hurricane and Tropical Storm Preparedness to ensure that utility companies can never again be caught off guard by a predictable storm.
The Fight Isn’t Over
While we have seen progress, trust is earned, not given. As we move forward, I will continue to hold CenterPoint’s feet to the fire.
Conservatism means demanding efficiency and accountability. It means breaking up the comfort of monopolies when they fail the people. I promise you this: Montgomery County will never stop fighting for the reliable, safe power grid our families deserve.
