Why CenterPoint Energy spends less money on tree removal than other utility companies

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Fredrik Sjodin's Sugar Land neighborhood was without power for four days after Hurricane Beryl.

He told ABC13 he asked CenterPoint Energy for help clearing vegetation near power lines before the storm, but the request went unanswered.

"It's aggravating when it's something that, in many cases, is very preventable," he said.

Sjodin, who said he's experienced the same issue in other storms, added, "Instead of taking care of this proactively, it becomes a big mess after the fact."

In a press conference over the weekend, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott echoed Sjodin's sentiments. He accused the utility of cutting corners and gave them until the end of next month to remove vegetation threatening powerlines.

"Some reports show that CenterPoint spends far less on vegetation removal than some others," Abbott said.

ABC13 asked Brad Tutunjian, CenterPoint Energy's vice president of regulatory policy, about the numbers that show some competitors spending nearly four times the amount on vegetation removal per customer.

Tutunjian blamed the discrepancy on density - that the closer together people live, the greater the impact treatment of a single tree will have.

"What you'll see is cheaper cost per customer because of that," Tutunjian said.

Public Utility Commission data shows Entergy, which also operates in dense Harris County, spends about $63 per customer on vegetation removal, whereas CenterPoint spends about $17 yearly.

Tutunjian acknowledged that the utility's "communication program is not where it should have been" during and after Beryl.

The utility has pitched spending tens of millions of dollars on improving its infrastructure program as part of a proposed utility plan. The state has until October to approve the plan.

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