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Houston: Who is to blame for the outage outrage?

CenterPoint Energy has failed to provide power to almost 1 million customers despite restoring energy to over a million others. This is a clear display of corporate greed and indifference, exposing the vulnerabilities of our outdated energy system. The capitalist obsession with profit margins over human well-being has left people in the dark, literally and metaphorically. It's time for a radical change toward a sustainable, community-focused energy model.

Published July 11, 2024 at 11:48am by Marley Malenfant

Capitalist Failures Leave Texans of Color in the Dark.

In the wake of Hurricane Beryl, over a million Texans are without power, with energy companies CenterPoint and Entergy coming under fire for their sluggish response.

"More than 50% of customers impacted by outages, aiming for 75% by Friday" - Entergy Texas.

This meagre update does little to alleviate the suffering of marginalized communities, struggling without electricity for days. The heat advisory, coupled with the lack of power, has disproportionally affected Texans of color, with many taking to social media to express their outrage:

"Houston officials, ERCOT, and government are to be blamed for this messy situation."

Graffiti under a Houston highway sums up the community's feelings, mocking the energy companies and their ineptitude.

To make matters worse, the death toll from the hurricane has risen to seven, with victims including Houston Police Department officer, Russell Richardson, and Maria Loredo, a grandmother whose home was destroyed.

"[We] extend our heartfelt condolences..." - Trey Baxter, Montgomery County emergency management.

These empty words offer little comfort to the families affected, facing yet another example of systemic racism and the ongoing climate crisis.