What Houston Heights residents should know about CenterPoint projects, power lines and street repairs

CenterPoint Energy representatives met with Houston Heights residents Thursday morning for a community event aimed at answering questions about utility service, infrastructure projects and power reliability.

The Community Connect event, held from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Caffvino Coffee & Wine Bar at 1030 Heights Blvd., offered residents an opportunity to speak directly with company representatives about grid reliability, storm and winter preparedness, energy bills and available assistance programs. CenterPoint also provided attendees with a morning beverage.

The event comes as residents have raised questions about ongoing utility work throughout the Heights, including how long projects take, who is responsible for repairing streets and whether overhead power lines could eventually be buried.

Robert Young, a CenterPoint representative, answered questions about the company’s work and how residents can seek help with service concerns.

Why does utility work in the Heights take so long?

Residents have expressed frustration about seeing construction crews working in their neighborhoods without noticing much visible progress.

Young said projects often involve multiple sections or segments, and work at one location can be affected by other work happening behind the scenes, which is why oftentimes, a site might appear “abandoned” when in reality, crews need to return once another area is complete.

Who is responsible for repaving streets?

Another common question is who repairs streets after CenterPoint completes utility work.

Young said the company uses contractors who specialize in street repairs. In many areas, CenterPoint must obtain permits and coordinate with the city’s public works department which can stall repairs, but that their team works to get contractors out as quickly as possible.

Why is CenterPoint doing so much work in the Heights?

Young said CenterPoint is replacing aging infrastructure across its service area.

The company is replacing older lines with newer infrastructure designed to last more than 50 years, he said.

Could overhead power lines be buried?

Some residents have asked whether CenterPoint is considering burying overhead power lines throughout the Heights.

Young said most new construction in newly developed subdivisions uses underground lines. However, burying existing lines in established neighborhoods can be more complicated because CenterPoint needs easements to access private property.

In some cases, residents have worked together with their homeowners associations to pursue underground utility installation along their streets, Young said.

Residents interested in exploring the possibility for their own neighborhood can organize with neighbors and contact CenterPoint to discuss the requirements, he said.

What causes flickering lights?

Residents have also raised concerns about flickering lights, including in the Timber Grove area, and whether the issue could be related to aging homes or electrical infrastructure.

Young said CenterPoint evaluates these concerns on an address-by-address basis. The company can review a customer’s outage history, investigate what may be happening and examine planned projects and the reliability of the electrical circuit serving the property.

Residents experiencing recurring flickering lights or other power issues can contact CenterPoint to request an evaluation specific to their address, Young said.

How can residents report a problem?

Young encouraged residents to use CenterPoint’s online tools to report hazards and other utility concerns, including through its outage tracker.

Reporting a hazard online is one way to bring an issue directly to the company’s attention, he said.

CenterPoint also plans to hold additional Community Connect events in the Heights, giving residents more opportunities to speak with representatives and ask questions about their service.