Houston Mayor Bill White has announced the formation of a Task Force on Electric Reliability, to be chaired by businessman Paul Hobby.
The nine-member group, consisting of individuals with expertise in the electric power industry, will make recommendations about how the electrical power grid can be made more durable and resilient and reduce the risks of prolonged power outages.
The group will consider means of hardening the grid, including placing some lines underground in connection with thoroughfare and drainage projects. The Task Force will also consider the role of backup power generation, including generation which can be used to reduce peak prices.
“We want to reduce the risk of power outages in a cost-efficient manner, to reduce the long run cost of both power and power outages,” White said in announcing the task force.
The group will receive input from Center Point Energy and members of the public and organizations who offer suggestions in public hearings in Houston and other cities in the region. They are expected to come up with a set of recommendations by early spring, Hobby said.
“One of the things that makes Houston great is the willingness of talented people to lend so much time to public purposes,” Hobby said. “The mayor has chosen a good mix of skills and vision to address this hugely important topic. We intend to be very practical in our recommendations, because there are big numbers involved and very complex implementation issues when you dive into these subjects.”
Members of the task force are:
- Hobby, a founding partner of Genesis Park, a Houston-based private equity firm specializing in technology and communications and lead investor in Alpheus Communications.
- William Begley, president of WEB Group Consulting Services and former director of international energy consulting for Price Waterhouse Cooper.
- Don Jordan, former chairman and CEO of Reliant Energy.
- Andy Icken, former executive vice president of the Texas Medical Center and deputy director of public works for planning and development with the City of Houston.
- Cris Eugster, a former partner at McKinsey & Co. and the city of Houston’s chief officer for sustainable growth.
- Todd Mitchell, President of GPM, Inc. and Chairman of the board of The Woodlands-based Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC).
- Tom Pierson, founder and Chairman of TAS Ltd., a leading provider of energy efficiency solutions, HVAC equipment, and district heating and cooling systems.
- Tom Standish, President of CenterPoint Energy.
- Alton Hall, Jr., a member of Epstein, Becker, Green, Wickliff & Hall, an expert in utility law.
