Governor Abbott calls for investigation into Atmos Energy following winter weather
AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM) — Texas Governor Greg Abbott has called for an investigation into Atmos Energy following last week's winter weather.
The governor sent letters to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Railroad Commission of Texas Chairman Christi Craddick Wednesday, calling on their agencies to investigate the natural gas distribution company's "failure to prepare for the winter weather" and "deliver critical natural gas service to Texans" last week.
"Leading up to, and during the winter event, State of Texas agencies worked around the clock to mobilize resources and assist utilities in anyway possible," one of the letters says.
Gov. Abbott continued to write that Atmos' conduct is unacceptable and that "concrete action must be taken" to ensure it's not repeated.
Atmos has since made the following statement:
We take seriously our responsibility to provide safe and reliable natural gas services as well as to be a trusted partner in the communities we serve. That responsibility includes undertaking operational planning and preparation to provide such safe and reliable service all throughout the year.
Despite those preparations, last week, we fell short for some of our customers who experienced interruptions in their natural gas service. That is not acceptable. And though we worked to restore service as quickly and safely as possible, we apologize for that service disruption.
We are committed to working with our regulators and key stakeholders to address those issues in order to provide reliable natural gas service to all our customers.
Read both letters below:
Gov. Abbott's letter to Attorney General Paxton
Gov. Abbott's letter to Chairman Craddick
Governor Abbott's letter to Chairman Craddick by CBS 11 News on Scribd
