In the aftermath of sub-zero holiday temperatures and state officials reaching a slow boiling point, Houston-based CenterPoint Energy’s Minnesota utility operations were struggling to restore natural gas service to more than 1,000 residents who entered last weekend’s Christmas holiday without any heat. As of Tuesday, a net total of 605 “premises” were still shut off, a Minneapolis-based CenterPoint spokesperson said.

Although there is a state law prohibiting having customers shut off from mid-October through mid-April each heating season, the utility was chastised by both the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission and the state Attorney General’s Office for allegedly violating state law because of more than 1,000 premises that had been disconnected for nonpayment before October had not been reconnected. The utility, which is the former Minnegasco that was absorbed by CenterPoint’s chain of electric and gas utilities in six states, argued that it had not violated any laws and was doing everything to work with the customers.

The PUC just before the holiday weekend ordered an investigation of whether CenterPoint was in compliance with the so-called “Cold Weather Rule,” and mandated that the utility provide weekly reports on its efforts to restore the 1,074 premises that were disconnected as of Dec. 15.

“We’re still working on it,” said a local utility spokesperson Tuesday, noting that the latest report to the PUC indicated that 284 places had service restored by the end of the day last Monday, and another 185 premises were found to be vacant.

At a regulatory commission hearing, the utility said only about 300 households were eligible for the cold weather rule; however, the regulatory staff disagreed and the investigation is now under way. In total, CenterPoint’s Minnesota gas utility operations serve 785,000 meters mostly in the metropolitan Minneapolis area.

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