San Antonio residents hit the Caps Lock button on Monday, expressing their frustration with CPS Energy.
The Facebook comment section below the city-owned dealership briefing was filled with angry residents, outraged for days without power amidst freezing conditions and impending rate hikes due to the storm.
One woman wrote that she spent three days without electricity or water, trying to keep her 4-year-old twins warm while the temperature inside the house dropped to 36 degrees. Another man asked Paula Gold-Williams to be fired and “held directly responsible for this disaster”.
READ TOO: San Antonio Mayor says there will be ‘hell to pay’ if Texans receive accounts of the disaster
Gold-Williams, president and CEO of CPS Energy, was asked about Facebook’s comments – and its bonus payment – by a reporter. She recognized the public’s widespread anger after a “terrible experience”.
“The anger that people feel, I understand,” said Gold-Williams. “This is a real fact and I do not in any way diminish that people should be completely angry.”
Gold-Williams noted that CPS Energy canceled $ 13 million in incentive bonuses that would have gone to 1,800 concessionaire employees in May, with the COVID-19 pandemic likely affecting the concessionaire’s financial results.
Gold-Williams was set to receive the biggest bonus, almost $ 530,000. The chief executive earns a base salary of nearly $ 486,000.
“There are people who continue to cite compensation as an element to be focused on,” said Gold-Williams on Monday. “What we believe is that we need to focus on providing energy, serving, connecting and finding solutions.”
There was no discussion about paying incentives at this time, she noted.
During the briefing, Gold-Williams said the dealership did not yet have an estimate of the storm’s impact on customers’ accounts. CPS Energy will seek relief at the state and federal levels before placing any excess charges on the accounts, she said, and could spread the costs over several years.
CPS Energy, which temporarily suspended the practice of disconnecting services for unpaid accounts in March, also suspended its autopay feature.
The dealership has a lot of work to restore public confidence.
“Good luck getting TRUST back,” wrote a customer on Facebook. “YOU CHOOSE TO CORRECT OUR ENERGY FOR 72 HOURS FULLY.”