CenterPoint Restores Power to 858,000 Following Hurricane Ike

By Edward Klump

Sept. 18 (Bloomberg) -- CenterPoint Energy Inc., Houston's electricity distributor, said it has restored power to about 858,000 homes and businesses since Hurricane Ike hit the Gulf Coast region last week.

About 1.29 million customers, or 57 percent of the Houston- based company's total of 2.26 million, still lack electricity, Alicia Dixon, a CenterPoint spokeswoman, said today in a telephone interview. Ike slammed into Texas on Sept. 13, knocking out power to much of the Houston area.

New Orleans-based Entergy Corp. said today that it had more than 273,000 customers without service in three states, including about 267,000 who lost power because of Ike. The company was still repairing lines damaged by Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana earlier this month when Ike struck.

To contact the reporter on this story: Edward Klump in Houston at eklump@bloomberg.net.