As San Antonio's CPS Energy resumes disconnections, its approval drops to 44% in new poll

Public approval for CPS Energy, stung by its handling of February's blackouts and its looming request for a double-digit rate increase, has plummeted by 25% since the fourth quarter, according to a new Bexar Facts survey.

The approval rating for San Antonio's municipal utility sits at 44% in the poll released Tuesday. Just 13% of respondents said they strongly approve of the job CPS is doing, while another 28% percent said they strongly disapprove.

The results mark the second time in a row the CPS's approval is underwater in a Bexar Facts poll. The utility pulled in a 46% approval rating in a survey conducted during the first quarter.

CPS officials didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest results. 

Bexar Facts conducted its survey by phone and email from September 21-27, collecting opinions from 602 Bexar County voters.

The latest poll results were released days after CPS Energy resumed service disconnections after pausing them for a year and half so customers could weather the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Officials with the utility recently announced they intend to seek a double-digit rate hike that could take effect as early as next year.

CPS said it needs the increase to cover hundreds of millions of dollars in expenses accrued during February's catastrophic winter freeze. The utility filed multiple lawsuits against natural gas suppliers, alleging they stuck it with excessive fees as millions across the state went without power.

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