CPS Energy in process of hiring meteorologist

SAN ANTONIO – CPS Energy is in the process of hiring its first meteorologist after a Defenders investigation revealed the public utility used a college student for forecasting ahead of last year’s deadly winter storm.

A utility spokeswoman this week confirmed it will be a full-time position. She did not release additional details about the hiring.

Last year, CPS Energy officials confirmed to KSAT that they get their meteorology services from a Minnesota-based subscription weather service and a local contractor.

The contractor had been referred to as both a meteorologist data intern and a meteorologist data analyst and did not make over $716 in a single week for the period covering October 2019 to late January 2021.

CPS officials previously declined to say how many hours the forecaster worked in any given pay period after his employer, a third-party entity, objected to the release of that information.

The decision to use a local contractor for forecasting was out of step with many other major energy providers in Texas, the Defenders investigation found.

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CPS Energy uses a college student for weather forecasting. That’s not how other major Texas utilities operate.

After spending hundreds of thousands on weather platform, CPS Energy entrusted college student to forecast with it