Huston Electric history

Between 1946 and the end of the decade the company placed additional generating units at West Junction, and built a fourth plant, Greens Bayou.

By 1950 the Lynn factory had been converted to the manufacture of jet engines, with the meter and transformer business moving to Somersworth, NH. In 205 GE sold the meter business to Aclara and moved the transformer business Florida.

In 1957 the Houston City Council granted the company a new 50-year franchise, and HL & P promptly turned to the other 37 incorporated communities it served for similar 50-year franchise agreements.

After decades of rate reductions, in 1960 HL & P requested the first rate increase in its history in order to offset the financial effects of its building program and a recession in the Texas economy.

In 1964 Robinson announced the start of a five-year, $939 million growth and expansion plan dubbed Project Enterprise, aimed at doubling the company's generating capacity with the addition of four new generating units, including construction of what would become the P. H. Robinson plant.

In 1970 Robinson was named to fill the five-year vacancy in the chairman's seat, and Carl Sherman, a former executive vice president, was promoted to president.

In 1972 HL & P announced plans for two Austin County, Texas, nuclear power plants, one to be located on Allens Creek and a second plant on the lower Mill Creek.

In 1974 Robinson retired as chairman and was replaced by Sherman.

After exactly 50 years of service to HL & P and affiliates, in April 1978 Reese retired, leaving his two chairmen seats vacant.

The South Texas Project also experienced considerable construction delays, and by 1979, three years after building had started, serious questions were being raised about quality control at the construction site.

With STP just one-third finished, in late 1981 HL & P dismissed Brown & Root, Inc. as construction manager and architect, but asked the firm to retain its assignment to do the actual construction.

In 1987 HL & P formed two other subsidiaries.

In 1990 KBLCOM formed KBL-TV to sell advertising on cable channels.