HOUSTON – There is a colorful, tilted “E” that creates a lot of double lanes on the Southwest Freeway.

“It’s a very recognizable logo and brand,” said Sherron Watkins.

Watkins has a longstanding association with the company the “E” stands for: Enron.

“For the last 20 years, I have spoken around the globe as an Enron whistleblower,” Watkins said over Zoom on Monday afternoon.

Who can forget the lives Enron ruined in downtown Houston over 20 years ago? From one moment to the next, 20,000 people were thrown onto the streets. without severance pay or hard-earned pensions. It remains one of the largest bankruptcies in U.S. history, KPRC 2 reported on the scandal for years.

Now, more than two decades after the crash, there is a sudden resurgence as a new CEO announces via video: “Buckle up, it’s going to be the ride of your life.”

The new Enron appears to be a parody by all accounts, but according to a company spokesperson, it’s not a “joke” (yes, there is a spokesperson).

The new company Enron’s website features images of its leadership, eye-catching videos and a clear message that the company is now working to help solve the global energy crisis. The lavishly produced website and videos do not contain many details, but refer to January 6, 2025 as the date for an energy summit.

The new billboards and website have caught the attention of Watkins, who says it may or may not be a benefit parody.

“It helps to make everyone aware of how these things happen and to be aware of the warning signs so that something like this doesn’t happen again,” the former Enron employee said.

But there are questions about whether the past will be brought back to life given the destruction Enron inflicted on Houstonians and others.

Enron’s sudden resurgence is reportedly reopening deep wounds among former employees, but not in the case of Watkins. The now nearly retired whistleblower says she and former colleagues who have seen the new Enron signs and stories are more amused than alarmed.

“They mostly laugh. It fits so well with the remnants of Enron that some young people were very entrepreneurial and did a tongue-in-cheek rebrand and relaunch, so they mostly had fun with it.”

Of course, we will follow the developments of this new Enron company until its summit in early January.