Houston – Jan. 14, 2021 – The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) today announced CenterPoint Energy as a recipient of six EEI's Emergency Response Awards, for the company's work following hurricanes Delta, Hannah, Isaias, Laura, Sally and Zeta. Presented to EEI member companies, Emergency Response Awards recognize recovery and assistance efforts of electric companies following service disruptions caused by extreme weather or other natural events. The winners were chosen by a panel of judges following an international nomination process, and the awards were presented during EEI's virtual Winter Board and Chief Executives Meeting.
"These awards reflect CenterPoint Energy's commitment to always being there for communities in need. In 2020, 800 mutual assistance employees, contractors and support personnel helped restore power to customers in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York and Texas," said Kenny Mercado, CenterPoint Energy's Executive Vice President, Electric Utility.
CenterPoint Energy is part of electric utility mutual assistance programs that provide access to thousands of linemen and tree trimmers from around the country to lend a hand during widespread power outage emergencies. Coming to the aid of other utilities is nothing new to CenterPoint Energy employees. Over the years, crews have responded and restored power to hundreds of thousands of customers throughout the country who have been left in the dark following hurricanes, ice storms, tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.
"Over the past year, many of our nation's electric companies and their customers have endured historic storms and wildfires and other significant weather-related events," said EEI President Tom Kuhn. "Working around the clock to restore power safely and quickly to customers and deploying mutual assistance crews to support impacted companies are hallmarks of the electric power industry. When disasters strike, impacted and neighboring electric companies are quick to assess damage and to respond and assist with restoration.
"I congratulate and applaud CenterPoint Energy for demonstrating continued commitment to the customers and to the communities it serves. In the midst of a global pandemic and often in the most hazardous of conditions, CenterPoint Energy and its frontline employees worked around-the-clock to restore service safely and quickly. CenterPoint Energy is exceptionally deserving of this prestigious award."
About CenterPoint Energy
As the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas. As of September 30, 2020, the company owned approximately $33 billion in assets and also owned 53.7 percent of the common units representing limited partner interests in Enable Midstream Partners, LP, a publicly traded master limited partnership that owns, operates and develops strategically located natural gas and crude oil infrastructure assets. With approximately 9,600 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.
About Edison Electric Institute
EEI is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. EEI's members provide electricity for more than 220 million Americans, and operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. As a whole, the electric power industry supports more than 7 million jobs in communities across the United States. In addition to its U.S. members, EEI has more than 65 international electric companies, with operations in more than 90 countries, as International Members, and hundreds of industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members.
