Houston – June 1, 2021 – Hurricane season begins June 1 and CenterPoint Energy encourages customers to have an emergency plan that reflects current public health guidelines, especially for customers who depend on electricity for life-sustaining equipment. As a part of CenterPoint Energy's commitment to restore service as safely and quickly as possible following a severe weather event, the company has an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). CenterPoint Energy's employees, across all areas, are called upon to support the company's EOP.
"This hurricane season is predicted to be very active, so customers should be prepared for electric outages and have plans in place now," said Randy Pryor, Vice President of Distribution Operations for CenterPoint Energy.
According to the guidance below from the National Hurricane Center and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, customers should be prepared to be without electric service according to the following guidelines:
| CATEGORY 1 | Winds 74-95 mph | Extensive damage to power lines and poles likely will result in power outages that could last a few to several days. |
| CATEGORY 2 | Winds 96-110 mph | Near-total power loss is expected with outages that could last from several days to weeks. |
| CATEGORY 3 | Winds 111-129 mph | Electricity and water will be unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes. |
| CATEGORY 4 | Winds 130-156 mph | Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. |
| CATEGORY 5 | Winds 157 mph and up | Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. |
*Individual restoration times will vary.
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale's information can be found here: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php
"After severe weather, CenterPoint Energy employees work around the clock to assess storm damage to our electric grid and restore electricity as safely and quickly as possible," added Pryor.
CenterPoint Energy crews begin the restoration process with facilities vital to safety, health and welfare, such as hospitals, water treatment plants and public service facilities. After key facilities, the company follows its priority restoration process by making repairs to electrical facilities that will return power to the largest number of customers first, then continue the restoration process by prioritizing repairs to benefit the greatest number of customers, until power is returned to everyone.
In addition, CenterPoint Energy is a part of electric utility mutual assistance programs that provide access to thousands of linemen and tree trimmers from around the country to support restoration efforts during widespread power outage emergencies. The company is in close contact with mutual assistance partners in the event additional crews are needed.
The company also shared that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) recently predicted that it is anticipating record-breaking electric demand this summer due to expected hot and dry weather conditions, as well as continued economic and population growth throughout the region. ERCOT is the independent system operator for the region and manages the flow of electric power to most of Texas and more than 26 million Texas customers.
CenterPoint Energy is a member of ERCOT and manages the transmission and distribution of electricity to its approximately 2.6 million customers across the greater Houston area and surrounding communities. The company does not generate electricity itself in Texas, so any shortage of power generation is not something that CenterPoint Energy controls.
CenterPoint Energy is also prepared to continue to meet customers' natural gas demands across its eight-state service territory. Operations personnel are regularly checking and adjusting natural gas pressures at delivery points and remotely monitoring pressures at hundreds of locations across the company's system.
"The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority, and we have plans in place to respond to extreme weather events," said Tal Centers, CenterPoint Energy's Vice President, Texas Gas. "Our dedicated team members are prepared and ready to restore our natural gas system safely and effectively if a weather event impacts our area."
No two weather events are alike, and flooding can also have a significant impact on natural gas operations. For information on natural gas safety, electric safety and other resources, visit: CenterPointEnergy.com/StormCenter.
For the latest information on electric power outages:
About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
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 March 31, 2021, the company owned approximately $36 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 9,500 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.
