Landmark new law will help advance Minnesota’s clean energy future
Natural Gas Innovation Act offers new energy and economic opportunities
2021-07-06T05:00:00Z

​Minneapolis – July 6, 2021 – A landmark new state law will help Minnesota's natural gas utilities move forward with development of innovative clean energy resources and technologies, including made-in-Minnesota renewable natural gas and green hydrogen.

Passed with bipartisan support during the June special legislative session and signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz, the Natural Gas Innovation Act was proposed by CenterPoint Energy, Minnesota's largest natural gas utility serving more than 890,000 residential and business customers.

"Natural gas is indispensable to meeting Minnesota's energy needs," said Brad Tutunjian, CenterPoint Energy Vice President-Minnesota Region. "We're committed to delivering reliable, affordable energy while also pursuing innovative solutions to help our customers limit the climate impact of their natural gas use. This new law will help promote new Minnesota-produced, low-carbon or zero-carbon gas resources that can diversify the state's energy supply, improve waste management and support new economic development."

The law creates a state regulatory policy that offers new opportunities for a natural gas utility to provide customers access to renewable energy resources and innovative technologies that reduce the state's greenhouse gas emissions. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission must review and approve a utility's "innovation plan," with a limit on the cost impact for ratepayers.

CenterPoint Energy will likely submit its first innovation plan under the new law as soon as next year. Examples of innovation allowed by the new law include:

  • Renewable natural gas produced by recycling biogas from organic materials such as agricultural manure, wastewater, food waste and agricultural or forest waste;
  • Green hydrogen produced by using renewable electricity to split water to create a carbon-free gas that can be blended with conventional natural gas;
  • End-use carbon capture technology that converts emissions from natural gas space or water heating equipment into a powder which can be recycled into commercial products; and
  • Leading-edge energy efficiency technologies that would not be eligible for funding through the existing Conservation Improvement Program.

A broad-based coalition of groups supported the legislation, including the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA), Minnesota Pipe Trades Association, Center for Energy and Environment (CEE), Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI), Partnership on Waste and Energy, and Conservation Minnesota.

The legislation was authored by Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL-District 36A), of Coon Rapids, and Sen. Bill Weber (R-District 22), of Luverne.

"The Natural Gas Innovation Act is a major opportunity for Minnesota to build on the important clean energy success we have already achieved," said Rep. Stephenson, who is Chair of the House Commerce Committee and a member of the House Energy and Climate Finance and Policy Committee. "This new law creates a forward-looking framework that will help our natural gas utilities innovate and invest in renewable resources to address climate change and continue Minnesota's clean energy transition."

"The Natural Gas Innovation Act provides a responsible pathway for our state's energy future by prioritizing new technology and homegrown, made-in-Minnesota resources," said Sen. Weber, who serves as Assistant Senate Majority Leader. "In particular, renewable natural gas made from agricultural waste holds great economic potential for Minnesota's farmers and rural communities, while also protecting the environment and helping Minnesota meet its energy needs."

To learn more, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/CleanEnergyMN

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 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.

Forward Looking Statement:
This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this news release, the words "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "should," "target," "will" or other similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions of management which are believed to be reasonable at the time made and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Any statements in this news release regarding future events, such as the anticipated impact and benefits of the Natural Gas Innovation Act, including opportunities related to the development of energy resources and technologies as well as the expected benefits to customers, climate and the economy, the timing of the submission of an innovation plan under the new law and associated regulatory approval, and any other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement contained in this news release speaks only as of the date of this release. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the provided forward-looking information include risks and uncertainties relating to: (1) the impact of COVID-19; (2) financial market conditions; (3) general economic conditions; (4) the timing and impact of future regulatory and legislative decisions; (5) effects of competition; (6) weather variations; (7) changes in business plans; and (8) other factors, risks and uncertainties discussed in CenterPoint Energy's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, CenterPoint Energy's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 and other reports CenterPoint Energy or its subsidiaries may file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 Recent News

 

 
CenterPoint Energy Taking Safety Actions to Address Increased Wildfire Risk in Parts of the Greater Houston Area

Red Flag Warning in effect for large portions of Texas and the Greater Houston area from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday; high wind gusts, low humidity and fire risk anticipated

CenterPoint has taken a series of actions to prepare equipment and approximately 1,000 workers ready to respond today 

Company continues to communicate with customers about the potential for temporary outages in some areas due to wildfire conditions 

HOUSTON, March 15, 2025 - CenterPoint Energy is taking a series of precautionary actions to help protect customers and communities and address elevated wildfire risk in parts of the Greater Houston area, as the National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning from noon until 9 p.m. today. CenterPoint has actively prepared for potentially dangerous weather conditions, including high wind gusts, dry fuels and low humidity, by conducting pre-inspections of electric and natural gas equipment, adjusting power line safety settings in higher-risk areas, communicating with customers and working closely with local emergency agencies. Today, CenterPoint has approximately 1,000 line and vegetation workers prepared to respond to the evolving weather conditions.

Over the last day, CenterPoint has notified customers in the Cypress, Fort Bend and Katy areas through the company's Power Alert Service about the possibility that extreme weather and wind conditions could result in some temporary safety outages this afternoon or tonight.

"While we have had some precipitation with the passing front this morning, we must remain vigilant. As fire weather conditions quickly evolved and escalated across the state, CenterPoint has been actively preparing for potential impacts to the system and is ready to respond to the heightened risk today. Over the last several days, our teams have completed a series of actions to help protect our customers and communities, including inspecting critical equipment, clearing hazardous vegetation near power lines, adjusting safety settings in higher-risk areas and pre-positioning crews to quickly restore power if temporary safety outages occur. We will continue to keep customers informed of our efforts and how they can stay prepared before and during extreme weather," said Don Daigler, Senior Vice President, Emergency Planning & Response.

Key Actions to Help Keep Customers Safe
CenterPoint's safety preparations over the last several days include the following key actions:

  • Inspecting and Hardening Key Power Lines: Inspecting power lines in areas of heightened fire risk, clearing hazardous vegetation near power lines and conducting repairs where needed, ahead of potential extreme weather.
  • Inspecting Natural Gas Facilities: Inspecting gas facilities in areas of heightened fire risk and clearing hazardous vegetation near facilities ahead of potential extreme weather.
  • Adjusting Safety Settings: Adjusting the settings on some power lines for safety between noon and 9 p.m. today.
  • Bringing on Additional Crews to Respond: Positioning CenterPoint crews and additional contractors to respond to any power outages or natural gas service interruptions that may occur. Additional resources will be utilized to safely restore service as quickly as possible when conditions allow.
  • Coordinating with Local Emergency Partners: Proactively sharing information with state, county and local leaders.
  • Communicating with Customers: Proactively communicating with approximately 330,000 customers in the Cypress, Fort Bend and Katy areas by phone, text or email about the potential for temporary safety outages due to high fire danger.

Important Safety Tips for Customers

CenterPoint encourages all customers to stay informed about weather conditions and make a plan to stay safe, including during a potential power outage. Customers can also get the latest information on CenterPoint's preparedness and response efforts and view important safety tips by visiting CenterPointEnergy.com/StormCenter. Additional preparation and safety tips are available at Ready.gov. 

How to Stay Informed: Sign Up for PAS
CenterPoint electric customers are encouraged to enroll in the company's Power Alert Service® to receive outage details, estimated restoration times and customer-specific restoration updates by phone call, text or email. Customers can also stay up to date with CenterPoint's new and improved, cloud-based Outage Tracker, available in English and Spanish, which allows customers to see outages by county, city and zip code.

Customers can also follow @CenterPoint_TX to receive the most up-to-date information on the company's operations in the Greater Houston area and across Texas.

For the latest weather information for the Greater Houston area, view updates from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Houston/Galveston at weather.gov/hgx.

For more information, contact:
Communications
Media.Relations@CenterPointEnergy.com

SOURCE CenterPoint Energy

CenterPoint Energy assessing damage, restoring power following overnight storms in southwestern Indiana

​​Evansville, Ind. – March 15, 2025 – CenterPoint Energy crews are actively assessing damage and making repairs to its electric system after severe storms moved through southwestern Indiana overnight. The company's natural gas system did not experience any major impacts. The storm system brought wind gusts up to 60 mph, with higher gusts reported in some areas, resulting in impacts across the company's electric system. As of 2:30 p.m., approximately 1,600 customers remain without power.

CenterPoint's restoration efforts underway
Damage assessments remain ongoing, and crews are focused on downed power lines, damaged poles and other storm-related impacts to the company's electric system.

According to the National Weather Service, more rain and scattered thunderstorms are expected Saturday. Due to these weather events, the outage count is likely to continue to change throughout the day. Additionally, outage numbers may shift as crews isolate sections of the system for repairs or identify new issues requiring additional work.

“Crews are making steady progress, and we appreciate our customers' patience as we work through the remaining outages," said Shane Bradford, CenterPoint's Vice President, Indiana Electric. “As weather continues to move through the area, restoration may be delayed as crews pause until safe to continue working, however, we remain focused on safely restoring power to every impacted customer as quickly as possible."

As restoration progresses and weather conditions improve, efforts will transition from large-scale outages affecting multiple customers to localized outages affecting smaller numbers of customers. Some of these repairs require extensive work, such as replacing broken poles or restoring service to individual customers who have damage to customer-owned electrical equipment.

What customers need to know about power restoration and repairs
When restoring power after service interruptions, CenterPoint follows a prioritization process that begins with critical infrastructure, followed by repairs that restore service to the greatest number of customers before addressing individual outages.

Additionally, some customers may experience delays if repairs are needed at their home or business. One common issue after storms is damage to a weatherhead—the point where power enters a home—which is customer-owned equipment. If a weatherhead is damaged, customers must have a licensed electrician make necessary repairs before CenterPoint can restore service. After repairs are completed, customers should call 800-227-1376 to request reconnection.

Safety tips
CenterPoint encourages customers to take steps to prepare for severe weather:

  • Downed power line safety: Stay at least 35 feet away from downed power lines and report them by calling 800-227-1376.
  • Work crew safety: Be cautious around work crews and give them plenty of room to safely assess damage and make repairs.
  • Generator safety: Never connect a portable electric generator directly to a building's electrical system during a power outage; electricity could back-feed into the power lines, potentially endangering CenterPoint workers. Only use a portable generator in a well-ventilated area and never run it inside or in a garage to avoid carbon monoxide fumes, which can be deadly.
  • Call before digging: Call 811 to locate utility lines prior to digging on a property.

 
Electric customers encouraged to enroll in Power Alert Service®
Customers are encouraged to enroll in Power Alert Service® to receive outage details, estimated restoration times, as available or determined, and customer-specific restoration updates in the event of severe weather. With the option to receive updates via phone call, text or email, Power Alert Service® helps keep customers informed of restoration progress during an outage event.

Customers can get storm-related electric, natural gas and flooding safety tips at CenterPointEnergy.com/StormCenter.​

CenterPoint Energy returns to normal operations as NWS Red Flag Warning expires, weather and wind threat ends for Greater Houston region

​Houston – March 15, 2025 – CenterPoint Energy is returning to normal operations as the National Weather Service's Red Flag Warning and risks of fire weather and strong wind end for the Greater Houston area. The company's system performed well, with less than one percent of customers experiencing an outage throughout today's high wind gusts.

Over the last several days, CenterPoint actively prepared for potentially dangerous weather conditions by conducting pre-inspections of electric and natural gas equipment, adjusting power line safety settings in higher-risk areas, communicating with customers and working with local emergency agencies.

Key Actions to Help Keep Customers Safe
Leading up to today's Red Flag Warning, CenterPoint's safety preparations included the following key actions:

  • Inspected and Hardened Key Power Lines: Inspected power lines in areas of heightened fire risk, cleared hazardous vegetation near power lines and conducted repairs where needed, ahead of potential extreme weather.
  • Inspected Natural Gas Facilities: Inspected gas facilities in areas of heightened fire risk and cleared hazardous vegetation near facilities ahead of potential extreme weather.
  • Adjusted Safety Settings: Adjusted the settings on some power lines for safety between noon and 9 p.m. today.
  • Brought on Additional Crews to Respond: Positioned CenterPoint crews and additional contractors to respond to any power outages or natural gas service interruptions that may occur.
  • Coordinated with Local Emergency Partners: Proactively shared information with state, county and local leaders.
  • Communicated with Customers: Proactively communicated with approximately 330,000 customers in the Cypress, Fort Bend and Katy areas by phone, text or email about the potential for temporary safety outages due to high fire danger.

“We'd like to thank our customers for their patience as some might have experienced temporary outages today as we took the necessary precautions to protect the community and our electric system from the fire weather conditions," said Tony Gardner, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer. “While today's weather risk has passed, we encourage customers to take this opportunity to enroll in the company's Power Alert Service® and verify contact information so that when the next weather event might impact Greater Houston area, CenterPoint can contact you with important information regarding your electric service."

CenterPoint electric customers are encouraged to enroll in the company's Power Alert Service® to receive outage details, estimated restoration times and customer-specific restoration updates by phone call, text or email.

Customers can also follow @CenterPoint_TX to receive the most up-to-date information on the company's operations in the Greater Houston area and across Texas.

CenterPoint Energy working to restore remaining customers out from overnight severe weather

​Evansville, Ind. – March 15, 2025 – CenterPoint Energy crews have completed significant repairs to its electric system after severe storms moved through southwestern Indiana Friday night into Saturday morning. As of 9:30 p.m., approximately 200 customers remain without power. With nearly all customers restored, the majority of those still out will remain without service overnight as crews continue addressing the final localized outages.

“Crews have worked tirelessly throughout the day to restore power to the majority of customers impacted by this weekend's severe weather, and we appreciate their patience," said Shane Bradford, CenterPoint's Vice President, Indiana Electric. “As we continue the final phase of restoration, our teams will focus on the remaining smaller and individual outages and will continue working overnight and into Sunday until service is restored to all customers."
 
Working through intermittent rain, gusty winds and occasional lightning throughout the day, crews safely repaired extensive storm damage, including downed power lines, damaged poles and other storm-related impacts to the company's electric system.

“Our internal and contracted crews faced challenging conditions today while keeping safety at the forefront. We appreciate their dedication as they worked to restore service to our customers," Bradford added.

At this stage, most of the remaining outages are localized, affecting smaller numbers of customers. Some of these repairs require extensive work, such as replacing broken poles or restoring service to individual customers who have damage to customer-owned electrical equipment.

Customers may experience delays if repairs are needed at their home or business. One common issue after storms is damage to a weatherhead—the point where power enters a home—which is customer-owned equipment. If a weatherhead is damaged, customers must have a licensed electrician make necessary repairs before CenterPoint can restore service. After repairs are completed, customers should call 800-227-1376 to request reconnection.

Customers can stay informed on remaining updates by following CenterPoint on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).​

CenterPoint Energy returns to normal operations as NWS Red Flag Warning expires, weather and wind threat ends for Greater Houston region

Approximately 99% of customers experienced no outages during fire weather conditions

HOUSTON, March 15, 2025 - CenterPoint Energy is returning to normal operations as the National Weather Service's Red Flag Warning and risks of fire weather and strong wind end for the Greater Houston area. The company's system performed well, with less than one percent of customers experiencing an outage throughout today's high wind gusts.

Over the last several days, CenterPoint actively prepared for potentially dangerous weather conditions by conducting pre-inspections of electric and natural gas equipment, adjusting power line safety settings in higher-risk areas, communicating with customers and working with local emergency agencies.

Key Actions to Help Keep Customers Safe
Leading up to today's Red Flag Warning, CenterPoint's safety preparations included the following key actions:

  • Inspected and Hardened Key Power Lines: Inspected power lines in areas of heightened fire risk, cleared hazardous vegetation near power lines and conducted repairs where needed, ahead of potential extreme weather.
  • Inspected Natural Gas Facilities: Inspected gas facilities in areas of heightened fire risk and cleared hazardous vegetation near facilities ahead of potential extreme weather.
  • Adjusted Safety Settings: Adjusted the settings on some power lines for safety between noon and 9 p.m. today.
  • Brought on Additional Crews to Respond: Positioned CenterPoint crews and additional contractors to respond to any power outages or natural gas service interruptions that may occur.
  • Coordinated with Local Emergency Partners: Proactively shared information with state, county and local leaders.
  • Communicated with Customers: Proactively communicated with approximately 330,000 customers in the Cypress, Fort Bend and Katy areas by phone, text or email about the potential for temporary safety outages due to high fire danger.

"We'd like to thank our customers for their patience as some might have experienced temporary outages today as we took the necessary precautions to protect the community and our electric system from the fire weather conditions," said Tony Gardner, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer. "While today's weather risk has passed, we encourage customers to take this opportunity to enroll in the company's Power Alert Service® and verify contact information so that when the next weather event might impact Greater Houston area, CenterPoint can contact you with important information regarding your electric service."

CenterPoint electric customers are encouraged to enroll in the company's Power Alert Service® to receive outage details, estimated restoration times and customer-specific restoration updates by phone call, text or email.

Customers can also follow @CenterPoint_TX to receive the most up-to-date information on the company's operations in the Greater Houston area and across Texas.

For more information, contact:
Communications
Media.Relations@CenterPointEnergy.com 

 

SOURCE CenterPoint Energy