CenterPoint Energy provides update on Hurricane Nicholas restoration efforts
2021-09-14T22:00:00Z
  • Power restored to nearly 300,000 customers in less than 12 hours since hurricane’s landfall
  • Natural gas system in Houston area performing well; system assessment almost completed
  • Customers’ patience appreciated as company works to restore service as safely and quickly as possible

Houston – Sept. 14, 2021 – In response to Hurricane Nicholas’ impact on its electric and natural gas systems in Greater Houston and surrounding communities, CenterPoint Energy has issued the following update on its restoration efforts:

The company has restored power to nearly 300,000 electric customers over the last 12 hours, down from a peak outage count of more than 460,000 at 8 a.m. CT this morning. Of the 2.6 million CenterPoint Energy customers in the Greater Houston area, more than 93 percent currently have power. At this time, CenterPoint Energy is down to approximately 160,000 customers without power.

“We want to thank our customers for their continued patience. We remain committed to continue our safe and efficient restoration efforts until all of our customers are back in service,” said Kenny Mercado, Executive Vice President, Electric Utility, CenterPoint Energy. “Due to the extensive damage caused by the storm, impacted customers should anticipate some outages taking as long as four to five days, with the majority restored earlier as repairs are safely completed.”

In addition to the more than 3,200 Electric Operations employees and contractors focused on the restoration work, CenterPoint Energy has confirmed 1,800 linemen and tree trimmers from their mutual assistance network and will activate four staging sites across the impacted areas. The mutual assistance resources are expected to begin work on Wednesday, with the remainder arriving on Thursday.

The restoration process begins with facilities vital to safety, health and welfare, such as hospitals, water treatment plants and public service facilities. While addressing 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.

CenterPoint Energy’s natural gas system is performing well, and system assessment is almost complete.

“To help support our customers who were impacted by the storm, we have temporarily suspended disconnections for nonpayment throughout the affected region,” said Scott Doyle, Executive Vice President, Natural Gas. “Safety remains a top priority as we complete the damage assessment, customers need to call us if they smell natural gas or see a damaged line.”

For latest information on power outages*:

  • Sign up for Power Alert Service for information on individual outages; 
  • Follow @cnpalerts and visit Outage Tracker for general outage locations; and 
  • Visit CenterPointEnergy.com/StormCenter for electric and natural gas safety tips and other resources.

*Please note that some outage notifications may be delayed. Due to the ongoing system assessment of damage caused by Hurricane Nicholas, estimated restoration times on Outage Tracker and Power Alert Service are not being provided at this time.

The company urges the public to follow these important electric and natural gas safety tips:

Electric 

  • Stay away from downed power lines. Be especially mindful of downed lines that could be hidden in flood waters and treat all downed lines as if they are energized.  
  • If you experience flooding and water has risen above the electrical outlets in your home, contact a licensed electrician before turning on the main circuit breaker or trying to restore power.  
  • All electrical appliances and electronic equipment that have been submerged in water need to dry thoroughly for at least one week. Then, have them checked by a qualified repair person before turning them on. Attempting to repair a flood-damaged appliance could result in electrical shock or death. Attempting to restart it could result in further damage and costly repairs. 
  • If the outside unit of an air conditioning system has been under water, mud and water may have accumulated in the controls. Have the unit checked by a qualified air conditioning technician.  

Natural Gas 

  •  Do not turn off your natural gas service at the meter; doing so could allow water to enter the natural gas lines. 
  • Be alert for the smell of natural gas. If you smell gas, leave the area immediately and tell others to leave, too. 
  • If you smell gas, do not turn the lights on or off, smoke, strike a match, use a cell phone or operate anything that might cause a spark, including a flashlight or a generator. 
  • Do not attempt to turn natural gas valves on or off. Once safely away from the area, call 911 and CenterPoint Energy at 888-876-5786 and the company will send a trained service technician. 
  • If your home was flooded, call a licensed plumber or gas appliance technician to inspect your appliances and gas piping to make sure they are in good operating condition before calling CenterPoint Energy to reconnect service. This includes outdoor gas appliances including pool heaters, gas grills and gas lights. 
  • Before cleaning debris, digging on your property or to locate underground natural gas lines and other underground utility lines, call 811, the nationwide Call Before You Dig number. 
  • Be aware of where your natural gas meter is located. As debris is put out for heavy trash pickup, make sure it is placed away from the meter. In many areas the meter may be located near the curb. If debris is near a gas meter, the mechanized equipment used by trash collectors could pull up the meter, damaging it and causing a potentially hazardous situation. If this happens, leave the area immediately and call CenterPoint Energy at 888-876-5786. 

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CenterPoint Energy Earns 2024 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Award for Sustained Excellence

Houston – March 28, 2024 — CenterPoint Energy is proud to announce that it has received the 2024 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award for Sustained Excellence from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“We are proud to receive this honor for the 19th consecutive year," said Rina Harris, CenterPoint Energy's Vice President of Strategic Business Growth and Engagement. “This award highlights the tireless efforts of our teams across our service territory to deliver innovative and effective energy efficiency programs that deliver value to our customers."

Each year, the ENERGY STAR program honors a select group of businesses and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to energy efficiency and the transition to a clean energy economy. ENERGY STAR award winners lead their industries in the production, sale and adoption of energy-efficient products, homes, buildings, services and strategies. These efforts have saved more than 5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity over the past 30 years.

“I congratulate this year's ENERGY STAR award winners for their innovation and leadership, in delivering cost-effective energy efficient solutions that create jobs, address climate change, and contribute to a healthier environment for all," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan.

Winners are selected from a network of thousands of ENERGY STAR partners. For a complete list of 2024 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR's awards program, visit energystar.gov/awardwinners.

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 Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas. As of December 31, 2023, the company owned approximately $39 billion in assets. With approximately 9,000 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped American families and businesses avoid more than $500 billion in energy costs and achieve more than 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. More background information about ENERGY STAR's impacts can be found at www.energystar.gov/impacts

CenterPoint Energy completes natural gas service restoration in Ohio

Dayton, Ohio – March 25, 2024 – Following a devastating F3 tornado that severely impacted customers in Lakeview and Russells Point, Ohio, CenterPoint Energy has restored natural gas service to all customers who have provided the company access to perform safety checks and relight pilots.

Customers who received a door hanger and are still without service can call the phone number listed on the door tag. The relighting process requires CenterPoint Energy employees to have access to each location to light pilots and verify it is safe to resume service.

CenterPoint Energy recognizes the significant impact on customers whose homes have been severely damaged or destroyed. The company continues to work closely with local emergency services to provide support and timely updates. Additionally, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation has donated $50,000 to the United Way of Logan County Indian Lake Tornado Relief Fund. The utility remains dedicated to supporting the community throughout the restoration effort.

If you smell natural gas, leave immediately on foot. Once you are safely away from the area, report the possible natural gas leak to 911 and to CenterPoint Energy at 1-800-227-1376.

For updates, follow CenterPoint Energy on X, formerly known as Twitter: @CenterPoint and Facebook: Facebook.com/CenterPointEnergy.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
As the only investor-owned electric and natural 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 Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas. As of

December 31, 2023, the company owned approximately $39 billion in assets. With approximately 9,000 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.



CenterPoint Energy begins relighting process for impacted customers in Lakeview and Russells Point, Ohio

Dayton, Ohio – March 21, 2024 – Following the devastating impact of an F3 tornado and severe weather last week, CenterPoint Energy has begun the relighting process for customers in Lakeview and Russells Point, Ohio.

"Last week, we temporarily shut off natural gas service at a single delivery point ahead of Orchard Island and Wolf Island to allow emergency personnel and electric utility crews to perform their essential work," said Ashley Babcock, Vice President of Gas Operations, Indiana and Ohio. “Additionally, we completed the process of turning off each customer's natural gas meter. Our service technicians performed a series of safety checks to verify that it is safe to restore natural gas service. With that done, and with safety as our top priority, we are moving forward with the relighting process to restore service to our customers as soon as possible."

At this time, no action is required on the part of the customer. If an adult over the age of 18 is not at the service address when a technician arrives, the company will leave a door hanger with instructions. All CenterPoint Energy technicians and contractors wear badges and will gladly show them to customers upon request before entering a home or business. The utility expects most service to be restored by the end of the day.

CenterPoint Energy recognizes the significant impact on customers whose homes have been severely damaged or destroyed. The company continues to work closely with local emergency services to provide support and timely updates. Additionally, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation has donated $50,000 to the United Way of Logan County Indian Lake Tornado Relief Fund. The utility remains dedicated to supporting the community throughout the restoration effort.

If you smell natural gas, leave immediately on foot. Once you are safely away from the area, report the possible natural gas leak to 911 and to CenterPoint Energy at 1-800-227-1376.

For updates, follow CenterPoint Energy on X, formerly known as Twitter: @CenterPoint and Facebook: Facebook.com/CenterPointEnergy.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
As the only investor-owned electric and natural 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 Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas. As of

December 31, 2023, the company owned approximately $39 billion in assets. With approximately 9,000 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

 

CenterPoint Energy initiates natural gas service restoration in Ohio

​​Dayton, Ohio. March 19, 2024 In response to the devastating impact of an F3 tornado and severe weather last Thursday, CenterPoint Energy is actively working to restore natural gas service in Lakeview and Russells Point, Ohio. This effort follows a service interruption that has affected more than 460 customers.

Natural gas service to the Orchard Island and Wolf Island areas has been temporarily shut off. Following essential work over the weekend by emergency personnel and electric utility crews, CenterPoint Energy teams have isolated the natural gas system and are assessing which areas can be quickly restored. The current estimate for completing the restoration of service is by March 27, 2024.

“Safety is our number-one priority as we work to restore natural gas service," said Ashley Babcock, Vice President of Gas Operations, Indiana and Ohio. “We appreciate our customers' patience as our teams work to ensure that service is restored as quickly as possible."

More than 70 company employees, contractors and mutual assistance crews have been called to help support the restoration process.

Qualified service technicians are in the process of visiting customers' homes or businesses to turn off the service at the meter before gas can be systematically restored. Following this, technicians will conduct a safety check before turning the natural gas service back on for each customer. If an adult over 18 is not at the service address when a technician arrives, the company will leave a door hanger with instructions. All CenterPoint Energy technicians and contractors wear badges and will gladly show them to customers upon request before entering a home or business.

CenterPoint Energy urges customers for safety reasons not to turn any valves or tamper with the natural gas meter. Opening or turning any valves could allow air to enter the natural gas lines, which would hinder the restoration process. Additionally, customers are advised to exercise caution when clearing debris around their natural gas meter and above-ground piping.

CenterPoint Energy recognizes the significant impact on customers whose homes have been severely damaged or destroyed. The company is coordinating closely with local emergency services to provide support and timely updates. Additionally, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation has donated $50,000 to the United Way of Logan County Indian Lake Tornado Relief Fund. The utility remains dedicated to supporting the community throughout the restoration effort.

If you smell natural gas, leave immediately on foot. Once you are safely away from the area, report the possible natural gas leak to 911 and to CenterPoint Energy at 1-800-227-1376.

For updates, follow CenterPoint Energy on X, formerly known as Twitter: @CenterPoint and Facebook: Facebook.com/CenterPointEnergy.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
As the only investor-owned electric and natural 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 Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas. As of December 31, 2023, the company owned approximately $39 billion in assets. With approximately 9,000 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com. ​


CenterPoint Energy Announces 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders

Meeting to be held Friday, April 26 at 9 a.m. CT

HOUSTON, March 15, 2024 - CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) today announced its 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held on Friday, April 26, 2024, at 9 a.m. CT in the CenterPoint Energy Tower auditorium, 1111 Louisiana Street, Houston, Texas. Shareholders who hold shares of CenterPoint Energy Common Stock at the close of business on March 1, 2024, will receive notice of the meeting and will be eligible to vote.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
As the only investor-owned electric and natural 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 Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas. As of December 31, 2023, the company owned approximately $39 billion in assets. With approximately 9,000 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

For more information contact
Media:
Media Relations
Media.Relations@centerpointenergy.com

Investors:
Jackie Richert/Ben Vallejo
Phone 713.207.6500

SOURCE CenterPoint Energy, Inc