CenterPoint Energy begins relight process for affected customers in Center and Shelbyville, Texas
2024-01-06T06:00:00Z

Houston – Jan. 6, 2024 – CenterPoint Energy has begun the relighting process after experiencing a natural gas outage in Center and Shelbyville, Texas, that affected approximately 1,500 customers. The outage was a result of damage to a third-party pipeline that is not owned or operated by CenterPoint Energy.

 

“Once the third-party pipeline company made the necessary repairs, CenterPoint Energy technicians were able to complete the process of turning off each customer's natural gas meter. This was followed by a series of additional safety checks to verify that natural gas service can be restored safely," said John Seale, Operations Director at CenterPoint Energy. “As we work to restore service to impacted customers, safety continues to be our number-one priority.

 

“Qualified service technicians will come to your home and/or business today to turn on your natural gas meters. We expect to restore service today to all customers who provide us access to perform safety checks and relight pilots. Our technicians will work until 10 p.m. tonight.

 

“If our technicians are not able to access your home or business today, the relighting process will resume tomorrow at 7 a.m. We appreciate your patience as we work to restore service to your communities," added Seale.

 

At this time, no action is required on the part of the customer. An adult over age 18 needs to be at the service address when a technician arrives, if an adult is not present, the company will leave a door hanger with instructions. All CenterPoint Energy technicians and contractors wear identification badges and will gladly show them upon request before entering a home or business.

 

If you smell natural gas – which has a distinctive, strong odor, often compared to rotten eggs or sulfur – leave the area immediately on foot, and tell others to leave, too. Once safely away from the area, call 911 and CenterPoint Energy, and the company will send a trained service technician immediately.

 

For updates, follow CenterPoint Energy on X: @CenterPoint.

 

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 Recent News

 

 
CenterPoint Energy prepares for cold weather ahead of forecasted wintry precipitation across Texas and continues to closely monitor potential for severe winter conditions

HOUSTON – Jan. 20, 2026 – With winter precipitation and freezing temperatures in the low 20s forecasted to impact CenterPoint Energy’s service territory in Texas over the weekend and into next week, the company’s Emergency Response & Preparedness, Electric Operations, Gas Operations and Meteorology teams continue actively monitoring weather models and preparing for cold and potentially icy conditions. Both Electric and Natural Gas teams across CenterPoint’s Texas footprint are engaged in coordinated efforts to maintain readiness and address potential service impacts.

“We continue to diligently monitor the evolving weather forecasts across the communities we serve in Texas ahead of this weekend’s potential winter weather. Our teams are well prepared, executing work in advance and will be ready to respond to any impacts from the forecasted conditions, including icy weather, high winds and wintry precipitation,” said Don Daigler, CenterPoint’s Senior Vice President, Emergency Preparedness and Response. “We will remain alert throughout the week and continue to coordinate with local officials as our communities take steps to prepare. We urge our customers to stay weather alert as conditions continue to develop and have an emergency plan in place.”

Cold weather preparations
The company is prepared to respond to cold weather and has performed a series of proactive pre-winter preparedness actions to strengthen and winterize its electric and natural gas infrastructure across Texas, as well as inspect and test cold-weather critical equipment ahead of potential severe cold weather. CenterPoint is also deploying cold weather mitigations across its electric and gas infrastructure, developing plans to mobilize emergency response resources and coordinating with relevant local emergency responders and government officials in preparation. 

The pre-winter safety and readiness actions taken by CenterPoint include:

  • Inspecting and testing critical equipment, including all 270 electric substations, to prepare for high demand and cold temperatures;
  • Communicating and coordinating with the Texas Public Utility Commission and ERCOT about statewide energy needs;
  • Hardening electric and natural gas infrastructure across the Greater Houston area, including installing heaters and devices to prevent ice damage or buildup;
  • Maintaining freeze protection equipment and enclosures for cold-weather critical components;
  • Repairing thermal insulation and water-proofing materials;
  • Positioning Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks to be deployed to supplement the natural gas system, if needed;
  • Coordinating and communicating with the Railroad Commission of Texas to identify and support operations of critical gas infrastructure for natural gas reliability;
  • Monitoring more than 100 weather stations across the Greater Houston area to enhance situational awareness and storm preparation;
  • Donated and installed more than 20 emergency backup generators at key locations across Greater Houston to improve local emergency preparedness and response efforts; and
  • Conducted more than 19,000 total hours of emergency training in 2025 for hundreds of operational, emergency response and other personnel and contractors to strengthen severe weather preparation and response efforts.

The current weather forecast for CenterPoint’s Houston electric service territory indicates the potential for ice accumulation next weekend, subject to updated forecasts. The company reminds customers and community members to always assume downed lines or wires are energized and potentially dangerous if contacted. Stay at least 35 feet away from downed power lines or fallen wires and keep a safe distance from objects touching downed lines (tree limbs, vehicles, fences, etc.) and immediately report downed power lines to CenterPoint. 

Winter Energy Guide
CenterPoint’s Winter Energy Guide is a comprehensive online resource hub featuring safety, energy savings and bill management tips to help customers stay safe and warm throughout the winter season. CenterPoint encourages customers to use this helpful resource to create their own cold weather plans and stay prepared. To learn more, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ReadyforWinter.

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

Have a plan and stay safe
CenterPoint encourages customers to prepare and have a plan to stay safe during severe winter weather. Customers can get storm-related safety tips at CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter — available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Customers can also stay up to date on outages with CenterPoint’s Outage Tracker, available in English and Spanish. The Outage Tracker is built to handle increased traffic during storms, is mobile-friendly, accessible for those with disabilities and allows customers to see outages by county, city and zip code.

For the latest updates, follow CenterPoint on X and visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter. 

 

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, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas. As of September 30, 2025, the company owned approximately $45 billion in assets. With approximately 8,300 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

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As part of its commitment to helping support local communities, CenterPoint Energy Foundation opens its first grant cycle of 2026

DAYTON, Ohio — Jan. 15, 2026 — The CenterPoint Energy Foundation is currently accepting applications through Feb. 13 for nonprofit programs and initiatives focused on education including literacy, science-technology-engineering-mathematics (STEM) and workforce development.

Grants are available for eligible nonprofit organizations whose primary location is in CenterPoint Energy's service areas and have programs supporting the Foundation's giving priorities. The Foundation prioritizes programs serving low-to-moderate income families and under-resourced communities.  

Funded separately and financially independent from the utility, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation strives to be a catalyst for good by leveraging everyday opportunities and resources to increase the vibrancy in the communities it serves.   

“The CenterPoint Energy Foundation creates positive, meaningful change within the communities where we have the privilege to provide electric and natural gas service," said June Deadrick, Vice President, Community Relations at CenterPoint Energy. “The Foundation remains committed to initiatives and programs enriching the lives of those living and working within our service areas, while powering possibilities for a better tomorrow. We encourage qualified nonprofit organizations focusing on education to apply for a grant through Feb. 13." 

During its two grant cycles in 2025, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation awarded more than $13.9 million for approximately 430 grants to nonprofit organizations in Texas, Minnesota, Indiana and Ohio, with efforts expected to:

  • Supply nearly 2 million free books to kids.
  • Support more than 625,000 hours of tutoring for students.
  • Enable approximately 42,000 students to receive a certificate or credential for career pathways.
  • Deliver over 120,000 science-technology-engineering-math (STEM) kits and projects to students.
  • Fund more than 3,700 career exposure or exploration events.

 
The second Foundation grant cycle of the year will open in June 2026 and focus on community vitality initiatives, such as affordable housing, environmental stewardship and enhancing community outdoor spaces.

To learn more and apply for a grant, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation. 

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About the CenterPoint Energy Foundation
The CenterPoint Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where CenterPoint Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by shareholders and has no impact on customer rates. More information about the Foundation can be found at CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation.
 

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, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas. As of September 30, 2025, the company owned approximately $45 billion in assets. With approximately 8,300 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.​

As part of its commitment to helping support local communities, CenterPoint Energy Foundation opens its first grant cycle of 2026

​MINNEAPOLIS — Jan. 15, 2026 — The CenterPoint Energy Foundation is currently accepting applications through Feb. 13 for nonprofit programs and initiatives focused on education including literacy, science-technology-engineering-mathematics (STEM) and workforce development.

Grants are available for eligible nonprofit organizations whose primary location is in CenterPoint Energy's service areas and have programs supporting the Foundation's giving priorities. The Foundation prioritizes programs serving low-to-moderate income families and under-resourced communities.  

Funded separately and financially independent from the utility, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation strives to be a catalyst for good by leveraging everyday opportunities and resources to increase the vibrancy in the communities it serves.   

“The CenterPoint Energy Foundation creates positive, meaningful change within the communities where we have the privilege to provide electric and natural gas service," said June Deadrick, Vice President, Community Relations at CenterPoint Energy. “The Foundation remains committed to initiatives and programs enriching the lives of those living and working within our service areas, while powering possibilities for a better tomorrow. We encourage qualified nonprofit organizations focusing on education to apply for a grant through Feb. 13." 

During its two grant cycles in 2025, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation awarded more than $13.9 million for approximately 430 grants to nonprofit organizations in Texas, Minnesota, Indiana and Ohio, with efforts expected to:

  • Supply nearly 2 million free books to kids.
  • Support more than 625,000 hours of tutoring for students.
  • Enable approximately 42,000 students to receive a certificate or credential for career pathways.
  • Deliver over 120,000 science-technology-engineering-math (STEM) kits and projects to students.
  • Fund more than 3,700 career exposure or exploration events.

 
The second Foundation grant cycle of the year will open in June 2026 and focus on community vitality initiatives, such as affordable housing, environmental stewardship and enhancing community outdoor spaces.

To learn more and apply for a grant, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation. 

###

About the CenterPoint Energy Foundation
The CenterPoint Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where CenterPoint Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by shareholders and has no impact on customer rates. More information about the Foundation can be found at CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation.

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, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas. As of September 30, 2025, the company owned approximately $45 billion in assets. With approximately 8,300 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

As part of its commitment to helping support local communities, CenterPoint Energy Foundation opens its first grant cycle of 2026

HOUSTON — Jan. 15, 2026 — The CenterPoint Energy Foundation is currently accepting applications through Feb. 13 for nonprofit programs and initiatives focused on education including literacy, science-technology-engineering-mathematics (STEM) and workforce development.

Grants are available for eligible nonprofit organizations whose primary location is in CenterPoint Energy's service areas and have programs supporting the Foundation's giving priorities. The Foundation prioritizes programs serving low-to-moderate income families and under-resourced communities.  

Funded separately and financially independent from the utility, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation strives to be a catalyst for good by leveraging everyday opportunities and resources to increase the vibrancy in the communities it serves.   

“The CenterPoint Energy Foundation creates positive, meaningful change within the communities where we have the privilege to provide electric and natural gas service," said June Deadrick, Vice President, Community Relations at CenterPoint Energy. “The Foundation remains committed to initiatives and programs enriching the lives of those living and working within our service areas, while powering possibilities for a better tomorrow. We encourage qualified nonprofit organizations focusing on education to apply for a grant through Feb. 13." 

During its two grant cycles in 2025, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation awarded more than $13.9 million for approximately 430 grants to nonprofit organizations in Texas, Minnesota, Indiana and Ohio, with efforts expected to:

  • Supply nearly 2 million free books to kids.
  • Support more than 625,000 hours of tutoring for students.
  • Enable approximately 42,000 students to receive a certificate or credential for career pathways.
  • Deliver over 120,000 science-technology-engineering-math (STEM) kits and projects to students.
  • Fund more than 3,700 career exposure or exploration events.

The second Foundation grant cycle of the year will open in June 2026 and focus on community vitality initiatives, such as affordable housing, environmental stewardship and enhancing community outdoor spaces.

To learn more and apply for a grant, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation. 

###

About the CenterPoint Energy Foundation
The CenterPoint Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where CenterPoint Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by shareholders and has no impact on customer rates. More information about the Foundation can be found at CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation.

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, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas. As of September 30, 2025, the company owned approximately $45 billion in assets. With approximately 8,300 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com. ​

As part of its commitment to helping support local communities, CenterPoint Energy Foundation opens its first grant cycle of 2026

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Jan. 15, 2026 — The CenterPoint Energy Foundation is currently accepting applications through Feb. 13 for nonprofit programs and initiatives focused on education including literacy, science-technology-engineering-mathematics (STEM) and workforce development.

Grants are available for eligible nonprofit organizations whose primary location is in CenterPoint Energy's service areas and have programs supporting the Foundation's giving priorities. The Foundation prioritizes programs serving low-to-moderate income families and under-resourced communities.  

Funded separately and financially independent from the utility, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation strives to be a catalyst for good by leveraging everyday opportunities and resources to increase the vibrancy in the communities it serves.   

“The CenterPoint Energy Foundation creates positive, meaningful change within the communities where we have the privilege to provide electric and natural gas service," said Mike Roeder, President of CenterPoint Energy Indiana. “The Foundation remains committed to initiatives and programs enriching the lives of those living and working within our service areas, while powering possibilities for a better tomorrow. We encourage qualified nonprofit organizations focusing on education to apply for a grant through Feb. 13." 

During its two grant cycles in 2025, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation awarded more than $13.9 million for approximately 430 grants to nonprofit organizations in Texas, Minnesota, Indiana and Ohio, with efforts expected to:

  • Supply nearly 2 million free books to kids.
  • Support more than 625,000 hours of tutoring for students.
  • Enable approximately 42,000 students to receive a certificate or credential for career pathways.
  • Deliver over 120,000 science-technology-engineering-math (STEM) kits and projects to students.
  • Fund more than 3,700 career exposure or exploration events.

The second Foundation grant cycle of the year will open in June 2026 and focus on community vitality initiatives, such as affordable housing, environmental stewardship and enhancing community outdoor spaces.

To learn more and apply for a grant, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation. 

###

About the CenterPoint Energy Foundation
The CenterPoint Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where CenterPoint Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by shareholders and has no impact on customer rates. More information about the Foundation can be found at CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation.

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, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas. As of September 30, 2025, the company owned approximately $45 billion in assets. With approximately 8,300 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.