CenterPoint Energy surpasses 700,000 customer restorations
2024-05-20T05:00:00Z

​Houston – May 20, 2024 – As of 12 p.m. CT, CenterPoint Energy has restored more than 700,000 customers who were impacted by last week's sudden and destructive severe weather, which included Category 2 Hurricane-like winds and tornadoes that quickly struck its service territory.

  • Significant progress made toward goal of being substantially complete by Wednesday evening
  • Targeting this evening for approximately 85% of customer outages resulting from storm to be restored
  • Crews working around-the-clock in heavily damaged areas to address difficult restorations as safely as possible​​

Restoration continues for the just over 200,000 customers who are currently without power and is expected to be substantially complete by Wednesday evening. CenterPoint continues to work safely and urgently, but crews are encountering areas of significant damage accompanied by difficult restorations. These locations include parts of Bellaire, Spring Branch, the Heights, Lazybrook/Timbergrove and Cottage Grove.

Crews are finding equipment buried under multiple downed trees, large limbs, heavy debris and fences, as well as entire large trees down on roads, properties and CenterPoint's wires. In addition, the recent heavy rainfall across the area has caused issues with soil and tree stability, further complicating restoration efforts. While crews are addressing the challenges as safely as possible, these issues are impacting the pace of the restorations in certain areas.

“We understand the past four days have been very difficult as our customers have worked to recover from the devastating impacts of last week's severe weather. We also understand those customers who are still without power are dealing with extra levels of anxiety and concern in their lives, especially given the hot weather," said Lynnae Wilson, Senior Vice President, Electric Business. “We are putting all our available resources on safely restoring the remaining customers who are out, and we encourage customers to continue to utilize cooling stations, stay hydrated and take other precautions."

The company also shared the reasons why some customers may have their power restored, while others nearby are still without power. One common reason is a situation known as a “nested outage." This occurs when, even after fixing the main issue, smaller problems still cause outages in specific areas. These secondary issues can arise from unseen damage or overloaded systems.

Another reason could be that customers on the same street might be on different electrical circuits. Customers on different circuits can experience varied restoration times because each circuit may have different levels of damage or may be repaired in a different sequence. This means that while one circuit is fully restored, another might still be undergoing repairs. They may also be impacted by a more localized issue, such as damage to fuses, transformers, meters, electric lines or other electric infrastructure.

As the company gets further into the recovery process, it is important that customers check for damage to their equipment to ensure that they are able to receive service as soon as the system is energized.  This will prevent further delays to restoration. Specifically, customers should check their weatherhead, the point where power enters the home through an electric service drop, which is often a pipe located on the side of the residence or building. If the weatherhead is damaged, we cannot safely restore service to the home until a licensed electrician has made the necessary repairs.  Customers who are served by an underground service will not have a weatherhead, but there may still be damage to their equipment that could require servicing.

On the evening of Sunday, May 19, the company posted an updated restoration map by area on its website. It can be accessed at CenterPointEnergy.com/StormCenter. CenterPoint is also utilizing its Power Alert Service® tool to continue targeted restoration updates to customers. 

CenterPoint Energy reminds customers to remain safe and:

  • Stay at least 35 feet away from downed power lines and damaged utility equipment. Be especially mindful of downed lines that could be hidden and treat all downed lines as if they are energized.
  • Be cautious around work crews and give them plenty of room to safely assess damages and make repairs.
  • 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.
  • Never connect a portable electric generator directly to your building's electrical system during a power outage; electricity could backfeed into the power lines, potentially endangering CenterPoint Energy workers, mutual assistance workers or members of the public.

For the latest information on power outages:

  • Follow @CenterPoint; and


 Recent News

 

 
CenterPoint Energy continues to monitor Invest 93L in northeastern Gulf
  • Current projections indicate low potential development into a tropical depression or tropical storm
  • No significant impacts expected in CenterPoint's Greater Houston service area beyond rain on Friday and Saturday
  • Customers and the public are encouraged to sign-up for Power Alert Service to receive updates about friends, family and community locations

HOUSTON, July 15, 2025 - CenterPoint Energy's Meteorology, Emergency Planning & Response, and Electric Operations teams continue to monitor the low-pressure system offshore of Florida's east coast, now designated as Invest 93L, as it moves across Florida toward the Gulf.

According to current weather models, the storm is expected to remain relatively weak but could develop into a tropical depression or a low-end tropical storm before making a projected landfall in Central or Western Louisiana by the end of the week. Rain and localized flash flooding are possible in the Greater Houston area on Friday and Saturday.

Should the disturbance continue to organize, gain strength, and if model forecasts align on a different track, CenterPoint will take further action.

"CenterPoint's meteorology team continues to monitor activity across the Gulf, including Invest 93L as it moves westward across the Florida Peninsula," said Matt Lanza, CenterPoint's Manager of Meteorology. "We project a low likelihood that this storm could become a tropical depression or tropical storm later this week and are prepared to respond accordingly. Impacts to the Greater Houston area are currently expected to be minimal beyond some isolated heavy rains and localized flash flooding."

CenterPoint's summer storm readiness plan 

The actions CenterPoint may take to prepare and respond to storms this summer include: 

  • Mobilizing vegetation management workers: Deploying local and contract personnel to clear hazardous vegetation from power lines in the Greater Houston area ahead of storm landfall to prevent outages. 
  • Coordinating with government officials: Providing regular updates to federal, state, county and city officials about our pre-storm activities and readiness posture. 
  • Conducting outreach to critical care customers: Reaching out to identified Critical Care Residential and Chronic Condition Residential electric customers by email, phone or text.  
  • Sharing information and updates: Providing safety and preparedness information directly with customers via email, phone or text, across social media platforms and other channels to keep customers informed and prepared.   
  • Organizing additional call center staffing: Securing additional call center staff to handle a higher volume of calls during the storm and limit wait times.  

Actions since Hurricane Beryl: Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative
Since launching GHRI following Hurricane Beryl last summer, CenterPoint executed a historic series of critical resiliency improvements across the company's 12-county Greater Houston area service territory. The company completed the following actions:

  • Installed or replaced more than 26,000 stronger, more storm-resilient poles built to withstand extreme winds;
  • Undergrounded more than 400 miles of power lines to improve overall resiliency;
  • Installed more than 5,150 additional automated reliability devices and intelligent grid switching devices to reduce the impact of outages and improve restoration times;
  • Cleared more than 6,000 miles of higher-risk vegetation near power lines to reduce storm-related outages;
  • Installed more than 100 weather stations across our service territory to improve situational awareness and storm preparation;
  • Donated 21 backup generators to critical facilities across the company's 12-county service area; and
  • Launched a new and improved, cloud-based Outage Tracker to provide real-time updates on outages and restoration efforts in English and Spanish.

Important weather station facts and locations
CenterPoint has installed over 100 weather monitoring stations ahead of the Atlantic hurricane season. The weather monitoring stations were installed in strategic locations across CenterPoint's 12-county Greater Houston area electric service territory. The devices take measurements every 2-5 minutes, including humidity levels, wind speed, temperature, and rainfall.

For more information on CenterPoint's GHRI actions and improvements ahead of hurricane season, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/TakingAction.

Sign-up for Power Alert Service to get updates about family and friends
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 via phone call, text or email. Customers can add up to five additional email addresses or phone numbers to allow family and friends to receive outage information. 

CenterPoint encourages all customers to have a plan to stay safe
CenterPoint is encouraging all of its customers to prepare and have a plan to stay safe during this week's 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 new and improved, cloud-based Outage Tracker, now available in English and Spanish. The Outage Tracker is built to handle increased traffic during storms, is mobile-friendly, accessible, 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.
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is a multi-state electric and natural gas delivery company serving approximately 7 million metered customers across Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas. The company is headquartered in Houston and is the only Texas-domiciled investor-owned utility. As of March 31, 2025, the company had approximately $44 billion in assets. With approximately 8,300 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been serving customers for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

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

SOURCE CenterPoint Energy

CenterPoint Energy is monitoring a tropical disturbance in the Northeast Gulf and ready to activate its summer storm readiness plan, if needed
  • Current projections show a low probability of Texas Coast impacts beyond rain
  • Any potential impacts would occur late Friday or early Saturday
  • Customers and public encouraged to sign-up for Power Alert Service for updates about friends, family and community locations

HOUSTON, July 14, 2025 - CenterPoint Energy's Meteorology, Emergency Planning & Response and Electric Operations teams are monitoring a tropical disturbance moving across Florida toward the Gulf. Based on current projections, the path of the storm could come near the Texas Coast by the end of the week, but is anticipated to be primarily a rain event for the Houston area.

While it's still early and there are many variables, CenterPoint is ready to take action with its summer storm readiness plan. Should the disturbance continue to organize, gain strength, and models align on its different track, CenterPoint will take further actions.  

"CenterPoint's meteorology team has been monitoring this disturbance as it moved toward the Florida peninsula over the weekend. And we will continue to monitor, review new models and data and leverage our suite of technology assets, so we are prepared," said Matt Lanza, CenterPoint's Manager of Meteorology. "Right now, we are anticipating the low likelihood of an end of week potential rain event."

"While it is early and weather models can change, we want our customers, communities and public to know that we have a summer storm readiness plan. We encourage everyone to keep an eye on the weather this week while CenterPoint stands ready to activate," said Darin Carroll, Senior Vice President of CenterPoint's Electric Business.

CenterPoint's summer storm readiness plan
The actions CenterPoint may take to prepare and respond to storms this summer include: 

  • Mobilizing vegetation management workers: Deploying local and contract personnel to clear hazardous vegetation from power lines in the Greater Houston area ahead of storm landfall to prevent outages.
  • Coordinating with government officials: Providing regular updates to federal, state, county and city officials about our pre-storm activities and readiness posture.
  • Conducting outreach to critical care customers: Reaching out to identified Critical Care Residential and Chronic Condition Residential electric customers by email, phone or text.
  • Sharing information and updates: Providing safety and preparedness information directly with customers via email, phone or text, across social media platforms and other channels to keep customers informed and prepared.
  • Organizing additional call center staffing: Securing additional call center staff to handle a higher volume of calls during the storm and limit wait times.

Actions since Hurricane Beryl: Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative
Since launching GHRI following Hurricane Beryl last summer, CenterPoint executed a historic series of critical resiliency improvements across the company's 12-county Greater Houston area service territory. The company completed the following actions:

  • Installed or replaced more than 26,000 stronger, more storm-resilient poles built to withstand extreme winds;
  • Undergrounded more than 400 miles of power lines to improve overall resiliency;
  • Installed more than 5,150 additional automated reliability devices and intelligent grid switching devices to reduce the impact of outages and improve restoration times;
  • Cleared more than 6,000 miles of higher-risk vegetation near power lines to reduce storm-related outages;
  • Installed more than 100 weather stations across our service territory to improve situational awareness and storm preparation;
  • Donated 21 backup generators to critical facilities across the company's 12-county service area; and
  • Launched a new and improved, cloud-based Outage Tracker to provide real-time updates on outages and restoration efforts in English and Spanish.

Important weather station facts and locations 
CenterPoint has installed over 100 weather monitoring stations ahead of the Atlantic hurricane season. The weather monitoring stations were installed in strategic locations across CenterPoint's 12-county Greater Houston area electric service territory. The devices take measurements every 2-5 minutes, including humidity levels, wind speed, temperature, and rainfall.

For more information on CenterPoint's GHRI actions and improvements ahead of hurricane season, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/TakingAction.

Sign-up for Power Alert Service to get updates about family and friends
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 via phone call, text or email. Customers can add up to five additional email addresses or phone numbers to allow family and friends to receive outage information. 

CenterPoint encourages all customers to have a plan to stay safe
CenterPoint is encouraging all of its customers to prepare and have a plan to stay safe during this week's 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 new and improved, cloud-based Outage Tracker, now available in English and Spanish. The Outage Tracker is built to handle increased traffic during storms, is mobile-friendly, ADA-compliant, 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.
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is a multi-state electric and natural gas delivery company serving approximately 7 million metered customers across Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas. The company is headquartered in Houston and is the only Texas-domiciled investor-owned utility. As of March 31, 2025, the company had approximately $44 billion in assets. With approximately 8,300 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been serving customers for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

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

SOURCE CenterPoint Energy

In celebration of National Lineworker Appreciation Day, CenterPoint Energy honors frontline workers who work through the hottest days and coldest nights to serve customers and communities

HOUSTON — July 10, 2025 — Every year, the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and utilities across the country join together to observe National Lineworker Appreciation Day on July 10. This annual observance honors the life and work of Henry Miller, the first IBEW president, and our nation's frontline electric workers. These dedicated workers serve their communities year-round during the hottest summers and coldest winters by helping deliver safe and reliable electric service to customers every day. These same lineworkers answer the call for mutual assistance from neighboring utilities in other states by responding to hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, winter storms and other extreme weather events, and natural disasters.

“We celebrate this day annually to recognize our highly skilled and highly trained workforce. Whether installing new storm resilient poles, repairing lines impacted by cars or accidents or restoring electric service following an extreme weather event, lineworkers serve as the first responders of our industry," said Darin Carroll, Senior Vice President, Electric Business. “I want to thank our CenterPoint line men and women for the commitment and sacrifices made by both them and their families every day. A lineworker's job is not an easy one, but on both blue-sky days and after major weather events, our team shows up, works hard, and delivers this critical service to our customers."

CenterPoint's Houston electric lineworkers serve more than 2.8 million metered customers across 12 counties in southeast Texas, maintaining approximately 4,000 circuit miles of transmission lines and approximately 56,000 miles of distribution lines. In addition to installing, maintaining and repairing electric infrastructure such as transmission towers, distribution poles, substations, transformers and wires, these lineworkers also educate the public on electric wire safety and adhere to rigorous safety standards to protect themselves and the communities CenterPoint serves.

They are also playing a critical role in helping the company work toward its goal of building and operating the most resilient coastal grid in the country. Since CenterPoint launched the Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI) in August 2024, lineworkers and contractor partners have:

  • installed or replaced more than 26,000 stronger, more storm-resilient poles built to withstand extreme winds;
  • undergrounded more than 400 miles of power lines to improve overall resiliency;
  • installed more than 5,150 more automated reliability devices and intelligent grid switching devices to reduce the impact of outages and improve restoration times; and
  • installed 100 weather monitoring stations to improve situational awareness and storm preparation.

Supporting long-term resiliency and rising energy demand

As part of the company's commitment to harden and strengthen the grid in the Greater Houston area, CenterPoint is focused on helping build the next generation of electric workers to support continued resiliency work and help meet the rapidly growing energy. This next generation of line workers will also support the implementation of CenterPoint's 2026-2028 Systemwide Resiliency Plan, which is designed to strengthen the electric system against extreme weather of the future and reduce outages for customers by nearly 1 billion minutes into 2029.

For more information on CenterPoint's efforts to build a stronger, more resilient grid for its customers, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/TakingAction.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is a multi-state electric and natural gas delivery company serving approximately 7 million metered customers across Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas. The company is headquartered in Houston and is the only Texas-domiciled investor-owned utility. As of March 31, 2025, the company had approximately $44 billion in assets. With approximately 8,300 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been serving customers for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.​


CenterPoint Energy highlights new energy efficiency programs to help Indiana customers save energy and money this summer

​Evansville, Ind. — July 8, 2025 — As temperatures rise and long-range forecasts point to above-normal heat across southwestern Indiana, CenterPoint Energy is reminding customers of the tools, tips and programs available to help manage energy use and summer bills. New energy efficiency offerings now available include in-store discounts on energy-efficient products and no-cost home energy assessments with on-the-spot upgrades.

According to the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center, above-normal temperatures are expected across southwestern Indiana throughout the July–September period. With higher temperatures likely, customers may see increased energy use to keep their homes cool.

“At CenterPoint, we have several resources available to help customers save energy and manage their bills through the summer months and beyond. These new and existing offerings are designed to make saving energy easier, and the Customer Assistance Fund offers additional support for customers who may be facing financial challenges," said Tony Gardner, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer.

Expanded energy efficiency programs
CenterPoint offers a range of new and existing programs to help residential customers reduce energy use and lower their bills this summer:

New offerings

  • In-Store Discounts: Customers can receive instant rebates at checkout on eligible energy-efficient products at participating Lowe's, Home Depot and Habitat for Humanity ReStore locations in the Evansville area. No paperwork or application is required. Discounted items may include dehumidifiers, advanced power strips, air filters, ENERGY STAR® room A/Cs, pipe wrap and more.
  • Home Energy Assessment: Available to all households, this no-cost assessment includes on-the-spot upgrades such as weatherstripping, aerators, pipe insulation and a smart thermostat. Customers also receive a personalized home energy report with tailored recommendations.

Other programs

  • Energy Efficiency Store and Thermostat Promotion: Customers can shop CenterPoint's online Energy Efficiency Store to purchase discounted energy-saving products, delivered directly to your home. Through July 18, while supplies last, customers can also take advantage of a special promotion: save an additional $30 on the Google Nest Thermostat® or $40 on the Google Nest Learning Thermostat®.
  • Smart Cycle: Enrolled customers can receive bill credits during peak summer usage months by allowing CenterPoint to briefly adjust their smart thermostats by up to four degrees to help manage energy use. Before each event, homes are pre-cooled to maintain comfort and customers can override adjustments anytime. Customers can enroll online at CenterPointEnergy.com/SmartCycle.
  • Neighborhood Weatherization Program: Income-qualified customers can access no-cost home assessments and on-the-spot upgrades, similar to those offered through the Home Energy Assessment. Participants in this program may be eligible for additional improvements, such as insulation and furnace tune-ups, at no extra cost.

Summer bill payment assistance now available through the Customer Assistance Fund

The Customer Assistance Fund (CAF) provides direct bill support to eligible southwestern Indiana customers who may be facing financial challenges. Summer assistance is now available to support customers who use electricity to cool their homes.

Customers may apply once during the calendar year. Those customers who already received assistance in 2025 are ineligible until the new funding year begins in 2026 as funding is only allotted once per calendar year.

Administered in partnership with The Salvation Army Indiana Division, the CAF features an easy and accessible application process. More information is available at CenterPointEnergy.com/CAF. 

Additional tips, tools and resources for customers for energy and cost savings

Customers can do the following to stay comfortable while saving energy and money:

  • Turn up the thermostat when leaving home: Raise the temperature a few degrees when away from home for energy savings. With a smart or programmable thermostat, a cooling system can work around a customer's schedule.
  • Change or clean filters in HVAC systems: Air conditioning represents approximately 50 percent of a home's energy use when it's warm out. Regular maintenance can extend the life of a home's system, so change or clean filters to keep the system running efficiently.
  • Slay energy vampires: Energy drainers – also known as “energy vampires"– are electronic devices and appliances that suck up electricity by hovering in standby or ready mode without fully powering off. Save energy by turning off non-essential electric appliances, equipment and lights when not in use. 
  • Use ceiling fans to circulate cool air: Setting ceiling fans to rotate counterclockwise helps circulate cool air and keep rooms at a comfortable temperature.
  • Keep warm air out: Use weatherstripping or caulk areas in and around a home where cooled air may escape, such as around windows and doors or anywhere else warm air might enter.
  • Block the sun's rays: When temperatures increase outside, keep window coverings closed when the sun is shining brightest to maintain a more comfortable indoor temperature.
  • Upgrade appliances and equipment: When replacing appliances and equipment, choose models with increased energy efficiency ratings for long-term cost savings. Rebates may be available for qualifying appliances.​

Customers can learn more about tips and programs that can help them prepare for the longer and warmer days at CenterPointEnergy.com/SavingsTips.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.

CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is a multi-state electric and natural gas delivery company serving approximately 7 million metered customers across Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas. The company is headquartered in Houston and is the only Texas-domiciled investor-owned utility. As of March 31, 2025, the company had approximately $44 billion in assets. With approximately 8,300 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been serving customers for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

CenterPoint Energy, Inc. Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call

Thursday, July 24, 2025

7:00 a.m. Central / 8:00 a.m. Eastern

HOUSTON, July 7, 2025 - CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) has scheduled a conference call for Thursday, July 24, 2025, at 7:00 a.m. Central time or 8:00 a.m. Eastern time, to discuss Second Quarter results. Earnings will be released the same day before the market opens.

If you would like to participate in the conference call, please register here:

https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/pk75xytb

CenterPoint Energy will also provide a live audio webcast of the conference call, which can be accessed at CenterPointEnergy.com. Click on the Investors link and the link, "CenterPoint Energy, Inc. Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call Webcast."  The webcast will be archived on the company's website for at least one year.

Contact:
Chayla Franklin
713-207-6500

SOURCE CenterPoint Energy, Inc