CenterPoint Energy announces critical readiness actions in Texas to prepare for 2025 winter storm season
CenterPoint Energy announces critical readiness actions in Texas to prepare for 2025 winter storm season
2024-12-12T06:00:00Z

CenterPoint shares regulatory declaration of winter readiness and completion of key actions to inspect and test equipment, strengthen the grid, and prepare for winter storm events

Company participated in joint exercise with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and other utility partners to prepare for extreme cold-weather events

HOUSTON, Dec. 12, 2024 - Today, as part of its 2025 winter storm readiness efforts, CenterPoint Energy shared the completion of key actions to prepare for the coming winter season and mitigate potential impacts of extreme cold weather events. The pre-winter storm readiness actions CenterPoint is taking include: (1) inspecting and testing cold-weather critical equipment; (2) submitting a formal declaration of winter preparedness to regulatory oversight agencies; and (3) coordinating emergency plans with utility partners and grid operators, including a joint training exercise with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

"Our CenterPoint Texas team is focused on working closely with our emergency partners and preparing the grid for the impact of potential winter storms and extreme cold. As part of this effort, we are taking actions that will be vital if, or when, a winter storm impacts the energy system. Our goal is to be ready to respond to any emergency, even as we build the most resilient and reliable coastal grid in the country that can withstand extreme weather at any time of the year," said Darin Carroll, Senior Vice President of CenterPoint Energy's Electric Business.

Critical Winter Readiness Action: Annual Declaration of Winter Readiness
CenterPoint submitted its annual declarations of winter readiness to both ERCOT and the Railroad Commission of Texas. These declarations demonstrate that CenterPoint has completed the regulatory requirements that were adopted in 2021 to prepare electric and natural gas infrastructure for winter storms and extreme cold weather and aims to provide customers with more reliable service.

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

  • Inspecting and testing critical equipment, including all 270 substations, to prepare for high demand and cold temperatures; 
  • Hardening electric and natural gas infrastructure across the Greater Houston area, including by installing heaters and devices to prevent ice damage or buildup; 
  • Maintaining freeze protection equipment and enclosures for cold-weather critical components;
  • Repairing damaged or degraded thermal insulation and water-proofing materials; and
  • Conducting emergency training for hundreds of operational personnel and contractors to prepare for, mitigate and respond to the impacts of severe winter weather. 

Critical Winter Readiness Action: Joint ERCOT Training Exercises
Last week, CenterPoint participated in a joint tabletop exercise with ERCOT and industry partners to prepare for potential winter weather events that cause high energy demand and create a strain on the electric grid. This exercise included a tabletop review of different scenarios and exams for participants to foster collaboration and coordination around winter preparedness.

The ERCOT-hosted training was one of several exercises and trainings that CenterPoint teams participate in throughout the year. These exercises help CenterPoint and other utilities across Texas to be more closely aligned and prepared to partner in response to weather events that increase demand and strain the grid.

Critical Winter Readiness Actions: Customer Winter Storm Safety Campaign
In the coming weeks, the company will proactively share vital safety information with customers and local partners about how they can plan ahead to prepare for extreme winter weather, including important safety tips, programs and resources that will help the Greater Houston community prepare for the risk of extreme cold weather events. For more winter preparedness information, customers can visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ReadyForWinter.

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. 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:
Communications
Media.Relations@CenterPointEnergy.com

SOURCE CenterPoint Energy

 Recent News

 

 
Approximately 97.5% of CenterPoint Energy customers experienced no impacts during overnight thunderstorms as crews responded safely and quickly to address localized impacts to system

Since 1 a.m., CenterPoint frontline workers and contractors have restored approximately 60,000 customers

As of 4:45 a.m., approximately 14,500 of CenterPoint's customers are without power

Less than 1% of CenterPoint customers impacted at any one time since storms began at 1 a.m.

HOUSTON – May 11, 2026 – During the overnight thunderstorms, approximately 97.5% of CenterPoint Energy customers experienced no service interruptions. Where there were localized impacts to service as a result of the overnight storms, crews continue to make steady progress in the field responding to isolated outages. Across the Greater Houston area, weather impacts included pockets of frequent lightning, wind gusts up to 45 mph and scattered rainfall. The company's frontline crews and contractors were pre-positioned ahead of weather and began responding to outages as soon as it was safe to do so, and they will continue working safely and quickly until every customer is restored. 

CenterPoint's Emergency Operations Center remains activated as crews continue supporting restoration efforts this morning.

Scattered thunderstorms began impacting parts of the Greater Houston area overnight, with the strongest activity taking place between 2 and 3 a.m. Since 1 a.m., across CenterPoint's 150 weather station network, peak rain totals between 1 - 2" and wind gusts up to 45 mph have been observed. Crews continue restoring customers experiencing outages in the areas most impacted, including northern parts of the company's electric service territory in Montgomery County and the Cypress, Spring Branch and Greenspoint areas of Harris County.

At the peak of this morning's storm activity around 2:30 a.m., less than one percent (approximately 28,600) of customers were without service at any one time. About 2.5% of CenterPoint's 2.9 million customers have experienced service interruptions since 1 a.m., with over 60,000 of those customers restored as of 4:45 a.m. The average restoration time per outage is approximately 26 minutes. As of 4:45 a.m., approximately 14,500 are currently without power — approximately half of one percent of CenterPoint's customers.

“Our CenterPoint teams worked through the night to restore power safely and as quickly as possible to customers affected by isolated and localized outages," said John Cornelius, CenterPoint's Vice President of Distribution Operations and Incident Commander. “Our crews were staged and ready to go, responding safely throughout the storms overnight. We're grateful to our customers for their patience as we work through the final stretches of the storm front and our focused efforts to restore the remaining outages."

What customers should do:

  • Sign up for Power Alert Service®: Get outage updates and restoration times.
  • Track outages: Bookmark the Outage Tracker (available in English & Spanish and mobile-friendly) to see outage information in your area.
  • Stay safe: Visit Ready.gov for storm safety tips.

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 March 31, 2026, the company owned approximately $47.8 billion in assets. With approximately 8,800 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

CenterPoint Energy provides new option for in-person customer service and bill payment with Customer Connect pilot

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – May 11, 2026 – CenterPoint Energy today announced the launch of a new weekly in-person customer service and payment option at the CenterPoint Energy Plaza in Downtown Evansville. Through the Customer Connect pilot, southwestern Indiana customers can now walk in, pay a bill in person and sit down with a customer service representative for personalized assistance, answers to questions and help resolving any account issues. The Customer Connect pilot is part of the company's expanding Community Connect program.

“Listening to our customers and addressing their feedback, we are excited to offer this new pilot which allows us to continue engaging with our customers while increasing accessibility to resources and account support," said Mike Roeder, President of CenterPoint Energy Indiana. “We remain committed to transparency and developing new ways to help customers based on their feedback. This new tool is yet another way to connect with customers and provides them with the ability to make a payment and talk through their account with a real person. It's a standing invitation to walk in, sit down and get the support they need."

What customers can do at Customer Connect
Customers can now pay in person at CenterPoint Energy Plaza, located at 211 NW Riverside Drive in Downtown Evansville, every Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No appointment is needed.

CenterPoint customer service representatives are available to help customers with a full range of account needs, including:

  • Making a payment in person
  • Getting answers to billing-related questions
  • Managing Budget Bill enrollment, which will be known as Levelized Billing starting July 1
  • Setting up flexible payment options
  • Learning about additional resources to save energy and manage bills

The next Customer Connect will be held on Wednesday, May 13. Customers can pay by checking or savings account, credit card, debit card or Apple Pay. Cash is not accepted. CenterPoint will continuously evaluate this new pilot program for the next several weeks.

Building on Community Connect
Customer Connect is the newest addition to CenterPoint's Community Connect program, which has expanded from five events in fall 2025 to a year-round schedule of more than 30 community touchpoints planned for 2026. Community Connect events bring CenterPoint teams into neighborhoods, workplaces and community spaces across southwestern Indiana to connect with customers face-to-face. Customer Connect brings that same commitment to the Plaza on a weekly, recurring basis. CenterPoint is also the first Indiana utility to bring back regular walk-in service back to customers. Additional in-person offerings may be added based on customer interest and feedback from the pilot.
 
Ongoing commitment to affordability and customer experience
Customer Connect joins a series of actions CenterPoint has taken over the past six months to prioritize affordability and expand support for southwestern Indiana customers. In October 2025, CenterPoint launched its initial series of Community Affordability Actions, including a commitment to keeping electric rates stable through 2027 and the CenterPoint Energy Foundation's $5 million Community Energy Improvement Fund. Since then, the company has introduced additional bill management tools, expanded customer support programs and implemented additional protections such as annual late-fee waivers upon request, reduced reconnection fees and safeguards for medically vulnerable customers as part of the Indiana Electric rate case settlement.

For more information about Customer Connect, including hours of operation and the Community Connect event schedule, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/CommunityConnect.

Essentially all CenterPoint Energy customers who can receive power have been restored following overnight and early morning storms across the Greater Houston area

​As of 4:00 p.m., less than 500 CenterPoint customers are without power from overnight storms

CenterPoint has returned to normal operations and the Emergency Operations Center has been demobilized

HOUSTON – May 11, 2026 – As thunderstorms traveled across CenterPoint Energy's electric service territory in the early morning hours, approximately 97% of its 2.9 million customers across the Greater Houston area experienced no impacts to their electric service. Essentially all CenterPoint customers who can safely receive power have now been restored. Approximately 87,000 customers were impacted since a line of storms arrived about 1:00 a.m. and moved through the area.  As of 4:00 p.m. today, less than 500 customers are currently without power from the overnight storms. Crews continue actively working to restore those remaining impacted customers safely and as quickly as possible.

The company's electric business has returned to normal operations and the Emergency Operations Center has been demobilized.

​Scattered thunderstorms moved through parts of the Greater Houston area in the early morning hours, with the strongest activity taking place between 2 and 3 a.m. At the peak of this morning's storm activity around 2:30 a.m., about one percent of CenterPoint's customers were without service at any one time. The average restoration time per outage was approximately 35 minutes. 

“Our customers expect and deserve reliable power, and our teams worked around the clock through significant rainfall to safely restore service to customers who were impacted by significant weather," said Jason Fabre, CenterPoint's Vice President of Special Response and Incident Commander. “We appreciate the dedication of our outstanding frontline crews and contractors, as well as our customers' patience and understanding as we worked to restore power."

CenterPoint took the following actions ahead of Monday's significant weather:

  • Activated Emergency Operations Center: To coordinate storm response efforts, the company proactively activated its Emergency Operations Center on Friday and remained ready to respond.
  • Monitored weather 24/7: The Meteorology team continued to track forecast developments, and the company updated response plans as conditions evolved.
  • Pre-positioned resources: Response teams were pre-positioned in areas where storms were forecasted to impact and remained ready to respond to any electric or natural gas service interruptions safely and as quickly as possible.
  • Coordinated with local officials: The company provided updates to local officials and emergency management partners.

Important ways to stay connected to CenterPoint: Power Alert Service

Customers can enroll in the company's Power Alert Service® to receive outage details, estimated   restoration times and customer-specific restoration updates via phone call, email or text. Customers can also stay up to date with CenterPoint's Outage Tracker, which allows customers to see outages by county, city and zip code.

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 March 31, 2026, the company owned approximately $47.8 billion in assets. With approximately 8,800 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

Centerpoint Energy’s expanded workforce remains prepared and ready to respond to potential severe weather across the Greater Houston area this evening and overnight

Emergency Operations Center remains activated ahead of tonight's forecasted storms

Frontline workers and contractors continue executing preparedness actions across the system and remain ready to support potential restoration efforts

HOUSTON – May 10, 2026 – CenterPoint Energy's Emergency Operations Center remains activated ahead of forecasted potentially severe weather across the Greater Houston area this evening and overnight into Monday morning. The company's expanded workforce of frontline employees and contractors stands prepared and ready to respond to any impacts to electric or natural gas service.

Thunderstorms are forecasted to impact parts of the Greater Houston area this evening and continue through the early morning hours of Monday. CenterPoint's Meteorology team continues to diligently monitor evolving forecasts and help optimize response plans throughout the weekend. Frontline workers and contractors will be responding overnight and restoring any outages that may occur.  

“Our crews have remained on alert all weekend and continue to be ready to safely restore service if outages from weather occur. This evening and overnight into Monday, our teams will be out there responding and focusing on restoring service to the customers and communities we're privileged to serve," said Jason Fabre, CenterPoint's Vice President of Special Response and Incident Commander. “We have been communicating all weekend and are committed to keeping our customers informed ahead of and during tonight's storms. We urge customers to register for Power Alert Service® so that if outages from weather do occur, they can receive restoration updates directly via phone, text and email."

Prepared for Severe Weather: Key Actions
As part of its storm preparedness efforts, CenterPoint is taking the following actions:

  • Readying the company's workforce and resources: Preparing personnel to support potential restoration efforts.
  • Activating Emergency Operations Center: To coordinate storm response efforts, the company has proactively activated its Emergency Operations Center. 
  • Monitoring severe weather 24/7: The Meteorology team continues to track weather forecast developments, and the company is updating response efforts as conditions evolve.
  • Coordinating with local officials: CenterPoint is reaching out to local officials and emergency management partners to provide updates on continued preparedness efforts.

What customers should do:

  • Sign up for Power Alert Service®: Get outage updates and restoration times.
  • Track outages: Bookmark our new Outage Tracker (available in English & Spanish and mobile-friendly) to see outage information in your area.
  • Stay safe: Visit Ready.gov for storm safety tips.
  • Follow us: Real-time updates will be available on X and at 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 March 31, 2026, the company owned approximately $47.8 billion in assets. With approximately 8,800 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

CenterPoint Energy crews prepared and will be responding throughout the night to forecasted potentially severe storms across the Greater Houston area

​Emergency Operations Center remains activated as weather is expected between midnight and early Monday morning

Frontline workers and contractors stand ready to restore customers if outages occur

HOUSTON – May 10, 2026 – CenterPoint Energy crews are ready and will be responding during the overnight hours as potentially severe weather is forecasted to move across the Greater Houston area between midnight and the early morning hours of Monday. The company's Emergency Operations Center remains activated, and frontline employees and contractors stand prepared to respond to any weather-related impacts to electric or natural gas service.

A broken line of thunderstorms is expected to impact parts of the Greater Houston area overnight, with the strongest activity forecast between midnight and 6 a.m. Monday. CenterPoint's Meteorology team continues to closely monitor evolving conditions and support response planning overnight. Crews and contractors will be positioned and responding as needed, focusing on safely restoring service if outages occur.

“We want our customers and communities to know that our crews stand ready and will be responding overnight as storms move through the area," said John Cornelius, CenterPoint's Vice President of Distribution Operations and Incident Commander. “Our teams will be out through the night, closely tracking conditions and responding to any outages as the weather passes through the area, so we can restore service safely and as quickly as possible. We remain focused on keeping our customers informed before and during these overnight storms."

Prepared for Overnight Severe Weather: Key Actions

As part of its ongoing storm preparedness efforts, CenterPoint is taking the following actions:

  • Maintaining an expanded workforce: Frontline workers and contractors are prepared to respond overnight and support potential restoration efforts.
  • Emergency Operations Center activated: The EOC remains activated to coordinate overnight storm response efforts.
  • Monitoring weather conditions 24/7: The Meteorology team continues tracking forecast developments and supporting real-time response adjustments.
  • Coordinating with local officials: The company remains in communication with local officials and emergency management partners as weather moves through the region.

What customers should do

  • Sign up for Power Alert Service®: Receive outage and restoration updates by phone, text or email.
  • Track outages: Bookmark the Outage Tracker, available in English and Spanish and optimized for mobile devices.
  • Stay safe: Visit Ready.gov for storm safety tips.
  • Follow us: Overnight updates will be shared on X and at 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 March 31, 2026, the company owned approximately $47.8 billion in assets. With approximately 8,800 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.