CenterPoint Energy proposes solution to help mitigate ERCOT's regional energy shortfall in Central Texas while lowering Greater Houston-area customer bills
CenterPoint Energy proposes solution to help mitigate ERCOT's regional energy shortfall in Central Texas while lowering Greater Houston-area customer bills
2024-12-19T06:00:00Z

Proposal would send all 15 large emergency generation units to the San Antonio region for two years starting in Spring 2025

Company would make no revenue or profit off the proposal to help ERCOT and the State; Greater Houston Area customer bills would be reduced starting in Spring 2025

HOUSTON, Dec. 19, 2024 - Today, CenterPoint Energy (CNP) proposed a solution to help the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the State of Texas to help offset the projected electricity supply shortfall starting in summer 2025 around the greater San Antonio region. CenterPoint has put forward a proposal to support ERCOT's and State's energy replacement needs while reducing Greater Houston Area customer bills beginning in Spring 2025.

Over the last several months, the company has worked with a variety of stakeholders, regulators, and industry peers to address the specific energy shortfall and potential for load shed risk that could materialize beginning in summer 2025. Earlier this year, ERCOT issued a request for proposal to replace three gas-fired units – Braunig 1, 2 and 3. The retirement of these three gas-fired power plants is expected to create an approximately 800-megawatt shortfall in the ERCOT footprint beginning in the summer 2025. CenterPoint's 15 large emergency generation units (ranging from 27mW to 32mW) could provide up 450mW of power to be dispatched by ERCOT to serve customers.

"As part of our commitment to better serve our customers, listen to feedback, and help address the State's growing energy needs, we've been working diligently to determine the future role of these 15 large-scale emergency generation units that were originally acquired to help protect customers against extreme weather events like Winter Storm Uri. Our top priority has remained finding a positive, Texas-driven solution for these units that helps address the energy needs of Texans while helping reduce our customers' bills," said Jason Wells, President & Chief Executive Officer of CenterPoint Energy.

"We are optimistic that as we continue to work closely with our elected leaders, regulators, peer utilities and other stakeholders, we will finalize a solution that best serves the needs of the State of Texas, ERCOT and our Houston-area customers."

As part of this proposal to help the State and ERCOT, CenterPoint would intend to do the following:

  • Send all 15 large (27mW -32mW) units, each which could potentially power up to roughly 30,000 homes, to the Greater San Antonio area prior to summer 2025.

  • Until then, these 15 large units would remain in place in the Greater Houston region over the winter to protect against an extreme cold weather event risk during December, January, February, and March. It is expected these units would be transported to the San Antonio region in first half of 2025.

  • By the summer of 2025, these 15 units would be physically located at substations around San Antonio to serve ERCOT for what is likely to be roughly two years, or a shorter period of time if certain transmission projects are completed ahead of schedule.

  • CenterPoint would receive no revenue or profit from ERCOT for the time period when the units are in San Antonio being dispatched by ERCOT.

  • CenterPoint would also not charge Houston-area customers for costs associated with these units incurred during the time period when they are in San Antonio being dispatched by ERCOT.

  • Assuming all necessary transaction approvals are received, this proposal would result in an expected reduction to customer bills for Houston Electric customers that the company would propose to the Public Utility Commission of Texas in the Spring 2025.

  • After the units complete their roughly two-year service period in San Antonio, CenterPoint would continue to not charge customers for these units relating to any future periods, as the company plans to market the units for other purposes.

  • Currently, there is significant market demand for these types of emergency generation units due to growing energy consumption from the increase of AI use and data centers as well as the development of numerous energy projects across the state.

CenterPoint's role in the Texas electricity market
CenterPoint is an electric transmission and distribution company in the Texas market. The Company does not own any power plants in the state; does not generate any electricity in the state; and does not purchase electricity on behalf of customers in Texas. It also does not have any electric customers in Texas outside the 12-county Greater Houston area.

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.

Forward-looking Statements
This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "goal," "intend," "may," "objective," "plan," "potential," "predict," "projection," "should," "target," "will," "would" or other similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which include statements regarding a potential transaction with ERCOT, future bill impacts, and future potential transactions regarding the large emergency generation units, including effectiveness, timing and related matters, are based upon assumptions of management which are believed to be reasonable at the time made and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Any statements in this news release regarding future events that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement contained in this news release speaks only as of the date of this release. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the provided forward-looking information include risks and uncertainties relating to: (1) the impact of pandemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) financial market conditions; (3) general economic conditions; (4) the timing and impact of future regulatory and legislative decisions; and (5) other factors, risks and uncertainties discussed in CenterPoint Energy's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 and CenterPoint's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2024, June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2024 and other reports CenterPoint Energy or its subsidiaries may file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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

SOURCE CenterPoint Energy

 Recent News

 

 
CenterPoint Energy continues preparedness actions and positions resources ahead of potential severe weather in the Greater Houston area beginning Saturday afternoon and into Sunday

HOUSTON – March 7, 2026 – CenterPoint Energy's Emergency Operations Center remains activated today as the company continues executing preparedness actions ahead of potential severe weather across the Greater Houston area Saturday afternoon and evening, including scattered showers, thunderstorms and lightning. The company is monitoring forecasts, coordinating with emergency management partners and positioning resources to be prepared to respond to potential impacts to electric and natural gas service safely and as quickly as possible.

“We've been actively monitoring the weather models all week and are prepared to respond to potential impacts to our system," said Matt Lanza, CenterPoint's Manager of Meteorology. “Though the greatest potential for thunderstorms and severe weather appears to be to the north of our electric service territory on Saturday, we will continue tracking forecasts and adjusting our response plans. We urge customers to stay aware of evolving weather conditions and have a plan to stay safe."

What CenterPoint is doing:

  • Readying the company's resources:More than 1,400 personnel continue executing preparedness actions and will remain ready to support potential restoration efforts through Sunday.
  • Activated Emergency Operations Center: To coordinate storm response efforts throughout the weekend, the company proactively activated its Emergency Operations Center yesterday and remains ready to respond.
  • ​ Monitoring 24/7: The Meteorology team continues to track forecast developments, and the company is updating response plans as conditions evolve.
  • Pre-positioning resources: Response teams are developing plans to pre-position crews across the area to respond to any electric or natural gas service interruptions safely and as quickly as possible.
  • Coordinating with local officials: The company is providing updates to local officials and emergency management partners.

“Our crews are pre-positioned and ready to safely and quickly restore service in the event the forecasted severe weather has an impact on our system," said Jason Fabre, CenterPoint's Vice President, Special Response Team and Incident Commander. “We are committed to keeping our customers aware and informed, especially during potentially severe weather events. We urge all customers to register for Power Alert Service®, so that if outages from weather occur they can receive restoration updates directly via phone, text and email."​

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.  
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 September 30, 2025, the company had approximately $45 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. ​

More than 99.8% of CenterPoint Energy customers experienced no impacts during Saturday afternoon and evening storms; Company remains ready to respond to additional storms overnight and Sunday

​HOUSTON – March 7, 2026 – As today's wave of thunderstorms moved through the Greater Houston area, more than 99.8% of CenterPoint Energy's 2.9 million customers experienced no impacts to electric service as a result of this afternoon's severe weather. At the peak of today's storm activity, approximately 11,000 customers were without service. Since 5 p.m., crews have restored approximately 7,000 customers. As of 9:30 p.m., approximately 4,000 customers are currently without power — less than 1% of CenterPoint's 2.9 million electric customers. These numbers may continue to fluctuate as additional storms move through the area overnight and Sunday.​​

Crews have been pre-positioned across the area and are actively restoring customers experiencing outages in the areas most impacted, including northern areas of the company's electric service territory in Cypress, Humble and Katy, which experienced thunderstorms with frequent lightning and heavy rainfall.

The company's Operations Center remains activated as crews respond to outages and continue executing preparedness actions ahead of any weather impacts tomorrow. The company continues to diligently monitor forecasts, coordinate with emergency management partners and position resources to continue supporting restoration efforts and respond to any system impacts safely and as quickly as possible.

“We are committed to getting the lights back on for those customers experiencing outages following today's storms. Our crews are out right now across the Greater Houston area working to safely and quickly restore customers, while also preparing for another round of severe weather tomorrow afternoon," said Jason Fabre, CenterPoint's Vice President, Special Response Team and Incident Commander.

“As heavy rainfall continues and the threat of flooding remains across the area, we urge customers to stay prepared. We urge customers to stay aware and alert to the dangers of flood waters – and stay away from downed power lines that could be submerged in standing water. If you see a downed power line, stay at least 35 feet away and call us at 713-207-2222 to report."

CenterPoint has taken the following actions:

  • Deployed the company's resources: More than 1,400 personnel are responding to outages and supporting preparedness actions ahead of potential restoration efforts tomorrow.
  • Activated Emergency Operations Center: To coordinate storm response efforts throughout the weekend, the company proactively activated its Emergency Operations Center yesterday and remains ready to respond.
  • ​ Continued monitoring of weather 24/7: The Meteorology team continues to track forecast developments, and the company is updating response plans as conditions evolve.
  • Pre-positioned resources: Response teams have been pre-positioned in areas where storms are forecasted to impact and remain respond to any electric or natural gas service interruptions safely and as quickly as possible.
  • Continued coordination with local officials: The company is providing updates to local officials and emergency management partners.

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.  
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is a multi-state electric and natural gas delivery company serving more than 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 December 31, 2025, the company had approximately $46.5 billion in assets. With approximately 8,800 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been serving customers for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com. ​

While springing forward for Daylight Saving Time, CenterPoint Energy reminds customers to perform vital safety tasks and energy efficiency actions

​MINNEAPOLIS — March 6, 2026 — Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday, March 8, and CenterPoint Energy is reminding customers not just to use the time to adjust their clocks, but as an annual reminder to practice household safety maintenance and prepare for the warmer temperatures and longer days ahead.

“With warmer weather on the way, Daylight Saving Time is a great reminder to check and replace the batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors as you move your clocks forward by one hour," said Al Payton, CenterPoint Vice President of Safety and Technical Training. “Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is potentially poisonous if inhaled, and fire fatalities occur more often in homes without working smoke alarms. Verifying detectors function properly is one of the simple ways to protect you and your loved ones."

With spring approaching, customers can also use this season reminder to perform energy saving and safety tasks around the home, such as:

  • Changing the filters in HVAC systems: Maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature can represent approximately 50% of a home's energy use. Regular maintenance is one of the best ways to extend the life of a home's system, so swap out or clean filters to minimize costly repairs and to keep the system running efficiently.
  • Cleaning dryer vents: Help prevent fires and keep a dryer running efficiently by clearing lint out

of the duct or tube that goes from the appliance to the outdoors.

  • Sealing air leaks by caulking and weather stripping: To save energy and reduce cooling

costs, take time to caulk areas in and around a home where conditioned air may escape such as
around windows and doors or where warm air could enter.

  • Installing hot water saving measures: Showering accounts for 40% of a home's hot water use,

so energy-saving showerheads and faucet aerators can help lower energy costs and reduce hot
water use without sacrificing comfort.

  • Checking and restocking emergency kits: For items like nonperishable food, water, first aid items, flashlights and other battery-powered devices, Daylight Saving Time is a great reminder to check that emergency supplies are up to date.

By taking small steps to prepare for the longer and warmer days ahead, customers can make a difference in the safety and energy efficiency of their homes, while managing their bills. For additional efficiency tips, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/SavingsTips.


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 December 31, 2025, the company owned approximately $46.5 billion in assets. With approximately 8,800 employees, CenterPoint and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years.

CenterPoint Energy activates Emergency Operations Center as teams continue monitoring severe weather forecasted across the Greater Houston area this weekend and preparing for potential impacts

​HOUSTON – March 6, 2026 – With the potential for severe weather, scattered showers, thunderstorms and lightning to impact the Greater Houston area from Friday night through Sunday evening, CenterPoint Energy has proactively activated its Emergency Operations Center. The company continues to diligently monitor forecasts, coordinate with emergency management partners and position resources to be prepared to respond to potential impacts to electric and natural gas service safely and as quickly as possible. ​

“We've been actively monitoring the weather models all week and are prepared to respond to potential impacts to our system," said Matt Lanza, CenterPoint's Manager of Meteorology. “Though the greatest potential for thunderstorms and severe weather appears to be to the north of our service territory on Saturday, we will continue tracking forecasts and adjusting our response plans tomorrow and throughout the weekend. We urge customers to stay aware of evolving weather conditions and have a plan to stay safe."

What CenterPoint is doing:

  • Readying the company's resources:More than 1,400 personnel are executing preparedness actions and will remain ready to support potential restoration efforts through Sunday.
  • Activating Emergency Operations Center: To coordinate storm response efforts throughout the weekend, the company has proactively activated its Emergency Operations Center.​
  • Monitoring 24/7: The Meteorology team continues to track forecast developments, and the company is updating response plans as conditions evolve.
  • Pre-positioning resources: Response teams are developing plans to pre-position crews across the area to respond to any electric or natural gas service interruptions safely and as quickly as possible.
  • Coordinating with local officials: Providing regular updates to local officials and emergency management partners.

“Keeping our customers informed is a top priority, especially during severe weather," said Jesus Soto Jr., CenterPoint Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “If outages from weather occur, our Outage Tracker is the best way to stay updated with real-time information, including estimated restoration times. We're committed to open communication and working safely and quickly to restore service."

What customers should do:

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 September 30, 2025, the company had approximately $45 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.​

While springing forward for Daylight Saving Time, CenterPoint Energy reminds customers to perform vital safety tasks and energy efficiency actions

​EVANSVILLE, Ind. — March 6, 2026 — Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday, March 8, and CenterPoint Energy is reminding customers not just to use the time to adjust their clocks, but as an annual reminder to practice household safety maintenance and prepare for the warmer temperatures and longer days ahead.

“With warmer weather on the way, Daylight Saving Time is a great reminder to check and replace the batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors as you move your clocks forward by one hour," said Al Payton, CenterPoint Vice President of Safety and Technical Training. “Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is potentially poisonous if inhaled, and fire fatalities occur more often in homes without working smoke alarms. Verifying detectors function properly is one of the simple ways to protect you and your loved ones."

With spring approaching, customers can also use this season reminder to perform energy saving and safety tasks around the home, such as:

  • Changing the filters in HVAC systems: Maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature can represent approximately 50% of a home's energy use. Regular maintenance is one of the best ways to extend the life of a home's system, so swap out or clean filters to minimize costly repairs and to keep the system running efficiently.
  • Cleaning dryer vents: Help prevent fires and keep a dryer running efficiently by clearing lint out of the duct or tube that goes from the appliance to the outdoors.
  • Sealing air leaks by caulking and weather stripping: To save energy and reduce cooling costs, take time to caulk areas in and around a home where conditioned air may escape such as around windows and doors or where warm air could enter.

  • Installing hot water saving measures: Showering accounts for 40% of a home's hot water use, so energy-saving showerheads and faucet aerators can help lower energy costs and reduce hot ​water use without sacrificing comfort.

  • Checking and restocking emergency kits: For items like nonperishable food, water, first aid items, flashlights and other battery-powered devices, Daylight Saving Time is a great reminder to check that emergency supplies are up to date.

By taking small steps to prepare for the longer and warmer days ahead, customers can make a difference in the safety and energy efficiency of their homes, while managing their bills. For additional efficiency tips, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/SavingsTips.

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 December 31, 2025, the company owned approximately $46.5 billion in assets. With approximately 8,800 employees, CenterPoint and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years.