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CenterPoint Energy mobilizes to respond to winter storm projected to impact the Greater Houston area

2025-01-18T06:00:00Z

Forecasts converge on freezing precipitation and accumulation

Approximately 1,200 additional mutual aid workers will arrive by Monday

to support potential restoration efforts

National Weather Service issued Winter Storm Watch for the entire region

ERCOT Weather Watch issued for January 20 – 23 due to extreme cold weather across its region

CenterPoint customers urged to be weather alert and have a plan to stay safe and warm through freezing temperatures

HOUSTON, Jan. 18, 2025 - As weather models and forecasts for next week begin to converge, confidence is increasing in the potential for significant wintry precipitation and accumulation impacting the Greater Houston area starting Monday evening and continuing into next week. CenterPoint Energy continues to execute the company's cold weather readiness plan and is actively monitoring the evolving forecasts. CenterPoint has secured an additional 1,200 mutual aid workers who will arrive Monday. The company is also standing up three staging sites and pre-positioning crews to support potential restoration efforts.

Forecasts continue to align on a range of potential scenarios early next week across the Greater Houston area, with most models anticipating a sharp drop in temperatures and freezing precipitation overnight on Monday and through Tuesday afternoon. CenterPoint's Emergency Preparedness and Response, Meteorology and Operations teams remain on alert and are utilizing in-house and third-party weather modeling and historical data from previous weather events to plan for all potential impacts to CenterPoint's system.

In preparation for the mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain anticipated to impact the region, the National Weather Service has now issued a Winter Storm Watch for Southeast Texas beginning at 6:00 p.m. Monday through 6:00 p.m. Tuesday. On Friday, ERCOT issued a Weather Watch for Jan. 20 through Jan. 23 due to extreme cold weather across the ERCOT region, higher electrical demand and the potential for lower reserves. At this time, according to ERCOT, grid conditions are expected to be normal, but CenterPoint teams remain ready to respond if that should change.

"Our CenterPoint teams have already executed numerous cold weather preparations from our winter readiness plan and we will continue to diligently monitor the weather and our systems as we stand up these staging sites and begin onboarding the approximately 1,200 mutual assistance workers who've answered the call to support potential restoration efforts. We have plans in place and are stationing crews across the communities we serve so our teams can handle any service issues safely and as quickly as possible. We urge our customers to stay weather alert, have an emergency plan in place and take steps now to prepare," said Darin Carroll, Senior Vice President of CenterPoint's Electric Business.

Cold weather preparations
The company has a cold weather action plan in place and has performed a series of proactive pre-winter preparedness actions to strengthen and winterize its infrastructure across Texas, including inspecting and testing cold-weather critical equipment. In addition to requesting an additional 1,200 mutual aid resources to assist with restoration efforts, CenterPoint is also deploying cold weather mitigations across its electric and gas infrastructure, coordinating with relevant local emergency responders and government officials and making plans to mobilize emergency response resources.

2025 Winter Energy Guide
CenterPoint recently launched its Winter Energy Guide, a comprehensive online resource hub that helps customers throughout the winter heating season. The guide features practical and important safety, energy savings and bill management tips to help customers stay safe and warm throughout the winter season. To learn more, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ReadyforWinter.

Safety reminders
CenterPoint reminds customers to stay safe during and after winter storms:

Downed power lines: Stay at least 35 feet away from downed power lines and report them to CenterPoint at 713-207-2222. Be especially mindful of downed lines that could be hidden and treat all downed lines as if they are energized.
Work crew safety: Be cautious around work crews and give them plenty of room to safely assess damage and make repairs.
Portable generators: Only use a portable generator in a well-ventilated area and never run it inside or in a garage to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) fumes, which can be deadly.
Use space heaters safely: Make sure space heaters have an automatic shut-off, and keep children, pets and all items at least three feet away from it. A space heater that uses natural gas, propane or wood should be vented to the outside. Stoves and ovens should never be used for space heating.
Electric system safety: Never connect a portable electric generator directly to a building's electrical system during a power outage; electricity could back-feed into the power lines, potentially endangering CenterPoint workers.
Preserving food during outages: Avoid opening freezers and refrigerators during outages to preserve food.
Natural gas safety: Natural gas is odorized with a distinctive, strong odor, often compared to rotten eggs or sulfur. If a natural gas odor is detected inside a home or building, leave immediately on foot. Do not use electric switches, telephones (including cell phones), or anything that could cause a spark. Once in a safe location, call both CenterPoint Energy and 911. Do not use email or the Internet to report the leak and never attempt to repair a natural gas leak yourself—leave all repairs to trained technicians. For leaks outside, leave the area on foot and move in an upwind direction away from the leak or vapor cloud to a location where the smell of gas is no longer present. Warn others to stay away from the leak and abandon any equipment being used in or near the area. Once in a safe location, call both CenterPoint Energy and 911 to report the leak.
Know the signs of CO poisoning: Early symptoms such as headache and fatigue are similar to the flu, but without a fever. Continued CO exposure can lead to more severe headaches, dizziness, nausea, difficulty thinking clearly and fainting. If everyone in a household is experiencing these symptoms, it could be CO poisoning. If symptoms suggest CO poisoning, leave the area immediately, get fresh air and call 911.
Gas meter maintenance: Remove large icicles hanging over meter assemblies and appliance vents. Use a broom – not a shovel – to clear snow from the meter. If the gas meter is encased in ice, do not attempt to melt and/or chip the ice, as this could cause damage to the meter. Allow the ice to melt on its own.
Call before digging: Call 811 to locate utility lines prior to digging on a property.

Electric customers encouraged to enroll in Power Alert Service® and follow CenterPoint Texas X account
While CenterPoint continues to provide information around this weather event, including issuing preparedness communications to critical care customers, the company also encourages all electric customers 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.

Customers can also follow @CenterPoint_TX to receive the most up-to-date information on the company's operations in the Greater Houston area and across Texas.

For the latest weather information for the Greater Houston area, see updates from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Houston/Galveston at www.weather.gov/hgx.

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

SOURCE CenterPoint Energy

Recent News

As natural gas construction season begins, CenterPoint Energy reminds Minnesotans to stay alert and safe around work zones

B-roll of CenterPoint’s Minnesota crews at work: https://cnplibrary.canto.com/b/GDEQL

MINNEAPOLIS – April 21, 2026 – With warmer temperatures arriving in Minnesota, construction activities will be increasing across the state. CenterPoint Energy’s crews and contractors will be working in many communities this year, and the company encourages customers and the public to stay alert and use caution around work zones to help keep themselves and their fellow Minnesotans safe.

In 2025, CenterPoint achieved the following construction milestones to enhance safety and reliability for Minnesota customers and communities:

Replacing more than 150 miles of natural gas main lines
Installing over 22,000 natural gas service lines
Replacing or installing over 38,000 natural gas meters

This year’s construction activities will continue to focus on enhancing the safety and reliability of the company’s natural gas system, especially during winter’s coldest days. Additionally, CenterPoint replaces and relocates its infrastructure to enable projects completed by government agencies such as constructing roads, bridges, drainage and other infrastructure.

“Our top priority is keeping our workers, customers and Minnesota neighbors safe as this important natural gas upgrade work is completed to benefit our local communities,” said Brad Steber, CenterPoint’s Vice President, Minnesota Gas. “As construction activity ramps up, people may see crews, equipment and construction traffic in their neighborhoods and on local roads. Slowing down, staying aware and following posted signs helps protect everyone as these important safety and reliability projects are conducted.”

This year’s construction activities are expected to continue through fall, weather permitting. CenterPoint works to notify customers before construction projects through channels such as direct mail, email and social media.

To learn more about specific construction projects and to sign up for email updates, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Construction.

Staying safe near construction areas
CenterPoint encourages everyone to follow these safety tips when driving, cycling or walking near construction zones:

Work areas can change as activities progress. Watch for crews, equipment, cones and barriers.
Remain outside of work areas at all times.
Follow posted signs and directions from crew members, such as traffic flaggers.
If driving or cycling near activities, slow down and remain outside construction barriers.
Avoid distractions like using a cell phone.

Call before you dig
Anyone planning a project that requires digging should contact 811 at least three business days prior to their work starting to have underground utilities located at no cost. CenterPoint reminds customers that this includes projects done by themselves or their contractors, including building a fence, planting trees, installing a deck, placing a mailbox or laying a patio.

Visit 811BeforeYouDig.com to learn more about 811 and the process to have underground utility lines located and marked. For more information about natural gas safety, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Safety.

CenterPoint Energy celebrates National Lineman’s Appreciation Day by honoring frontline workers and their critical role in delivering safe, reliable energy to communities across the Greater Houston area

HOUSTON — April 18, 2026 — Every year, by designation of the United States Congress, the nation recognizes the profession of linemen and expresses support for the brave men and women who serve as frontline electric workers across the country. These highly skilled professionals serve their communities year-round through extreme heat, severe cold and challenging conditions to deliver safe and reliable electric service every day. Beyond serving their local areas, linemen also answer the call for mutual assistance from utilities across the country, traveling to the hardest-hit areas to help restore power following hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, winter storms and other major weather events and natural disasters.

“National Lineman's Appreciation Day gives us the opportunity to recognize our remarkable and highly trained professionals who keep our system operating safely and reliably every day," said Ed De Varona, CenterPoint's Senior Vice President, Electric Business. “From strengthening infrastructure and installing more storm‑resilient equipment to repairing damage caused by accidents and restoring power after severe weather, our linemen are the backbone of safe and reliable electric service in Greater Houston."

CenterPoint's Houston frontline electric workers serve more than 2.9 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 linemen 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, company linemen and contractors have:

Installed or replaced more than 63,000 stronger, more storm-resilient poles built to withstand extreme winds;
Undergrounded more than 430 miles of power lines to improve overall resiliency;
Cleared high-risk vegetation from more than 8,000 miles of power lines;
Installed more than 590 intelligent grid switching devices to reduce the impact of outages and improve restoration times; and
Installed more than 150 weather monitoring stations to improve situational awareness and storm preparation.

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.

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’s 2026 Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI) first quarter milestones bring strengthened reliability and resiliency to Greater Houston electric customers and communities

HOUSTON, April 17, 2026 – Today, CenterPoint Energy announced key first quarter progress in achieving its 2026 milestones for the company's Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI), a multi-year effort to strengthen resiliency and improve reliability for its 2.9 million electric customers and help build the most resilient coastal grid in the nation.

Building upon the historic GHRI progress achieved to date, in the first quarter of 2026, CenterPoint has installed 10,000+ storm resilient poles, cleared 1,600+ miles of higher-risk vegetation, completed 99 miles of power line undergrounding, and hardened 220+ miles of power lines. With these reliability improvements, CenterPoint is well on its way to achieving its 2026 GHRI goals, which include: installing 35,000 stronger, storm-resilient poles, clearing high-risk vegetation from 8,000 miles of power lines and hardening 500 transmission structures against storms. By the end of 2026, these infrastructure improvements are expected to improve day-to-day reliability for customers, reduce the impact of storm-related outages and save customers from experiencing over 50 million outage minutes this year.

“We are proud of the progress made in 2025 which helped deliver more than 100 million fewer outage minutes when compared to 2024, and we are determined to make even more progress in 2026 as we work toward our defining goal: building the nation's most resilient coastal grid. To date, we are ahead of schedule in making critical 2026 GHRI improvements, and we will continue to build the stronger, smarter infrastructure necessary to further improve systemwide reliability and strengthen resiliency, reducing the likelihood and impact of outages for our customers," said Nathan Brownell, CenterPoint's Vice President of Resilience and Capital Delivery.

2026 GHRI: key resiliency actions & goals
Throughout 2026, all across the greater Houston area, CenterPoint will be undertaking a series of GHRI-related actions to improve resiliency for its customers. Among the actions include:

2026 GHRI Actions

Launch of Community Progress Tracker
To help keep CenterPoint's 2.9 million Greater Houston-area customers better informed about the GHRI reliability and resiliency actions taken since 2024, the company recently launched the Community Progress Tracker, a new web-based map that provides direct access for customers to track progress on infrastructure improvements in their neighborhood. As part of its ongoing commitment to the community, CenterPoint will also be hosting a series of community meetings to share more information on 2026 GHRI actions, as well as engage directly with customers on how to further improve their service.

For more information about GHRI and CenterPoint's actions to strengthen the system on behalf of its customers, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/TakingAction.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.

CenterPoint Energy appoints Michael A. “Casey” Herman to Board of Directors

HOUSTON — April 16, 2026 — As part of the ongoing refreshment process of its Board of Directors, CenterPoint Energy (NYSE: CNP) today announced that its shareholders elected a new Director, Michael A. (“Casey") Herman to its Board, effective April 16, 2026. Herman brings decades of audit, governance, and finance strategy experience in the electric and gas utility industries to CenterPoint's Board.

Herman is a senior industry executive with deep experience leading complex audits and providing consulting services for companies across the utility sector, including his 10 years of leading the U.S. Utility & Power Sector and Sustainability practices at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). He has also served as a C-suite advisor and member of several utility industry-related boards, including as Chair of the Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI) Advisory Committee and a member of the Edison Electric Institute's (EEI) Wall Street Advisory Group. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Illinois and Louisiana.

“Casey is a well-respected thought leader in our industry having served numerous companies in the investor-owned utility space and he has a wealth and variety of experience that will greatly benefit CenterPoint's Board," said Jason P. Wells, Chair of CenterPoint's Board of Directors. “He brings decades of governance, audit, strategic planning, and long-term financing strategy expertise, especially when it comes to driving long-term strategic plans for Fortune 500 companies. We could not be more pleased to have him join us at this time."

Consistent with its growth-focused strategy and 10-year, $65.5 billion capital investment plan, CenterPoint continues to deliver on its objective to invest in the resilience, reliability and safety of its system and to fuel the company's long-term growth potential, for the benefit of its customers and communities across the service areas it serves.

Regarding his appointment, Herman said, “I am honored to be joining CenterPoint's Board and bringing my perspective to the table. As we all work together to support the company's goals of building and operating the most resilient coastal grid in the in the nation and the safest gas system in the country, I look forward to leveraging my experience and providing insights to the Board to help advance the company's long-term strategy."

About Michael A. “Casey" Herman
A former senior partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Casey Herman brings nearly four decades of experience advising companies across the energy, utility, and power sectors. During his tenure at PwC, he served as U.S. Utility and Power Sector Leader, where he led complex audits and provided strategic advisory services to Fortune 500 utility and energy companies. A licensed certified public accountant, Casey served as lead engagement partner for numerous large external audits, providing deep expertise in financial reporting, regulatory compliance, and SEC filings.

Casey holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University where he also sits on the board. He also serves on the board of Dragos, Inc., a provider of cybersecurity for operational technology in the energy and industrial sectors.

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.

Forward-Looking Statement

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" or other similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which include statements regarding our strategic, growth and capital plans, longer-term resiliency plans, and future performance and financial results, 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 or the date that such statement is made, as applicable. 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) business strategies and strategic initiatives; (2) CenterPoint Energy's ability to fund and invest planned capital, and the timely recovery of its investments; (3) financial market and general economic conditions; (4) the timing and impact of future regulatory, legislative and political actions or developments; 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, 2025 and other reports CenterPoint Energy or its subsidiaries may file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — April 17, 2026 — Observed annually on April 18, by designation of the United States Congress, the nation recognizes the profession of linemen and expresses support for the brave men and women who serve as frontline electric workers across the country. These highly skilled professionals serve their communities year-round through extreme heat, severe cold and challenging conditions to deliver safe and reliable electric service every day. Beyond serving their local areas, linemen also answer the call for mutual assistance from utilities across the country, traveling to the hardest-hit areas to help restore power following hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, winter storms and other major weather events and natural disasters.

“National Lineman's Appreciation Day gives us the opportunity to recognize our remarkable and highly trained professionals who keep our system operating safely and reliably," said Shane Bradford, Vice President of CenterPoint's Indiana Electric Business. “From strengthening infrastructure and restoring power after severe weather, our linemen are the backbone of safe and reliable electric service in southwestern Indiana."

CenterPoint's Evansville frontline electric workers serve approximately 154,000 metered customers across 6 counties in southwestern Indiana, maintaining approximately 1,050 circuit miles of transmission lines and approximately 7,170 miles of distribution lines. In addition to installing, maintaining and repairing electric infrastructure such as transmission towers, distribution poles, substations, transformers and wires, these linemen also educate the public on electric wire safety and adhere to rigorous safety standards to protect themselves and the communities CenterPoint serves.

In 2025, these men and women played a critical role in helping the company improve on key measures, including:

Fewer outages: The average number of outages customers experienced dropped by nearly 10% compared to 2024, continuing a trend of year-over-year improvement since 2022.
Shorter outages: When outages did occur, the system's average duration decreased by 14%, meaning power was restored sooner for customers across the service territory.
Fewer repeat outages: The number of customers who experienced four or more outages in a year dropped by 10%, driven by a targeted program that identifies areas with repeated outages and prioritizes improvements.

Additionally, outage minutes attributed to equipment failure have dropped 57% since 2019 as the company has continued to replace and upgrade infrastructure through its grid modernization program.

Ongoing commitment to customers

CenterPoint's prudent investments in reliability are part of a broader commitment to southwestern Indiana customers that includes prioritizing affordability. Over the past year, the company has taken a series of actions to manage costs for customers, including cancelling nearly $1 billion in generation projects that were no longer economical, saving residential customers approximately $18 per month in avoided costs through 2027.