As temperatures drop, CenterPoint Energy continues mobilizing response efforts for Winter Storm Enzo projected to impact the Greater Houston area Monday evening
As temperatures drop, CenterPoint Energy continues mobilizing response efforts for Winter Storm Enzo projected to impact the Greater Houston area Monday evening
2025-01-19T06:00:00Z

Forecasts converge on freezing precipitation and accumulation across Greater Houston as National Weather Service upgrades advisory to a Winter Storm Warning

Three staging sites set-up and approximately 1,200 additional mutual aid workers set to arrive tomorrow to support potential restoration efforts

CenterPoint to activate its emergency operations center Monday afternoon ahead of the projected start of precipitation

CenterPoint urges customers and the public to be weather alert and have a plan to stay safe and warm through freezing temperatures and precipitation

HOUSTON, Jan. 19, 2025 - CenterPoint Energy continues to execute its cold weather readiness plan and actively monitor the weather for new developments. Weather forecasts continue to converge on a major winter storm, now named Enzo, impacting the Greater Houston area beginning Monday evening, with wintry precipitation and significant accumulation forecasted across the region this week.

The company has secured an additional 1,200 mutual aid workers to support potential restoration efforts. CenterPoint's emergency operations center will be activated Monday evening ahead of the projected arrival of wintry precipitation and the company is standing up three staging sites and pre-positioning crews across its service territory to respond, if needed, as safely and as quickly as possible.

CenterPoint's Emergency Preparedness and Response, Meteorology and Operations teams will remain on alert throughout the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend and continue to utilize 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 upgraded the Winter Storm Watch to a Winter Storm Warning for Southeast Texas beginning at 6 p.m. Monday through 6 p.m. Tuesday.

On Friday, ERCOT issued a Weather Watch from Monday to Wednesday 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.

"As our CenterPoint teams stand up these staging sites and begin onboarding approximately 1,200 mutual assistance workers who've answered the call to support potential restoration efforts, we continue to diligently monitor the weather and our systems and prepare for potential impact. We want our customers to be confident in the numerous cold weather preparations CenterPoint has already executed from our winter readiness plan and to know we have plans in place to support their communities during this week's forecasted severe weather. We also want to urge our customers to stay weather alert, have an emergency plan in place and take steps now to prepare, especially customers who rely on life-sustaining equipment," said Darin Carroll, Senior Vice President of CenterPoint's Electric Business. 

Cold weather preparations
The company has a cold weather readiness 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 securing an additional 1,200 mutual aid resources to assist with restoration efforts, additional call center resources have been secured in anticipation of call volume rising and support platforms have been load-tested to meet higher demand as customers seek information during and after the storm. CenterPoint is also deploying cold weather mitigations across its electric and natural gas infrastructure, coordinating with relevant local emergency responders and government officials and making plans to mobilize emergency response resources.

Stay informed before, during and after the storm with CenterPoint's Storm Center, Power Alert Service® and the CenterPoint Texas X account
CenterPoint is encouraging all customers to prepare and have a plan to stay safe during Winter Storm Enzo. Customers can read the latest news on CenterPoint's preparedness and response efforts, view important safety tips and access the company's 2025 Winter Energy Guide by visiting CenterPointEnergy.com/StormCenter.

While CenterPoint continues to provide information around this weather event to its 2.8 million electric customers, including those designated as critical care, 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.   

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 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.

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

SOURCE CenterPoint Energy

 Recent News

 

 
CenterPoint Energy to Activate Emergency Operations Center for All FIFA 2026 World Cup Matches Taking Place in Houston

​HOUSTON – June 12, 2026 – Today, CenterPoint announced it will activate its Emergency Operation Center (EOC) during each of Houston's seven FIFA World Cup 2026™ games scheduled between this Sunday, June 14 through July 4, as part of its overall preparedness efforts for this historic sporting event. In addition to activating its EOC on matchdays, CenterPoint will also be proactively pre-staging frontline crews and coordinating with the Host Committee, City of Houston officials and other local, state and federal agencies throughout the World Cup. CenterPoint's matchday actions build on its year-long preparations to support Houston hosting the global event, including completing nearly 700 electric resiliency projects — such as repairing or replacing equipment on all circuits providing power to World Cup priority locations across the Greater Houston area — and inspections of nearly 250 miles of natural gas pipelines across multiple key areas such as hotels, training facilities, airports and transit routes.

“Seven World Cup matches are like seven Super Bowls in a month, and our CenterPoint team and emergency response partners have been preparing for this incredible sporting event for well over a year. With the eyes of the world on our city and people travelling in from far and wide to cheer on their favorite team, we have a matchday gameplan and will be coordinating our response efforts through our Emergency Operations Center during each of these key events," said Jesus Soto, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, CenterPoint Energy.

CenterPoint Emergency Operations Activations: Houston World Cup Matches
CenterPoint will be activating its Emergency Operations Center during each match played at Houston Stadium on the following days:

  • Sunday, June 14, 12 p.m.: Germany vs Curaçao
  • Wednesday, June 17, 12 p.m.: Portugal vs Congo DR
  • Saturday, June 20, 12 p.m.: Netherlands vs Sweden
  • Tuesday, June 23, 12 p.m.: Portugal vs Uzbekistan
  • Friday, June 26, 7 p.m.: Cabo Verde vs Saudi Arabia
  • Monday, June 29, 12 p.m.: TBD vs TBD
  • Saturday, July 4, 12 p.m.: TBD vs TBD

World Cup Preparedness & Readiness Efforts: Key Actions
As part of its overall preparedness and readiness efforts for the nearly month-long World Cup schedule, in October 2025, CenterPoint began undertaking a series of actions to prepare the electric system and support the City of Houston and all critical event locations. Among the critical actions taken include:

  • Completing Nearly 700 Resiliency Projects: Completing nearly 700 electric system projects around critical event venues and other priority locations to help strengthen reliability.
  • Inspecting Nearly 250 Miles of Natural Gas Pipeline: Completed additional gas facilities surveys across 140 miles of gas main piping and more than 100 miles of service line piping.
  • Conducting Critical Grid Inspections: Inspecting primary and alternate circuits serving World Cup priority locations, with initial inspections beginning in July 2025 and follow-up inspections identifying issues for repair ahead of the event.
  • Completing Targeted Work at Key Locations: Focusing critical preparedness work around key World Cup-related locations, including NRG Park, Shell Energy Stadium, the EaDo Fan Festival area, airports, transit routes, hotels and training-related sites.
  • Developing an Action Plan: Building an event-specific action plan to define staffing, response objectives, escalation criteria and resource coordination during the World Cup matches.
  • Coordinating with Local Emergency Partners: Coordinating with the City of Houston, emergency managers and external partners on planning, emergency response and operational readiness.
  • Participating in a Local Emergency Exercise: Participating in a World Cup tabletop exercise facilitated by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and hosted by the City of Houston to test coordination and response capabilities.
  • Pre-Staging Resources: Preparing additional operational support and response resources to be staged near priority areas to support faster restoration if issues occur.
  • Activating our Emergency Operations Center: CenterPoint will be activating its new state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center in advance of and during each match to help prepare for and coordinate CenterPoint's event support.

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.

CenterPoint Energy Foundation awards more than 30 Community Safety Grants to strengthen Minnesota communities

​​MINNEAPOLIS – June 11, 2026 – The CenterPoint Energy Foundation awarded more than 30 Community Safety Grants for 2026 totaling approximately $75,000 to local governmental agencies and first responders across its Minnesota service area. The grants help fund vital safety equipment and projects to make a meaningful difference and enhance the quality of life for the communities and customers CenterPoint serves.

The CenterPoint Energy Foundation awards grants of up to $2,500 to eligible local governmental agencies to support community safety needs. Since launching the program in Minnesota in 2003, more than 1,200 grants have been awarded, funding projects to strengthen public safety and community wellbeing.

“At CenterPoint, safety is our top core value, and this drives every effort we take for the customers and communities we have the privilege of serving. We know safe communities are strong communities, and that's why we invest in programs to enhance the safety of the locations where we live and work," said Brad Steber, CenterPoint's Vice President of Minnesota Gas. “These grants help local leaders and first responders bring important safety projects to life to benefit our fellow Minnesotans. We are proud to support the men and women who work every day to keep our shared communities safe."

This year's grants support a wide range of projects, including installing public automated external defibrillators, upgrading emergency communication equipment, purchasing personal protective equipment for first responders, strengthening disaster preparedness efforts and investing in utility locating equipment.

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

To learn more about CenterPoint's commitment to the communities it serves, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Community.  

About the CenterPoint Energy Foundation

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

CenterPoint Energy Launches Multi-Week Series of “Community Connect” Open House Events Across Greater Houston

​HOUSTON — June 11, 2026 — Beginning on June 23rd and continuing through August, CenterPoint Energy will hold more than 13 “Community Connect" events in neighborhoods across Greater Houston. The local outreach events, which will include a range of CenterPoint team members and customer representatives, will provide opportunities for customers, community members and local leaders to learn more about ongoing reliability, resiliency and communications improvements, as well as efforts taken to prepare for the 2026 hurricane season.

“All of us at CenterPoint bear an important responsibility to serve our Greater Houston communities, and we are committed to building a more reliable and resilient electric grid for all our customers. Just as important is connecting with our customers, their families and friends, at a local level – where they live and call home – so they can all learn more about the important work we are doing in their neighborhood and across our great city. We hope every customer will take some time and join us, so we can answer their questions and hear how we can better serve them," said Keith Stephens, CenterPoint Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer.

Community Connect Events: Meet Local CenterPoint Team
The first Community Connect event will begin on Tuesday, June 23rd, at the Wesley Community Center, with additional events held every week across Greater Houston. During each local meeting, community members will be invited to visit a variety of informational stations, share feedback and ask one-on-one questions to CenterPoint experts and team members, as well as learn more about the various tools and resources available to stay better informed during periods of extreme weather and major storms. Among the areas that will be covered during each Community Connect event include:

  • Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative Updates: Actions taken as part of the multi-year GHRI program in their local neighborhoods;
  • Strengthening Resiliency & Reliability: Overall resiliency and grid improvements taken and planned across Greater Houston, as well as the targeted efforts to improve day-to-day reliability for every community;
  • Enhanced Communications Tools: Learning about how to best use the new neighborhood Outage Tracker, as well as one-on-one assistance on how to sign up for Power Alert Service®: to stay better informed about outages before, during and after a storm;
  • Storm Preparations: The scope of readiness and emergency preparedness actions taken to prepare for the 2026 hurricane season, including the opportunity to work with local organizations to develop personalized storm readiness plans;
  • Emergency Preparedness Resources: Providing customers with resources and tools to prepare for storms and extreme weather.

Calendar of Community Connect Events: Dates and Locations
Over the coming days and weeks, residents and neighbors, and small business and community leaders, will be invited to attend a local Community Connect event. The calendar of Community Connect events includes:

  • Tuesday, June 23 (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM): Wesley Community Center, 1235 Lorraine St. Houston, TX 77009
  • Thursday, June 25 (4:00 – 6:00 PM): Weekley Community Center, 8440 Greenhouse Rd. Cypress, TX 77433
  • Monday, June 29 (4:00 – 6:00 PM): Historic Galveston Water/Electric Community Center, 715 30th St. Galveston, TX 77550
  • Tuesday, June 30 (4:00 – 6:00 PM): Waller County Community Center, 21274 FM 1098 Prairie View, TX 77446
  • Tuesday, July 7 (4:00 – 6:00 PM): BakerRipley-Pasadena, 720 Fairmont Pkwy. Pasadena, TX 77504
  • Tuesday, July 7 (6:00 – 7:30 PM): Wharton County Library, 1920 N. Fulton St. Wharton, TX 77488
  • Tuesday, July 14 (4:00 – 6:00 PM): Decker Prairie Community Center, 32434 Decker Prairie Rd. Magnolia, TX 77355
  • Tuesday, July 21 (4:00 – 6:00 PM): Pearland Recreation Center, 4141 Bailey Rd. Pearland, TX 77584
  • Thursday, July 23 (4:00 – 6:00 PM): Landmark Community Center, 100 Louisiana St. Missouri City, TX 77489
  • Thursday, July 23 (4:00 – 6:00 PM): Chambers County Children Museum, 10955 Eagle Dr. Mont Belvieu, TX 77523
  • Tuesday, July 28 (5:00 – 7:00 PM): Clyde & Nancy Jacks Conference Center, 3232 Austin Pkwy. Sugarland, TX 77479
  • Thursday, July 30 (4:00 – 6:00 PM): Jimmy Walker Community Center, 800 Harris Ave. Kemah, TX 77565
  • Tuesday, August 4 (4:00 – 6:00 PM): Sealy Columbus Club, 1310 Highway 90 West Sealy, TX 77474

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.

CenterPoint Energy Readies Electric and Gas Systems for FIFA World Cup

​Nearly 700 electric projects completed and nearly 250 miles of natural gas pipeline inspected around critical event venues ahead of seven World Cup matches in Houston

Heightened readiness and close coordination efforts with City of Houston, FIFA Host Committee, and emergency management agencies to continue from June 11 through July 4

HOUSTON – June 9, 2026 – As the city of Houston prepares to welcome fans from around the world for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, CenterPoint Energy has spent the past year executing a series of targeted actions to strengthen its overall preparedness and readiness efforts for this historic global sporting event. To date, CenterPoint has completed nearly 700 electric resiliency projects spanning over 100 miles of electric lines, which included repairing or replacing equipment on all circuits providing power to World Cup priority locations like key venues, transit corridors, hotels, airports and others across Greater Houston. In addition, CenterPoint has completed inspections on nearly 250 miles of natural gas pipeline surrounding key venues.

With seven World Cup matches scheduled in Houston between June 14 and July 4, CenterPoint will operate at a heightened readiness posture, which includes the activation of its Emergency Operations Center before, during and after each match. CenterPoint will continue to work closely with City of Houston officials and other local, state and federal agencies as part of a combined response effort. 

“Preparing for seven World Cup matches is like preparing for seven Super bowls. For over a year, our teams have worked to strengthen the electric and gas systems around all critical venues and to closely coordinate with all our emergency management partners to help prepare our great city. All of us at CenterPoint are proud to do our part to support this global event, and we are excited for our city and the world to enjoy this historic sporting event," said Jesus Soto, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, CenterPoint Energy.

World Cup Preparedness & Readiness Efforts: Key Actions

As part of its overall preparedness and readiness efforts for the nearly month-long World Cup schedule, in October 2025, CenterPoint began undertaking a series of actions to prepare the electric and natural gas systems to support the City of Houston and all critical event locations. Among the critical actions taken include:  ​

  • Completing Nearly 700 Reliability Projects: Completing nearly 700 electric system projects around critical event venues and other priority locations to help strengthen reliability.
  • Conducting Critical Grid Inspections: Inspecting primary and alternate circuits serving World Cup priority locations, with initial inspections beginning in July 2025 and follow-up inspections identifying issues for repair ahead of the event.
  • Completing Targeted Work at Key Locations: Focusing critical preparedness work around key World Cup-related locations, including NRG Park, Shell Energy Stadium, the EaDo Fan Festival area, airports, transit routes, hotels and training-related sites.
  • Inspecting Nearly 250 Miles of Natural Gas Pipeline: completed additional gas facilities surveys across 140 miles of gas main lines and more than 100 miles of service lines around key event venues.
  • Developing an Action Plan: Building an event-specific action plan to define staffing, response objectives, escalation criteria and resource coordination during the World Cup matches.
  • Coordinating with Local Emergency Partners: Coordinating with the City of Houston, emergency managers and external partners on planning, emergency response and operational readiness.
  • Participating in a Local Emergency Exercise: Participating in a World Cup tabletop exercise facilitated by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and hosted by the City of Houston to test coordination and response capabilities.
  • Pre-Staging Resources: Preparing additional operational support and response resources to be staged near priority areas to support faster restoration if issues occur.
  • Activating our Emergency Operations Center: CenterPoint will be activating its new state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center in advance of and during each match to help prepare for and coordinate CenterPoint's event support.​

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 teams monitoring severe storms forecasted for southwestern Indiana and preparing for potential impacts

​The company is executing preparedness actions ahead of storms 

Customers encouraged to stay safe and prepare emergency plans 

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – June 8, 2026 – CenterPoint Energy is monitoring forecasts for potentially severe thunderstorms across the region and preparing for potential impacts as storms are expected to move through southwestern Indiana this week. According to the National Weather Service, strong, damaging winds are possible.

CenterPoint's preparedness actions include:

  • Monitoring weather forecasts and conditions
  • Preparing crews and equipment across its service territory
  • ​Coordinating with local government officials and other stakeholders on storm readiness
  • Sharing safety and preparedness information directly with customers

“Our Emergency Preparedness and Response team has been monitoring the potential for severe storms and our teams are fully prepared and stand ready to respond," said Mike Roeder, President of CenterPoint Energy Indiana. “We encourage our customers to stay alert in anticipation of changing weather conditions and take steps now to prepare."

CenterPoint encourages customers to prepare for severe weather: