CenterPoint Energy continues its resiliency efforts across the 12-county region through its Foundation’s Community Generator Donation Program; Donates backup generator to Trini Mendenhall Community Center
CenterPoint Energy Foundation is donating 21 backup generators and other support in designated locations across 12 counties to support community resiliency as part of a $5 million grant from the Foundation
2025-02-11T06:00:00Z

Houston – Feb. 11, 2025 – Today, at an announcement in Houston with elected officials and community leaders, CenterPoint Energy leaders announced the donation of a backup generator to the Trini Mendenhall Community Center as part of its Community Generator Donation Program to support local community resiliency. Through this program, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation is donating funds for 21 backup generators at key locations throughout its 12-county Greater Houston region. It is expected that there will be at least one generator or other support for each county.

The company is working in close collaboration with local Offices of Emergency Management (OEMs) and other county and city leaders to identify the appropriate locations for the donated generators to be able to have the greatest impact and local benefit.

The Community Generator Donation Program is part of CenterPoint's Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI). The backup generators will help provide support for critical community partners during major weather events or other emergencies and will be funded through a $5 million grant from the CenterPoint Energy Foundation at no cost to customers. The CenterPoint Energy Foundation is a charitable giving organization focused on strengthening the quality of life in the communities served by the company. The foundation is funded by shareholders and has no impact on customer rates. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation.

“We are committed to improving resiliency in our local communities and working closely with our community partners to achieve this important goal. Today, we are announcing the donation of backup generation to support our partners in Harris County Precinct 3, and we look forward to sharing other locations for our Community Generator Donation Program with other counties and cities in the weeks and months ahead. These 21 generators are each capable of powering an entire large building and will help make the communities we are proud to serve even more resilient during major storms and other emergency events," said Keith Stephens, CenterPoint Senior Vice President and Chief Communications and Marketing Officer.

These backup generators will provide an additional power supply during major storms and other emergency events that cause outages. Facilities that receive the donated backup generators will be able to better serve their communities during outages, acting as hubs for essential services like medical care, cooling stations, water and food distribution, charging stations for critical devices and other services.

Working with Community Partners on Locations
To support local community needs, CenterPoint is working closely with county and city officials and OEMs to identify and select the ideal locations for the donated generators, with local officials ultimately deciding which critical facilities will receive the donations.

“This generator donation is a tremendous benefit to the residents of Precinct 3. Our precinct was the hardest hit during the Derecho and Beryl windstorms, particularly this area, with crews removing over one million cubic yards of vegetative debris. By placing this generator at Trini Mendenhall Community Center, one of our busiest facilities, we can ensure that we remain operational when the community needs us most. Thank you to CenterPoint for their partnership and this generous donation," said Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom S. Ramsey.

Over the next several months, CenterPoint will be coordinating with local community partners to ensure the backup generators are suitable to meet the specific needs of the critical facility they have identified. The goal is to have all generators installed and operational by June 1, 2025, to further resiliency ahead of the 2025 hurricane season.

CenterPoint is working with other county OEMs, and county and city leaders across the Greater Houston region to make similar announcements in the coming weeks and months.

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 Recent News

 

 
CenterPoint Energy offers expanded support for southwestern Indiana customers as state’s winter disconnection moratorium ends

​EVANSVILLE, Ind. – March 12, 2026 – As part of its commitment to affordability and supporting our local communities, CenterPoint Energy is encouraging customers to take advantage of available payment options, assistance programs and one-on-one support ahead of Indiana's winter disconnection moratorium ending on March 15.

Under Indiana law, customers who receive Energy Assistance Program (EAP) assistance or who are eligible and have applied for the program are protected from service disconnection between December 1 and March 15. As that protection period ends, CenterPoint wants customers to know that help is available and that reaching out is the first step. The company has taken a series of steps over the past year to expand resources and support available to customers managing energy costs.

“We know that affordability is the top issue for many of our customers and we want you to know that there are resources available to help you manage your energy use and bills. Please reach out to us," said Mike Roeder, President of CenterPoint Energy Indiana. “Our teams are here to help and work with you. We can connect you with assistance programs, set up a payment plan or help you find ways to reduce your energy costs. The sooner you reach out, the sooner we can help you find a path forward."

Steps customers can take now

Financial assistance programs are available to help customers manage energy costs:

  • ​Payment arrangements: Allow customers who are having difficulty paying their bill in full to set up a plan to pay in smaller increments over time
  • Energy Assistance Program: Provides financial help to income-eligible households and is accepting applications through April 20, 2026
  • Universal Service Fund: Helps natural gas customers who have received EAP save between 15% and 32% on their bills through May 31.
  • Township trustee assistance: Available year-round, with eligibility and support levels determined by local trustee offices

Customers can also sign up for Budget Bill to level out monthly payments, schedule a no-cost Home Energy Assessment or visit the Online Energy Efficiency Store to access discounted energy-saving products.

More ways to connect and get help

As part of its ongoing commitment to affordability, CenterPoint has made it easier for customers to connect and find support. Guided by direct feedback from customers and stakeholders, the company has expanded resources across southwestern Indiana, including:

  • One-on-one support through Community Connect events happening throughout the region
  • A redesigned Customer Resource Hub, making it simpler to find billing support, assistance programs and energy-saving resources in one place

The next Community Connect event is scheduled for March 18 at CenterPoint Energy Plaza, 211 NW Riverside Drive in Evansville, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where customers can meet with CenterPoint team members and get help with any of the programs and resources listed above.

For more information or to explore available resources, customers can visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ResourceHub or call 1-800-227-1376.

Ongoing commitment to affordability

In October 2025, CenterPoint launched its initial series of Community Affordability Actions, including 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 as part of the Indiana Electric rate case settlement – such as annual late-fee waivers upon request, reduced reconnection fees and safeguards for medically vulnerable customers. Additional customer resources are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

CenterPoint Energy offers support for Indiana customers as state’s winter disconnection moratorium ends

INDIANAPOLIS – March 12, 2026 – CenterPoint Energy is encouraging customers to take advantage of available payment options, assistance programs and one-on-one support ahead of Indiana's winter disconnection moratorium ending on March 15.

Under Indiana law, customers who receive Energy Assistance Program (EAP) assistance or who are eligible and have applied for the program are protected from service disconnection between December 1 and March 15. As that protection period ends, CenterPoint wants customers to know that help is available and that reaching out is the first step.

“We know that affordability is the top issue for many of our customers and we want you to know that there are resources available to help you manage your energy use and bills. Please reach out to us," said Mike Roeder, President of CenterPoint Energy Indiana. “Our teams are here to work with you. We can connect you with assistance programs, set up a payment plan or help you find ways to reduce your energy costs. The sooner you reach out, the sooner we can help you find a path forward."

Steps customers can take now

Financial assistance programs are available to help customers manage energy costs:

  • Payment arrangements: Allow customers who are having difficulty paying their bill in full to set up a plan to pay in smaller increments over time
  • Energy Assistance Program: Provides financial help to income-eligible households and is accepting applications through April 20, 2026
  • Universal Service Fund: Helps natural gas customers who have received EAP save between 15% and 32% on their bills through May 31
  • Township trustee assistance: Available year-round, with eligibility and support levels determined by local trustee offices

Customers can also sign up for Budget Billing to level out monthly payments or visit the Online Energy Efficiency Store to access discounted energy-saving products.

For more information or to explore available resources, customers can visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ResourceHub or call 1-800-227-1376.​​

Less than 2.5% of CenterPoint Energy customers impacted during midweek storms

Average restoration for a customer was about 54 minutes, with the vast majority of customers restored in 3 hours or less 

 

Essentially all customers impacted by Wednesday afternoon’s storms have now been restored, with crews working diligently to restore remaining 700 customers 

 

 Frontline workers and contractors supported ongoing restoration and continue responding to localized outages 

  

HOUSTON – March 11, 2026 – After Wednesday afternoon’s storms traveled across CenterPoint Energy’s electric service territory, approximately 2.5% of its 2.9 million customers across the Greater Houston area experienced impacts to electric service during the weather event. With more than 70,000 customers impacted since storms started to move through the area around noon, approximately 69,000 customers have been restored since the storms arrived this afternoon. As of 9:45 p.m., approximately 700 customers are currently without power. 

 

The company's Emergency Operation Center was activated ahead of the storms, and more than 1,400 frontline workers and contractor crews were available to respond to isolated outages throughout the company's 12-county service area. The average time to restore customers who experienced storm-related outages was approximately 54 minutes, and the vast majority of customers were restored in 3 hours or less. 

 

The company is expected to return to normal operations tomorrow morning. 

 

“Severe weather and storms are something we prepare for year‑round, and our crews train continuously so we’re ready ahead of the storms reaching our communities,” said Jason Fabre, CenterPoint’s Vice President, Special Response Team and Incident Commander. “We understand how disruptive any outages can be, and our crews work safely and as quickly as possible until every customer is restored. We will monitor the weather the rest of the night and be prepared to respond immediately to any additional outages.” 

 

CenterPoint took the following actions for today’s event: 

 

  • Deployed the company's resources: Had 1,400 personnel ready to respond to outages and support preparedness actions ahead of restoration efforts. 
  • Activated Emergency Operations Center: To coordinate storm response efforts throughout the day, the company proactively activated its Emergency Operations Center on Tuesday and remained ready to respond. 
  • Monitored 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 were pre-positioned in areas where storms were forecasted to impact and remain 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. 

 

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.  ​

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

The company is executing preparedness actions and mobilizing resources ahead of storms to support restoration efforts

Customers encouraged to stay safe and prepare emergency plans ahead of storms 

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – March 10, 2026 – CenterPoint Energy is monitoring for potentially severe thunderstorm forecasted across the region and preparing for potential impacts from storms expected to move through southwestern Indiana Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday. According to the National Weather Service, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes are possible.

The company has pre-staged crews and equipment across its service territory to respond safely and quickly if needed. CenterPoint is also coordinating with government officials on storm readiness and response and 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:

  • Track outages: Bookmark 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.

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Midweek Weather Impacts: CenterPoint Energy actively monitoring and preparing ahead of new wave of severe storm potential across the Greater Houston area; company activates Emergency Operations Center

​HOUSTON – March 10, 2026 – As a new week begins, so does the potential for severe weather impacts and CenterPoint Energy is proactively activating 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.​

“Our Emergency Preparedness and Response team has been monitoring the potential for strong and potentially severe thunderstorms by midweek," said Matt Lanza, CenterPoint's Manager of Meteorology. “We have proactively activated our Emergency Operations Center and crews will be fully prepared for the possibility of another round of severe weather this week and stand ready to respond. We will continue to actively monitor for any severe weather and urge our customers to stay alert in anticipation of quickly changing weather conditions."

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

  • Activating storm readiness plan: CenterPoint's Emergency Preparedness and Response team has activated its storm preparedness efforts.
  • Readying the company's resources: More than 1,400 personnel are executing preparedness actions and will remain ready to support potential restoration efforts throughout the week.
  • 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 providing updates to local officials and emergency management partners.

“CenterPoint was prepared to respond to this past weekend's storms, and we are maintaining our readiness posture for this week's forecasted potentially severe weather. We know that any outage is one too many for customers, and we are working hard to pre-position resources across our system to be ready to respond safely and as quickly as possible if outages from weather occur," said Jason Fabre, CenterPoint's Vice President, Special Response Team and Incident Commander. “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 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.