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CenterPoint Energy to invest in renewable natural gas created from Twin Cities’ metro food and yard waste

Plans to provide locally produced renewable energy to power Minnesota customers

2025-08-06T05:00:00Z

MINNEAPOLIS – Aug 6, 2025 – CenterPoint Energy has signed an agreement with Dem-Con HZI Bioenergy, LLC (DCHZI), to purchase renewable natural gas (RNG) created from Twin Cities' area food and yard waste. This made-in-Minnesota RNG is expected to connect to CenterPoint's distribution system in Shakopee, Minn. in 2027, and provide customers with renewable energy for their homes and businesses.

RNG can be developed by recycling organic waste from farms, food scraps, wastewater treatment facilities, yard clippings and other localized methane sources that would typically vent to the atmosphere to produce pipeline-quality gas that can be used in place of conventional natural gas. Investments in RNG provide a lower-carbon alternative to natural gas and help reduce emissions attributed to customers' use of natural gas.

“At CenterPoint, we're excited to invest in innovative efforts such as DCHZI's renewable natural gas production facility to help meet the energy needs of our customers and communities," said Brad Steber, CenterPoint Vice President, Minnesota Gas. “Adding locally produced renewable natural gas to our system can provide our customers with a lower carbon energy source that will continue to provide them with the safe, reliable service they expect from us. We support the growth of the RNG industry to strengthen regional economies and help meet the energy needs of our state."

DCHZI's facility in Shakopee is expected to be in service in 2027 and will produce the RNG from local waste products collected from Twin Cities metro residents in an oxygen-free tank, through a process known as anaerobic digestion.

“The DCHZI facility supplied and operated by Kanadevia Inova (formerly Hitachi Zosen Inova) will be a first-of-its-kind in the country to combine an anaerobic digestion and gasification process to produce RNG and biochar from organic waste. Annually, the facility is expected to process 75,000 tons of organic waste, producing enough pipeline-quality RNG to fuel 2,500 Minnesota homes while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 30,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents per year," said Bill Keegan, Dem-Con Companies President.

Purchasing RNG from DCHZI is part of CenterPoint's five-year innovation plan submitted under Minnesota's Natural Gas Innovation Act (NGIA). The NGIA enables natural gas utilities to invest in renewable energy resources and innovative technologies to help reduce Minnesota's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

NGIA
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved CenterPoint's innovation plan in July 2024, which includes 17 pilot projects and seven research and development projects. CenterPoint plans to invest in regionally produced low- and zero-carbon gases like RNG and green hydrogen, as well as innovative efforts such as networked geothermal and hybrid heating.

CenterPoint's innovation plan is expected to advance decarbonization efforts and deliver significant benefits for its Minnesota customers, including:

Reducing or avoiding an estimated 1.1 million tons of carbon emissions over the lifetime of the projects – equivalent to the annual energy use of approximately 150,000 homes.
Creating an estimated 3,000 full-time equivalent jobs over the pilot projects' lifetimes.
Recycling and reducing waste to create renewable energy such as RNG.

CenterPoint is committed to helping residential and business customers reduce GHG emissions attributable to their end-use of natural gas by 20-30% by 2035 (from a 2021 baseline). The company's innovation plan is designed to support customers in reducing emissions from their own energy use.

Visit CenterPointEnergy.com/FutureMN to learn more about CenterPoint's efforts to advance Minnesota's energy future.

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 June 30, 2025, the company had approximately $44 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.

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 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, such as the amounts of waste processed and RNG produced pursuant to, associated extent of GHG emissions reductions relating to, other anticipated benefits of and timing relating to CenterPoint Energy's agreement with DCHZI and the connection of the associated RNG to CenterPoint Energy's distribution system, CenterPoint Energy's ability to execute on its innovation plan and its anticipated benefits, including the planned scope of projects, the associated extent of GHG emission reductions, the advancement of decarbonization efforts, the number of jobs created and the extent of recycling and waste reduction and any other statements 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, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties relating to: (1) business strategies and strategic initiatives, acquisitions or dispositions of assets or businesses involving CenterPoint Energy or its industry; (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, 2024 and CenterPoint's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2025 and June 30, 2025 and other reports CenterPoint Energy or its subsidiaries may file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Net Zero Disclaimer
CenterPoint Energy's Scope 1 GHG emissions estimates are calculated from GHG emissions that directly come from its operations. CenterPoint Energy's Scope 2 GHG emissions estimates are calculated from GHG emissions that indirectly come from its energy usage, but because Texas is in an unregulated market, its Scope 2 GHG emissions estimates do not take into account Texas electric transmission and distribution assets in the line loss calculation and exclude GHG emissions related to purchased power between 2024E-2026E. CenterPoint Energy's Scope 3 GHG emissions estimates are based on the total natural gas supply delivered to residential and commercial customers as reported in the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Form EIA-176 reports and do not take into account the GHG emissions of transport customers and GHG emissions related to upstream extraction. CenterPoint Energy's analysis and plan for execution to achieve its Net Zero GHG emissions (Scope 1 and certain Scope 2) by 2035 goals and its 20-30% reduction in Scope 3 GHG emissions by 2035 as compared to 2021 levels goal require it to make a number of assumptions. These goals and underlying assumptions involve risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees. Should one or more of these underlying assumptions require updating, CenterPoint Energy's actual results and ability to make progress towards and achieve its Net Zero and GHG emissions reduction goals and the timing thereof could differ materially from its expectations. Certain of the assumptions that could impact its ability to make progress towards and meet its Net Zero and GHG emissions reduction goals and the timing thereof include, but are not limited to: GHG emission levels, service territory size and capacity needs remaining in line with company expectations (including with respect to demand for our services); the ability to appropriately estimate and effectively manage business opportunities from new customers and load growth resulting from, among other things, expansion of data centers, energy export facilities, including hydrogen facilities, electrification of industrial processes and transport and logistics in our service territories; regulatory approvals related to Indiana Electric's generation transition plan and CenterPoint Energy's ability to obtain such approvals; impacts on affordability of customer rates; customer demand for GHG emissions free or lower GHG emissions energy; impacts of regulations, executive action or legislation, including those related to the environment and tax matters (including the effects of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Executive Order 14315 and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and any further changes to or the repeal of the IRA); impacts of future carbon pricing regulation or legislation; price, availability and regulation of carbon offsets; price of fuel, such as natural gas; cost of energy generation technologies, such as wind and solar, natural gas and storage solutions; adoption of alternative energy by the public, including adoption of electric vehicles; rate of technology innovation with regards to alternative energy resources; CenterPoint Energy's ability to implement its modernization plans for its pipelines and facilities; the ability to complete and timely implement generation alternatives to Indiana Electric's coal generation and retirement or fuel conversion dates of Indiana Electric's coal facilities by 2035; the ability to construct and/or permit new natural gas pipelines; the ability to procure resources needed to build at a reasonable cost, the lack of or scarcity of resources and labor, the lack of any project cancellations, construction delays or overruns (including as a result of tariffs, legislation, bans, potential retaliatory trade measures taken against the United States or related governmental action) and the ability to appropriately estimate costs of new generation; impact of any supply chain disruptions; changes in applicable standards, metrics, methodologies or frameworks; and enhancement of energy efficiencies.

Recent News

CenterPoint Energy encourages Minnesota customers to take action to save energy during the extreme cold snap

MINNEAPOLIS – Jan. 22, 2026 – With bitter cold expected across Minnesota and throughout the Midwest over the coming days, CenterPoint Energy is encouraging its customers to take easy actions to save energy including temporarily lowering their thermostat settings, health permitting, to help reduce energy use and save money. Extreme cold temperatures may cause customers to use more energy to heat their homes, so the company wants to remind customers of tips, tools and resources to manage their energy use .

CenterPoint wants to remind customers that is actively preparing for the anticipated cold weather to provide safe, reliable and resilient energy. The company urges customers to have a personal cold weather plan in place, as well, to stay safe and warm.

“Our team works around-the-clock to provide safe, reliable and resilient energy service to our customers in Minnesota and is positioned throughout our service area to respond to potential needs. While our workers remain focused on delivering safe and reliable energy to our more than 930,000 customers in over 260 communities, we know that customers may want to find out more about ways to use that energy more efficiently. We encourage customers to take easy steps to reduce their energy use and save money even as the temperatures start to drop to help maintain safe and warm environments for their loved ones," said Brad Steber, CenterPoint's Vice President, Minnesota Gas.

Quick and easy tips to save energy and money
CenterPoint encourages customers to follow these easy tips that can make a difference on monthly heating bills:

Turn down the thermostat. Lowering the thermostat by 7-10 degrees at night, or when away for at least eight hours, can potentially save 10% on heating costs.

Check the furnace filter. Change or clean the filter to maximize the efficiency of the furnace.

Use window coverings and blinds effectively. If it's sunny outside, open window coverings during the day to capture warmth from the sun, and close coverings at night to keep warmth inside. If the sun's not shining, keep window coverings closed.

Keep warm air in and cold air out of the home. Use caulk or weather-stripping to seal leaks around doors, windows and other openings such as pipes or ducts. Close fireplace dampers when not in use to prevent heat loss.

Lower the temperature setting on the water heater by 10 degrees. Limit hot water use.

CenterPoint's Winter Energy Guide supports customers throughout the heating season
CenterPoint recently offers a 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. Learn more at CenterPointEnergy.com/ReadyforWinter.

Payment assistance resources for customers
CenterPoint is dedicated to supporting customers who may have difficulty paying their energy bill. Throughout the year, but especially in the winter months when home heating costs are historically higher, CenterPoint encourages those facing hardship to call the company now to find out about payment arrangements, energy efficiency programs and agency resources. To learn more, customers should call 800-245-2377 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday - Friday, or visit CenterPointEnergy.com/PaymentAssistance.

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 September 30, 2025, the company owned approximately $45 billion in assets. With approximately 8,300 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

CenterPoint Energy launches TimeWise pilot to help southwestern Indiana customers manage energy costs

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Jan. 22, 2026 – CenterPoint Energy today announced the launch of TimeWise, a new voluntary pilot program that offers residential electric customers in southwestern Indiana a pricing option designed to help them save money by using energy during lower-cost hours. The program, approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission as the Critical Peak Pilot, will begin enrolling customers starting this month as part of CenterPoint's ongoing effort to provide customers with additional tools and programs to help manage their energy costs.

“We know affordability is top of mind for our customers, and TimeWise is another new tool that provides participating households with a new way to manage their energy costs by making informed decisions about when they use electricity," said Mike Roeder, President of CenterPoint Energy Indiana. “This pilot reflects the feedback we've heard from customers and stakeholders. We look forward to identifying how programs like this can further support affordability and reliability across southwestern Indiana and hope to expand the option to all residential customers should the pilot prove to be successful."

How TimeWise works
With TimeWise, energy costs decrease when demand is lower. During the summer months of June through September, participants will pay lower rates during off peak hours:

Weekday mornings before 1 p.m.
Weekday evenings after 7 p.m.
Any time on weekends

Rates are higher on summer weekday afternoons between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. when demand for electricity is greatest. By shifting daily household activities, such as washing dishes or clothes, to lower cost time periods, customers will have the opportunity to save money while actively supporting grid reliability.

TimeWise participants will also be called to reduce usage throughout the year during times of critical need. TimeWise participants will receive advance notice through their preferred method of communication before a “critical peak" event. At least one day before a critical peak event, customers will receive an email, text alert or both so they can plan ahead. Rates are significantly higher during these separate four-hour events, giving customers an added reason to shift their usage any time throughout the year to free capacity on the grid for reliability.

Pilot program details
Up to 500 residential electric customers will be randomly selected from those who apply for the TimeWise pilot. Key details include:

$75 account credit: Participants will receive a one-time credit after participating in at least one critical peak event, with the potential to save more by shifting energy use to lower-cost hours.
Program launch: TimeWise officially launches in spring 2026.
Duration: The pilot is expected to run for up to two years, during which CenterPoint will evaluate customer experiences to inform potential future offerings.

TimeWise builds on CenterPoint's Community Affordability Actions, a series of initiatives announced in late 2025 focused on supporting customers by keeping base rates at or below the rate of inflation through 2027 and providing tools and resources to manage energy costs.

For more information about TimeWise, including eligibility requirements, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/TimeWise.

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 June 30, 2025, the company owned approximately $45 billion in assets. With approximately 8,300 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

CenterPoint Energy ramps up customer communications as 3,300-person expanded workforce continues preparations and emergency response efforts ahead of winter weather system forecasted to impact Texas

Approximately 3,300 CenterPoint employees and contract workers supporting storm preparation and potential restoration efforts across Houston and parts of Southeast Texas

Emergency Operations Center fully staffed and operating; three staging sites activating today

First daily operational briefing scheduled for this afternoon at the company’s Emergency Operations Center

State of Texas issues disaster declaration ahead of potential impacts; ERCOT Weather Watch issued for Saturday to Tuesday; grid conditions expected to be normal

HOUSTON – Jan. 22, 2026 – To help its customers and communities stay informed and prepared ahead of this weekend’s forecasted winter weather system, CenterPoint Energy is ramping up customer communications as the company continues executing its cold weather readiness plan. CenterPoint is sharing information with customers through a number of channels (emails, phone calls, text messages, and many others). It will also begin hosting daily operational briefings at its Emergency Operations Center this afternoon to provide an update on evolving weather models and give an in-depth overview of the company’s expanded response efforts.

“We are focused on delivering for our customers and communities and we want them to know we’re taking action now and preparing to respond to any impacts from this weather to our system, because we know how important it is for the communities we serve to have reliable electric and natural gas service they expect and deserve. Right now, as conditions continue to evolve, staying informed is one of the most important things we can do to keep our customers and their loved ones safe,” said Tony Gardner, CenterPoint’s Chief Customer Officer. “We urge customers to prepare now and to bookmark our Action Center for storm-related safety tips in English, Spanish and Vietnamese and to make sure they’re enrolled in Power Alert Service® to receive winter storm outage details, estimated restoration times and customer-specific restoration updates.”

Weather update
“Weather models have generally trended toward a somewhat less impactful forecast outcome in the Houston area since yesterday. While those trends are positive and continue, we are continuing to use both internal and publicly available weather model guidance to shape our forecast expectations and will adjust as needed,” said Matt Lanza, CenterPoint’s Chief Meteorologist. “Still, with cold and at least some ice expected in the region, we encourage customers and communities to be prepared for hazardous travel on Sunday and a hard freeze, especially Monday morning.”

The current weather forecast for CenterPoint’s Houston electric service territory indicates the potential for ice accumulation this weekend, subject to updated forecasts. The company reminds customers and community members to always assume downed lines or wires are energized and potentially dangerous if contacted. Stay at least 35 feet away from downed power lines or fallen wires and keep a safe distance from objects touching downed lines (tree limbs, vehicles, fences, etc.) and immediately report downed power lines to CenterPoint.

Additional Resources
Following several days of actively preparing for this weekend’s forecasted severe winter weather system, CenterPoint Energy activated its Emergency Operations Center yesterday morning and secured more than 600 additional frontline workers for an expanded workforce of 3,300 workers and personnel to address the approaching winter storm.

Staging sites
The company’s three staging sites are strategically placed to pre-position resources in locations where the winter weather system’s impact is forecasted to be the most severe. These sites will host approximately 3,300 workers and help pre-position crews, vehicles, equipment and materiel needed for restoration across its service territory.

Public Official Coordination
CenterPoint continues to work closely with government officials and emergency agencies to prepare for the approaching winter weather system and continues to diligently monitor weather models and deploy cold weather mitigations across its electric and gas infrastructure. CenterPoint is also actively working to mobilize emergency response resources and coordinating with relevant local emergency responders and government officials in preparation for this weekend’s weather.

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

Activating its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate response and restoration efforts;
Coordinating with the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) about statewide energy needs;
Communicating with customers to provide safety and preparedness information directly via email and help keep customers informed and prepared;
Conducting outreach to critical care customers by email, phone or text;
Inspecting and testing critical electric equipment, including all 270 electric substations, executing enhanced tree trimming and conducting inspections to prepare for wintery precipitation and cold temperatures;
Positioning Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks at 13 strategic locations to be deployed to supplement the natural gas system, if needed;
Monitoring more than 100 weather stations across the Greater Houston area to enhance situational awareness and storm preparation;
Donated and installed more than 20 emergency backup generators at key locations across Greater Houston to improve local emergency preparedness and response efforts; and
Conducted more than 19,000 total hours of emergency training in 2025 for hundreds of operational, emergency response and other personnel and contractors to strengthen severe weather preparation and response efforts.

Supporting community preparedness
As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting community preparedness and resilience, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation awarded a $1 million, five‑year grant to The Salvation Army last year to support disaster response capabilities across the Greater Houston area. This grant supports operations at The Salvation Army’s Multi‑Purpose Distribution Center in Houston, a critical regional hub that coordinates emergency relief efforts and delivers essential services to vulnerable populations — including families, youth, seniors, and individuals experiencing homelessness — during hurricanes and other severe weather events. Funded separately and financially independent from the utility, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation continues to serve as a catalyst for good by leveraging its resources to enhance the safety, resilience and vibrancy of the communities CenterPoint serves. Learn more at CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation.

Have a plan and stay safe
CenterPoint encourages customers to prepare and have a plan to stay safe during severe winter weather. Customers can get storm-related safety tips at CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter — available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Customers can also stay up to date on outages with CenterPoint’s Outage Tracker, available in English and Spanish. The Outage Tracker is built to handle increased traffic during storms, is mobile-friendly, accessible for those with disabilities and allows customers to see outages by county, city and zip code.

For the latest updates, follow CenterPoint on X and visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.

As the only investor owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas. As of September 30, 2025, the company owned approximately $45 billion in assets. With approximately 8,300 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

CenterPoint Energy ramps up customer communications as 3,300-person expanded workforce continues preparations and emergency response efforts ahead of winter weather system forecasted to impact Texas

Approximately 3,300 CenterPoint employees and contract workers supporting storm preparation and potential restoration efforts across Houston and parts of Southeast Texas

Emergency Operations Center fully staffed and operating; three staging sites activating today

First daily operational briefing scheduled for this afternoon at the company's Emergency Operations Center

State of Texas issues disaster declaration ahead of potential impacts; ERCOT Weather Watch issued for Saturday to Tuesday; grid conditions expected to be normal

HOUSTON, Jan. 22, 2026 - To help its customers and communities stay informed and prepared ahead of this weekend's forecasted winter weather system, CenterPoint Energy is ramping up customer communications as the company continues executing its cold weather readiness plan. CenterPoint is sharing information with customers through a number of channels (emails, phone calls, text messages, and many others). It will also begin hosting daily operational briefings at its Emergency Operations Center this afternoon to provide an update on evolving weather models and give an in-depth overview of the company's expanded response efforts.

"We are focused on delivering for our customers and communities and we want them to know we're taking action now and preparing to respond to any impacts from this weather to our system, because we know how important it is for the communities we serve to have reliable electric and natural gas service they expect and deserve. Right now, as conditions continue to evolve, staying informed is one of the most important things we can do to keep our customers and their loved ones safe," said Tony Gardner, CenterPoint's Chief Customer Officer. "We urge customers to prepare now and to bookmark our Action Center for storm-related safety tips in English, Spanish and Vietnamese and to make sure they're enrolled in Power Alert Service® to receive winter storm outage details, estimated restoration times and customer-specific restoration updates."

Weather update
"Weather models have generally trended toward a somewhat less impactful forecast outcome in the Houston area since yesterday. While those trends are positive and continue, we are continuing to use both internal and publicly available weather model guidance to shape our forecast expectations and will adjust as needed," said Matt Lanza, CenterPoint's Chief Meteorologist. "Still, with cold and at least some ice expected in the region, we encourage customers and communities to be prepared for hazardous travel on Sunday and a hard freeze, especially Monday morning."

The current weather forecast for CenterPoint's Houston electric service territory indicates the potential for ice accumulation this weekend, subject to updated forecasts. The company reminds customers and community members to always assume downed lines or wires are energized and potentially dangerous if contacted. Stay at least 35 feet away from downed power lines or fallen wires and keep a safe distance from objects touching downed lines (tree limbs, vehicles, fences, etc.) and immediately report downed power lines to CenterPoint.

Additional resources
Following several days of actively preparing for this weekend's forecasted severe winter weather system, CenterPoint Energy activated its Emergency Operations Center yesterday morning and secured more than 600 additional frontline workers for an expanded workforce of 3,300 workers and personnel to address the approaching winter storm.

Staging sites
The company's three staging sites are strategically placed to pre-position resources in locations where the winter weather system's impact is forecasted to be the most severe. These sites will host approximately 3,300 workers and help pre-position crews, vehicles, equipment and materiel needed for restoration across its service territory.

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

Activating its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate response and restoration efforts;
Coordinating with the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) about statewide energy needs;
Communicating with customers to provide safety and preparedness information directly via email and help keep customers informed and prepared;
Conducting outreach to critical care customers by email, phone or text;
Inspecting and testing critical electric equipment, including all 270 electric substations, executing enhanced tree trimming and conducting inspections to prepare for wintery precipitation and cold temperatures;
Positioning Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks at 13 strategic locations to be deployed to supplement the natural gas system, if needed;
Monitoring more than 100 weather stations across the Greater Houston area to enhance situational awareness and storm preparation;
Donated and installed more than 20 emergency backup generators at key locations across Greater Houston to improve local emergency preparedness and response efforts; and
Conducted more than 19,000 total hours of emergency training in 2025 for hundreds of operational, emergency response and other personnel and contractors to strengthen severe weather preparation and response efforts.

Supporting community preparedness
As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting community preparedness and resilience, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation awarded a $1 million, five‑year grant to The Salvation Army last year to support disaster response capabilities across the Greater Houston area. This grant supports operations at The Salvation Army's Multi‑Purpose Distribution Center in Houston, a critical regional hub that coordinates emergency relief efforts and delivers essential services to vulnerable populations — including families, youth, seniors, and individuals experiencing homelessness — during hurricanes and other severe weather events. Funded separately and financially independent from the utility, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation continues to serve as a catalyst for good by leveraging its resources to enhance the safety, resilience and vibrancy of the communities CenterPoint serves. Learn more at CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation.

Customers can also stay up to date on outages with CenterPoint's Outage Tracker, available in English and Spanish. The Outage Tracker is built to handle increased traffic during storms, is mobile-friendly, accessible for those with disabilities and allows customers to see outages by county, city and zip code.

For the latest updates, follow CenterPoint on X and visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter.

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

SOURCE CenterPoint Energy

CenterPoint Energy activates Emergency Operations Center ahead of weekend winter weather system

Company has been preparing for several days and is supporting cold weather preparedness and response efforts across Houston and parts of South and East Texas

Company continues to closely monitor evolving and potentially severe winter conditions as crews perform cold weather system readiness checks

Customers urged to have a plan and make preparations now for freezing temperatures, high winds and potential ice accumulation

HOUSTON – Jan. 21, 2026 – Following several days of monitoring and preparation activities, as of 8 a.m. today, CenterPoint Energy has activated its Emergency Operations Center to support potential response and restoration efforts across Texas from forecasted winter precipitation, significant winds and freezing temperatures over the weekend and into early next week. The company is coordinating with state and local emergency agencies, actively monitoring weather models and preparing to address potential service impacts for both electric and natural gas customers.

“Our CenterPoint teams are mobilized, performing pre-storm checks, and ready to respond to winter weather conditions on both the electric and gas systems. We have activated the company’s Emergency Operations Center and are coordinating with government and industry stakeholders to be ready to respond to any impacts from the forecasted conditions, including icy weather, strong winds, and wintry precipitation,” said Don Daigler, CenterPoint’s Senior Vice President, Emergency Preparedness and Response. “We urge our customers to stay aware of evolving weather forecasts, prepare now and have an emergency plan in place for yourself and your loved ones.”

Cold weather preparations
The company is prepared to respond to cold weather and has performed a series of proactive pre-winter preparedness actions to strengthen and winterize its electric and natural gas infrastructure across Texas, as well as inspect and test cold-weather critical equipment ahead of potential severe cold weather. CenterPoint is also deploying cold weather mitigations across its electric and gas infrastructure, developing plans to mobilize emergency response resources and

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

Activating its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate response and restoration efforts;
Coordinating with the Texas Public Utility Commission and ERCOT about statewide energy needs;
Communicating with customers to provide safety and preparedness information directly via email and help keep customers informed and prepared;
Conducting outreach to critical care customers by email, phone or text;
Inspecting and testing critical electric equipment, including all 270 electric substations, executing enhanced tree trimming, and conducting inspections to prepare for wintery precipitation and cold temperatures;
Hardening electric and natural gas infrastructure across the Greater Houston area, including installing heaters and devices to prevent ice damage or buildup;
Maintaining freeze protection equipment and enclosures for cold-weather critical components;
Repairing thermal insulation and water-proofing materials;
Positioning Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks to be deployed to supplement the natural gas system, if needed;
Coordinating and communicating with the Railroad Commission of Texas to identify and support operations of critical gas infrastructure for natural gas reliability;
Monitoring more than 100 weather stations across the Greater Houston area to enhance situational awareness and storm preparation;
Donated and installed more than 20 emergency backup generators at key locations across Greater Houston to improve local emergency preparedness and response efforts; and
Conducted more than 19,000 total hours of emergency training in 2025 for hundreds of operational, emergency response and other personnel and contractors to strengthen severe weather preparation and response efforts.

Stay informed with Power Alert Service®
CenterPoint electric customers are encouraged 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.

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For the latest updates, follow CenterPoint on X and visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter.