CenterPoint Energy Inc.

06/16/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/16/2026 09:39

Southwestern Indiana small businesses receive Optimize for Local grants from the CenterPoint Energy Foundation

Grants will fund energy efficiency improvements for locally owned restaurants and retailers
2026-06-16T05:00:00Z

​EVANSVILLE, Ind. - June 16, 2026 - The CenterPoint Energy Foundation today announced the recipients of its Optimize for Local grants to nine small business customers - independently owned restaurants and retailers across southwestern Indiana - to make energy efficiency improvements to their facilities.

Each business was awarded up to $25,000 in matching grant funding to complete upgrades that reduce energy waste and improve building performance. Funded projects focus on critical facility improvements, including HVAC replacement, refrigeration upgrades and building efficiency enhancements that address aging infrastructure directly affecting day-to-day operations.

"All of us at CenterPoint Energy are committed to prioritizing affordability and supporting the local small businesses at the heart of our communities. These grants are designed to empower local restaurants and retailers to make critical upgrades that improve energy efficiency, lower usage and reinvest the savings into the work they continue to do for our communities each and every day," said Mike Roeder, President of CenterPoint Energy Indiana.

The Optimize for Local grant recipients and their funded projects are:

  • Gehlhausen - installing new HVAC and blower systems, and making lighting and electrical upgrades
  • Haynie's Corner Mart - installing a new air conditioning unit and cooler, improved lighting and added insulation
  • Honey Moon Coffee Co. - installing a new heating and cooling system and new refrigeration
  • La Campirana - replacing six aging refrigerators and six freezers with a single energy-efficient walk-in cooler and freezer an installing new refrigeration and lighting
  • The Old Mill - installing two new heating and cooling units for the back dining room
  • The Peephole Bar & Grill - installing a new heating and cooling system, windows and insulation
  • River City Coffee & Goods - installing two new heating and cooling systems
  • Sandy's Pizza - installing new energy-efficient ovens and a new heating and cooling system
  • The Vineyard - installing four new heating and cooling units​

For Sandy's Pizza, the grant funding will help replace two of the most essential pieces of equipment in the business.

"The oven is the most important piece of equipment we have and replacing it along with our 25-year-old air conditioning is a big investment for a small business like ours," said Dan Bittner, owner of Sandy's Pizza. "In the summer it gets so hot in the kitchen that it's hard to keep employees, and that heat rolls right out into the dining room. This grant is helping us put in a more efficient oven and cooling system. We're even talking about rolling out ice cream now, and with the new equipment, it might actually make it to the table before it melts."

Commitment to Affordability
CenterPoint Energy Foundation's $5 million Community Energy Improvement Fund, which is supported by shareholders and has no impact on customer rates, is one of CenterPoint's broader Community Affordability Actions, a series of steps taken since October 2025 to support southwestern Indiana customers.

As part of this affordability initiative, CenterPoint has also introduced new bill management and cost-savings tools, expanded customer support programs and implemented additional protections such as annual late-fee waivers upon request, reduced reconnection fees and safeguards for medically vulnerable customers.

For more ways to save energy and costs customers can go to CenterPointEnergy.com/ResourceHub.​

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CenterPoint Energy Preparing to Respond to Weather-related Impacts Across Greater Houston

​​Preparedness actions underway to pre-stage crews and resources to support potential restoration efforts​

National Weather Service forecasting heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, gusty winds and localized flooding through early Wednesday

HOUSTON - June 15, 2026 - CenterPoint Energy is actively monitoring weather conditions and preparing to respond to impacts from potentially heavy rainfall and potential for some flooding expected to impact the Greater Houston area later today through early Friday. As of 7 a.m. today, the National Weather Service forecasts two to five inches of rain, with isolated totals of six to eight inches through midweek. The actions CenterPoint is taking to prepare include pre-positioning its frontline workforce and resources to respond to and resolve any potential impacts on its customers' electric service safely and as quickly as possible.

"Our CenterPoint team is taking action to support our customers ahead of expected rain and storms, including continuing to monitor conditions and staging crews and equipment to restore power safely and as quickly as possible," said Jason Fabre, CenterPoint's Vice President of Special Response and Incident Commander. "We encourage all of our customers across the Greater Houston area to prepare and stay safe in anticipation of quickly changing weather conditions."

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

  • Pre-staging crews and resources: Positioning frontline workers, contractors and equipment to quickly support potential restoration efforts.
  • Monitoring severe weather 24/7: The Meteorology team continues to track weather forecast developments, and the company is updating response efforts as conditions evolve.
  • Keeping customers informed: Providing safety and preparedness information directly to customers via email, phone and text, across social media platforms and other channels.
  • Coordinating with local officials: Providing regular updates to local officials and emergency management partners on continued preparedness efforts.

Emergency Communications: Sign Up for Power Alert Service®

To help prepare for the impact of the severe weather, CenterPoint is encouraging its customers to enroll in Power Alert Service® to receive outage details, estimated restoration times and customer-specific restoration updates via phone call, text or email. As part of CenterPoint's overall emergency communications efforts, customers can stay up to date on local outages with CenterPoint's cloud-based Outage Tracker, available in English and Spanish, which allows customers to see outages and restoration times by county, city and zip code.

Emergency Preparations: What Customers Can Do to Stay Safe

CenterPoint urges the public to put their safety first and prepare in advance for extreme weather by having a safety plan ready, especially for those who rely on electricity for life-sustaining equipment or medical needs. Customers can find safety tips to help them prepare at CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter.

For the latest updates, follow CenterPoint on social media 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 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 activates its Emergency Operations Center to prepare to respond to heavy rainfall and potential impacts across Greater Houston

​Thunderstorms with the potential for locally heavy rain, flooding and lightning are forecast to impact the Greater Houston area through Friday

Enhanced frontline workforce ready to respond and restore power for potentially impacted customers

HOUSTON - June 15, 2026 - To support its customers and communities, CenterPoint Energy has proactively activated its Emergency Operations Center and is taking action to prepare to respond ahead of active weather, including thunderstorms, heavy rainfall and the risk of flooding, expected to impact the Greater Houston area beginning today and continuing through Friday. As of 9 a.m. today, the National Weather Service forecasts four to seven inches of rain areawide, with isolated totals of more than 10 inches through the end of the week. CenterPoint is enhancing its workforce of frontline employees and contractors who are prepared to respond and restore power for potentially impacted customers. Additionally, the CenterPoint team continues to closely monitor forecasts, coordinate with emergency management partners and position resources to support safe and timely response to any potential impacts to electric and natural gas service.

"Our CenterPoint team is taking action and we are prepared to respond to potential impacts to our system from these storms. We have remained in a heightened state of readiness due to Houston's World Cup matches kicking off this past weekend and today have activated our Emergency Operations Center as we continue tracking the active weather expected this week. If any outages from weather occur, our crews will be ready to respond and restore power safely and as quickly as possible. We urge customers to stay aware of evolving weather conditions and have a plan to stay safe," said Jason Fabre, CenterPoint's Vice President of Special Response and Incident Commander.

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

  • Activating Emergency Operations Center: To coordinate storm response efforts, the company has proactively activated its Emergency Operations Center.
  • Readying the company's workforce and resources: Preparing personnel to support potential restoration efforts.
  • Monitoring active 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 reaching out to local officials and emergency management partners to provide updates on continued preparedness efforts
  • Communicating proactively with customers: Providing safety and preparedness information directly with customers via email, phone and text, across social media platforms and other channels.​​

Emergency Communications: Sign Up for Power Alert Service®

To help prepare for the impact of active weather, CenterPoint is encouraging its customers to enroll in Power Alert Service® to receive outage details, estimated restoration times and customer-specific restoration updates via phone call, text or email. As part of CenterPoint's overall emergency communications efforts, customers can stay up to date on local outages with CenterPoint's cloud-based Outage Tracker, available in English and Spanish, which allows customers to see outages and restoration times by county, city and zip code.

Emergency Preparations: What Customers Can Do to Stay Safe

CenterPoint urges the public to put their safety first and prepare in advance for active weather by having a safety plan ready, especially for those who rely on electricity for life-sustaining equipment or medical needs. Customers can find safety tips to help them prepare at CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter.

For the latest updates, follow CenterPoint on social media 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 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 Takes Series of Actions to Respond to Severe Weather Conditions and Possible Flooding Impacts across Greater Houston

​Actions taken include activation of Emergency Operations Center, mobilization of 2,600 frontline crews, coordination with local and state emergency agencies and partners, pre-positioning of critical equipment and increased weather monitoring

6 p.m. NWS Forecast: Thunderstorms with the potential for heavy rain and up to four to seven (locally 10+) inches of rainfall potentially impacting the Greater Houston area beginning today

​HOUSTON - June 15, 2026 - As a result of current National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts for severe weather conditions including heavy rainfall, CenterPoint Energy is taking a series of critical actions to respond to any weather impacts on the electric and gas system across the Greater Houston area. Critical actions taken as of 6 p.m. include: the activation of its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate its response, mobilizing 2,600 personnel, fully staffing its call center with additional resources on standby if needed to minimize customer wait times and coordinating closely with all local and state emergency management agencies and partners, among other actions. ​

"Our CenterPoint team is taking action, and will continue to take all necessary actions, to prepare for the impacts of severe weather on the electric and gas system across Greater Houston. We have mobilized more than a thousand additional frontline crew members and activated our Emergency Operations Center. We also continue to work very closely with all our emergency partners to be ready to respond and restore power safely and as quickly as possible. Given the unpredictability of this storm system, we are urging our customers, their families and all those visiting to make sure they are taking the necessary steps to stay safe," said Jason Fabre, CenterPoint's Vice President of Special Response and Incident Commander.

Prepared for Active Weather: Key Actions
As of 6 p.m., the most recent National Weather Service forecast is estimating between four to seven inches of rain areawide, with isolated totals of more than ten inches through the end of the week, which will result in periods of flash flooding across the Greater Houston area. As result, CenterPoint is taking the following preparedness actions:

  • Activated Emergency Operations Center: To coordinate storm system response efforts, CenterPoint has proactively activated its Emergency Operations Center.
  • Mobilized Additional Frontline Personnel: Mobilizing 2,600 personnel to respond and restore power to our customers.
  • Fully Staffing Customer Call Center: To support customers and minimize wait times, CenterPoint's call center is fully staffed with additional resources on standby.
  • ​ Continuous Weather 24/7 Monitoring: The Meteorology team continues to track weather forecast developments, and the company is updating response efforts as conditions evolve.
  • ​ Coordinating with Emergency Management Agencies: CenterPoint is reaching out to officials and emergency management partners to provide updates on continued preparedness efforts. Additionally, CenterPoint is coordinating its response with FIFA and monitoring for potential impacts ahead of Wednesday's (Noon CT) scheduled match between Portugal and DR Congo.
  • Pre-Positioning Critical Equipment: To support its electric and gas systems, CenterPoint is positioning critical gas and electric equipment across the Greater Houston area.
  • Communicating Proactively with Customers: Providing safety and preparedness information directly with customers across social media platforms and other channels.

Important Safety Reminders

As part of its response efforts, CenterPoint will be using its communications channels to share a series of critical safety reminders, including:

  • Stay at least 35 ft. away from any downed power lines and always assume they are still energized and dangerous.
  • Do not touch anything in contact with a downed wire, such as fences, branches or standing water.
  • Keep roads clear for emergency vehicles.
  • If you own a generator, review and follow the manufacturer's instructions for safe use.
  • Before digging or clearing debris, please call 811, the nationwide Call Before You Dig number, to locate underground natural gas lines and other underground utility lines.  

For additional safety tips, customer resources and important updates, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter and follow CenterPoint on social media. ​

Emergency Communications: Sign Up for Power Alert Service®

To help prepare for the impact of active weather, CenterPoint is encouraging its customers to enroll in Power Alert Service® to receive outage details, estimated restoration times and customer-specific restoration updates via phone call, text or email. As part of CenterPoint's overall emergency communications efforts, customers can stay up to date on local outages with CenterPoint's cloud-based Outage Tracker, available in English and Spanish, which allows customers to see outages and restoration times by county, city and zip code.

Emergency Preparations: What Customers Can Do to Stay Safe

CenterPoint urges the public to put their safety first and prepare in advance for active weather by having a safety plan ready, especially for those who rely on electricity for life-sustaining equipment or medical needs. Customers can find safety tips to help them prepare at CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter.

For the latest updates, follow CenterPoint on social media 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 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 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.

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CenterPoint Energy Inc. published this content on June 16, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 16, 2026 at 15:39 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]