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CenterPoint Energy Inc.

08/11/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/11/2026 05:09

National 811 Day: CenterPoint Energy Reminds Nearly Two Million Texas Customers to Always Contact 811 Before Any Digging Projects

2026-08-11T11:00:00Z

The free 811 national service is an essential safety step to help keep customers, workers, businesses safe and prevent damage to underground natural gas and electric lines

HOUSTON - Aug. 11, 2026 - Today, on National 811 Day, CenterPoint Energy is reminding its approximately two million customers in Texas to always contact 811 a few business days before starting any outdoor digging project, big or small. Contacting the 811 national service is free, and is an essential safety step customers, businesses and contractors can - and must - take to prevent service interruptions and avoid potentially life-threatening damage to underground utility lines. In 2026 so far, approximately 3,500 damages have been caused to CenterPoint natural gas lines because digging occurred without underground utility lines being located and marked.

"Contacting 811 is about your safety, and the safety of the community. Whether you're planting a tree, building a fence or taking on another outdoor project, starting with 811 is one of the simplest steps you can take to keep your family, home, and neighbors safe. It is a free service and takes just a few minutes to request that underground utility lines are located and marked. Please always remember, before every digging project, know what's below and contact 811," said Vince Gaeto, Senior Vice President, Natural Gas Business at CenterPoint.

National 811 Day: Simple safety steps

Safe digging practices are essential and help prevent damage to underground natural gas, electric, communications, water and sewer lines and are required by state law. Digging without knowing the approximate location of underground utilities can result in serious injury, as well as service disruptions, fines and costly repairs.

To prevent damage and stay safe, CenterPoint urges everyone to:

  • Plan ahead and call 811 or visit Texas811.org a few business days before starting work.
  • Confirm all utility lines are marked before beginning work.
  • Adjust project locations, as needed, to maintain a safe distance from utility lines.
  • Confirm hired contractors have contacted 811 before their work.
  • Complete digging within the timeframe required by state law. If work cannot be completed in that time, contact 811 again before continuing.

Important Safety Reminder: Planting the right tree in the right place
In addition to urging customers to contact 811 before digging, CenterPoint Energy also requests that residents look up before planting a tree to ensure they are planted a safe distance from power lines. Residents can use this guide to learn more about safe planting distances based on the estimated mature height of the tree. Finally, CenterPoint Energy reminds residents to never attempt to trim trees near power lines and to call its forestry team at 800-332-7143 to request an inspection. [JS1] [JL2]

What to do if a natural gas line is struck
If a natural gas line is struck outside of a home or business, customers should:

  • Leave the area immediately on foot. Do not attempt to restart or move powered equipment or use your mobile device or any other item that could cause a spark.
  • Go to a safe location, then call 911 and CenterPoint.
  • Remain in a safe area until directed by emergency personnel to do otherwise.
  • Leave all repairs to a trained technician.

Visit 811BeforeYouDig.com for more information about 811. To learn more about natural gas safety, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Safety.

Soundbites on the importance of 811 Day, along with b-roll footage and photos of CenterPoint employees marking underground utilities, can be found here: CNP Digital Asset Mgmt

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, 2026, the company owned approximately $48.3 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

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Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI) Historic Milestone: CenterPoint Energy Completes 500 Miles of Strategic Power Line Hardening

Miles of CenterPoint hardened power lines greater than the distance from Houston to Midland

Suite of GHRI resiliency actions includes installing stronger, storm-resilient poles and automation devices, undergrounding power lines and clearing high-risk vegetation across Greater Houston

HOUSTON - August 4, 2026 - CenterPoint Energy announced it has now reached a key milestone as part of its Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI), with more than 500 miles of power lines strategically hardened across Greater Houston and is on track to reach its goal of hardening 750 miles of power lines by the end of 2026. Hardening power lines involves strengthening and upgrading key equipment, including poles, wires and transformers, to better withstand extreme weather and improve reliability. To date, CenterPoint has hardened more miles of power lines than the distance from Houston to Midland. As part of its overall commitment to build the most resilient coastal grid in the nation and improve day-to-day reliability, CenterPoint's GHRI efforts have also included installing 75,000+ stronger poles, 750+ automation devices and undergrounding 850+ miles of power lines, remaining on track to deliver more than 150 million customer outage minutes avoided by the end of 2026.

"All across Greater Houston, our GHRI efforts are focused on building a stronger, more resilient and reliable energy system that can better withstand more powerful storms and extreme weather now and in the future. We are making historic progress, and we will not stop until we will achieve our goal of building the most resilient coastal grid in the country," said Nathan Brownell, CenterPoint Energy's Vice President of Resilience and Capital Delivery.

GHRI 2026 Progress to Date: Critical Resiliency Improvements Completed
Since launching GHRI in August 2024, CenterPoint has completed a series of resiliency actions and grid improvements across the Greater Houston area, including:

  • Installing 75,500+ stronger, more storm-resilient poles to better withstand extreme weather;
  • Trimming and clearing 13,000+ miles of high-risk trees and vegetation near power lines to reduce storm-related outages;
  • Installing 750+ automation devices capable of self-healing to reduce the impact of outages and improve restoration times; and
  • Undergrounding 850+ miles of power lines to improve overall grid resiliency.

Together, these critical resiliency actions will improve reliability and help our customers avoid more than 150 million outage minutes by the end of 2026.

To view completed GHRI work in your community, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Progress. More information about GHRI is also available at CenterPointEnergy.com/TakingAction.

​About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
As the only investor owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas. As of June 30, 2026, the company owned approximately $48.3 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 Taking Action to Prepare for Possible Thunderstorms Impacting Southwestern Indiana Customers

​Readiness actions include: preparing crews and equipment, 24/7 weather monitoring, coordinating with local government officials and keeping customers informed​

Customers urged to sign up for Power Alert Service® to get latest updates about their service

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - July 27, 2026 - CenterPoint Energy continues to closely monitor National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts and is taking a series of actions to support its customers and prepare for potential hazardous weather, including possible thunderstorms, damaging wind gusts, heavy rain, flooding and isolated tornadoes, in southwestern Indiana this evening into tomorrow. Key actions include preparing crews and equipment, monitoring weather forecasts 24/7, coordinating with local officials and communicating critical safety and preparedness information to its southwestern Indiana customers including how to sign up for Power Alert Service® to get the latest updates about their service.

"Our CenterPoint team is taking action and is prepared to respond to potential impacts from this week's storms across southwestern Indiana. We are ready to respond and restore power safely and as quickly as possible for any customers who may experience outages. We will continue closely monitoring conditions and we urge all of our customers to stay up to date by enrolling in our Power Alert Service to get the latest updates about their service," said Mike Roeder, President of CenterPoint Energy Indiana.

Preparing for Hazardous Weather: Key Actions
The most recent National Weather Service forecast includes damaging winds and scattered thunderstorms that may be strong enough to result in downed power lines and outages. To prepare, CenterPoint is taking a series of safety and readiness actions, including:

  • Preparing Crews and Equipment: Preparing workers and equipment across southwestern Indiana to support restoration efforts for impacted customers.
  • 24/7 Weather Monitoring: Closely monitoring weather forecasts and evolving weather conditions that could impact our customers.
  • Coordinating with Local Officials: Providing consistent updates on preparedness actions to federal, state, county and city officials.
  • Keeping Customers Informed: Providing updates directly to customers via email, phone, text or other channels to keep customers informed and prepared.
  • Promoting Power Alert Service®: CenterPoint is urging customers to sign up for Power Alert Service® to receive important updates about their gas and electric service via phone call, text or email, including outage details and estimated restoration times.

Emergency Communications: Sign Up for Power Alert Service®
To help prepare for the impact of hazardous 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
As part of its preparedness efforts, CenterPoint will continue 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.
  • Keep roads clear for emergency vehicles.
  • Do not touch anything in contact with a downed wire, such as fences, branches or standing water.
  • Before a flood: Natural gas should not be turned off at the meter. Keeping the meter on helps maintain proper pressure in gas piping and prevents water from entering the lines. If discontinuing service is necessary, gas should be turned off at each appliance.
  • After a flood:
    • If a natural gas meter was underwater, CenterPoint should be contacted to schedule an inspection. The meter may require replacement.
    • Flooded natural gas appliances-such as furnaces, gas grills and gaslights-should be inspected by a qualified technician before operation.
  • If the smell of natural gas (rotten egg odor) is present, leave the area immediately and call 911 and CenterPoint from a safe location.
  • ​​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.​

​

CenterPoint Energy Responding to Heat and Severe Thunderstorm-Related Impacts and Restoring Power for Customers Across Greater Houston Area

​​​Key actions taken to date: Approximately 1,050 frontline workers mobilized and responding to isolated outages and restoring power for nearly 6,000 customers since midnight,

Two million communications sent to customers and continued coordination with local, state and federal officials.

HOUSTON - July 23, 2026 - CenterPoint Energy is responding to heat and severe thunderstorm-related impacts from Wednesday including isolated outages and has restored power to nearly 6,000 customers. As part of its ongoing response, CenterPoint has taken a series of actions, including mobilizing 1,050 frontline personnel to restore power for impacted customers safely and as quickly as possible, closely monitoring weather conditions, communicating outage and restoration updates to customers proactively and frequently, and coordinating closely with local, state and federal agencies and emergency response partners.

High temperatures peaked between 103-104 degrees on Wednesday were followed by isolated severe thunderstorms in the late afternoon and evening, which produced peak wind gusts between 42-67 mph. As of 11:00 a.m. approximately 5,000 customers are experiencing heat and weather-related outages and 1,050 frontline workers are actively responding. As we continue monitoring for any potential impacts from what is left of Tropical Storm Bertha as it arrives to Greater Houston Area later today, CenterPoint Energy urges all customers to enroll in Power Alert Service® to receive important updates about their gas and electric service via text, email or phone calls, including outage details and estimated restoration times should impacts occur.

"Our team is fully focused on responding to the heat and thunderstorm-related impacts while we continue monitoring Tropical Storm Bertha and restoring power to all customers experiencing outages. While we do not expect significant impacts as the system makes landfall later today, our Emergency Operations Center remains activated, and we continue to monitor evolving weather conditions. Currently we have 1,050 frontline workers mobilized to respond and repair the grid safely and as quickly as possible for our customers," said Nathan Brownell, CenterPoint Energy's Vice President, Resilience and Capital Delivery and Incident Commander.

Tropical Storm Bertha Response: Key Actions
To prepare for and respond to the impacts of Tropical Storm Bertha on the Greater Houston area, CenterPoint Energy has taken the following actions for its customers:

  • Activated Emergency Operations Center: Coordinating local preparedness and response efforts.
  • Mobilizing crews and equipment: Deploying 1,050 frontline personnel and equipment to quickly respond to potential storm impacts.
  • Restoring power for customers: Actively restoring power to more than 6,000 customers safely and as quickly as possible.
  • Actively monitoring weather: CenterPoint Energy's meteorology team is closely monitoring forecasts and evolving weather conditions that could impact Texas.
  • Communicating with customers: Communicating directly to customers via email, phone, text or other channels to keep them informed and prepared, with over 2 million communications sent to date.
  • Promoting Power Alert Service®: Urging customers to sign up for Power Alert Service® to receive important updates about their gas and electric service via phone call, text or email, including outage details and estimated restoration times.
  • Conducting outreach to critical care customers: Reaching out to identified Critical Care Residential and Chronic Condition Residential electric customers by email, phone and/or text to make them aware of the potential for storm-related outages.
  • Coordinating with government officials: Providing regular updates to federal, state, county and city officials regarding preparedness activities.
Emergency Communications: Sign Up for Power Alert Service®
To receive important updates about gas and electric service via phone call, text or email, including outage details and estimated restoration times, CenterPoint Energy customers are strongly encouraged to enroll in Power Alert Service®. As part of CenterPoint Energy's overall emergency communications efforts, customers can stay up to date on local outages with its cloud-based Outage Tracker, available in English and Spanish, which allows customers to see outages and restoration times by county, city and zip code.

What Customers Can Do to Stay Safe
To help ensure their safety, CenterPoint Energy is encouraging all its customers and their families to continue following their emergency plan during this event. Customers can find specific safety tips at 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 Expands In-Person Customer Support in Downtown Evansville

​Providing in-person support is one of many actions CenterPoint Energy is taking to strengthen customer service for its Hoosier customers.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - July 22, 2026 - Today, as part of its ongoing commitment to strengthen customer service, CenterPoint Energy Indiana announced the expansion of in-person support services at the CenterPoint Energy Plaza in Downtown Evansville. Customers now have a consistent, in-person option to get personalized account support, learn about and enroll in cost- and energy-saving programs, and pay a bill with support from dedicated members of the CenterPoint customer service team.

"The new in-person support at our downtown Evansville location is responsive to feedback we've heard from our Hoosier customers and re-affirms our commitment to strengthen our customer service program. We encourage Indiana customers to drop into our Downtown Evansville location and meet with our dedicated customer team to get the personalized support," said Mike Roeder, President of CenterPoint Energy Indiana.

CenterPoint customers can pay their bill at the CenterPoint Energy Plaza in Downtown Evansville via a self-service kiosk five days a week (Monday through Friday) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT, as well as opportunities to meet in-person with members of the customer service team on Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CT. In-person services, include:

  • Helping customers save energy and costs by connecting customers with bill management tools and resources;
  • Providing account management support by completing service requests (e.g., starting, transferring or reconnecting service);
  • Sharing critical information about accounts and monthly bills; and
  • Making bill payment more convenient by providing in-person payment options. Customers can pay by checking or savings account, credit card, debit card or Apple Pay. Cash is not accepted.

Actions Taken: Bringing Support Directly to Southwestern Indiana Customers
In addition to reducing call center wait times, CenterPoint has also launched a series of programs focused on reducing energy burdens and helping customers better manage their costs, including:

  • Reducing Call Center Wait Times: Between May and June '26, call wait times were reduced by 70%, leading to average wait times of less than one minute for Hoosier customers.
  • A $5 million Community Energy Improvement Fund: Supporting Hoosier customers through an array of weatherization, energy efficiency and community development projects.
  • The Home Repair & Care Program: Assisting eligible homeowners with energy-saving home improvements. To date, 80-plus households have received energy efficiency enhancements.
  • Optimize for Local: Providing up to $25,000 in matching grants to nine locally owned restaurants and retailers to help make energy efficiency improvements.
  • Optimize for Good: Helping 14 southwestern Indiana nonprofits save energy and costs through matching grants of up to $25,000 to make critical facilities improvements, enabling the organizations to dedicate more resources to serving the communities that rely on them.
  • No-Cost Smart Thermostats and Bill Credits: Expanding energy-efficiency offerings that include no-cost smart thermostats for eligible customers and a one-time bill credit of $75 for signing up for the Smart Cycle program and annual bill credits of up to $67.50 while enrolled.

Today's announcement follows a letter CenterPoint Energy Indiana delivered to stakeholders, including local and state elected leaders, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, the Office of Utility Consumer Counselor and other local stakeholders detailing the actions it has taken to prioritize affordability and support its Hoosier customers. A full copy of the letter can be found here: CenterPointEnergy.com/INAffordabilityActions.

CenterPoint Energy Ready to Respond to Impacts of Extreme Heat and Isolated Thunderstorms across the Greater Houston Area today, while Continuing to Prepare for potential impacts from now Tropical Storm Bertha

​The National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Warning for the region with temperatures expected to reach as high as 104 degrees and a heat indices up to 115 degrees

Key actions CenterPoint Energy is taking include activating its Emergency Operations Center, mobilizing 1,050 frontline workers, and communicating with customers and emergency partners

HOUSTON - July 22, 2026 - CenterPoint Energy is continuing to take actions to prepare for the current extreme heat in the Greater Houston area today and isolated thunderstorms this evening, as well as the potential impacts of what is now Tropical Storm Bertha forecast to arrive int Southeast Texas as a weaker system starting Thursday. Among the critical actions CenterPoint Energy is taking include mobilizing 1,050 frontline personnel with an additional 1,100 contractors ready to support if necessary, activating its Emergency Operations Center, proactively communicating updates and important safety information to customers, and coordinating closely with local officials and emergency response partners.

"Our teams remain focused on taking actions to prepare and respond to the impacts of both the extreme heat currently impacting the Greater Houston area and potential tropical impacts forecast for later this week. We've mobilized more than 1,050 frontline crew members and support personnel, our Emergency Operations Center remains activated, and we're in close contact with our emergency response partners to coordinate efforts. While we take actions to prepare, we urge our customers and their families to take steps to stay safe today during the Extreme Heat Warning while preparing for potential tropical impacts," said Nathan Brownell, CenterPoint Energy's Vice President, Resilience and Capital Delivery and Incident Commander.

With temperatures reaching as high as 104 today in the Greater Houston area and an estimated heat indices of up to 115 degrees, the National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Warning for the region. Isolated thunderstorms are also possible this evening between 4-9 pm. Additionally, based on current weather forecasts, the National Hurricane Center predicts what is now Tropical Storm Bertha will reach the southeast Texas coastline on Thursday as a weaker system. A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued as a precaution along the immediate coastline. Significant impacts remain unlikely for the Greater Houston Area, with forecasts indicating sustained winds below 25mph, wind gusts of mainly 25-35mph, and rain totals of mainly 1-2" or below from isolated thunderstorms.

To prepare for the potential impacts of what is now Tropical Storm Bertha, CenterPoint Energy is once again urging all customers to immediately enroll in Power Alert Service® to receive important updates about their gas and electric service via text, email or phone calls, including service outages and estimated restoration times.

Actions CenterPoint Energy is Taking to Respond
As part of its continued preparedness efforts, CenterPoint Energy is taking the following actions to prepare and respond to the impacts of the ongoing extreme heat, as well as Tropical Storm Bertha forecasted to reach the Greater Houston area later this week:

  • Activated Emergency Operations Center: Coordinating local preparedness and response efforts.
  • Actively monitoring weather: Closely monitoring National Hurricane Center forecasts and evolving weather conditions that could impact Texas.
  • Secured crews and equipment: Additional crews and equipment to quickly respond to potential storm impacts once conditions have cleared.
  • Communicating with customers: Communicating directly to customers via email, phone, text or other channels to keep them informed and prepared, with more than 1 million communications sent to date.
  • Promoting Power Alert Service®: Urging customers to sign up for Power Alert Service® to receive important updates about their gas and electric service via phone call, text or email, including outage details and estimated restoration times.
  • Conducting outreach to critical care customers: Reaching out to identified Critical Care Residential and Chronic Condition Residential electric customers by email, phone and/or text to make them aware of the potential for storm-related outages.
  • Coordinating with government officials: Providing regular updates to federal, state, county and city officials regarding preparedness activities.

Emergency Communications: Sign Up for Power Alert Service®
To receive important updates about gas and electric service via phone call, text or email, including outage details and estimated restoration times, CenterPoint Energy customers are strongly encouraged to enroll in Power Alert Service®. As part of CenterPoint Energy's overall emergency communications efforts, customers can stay up to date on local outages with its 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
To help ensure their safety, CenterPoint Energy is encouraging all its customers and their families to follow their emergency plan during this event. Customers can find specific safety tips to help them prepare at 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.

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CenterPoint Energy Inc. published this content on August 11, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 11, 2026 at 11:09 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]