CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric's enhanced
Systemwide Resiliency Plan (SRP) expected to reduce outage
impacts due to extreme weather and storms by 1.3 billion
minutes into 2029
100% of lines serving the most customers will
have automation devices capable of self-healing; 99% of substations
will be raised above the 500-year flood plain, more than 50% of
CenterPoint's electric system will be undergrounded; and replace or
install 130,000 stronger, more storm-resilient poles and
braces
The 2026-2028 SRP will be the largest single
resiliency investment in CenterPoint history and will help address
the impact of a wide range of extreme weather and other
threats
HOUSTON, Jan. 31,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, as part of a
company-wide commitment to build the most resilient coastal grid in
the country, CenterPoint Energy submitted its enhanced
Systemwide Resiliency Plan (SRP), which is expected to
reduce the impact of storm-related outages by over 1.3 billion
minutes for its 2.8 million customers into 2029. The plan
represents the largest single grid resiliency investment in the
company's history. CenterPoint's 2026-2028 SRP will build on
the progress made during the first two phases of the company's
Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative, and is designed to
help address the impacts of a wide range of extreme weather
threats, including more powerful storms, hurricanes, wind events
like derechos, flooding, extreme temperatures, tornadoes, wildfires
and winter storms.
A rate case for Houston Electric occurs approximately once every
four years and is part of an open and transparent regulatory
process in which rates are set by the PUCT.
"As the energy capital of the world, the residents of the
Greater Houston area expect and
deserve an electric system that is safe, reliable, cost-effective
and resilient when they need it most. We're determined to deliver
just that. Our Systemwide Resiliency Plan represents an historic
investment and is a major step on our strategic roadmap to becoming
the most resilient coastal grid in the country. The array of
resiliency actions will provide customers with clear benefits now
and in the future, is cost-effective, and will build on the
progress we've already made to date through the Greater Houston
Resiliency Initiative. Taken together, we believe that these
resiliency actions will help create a future with fewer outages
coupled with faster restoration times for the customers that we are
privileged to serve," said Jason
Wells, President and Chief Executive Officer of CenterPoint
Energy.
Building the Stronger, More Resilient, Self-Healing Grid of
the Future
The bold actions outlined in CenterPoint's SRP
are designed to benefit customers across the entire service area,
with a specific focus on customers in higher-risk areas. When
complete, this suite of resiliency actions, combined with
CenterPoint's normal operations, will achieve the following:
- Automation Devices: 100% of lines serving the most
customers will include automation devices capable of self-healing
to reduce the impact of outages;
- Secure Substations: 99% of substations will be raised
above the 500-year flood plain;
- Undergrounding: More than 50% of CenterPoint's system
will be undergrounded to improve resiliency;
- Stronger Distribution Poles: 130,000 stronger, more
storm-resilient poles (rated to 110 mph and 132 mph) will be either
installed new, or replaced or braced to withstand stronger
storms;
- Vegetation Management: CenterPoint will deploy an
industry-leading, three-year vegetation management cycle for
transmission and distribution lines, with 100% of power lines
cleared of hazardous vegetation every three years;
- Stronger Transmission Towers: 2,200+ transmission
structures will be rebuilt or upgraded to be able to better
withstand extreme weather while improving overall reliability;
and
- Modernized Cables: 34,500 spans of underground cables
will be modernized to reduce the frequency and impact of
outages.
These key improvements, along with other planned actions and
measures announced earlier in the week as part of CenterPoint's
2024-2029 rate case, are expected to strengthen overall resiliency
and reliability of the Greater
Houston-area electric system by at least 30% over a
three-year period, according to analysis from Guidehouse, an
independent third-party expert. In addition, these systemwide
improvements will continue to provide important benefits by
improving long-term reliability, and will help reduce potential
weather-related outages for customers.
A Historic Resiliency Investment
CenterPoint's
$5.75 billion Systemwide Resiliency
Plan is a historic investment in the grid and will help reduce
hundreds of millions of outage minutes per year caused by extreme
weather. Given the importance of reducing the future impact of
major extreme weather events, the combined actions outlined in the
SRP will help avoid outages for more than 500,000 customers in the
event of another Hurricane Beryl-like storm, while also helping to
improve restoration and response times during such events. When
complete, the SRP is also expected to save customers a projected
cost of approximately $50 million in
storm-related costs per year.
Actions Completed Under Greater Houston Resiliency
Initiative
The SRP builds upon core resiliency actions
CenterPoint has completed to date through its Greater Houston
Resiliency Initiative (GHRI) that was launched last August to
strengthen the grid, improve communications and expand local and
emergency partnerships ahead of the 2025 hurricane season. Since
launching GHRI in 2024, CenterPoint has already:
- Installed more than 10,600 more storm-resilient poles designed
to withstand extreme winds;
- Cleared more than 3,400 miles of hazardous vegetation near
power lines;
- Installed more than 370 self-healing automation devices;
and
- Undergrounded approximately 200 miles of power lines.
Addressing Growing Energy Needs and Weather
Challenges
The resiliency actions outlined by the SRP will
also help meet the energy needs of the growing population across
CenterPoint's Greater Houston
service area. The number of customers is expected to continue
growing by 2 percent annually for the foreseeable future – the
equivalent of adding a city the size of Waco, Texas, every year. As Greater Houston's population, economy and
energy needs grow, CenterPoint's SRP will help address the
increasing risk that this fast-growing region faces from extreme
weather.
Why is the SRP Needed?
Data from the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) show that the Greater
Houston area faces the highest weather and climate hazard
risk of any region in the country. In fact, Harris County has more FEMA-designated
disaster resilience zones (14) than any other county in
the United States.
A Systemwide Resiliency Plan Shaped by Experts, Stakeholders
and Customer Feedback
The SRP, which CenterPoint submitted
to the Public Utility Commission of Texas today for review, incorporates important
feedback from customers, elected leaders, emergency management
agencies and independent experts. Over the last three months,
CenterPoint has conducted 30 meetings and listening sessions and
solicited feedback on our plan during the draft stages. As part of
CenterPoint's commitment to long-term affordability, the SRP is
designed to provide the greatest dollar value to customers now and
in the future by prioritizing proven, cost-effective resiliency
actions that will ultimately prove vital to reducing future
storm-related costs for the communities CenterPoint serves.
To learn more about CenterPoint's Systemwide Resiliency
Plan and the actions it is currently taking to strengthen the
grid, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/SystemwideResiliencyPlan.
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, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas. With approximately 9,000 employees,
CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in
business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit
CenterPointEnergy.com.
Forward-looking Statements
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," "would" or other similar words are
intended to identify forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements, which include statements regarding the
Systemwide Resiliency Plan, including its benefits, 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 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 risks and
uncertainties relating to: (1) the impact of pandemics, including
the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) financial market conditions; (3) general
economic conditions; (4) the timing and impact of future regulatory
and legislative decisions; 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, 2023 and CenterPoint's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q
for the quarters ended March 31,
2024, June 30, 2024 and
September 30, 2024 and other reports
CenterPoint Energy or its subsidiaries may file from time to time
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
For more information,
contact
Communications
Media.Relations@CenterPointEnergy.com
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SOURCE CenterPoint Energy
