Core Insights - CenterPoint Energy has made significant progress in the Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI), with approximately 70% of the second phase now complete, aiming to enhance grid resiliency before the 2025 hurricane season [1][4][5] Group 1: GHRI Progress - The company has completed 350 miles of undergrounding, installed over 17,500 stronger poles, cleared over 2,900 miles of high-risk vegetation, and placed over 3,380 automated reliability devices [1][2][5] - GHRI efforts are expected to reduce outages for customers by more than 125 million minutes annually [1][2][5] Group 2: Upcoming Initiatives - CenterPoint plans to install 100 new local weather monitoring stations by June 1 to enhance storm preparation and situational awareness [3][5] - The company continues to improve communication and preparedness through a year-round safety campaign and engagement with local officials [6][7] Group 3: Company Overview - CenterPoint Energy is the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, serving approximately 7 million metered customers across multiple states [8]

CenterPoint proposal to remove emergency temporary generation costs would lower monthly bills immediately and by as much as $2 per month by 2027 15 generation units would be sent to San Antonio area by Summer 2025 to help meet Texas' current and future energy needsHOUSTON, April 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, as part of its continuing commitment to better serve customers across the Greater Houston area, CenterPoint testified before the Texas Senate Committee on Business and Commerce on its proposal to remov ...

Company Overview - CenterPoint Energy, Inc. is the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas [1] - The company serves approximately 7 million metered customers across Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas [1] - As of December 31, 2024, CenterPoint Energy owned approximately $44 billion in assets [1] - The company has approximately 8,500 employees and has been in business for over 150 years [1] Upcoming Events - CenterPoint Energy will hold its First Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call on April 24, 2025, at 7:00 a.m. Central time [1] - The conference call can be accessed via the internet through the company's investor relations page [1]

SAN DIEGO, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Johnson Fistel, PLLP, a shareholder rights law firm, announces its investigating potential breaches of fiduciary duties by certain directors and officers of CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) in relation to their obligations to the company's shareholders. What can I do? If you are a current CenterPoint Energy, Inc. shareholder, you may have legal claims that may be brought on behalf of the company, against the company's directors and officers. If you wish to d ...

Core Insights - Osmose and Neara have formed a strategic partnership to enhance utility asset risk assessment and improve data quality for companies like CenterPoint Energy [1][2] - The collaboration aims to address data quality challenges that hinder effective decision-making in utility management [2][3] Group 1: Partnership Overview - The partnership combines Osmose's expertise in field data collection and structural analysis with Neara's AI-driven predictive modeling [2][3] - This collaboration will enable utilities to prioritize asset upgrades more efficiently and accurately [1][3] Group 2: Benefits of the Partnership - Enhancing data accuracy through on-site verification by Osmose and AI processing by Neara, leading to more reliable structural data [5][6] - Improving risk-based decision-making by providing insights into asset conditions and applying predictive analytics to quantify risk [5][6] - Optimizing restoration strategies by allowing utilities to target efforts with precision and prioritize actions based on risk-adjusted priorities [5][6] Group 3: Impact on CenterPoint Energy - CenterPoint Energy is utilizing the partnership's tools to enhance storm preparedness and improve network reliability [3][4] - The collaboration supports a proactive, data-driven approach to utility management, moving beyond traditional inspection cycles [4][5] Group 4: Quantifiable Outcomes - The partnership can lead to up to 70% cost savings by reinforcing rather than replacing high-risk assets [10] - It can achieve up to 80% faster restoration times, minimizing disruptions and enhancing reliability [10] - The partnership aims for 25% more accurate asset prioritization, ensuring critical upgrades are addressed first [10]

Industry Overview - Utility service providers are benefiting from increased electricity tariffs, accretive acquisitions, cost reductions, and energy-efficiency initiatives [1] - The U.S. electric power sector is transitioning towards cleaner energy sources, with renewable energy expected to account for 25% of electricity generation in 2025 and 27% in 2026 [6] Infrastructure and Demand - Utility companies in the U.S. are enhancing their infrastructure for electricity generation, transmission, distribution, storage, and sales [2] - There is a significant surge in electricity demand from data centers, with projections indicating a near tripling of power use by 2028, potentially reaching 6.7% to 12% of total U.S. electricity consumption [3] Financial Performance - Utility companies generally experience consistent revenue growth and profitability, allowing them to enhance shareholder value through regular dividend payments [5] - NiSource has a market capitalization of $18.55 billion, while CenterPoint Energy has $23.16 billion [7] Growth Projections - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NiSource's 2025 earnings is $1.91 per share on revenues of $6.06 billion, indicating a year-over-year bottom-line increase of 9.1% and a top-line improvement of 11.1% [8] - CenterPoint Energy's 2025 earnings are estimated at $1.75 per share on revenues of $8.87 billion, reflecting year-over-year growth of 8% and 2.7% for bottom-line and top-line, respectively [8] Stock Performance - In the past year, NiSource's shares have risen 46.6%, while CenterPoint Energy's shares have increased by 26.3% [9] Debt and Financial Ratios - NiSource has a debt-to-capital ratio of 56.68%, and CenterPoint Energy has 66.28%, both lower than the industry average of 63.37% [10] - The times interest earned (TIE) ratio for NiSource is 2.9, and for CenterPoint Energy, it is 2.4, indicating sufficient financial flexibility to meet near-term interest obligations [11] Dividend Yield - NiSource's dividend yield is currently 2.85%, while CenterPoint Energy's is 2.47%, both exceeding the Zacks S&P 500 Composite's average of 1.3% [12] Investment Conclusion - Both NiSource and CenterPoint Energy are well-positioned for investment, with NiSource being favored due to better growth projections, debt management, TIE ratio, dividend yield, and price performance [13]

Core Points - CenterPoint Energy is taking precautionary measures in response to a Red Flag Warning issued for the Greater Houston area due to high wind gusts, low humidity, and elevated wildfire risk [1][3] - Approximately 1,000 workers are prepared to respond to potential outages caused by extreme weather conditions [1][5] - The company has communicated with around 330,000 customers in specific areas about the possibility of temporary safety outages [5] Company Actions - CenterPoint has conducted pre-inspections of electric and natural gas equipment and adjusted power line safety settings in higher-risk areas [1][3] - Key actions include inspecting power lines, clearing hazardous vegetation, and pre-positioning crews for quick response to outages [5] - The company is coordinating with local emergency partners and proactively sharing information with state and local leaders [5] Customer Communication - CenterPoint encourages customers to stay informed about weather conditions and to make safety plans, including during potential power outages [4] - Customers can enroll in the Power Alert Service to receive updates on outages and restoration times [6] - The company provides a cloud-based Outage Tracker for customers to view outages by county, city, and zip code [6]

Core Points - The National Weather Service has issued a "Fire Weather Watch" for large portions of Texas, including the Greater Houston area, indicating a risk of strong winds and fire danger on Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. [1] - CenterPoint Energy is actively monitoring weather conditions and taking precautionary measures to mitigate wildfire risks, including pre-inspections and adjusting power line safety settings [1][6] - The company is communicating with customers about potential outages due to extreme weather conditions and will notify them via its Power Alert Service [1][2] Company Actions - CenterPoint is prioritizing customer safety and preparing for extreme weather conditions that may impact its systems, despite the current fire risk being lower in its service area compared to other parts of Texas [2] - The company is inspecting power lines and natural gas facilities in areas of heightened fire risk, clearing hazardous vegetation, and adjusting safety settings on power lines [6] - Additional crews and contractors are being positioned to respond to any power outages or natural gas service interruptions that may occur [6] Customer Communication - CenterPoint encourages customers to stay informed about weather conditions and make safety plans, including during potential power outages [3] - Customers are urged to enroll in the Power Alert Service to receive updates on outages and restoration times [4] - The company provides updates through social media and its website, and customers can follow @CenterPoint_TX for the latest information [5]

More than 14,200 stronger, storm-resilient poles installed; 2,200+ miles of high-risk vegetation cleared; 2,170+ automated reliability devices installed; and 280+ miles of power lines undergroundedWhen completed by June 1, GHRI Phase Two actions will improve reliability and reduce outages by more than 125 million minutes annuallyHOUSTON, March 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, as part of Phase Two of the Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI), CenterPoint Energy shared its latest monthly progress update, ...

Core Viewpoint - CenterPoint Energy is taking significant steps to address Texas's energy needs by deploying 15 large emergency generation units to the San Antonio region, which will help mitigate projected energy shortfalls for up to two years starting in Summer 2025, while also providing bill relief to Greater Houston-area customers by approximately $2 per month by 2027 [1][2][8]. Group 1: Proposal Details - CenterPoint will utilize 15 large emergency generation units, each with a capacity ranging from 27MW to 32MW, capable of powering approximately 30,000 homes [5][8]. - The units will be dispatched by ERCOT to serve the San Antonio area, addressing the state's generation shortfall concerns [2][9]. - CenterPoint will not generate any revenue or profit from these units during the proposed two-year service period [1][13]. Group 2: Customer Impact - The average Houston Electric customer, using approximately 1,000 kWh per month, will see a reduction in their bills of an estimated $2 per month related to this transaction by 2027 [4][8]. - Costs associated with the emergency generation units will be removed from CenterPoint's Houston Electric rates once they leave the service area [4][8]. Group 3: Regulatory and Operational Context - The proposal is subject to final approvals and must be agreed upon by the Public Utility Commission of Texas in Spring 2025 [8]. - CenterPoint has engaged in discussions with ERCOT staff and local leaders over the past six months to finalize this unique proposal [7][8]. Group 4: Future Considerations - After the two-year service period, CenterPoint plans to seek future market opportunities, including potentially sub-leasing the emergency generation units to third parties [13].