CenterPoint Energy monitoring the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico as Tropical Storm Rafael gains strength; 2024 hurricane season remains active

Core Points - CenterPoint Energy is actively monitoring tropical developments and has activated emergency response plans in preparation for potential tropical storms or hurricanes [1][2] - The company has initiated the Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative to enhance grid resilience and reduce outage risks during the hurricane season [3][5] Phase One of Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative - In the first phase, CenterPoint installed over 1,100 stronger fiberglass poles, trimmed vegetation along more than 2,000 miles of power lines, and installed over 300 automation devices [4] Phase Two of Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative - The second phase includes significant actions to strengthen the energy system over the next eight months, aiming to complete work before the 2025 hurricane season [5] - Actions will lead to a self-healing grid, reducing outage minutes by over 125 million annually for customers in the Greater Houston area [6] - Specific plans include installing or replacing 25,000 poles, trimming or removing vegetation across 4,000 miles of power lines, and installing 4,500 automation devices [6] Customer Preparedness - Customers are encouraged to update emergency plans and prepare storm kits with essential items [7] - The company promotes enrollment in the Power Alert Service® for timely updates on outages and restoration [9] Outage Tracker Improvements - CenterPoint will provide estimated restoration times within 24 hours of a storm exiting the service area and will update these estimates daily [10]