CenterPoint Energy(US:CNP) 智通财经网·2025-09-30 00:34Core Viewpoint - CenterPoint Energy plans to invest a record $65 billion by 2035 to expand its power grid capacity, enhance resilience, and digitize operations in response to significant growth in electricity demand, particularly in Texas [1][5]. Group 1: Investment Plans - The $65 billion investment is part of a ten-year infrastructure plan focused on grid capacity expansion, resilience strengthening, and digitalization [1][5]. - CenterPoint forecasts a nearly 50% increase in peak load demand for its Houston utility by 2031, potentially doubling to around 42 GW in the next decade [1]. Group 2: Market Drivers - The surge in electricity demand is driven by major tech companies like Tesla, Microsoft, Google, and Meta establishing and expanding AI data centers, cryptocurrency mining operations, and large-scale industrial manufacturing [1][4]. - The electricity demand from AI data centers is expected to significantly increase, with projections indicating a doubling of peak electricity demand in the next five years [1][4]. Group 3: Industry Trends - The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that global data center electricity demand will more than double by 2030, reaching approximately 945 TWh, with AI applications being the primary driver of this growth [4]. - Goldman Sachs forecasts a 165% increase in global electricity demand by 2030 due to the rapid rise of AI data centers, necessitating changes in infrastructure and energy strategies [4]. Group 4: Company Performance - CenterPoint Energy's stock has surged nearly 30% this year, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 index, driven by unprecedented valuation expansion in the utility sector due to AI data center demand [2]. - The company has raised its annual earnings forecast and aims for a long-term growth target of 7% to 9% before 2028, maintaining this growth rate until 2035 [1].