CenterPoint Energy ramps up customer communications as 3,300-person expanded workforce continues preparations and emergency response efforts ahead of winter weather system forecasted to impact Texas

Approximately 3,300 CenterPoint employees and contract workers supporting storm preparation and potential restoration efforts across Houston and parts of Southeast Texas

Emergency Operations Center fully staffed and operating; three staging sites activating today

First daily operational briefing scheduled for this afternoon at the company's Emergency Operations Center

State of Texas issues disaster declaration ahead of potential impacts; ERCOT Weather Watch issued for Saturday to Tuesday; grid conditions expected to be normal

HOUSTON, Jan. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- To help its customers and communities stay informed and prepared ahead of this weekend's forecasted winter weather system, CenterPoint Energy is ramping up customer communications as the company continues executing its cold weather readiness plan. CenterPoint is sharing information with customers through a number of channels (emails, phone calls, text messages, and many others). It will also begin hosting daily operational briefings at its Emergency Operations Center this afternoon to provide an update on evolving weather models and give an in-depth overview of the company's expanded response efforts.

"We are focused on delivering for our customers and communities and we want them to know  we're taking action now and preparing to respond to any impacts from this weather to our system, because we know how important it is for the communities we serve to have reliable electric and natural gas service they expect and deserve. Right now, as conditions continue to evolve, staying informed is one of the most important things we can do to keep our customers and their loved ones safe," said Tony Gardner, CenterPoint's Chief Customer Officer. "We urge customers to prepare now and to bookmark our Action Center for storm-related safety tips in English, Spanish and Vietnamese and to make sure they're enrolled in Power Alert Service® to receive winter storm outage details, estimated restoration times and customer-specific restoration updates."

Weather update

"Weather models have generally trended toward a somewhat less impactful forecast outcome in the Houston area since yesterday. While those trends are positive and continue, we are continuing to use both internal and publicly available weather model guidance to shape our forecast expectations and will adjust as needed," said Matt Lanza, CenterPoint's Chief Meteorologist. "Still, with cold and at least some ice expected in the region, we encourage customers and communities to be prepared for hazardous travel on Sunday and a hard freeze, especially Monday morning."

The current weather forecast for CenterPoint's Houston electric service territory indicates the potential for ice accumulation this weekend, subject to updated forecasts. The company reminds customers and community members to always assume downed lines or wires are energized and potentially dangerous if contacted. Stay at least 35 feet away from downed power lines or fallen wires and keep a safe distance from objects touching downed lines (tree limbs, vehicles, fences, etc.) and immediately report downed power lines to CenterPoint. 

Additional resources

Following several days of actively preparing for this weekend's forecasted severe winter weather system, CenterPoint Energy activated its Emergency Operations Center yesterday morning and secured more than 600 additional frontline workers for an expanded workforce of 3,300 workers and personnel to address the approaching winter storm.

Staging sites

The company's three staging sites are strategically placed to pre-position resources in locations where the winter weather system's impact is forecasted to be the most severe. These sites will host approximately 3,300 workers and help pre-position crews, vehicles, equipment and materiel needed for restoration across its service territory.

Public Official Coordination

CenterPoint continues to work closely with government officials and emergency agencies to prepare for the approaching winter weather system and continues to diligently monitor weather models and deploy cold weather mitigations across its electric and gas infrastructure. CenterPoint is also actively working to mobilize emergency response resources and coordinating with relevant local emergency responders and government officials in preparation for this weekend's weather.

Cold weather preparations

The pre-winter safety and readiness actions taken by CenterPoint include:

• Activating its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate response and restoration efforts;
• Coordinating with the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) about statewide energy needs;
• Communicating with customers to provide safety and preparedness information directly via email and help keep customers informed and prepared;
• Conducting outreach to critical care customers by email, phone or text;
• Inspecting and testing critical electric equipment, including all 270 electric substations, executing enhanced tree trimming and conducting inspections to prepare for wintery precipitation and cold temperatures;
• Positioning Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks at 13 strategic locations to be deployed to supplement the natural gas system, if needed;
• Monitoring more than 100 weather stations across the Greater Houston area to enhance situational awareness and storm preparation;
• Donated and installed more than 20 emergency backup generators at key locations across Greater Houston to improve local emergency preparedness and response efforts; and
• Conducted more than 19,000 total hours of emergency training in 2025 for hundreds of operational, emergency response and other personnel and contractors to strengthen severe weather preparation and response efforts.

Supporting community preparedness

As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting community preparedness and resilience, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation awarded a $1 million, five‑year grant to The Salvation Army last year to support disaster response capabilities across the Greater Houston area. This grant supports operations at The Salvation Army's Multi‑Purpose Distribution Center in Houston, a critical regional hub that coordinates emergency relief efforts and delivers essential services to vulnerable populations — including families, youth, seniors, and individuals experiencing homelessness — during hurricanes and other severe weather events. Funded separately and financially independent from the utility, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation continues to serve as a catalyst for good by leveraging its resources to enhance the safety, resilience and vibrancy of the communities CenterPoint serves. Learn more at CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation.

Have a plan and stay safe

CenterPoint encourages customers to prepare and have a plan to stay safe during severe winter weather. Customers can get storm-related safety tips at CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter — available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Customers can also stay up to date on outages with CenterPoint's Outage Tracker, available in English and Spanish. The Outage Tracker is built to handle increased traffic during storms, is mobile-friendly, accessible for those with disabilities and allows customers to see outages by county, city and zip code.

For the latest updates, follow CenterPoint on X and visit 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 September 30, 2025, the company owned approximately $45 billion in assets. With approximately 8,300 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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Communications

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SOURCE CenterPoint Energy