2025 Hurricane Season Preparations: CenterPoint Energy holds emergency response exercise with Houston-area partners

Rhea-AI Summary

CenterPoint Energy (CNP) conducted a major hurricane response exercise at its Emergency Operations Center in preparation for the 2025 hurricane season. The full-scale exercise involved over 200 employees and response partners, including state and local officials, emergency management offices, and third-party evaluators.

The simulation is part of the company's Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI) launched last year. Key improvements include leveraging AI technologies through partnerships with Neara and Technosylva, installing emergency generators at critical facilities, and enhancing coordination with local emergency partners.

Pre-hurricane season simulation includes state and local officials, emergency management offices, third-party evaluators and industry-leading technology providers 

Series of emergency preparedness activities and key resiliency improvements designed to strengthen local response and reduce impact of outages from major storms

HOUSTON, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, as part of its ongoing efforts to prepare for the 2025 hurricane season, CenterPoint Energy is executing a major hurricane response exercise at its Emergency Operations Center alongside third-party evaluators with state and local public officials and community partners observing. The emergency exercise is designed to test and improve CenterPoint's emergency preparations and response plans in an extreme weather scenario, as well as strengthen local cooperation and coordination with key response partners from across the Greater Houston area. The full-scale exercise is part of a series of trainings and exercises CenterPoint has conducted to help plan, prepare and be ready for the 2025 hurricane season.

"As we all get ready for the 2025 hurricane season, our CenterPoint team is bringing together an array of emergency managers, technology providers and community leaders to practice and improve our coordinated response to extreme weather that may impact the system. Our critical hurricane response exercise builds on the actions we've been taking every day since last summer to improve how we prepare for and respond to emergencies, so that we can be there for the Greater Houston area when our communities need us most," said Don Daigler, CenterPoint Senior Vice President for Emergency Preparedness and Response.

The emergency simulation is designed to assess every aspect of CenterPoint's response to a major hurricane, including electric and gas operations, customer communications and support, coordination with government and emergency response partners, weather forecasting, planning and logistics. More than 200 CenterPoint employees and response partners are engaged in the all-day exercise at the company's Emergency Operations Center. This exercise is in addition to a series of system-wide improvements CenterPoint is making as part of the multi-phase Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI) launched last year.

Strengthening the Greater Houston energy system
Over the past 10 months, CenterPoint has been completing a series of resiliency actions and improvements to strengthen the system and reduce the risk and impact of outages to prepare for the 2025 hurricane season. Among the resiliency actions taken as part of the multi-phase initiative are:

• Leveraging AI and emerging technologies: Collaborating with industry-leading technology providers, including Neara and Technosylva, to better predict and prepare for extreme weather impacts.
• Donating and installing emergency generators to key locations: Working with local communities to provide backup generators to critical facilities and community centers that provide essential services in emergencies.
• Working with emergency partners to get ready: Coordinating with local officials, emergency management offices and community partners to prepare for extreme weather events, including through joint emergency response exercises.

For more information on CenterPoint's GHRI actions and improvements ahead of hurricane season, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/TakingAction.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is a multi-state electric and natural gas delivery company serving approximately 7 million metered customers across Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas. The company is headquartered in Houston and is the only Texas-domiciled investor-owned utility. As of March 31, 2025, the company had approximately $44 billion in assets. With approximately 8,300 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been serving customers for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

Forward-looking statements
This news release, as well as the website pages related to the GHRI, includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this news release or the website pages related to the GHRI, the words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "goal," "intend," "may," "objective," "plan," "potential," "predict," "projection," "should," "target," "will" or other similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which include statements regarding the GHRI and longer-term resiliency plans, including effectiveness, timing and related matters, 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 or the website pages related to the GHRI regarding future events that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement contained in this news release or the website pages related to the GHRI speaks only as of the date of this release or the date that such statement is made, as applicable. 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) business strategies and strategic initiatives, restructurings, joint ventures, acquisitions or dispositions of assets or businesses involving CenterPoint Energy or its industry; (2) CenterPoint Energy's ability to fund and invest planned capital, and the timely recovery of its investments; (3) financial market and general economic conditions; (4) the timing and impact of future regulatory, legislative and political actions or developments; 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, 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, Inc

FAQ

What is CenterPoint Energy's (CNP) hurricane preparation strategy for 2025?

CenterPoint Energy is conducting emergency response exercises, implementing AI technologies, installing backup generators at critical facilities, and coordinating with local emergency partners as part of their Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative.

How many participants were involved in CenterPoint Energy's 2025 hurricane response exercise?

Over 200 CenterPoint employees and response partners participated in the all-day exercise at the company's Emergency Operations Center.

What technological improvements has CNP implemented for hurricane preparedness?

CenterPoint Energy is collaborating with technology providers Neara and Technosylva to leverage AI for better prediction and preparation for extreme weather impacts.

What is the Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI) by CenterPoint Energy?

GHRI is a multi-phase initiative launched by CenterPoint Energy to strengthen the energy system and reduce outage risks through technological improvements, emergency generator installations, and enhanced emergency response coordination.