CenterPoint Energy activates staging sites and begins onboarding additional emergency response resources as preparations continue ahead of this weekend's approaching winter weather conditions

Rhea-AI Summary

CenterPoint Energy (NYSE: CNP) activated its Emergency Operations Center, stood up three staging sites across Greater Houston, and pre-staged an expanded workforce of ~3,300 electric and support personnel (including ~2,500 on-system line workers and 200 EOC staff) plus more than 700 natural gas workers and contractors as it prepares for forecasted winter weather on Jan. 23, 2026. The company positioned Compressed Natural Gas trucks at 13 Texas locations, inspected 270 electric substations, installed > 20 emergency generators, and logged 19,000 emergency training hours in 2025 to support response and restoration efforts.

CenterPoint is coordinating with state agencies after a Texas disaster declaration and urging customers to enroll in Power Alert Service and follow safety guidance.

Positive

• 3,300 pre-staged frontline workers for storm response
• Activated Emergency Operations Center with 200 staff
• Deployed 700+ gas workers and contractors for weekend support
• Positioned CNG trucks at 13 strategic Texas locations
• Inspected and tested 270 electric substations ahead of storm
• 19,000 emergency training hours logged in 2025

Negative

• Texas issued a disaster declaration ahead of potential impacts
• Forecast includes possible ice accumulation this weekend
• Potential for local service interruptions and hazardous conditions

News Market Reaction

-0.23%

1 alert

-0.23% News Effect

On the day this news was published, CNP declined 0.23%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Electric storm workforce: 3,300 workers Natural gas workforce: 700 workers Staging sites: 3 sites +5 more

8 metrics

Electric storm workforce 3,300 workers Electric employees and contractors pre-staged across Southeast Texas

Natural gas workforce 700 workers Natural gas workers and contractors supporting response

Staging sites 3 sites Staging sites across Greater Houston for restoration efforts

Electric substations 270 substations Inspected and tested as part of winter preparations

CNG truck locations 13 locations Compressed Natural Gas trucks pre-positioned across Texas

Weather stations monitored more than 100 Weather stations monitored across Greater Houston

Backup generators more than 20 Emergency backup generators donated and installed

Emergency training more than 19,000 hours Emergency training completed in 2025

Market Reality Check

Price: $39.69 Vol: Volume 5,294,446 is 26% a...

normal vol

$39.69 Last Close

Volume Volume 5,294,446 is 26% above the 20-day average of 4,202,822, suggesting elevated interest ahead of the weather event. normal

Technical Price at $38.87 is trading above the 200-day MA of $38.02, indicating an established uptrend into this operational update.

Peers on Argus

CNP fell 1.67% with above-average volume, while key peers like CMS, DTE, ES, and...

CNP fell 1.67% with above-average volume, while key peers like CMS, DTE, ES, and FE also posted modest declines and FTS edged higher. With no peers in the momentum scanner and mixed moves, trading action appears more company-specific than a clear sector-wide move.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jan 20 (Neutral)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Jan 20	Earnings call webcast	Neutral	+0.6%	Announced webcast details for upcoming Q4 2025 earnings conference call.
Dec 11	Dividend declaration	Positive	+1.4%	Declared regular quarterly common stock dividend of $0.2300 per share.
Oct 23	Earnings results	Positive	-1.1%	Reported strong Q3 2025 EPS and reiterated 2025–2026 non-GAAP EPS guidance.
Oct 21	Asset sale	Positive	-0.5%	Announced $2.62 billion sale of Ohio natural gas business with proceeds recycling plan.
Oct 03	Earnings call webcast	Neutral	+1.5%	Scheduled webcast for Q3 2025 earnings conference call with access details.

Pattern Detected

Recent news shows mixed alignment: positive fundamental updates like strong Q3 2025 earnings and the Ohio gas business sale saw negative next-day moves, while dividend and conference-call notices saw modest gains. The stock has alternated between aligned and divergent reactions to fundamentally oriented news.

Recent Company History

Over the past several months, CenterPoint has highlighted key milestones including a planned Q4 2025 earnings call, a regular dividend of $0.2300 per share, strong Q3 2025 results with reiterated 2025–2026 EPS guidance, and the planned $2.62 billion sale of its Ohio natural gas business. These events frame a narrative of ongoing capital recycling and earnings growth. Today’s operational winter-preparedness update fits into that broader focus on reliability and resilience for its multi-state customer base.

Regulatory & Risk Context

Active S-3 Shelf

Shelf Active

Active S-3 Shelf Registration 2025-08-05

The company has an effective S-3ASR shelf registration dated 2025-08-05, with at least 2 recent uses via 424B5 prospectus supplements for debt offerings in late 2025. This provides pre-cleared flexibility to issue registered securities, as reflected in the noted usage, but no specific remaining capacity figures are provided.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement focuses on CenterPoint’s winter-weather readiness, including deploying 3,300 elect...

Analysis

This announcement focuses on CenterPoint’s winter-weather readiness, including deploying 3,300 electric workers, 700 gas workers, three staging sites, and inspections of 270 substations. It builds on a recent stream of updates about earnings, capital plans, and asset sales that emphasize reliability and long-term strategy. Investors may watch how actual storm impacts compare with these preparations and how any related costs interact with the company’s existing capital and earnings plans.

Key Terms

compressed natural gas, public utility commission of texas, electric reliability council of texas (ercot), emergency operations center

4 terms

compressed natural gas technical

"We've placed Compressed Natural Gas trucks at 13 strategic locations across Texas"

Compressed natural gas (CNG) is methane stored under high pressure in tanks so it can be used as a fuel for vehicles, power generators and industrial equipment; think of it like keeping a fizzy drink in a pressurized can so the gas can be released to do work. It matters to investors because CNG can be a lower‑cost, lower‑pollution alternative to gasoline or diesel, affecting fuel demand, fleet operating costs, infrastructure spending and regulatory risk across energy and transportation businesses.

public utility commission of texas regulatory

"Coordinating with the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council"

State agency that oversees and sets rules for utilities—mainly electricity, and certain telecommunications and water services—within Texas. Think of it as a referee and rulebook keeper that approves rates, enforces reliability and safety standards, and decides whether infrastructure projects move forward; its decisions can change utility revenues, costs and operational risk, so investors watch it closely for signals about future profits and regulatory exposure.

electric reliability council of texas (ercot) regulatory

"Coordinating with the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)"

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is the grid operator that manages most of Texas’s electricity supply and demand, coordinating power plants, transmission lines, and real-time electricity flows like an air-traffic controller for the state’s power system. Investors care because ERCOT’s decisions on grid reliability, outage management, and market pricing directly affect utility revenues, energy company earnings, and the cost and availability of power—similar to how a central dispatcher influences delivery speed and cost in a logistics network.

emergency operations center technical

"The company's Emergency Operations Center is also open, fully staffed, and will remain operational"

A centralized command center where an organization gathers leaders, information and resources to coordinate its response during crises like natural disasters, cyberattacks, or major accidents. Think of it as a company’s “control room” that quickly makes decisions, assigns tasks and communicates with employees, regulators and customers. Investors pay attention because a well-run emergency operations center reduces downtime, limits financial and reputational damage, and shows the company can protect operations and assets under stress.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Approximately 3,300 CenterPoint electric employees and contract workers are pre-staged for storm preparation and potential restoration efforts across Southeast Texas

Approximately 700 natural gas workers and contractors support response as well

State of Texas issues disaster declaration ahead of potential impacts

Customers urged to have a plan and prepare for freezing temperatures, high winds and potential ice accumulation

HOUSTON, Jan. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In preparation for forecasted winter weather heading towards Southeast Texas, CenterPoint Energy continues to monitor the approaching system. With 3,300 frontline workers, support personnel and contractors, CenterPoint stands ready to support its customers and communities. Additionally, the company has stood up three staging sites at strategic locations across the Greater Houston area to pre-position resources to support potential restoration efforts. The company's Emergency Operations Center is also open, fully staffed, and will remain operational through the weekend as CenterPoint continues executing its cold weather action plan.

During the company's first daily operational briefing at its Emergency Operations Center, CenterPoint leaders emphasized the company's continued commitment to delivering for our customers and communities.

"We want our customers to be confident in the numerous cold weather preparations CenterPoint has executed from our winter readiness plan and to know we have plans in place to support customers during this weekend's forecasted freezing temperatures, high winds, and potential ice accumulation. We also want to urge our customers to stay weather alert, have an emergency plan in place and take steps now to prepare," said Nathan Brownell, Vice President of Resilience and Capital Delivery.

Yesterday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration ahead of potential impacts, and CenterPoint continues to work closely with government officials and emergency agencies to prepare for the approaching weather system.

What our experts are saying
"Weather forecasts continue to trend toward less icing risk in the Houston area. We continue to actively monitor internal and publicly available weather modeling resources to track forecast changes and adjust our preparations as needed. We encourage our customers and communities to remain prepared for cold weather that will impact the area Sunday and Monday," said Matt Lanza, CenterPoint's Chief Meteorologist.

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.

"Our Natural Gas teams are prepared to respond to critical issues that may be caused by the weather. We've placed Compressed Natural Gas trucks at 13 strategic locations across Texas to support our system and have frontline gas workers on hand who are ready 24/7 to respond to any service interruptions. We've also strengthened our natural gas infrastructure with added hardening measures and heaters to prevent ice damage," said Richard Leger, CenterPoint's Senior Vice President of Natural Gas Business.

Staging sites and additional resources
CenterPoint activated its Emergency Operations Center on Thursday 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. In addition to CenterPoint's Emergency Operations Center staff of 200 personnel and on-system workforce of approximately 2,500 internal line workers, local contractors and vegetation management resources, the company has secured an additional approximately 600 frontline workers including more line workers, vegetation management resources, and damage assessors.

The company is also deploying more than 700 gas workers and contractors to support the weekend response.

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

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.

Stay informed with Power Alert Service^®
CenterPoint electric customers are encouraged to enroll in the company's Power Alert Service® to receive winter storm outage details, estimated restoration times and customer-specific restoration updates by phone call, text or email.

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.

For more information, contact:
Communications
Media.Relations@CenterPointEnergy.com

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SOURCE CenterPoint Energy

FAQ

What actions did CenterPoint Energy (CNP) take on Jan. 23, 2026 to prepare for winter weather?

CNP activated its Emergency Operations Center, pre-staged ~3,300 workers, opened three staging sites, positioned CNG trucks at 13 locations, inspected 270 substations, and deployed 700+ gas personnel.

How many frontline workers is CenterPoint Energy (CNP) mobilizing for the weekend storm?

Approximately 3,300 frontline workers and support personnel, including ~2,500 on-system line workers and additional contractors.

Will CenterPoint Energy (CNP) support natural gas reliability during the Jan. 23, 2026 storm?

Yes. CNP deployed more than 700 gas workers and contractors and placed CNG trucks at 13 strategic locations to support the natural gas system.

What customer tools does CenterPoint Energy (CNP) offer for outage updates during the winter event?

Customers can enroll in Power Alert Service and use the company’s Outage Tracker for outage maps, ETAs, and customer-specific restoration updates.

Did state officials issue any emergency notices related to the Jan. 23, 2026 weather event affecting CenterPoint Energy (CNP)?

Yes. The State of Texas issued a disaster declaration ahead of the potential impacts.

How is CenterPoint Energy (CNP) helping customers prepare for freezing temperatures and ice?

CNP is sharing safety tips in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, conducting outreach to critical care customers, and urging customers to have an emergency plan and enroll in alert services.