CenterPoint Energy continues to prepare for weekend winter weather and secures 600 additional frontline workers to support emergency response efforts as ERCOT issues Weather Watch and Texas Governor declares State of Emergency

Rhea-AI Summary

CenterPoint Energy (NYSE:CNP) has mobilized an expanded emergency workforce and pre-positioned resources ahead of a forecasted winter storm for Jan 22–24, 2026. The company activated its Emergency Operations Center, secured ~600 additional frontline workers for a total workforce of ~3,300, and opened three staging sites across northern Greater Houston. CenterPoint inspected all 270 electric substations, positioned 14 CNG trucks, donated emergency generators, and urged customers to enroll in Power Alert Service® and review safety plans.

ERCOT issued a Weather Watch and the State of Texas declared a State of Emergency; customers were warned of potential ice accumulation and strong winds.

Positive

• Workforce expanded ~600 to total ~3,300 frontline workers
• 270 electric substations inspected and tested
• Three staging sites established to pre-position crews and equipment
• 14 CNG trucks positioned to support natural gas system
• $1M five-year grant to Salvation Army for regional disaster response

Negative

• Winter storm risk with potential ice accumulation and strong winds
• Emergency declared by Texas and ERCOT Weather Watch issued, signaling possible service impacts

News Market Reaction

-1.67%

1 alert

-1.67% News Effect

On the day this news was published, CNP declined 1.67%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Total storm workforce: 3,300 workers Additional frontline workers: 600 workers Emergency Operations Center staff: 200 personnel +5 more

8 metrics

Total storm workforce 3,300 workers Employees and contractors mobilized for winter storm preparation and restoration

Additional frontline workers 600 workers Incremental resources secured to support emergency response efforts

Emergency Operations Center staff 200 personnel Dedicated staff activated to coordinate response and restoration

On-system workforce 2,500 workers Internal line workers, contractors and vegetation management resources

Electric substations inspected 270 substations Critical equipment inspected and tested ahead of severe cold weather

CNG truck locations 14 sites Compressed Natural Gas trucks positioned to supplement gas system if needed

Emergency generators More than 20 units Backup generators donated and installed at key community locations

Disaster response grant $1 million Five‑year CenterPoint Energy Foundation grant to The Salvation Army

Market Reality Check

Price: $39.69 Vol: Volume 5,942,620 is 1.44x...

normal vol

$39.69 Last Close

Volume Volume 5,942,620 is 1.44x the 20-day average of 4,119,434, indicating heightened interest ahead of the weather event. normal

Technical Shares at $39.53 are trading above the $38 200-day moving average and sit 2.4% below the 52-week high of $40.50.

Peers on Argus

CNP gained 0.59% with elevated volume, while key regulated electric peers were m...

CNP gained 0.59% with elevated volume, while key regulated electric peers were mixed: DTE and ES slightly positive, CMS, FE and FTS modestly negative. No peers appeared in the momentum scanner, supporting a stock-specific response to the operational weather update.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Dec 11 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 11	Dividend declaration	Positive	+1.4%	Announced regular quarterly dividend of $0.2300 per common share.
Oct 23	Earnings report	Positive	-1.1%	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 and use of proceeds.
Oct 03	Earnings call notice	Neutral	+1.5%	Scheduled webcast for Q3 2025 earnings conference call with access details.
Oct 02	Debt tender offer	Neutral	+0.3%	Priced cash tender offers for up to $500M of notes and bonds.

Pattern Detected

Recent history shows mixed reactions: dividend and routine items aligned with modest gains, while strong earnings and a sizeable asset sale saw mild negative moves, suggesting investors sometimes fade fundamentally positive headlines.

Recent Company History

Over the past few months, CenterPoint reported stronger Q3 2025 results with higher revenue, operating income and net income, and reiterated 2025–2026 EPS guidance. It also agreed to sell its Ohio natural gas business for $2.62 billion, planning to recycle proceeds into its long-term capital plan, and launched a $500 million senior notes and mortgage bond tender offer. A regular quarterly dividend of $0.2300 per share was declared for payment on March 12, 2026. Today’s operational weather-preparedness news fits a broader narrative of grid resilience and system investment.

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 filed on 2025-08-05, with recent usage evidenced by 424B5 debt prospectus supplements on 2025-09-30 and 2025-10-01, providing flexibility to issue additional securities as needed.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement details extensive preparations for severe winter weather, including mobilizing 3,3...

Analysis

This announcement details extensive preparations for severe winter weather, including mobilizing 3,300 workers, inspecting 270 substations, positioning CNG trucks at 14 locations, and performing more than 19,000 hours of emergency training in 2025. It reinforces CenterPoint’s focus on reliability and community support, highlighted by a $1 million five‑year disaster response grant. In context with its large capital plan and recent financings, investors may watch future filings and storm-related updates to gauge impacts on costs and infrastructure resilience.

Key Terms

emergency operations center, compressed natural gas (cng)

2 terms

emergency operations center technical

"In addition to CenterPoint's Emergency Operations Center staff of 200 personnel..."

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.

compressed natural gas (cng) technical

"Positioning Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks at 14 strategic locations..."

Compressed natural gas (CNG) is natural gas—primarily methane—stored at high pressure so it can be used as a fuel for vehicles, heating, or power generation; think of it like the same gas that cooks your stove but packed tightly like air in a pumped bicycle tire so it fits in a tank. Investors care because CNG can lower fuel costs, reduce some emissions, and drive spending on refueling stations and vehicle conversions, all of which affect operating margins and infrastructure investment decisions.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

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

State of Texas emergency response resources activated ahead of potential impacts

ERCOT Weather Watch issued for Saturday to Tuesday; grid conditions expected to be normal

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

HOUSTON, Jan. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- To support its customers and communities, and following several days of actively preparing for this weekend's forecasted severe winter weather system, CenterPoint Energy secured over 600 additional frontline workers for an expanded workforce of 3,300 workers to address the approaching winter storm. Additionally, the company is standing up three staging sites Thursday at strategic locations across the northern portion of the Greater Houston area to pre-position resources to support potential restoration efforts.

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's Emergency Operations Center was activated this morning and will remain activated through the weekend as CenterPoint continues executing its cold weather action plan.

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.

"We know how important it is for homes and businesses to have the electric and natural gas service they expect and deserve, especially when severe weather is forecasted to impact our region. Our teams are mobilized across the area now, performing pre-storm checks, conducting additional tree trimming, and preparing to respond to any impacts on our system from the forecasted winter weather conditions, including icy weather, strong winds, and wintry precipitation. We will remain alert and continue to coordinate with local officials, and we urge our customers to stay weather alert, take steps to prepare now and have an emergency plan in place," said Don Daigler, CenterPoint's Senior Vice President, Emergency Preparedness and Response.

Staging sites
The company's three staging sites will be strategically placed, with two located across the northern portion of CenterPoint's Greater Houston service area where impacts are forecasted at this time to be the strongest. The staging sites will host the approximately 3,300 workers and help pre-position crews, vehicles, equipment and materiel needed for restoration across its service territory to be able to respond to service issues safely and as quickly as possible.

Cold weather preparations
The company is prepared to respond to cold weather and has performed a series of proactive pre-winter preparedness actions to strengthen and winterize its electric and natural gas infrastructure across Texas, as well as inspect and test cold-weather critical equipment ahead of potential severe cold weather. CenterPoint is also actively working plans to mobilize emergency response resources and coordinating with relevant local emergency responders and government officials in preparation. 

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 14 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.

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. 

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 Energy serves. Learn more at CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation.

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 did CenterPoint Energy (CNP) announce on January 22, 2026 about storm preparedness?

CenterPoint activated its Emergency Operations Center, secured ~600 additional frontline workers to reach ~3,300 total, and opened three staging sites across northern Greater Houston.

How many CenterPoint substations were inspected ahead of the Jan 22–24, 2026 winter storm?

CenterPoint inspected and tested all 270 electric substations in its service area as part of cold-weather preparations.

What actions will CNP take to support gas supply during the January 2026 storm?

The company positioned 14 CNG trucks at strategic locations to supplement the natural gas system if needed.

How can CenterPoint Energy customers get outage and restoration updates during the winter storm?

Customers can enroll in Power Alert Service® and use CenterPoint's Outage Tracker for county, city, and zip-code level outage and restoration updates.

Does CenterPoint’s Jan 22, 2026 announcement include community support measures?

Yes; the CenterPoint Energy Foundation awarded a $1 million, five-year grant to the Salvation Army to support regional disaster response capabilities.