CenterPoint Energy provides update on Restoration efforts

Houston, TX – Feb. 18, 2021 – CenterPoint Energy provided the following update on its severe winter weather restoration efforts:

At the peak of this event, approximately 1.4 million total customers were impacted by the severe winter weather event across CenterPoint Energy’s service territory. As of 2 p.m. CT, approximately 1.37 million customers have been restored. Less than 25,000 customers remain to be restored.

“We appreciate our customers’ continued patience as we perform service restoration work in the field, including repairing damaged equipment from the severe winter weather which caused unplanned outages. We will not rest until service to all our customers has been safely restored,” said Kenny
Mercado, CenterPoint Energy’s Executive Vice President, Electric Utility.

“The safety of our customers, communities and crews will continue to be our top priority.” Mercado added, “From the outset of the severe weather and generation shortage event, we said that we would be ready to deliver power as soon as it was available to be delivered. And we have done that
and will continue to do so as safely as possible.”

CenterPoint Energy has hundreds of crews in the field today assessing its system and repairing damaged equipment from the severe winter weather which caused unplanned outages. As its crews’ work is completed, CenterPoint Energy’s customer outage numbers will continue to decline.

The company said that it expects to have the majority of customers restored by the end of the day. Isolated outages should be addressed by the end of the day tomorrow. With continued winter weather expected across its service territory, CenterPoint Energy wants to remind customers that the potential for additional outages could exist. When outages occur for any
reason, CenterPoint Energy is committed to restoring power as safely and quickly as possible. In addition, the possibility remains that customer outages could occur if CenterPoint Energy is directed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to reduce electricity on its system due to issues with generation capacity. As restoration efforts progress, CenterPoint Energy continues to encourage customers to practice energy conservation through the duration of the winter weather and generation
shortage event.

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The company also said that its natural gas supply has remained reliable and stable throughout the duration of the winter weather event.

Scott Doyle, CenterPoint Energy’s Executive Vice President, Natural Gas, said, “With cold temperatures forecasted for tonight, we are confident in our ability to maintain our natural gas supplies through the night and tomorrow.”

Customers who return to their residences should be mindful of natural gas pipes inside and outside their homes if they need to make any repairs as a result of ruptured water pipes. If you smell the “rotten egg” odor of natural gas, immediately leave on foot, go to a safe location and call both 911 and CenterPoint Energy.

The company also reminds customers to be informed on safe digging practices and the importance of calling 811 to have utility lines marked prior to any digging activity. Customers can learn more by visiting
https://www.texas811.org/

CenterPoint Energy will continue to update customers through local media outlets, its website centerpointenergy.com and its social media channels, Twitter (@CNPalerts) and Facebook.

In a social media post, CenterPoint Energy shared the following:

Houston – as we continue repairing equipment damaged by severe weather, we ask that you continue conserving electricity – lower your thermostat & avoid using appliances. Approximately 20,000 outages remain. Find up-to-date information at Outage Tracker: http://gis.centerpointenergy.com/outagetracker/

CenterPoint Energy

Source: CenterPoint Energy

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