CenterPoint Energy reaches $3.2 billion resiliency plan settlement with Houston-area cities

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CenterPoint Energy has reached a $3.2 billion settlement with several municipalities in the Houston area as part of its systemwide resiliency plan, following criticism of its response to Hurricane Beryl last July. The agreement, which is pending approval from the Public Utility Commission of Texas, aims to enhance the utility's infrastructure and improve service reliability for its 2.8 million customers. CenterPoint's CEO, Jason Wells, emphasized that the plan represents a significant investment in resiliency actions that will benefit customers both now and in the future.

The revised plan reduces the original $5.75 billion proposal by nearly $2.6 billion, primarily by cutting costs related to extreme wind resiliency. Key improvements include the installation of automated self-healing devices, storm-resilient poles, and a vegetation management cycle. Although customers will see a modest increase in their bills, the new charges are lower than those proposed in the initial plan, with an estimated monthly increase of $1.40 from 2026 to 2028, and an additional $0.60 in 2030.