Biodiversity & Land Use

CenterPoint Energy’s biodiversity, land use, preservation and conservation initiatives include habitat restoration projects, endangered species conservation activities, and native wildlife rescue and release efforts.

CenterPoint Energy stives to:

• Assess proposed locations for electric transmission facilities and pipeline routes and identifies sensitive areas, including protected species and habitats,
• Avoid environmentally or culturally sensitive areas when practical and when alternative locations or routes are feasible,
• Reduce project footprints and ecological impacts to facilities,
• Mitigate impacts through restoration and careful vegetation management of pipeline rights-of-way, avoiding active bird nests during the breeding season,
• Monitor and work collaboratively with regulatory agencies in the management of affected listed species and ecosystems, and
• Partner with federal and state regulatory agencies and nonprofit conservation groups to support biodiversity conservation efforts beyond our operational footprint.

Construction routing for new natural gas or electric transmission lines is planned to avoid or minimize the disturbance of environmentally sensitive areas. We focus on recycling and conservation during the planning and design phase of a project in an effort to limit long-term environment impact.

• Our Electric Operations’ facilities and construction activities typically consist of narrow linear power lines and substations, along with service centers with relatively small footprints.
• Our Natural Gas Operations business reviews projects during the design phase using an Environmental Review Worksheet to assess potential impacts to air, water and land. Based on the review, it may be necessary to survey habitats for the presence or absence of species that are threatened, protected or endangered. In these cases, we coordinate with state and federal agencies prior to initiating construction.