Employees Transition to Work Focused on Growth, Infrastructure, Resilience and a Cleaner Energy Future
Just Transition
As CenterPoint Energy begins preparation on its plan to retire our coal-fired power plants and transition our generation fleet to renewable resources in the years to come, new opportunities for affected workers will emerge. Existing skills will be in demand in new places, while new skills will be in demand companywide. Employees will be provided with opportunities, including the training needed to perform new jobs safely.
Based on customer growth projections, economic development will require workers who can:
- Expand our overhead transmission lines – about 400 miles of new transmission lines will be needed by 2030.
- Upgrade our transmission capacity – about 600 miles of upgraded transmission capacity will be needed by 2030.
- Upgrade more than 2,200 miles of distribution lines.
- Upgrade 210 substations by 2030.
- Construct 32 new substations by 2030.
- Install more than 2,000 miles of new overhead distribution lines and more than 6,000 miles of new underground distribution lines.
Infrastructure resiliency will require workers who can:
- Harden our transmission, substations and distribution grids, as well as modernize our infrastructure.
- Implement new distribution grid resiliency and reliability design criteria.
- Expand intelligent grid and smart metering technologies for faster outage resolution.
- Advance digital solutions for operational resiliency.
A cleaner energy future will require workers who can:
- Construct, operate and maintain renewable energy generation facilities and renewable natural gas and hydrogen facilities.
Workforce development initiatives will help to prepare Houston’s workforce to respond to the energy needs of the future.
CenterPoint Energy is developing new training centers and training opportunities to enhance employees’ safety development. We are partnering with the Center for Energy Workforce Development, a nonprofit consortium of energy companies, contractors, associations – including the Edison Electric Institute and the American Gas Association, unions, educators and business partners – to train and reposition workers displaced by the closing of coal-fired power plants.
Meeting the Evolving Needs of Our Customers and Communities with Safe, Resilient and Cleaner Energy
As CenterPoint Energy transitions from fossil-based systems of energy production to more safe, resilient and cleaner sources like wind and solar, we must also respond to the changing needs of our customers and communities, especially those where this transition is felt the most.
CenterPoint Energy has a dedicated capital improvement budget for modernizing our operations and a digital transformation that will bring improved customer experiences companywide. The expansion of electric vehicle infrastructure, redevelopment of potentially stranded assets, and attraction of diverse economic investment require partnerships at all levels. Partnerships include all levels of government, advocacy groups, philanthropic foundations and the private sector to quickly maximize their positive environmental, social and economic impacts.
Our commitment to minimize negative local social and economic impacts remains strong, and we will continue to financially support our core giving areas that are responsive to our communities’ needs.
Our customers and communities will see enhanced safety:
- Smart metering enables us to automate shutoffs, which will enhance the safety of our customers and their communities.
- Microgrid solutions will support emergency operations.
Our customers and communities will be served with cleaner energy:
- Smart metering enables us to reduce the number of times our vehicles need to mobilize and avoids vehicular emissions.
- Renewable energy generation sources emit fewer air pollutants where they are located.
- EVs are less expensive to fuel and maintain than gas-powered vehicles, and their use avoids air pollution from tailpipe emissions.
- Accelerated leak detection and repair means a faster response to fugitive emissions of methane.
- Transitioning to a cleaner energy future means infrastructure growth opportunities.
- Renewable Natural Gas feed-in tariffs in Indiana, Minnesota and Texas create new revenue streams for existing businesses and tax levies for government.
Our customers and communities will be more resilient:
- Smart metering enables us to perform data analytics to achieve more precise outage identification and quicker resolution.
- Digital solutions result in operational resiliency and reduce service disruption.
- Upgraded substations can withstand more extreme precipitation and flooding.
- Underground Transmission and Distribution can withstand more severe weather events.
- Leasing emergency backup generation capacity and battery storage improves our system’s resilience.
The retirement of our smaller, inefficient coal-fired power generation units and the addition of the natural gas combustion turbines will continue to reduce our operational carbon emissions and maintain our progress toward a cleaner energy future, providing our customers an affordable option for delivering abundant, safe and reliable energy.