A modernized, reliable, resilient and secure grid is critical to achieving a cleaner energy future.
Electric Grid Resiliency
As of December 31, 2021, our Electric business has more than 2.8 million metered customers in the greater Houston area and southwestern Indiana, as well as 1,300 megawatts (MWs) of electric generation capacity in Indiana. We plan to focus nearly half of our planned more than $23 billion of electric capital on system growth and improvements, including major investments in our transmission and distribution systems.
Execution of our strategy in our Electric business includes strengthening our infrastructure and preparing for extreme weather events. Working with regulators and other stakeholders, we have taken steps to harden our transmission system, weatherize and inspect facilities covered by new Texas requirements, and leverage enhanced system load rotation automation technology that we anticipate will allow customers to have more regular and predictable outage intervals should a load shed event occur.
CenterPoint Energy has entered into a contract for temporary emergency mobile generation for use in certain widespread power outages, as allowed by new Texas legislation, and processed more than 100 critical load applications related to the natural gas industry since the winter storm in February 2021.
Electric Grid
We are working on cleaner energy investments in Indiana and Texas. With significant coal power plant retirements planned over the next several years, we believe we have a path to successful execution of our renewable investments in Indiana, including our expectation to energize approximately 1,000 MWs by 2025.
Our Electric business investment strategy includes:
Approximately $11 Billion
System growth and improvement supported by 2%+ annual customer growth
Approximately $8 Billion
System resiliency to modernize, harden and upgrade our existing system
Approximately $3+ Billion
Cleaner energy investment and enablement to integrate our Net Zero transition and prepare for accelerated EV adoption
Hardening of the Transmission, Substation and Distribution Grid to Improve Reliability and Resiliency of Our System
- Upgrading Transmission and Distribution system for extreme weather conditions
- Modernization, hardening and upgrading our system
- New distribution grid resiliency and reliability design criteria
- Creating a smarter grid system to improve reliability
- Expanding intelligent grid and upgrading advanced meter technology systems
- Leading advancements in digital solutions for operational resiliency
- Executing on new tools enabled by recent legislation
Houston Electric
- Serves more than 2.8 million electric metered customers
- Owns and operates more than 4,000 miles of transmission line
- Owns and operates more than 55,000 miles of distribution line
In Houston, known as the energy capital of the world, CenterPoint Energy continues to extend the benefits of our transformative smart grid to improve safety, operational efficiency, reliability, environmental performance and the customer experience. Since 2009, CenterPoint Energy has deployed advanced meters to virtually all of our customers and enabled real-time grid monitoring and control.
Indiana Electric
- Serves approximately 150,000 electric metered customers
- Owns and operates more than 1,000 miles of transmission line
- Owns and operates more than 7,000 miles of distribution line
- Has generation capacity of approximately 1,300 MW
DECARBONIZATION
As we transition our generation profile, we are diversifying our energy portfolio with renewables to reduce emissions and increase choices for our customers. In Indiana, we will have one remaining coal plant, which will be addressed in our next Integrated Resource Plan. In the interim, we strive to minimize the environmental impact of coal in the community. By recycling fly ash to minimize waste impacts, approximately 90% of the fly ash material generated from our coal facilities is used as a feedstock by a local cement kiln as a replacement for virgin materials.
Expanding Our Renewable Portfolio in Indiana
- Supporting our Net Zero transition
- 1.1 gigawatts of renewable generation by 2025
- Addressing our remaining coal facility in our next Integrated Resource Plan