CenterPoint Energy Foundation launches new Community Generator Donation Program for Greater Houston Region

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Oct 10, 2024, 17:32 ET

Company donating 21 backup generators and other support in designated locations across 12 counties to support community resiliency as part of a $5 million grant from the CenterPoint Energy Foundation

HOUSTON, Oct. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, at a first unveiling event in Galveston County with elected officials and community leaders, CenterPoint Energy leaders announced the donation of two backup generators to Galveston County as part of a new Community Generator Donation Program to support local community resiliency. Through the new program, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation will donate funds for 21 backup generators at key locations throughout its 12-county Greater Houston region. It is expected that there will be at least one generator or other support for each county.

The company is working in close collaboration with local Offices of Emergency Management (OEMs) and other county and city leaders to identify the appropriate locations for the donated generators to be able to have the greatest impact and local benefit.

The new Community Generator Donation Program is part of CenterPoint's Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI). The backup generators will help provide support for critical community partners during major weather events or other emergencies and will be funded through a $5 million grant from the CenterPoint Energy Foundation at no cost to customers. The CenterPoint Energy Foundation is a charitable giving organization focused on strengthening the quality of life in the communities served by the company. The foundation is funded by shareholders and has no impact on customer rates. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation.

"We are committed to improving resiliency in our local communities and working closely with our community partners to achieve this important goal. Today, we are announcing the donation of the first of two generators for Galveston County, and we look forward to sharing other locations for our new Community Generator Donation Program with other counties and cities in the weeks and months ahead. These 21 generators are each capable of powering an entire large building and will help make the communities we are proud to serve are even more resilient during major storms and other emergency events," said Jason Wells, President and CEO of CenterPoint.

These backup generators will provide an additional power supply during major storms and other emergency events that cause outages. Facilities that receive the donated backup generators will be able to better serve their communities during outages, acting as hubs for essential services like medical care, cooling stations, water and food distribution, charging stations for critical devices and other services.

"CenterPoint Energy's generous donation of a backup generator to the Bayside Community Center is a critical investment in the safety and resilience of Galveston County. This partnership between CenterPoint, the City of Galveston, and our Galveston County Office of Emergency Management ensures our community is better prepared for emergencies," said Texas House District 23 Rep. Terri Leo Wilson. "We are incredibly grateful to CenterPoint Energy and CEO Jason Wells for their commitment to supporting the needs of our residents."

Working with Community Partners on Locations
To support local community needs, CenterPoint is working closely with county and city officials and OEMs to identify and select the ideal locations for the donated generators, with local officials ultimately deciding which critical facilities will receive the donations.

"Strong community partnerships are a critical aspect of response efforts, and we are proud to have partnered with CenterPoint to identify where these generator donations would provide the biggest impact and benefit to our community," said Galveston County Precinct 1 Commissioner Darrell Apffel. "We look forward to continuing to strengthen this partnership over the coming months as we work to build resiliency for Galveston ahead of the 2025 hurricane season."

Over the next eight months, CenterPoint will be coordinating with local community partners to ensure the backup generators are suitable to meet the specific needs of the critical facility they have identified. The goal is to have all generators installed and operational by June 1, 2025, to further resiliency ahead of the 2025 hurricane season.

CenterPoint is working with other county OEMs, and county and city leaders across the Greater Houston region to make similar announcements in the coming weeks and months.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
As the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas. With approximately 9,000 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

Forward-looking Statements
This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "goal," "intend," "may," "objective," "plan," "potential," "predict," "projection," "should," "target," "will" or other similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which include statements regarding the timing and impact of the donation and installation of donated generators, as well as our resiliency investments and timing, are based upon assumptions of management which are believed to be reasonable at the time made and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Any statements in this news release regarding future events that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement contained in this news release speaks only as of the date of this release. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the provided forward-looking information include risks and uncertainties relating to: (1) the impact of pandemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) financial market conditions; (3) general economic conditions; (4) the timing and impact of future regulatory and legislative decisions; and (5) other factors, risks and uncertainties discussed in CenterPoint Energy's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 and CenterPoint's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024 and other reports CenterPoint Energy or its subsidiaries may file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

For more information, contact:
Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE CenterPoint Energy