CenterPoint Energy Runs Full-Scale Drill to Bolster Grid, Targeting 150M Outage Minute Cuts
CenterPoint Energy held a full-scale drill simulating a Category 3 hurricane in Greater Houston with over 400 staff and 100 officials to test response coordination, damage assessment and customer communications. The exercise builds on its Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative’s 65,000 storm-resilient poles and targets 150 million fewer outage minutes by end-2026.
1. Emergency Exercise Overview
On May 14, CenterPoint Energy conducted a full-scale emergency response drill at its Emergency Operations Center, simulating a Category 3 hurricane impacting Greater Houston. Over 400 employees from Electric and Gas Operations, Emergency Planning, Communications and customer teams executed response protocols while about 100 state and local officials and first responders observed.
2. Preparedness Activities and Training
Throughout 2026, CenterPoint has completed over 25,000 hours of FEMA training across more than 800 employees and expanded its frontline response workforce by up to 20x. The company also opened a new Emergency Operations Center and deployed 150 advanced weather stations for real-time monitoring.
3. Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative Investments
Since 2024, CenterPoint has installed more than 65,000 storm-resilient poles, cleared over 10,000 miles of high-risk vegetation, undergrounded 500 miles of lines and added 600 automation devices capable of self-healing as part of its Resiliency Initiative to strengthen grid reliability.
4. Reliability Impact and Future Goals
These combined efforts are projected to prevent 150 million outage minutes by the end of 2026, enhancing restoration speed and reducing operational costs. Feedback from third-party evaluators during the exercise will guide further improvements to the company’s emergency response plans.