CenterPoint Energy has released an update on the second phase of the Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI), stating that approximately 70% of the resiliency work is completed and all GHRI-related actions are expected to be accomplished before the 2025 hurricane season.
The company has prioritized a broad suite of resiliency actions, including adding more automation devices capable of self-healing; clearing higher-risk vegetation across power lines; installing storm-resistant poles; and undergrounding power lines. CenterPoint's GHRI efforts will improve overall grid resiliency and reliability and are estimated to reduce outages for customers by more than 125 million minutes annually, upon completion.
CenterPoint's upcoming GHRI resiliency achievements include undergrounding the 350th mile of power lines to help improve resiliency and reduce the risk of outages, and beginning the installation of the first of 100 new local weather monitoring stations by June 1 to improve situational awareness and storm preparation across Greater Houston.
The company has completed undergrounding nearly 350 miles of power lines to date, which is more than 85% toward its target of 400 miles.
In March alone, CenterPoint:
- Installed an additional 3,300+ stronger, storm-resilient poles built to withstand extreme winds;
- Installed 1,215 more automated reliability devices capable of self-healing to reduce the impact of outages and improve restoration times;
- Cleared another 655 miles of high-risk vegetation near power lines to reduce storm-related outages
- Undergrounded 65 more miles of power lines to improve overall resiliency.
In April, CenterPoint will begin the build out of a network of 100 new weather monitoring stations across the Greater Houston area to further improve situational awareness and storm preparation. The new weather station network will provide 24/7 weather monitoring and crucial information to help CenterPoint better prepare for and respond to upcoming storms. This work will be completed before the 2025 hurricane season.
The company is also conducting a year-round safety and preparedness campaign to share information on its preparedness efforts, as well as tips and resources for customers. CenterPoint will also meet local officials and emergency management offices to evaluate and improve its emergency preparedness and response plans before hurricane season.
