CenterPoint Energy Pioneers Hurricane Preparedness with Inaugural Resiliency Technology Summit

HOUSTON, June 25, 2025 – CenterPoint Energy (NYSE: CNP) today announced a significant leap forward in its commitment to grid resilience and customer service, hosting its first-ever Technology Summit. This landmark event brought together seven global leaders in artificial intelligence (AI) tools, data analytics, and other cutting-edge technologies, all focused on enhancing storm preparedness and emergency response. The summit underscores CenterPoint's proactive strategy to build the most resilient coastal grid in the nation, aiming to better serve its 2.8 million customers throughout the 2025 hurricane season and beyond.

The initiative highlights CenterPoint Energy's dedication to leveraging advanced technology to mitigate the impact of increasingly severe weather events. By forging new strategic relationships with industry innovators such as Climavision, Convey (formerly Message Broadcast), Neara, Palantir, Pano AI, Technosylva, and Urbint, CenterPoint is poised to revolutionize its operational capabilities. These collaborations are designed to improve overall operations, facilitate the identification of critical system upgrades, enhance situational awareness during emergencies, and significantly strengthen both storm preparedness and emergency response efforts.

Strategic Partnerships for Enhanced Resilience

The selection of these technology partners reflects a comprehensive approach to grid resilience. Each partner brings specialized expertise:

• Climavision: Likely contributing advanced weather forecasting and climate modeling to predict storm paths and intensity with greater accuracy.
• Convey (formerly Message Broadcast): Expected to enhance customer communication channels, ensuring timely and effective dissemination of information during outages and emergencies.
• Neara: Specializing in digital twin technology and predictive analytics for infrastructure, enabling CenterPoint to model and optimize its grid for resilience.
• Palantir: A leader in data integration and analytics platforms, providing CenterPoint with powerful tools to process vast amounts of operational data for real-time decision-making.
• Pano AI: Focused on early detection and rapid response to environmental threats, potentially including wildfire prevention and monitoring, which can be critical during hurricane aftermath.
• Technosylva: Offers advanced wildfire and natural hazard risk management solutions, further bolstering CenterPoint's ability to manage diverse threats.
• Urbint: Provides AI-powered risk assessment and prediction for critical infrastructure, helping CenterPoint anticipate and prevent potential failures.

These partnerships are not merely about acquiring new tools; they represent a fundamental shift towards a data-driven, technologically advanced approach to utility management. The integration of AI and sophisticated analytics will allow CenterPoint to move from reactive responses to proactive interventions, minimizing downtime and improving safety for both customers and field personnel.

Market Context and Implications

The utility sector, particularly in hurricane-prone regions, faces escalating challenges from climate change. The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events necessitate significant investments in grid modernization and resilience. CenterPoint Energy's proactive stance positions it as a leader in adopting innovative solutions to these challenges. This strategic move could set a new industry standard for how utilities prepare for and respond to natural disasters.

From a broader market perspective, this initiative reflects a growing trend among infrastructure companies to embrace digital transformation. Companies that successfully integrate AI and advanced analytics into their operations are likely to gain a competitive edge, demonstrating superior reliability and efficiency. This also signals a positive outlook for the technology partners involved, as their solutions gain validation from a major utility.

Investment Insights

For investors, CenterPoint Energy's Technology Summit and its resulting partnerships present several compelling points:

• Enhanced Operational Efficiency: Improved storm preparedness and response can lead to reduced outage durations, lower restoration costs, and fewer regulatory penalties, positively impacting CNP's financial performance.
• Risk Mitigation: By proactively addressing grid vulnerabilities, CenterPoint is mitigating significant operational and financial risks associated with severe weather, potentially leading to more stable earnings.
• Long-Term Growth Potential: Investments in advanced technology position CenterPoint for sustainable growth by improving customer satisfaction and potentially attracting new customers in areas seeking reliable utility services.
• Industry Leadership: CenterPoint's pioneering efforts in grid resilience could enhance its reputation and market position, making it an attractive investment in the utility sector.

Investors should monitor the implementation and effectiveness of these new technologies. Successful deployment and measurable improvements in grid resilience and customer service would reinforce CenterPoint's long-term value proposition. This strategic pivot towards technological innovation suggests a management team focused on future-proofing its operations and delivering consistent value to shareholders.

In conclusion, CenterPoint Energy's inaugural Resiliency Technology Summit marks a pivotal moment in its journey towards building a more robust and responsive energy grid. By embracing cutting-edge AI and data analytics, CenterPoint is not only enhancing its ability to withstand and recover from severe weather but also setting a new benchmark for utility resilience in the face of evolving climate challenges.