Investing in our Resilient, Reliable and Sustainable Natural Gas Business
Sustainable Natural Gas Pipeline Infrastructure
Modernizing our delivery infrastructure makes energy distribution cleaner and more reliable.
Our modernized gas system includes replacing thousands of miles of main, introducing renewable fuels and replacing smart meters with the most advanced safety features.
Investments for Future State: 2030
- System modernization and improvement
- Legacy steel and plastic pipe replacement
- Mains for new growth and new customers
- Smart metering technology
- Peak shaving and renewable supply
$16B+ INVESTMENT DRIVING SAFETY, RESILIENCY AND GROWTH…
As of June 30, 2021
NATURAL |
CURRENT STATE | EXPECTED BY 2030 | |||
| GROWTH |
 |
4.1M Metered Customers |
 |
+0.5M Metered Customers Added |
|
| RESILIENCY |
 |
|
|
|
|
| CLEAN |
 |
1MW Hydrogen Facility (Pilot) |
|
Up to 10% Amount of Renewable Fuels |
|
Eliminating Cast-iron and Bare-steel Pipe
CenterPoint Energy is in the middle of a plan to replace nearly 2,000 miles of aging pipeline with modern plastic pipeline across our Indiana and Ohio service territory. The plan includes extensive testing and maintenance, infrastructure improvements and metering enhancements. We expect to have all remaining cast-iron pipe in our Indiana and Ohio service territories removed by 2024. Bare steel pipe will be removed by 2025.
Driving a Cleaner Natural Gas System and Reducing Carbon Intensity
- The Natural Gas Innovation Act, a landmark new energy law proposed by CenterPoint Energy, has passed the Minnesota Legislature. The act establishes a new state regulatory policy that creates additional opportunities for a natural gas utility to invest in innovative clean energy resources and technologies, including renewable natural gas (RNG), green hydrogen and carbon capture, to benefit our customers.
- Our green hydrogen pilot project in Minnesota that will go online in 2021 will produce renewable hydrogen for blending with our local natural gas supply. The renewable hydrogen will be added in small concentrations to limited, low-pressure sections of our distribution pipeline system.
- In our Natural Gas business, we plan to electrify one-third of our fleet by 2030.
- RNG feed-in tariff projects are under review in Indiana, Minnesota and Texas.
Advanced Metering System
CenterPoint Energy was the first in the nation to deploy state-of-the-art residential gas meters for customer billing.
In 2020, CenterPoint Energy’s Natural Gas Operations began deploying the first residential Itron Intelis meters for customer billing in the nation. These innovative meters enhance safety with an internal shutoff valve that automatically activates if excessive gas flow or high temperatures are detected. The automatic shutoff feature also helps protect the environment by reducing methane and carbon dioxide emissions. The Intelis meter is lighter and smaller than existing meters, which enables more efficient shipping, storage and installation.
The deployment of Intelis meters is part of a project that will help CenterPoint Energy’s future meter shutoff capability through integration with separate methane detection devices. The project will also leverage more of the existing features of Intelis meters as they are integrated into CenterPoint Energy’s electric Advanced Metering System.
Intelis meter safety features and efficiencies:
- Meter reading capability from centralized locations
- Remote shutoffs for enhanced safety
- Alerts to Customer Service for valve shutoffs and potential meter tampering
In 2019, CenterPoint Energy completed the first propane air peak shaving facility in Texas.
Enhancing Natural Gas Reliability During Peak Demand
In 2019, CenterPoint Energy completed the first propane air peak shaving facility in Texas. The facility, known as the Bluebonnet Point Reserve, is located on the north side of Houston and is used to supplement gas supply to CenterPoint Energy’s natural gas distribution system, enhancing reliability for customers during periods of peak demand. The peak shaving facility works by storing liquid propane in 60,000-gallon underground steel tanks. When additional supply is needed to meet peak demand, liquid propane is vaporized, blended with compressed air and injected into our natural gas distribution system at a ratio that is compatible with natural gas appliances, providing a seamless experience for CenterPoint Energy customers.
