Infrastructure

For homeowners across Greater Houston who have weathered extended power outages in recent years, knowing what improvements are happening on their own street matters.

This week, CenterPoint Energy launched a new online Community Progress Tracker, a public-facing map that allows customers to view electric grid upgrades completed in their neighborhood as part of the company’s Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI). The tool provides location-specific data on storm-hardened poles, underground power lines, tree trimming efforts, automation devices and weather monitoring stations installed across the 12-county service area since August 1, 2024.

For residents in Harris County, Fort Bend County, Montgomery County and surrounding areas, the tracker offers something many have asked for following severe weather events: visibility.

A Local View of Grid Improvements in Greater Houston

The Community Progress Tracker, available at CenterPointEnergy.com/Progress, is a web-based interactive map designed for use on both desktop and mobile devices. Customers can search by street address or ZIP code to see resiliency work completed nearby.

According to CenterPoint Energy, the tool displays:

• More than 56,000 installed or replaced storm-resilient utility poles, including high-strength composite models designed to better withstand extreme wind conditions
• More than 430 miles of undergrounded power lines
• Over 8,000 miles of vegetation management and tree trimming along distribution lines
• More than 500 automation and intelligence devices installed to help reduce outage impacts and improve restoration times
• 150 advanced weather stations deployed since April 2025 to improve storm monitoring and situational awareness

Icons on the map visually distinguish each category of work, allowing users to zoom in and see improvements at the neighborhood level.

Tony Gardner, Chief Customer Officer at CenterPoint Energy, said the tracker was created in response to customer and community feedback requesting more transparency.

“Our new Community Progress Tracker gives our customers a clear window into the work we're doing in their local neighborhoods to improve their service and build a stronger and more resilient electric system,” Gardner said. “Whether they access it on their phones, tablets, laptops or desktops, our new tracker details all the different types of work we are doing and the critical upgrades we've made in their communities.”

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Part of the Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative

The tracker is tied to CenterPoint’s broader Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative, a multi-year program focused on strengthening the electric grid in the face of increasingly severe weather events along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Through GHRI, the company is investing in grid-hardening measures aimed at reducing outage duration, improving reliability and accelerating restoration times after storms.

Jesus Soto Jr., Chief Operating Officer at CenterPoint Energy, emphasized the long-term scope of the effort.

“Resiliency is at the heart of everything we're doing,” Soto said. “From stronger poles and new automation to undergrounding to tree trimming, we're taking a comprehensive and innovative approach to hardening our infrastructure and delivering Greater Houston's electric system. Our goal is to build the most resilient coastal grid in the nation, and this tool will help our customers follow that journey and see the progress we are making in their communities.”

Why This Matters to Greater Houston Residents

For families, small businesses and property owners, electric grid reliability directly affects daily life — from keeping homes cool during summer heat waves to protecting refrigerated goods and maintaining medical equipment.

In communities across the Houston metro area that have experienced hurricane-force winds, flooding and severe thunderstorms, infrastructure upgrades can also influence insurance considerations, business continuity planning and neighborhood recovery timelines.

The Community Progress Tracker does not currently show projects underway or future planned improvements. However, CenterPoint stated that future updates will allow customers to monitor ongoing and upcoming resiliency projects in their area.

That added layer of visibility may help residents better understand how grid upgrades are distributed across the region and how their neighborhood fits into the broader resiliency strategy.

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How to Access the Community Progress Tracker

Residents in the 12-county Greater Houston service area can access the interactive map at: CenterPointEnergy.com/Progress

A short how-to video is also available on the site to guide users through search and navigation features.

As severe weather preparedness and power grid reliability continue to be major topics across Greater Houston, tools like the Community Progress Tracker offer one more way for residents to stay informed about infrastructure improvements happening close to home.

For ongoing updates about local infrastructure, public utilities and community-impacting projects across Greater Houston, stay connected with My Neighborhood News.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 

Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.