Homeowners across Grand Lakes could see long-term benefits to electric reliability and storm recovery times as CenterPoint Energy moves forward with a sweeping $53 billion, 10-year capital investment plan—paired with the largest workforce expansion in its history. The projects, announced in two recent updates, focus on modernizing the Greater Houston electric grid, preparing for projected 50% demand growth by 2031, and making it more resilient against increasingly severe weather.

At the heart of the effort is a commitment to hire 200 additional lineworkers by the end of 2025 and nearly 800 by 2030. This accelerated hiring is supported by a new workforce development initiative, the Energy Expressway™ program, which launches its first training class in October. To help meet these goals, CenterPoint is hosting ongoing job fairs, partnering with the Greater Houston Partnership, and working with regional workforce networks to connect with candidates.

“All of us here at CenterPoint are focused on working to build a grid that will provide reliable and resilient service to our customers and communities here in the Greater Houston area for years to come,” said Darin Carroll, Senior Vice President of Electric Business. “We are investing in resiliency and grid hardening projects that will support the unprecedented growth expected here over the next ten years. To deliver on these investments safely, quickly and efficiently, our workforce will need to grow at an accelerated pace.”

Building a Stronger Grid for a Growing Region

CenterPoint’s 2026-2028 Systemwide Resiliency Plan (SRP)—still pending review by the Public Utility Commission of Texas—represents the largest single resiliency investment in the company’s history. The $3 billion initiative will build on its Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative, adding 130,000 stronger storm-rated poles, expanding vegetation management cycles, modernizing more than 20,000 underground cable spans, and deploying automation devices capable of “self-healing” outages.

The company says these measures could reduce storm-related outages by nearly 1 billion minutes by 2029. The plan also addresses a wide range of weather threats—including hurricanes, derechos, flooding, tornadoes, wildfires, extreme heat, and winter storms—that have challenged the Houston-area electric system in recent years.

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Importantly for homeowners, the plan staggers cost recovery over four years to help keep bill increases manageable. Pending approval, the average residential customer would see about a $1.40 monthly increase from 2026–2028, with a smaller $0.60 increase in 2030—offset by reductions in other charges.

“We are committed to continuing critical system resiliency work to help provide an electric system for the Greater Houston area that is safe, reliable, cost-effective and resilient when our customers need it most,” said Jason Wells, President and CEO of CenterPoint Energy. “This plan represents a landmark investment and suite of resiliency actions that will provide customers with clear benefits now and in the future.”

Preparing the Workforce of the Future

The Energy Expressway™ program offers free, multi-week training at the Hiram O. Clarke Training Center, combining classroom learning with hands-on experience. Graduates will be considered for entry-level positions supporting apprentice and journey lineworkers—the first step toward a career maintaining Houston’s evolving energy infrastructure.

“In addition to building the most resilient coastal grid in the country, we’re also committing to building the workforce that will keep that grid strong, now and in the future,” Carroll said.

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Local Implications for Grand Lakes

For homeowners in Grand Lakes, the combined investment in infrastructure and workforce means:

• Faster outage restoration times during hurricanes, derechos, or winter storms.
• Fewer large-scale outages due to self-healing grid automation and stronger poles.
• More underground lines to protect service from wind and debris damage.
• A growing pool of local electric workers, which could improve emergency response times.

As Greater Houston’s population continues to grow—adding the equivalent of a city the size of Waco each year—the stakes for reliable electricity rise. CenterPoint’s SRP aims to address that growth while protecting neighborhoods from the rising risks of extreme weather.

“Our plan is cost-effective and will build on the progress we’ve made to date through the Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative,” Wells said. “Taken together, we believe that these resiliency actions will help create a future with fewer outages that impact smaller clusters of customers, coupled with faster restoration times.”

Residents can learn more about the plans and upcoming workforce opportunities at CenterPointEnergy.com/TakingAction.

Stay tuned with My Neighborhood News for continued updates on how these projects impact Grand Lakes homes, businesses, and daily life.

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.