CenterPoint Energy Foundation is donating more than 20 backup generators and other support in designated locations across 12 counties to support community resiliency as part of a $5 million grant from the Foundation
HOUSTON — May 15, 2025 — Today, at an announcement in Houston with elected officials and community leaders, CenterPoint Energy leaders announced the donation of a backup generator to the Youth Education Town (YET) Center as part of its Community Generator Donation Program to support local community resiliency. Through this program, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation is donating funds for more than 20 backup generators at key locations throughout its 12-county Greater Houston region. It is expected that there will be at least one generator or other support for each county.
The company is working in close collaboration with local Offices of Emergency Management (OEMs) and other county and city leaders to identify the appropriate locations for the donated generators to be able to have the greatest impact and local benefit.
The Community Generator Donation Program is part of CenterPoint’s Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI). The backup generators will help provide support for critical community partners during major weather events or other emergencies and will be funded through a $5 million grant from the CenterPoint Energy Foundation at no cost to customers. The CenterPoint Energy Foundation is a charitable giving organization focused on strengthening the quality of life in the communities served by the company. The foundation is funded by shareholders and has no impact on customer rates. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation.
“We are committed to improving resiliency in our local communities and working closely with our community partners to achieve this important goal. Today, we are donating backup generation to support our partners in Harris County, and we look forward to sharing other locations for our Community Generator Donation Program with other counties and cities in the weeks ahead. These generators are each capable of powering an entire large building and will help make the communities we are proud to serve even more resilient during major storms and other emergency events,” said Darin Carroll, CenterPoint’s Senior Vice President of Electric Business.
These backup generators will provide an additional power supply during major storms and other emergency events that cause outages. Facilities that receive the donated backup generators will be able to better serve their communities during outages, acting as hubs for essential services like medical care, cooling stations, water and food distribution, charging stations for critical devices and other services.
Precinct One Donation
Working with Community Partners on Locations
To support local community needs, CenterPoint worked closely with county and city officials and OEMs to identify and select the ideal locations for the donated generators, with local officials ultimately deciding which critical facilities will receive the donations.
“On behalf of Harris County residents, especially those in the Fifth Ward area, I want to thank the CenterPoint Energy Foundation for the generous donation of a generator for the Youth Education Town Center. We will be entering hurricane season in about two weeks, so the generator will help this community that really relies on the YET as an emergency shelter. In a disadvantaged neighborhood like this, we also can depend on the generator to make sure everyone is protected from extreme weather and has adequate supplies to survive, including food and water,” said Rodney Ellis, Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner.
CenterPoint will continue coordinating with local community partners to ensure the backup generators are suitable to meet the specific needs of the critical facilities they have identified. The goal is to have all generators installed by June 1, 2025, to further resiliency ahead of the 2025 hurricane season.
CenterPoint is working with other county OEMs, and county and city leaders across the Greater Houston region to make similar announcements in the coming weeks.
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PHOTO: From L to R: Alexsaundra Preston, Director of Communications for the Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis; John Robinson, Director of the YET Center; Joshua McGinty, CenterPoint Service Area Manager for Bellaire; Robert Young, CenterPoint Service Area Director for Bellaire and Spring Branch; Rodney Ellis, Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner; Darin Carroll, CenterPoint Senior Vice President of Electric Business; June Deadrick, CenterPoint Vice President of Community Relations; Keith Stephens, CenterPoint Senior Vice President and Chief Communications and Marketing Officer
More photos: CNP Digital Asset Mgmt