During a Oct. 23 call with analysts, the company also provided additional details of its recently announced 10-year capital investment plan that it values at $65 billion.
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CenterPoint Energy, the Houston-based gas and electric utility company, has reported net income of $293 million for the third quarter of 2025, as compared to $193 million for the same quarter last year.
Company officials attribute he earnings surge to rate case recoveries and a decrease in operations and management expenses. Accelerated restoration work in 2024 for severe storms that did not repeat in 2025 contributed to its O&M savings, according to CenterPoint.
During a Oct. 23 call with analysts, the company also provided additional details of its recently announced 10-year capital investment plan that it values at $65 billion. Officials said they now foresee its capital spending could increase further — by an additional $10 billion through 2035. This extra spending potentially would pay for next generation smart meter deployment, as detailed below. The company also said that it may seek to bury power lines and that likewise could add to its infrastructure spending.
But even without those additions, CenterPoint will spend an estimated $7 billion for capital projects in 2026, $7 billion in 2027, $7 billion in 2028, $6 billion in 2029 and $6 billion in 2030. Most of that spending is associated with CenterPoint’s gas and electric holdings in Texas.
Driving much of the contemplated spending growth is the massive jump in energy demand due to the rise of data centers, increasing residential consumption, and other factors. As such, the company reports peak load to double over 10 years from 21 gigawatts today. The utility expects more than an 11-percent increase in rate base through 2030.
Texas Holdings
CenterPoint said that more than 85 percent of its capital spending through 2030 will be funded through interim rate mechanisms (such as the Distribution Cost Recovery Factor and Transmission Cost of Service mechanisms for its Texas electric holdings, and the Gas Reliability Infrastructure Program for its gas holdings) and through test-year rate cases.
Regarding its Texas electric holdings, the company reported a $47 million decrease in annual revenues as the result of the final order in a recent rate case, under Docket No. 52611. Regarding its Texas gas holdings, it reported a $5 million revenue increase as the result of the outcome in a gas utility case, under Docket No. 15513.
Sale of Ohio Gas Business
The company also reported of the sale this month of its Ohio natural gas business, with officials saying the transaction should add about $2.4 billion to its balance sheet. With the sale, CenterPoint’s holdings in Texas will comprise approximately 70 percent of the company.
Advanced Meter Pilot Project
During their call with investors, CenterPoint officials also revealed plans to launch an advanced meter pilot program next year, with potential implementation of new meters beginning in 2027. Officials said the current batch of advanced meters were not useful in helping with load shedding during Winter Storm Uri, and as a result the company could only shut down power at the circuit level. The new meters should provide it new flexibility in such circumstances, the company said.
Officials did not specify their estimated costs of these new meters, although they said the meters would contribute to its projected $10 billion in extra “spending opportunities” over the next several years.