HOUSTON \u2013 CenterPoint Energy announced a sweeping new affordability plan Monday, projecting more than $5 billion in savings for Texas electric customers over the next decade \u2014 driven largely by an influx of large-load customers, including data centers, that would shoulder a greater share of the state\u2019s fixed grid costs.<\/p>\n
The Houston-based utility is calling the effort its \u201cCustomer Savings Initiative.\u201d<\/p>\n
New load, lower bills<\/p>\n
At the heart of the plan is the projected addition of up to 14 gigawatts of ERCOT-eligible base load and studied load projects. The idea is straightforward: more large customers connecting to the grid means fixed infrastructure costs get spread across a broader base \u2014 which, in theory, translates to lower bills for residential customers, small businesses, and commercial users across Greater Houston.<\/p>\n
\u201cGreater Houston has long been the energy capital of the world, but today it is the home of one of the most diverse economic regions anywhere in the nation,\u201d said Jason Wells, chairman and CEO of CenterPoint Energy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese new projects would help us deliver growth, innovation, and customer savings. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to generate historic levels of customer savings of more than $5 billion statewide by leveraging new investment in large projects to build a more affordable, reliable and resilient electric grid for millions of customers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wells added that the investments could also create jobs and generate millions in local tax revenue for schools and public services.<\/p>\n
Rates, data centers, Senate Bill 6<\/p>\n
CenterPoint says its Greater Houston customers already pay the lowest infrastructure charges of any investor-owned electric utility in Texas \u2014 a position the company attributes to an expanded customer base, more efficient financing, and ongoing cost reductions. According to the company, the infrastructure portion of customer bills increased by just over 1% per year between 2014 and 2025, well below the national inflation rate during that same period.<\/p>\n
The initiative also puts CenterPoint squarely behind efforts to regulate the booming data center industry in Texas. The company said it is actively working to advance Gov. Greg Abbott\u2019s recent call for greater transparency from data center developers and to establish clear standards for their development, construction, and ongoing operation. CenterPoint says it fully supported \u2014 and has already implemented \u2014 the customer protections established by Senate Bill 6 in 2025, which set requirements for new large-load projects.<\/p>\n
CenterPoint also said it signed the National Ratepayer Protection Pledge, a commitment to prioritize customer affordability while enabling responsible private investment in grid infrastructure.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s next<\/p>\n
The company framed the initiative as a long-term commitment \u2014 not a one-time announcement. CenterPoint said it plans to continue working with Abbott, state legislators, and other leaders to maintain the regulatory framework designed to ensure new large customers pay the full costs associated with connecting to and powering from the grid.<\/p>\n
For millions of Texas electric customers, the company says, the payoff could be both substantial and lasting.<\/p>\n
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