CenterPoint Energy (NYSE: CNP) announced a customer savings initiative on Aug. 11, 2026, projecting more than $5 billion in savings for Texas electric customers over the next decade, according to a company press release.

The projected savings are tied to the planned addition of up to 14 gigawatts of ERCOT-eligible base load and studied load projects. The company says the increased number of large load customers paying a greater share of fixed grid costs would reduce charges for existing residential, small business, and commercial customers in the Greater Houston area and across Texas.

CenterPoint said its Greater Houston customers currently pay the lowest cost per kilowatt hour among Texas investor-owned electric transmission and distribution utilities. The company also noted that the infrastructure portion of customer bills has risen just over 1% per year from 2014 to 2025, below the national inflation rate over the same period.

"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," said Jason Wells, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CenterPoint Energy.

The initiative includes CenterPoint's signing of a national "Ratepayer Protection Pledge," which the company says prioritizes customer affordability while enabling private investment to expand grid capacity and connect large load customers. CenterPoint also cited alignment with Texas Senate Bill 6, passed in 2025, which established customer protections related to large load connections, and with Governor Greg Abbott's call for greater transparency and standards for data center development in the state.

CenterPoint Energy serves more than 7 million metered customers across Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas, and reported approximately $48.3 billion in assets as of June 30, 2026. The $5 billion savings figure is a projection and subject to risks outlined in the company's forward-looking statements.