CenterPoint Energy (CNP) Risk Factor Changes

Furthermore, the operations of our facilities depend on good labor relations with our employees, and several of our businesses have in place collective bargaining agreements with various labor unions, comprising appro…

Our businesses and ability to implement our strategies are dependent on recruiting, retaining and motivating employees, including senior executive officers and other key personnel.

Failure to attract, motivate and retain an appropriately qualified workforce, identify and develop top talent to succeed senior management and maintain good labor relations could adversely impact the operations of our…

Public health threats, including pandemics and epidemics, and any third-party actions taken to contain the spread and mitigate the public health threats, have had and may in the future have widespread impacts on the g…

Global or regional health pandemics, epidemics or similar public health threats could negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

In common with other companies in its line of business that serve coastal regions, Houston Electric does not have insurance covering its transmission and distribution system, other than substations, because Houston El…

We currently have insurance in place, such as general liability, excess liability and property insurance, to cover, among other things, certain of our facilities and third-party bodily injury in amounts that we consid…

Our businesses will continue to have to adapt to, integrate and implement technological change and may not be successful implementing such technological change as designed or may have to make significant investments t…

Such events may result in a decrease or elimination of revenue from our facilities, an increase in the cost of operating our facilities, environmental or property damage, delays in cash collections, harm to our reputa…

•catastrophic events such as fires, earthquakes, explosions, leaks, floods, droughts, hurricanes, tornados, derecho events, ice storms, terrorism, cybersecurity incidents, wildfires, public health emergencies (includi…

•regulatory noncompliance, compliance mandates and penalties from our regulators;

•information technology or financial and billing system failures, including those due to the implementation and integration or failure of new technology (including AI technology), that impair our information technolog…

Our ability to successfully maintain or replace our aging infrastructure has been and may continue to be delayed or be at a greater cost than anticipated due to supply chain issues or governmental actions.

Our businesses are also affected by reduction in energy consumption due to factors including economic, climate and market conditions in our service territories, energy efficiency/reduction initiatives, advances in tec…

We are exposed to risks related to changes in demand and energy consumption that could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Severe weather events, natural disasters and the effects of climate change have increased the duration of wildfire season and may further exacerbate the possibility of wildfires and the risks related thereto, includin…

A changing climate creates uncertainty and could result in broad changes, both physical and financial in nature, to our service territories and our business.

Severe weather events, natural disasters and other climate-related impacts could adversely impact our businesses, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our revenues and results of operations are subject to seasonality, weather conditions and other changes in electricity and natural gas usage, as applicable.

We are using and exploring the further use of AI, including generative AI, and its ability to enhance the services we offer to the communities we serve.

In connection with our businesses, we and supply chain stakeholders collect and retain personal information (for example, information of our customers, shareholders, suppliers and employees), and there is an expectati…

Regulators have adopted numerous rules and regulations regarding cybersecurity.

We depend on the secure operations of our physical assets to transport the energy we deliver and our information technology to process, transmit and store electronic information, including information and operational…

Our continued efforts to integrate, consolidate and streamline our operations have also resulted in increased reliance on current and recently completed projects for technology systems and may increase potential vulne…

attacks, our cybersecurity program does not prevent all breaches or cyberattack incidents.

We are subject to cyber and physical security risks related to our information technology systems, operational technology, network infrastructure and other technology and facilities used to conduct almost all of our b…

Cyberattacks, physical security breaches, acts of terrorism or other disruptions could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Further changes in federal tax legislation or guidance, or uncertainties regarding the repeal, continuation or interpretation of such tax legislation or guidance, could significantly change the federal income tax laws…

The interpretive guidance issued by the IRS and state tax authorities, as well as related federal executive orders, may be inconsistent with our interpretation and the legislation could be subject to amendments, which…

Our businesses are impacted by U.S.

CenterPoint Energy and its subsidiaries maintain qualified defined benefit pension plans covering certain of its employees.

Changing demographics, poor investment performance of pension plan assets and other factors adversely affecting the calculation of pension liabilities could unfavorably impact our business, financial condition, result…

On October 20, 2025, CenterPoint Energy, through its subsidiary CERC Corp., entered into the Ohio Securities Purchase Agreement to sell its Ohio natural gas LDC business.

of its large TEEEF units to the San Antonio area and other potential future releasing and subleasing of TEEEF, form joint ventures or undertake restructurings, such as the Restructuring.

Our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows depend, in part, on our management’s ability to implement our business strategies successfully and realize the anticipated benefits therefrom.

CenterPoint Energy has approximately $828 million principal amount of ZENS outstanding as of December 31, 2025.

On June 30, 2023, CenterPoint Energy closed the sale of its Energy Systems Group business.

CenterPoint Energy derives all of its operating income from, and holds substantially all of its assets through, its subsidiaries.

•timing and adequacy of future cost recovery, including securitizations, by jurisdictions in which we operate;

•investor confidence in us, our regulatory environment, our industry and the markets in which we operate;

•general economic and capital market conditions, including inflation and recession;

Our businesses are capital intensive, with significant and increasing capital spending expected in future periods.

Disruptions to the global supply chain, inflation, labor shortages and scarcity of certain materials may impact our operations, which could have an adverse impact on our ability to execute our capital plan and on our…

Our businesses may be adversely affected by the intentional misconduct of our employees, consultants, contractors, suppliers and vendors.

Additionally, compliance with existing and potential new regulations related to CERC’s operation and maintenance of natural gas infrastructure could result in significant costs.

and Indiana Electric have received fines in the past for noncompliance.

Houston Electric and Indiana Electric are members of ERCOT and MISO, respectively, which serve the electric transmission needs of their applicable regions.

We are subject to extensive regulation, which could result in higher costs for system improvements, as well as fines or other sanctions.

CenterPoint Energy is subject to operational, financial and other risks and potential liabilities associated with our sustainability and related activities, including the implementation of and efforts to achieve our e…

Our operations are subject to stringent and complex laws and regulations pertaining to the environment.

Our results are influenced by the expectations of our customers, investors, legislators, regulators, creditors, rating agencies and other stakeholders.

Customers’, investors’, legislators’, regulators’, creditors’, rating agencies’ and other stakeholders’ opinions of us are affected by many factors, including actual or perceived system reliability and safety, the spe…

Houston Electric, Indiana Electric and CERC own, develop, construct, manage and operate electric transmission, distribution and generation facilities or natural gas distribution facilities, as applicable.

The regulated utility businesses, and the energy industry as a whole, have experienced a period of rising costs and investments and an upward trend in spending, especially with respect to infrastructure investments (i…

have caused in certain instances, and in the future could cause, the Registrants to recover their costs or investments below their requested levels.

The rates that Registrants’ electric and natural gas businesses are allowed to charge may not match their costs at any given time, a situation referred to as “regulatory lag.” Regulatory lag has been and may be exagge…

The Registrants’ electric and natural gas businesses are regulated by certain municipalities, state commissions and federal agencies, such as FERC.

Our natural gas businesses compete primarily with alternate energy sources such as electricity and other fuel sources.

Our natural gas businesses must compete with alternate energy sources, which could result in less natural gas delivered and have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash f…

We are subject to risk associated with changes in the price of natural gas.

We are subject to fluctuations in natural gas prices, which could affect the ability of our suppliers and customers to meet their obligations or may impact our operations, which could adversely affect our business, fi…

We depend on third-party service providers to maintain an adequate supply of natural gas and for available storage and intrastate and interstate pipeline capacity to satisfy our customers’ needs, all of which are crit…

Access to natural gas supplies and pipeline transmission and storage capacity are essential components of reliable service for our natural gas business customers.

If Houston Electric is unable to deploy sufficient TEEEF resources in time to respond to a particular event (including as a result of releasing TEEEF to third parties or similar transactions as further described below…

Houston Electric’s use of TEEEF is subject to various risks, potential performance issues and allegations about Houston Electric’s procurement and deployment of the resources (including the planning, execution and eff…

Houston Electric’s receivables from the distribution of electricity are collected from REPs that supply the electricity.

Indiana Electric must manage several risks associated with its generation transition plan.

Indiana requires each electric utility to develop and submit an IRP to the IURC every three years, unless extended, that uses economic modeling to consider the costs and risks associated with available resource option…

The operations of Houston Electric and Indiana Electric are subject to the usual hazards associated with electricity transmission and distribution, including inclement or severe weather, natural disasters, including w…

operations may be disrupted or otherwise insufficient if third parties do not deliver required power under our PPAs.

Houston Electric owns the transmission and distribution infrastructure in its service territory that delivers electric power to its customers, but it does not own or operate any bulk power generation facilities.

Disruptions at third-party or Indiana Electric’s power generation facilities, generation inadequacy, directives issued by regulatory authorities or other matters could cause interruptions in Houston Electric’s and Ind…

businesses, particularly the specialized skills and knowledge required to construct and operate generation facilities, a technology-enabled power grid and transmission and distribution infrastructure, among other faci…

We depend on senior executive officers and other key personnel.

Our success depends upon our ability to attract, effectively transition, motivate and retain key employees and identify and develop talent to succeed senior management.

•accelerated employee turnover as a result of concerns regarding restrictions and guidelines, including mask mandates and quarantine mandates, and increased acceptability of alternative work arrangements.

•increased rates of inflation and delays in our supply chain and our ability to complete maintenance, repairs, and capital programs, which could result in disruption, increased costs and our inability to execute on or…

•increased risk to our cybersecurity program as a result of an increase in cyberattacks during the pandemic and increased remote working arrangements (for further information, see “— Risk Factors Affecting Safety and…

•potential limits or significant or entire curtailments of the ability of public utility commissions to approve or authorize applications and other requests we may make with respect to our businesses, including delayi…

•negative impacts to the financial condition of our customers and REPs and their ability to pay for our services, and our ability to disconnect service for non-payment may be limited, and state regulators may impose b…

•delayed service to customers because of shutdowns or illness and travel restrictions among our employees;

•reduced demand from our commercial and industrial customers and shifts in demand for our services;

Current and future health pandemics, epidemics and similar public health threats and the measures implemented to contain their spread, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines and vaccination mandates, have h…

Our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to anticipate and adapt to these technological changes in a cost-effective manner, to offer, on a timely basis, reliable services that meet customer demands and…

We operate businesses that require sophisticated data collection, processing systems, software and other technology.

cash flows.

•information technology failure, including failure of AI technology, that affects our ability to access customer information or causes us to lose confidential or proprietary data that adversely affects our reputation…

Additionally, our operations are affected by new customers and load growth.

In the long term, climate change could also cause shifts in population, including customers moving away from our service territories.

damage caused to our assets, loss of service to our customers or liability imposed as a result of wildfires could negatively impact our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

A changing climate creates uncertainty and could result in broad changes, both physical and financial in nature, to our service territories and our business.

value of plan assets, a decline in the interest rates used to calculate the present value of future plan obligations, or government regulations that increase minimum funding requirements or the pension liability.

redemption amount, capital gains taxes of approximately $84 million would have been payable in 2024.

CenterPoint Energy derives all of its operating income from, and holds substantially all of its assets through, its subsidiaries.

•provisions of relevant securities laws.

or achieve our net zero emission and GHG emissions reduction goals.

The global supply chain has experienced disruptions due to a multitude of factors, such as geopolitical and economic uncertainty, regulatory and policy instability, import tariffs and trade agreements, the COVID-19 pa…

In September 2021, CenterPoint Energy announced its net zero emission goals for Scope 1 and certain Scope 2 emissions by 2035 and a 20-30% reduction in certain Scope 3 emissions by 2035 as compared to 2021 levels.

Regulatory agencies have also adopted, and from time to time consider adopting, new legislation and/or modifying existing laws and regulations to reduce GHGs.

environmental laws against us or allege a failure to comply with such laws, and could lead to the assessment of monetary penalties, which we have been subject to from time to time, revocation of permits, the impositio…