Houston residents experienced fewer power outages toward the end of 2025, as new data showed improved reliability across CenterPoint Energy’s service area ahead of an expected winter storm.
Outage trends tracked from summer through December showed significant month-to-month changes. Data reviewed during the investigation indicated that CenterPoint recorded more outages than any other U.S. utility in August, with large clusters of high-outage activity spread across many Houston-area neighborhoods.
Conditions improved in September, when reported outages declined, but reliability slipped again in October. During that month, some neighborhoods experienced more than eight outages, placing CenterPoint back at the top nationwide for outage frequency.
The trend shifted again in November and December. Outage maps for those months showed mostly lower-level activity, and homes and businesses served CenterPoint lost power less than once a month on average in December. The company’s Power Outage Index stood at 0.49, compared with a national utility average of 0.32.
CenterPoint Energy acknowledged reviewing the data and said it measures reliability over longer timeframes rather than single months. Company officials described the late-year improvement as part of a broader effort to strengthen the electric grid. Internal records showed fewer outages in 2025 than the year before, with customers averaging about 30 fewer minutes without power.
The utility also pointed to milder weather late in the year, which reduced storm-related disruptions and allowed crews to continue upgrading poles, lines, and other equipment.
Earlier in 2025, residents across the Houston region reported frequent outages, flickering lights, and power surges. Ongoing monitoring will allow officials and the public to compare future performance with late-2025 conditions as the region prepares for severe weather.
