CenterPoint Energy Foundation announces $1 million in environmental contributions

HOUSTON, Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CenterPoint Energy (NYSE: CNP) today announced that through its charitable foundation a $1 million contribution will be made to two environmental organizations focused on land and water conservation, environmental education, and tree plantings to help build sustainable futures for communities the company serves.

The Nature Conservancy and The Arbor Day Foundation will each receive a $500,000 grant from the CenterPoint Energy Foundation to support restoration of the Mississippi River and provide environmental education and tree plantings to elementary school students throughout the company's eight-state service territory.

"In 2020, we promised our stakeholders we would execute on strategies that would transform CenterPoint Energy into a leading utility company," said Dave Lesar, President and Chief Executive Officer of CenterPoint Energy. "Top performance requires a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement, and today we are taking a significant step with the announcement of two contributions to leading environmental organizations that will help build sustainable futures for our communities."

Collaboration with The Nature Conservancy will focus on restoration of the Mississippi River in two key regions – the headwaters in Minnesota and Indiana, and the Gulf Coast region in Texas and Louisiana.

The headwaters region initiatives will be comprised of nature-based solutions, including increased floodplains, agricultural best management practices, and comprehensive education to increase awareness of the importance of keeping pollutants out of clean water and mitigating flood risks. The Gulf Coast region efforts will support the building of oyster reefs to clean the freshwater flowing into the Gulf of Mexico, contributing to the success of Gulf-wide fisheries.

"The Mississippi River Basin and Gulf of Mexico are two critically important natural systems in North America," said Trey Cooke, The Nature Conservancy's Director for the Mississippi River Basin Program.  "The Nature Conservancy's goal is to reduce nutrient loading in the Mississippi River Basin by 20% by 2025. CenterPoint Energy's support will be critical for helping us reach this goal."   

The contribution to The Arbor Day Foundation will provide environmental education curriculum to third graders throughout CenterPoint Energy's service territory. The curriculum will include classroom activities and a tree for students to plant at their home. Engaging students will teach them the importance of caring for the Earth, with 9,000 trees to be planted throughout CenterPoint Energy's service territory of Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Minnesota, and Texas.

"Part of the Arbor Day Foundation's mission is to inspire the next generation of tree planters," said Dan Lambe, President of the Arbor Day Foundation. "We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to do so with CenterPoint Energy. This grant is not only an investment for the preservation and conservation of the environment, but also an investment in the children who will benefit from a greener future that we are all working toward."

Lesar added, "The CenterPoint Energy Foundation is dedicated to preserving our environment and encouraging our communities to engage in sustainable practices. Our contributions to and collaboration with The Nature Conservancy and The Arbor Day Foundation further demonstrate our commitment to move toward a net-zero economy and provide environmental benefits for years to come. We see these investments as the beginning of impactful relationships and actions to build a cleaner future for all our stakeholders."  

The CenterPoint Energy Foundation is committed to conservation and environmental education as a component of our funding priorities. We have supported organizations at local, state and national levels for over a decade in conserving land, providing environmental education, building and sustaining outdoor environments such as trails and nature preserves, and planting trees.  

About CenterPoint Energy
As the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas. The CenterPoint Energy Foundation is a charitable giving organization focused on strengthening the quality of life in the communities served by the company. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

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SOURCE CenterPoint Energy, Inc.