CenterPoint Announces $65 Billion Investment Plan to Meet Rising U.S. Power Demand

CenterPoint Energy has unveiled a massive capital spending program worth $65 billion, scheduled to be deployed between 2026 and 2035, as utilities across the United States prepare for a surge in electricity consumption.

The company said demand growth is being fueled by energy-intensive data centers supporting artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, along with the electrification of transportation and other industries.
Alongside the announcement, CenterPoint raised its full-year adjusted earnings per share (EPS) guidance to a range of $1.75 to $1.77, compared to its earlier projection of $1.74 to $1.76. At the midpoint, this represents a 9% increase from last year.

Analyst consensus, according to LSEG data, places EPS at $1.76. Looking ahead, the utility expects 2026 adjusted EPS to reach at least the midpoint of $1.89 to $1.91.
The company highlighted that U.S. data centers alone are projected to nearly triple their power use within three years, potentially accounting for 12% of total electricity demand, based on research from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

CenterPoint projects that its own electric peak load will climb by nearly 50% to 31 gigawatts by 2031 and could double by the mid-2030s. “Continued economic development is anticipated to drive significant growth in electric demand over the next decade, especially in Texas,” the company noted in its statement.