Sun Jan 25 07:40:00 UTC 2026: Houston Power Outages Decrease After Rocky 2025, But Still Lag National Average
The Story: Houston residents experienced fewer power outages in late 2025, according to data analyzed by KPRC 2 Investigates. While August and October saw CenterPoint Energy topping national outage charts, November and December brought significant improvements. This positive trend offers some relief to residents previously frustrated by frequent outages and power surges, especially after CenterPoint raised electric rates.
CenterPoint Energy acknowledges the outage data but emphasizes a holistic, long-term perspective. They report a reduction in overall outage time for customers in 2025 compared to 2024, attributing the recent improvements partly to milder weather allowing for infrastructure upgrades. KPRC 2 Investigates will continue monitoring outage data to ensure accountability and transparency for Houston residents.
Key Points:
- CenterPoint Energy experienced a decrease in power outages in November and December 2025 compared to the high outage periods in August and October.
- In December 2025, CenterPoint’s Power Outage Index was 0.49, still higher than the national average of 0.32.
- CenterPoint data indicates customers experienced about 30 minutes less outage time in 2025 compared to 2024.
- Whisker Labs data identified Houston neighborhoods with high outage frequency, tracking changes monthly.
- KPRC 2 Investigates will continue to track power outages monthly.
Key Takeaways:
- While power outages in Houston are decreasing, they still exceed the national average.
- Milder weather conditions played a role in recent outage improvements.
- Continuous monitoring and public reporting of outage data can help hold utility companies accountable.
- Infrastructure upgrades are ongoing and essential for long-term reliability.
- The decrease in outages is a positive sign, but sustained improvement is crucial to regaining resident trust after widespread frustrations.
Impact Analysis:
The continued tracking of power outages by news outlets will likely put pressure on CenterPoint Energy to continue investing in infrastructure upgrades and improve service reliability. If outages remain above the national average, expect further scrutiny from both the media and local residents, potentially leading to policy changes and increased regulatory oversight to protect consumers. Long term, failure to meet reasonable reliability standards could result in financial penalties or even calls for alternative energy solutions for the Houston area. The investment in infrastructure should also create jobs.
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