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.
For more information, contact
Communications
Media.Relations@CenterPointEnergy.com
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SOURCE CenterPoint Energy, Inc.