Trump Administration Rejects CenterPoint's Request to Close Indiana Coal Plant
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 4 days ago
0mins
Should l Buy CNP?
The Trump administration rejected a request from CenterPoint Energy to allow the company to close a coal plant in Indiana that the utility says is costly and unreliable to keep operating, reported Bloomberg's Ari Natter.
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Analyst Views on CNP
Wall Street analysts forecast CNP stock price to fall
10 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
6 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 43.000
Low
36.00
Averages
41.80
High
45.00
Current: 43.000
Low
36.00
Averages
41.80
High
45.00
About CNP
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. is an energy delivery company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates electric transmission, distribution and generation facilities and natural gas distribution systems. Its segments include Electric and Natural Gas. The Electric segment includes electric transmission and distribution services that are subject to rate regulation in Houston Electric's and Indiana Electric's service territories. The Natural Gas segment includes intrastate natural gas sales to, and natural gas transportation and distribution for residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers in Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas; permanent pipeline connections through interconnects with various interstate and intrastate pipeline companies; and home appliance maintenance and repair services to customers in Minnesota and home repair protection plans to natural gas customers in Indiana, Ohio and Texas through a third party.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Wall Street Optimism Rises Amid Ceasefire Hopes
- Market Rebound: The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite reached all-time highs this week, with the S&P 500 surpassing 7,100 for the first time, reflecting strong investor confidence in economic recovery and suggesting further upward momentum for equities.
- Earnings Expectations: According to FactSet, the S&P 500 is projected to have a blended growth rate of 12.5% in Q1, with 78% of reporting companies exceeding expectations, providing a positive backdrop for the upcoming earnings season that could further bolster market confidence.
- Oil Price Volatility: While oil prices have fallen to around $80 per barrel, significantly below the $110 peak during the conflict, the market must remain vigilant regarding the potential impacts of U.S.-Iran tensions on global supply chains, particularly concerning the safety of transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Technical Fragility: Despite the market's strong short-term performance, analyst Craig Johnson warns that the rapid transition from oversold to overbought conditions masks underlying macroeconomic risks, urging investors to remain cautious and focus on high-quality investment opportunities.
See More
CenterPoint Declares $0.23 Quarterly Dividend, Consistent with Previous Payments
- Quarterly Dividend Announcement: CenterPoint has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.23 per share, consistent with previous payments, indicating the company's stable cash flow and profitability, which enhances investor confidence.
- Dividend Yield: The forward yield of 2.13% reflects the company's attractiveness in the current market environment, potentially drawing in more investors seeking stable income.
- Payment Schedule: The dividend is payable on June 11, with a record date of May 21 and an ex-dividend date also on May 21, ensuring shareholders receive their returns promptly and reinforcing the relationship between the company and its investors.
- Market Reaction Expectations: Following the dividend announcement, market reactions to CenterPoint are likely to be positive, especially given the company's ongoing investments in renewable energy and infrastructure, which are expected to enhance its long-term growth potential.
See More
CenterPoint Energy Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend
- Quarterly Cash Dividend: CenterPoint Energy's Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.2300 per share, payable on June 11, 2026, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to shareholder returns.
- Record Date for Shareholders: The record date for this dividend is May 21, 2026, ensuring that shareholders holding stock on this date will receive the dividend, thereby enhancing investor confidence.
- Company Background: CenterPoint Energy is a multi-state electric and natural gas delivery company serving approximately 7 million customers, with total assets of about $44 billion, showcasing its solid position in the market.
- Long Service History: The company and its predecessor have been serving customers for over 150 years, employing around 8,300 people, which highlights its deep-rooted experience and foundation in the energy sector.
See More
CenterPoint Energy Elects New Board Member with Extensive Utility Experience
- New Board Appointment: CenterPoint Energy announced the election of Michael A. Herman as a new director effective April 16, 2026, bringing nearly 40 years of audit and strategic planning experience in the electric and gas utility sectors, which is expected to enhance the company's governance and financial strategy expertise.
- Industry Leadership Experience: Herman previously served as the U.S. Utility and Power Sector Leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he led complex audits and provided consulting services to Fortune 500 companies, which will aid CenterPoint in achieving its long-term growth objectives under its 10-year, $65.5 billion capital investment plan.
- Strategic Value to the Board: CenterPoint's Board Chair, Jason P. Wells, noted that Herman's extensive experience will significantly support the company's goals of building and operating the most resilient coastal grid and the safest gas system in the nation, enhancing its competitive position in the industry.
- Company Background: As the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy serves over 7 million customers and owns approximately $46.5 billion in assets, and Herman's addition is expected to further strengthen its leadership in the market.
See More
CenterPoint Energy Elects New Board Member with Extensive Utility Experience
- New Board Appointment: CenterPoint Energy announced the election of Michael A. Herman as a new board member effective April 16, 2026, bringing nearly 40 years of audit and governance experience in the electric and gas utility sectors, which is expected to provide strategic guidance to the company.
- Industry Leadership Experience: Herman previously served as the U.S. Utility and Power Sector Leader at PwC, where he led complex audits and provided consulting services to Fortune 500 companies, enhancing CenterPoint's competitive position in the industry.
- Capital Investment Plan: CenterPoint is executing a 10-year, $65.5 billion capital investment plan aimed at improving the resilience and safety of its systems, and Herman's expertise will help drive the achievement of these strategic objectives.
- Strategic Value to the Board: Herman's extensive experience and industry influence will significantly support CenterPoint's long-term strategy, particularly in building the nation's most resilient grid and the safest gas system.
See More
U.S. Energy Department Rejects Closure Request for Coal Plant
- Closure Request Denied: The U.S. Department of Energy rejected CenterPoint Energy's request to close the 60-year-old F.B. Culley coal plant in Indiana, illustrating the Trump administration's commitment to keeping aging coal plants operational to support an electric grid under stress from rising power demand.
- Increased Economic Burden: CenterPoint Energy indicated that extending the plant's operation would require millions in upgrades and lengthy outages, which not only increases the company's financial burden but also highlights the asset's inefficiency and unreliability.
- Regulatory Extension: Despite CenterPoint's request to not renew the stay-open mandate, the Department of Energy decided to extend the operational directive for the coal plant until June 21, reflecting the government's supportive stance towards coal plants amid environmental pressures.
- Industry Response: Citizens Action Coalition's program director noted that CenterPoint itself admits there is no grid emergency, and that coal plants are too costly, polluting, and unreliable to continue operating, indicating growing concerns within the industry regarding the future of coal power.
See More
Wall Street Optimism Rises Amid Ceasefire Hopes
- Market Rebound: The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite reached all-time highs this week, with the S&P 500 surpassing 7,100 for the first time, reflecting strong investor confidence in economic recovery and suggesting further upward momentum for equities.
- Earnings Expectations: According to FactSet, the S&P 500 is projected to have a blended growth rate of 12.5% in Q1, with 78% of reporting companies exceeding expectations, providing a positive backdrop for the upcoming earnings season that could further bolster market confidence.
- Oil Price Volatility: While oil prices have fallen to around $80 per barrel, significantly below the $110 peak during the conflict, the market must remain vigilant regarding the potential impacts of U.S.-Iran tensions on global supply chains, particularly concerning the safety of transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Technical Fragility: Despite the market's strong short-term performance, analyst Craig Johnson warns that the rapid transition from oversold to overbought conditions masks underlying macroeconomic risks, urging investors to remain cautious and focus on high-quality investment opportunities.
See More
CenterPoint Declares $0.23 Quarterly Dividend, Consistent with Previous Payments
- Quarterly Dividend Announcement: CenterPoint has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.23 per share, consistent with previous payments, indicating the company's stable cash flow and profitability, which enhances investor confidence.
- Dividend Yield: The forward yield of 2.13% reflects the company's attractiveness in the current market environment, potentially drawing in more investors seeking stable income.
- Payment Schedule: The dividend is payable on June 11, with a record date of May 21 and an ex-dividend date also on May 21, ensuring shareholders receive their returns promptly and reinforcing the relationship between the company and its investors.
- Market Reaction Expectations: Following the dividend announcement, market reactions to CenterPoint are likely to be positive, especially given the company's ongoing investments in renewable energy and infrastructure, which are expected to enhance its long-term growth potential.
See More
CenterPoint Energy Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend
- Quarterly Cash Dividend: CenterPoint Energy's Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.2300 per share, payable on June 11, 2026, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to shareholder returns.
- Record Date for Shareholders: The record date for this dividend is May 21, 2026, ensuring that shareholders holding stock on this date will receive the dividend, thereby enhancing investor confidence.
- Company Background: CenterPoint Energy is a multi-state electric and natural gas delivery company serving approximately 7 million customers, with total assets of about $44 billion, showcasing its solid position in the market.
- Long Service History: The company and its predecessor have been serving customers for over 150 years, employing around 8,300 people, which highlights its deep-rooted experience and foundation in the energy sector.
See More
CenterPoint Energy Elects New Board Member with Extensive Utility Experience
- New Board Appointment: CenterPoint Energy announced the election of Michael A. Herman as a new director effective April 16, 2026, bringing nearly 40 years of audit and strategic planning experience in the electric and gas utility sectors, which is expected to enhance the company's governance and financial strategy expertise.
- Industry Leadership Experience: Herman previously served as the U.S. Utility and Power Sector Leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he led complex audits and provided consulting services to Fortune 500 companies, which will aid CenterPoint in achieving its long-term growth objectives under its 10-year, $65.5 billion capital investment plan.
- Strategic Value to the Board: CenterPoint's Board Chair, Jason P. Wells, noted that Herman's extensive experience will significantly support the company's goals of building and operating the most resilient coastal grid and the safest gas system in the nation, enhancing its competitive position in the industry.
- Company Background: As the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy serves over 7 million customers and owns approximately $46.5 billion in assets, and Herman's addition is expected to further strengthen its leadership in the market.
See More
CenterPoint Energy Elects New Board Member with Extensive Utility Experience
- New Board Appointment: CenterPoint Energy announced the election of Michael A. Herman as a new board member effective April 16, 2026, bringing nearly 40 years of audit and governance experience in the electric and gas utility sectors, which is expected to provide strategic guidance to the company.
- Industry Leadership Experience: Herman previously served as the U.S. Utility and Power Sector Leader at PwC, where he led complex audits and provided consulting services to Fortune 500 companies, enhancing CenterPoint's competitive position in the industry.
- Capital Investment Plan: CenterPoint is executing a 10-year, $65.5 billion capital investment plan aimed at improving the resilience and safety of its systems, and Herman's expertise will help drive the achievement of these strategic objectives.
- Strategic Value to the Board: Herman's extensive experience and industry influence will significantly support CenterPoint's long-term strategy, particularly in building the nation's most resilient grid and the safest gas system.
See More
U.S. Energy Department Rejects Closure Request for Coal Plant
- Closure Request Denied: The U.S. Department of Energy rejected CenterPoint Energy's request to close the 60-year-old F.B. Culley coal plant in Indiana, illustrating the Trump administration's commitment to keeping aging coal plants operational to support an electric grid under stress from rising power demand.
- Increased Economic Burden: CenterPoint Energy indicated that extending the plant's operation would require millions in upgrades and lengthy outages, which not only increases the company's financial burden but also highlights the asset's inefficiency and unreliability.
- Regulatory Extension: Despite CenterPoint's request to not renew the stay-open mandate, the Department of Energy decided to extend the operational directive for the coal plant until June 21, reflecting the government's supportive stance towards coal plants amid environmental pressures.
- Industry Response: Citizens Action Coalition's program director noted that CenterPoint itself admits there is no grid emergency, and that coal plants are too costly, polluting, and unreliable to continue operating, indicating growing concerns within the industry regarding the future of coal power.
See More
