CenterPoint Energy is integrating a high-resolution weather model from Meteomatics to improve forecasting and operational planning across the Greater Houston area.
The company said the integration of Meteomatics’ US1k weather model will help it better anticipate and respond to severe weather events affecting the approximately 2.9 million electric customers it serves.
The initiative forms part of CenterPoint’s Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI), which aims to strengthen the resilience of the region’s electricity grid.
According to the companies, the US1k model provides weather data at a resolution nine times higher than leading public national weather models. The additional detail is intended to help identify localized weather risks that could affect grid infrastructure.
CenterPoint operates a large electricity network across diverse environments, where severe weather can affect distribution lines, substations and other critical equipment. More detailed forecasts are expected to support earlier planning and operational decisions before major weather events.
Matt Lanza, chief meteorologist at CenterPoint Energy, said, “As part of our commitment to our customers, we continue to bolster and modernize the tools we use to prepare and respond to extreme weather. Working with Meteomatics’ US1k resolution model gives our meteorology and operations teams a more precise picture of potential impacts, helping us make faster, data-driven decisions that support all of the customers we are privileged to serve.”
The Meteomatics US1k model integrates weather observations from more than 110 data sources, including aircraft, ground stations, radars and satellites, as well as data collected by the company’s Meteodrones.
The system provides access to more than 1,800 weather parameters that are updated hourly. The companies said the model enables CenterPoint to monitor risks to power infrastructure in near real time, supporting earlier preparation and more targeted responses before storms.
Martin Fengler, CEO of Meteomatics, said detailed weather data is becoming increasingly important for energy infrastructure operators: “The use of hyper-local, real-time weather data is a gamechanger for operational reliability in an era of extreme weather. CenterPoint Energy is a pioneer of advanced technology integration in the energy space, understanding that even the slightest difference in data points can mean an entirely different strategy.”
According to Meteomatics, the collaboration aims to strengthen grid reliability and improve response times to weather-related disruptions across the Houston region.
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