Corporate Social Responsibility: CenterPoint Energy
As Sara Riegle recalls, CenterPoint Energy just kept offering more and more money. Riegle works for the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV). She was describing to a CenterPoint representative MACV’s mission: ultimately, to end homelessness among veterans—in this case, with a property on LaSalle Avenue in Minneapolis.
Bought with help from the state, the 29-unit complex is one piece of the St. Paul nonprofit’s housing strategy. It acquires older, less expensive properties and renovates them. More than half of the veterans MACV serves are 55 and older. But these buildings aren’t always fully ADA-compliant, says Riegle, who is MACV’s chief housing officer.
The CenterPoint representative “just kept saying, ‘Do you need new windows? Do you need new flooring? Do you need new paint?’ ” she says. The grant ended up at $500,000. It took years off the renovation process, so MACV could start leasing in mid-August. The $500,000 was used for renovating 11 apartments and replacing windows throughout the building.
This project supports CenterPoint’s overall mission to look after the welfare of the communities it serves. Reigle recalls one resident moving into LaSalle with a look of relief on his face—“of, like, ‘OK, I’m where I’m supposed to be. They know who I am. I don’t have to tell my story again. This is a welcoming place for me.’ ”
The LaSalle apartments are just one example of CenterPoint’s approach to corporate responsibility.
The Texas-based company employs about 1,200 in Minnesota and is the state’s largest natural gas provider. For grantmaking, it prioritizes education and “community vitality,” which includes environmental conservation and education, as well as stable, affordable housing.
“We recognize that, as a company, our success is really intertwined with the success of our neighbors and the communities that we’re privileged to serve,” says Rachel Molzahn, Riegle’s contact and CenterPoint’s lead specialist in community relations. “We know that when everybody has access to things like affordable housing, stable housing, quality education, and meaningful career pathways, they have the opportunity to truly thrive.”
In 2024, CenterPoint granted $1.8 million to nearly 50 Minnesota nonprofits. Among its 2024 accomplishments, the company funded access to affordable housing for about 26,000 Minnesotans, invested in nearly 1,000 units of affordable housing, restored more than 100 acres of natural habitat, distributed more than 33,000 books to children, and helped nearly 725 teen and adult students earn credentials to improve their career outlooks.
Regarding the LaSalle building, “the other thing I’m proud of … is that our employees also stepped up and joined hands to volunteer,” Molzahn says. “We did some landscaping out there. We did some painting.”
This year, CenterPoint agreed to purchase renewable natural gas from Dem-Con HZI in Shakopee. Dem-Con HZI can take waste from food scraps, farms, yard clippings—“your everyday waste,” explains Brad Steber, vice president of Minnesota gas operations for CenterPoint—“and turn that into renewable natural gas.”
Also in the environmental vein, CenterPoint last year launched a five-year innovation plan with a $106 million budget to support Minnesota decarbonization efforts via 17 pilot projects and seven research and development initiatives.
