CenterPoint Energy is one of 34 utilities collaborating with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and  General Motors to facilitate integration of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the electric grid.

The EPRI-GM-utility partnership will work to accelerate large-scale deployment of PHEVs and create a blueprint for an electric fuel infrastructure.

PHEVs use domestically-produced electricity delivered through the electric grid, with a lower cost to fuel the vehicles than that of petroleum fuels. Additionally, research released last year by EPRI and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) pointed to the potential of PHEVs to lower greenhouse gas emissions.