HOUSTON - February  15, 2008 - CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company (CEGT), an indirect, wholly-owned interstate natural gas pipeline subsidiary of CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP), announced today the start of a non-binding, 31-day open season to gauge market interest in new interstate pipeline facilities to connect growing supplies of natural gas in the Woodford Shale in Southeastern Oklahoma and the Fayetteville Shale in Northeast Arkansas to new and existing interstate facilities that provide access to markets in the Midwest, Northeast and Southeast.

CEGT is soliciting market interest in subscribing to firm transportation capacity in its Bennington Lateral, a proposed 36-inch pipeline with a design capacity of 1.0 Bcf/d.  The Bennington Lateral is expected to be built from near Wardville, Oklahoma, to various interstate pipeline receipt/delivery points near Bennington in Southeast Oklahoma, as well as providing access to existing CEGT storage facilities located near Ada and Chiles Dome, Oklahoma.

CEGT believes the Bennington Lateral will offer mid-continent producers unparalleled market access at competitive netback prices, as well as the ability for consumers and marketers to access growing, competitively-priced supplies, with deliveries into pipelines serving the northeast and southeast markets as well as those served via CEGT's Perryville Hub.

"Based on feedback we have received from the Woodford and Fayetteville Shale producing communities, we expect our proposed expansion will be well-received," said Cy Zebot, CEGT's senior vice president and chief commercial officer.  "Upon confirmation that there is sufficient interest in the market to support this expansion, our plan is to move quickly to execute binding precedent agreements, and place this project in service by winter 2009 - 2010."  

Written indications of interest should be received by CEGT by 5:00 p.m. CDT on March 17, 2008.  For questions, please contact Kevin Holder, Director Business Development and Project Manager at 713.207.5166, kevin.holder@CenterPointEnergy.com, or Kathy Kennedy, Manager Business Development at 713.207.5189, kathy.kennedy@centerpointenergy.com.  For additional information, visit the CEGT Web site at pipelines.centerpointenergy.com/cegt.html.

CenterPoint Energy, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a domestic energy delivery company that includes electric transmission & distribution, natural gas distribution, competitive natural gas sales and services, interstate pipelines and field services operations.  The company serves more than five million metered customers primarily in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. Assets total over $17 billion.  With about 8,600 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 130 years.  For more information, visit the Web site at www.CenterPointEnergy.com.
                         
This news release includes forward-looking statements. Actual events and results may differ materially from those projected. The statements in this news release regarding future events and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect actual results include the financial performance of CenterPoint Energy, the timing and impact of future regulatory decisions, and other factors discussed in CenterPoint Energy's Form 10-K for the period ended Dec. 31, 2006, and Form 10-Qs for the periods ended March 31, June 30, and Sept. 30, 2007, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

For more information contact
Media:
Leticia Lowe
Phone 713.207.7702
Investors:
Marianne Paulsen
Phone 713.207.6500