HOUSTON, May 18, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) announced that CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp. (CERC), its natural gas distribution, competitive natural gas sales and services, and pipeline and gas gathering subsidiary, closed today on $325 million of 6.15 percent senior notes due May 1, 2016.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020930/CNPLOGO )

Net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, including the repayment of $145 million of debentures maturing in December 2006.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any security and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offering would be unlawful.

Barclays Capital Inc., LaSalle Financial Services, Inc., Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., Lazard Capital Markets LLC, RBC Capital Markets Corporation, Greenwich Capital Markets, Inc., SunTrust Capital Markets, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC acted as underwriters in connection with the offering. A prospectus relating to the offering has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of the prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained from the offices of Barclays Capital Inc., 200 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10166, Attention: Fixed Income Syndicate, telephone: 1-888-227-2275, ext. 2663.

CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp. owns gas distribution systems serving approximately 3.1 million customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. Through wholly owned subsidiaries, CERC also owns interstate natural gas pipelines and gas gathering systems, provides various ancillary services, and offers variable and fixed price physical natural gas supplies primarily to commercial and industrial customers and electric and gas utilities.

This news release includes forward-looking statements. Actual events and results may differ materially from those projected. You can generally identify forward-looking statements by the words "believe," "will," "expect" or other similar words. Factors that could affect actual results include the timing and impact of future regulatory and legislative decisions, effects of competition, weather variations, changes in CERC's business plans, financial market conditions and other factors discussed in CERC's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE CenterPoint Energy, Inc.

media, Leticia Lowe, +1-713-207-7702, or investors, Marianne Paulsen,
+1-713-207-6500, both of CenterPoint Energy, Inc.

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