HOUSTON, Feb 06, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) and its subsidiary, CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp. (CERC), today closed on senior notes totaling $400 million.

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CenterPoint Energy, Inc. closed on $250 million of 5.95 percent senior notes due February 1, 2017. Net proceeds will be used to repay debt incurred in satisfying the company's $255 million cash payment obligation in connection with the conversion and redemption of its 2.875 percent Convertible Notes.

CERC, the company's natural gas distribution, competitive natural gas sales and services, and pipelines and gas gathering subsidiary, closed on $150 million of 6.25 percent senior notes due February 1, 2037. Net proceeds will be used to repay advances for the purchase of receivables under CERC's $375 million receivables facility that terminates in October 2007.

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

Banc of America Securities LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, UBS Securities LLC and Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC served as underwriters for the CenterPoint Energy, Inc. offering.

Banc of America Securities LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Lehman Brothers Inc., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated served as underwriters for the CERC offering.

A prospectus relating to each offering has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of the prospectus relating to each offering may be obtained by calling Banc of America Securities LLC at 1-800-294-1322, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. at 1-800-503-4611 or J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. (collect) at 1-212-834-4533.

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, and pipeline and field services operations. The company serves more than five million metered customers primarily in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. Assets total approximately $17 billion. With about 9,000 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 130 years. For more information, visit the Web site at http://www.CenterPointEnergy.com .

CERC owns and operates natural gas distribution facilities, interstate pipelines and natural gas gathering, processing and treating facilities. Through wholly-owned subsidiaries, CERC owns interstate natural gas pipelines and gas gathering systems and provides various ancillary services. Through a wholly-owned subsidiary, CERC also 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 business plans, financial market conditions and other factors discussed in CenterPoint Energy, Inc.'s or 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.

http://www.CenterPointEnergy.com

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