SEC Form 4

FORM 4		UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Estimated average burden hours per response: 0.5
	Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* Wareing Peter S (Last) (First) (Middle) 1111 LOUISIANA (Street) HOUSTON TX 77002 (City) (State) (Zip)	2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol CENTERPOINT ENERGY INC [ CNP ]	5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) X Director 10% Owner Officer (give title below) Other (specify below)
	3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 06/01/2006
	4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)	6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) X Form filed by One Reporting Person Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	06/01/2006		A		3,000(1)	A	(2)	16,000(3)	D
Common Stock								60,000	I	Elizabeth B. Wareing 1976 Trust(4)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:

1. This common stock is time based restricted stock that will vest in one-third increments on June 1, 2007, June 1, 2008 and June 1, 2009 if the reporting person is a director of Issuer through such dates; provided however, the shares become fully vested in the event of a change of control of issuer.

2. Price is not applicable.

3. Includes 3,000 shares of time-based restricted stock awarded in 2005 that will vest in one-third increments on July 1, 2006, July 1, 2007 and July 1, 2008 if the reporting person is a director of Issuer through such dates; provided however, the shares become fully vested in the event of a change of control of issuer.

4. Shares of CNP common stock held in trust, of which reporting person's spouse is a trustee and the beneficiary. The filing of this Form 4 shall not be deemed an admission that the reporting person is, for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the beneficial owner of such equity securities.

Remarks:

	Richard B. Dauphin, Attorney in Fact	06/05/2006
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.

CENTERPOINT ENERGY, INC.

Power of Attorney

WHEREAS, the undersigned, in his or her capacity as a director or officer or
both, as the case may be, of CenterPoint Energy, Inc., a Texas corporation (the
"Company"), may be required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission") under Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the
"Exchange Act"), Forms 3, 4 and 5 or other reports ("Forms") relating to the
undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities of the Company;

NOW, THEREFORE, the undersigned, in his or her capacity as a director or officer
or both, as the case may be, of the Company, does hereby appoint Scott E.
Rozzell, Rufus S. Scott, Douglas H. Darrow and Richard B. Dauphin, and each of
them severally, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact or
attorneys-in-fact and agent or agents with power to act with or without the
other and with full power of substitution and resubstitution, to execute in his
or her name, place and stead, in his or her capacity as a director or officer or
both, as the case may be, of the Company, Forms and any and all amendments
thereto and any and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection
therewith, if any, and to file the same with the Commission and any stock
exchange or similar authority.  Each said attorney-in-fact and agent shall have
full power and authority to do and perform in the name and on behalf of the
undersigned in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever necessary or
desirable to be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes
as the undersigned might or could do in person, the undersigned hereby ratifying
and approving the acts of said attorney.  The powers and authority of each said
attorney-in-fact and agent herein granted shall remain in full force and effect
until the undersigned is no longer required to file Forms under the Exchange
Act, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned by giving written notice of such
revocation to the Company.  The undersigned acknowledges that the said
attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the
undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the
undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this instrument this 9th  day
of June, 2005.

Peter S. Wareing