CenterPoint Energy, Inc. announced today that its natural gas distribution, pipelines and gathering operations subsidiary, CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp. (CERC), recently closed on a $250 million credit facility. This new, three-year credit facility, which closed on March 23, has a fully drawn cost of LIBOR plus 150 basis points at existing credit ratings.

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Proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes and the facility replaces a one-year $200 million credit facility that expired on March 23, 2004.

CenterPoint Energy, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a domestic energy delivery company that includes electric transmission and distribution, natural gas distribution and sales, interstate pipeline and gathering operations, and more than 14,000 megawatts of power generation in Texas, of which nearly 3,000 megawatts are currently in mothball status. The company serves nearly five million customers primarily in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. Assets total $21 billion. With more than 11,000 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 130 years. For more information, visit the Web site at www.CenterPointEnergy.com .

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SOURCE: CenterPoint Energy, Inc.