CenterPoint Energy, Inc. announced today that it contributed $420 million to its pension plan in December 2004, bringing the company's total contributions for the year to $476 million. The latest contribution will bring into balance the pension plan's assets and accumulated benefit obligation and will allow the company to adjust its minimum pension liability, thus adding $350 million to shareholders' equity in 2004. As a result of these contributions, the company projects it will save about $40 million in 2005 in pension expense.

"I am very pleased that we are in a position to make this significant cash contribution to our pension plan," said David M. McClanahan, president and chief executive officer of CenterPoint Energy. "Funding the pension plan at this time demonstrates our commitment to the long-term financial health of our pension plan, and is beneficial to our shareholders, retirees and current employees."

CenterPoint Energy, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a domestic energy delivery company that includes electric transmission & distribution, natural gas distribution and sales, interstate pipeline and gathering operations and an electric generation business that the company is under a contract to sell. The company serves nearly five million metered customers primarily in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. Assets total about $17 billion after giving effect to the first step in the sale of Texas Genco Holdings, Inc. With more than 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/ .

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 satisfaction of certain closing conditions relating to the future transactions described in this release, the timing and impact of future regulatory decisions, and other factors discussed in CenterPoint Energy's and Texas Genco Holdings' Form 10-Ks for the period ended Dec. 31, 2003, Form 10-Qs for the periods ended March 31, 2004, June 30, 2004, and Sept. 30, 2004, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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SOURCE: CenterPoint Energy, Inc.