AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JANUARY 24, 2006
                                                    REGISTRATION NO. 333-110348
===============================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                         POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 2
                                       TO
                                    FORM S-3
             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


                            CENTERPOINT ENERGY, INC.
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)


                                                                                
                                                   1111 LOUISIANA
                                                HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002
             TEXAS                                 (713) 207-1111                                   74-0694415
(State or other jurisdiction of          (Address, including zip code, and            (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
 incorporation or organization)      telephone number, including area code, of
                                     registrant's principal executive offices)


                                 RUFUS S. SCOTT
                     VICE PRESIDENT, DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL
                        AND ASSISTANT CORPORATE SECRETARY
                                 1111 LOUISIANA
                              HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002
                                 (713) 207-1111
            (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
                   including area code, of agent for service)

                                    Copy to:

   GERALD M. SPEDALE                                 STEVEN R. LOESHELLE
  BAKER BOTTS L.L.P.                               DEWEY BALLANTINE L.L.P.
 910 LOUISIANA STREET                            1301 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
 HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002                              NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10019
    (713) 229-1234                                      (212) 259-6160

         APPROXIMATE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROPOSED SALE TO THE PUBLIC: From
time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

         If the only securities being registered on this Form are to be offered
pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following
box. [ ]

         If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be
offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), other than securities
offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check
the following box. [ ]

      If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box
and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier
effective registration statement for the same offering. [ ]

      If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c)
under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement
for the same offering. [ ]

      If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434,
please check the following box. [ ]




                     REMOVAL OF SECURITIES FROM REGISTRATION

         Pursuant to its Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No.
333-110348), as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto filed on November 21, 2003
and Amendment No. 2 thereto filed on December 1, 2003 and Post-Effective
Amendment No. 1 thereto filed on November 30, 2005 (the "Registration
Statement"), CenterPoint Energy, Inc., a Texas corporation ("CenterPoint"),
registered for resale $575,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 3.75%
Convertible Senior Notes due May 15, 2023 (the "Notes") and 49,654,585 shares,
par value $0.01 per share, of its common stock (the "Common Stock") issuable
upon conversion of such Notes. The Registration Statement was declared effective
by the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 4, 2003. As of August 22,
2005, $33,928,000 aggregate principal amount of the Notes had not been sold
pursuant to the Registration Statement. No shares of Common Stock have been sold
pursuant to the Registration Statement.

         In accordance with the undertaking contained in Part II, Item 17(a)(3)
of the Registration Statement, CenterPoint is filing this Post-Effective
Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement to remove from registration any of
the Notes and the Common Sock issued or issuable upon conversion thereof that
have not been sold under the Registration Statement as of the date hereof.
CenterPoint is deregistering these securities because its obligation to maintain
the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has ceased.




                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Company
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Houston, State of Texas, on January 24, 2006.

                                      CENTERPOINT ENERGY, INC.



                                      By: /s/ David M. McClanahan
                                          -------------------------------------
                                          David M. McClanahan
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on January 24, 2006.


                                                          



             /s/ David M. McClanahan
     ------------------------------------------
              David M. McClanahan                            President and Chief Executive Officer



               /s/ Gary L. Whitlock
     ------------------------------------------
                 Gary L. Whitlock                            Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
                                                             (Principal Financial Officer)



                /s/ James S. Brian
     -------------------------------------------             Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer
                   James S. Brian                            (Principal Accounting Officer)



                         *
     ------------------------------------------
               Donald R. Campbell                            Director



                         *
     ------------------------------------------
                    Milton Carroll                           Director



                         *
     ------------------------------------------
                    Derrill Cody                             Director



                         *
     ------------------------------------------
                     John T. Cater                           Director



                         *
     ------------------------------------------
                 O. Holcombe Crosswell                       Director



                         *
     ------------------------------------------
                 Janiece M. Longoria                         Director



                         *
     ------------------------------------------
                  Thomas F. Madison                          Director






                                                          



                         *
     ------------------------------------------
                 Robert T. O'Connell                         Director



                         *
     ------------------------------------------
                Michael E. Shannon                           Director



                         *
     ------------------------------------------
                  Peter S. Wareing                           Director



     *By:            /s/ Rufus S. Scott
          ----------------------------------------
          Rufus S. Scott, as Attorney-in-fact,
pursuant to powers of attorney previously filed with the
          Securities and Exchange Commission