Ownership Submission
FORM 3
 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
  Doyle Scott Edward
 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
03/01/2017		 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
CENTERPOINT ENERGY INC [CNP]
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
1111 LOUISIANA		 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Senior VP
 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
(Street)

HOUSTON, TX 77002		 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned
(Instr. 4)		 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Common Stock 24,211 (1)
D
 
Common Stock 6,131
I
By Savings Plan (2)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
Doyle Scott Edward
1111 LOUISIANA
HOUSTON, TX 77002		       Senior VP  

Signatures

Vincent A. Mercaldi, Attorney-in-Fact 03/06/2017
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(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).
(1) Total includes (i) 2,350 time-based restricted stock units previously awarded under the Issuer's Long-term Incentive Plan and vesting in February 2018, (ii) 2,894 time-based restricted stock units previously awarded under the Issuer's Long-term Incentive Plan and vesting in February 2019, and (iii) 3,044 time-based restricted stock units previously awarded under the Issuer's Long-term Incentive Plan and vesting in February 2020. Each award shall vest if the Reporting Person continues to be an employee of Issuer from the grant date through the vesting date and on a prorata basis in the event of his earlier retirement, disability or death.
(2) Equivalent shares held in CenterPoint Energy, Inc. Savings Plan.

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