CENTERPOINT ENERGY INC

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Proxy Statement Summary

This summary highlights information that is contained elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. It does not contain all the information that you should consider. We encourage you to read the entire Proxy Statement carefully before voting.

Annual Meeting Agenda and Voting Recommendations

At the 2026 annual meeting of shareholders (Annual Meeting), you will be asked to vote on the following four proposals. The table below includes each proposal as well as our recommendation.

About CenterPoint Energy

As the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (the Company or CenterPoint Energy) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation, and natural gas distribution operations that, as of December 31, 2025, served more than 7 million metered customers in Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas. On October 20, 2025, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement pursuant to which the Company has agreed to sell all of the issued and outstanding equity interests in its Ohio regulated natural gas local distribution (LDC) business, subject to certain closing conditions. As of December 31, 2025, the Company owned approximately $46.5 billion in assets. With approximately 8,800 employees as of December 31, 2025, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years.

Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, when we refer to periods prior to September 1, 2002, CenterPoint Energy should be understood to mean or include the public companies that were its predecessors.

Our Director Nominee

The Board of Directors of CenterPoint Energy (the Board), considering the recommendation of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, has nominated eleven directors for election to the Board.

Board Qualifications and Skills

For additional information regarding our director nominees, including their skills and experience, see “Item 1. Election of Directors.”

Governance Highlights

Strong governance practices protect the long-term interests of our customers, communities, and shareholders. The Company remains focused on implementing and maintaining good governance practices, including those reflected below.

For additional information regarding our corporate governance practices, see “Item 1. Election of Directors.”

Executive Compensation Highlights

The following are some highlights of our executive compensation program. Our executive compensation program is designed to recruit and retain talent, align payment with performance, and align our executive officers’ interests with those of our shareholders. For more information on our compensation program, see “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” below.

2025 Target Compensation Opportunities for Named Executive Officers

The following graphics reflect the components of the target total direct compensation opportunities provided to our named executive officers. As depicted below, a substantial portion of the compensation for our named executive officers is at risk and performance-based, meaning that actual compensation realized in a given year will vary depending on Company financial and operational performance, stock price performance, and individual performance.

Target Compensation Mix as of December 31, 2025

The graphic represents the average size of each component as a percentage of each named executive officer’s total target direct compensation opportunities (other than the Chair of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer’s compensation opportunities, which are presented separately) as of December 31, 2025, approved by the Human Capital and Compensation Committee in 2025.

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