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Employee Benefit Plans
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2020
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Employee Benefit Plans [Text Block] Employee Benefit Plans

The Registrants’ net periodic cost, before considering amounts subject to overhead allocations for capital expenditure projects or for amounts subject to deferral for regulatory purposes, includes the following components relating to pension and postretirement benefits:

Pension Benefits (CenterPoint Energy)
 
Three Months Ended June 30,
 
Six Months Ended June 30,
 
2020
 
2019
 
2020
 
2019
 
(in millions)
Service cost (1)
$
12

 
$
10

 
$
22

 
$
20

Interest cost (2)
19

 
25

 
38

 
48

Expected return on plan assets (2)
(29
)
 
(27
)
 
(57
)
 
(52
)
Amortization of prior service cost (2)
—

 
2

 
—

 
4

Amortization of net loss (2)
11

 
13

 
21

 
26

Settlement cost (2) (3)
1

 
1

 
1

 
1

Curtailment gain (2) (4)
—

 
—

 
—

 
(1
)
Net periodic cost
$
14

 
$
24

 
$
25

 
$
46


(1)
Amounts presented in the table above are included in Operation and maintenance expense in each of the Registrants’ respective Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income, net of amounts capitalized and regulatory deferrals.

(2)
Amounts presented in the table above are included in Other income (expense), net in each of the Registrants’ respective Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income, net of regulatory deferrals.

(3)
A one-time, non-cash settlement cost is required when the total lump sum distributions or other settlements of plan benefit obligations during a plan year exceed the service cost and interest cost components of the net periodic cost for that year. In each of the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, CenterPoint Energy recognized a non-cash settlement cost of $1 million and $1 million, respectively, due to lump sum settlement payments from Vectren pension plans.

(4)
A curtailment gain or loss is required when the expected future services of a significant number of employees are reduced or eliminated for the accrual of benefits. In the six months ended June 30, 2019, CenterPoint Energy recognized a pension curtailment gain of $1 million related to Vectren employees whose employment was terminated after the Merger closed.

Postretirement Benefits
 
Three Months Ended June 30,
 
2020
 
2019
 
CenterPoint Energy
 
Houston Electric
 
CERC
 
CenterPoint Energy
 
Houston Electric
 
CERC
 
(in millions)
Service cost (1)
$
1

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
1

Interest cost (2)
3

 
2

 
1

 
4

 
2

 
1

Expected return on plan assets (2)
(2
)
 
(1
)
 
—

 
(1
)
 
(1
)
 
(1
)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit) (2)
(1
)
 
(2
)
 
—

 
(1
)
 
(2
)
 
—

Net periodic cost (income)
$
1

 
$
(1
)
 
$
1

 
$
2

 
$
(1
)
 
$
1

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Six Months Ended June 30,
 
2020
 
2019
 
CenterPoint Energy
 
Houston Electric
 
CERC
 
CenterPoint Energy
 
Houston Electric
 
CERC
 
(in millions)
Service cost (1)
$
1

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
1

 
$
—

 
$
1

Interest cost (2)
6

 
3

 
2

 
8

 
4

 
2

Expected return on plan assets (2)
(3
)
 
(2
)
 
—

 
(3
)
 
(2
)
 
(1
)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit) (2)
(2
)
 
(3
)
 
—

 
(2
)
 
(3
)
 
—

Net periodic cost (income)
$
2

 
$
(2
)
 
$
2

 
$
4

 
$
(1
)
 
$
2



(1)
Amounts presented in the tables above are included in Operation and maintenance expense in each of the Registrants’ respective Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income, net of amounts capitalized and regulatory deferrals.

(2)
Amounts presented in the tables above are included in Other income (expense), net in each of the Registrants’ respective Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income, net of regulatory deferrals.

The table below reflects the expected contributions to be made to the pension and postretirement benefit plans during 2020:
 
CenterPoint Energy
 
Houston Electric
 
CERC
 
(in millions)
Expected minimum contribution to pension plans during 2020
$
83

 
$
—

 
$
—

Expected contribution to postretirement benefit plans in 2020
11

 
4

 
4


The table below reflects the contributions made to the pension and postretirement benefit plans during 2020:
 
Three Months Ended June 30, 2020
 
Six Months Ended June 30, 2020
 
CenterPoint Energy
 
Houston Electric
 
CERC
 
CenterPoint Energy
 
Houston Electric
 
CERC
 
(in millions)
Pension plans
$
3

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
5

 
$
—

 
$
—

Postretirement benefit plans
2

 
—

 
—

 
6

 
2

 
1



COVID-19 Impacts. The uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic have had a negative impact on financial markets, which has resulted in volatility of the fair value of plan assets during the six months ended June 30, 2020. The Registrants remeasure the funded status of each plan as of December 31 each year, and at an interim period when a curtailment, settlement, or material plan amendment occurs.  On the measurement date, actuarial gains or losses are recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income, or when cost is recovered through regulated rates, as a regulatory asset or liability. During the six months ended June 30, 2020, the pension plan assets declined by approximately $8 million or 0.4% from December 31, 2019. The fair value of pension plan assets on the plan remeasurement date impacts the funded status, net period cost, and the required cash contributions; however, changes to pension plan assets do not impact the Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income or Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets in interim periods when a plan remeasurement is not required. An interim remeasurement of the plans is not required as a result of plan asset decline in fair value, and therefore, an interim remeasurement did not occur during the six months ended June 30, 2020 as a result of changes to plan asset fair value.