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Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Debt
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Debt [Text Block] Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Debt
Inventory Financing. CenterPoint Energy’s and CERC’s Natural Gas had AMAs associated with their utility distribution service in Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma with the Energy Services Disposal Group that expired in March 2021. The expired AMAs were replaced with new third-party AMAs beginning in April 2021. CenterPoint Energy’s and CERC’s Natural Gas have AMAs with third parties associated with their utility distribution service in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. The AMAs have varying terms, the longest of which expires in 2027. Pursuant to the provisions of the agreements, CenterPoint Energy’s and CERC’s Natural Gas either sells natural gas to the asset manager and agrees to repurchase an equivalent amount of natural gas throughout the year at the same cost, or simply purchases its full natural gas requirements at each delivery point from the asset manager. These transactions are accounted for as an inventory financing. CenterPoint Energy and CERC had $-0- and $24 million outstanding obligations related to the AMAs as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

Debt Transactions. In February 2021, CERC Corp. received financing commitments totaling $1.7 billion on a 364-day term loan facility to bridge any working capital needs related to the February 2021 Winter Storm Event. In March 2021, CERC Corp. issued $700 million aggregate principal amount of 0.70% senior notes and $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of floating rate senior notes (three-month LIBOR plus 0.5%) due 2023. Total proceeds, net of issuance expenses and fees, of approximately $1.69 billion were used for general corporate purposes, including to fund working capital. Upon the consummation of the senior notes offerings, in March 2021, CERC Corp. terminated all of the commitments for the 364-day term loan facility.

In March 2021, Houston Electric issued $400 million aggregate principal amount of 2.35% general mortgage bonds due 2031 and $700 million aggregate principal amount of 3.35% general mortgage bonds due 2051. Total proceeds, net of issuance expenses and fees, of approximately $1.08 billion were or will be used for general limited liability company purposes, including capital expenditures and the repayment of (i) all of Houston Electric’s outstanding $102 million 9.15% first mortgage bonds due 2021, which matured on March 15, 2021, (ii) all of Houston Electric’s outstanding $300 million of 1.85% general mortgage bonds due 2021, which were called for redemption in full on May 1, 2021, as discussed further below, and (iii) all or a portion of Houston Electric’s borrowings under the CenterPoint Energy money pool.

Debt Redemption. In April 2021, Houston Electric provided notice of redemption relating to $300 million aggregate principal amount of its outstanding 1.85% general mortgage bonds due 2021. All of the outstanding bonds were called for redemption in full on May 1, 2021 at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest.

CenterPoint Energy Term Loan. In April 2021, CenterPoint Energy amended its existing term loan agreement, of which $700 million is still outstanding, by extending its maturity from May 15, 2021 to June 14, 2021.

Credit Facilities. In February 2021, each of CenterPoint Energy, Houston Electric, CERC Corp. and VUHI replaced their existing revolving credit facilities with new amended and restated credit facilities. The size of the CenterPoint Energy facility decreased from $3.3 billion to $2.4 billion, while the sizes of the Houston Electric, CERC Corp. and VUHI facilities remained unchanged.
The Registrants had the following revolving credit facilities as of March 31, 2021:
Execution
 Date 		RegistrantSize of
Facility
Draw Rate of LIBOR plus (1)
Financial Covenant Limit on Debt for Borrowed Money to Capital Ratio 
Debt for Borrowed Money to Capital
Ratio as of
March 31, 2021 (2)
Termination Date
(in millions)
February 4, 2021CenterPoint Energy $2,400 1.625%65.0%(3)57.4%February 4, 2024
February 4, 2021
CenterPoint Energy (4)
400 1.250%65.0%49.9%February 4, 2024
February 4, 2021Houston Electric300 1.375%67.5%(3)57.9%February 4, 2024
February 4, 2021CERC 900 1.250%65.0%61.5%February 4, 2024
Total
$4,000 

(1)Based on current credit ratings.
(2)As defined in the revolving credit facility agreements, excluding Securitization Bonds.
(3)For CenterPoint Energy and Houston Electric, the financial covenant limit will temporarily increase to 70% if Houston Electric experiences damage from a natural disaster in its service territory and CenterPoint Energy certifies to the administrative agent that Houston Electric has incurred system restoration costs reasonably likely to exceed $100 million in a consecutive 12-month period, all or part of which Houston Electric intends to seek to recover through securitization financing. Such temporary increase in the financial covenant would be in effect from the date CenterPoint Energy delivers its certification until the earliest to occur of (i) the completion of the securitization financing, (ii) the first anniversary of CenterPoint Energy’s certification or (iii) the revocation of such certification.
(4)This credit facility was issued by VUHI, is guaranteed by SIGECO, Indiana Gas and VEDO and includes a $20 million letter of credit sublimit. This credit facility backstops VUHI’s commercial paper program.

The Registrants, including the subsidiaries of CenterPoint Energy discussed above, were in compliance with all financial debt covenants as of March 31, 2021.

The table below reflects the utilization of the Registrants’ respective revolving credit facilities:
March 31, 2021December 31, 2020
RegistrantLoansLetters
of Credit		Commercial
Paper		Weighted Average Interest RateLoansLetters
of Credit		Commercial
Paper		Weighted Average Interest Rate
(in millions, except weighted average interest rate)
CenterPoint Energy (1)
$— $11 $772 0.21 %$— $11 $1,078 0.23 %
CenterPoint Energy (2)
— — 210 0.18 %— — 92 0.22 %
Houston Electric— — — — %— — — — %
CERC — — 573 0.21 %— — 347 0.23 %
Total$— $11 $1,555 $— $11 $1,517 

(1)CenterPoint Energy’s outstanding commercial paper generally has maturities of 60 days or less.
(2)This credit facility was issued by VUHI and is guaranteed by SIGECO, Indiana Gas and VEDO.
Liens. As of March 31, 2021, Houston Electric’s assets were subject to liens securing approximately $5.4 billion of general mortgage bonds, including approximately $68 million held in trust to secure pollution control bonds that mature in 2028 for which CenterPoint Energy is obligated. These general mortgage bonds are not reflected in Houston Electric’s consolidated financial statements because of the contingent nature of the obligations. Houston Electric may issue additional general mortgage bonds on the basis of retired bonds, 70% of property additions or cash deposited with the trustee. As of March 15, 2021, no Houston Electric first mortgage bonds remained outstanding. Houston Electric could issue approximately $3.4 billion of additional first mortgage bonds and general mortgage bonds on the basis of retired bonds and 70% of property additions as of March 31, 2021. Houston Electric has contractually agreed that it will not issue additional first mortgage bonds, subject to certain exceptions.
Other. As of March 31, 2021, certain financial institutions agreed to issue, from time to time, up to $20 million of letters of credit on behalf of Vectren and certain of its subsidiaries in exchange for customary fees. These agreements to issue letters of credit expire on December 31, 2021. As of March 31, 2021, such financial institutions had issued $1 million of letters of credit on behalf of Vectren and certain of its subsidiaries.