Reportable Segments

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Reportable Business Segments [Text Block]

Reportable Segments

The Registrants’ determination of reportable segments considers the strategic operating units under which its CODM manages sales, allocates resources and assesses performance of various products and services to wholesale or retail customers in differing regulatory environments. Each Registrant’s CODM views net income as the measure of profit or loss for the reportable segments. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year reportable segment presentation described in the Registrants’ combined 2020 Form 10-K.

As of March 31, 2021, reportable segments by Registrant were as follows:

CenterPoint Energy

•CenterPoint Energy’s Electric reportable segment consists of electric transmission services to transmission service customers in the ERCOT region and distribution services to REPs serving the Texas Gulf Coast area and electric transmission and distribution services primarily to southwestern Indiana and includes power generation and wholesale power operations.

•CenterPoint Energy’s Natural Gas reportable segment consists of (i) intrastate natural gas sales to, and natural gas transportation and distribution for residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas; (ii) permanent pipeline connections through

interconnects with various interstate and intrastate pipeline companies through CEIP; and (iii) temporary delivery of LNG and CNG throughout the contiguous 48 states through MES.

•CenterPoint Energy’s Midstream Investments reportable segment consists of the equity investment in Enable (excluding the Enable Series A Preferred Units). See Note 9 regarding the impact of the Enable Merger.

CenterPoint Energy’s Corporate and Other consists of energy performance contracting and sustainable infrastructure     services through ESG and other corporate operations which support all of the business operations of CenterPoint Energy.

Houston Electric

•Houston Electric’s single reportable segment consists of electric transmission services to transmission service customers in the ERCOT region and distribution services to REPs serving the Texas Gulf Coast area.

CERC

•CERC’s single reportable segment consists of (i) intrastate natural gas sales to, and natural gas transportation and distribution for residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas; (ii) permanent pipeline connections through interconnects with various interstate and intrastate pipeline companies through CEIP; and (iii) temporary delivery of LNG and CNG throughout the contiguous 48 states through MES.

Financial data for reportable segments is as follows, including Corporate and Other, and Discontinued Operations for reconciliation purposes:

CenterPoint Energy

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021							2020
	Revenues from External Customers			Equity in Earnings of Unconsolidated Affiliates		Net Income (Loss)		Revenues from External Customers			Equity in Earnings of Unconsolidated Affiliates		Net Income (Loss)
	(in millions)
Electric	$	830	(1)	$	—	$	75	$	767	(1)	$	—	$	(134)
Natural Gas	1,663			—		229		1,321			—		201
Midstream Investments (2)	—			108		71		—			(1,475)		(1,127)
Corporate and Other	54			—		(12)		79			—		7
Continuing Operations	$	2,547		$	108	363		$	2,167		$	(1,475)	(1,053)
Discontinued Operations, net						—							(146)
Consolidated						$	363						$	(1,199)

(1)Houston Electric revenues from major external customers are as follows (CenterPoint Energy and Houston Electric):

		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2021		2020
	(in millions)
Affiliates of NRG		$	195	$	156
Affiliates of Vistra Energy Corp.		88		81

(2)Includes the impairment of CenterPoint Energy’s equity method investment in Enable of $1,541 million recorded during the three months ended March 31, 2020.

	Total Assets
	March 31, 2021		December 31, 2020
	(in millions)
Electric	$	15,410	$	14,493
Natural Gas	17,208		14,976
Midstream Investments	994		913
Corporate and Other, net of eliminations (1)	2,294		3,089
Consolidated	$	35,906	$	33,471

(1)Total assets included pension and other postemployment-related regulatory assets of $533 million and $540 million as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

Houston Electric

Houston Electric consists of a single reportable segment; therefore, a tabular reportable segment presentation has not been included.

CERC

CERC consists of a single reportable segment; therefore, a tabular reportable segment presentation has not been included.