Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Schedule of Net Benefit Costs

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 March 31,
		2021		2020
	(in millions)
Service cost (1)		$	10	$	10
Interest cost (2)		15		19
Expected return on plan assets (2)		(26)		(28)
Amortization of net loss (2)		9		10
Net periodic cost		$	8	$	11

(1)Amounts presented in the table above are included in Operation and maintenance expense in CenterPoint Energy’s 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 CenterPoint Energy’s Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income, net of regulatory deferrals.

Postretirement Benefits

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021						2020
	CenterPoint Energy		Houston Electric		CERC		CenterPoint Energy		Houston Electric		CERC
	(in millions)
Service cost (1)	$	1	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
Interest cost (2)	2		1		1		3		1		1
Expected return on plan assets (2)	(1)		(1)		—		(1)		(1)		—
Amortization of prior service cost (credit) (2)	(1)		(1)		—		(1)		(1)		—
Net periodic cost (income)	$	1	$	(1)	$	1	$	1	$	(1)	$	1

(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.

Benefit Plan Contributions [Table Text Block]

The table below reflects the expected contributions to be made to the pension and postretirement benefit plans during 2021:

	CenterPoint Energy		Houston Electric		CERC
	(in millions)
Expected minimum contribution to pension plans during 2021	$	61	$	—	$	—
Expected contribution to postretirement benefit plans in 2021	9		1		3

On March 11, 2021, the ARPA was signed into law which includes pension plan funding relief for the sponsoring employers. As a result, the expected minimum contribution to pension plans for 2021 as disclosed is likely to be significantly reduced. However, at this time, CenterPoint Energy is not able to quantify the reduction amount until further IRS guidance related to the pension funding relief under the ARPA becomes available.

The table below reflects the contributions made to the pension and postretirement benefit plans during 2021:

		Three Months Ended March 31, 2021
		CenterPoint Energy		Houston Electric		CERC
	(in millions)
Pension plans		$	8	$	—	$	—
Postretirement benefit plans		3		—		1