Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Net uncertain tax liability	$ 4
Unrecognized tax benefits as a result of lapse of communication	$ 3
Houston Electric
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Effective income tax rate (as a percent)	22.00%	13.00%
Continuing Operations
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Effective income tax rate (as a percent)	27.00%	15.00%
Continuing Operations \| CERC Corp
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Effective income tax rate (as a percent)	26.00%	22.00%
Discontinued Operations
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Effective income tax rate (as a percent)	0.00%	23.00%

Percentage of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121826272&loc=d3e32687-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxContingencyLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount recognized for uncertainty in income taxes classified as noncurrent.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.24)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LiabilityForUncertainTaxPositionsNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of decrease in unrecognized tax benefits resulting from lapses of applicable statutes of limitations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 15A
-Subparagraph (a)(4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121826272&loc=SL6600010-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsReductionsResultingFromLapseOfApplicableStatuteOfLimitations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=cnp_HoustonElectricMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementOperatingActivitiesSegmentAxis=us-gaap_SegmentContinuingOperationsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=cnp_CercCorpMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementOperatingActivitiesSegmentAxis=us-gaap_SegmentDiscontinuedOperationsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: