New Accounting Pronouncements	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]
Description of New Accounting Pronouncements Not yet Adopted [Text Block]	New Accounting Pronouncements In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis (ASU 2015-02). ASU 2015-02 changes the analysis that reporting organizations must perform to evaluate whether they should consolidate certain legal entities, such as limited partnerships. The changes include, among others, modification of the evaluation of whether limited partnerships and similar legal entities are VIEs or voting interest entities and elimination of the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership. ASU 2015-02 does not amend the related party guidance for situations in which power is shared between two or more entities that hold interests in a VIE. Houston Electric adopted ASU 2015-02 on January 1, 2016, which Houston Electric determined did not have a material impact on its financial position, results of operations, cash flows and disclosures. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Interest-Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Cost (ASU 2015-03). ASU 2015-03 requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by ASU 2015-03. Houston Electric adopted ASU 2015-03 retrospectively on January 1, 2016, which resulted in a reduction of other long-term assets and total long-term debt on its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Houston Electric had debt issuance costs, excluding amounts related to credit facility arrangements, of $21 million as of both March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015. In May 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-07, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosures for Investments in Certain Entities That Calculate Net Asset Value per Share (or Its Equivalent) (ASU 2015-07). ASU 2015-07 removes the requirement to categorize within the fair value hierarchy investments for which fair values are measured at NAV using the practical expedient. Entities will be required to disclose the fair value of investments measured using the NAV practical expedient so that financial statement users can reconcile amounts reported in the fair value hierarchy table to amounts reported on the balance sheet. Houston Electric adopted ASU 2015-07 on January 1, 2016, which will have an impact on its employee benefit plan disclosures, beginning with its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. This standard did not have an impact on Houston Electric’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-16, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments (ASU 2015-16). ASU 2015-16 eliminates the requirement for an acquirer in a business combination to account for measurement-period adjustments retrospectively. Instead, an acquirer would recognize a measurement-period adjustment during the period in which the amount of the adjustment is determined. Houston Electric adopted ASU 2015-16 on January 1, 2016, which did not have an impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments-Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities (ASU 2016-01). ASU 2016-01 requires equity investments that do not result in consolidation and are not accounted for under the equity method to be measured at fair value and to recognize any changes in fair value in net income unless the investments qualify for the new practicability exception. It does not change the guidance for classifying and measuring investments in debt securities and loans. ASU 2016-01 also changes certain disclosure requirements and other aspects related to recognition and measurement of financial assets and financial liabilities. ASU 2016-01 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Houston Electric is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its financial position, results of operations, cash flows and disclosures. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (ASU 2016-02). ASU 2016-02 provides a comprehensive new lease model that requires lessees to recognize assets and liabilities for most leases and would change certain aspects of lessor accounting. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. Houston Electric is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its financial position, results of operations, cash flows and disclosures. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-05, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Effect of Derivative Contract Novation on Existing Hedge Accounting Relationships (ASU 2016-05). ASU 2016-05 clarifies that a change in the counterparty to a derivative instrument that has been designated as the hedging instrument in an existing hedging relationship would not, in and of itself, be considered a termination of the derivative instrument or a change in a critical term of the hedging relationship. This clarification applies to both cash flow and fair value hedging relationships. Houston Electric adopted ASU 2016-05 prospectively in the first quarter of 2016, which did not have an impact on its financial position, results of operations, cash flows and disclosures. In March and April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (ASU 2016-08) and ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing (ASU 2016-10), respectively. ASU 2016-08 and ASU 2016-10 clarify certain aspects of ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) (ASU 2014-09), which supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance. Houston Electric is currently evaluating the impact that ASU 2016-08, ASU 2016-10, and ASU 2014-09 will have on its financial position, results of operations, cash flows and disclosures and expects to adopt the three ASUs on January 1, 2018. Management believes that other recently issued standards, which are not yet effective, will not have a material impact on Houston Electric’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows upon adoption.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis (ASU 2015-02). ASU 2015-02 changes the analysis that reporting organizations must perform to evaluate whether they should consolidate certain legal entities, such as limited partnerships. The changes include, among others, modification of the evaluation of whether limited partnerships and similar legal entities are VIEs or voting interest entities and elimination of the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership. ASU 2015-02 does not amend the related party guidance for situations in which power is shared between two or more entities that hold interests in a VIE. Houston Electric adopted ASU 2015-02 on January 1, 2016, which Houston Electric determined did not have a material impact on its financial position, results of operations, cash flows and disclosures.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Interest-Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Cost (ASU 2015-03). ASU 2015-03 requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by ASU 2015-03. Houston Electric adopted ASU 2015-03 retrospectively on January 1, 2016, which resulted in a reduction of other long-term assets and total long-term debt on its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Houston Electric had debt issuance costs, excluding amounts related to credit facility arrangements, of $21 million as of both March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015.

In May 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-07, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosures for Investments in Certain Entities That Calculate Net Asset Value per Share (or Its Equivalent) (ASU 2015-07). ASU 2015-07 removes the requirement to categorize within the fair value hierarchy investments for which fair values are measured at NAV using the practical expedient. Entities will be required to disclose the fair value of investments measured using the NAV practical expedient so that financial statement users can reconcile amounts reported in the fair value hierarchy table to amounts reported on the balance sheet. Houston Electric adopted ASU 2015-07 on January 1, 2016, which will have an impact on its employee benefit plan disclosures, beginning with its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. This standard did not have an impact on Houston Electric’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-16, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments (ASU 2015-16). ASU 2015-16 eliminates the requirement for an acquirer in a business combination to account for measurement-period adjustments retrospectively. Instead, an acquirer would recognize a measurement-period adjustment during the period in which the amount of the adjustment is determined. Houston Electric adopted ASU 2015-16 on January 1, 2016, which did not have an impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments-Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities (ASU 2016-01). ASU 2016-01 requires equity investments that do not result in consolidation and are not accounted for under the equity method to be measured at fair value and to recognize any changes in fair value in net income unless the investments qualify for the new practicability exception. It does not change the guidance for classifying and measuring investments in debt securities and loans. ASU 2016-01 also changes certain disclosure requirements and other aspects related to recognition and measurement of financial assets and financial liabilities. ASU 2016-01 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Houston Electric is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its financial position, results of operations, cash flows and disclosures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (ASU 2016-02). ASU 2016-02 provides a comprehensive new lease model that requires lessees to recognize assets and liabilities for most leases and would change certain aspects of lessor accounting. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. Houston Electric is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its financial position, results of operations, cash flows and disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-05, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Effect of Derivative Contract Novation on Existing Hedge Accounting Relationships (ASU 2016-05). ASU 2016-05 clarifies that a change in the counterparty to a derivative instrument that has been designated as the hedging instrument in an existing hedging relationship would not, in and of itself, be considered a termination of the derivative instrument or a change in a critical term of the hedging relationship. This clarification applies to both cash flow and fair value hedging relationships. Houston Electric adopted ASU 2016-05 prospectively in the first quarter of 2016, which did not have an impact on its financial position, results of operations, cash flows and disclosures.

In March and April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (ASU 2016-08) and ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing (ASU 2016-10), respectively. ASU 2016-08 and ASU 2016-10 clarify certain aspects of ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) (ASU 2014-09), which supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance. Houston Electric is currently evaluating the impact that ASU 2016-08, ASU 2016-10, and ASU 2014-09 will have on its financial position, results of operations, cash flows and disclosures and expects to adopt the three ASUs on January 1, 2018.

Management believes that other recently issued standards, which are not yet effective, will not have a material impact on Houston Electric’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows upon adoption.