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Divestitures (CenterPoint Energy and CERC)
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]  
Divestitures (CenterPoint Energy and CERC) [Text Block] Divestitures (CenterPoint Energy and CERC)Divestiture of Infrastructure Services (CenterPoint Energy). On February 3, 2020, CenterPoint Energy, through its subsidiary VUSI, entered into the Securities Purchase Agreement to sell the Infrastructure Services Disposal Group to PowerTeam Services. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Securities Purchase Agreement, PowerTeam Services agreed to purchase all of the outstanding equity interests of VISCO for approximately $850 million, subject to customary adjustments set
forth in the Securities Purchase Agreement, including adjustments based on VISCO’s net working capital at closing, indebtedness, cash and cash equivalents and transaction expenses. The transaction closed on April 9, 2020 for $850 million in cash. Additionally, as of September 30, 2020, CenterPoint Energy had a receivable from PowerTeam Services for working capital and other adjustments set forth in the Security Purchase Agreement.

In February 2020, certain assets and liabilities representing the Infrastructure Services Disposal Group met the held for sale criteria and represented all of the businesses within the reporting unit. In accordance with the Securities Purchase Agreement, VISCO was converted from a wholly-owned corporation to a limited liability company that was disregarded for federal income tax purposes immediately prior to the closing of the transaction resulting in the sale of membership units. The sale was considered an asset sale for tax purposes, requiring net deferred tax liabilities of approximately $127 million as of April 9, 2020, the date the transaction closed, to be recognized as a deferred income tax benefit by CenterPoint Energy. Additionally, CenterPoint Energy recognized a current tax benefit of $2 million and a current tax expense of $157 million in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, as a result of the cash taxes payable upon sale.

Upon classifying the Infrastructure Services Disposal Group as held for sale and in connection with the preparation of CenterPoint Energy’s financial statements as of the three months ended March 31, 2020, CenterPoint Energy recorded a goodwill impairment of approximately $82 million, plus an additional loss of $14 million for cost to sell, in the nine months ended September 30, 2020. Additionally, CenterPoint Energy recognized a net pre-tax loss of $9 million and $6 million in connection with the closing of the disposition of the Infrastructure Services Disposal Group during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively.

In the Securities Purchase Agreement, CenterPoint Energy agreed to a mechanism to reimburse PowerTeam Services subsequent to closing of the sale for certain amounts of specifically identified change orders that may be ultimately rejected by one of VISCO’s customers as part of on-going audits. CenterPoint Energy’s maximum contractual exposure under the Securities Purchase Agreement, in addition to the amount reflected in the working capital adjustment, for these change orders is $21 million. CenterPoint Energy does not expect the ultimate outcome of this matter to have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Divestiture of Energy Services (CenterPoint Energy and CERC). On February 24, 2020, CenterPoint Energy, through its subsidiary CERC Corp., entered into the Equity Purchase Agreement to sell the Energy Services Disposal Group to Symmetry Energy Solutions Acquisition. This transaction did not include CEIP and its assets or MES. Symmetry Energy Solutions Acquisition agreed to purchase all of the outstanding equity interests of the Energy Services Disposal Group for approximately $400 million, subject to customary adjustments set forth in the Equity Purchase Agreement, and inclusive of an estimate of the cash adjustment for the Energy Services Disposal Group’s net working capital at closing, indebtedness and transaction expenses. The transaction closed on June 1, 2020 for approximately $286 million in cash. Additionally, as of September 30, 2020, CenterPoint Energy had a receivable of $79 million from Symmetry Energy Solutions Acquisition for working capital and other adjustments set forth in the Equity Purchase Agreement. CenterPoint Energy collected such receivable in October 2020 for full and final settlement of the working capital adjustment under the Equity Purchase Agreement.

In February 2020, certain assets and liabilities representing the Energy Services Disposal Group met the criteria to be classified as held for sale and represented substantially all of the businesses within the reporting unit. In accordance with the Equity Purchase Agreement, CES was converted from a wholly-owned corporation to a limited liability company that is disregarded for federal income tax purposes immediately prior to the closing of the transaction resulting in the sale of membership units. The sale was considered an asset sale for tax purposes, requiring the net deferred tax liability of approximately $3 million as of June 1, 2020, the date the transaction closed, to be recognized as a deferred tax benefit by CenterPoint Energy and CERC upon closing. Additionally, CenterPoint Energy and CERC recognized current tax expense of $1 million and $4 million in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, as a result of the cash taxes payable upon sale.

Upon classifying the Energy Services Disposal Group as held for sale and in connection with the preparation of CenterPoint Energy’s and CERC’s respective financial statements as of the three months ended March 31, 2020, CenterPoint Energy and CERC recorded a goodwill impairment of approximately $62 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2020. Additionally, CenterPoint Energy recognized a loss on assets held for sale of approximately $-0- and $31 million, plus an additional loss of $-0- and $6 million for cost to sell, recorded only at CenterPoint Energy during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively. CenterPoint Energy and CERC recognized a gain on sale of $3 million in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020.

As a result of the sale of the Energy Services and Infrastructure Services Disposal Groups, there were no assets or liabilities classified as held for sale as of September 30, 2020. The assets and liabilities of the Infrastructure Services and Energy Services Disposal Groups as of December 31, 2019 have been recast as assets and liabilities held for sale and retained their current or
long-term classification applicable as of December 31, 2019. Long-lived assets are not depreciated or amortized once they are classified as held for sale. The assets and liabilities of the Infrastructure Services and Energy Services Disposal Groups classified as held for sale in CenterPoint Energy’s and CERC’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, as applicable, as of December 31, 2019 included the following:
December 31, 2019
CenterPoint EnergyCERC
Infrastructure Services Disposal GroupEnergy Services Disposal GroupTotalEnergy Services Disposal Group
(in millions)
Receivables, net$192 $445 $637 $445 
Accrued unbilled revenues109 117 
Natural gas inventory— 67 67 67 
Materials and supplies— — 
Non-trading derivative assets— 136 136 136 
Other35 39 35 
Total current assets held for sale311 691 1,002 691 
Property, plant and equipment, net295 26 321 26 
Goodwill
220 62 282 62 
Non-trading derivative assets— 58 58 58 
Other234 67 301 67 
Total non-current assets held for sale749 213 962 213 
Total assets held for sale$1,060 $904 $1,964 $904 
Accounts payable$45 $299 $344 $299 
Taxes accrued— — 
Non-trading derivative liabilities— 44 44 44 
Other40 25 65 25 
Total current liabilities held for sale87 368 455 368 
Non-trading derivative liabilities— 14 14 14 
Benefit obligations— 
Other16 25 
Total non-current liabilities held for sale16 27 43 27 
Total liabilities held for sale$103 $395 $498 $395 

Because the Infrastructure Services and Energy Services Disposal Groups met the held for sale criteria and their disposals also represent a strategic shift to CenterPoint Energy and CERC, as applicable, the earnings and expenses directly associated with these dispositions, including operating results of the businesses through the date of sale, are reflected as discontinued operations on CenterPoint Energy’s and CERC’s Statements of Consolidated Income, as applicable. As a result, prior periods have also been recast to reflect the earnings or losses from such businesses as income from discontinued operations, net of tax.
A summary of the Infrastructure Services and Energy Services Disposal Groups presented in CenterPoint Energy’s and CERC’s Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income, as applicable, is as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30,
20202019 202020192020201920202019
CenterPoint EnergyCERC
Infrastructure Services Disposal GroupEnergy Services Disposal GroupTotalEnergy Services Disposal Group
(in millions)
Revenues$— $377 $— $740 $— $1,117 $— $740 
Expenses:
Non-utility cost of revenues— 96 — 715 — 811 — 715 
Operation and maintenance — 235 — 17 — 252 — 17 
Depreciation and amortization— 15 — — 18 — 
Taxes other than income taxes— — — — — — 
Total— 347 — 735 — 1,082 — 735 
Income (loss) from Discontinued Operations before income taxes
— 30 — — 35 — 
Gain (loss) on classification to held for sale, net (2)(9)— — (6)— — 
Income tax expense (benefit)(1)15 — 16 
Net income (loss) from Discontinued Operations
$(8)$15 $$$(6)$19 $$
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2020
2019 (1)
202020192020201920202019
CenterPoint EnergyCERC
Infrastructure Services Disposal GroupEnergy Services Disposal GroupTotalEnergy Services Disposal Group
(in millions)
Revenues$250 $849 $1,167 $2,834 $1,417 $3,683 $1,167 $2,834 
Expenses:
Non-utility cost of revenues50 228 1,108 2,701 1,158 2,929 1,108 2,701 
Operation and maintenance 184 526 34 51 218 577 34 51 
Depreciation and amortization— 39 — 10 — 49 — 10 
Taxes other than income taxes— — 
Total235 794 1,145 2,762 1,380 3,556 1,145 2,762 
Income (loss) from Discontinued Operations before income taxes
15 55 22 72 37 127 22 72 
Gain (loss) on classification to held for sale, net (2)(102)— (96)— (198)— (90)— 
Income tax expense (benefit)24 21 (3)17 21 38 (2)15 
Net income (loss) from Discontinued Operations
$(111)$34 $(71)$55 $(182)$89 $(66)$57 

(1)Reflects February 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019 results only due to the Merger.

(2)Loss from classification to held for sale is inclusive of goodwill impairment, gains and losses recognized upon sale, and for CenterPoint Energy, its costs to sell.
CenterPoint Energy and CERC have elected not to separately disclose discontinued operations on their respective Condensed Statements of Consolidated Cash Flows. Long-lived assets are not depreciated or amortized once they are classified as held for sale. The following table summarizes CenterPoint Energy’s and CERC’s cash flows from discontinued operations and certain supplemental cash flow disclosures related to the Infrastructure Services and Energy Services Disposal Groups, as applicable:
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2020
2019 (1)
2020201920202019
CenterPoint EnergyCERC
Infrastructure Services Disposal GroupEnergy Services Disposal GroupEnergy Services Disposal Group
(in millions)
Depreciation and amortization$— $39 $— $10 $— $10 
Amortization of intangible assets in Non-utility cost of revenues— 15 — — — — 
Write-down of natural gas inventory— — 
Capital expenditures16 53 12 12 
Non-cash transactions:
Accounts payable related to capital expenditures

(1)Reflects February 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019 results only due to the Merger.

Other Sale Related Matters (CenterPoint Energy and CERC). CES provided natural gas supply to CenterPoint Energy’s and CERC’s NGD under contracts executed in a competitive bidding process, with the duration of some contracts extending into 2021. In addition, CERC is the natural gas transportation provider for a portion of CES’s customer base and will continue to be the transportation provider for these customers as long as these customers retain a relationship with the divested CES business.

Revenues and expenses incurred by CenterPoint Energy and CERC for natural gas transportation and supply until the closing of the sale of the Energy Services Disposal Group were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30,
2020
20192020 2019
CenterPoint EnergyCERC
(in millions)
Transportation revenue$— $33 $— $33 
Natural gas expense— 10 — 10 
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2020 (1)
2019
2020 (1)
2019
CenterPoint EnergyCERC
(in millions)
Transportation revenue$34 $81 $34 $81 
Natural gas expense48 90 47 89 

(1)Represents charges for the period January 1, 2020 until the closing of the sale of the Energy Services Disposal Group.

NGD has AMAs associated with its utility distribution service in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. The AMAs are with the Energy Services Disposal Group and will expire in 2021. Pursuant to the provisions of the agreements, NGD sells natural gas and agrees to repurchase an equivalent amount of natural gas during the winter heating seasons at the same cost. These transactions are accounted for as inventory financing. CenterPoint Energy and CERC had outstanding obligations related to the AMAs of $31 million and $-0- as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively.

The Infrastructure Services Disposal Group provides pipeline construction and repair services to CenterPoint Energy’s and CERC’s NGD. In accordance with consolidation guidance in ASC 980—Regulated Operations, costs incurred by NGD utilities for these pipeline construction and repair services are not eliminated in consolidation when capitalized and included in rate base by the NGD utility. Amounts charged for these services that are not capitalized are included primarily in Operation and maintenance expenses. Fees incurred by CenterPoint Energy’s and CERC’s NGD for pipeline construction and repair services
are as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30,
2020 2019 20202019
CenterPoint EnergyCERC
(in millions)
Pipeline construction and repair services capitalized$— $45 $— $
Pipeline construction and repair service charges in operations and maintenance expense
— — 
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2020 (1)
2019 (2)
20202019
CenterPoint EnergyCERC
(in millions)
Pipeline construction and repair services capitalized$34 $112 $— $12 
Pipeline construction and repair service charges in operations and maintenance expense

(1)Represents charges for the period January 1, 2020 until the closing of the sale of the Infrastructure Services Disposal Group.

(2)Represents charges for the period beginning February 1, 2019 due to the Merger.