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Reportable Segments
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]  
Reportable Segments [Text Block]
(18) Reportable Segments

The Registrants’ determination of reportable segments considers the strategic operating units under which the Registrants’ CODM manages sales, allocates resources and assesses performance of various products and services to wholesale or retail customers in differing regulatory environments. As of January 1, 2020, each Registrant’s CODM viewed net income as the measure of profit or loss for the reportable segments rather than the previous measure of operating income. During the fourth quarter of 2020, CenterPoint Energy’s CODM requested that the financial information for the electric businesses be presented on an aggregated basis for review, resulting in one Electric reportable segment, inclusive of Houston Electric and Indiana Electric. Also, the Natural Gas Distribution reportable segment was renamed Natural Gas. Additionally during the fourth quarter of 2020, CenterPoint Energy’s and CERC’s CODM requested that the CERC corporate functions be included within the financial results of CenterPoint Energy’s Natural Gas reportable segment for review purposes. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.

As of December 31, 2020, reportable segments by Registrant are as follows:

CenterPoint Energy

•CenterPoint Energy’s Electric reportable segment consists of electric transmission and distribution services in 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, formerly included in the Energy Services reportable segment; and (iii) temporary delivery of LNG and CNG throughout the contiguous 48 states through MES, formerly included in the Energy Services reportable segment.

•CenterPoint Energy’s Midstream Investments reportable segment consists of the equity investment in Enable (excluding the Enable Series A Preferred Units). For further information, see Notes 11 and 22.

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 Houston Electric T&D reportable segment consists of electric transmission and distribution services in the Texas Gulf Coast area.

CERC

•During the fourth quarter of 2020, CERC’s CODM requested that the CERC corporate functions be included within the financial results of CERC’s Natural Gas reportable segment for review purposes. As a result of this change and following the divestiture of the Energy Services Disposal Group, CERC now consists of a single reportable segment. CERC’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, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas; (ii) permanent pipeline connections through interconnects with various interstate and intrastate pipeline companies through CEIP, formerly included in the Energy Services reportable segment; and (iii) temporary delivery of LNG and CNG throughout the contiguous 48 states through MES, formerly included in the Energy Services reportable segment.

Discontinued Operations (CenterPoint Energy and CERC)

On February 3, 2020, CenterPoint Energy, through its subsidiary VUSI, entered into the Securities Purchase Agreement to sell the Infrastructure Services Disposal Group, which consisted of underground pipeline construction and repair services. Accordingly, the previously reported Infrastructure Services reportable segment has been eliminated. The transaction closed on April 9, 2020. See Note 4 for further information. Additionally, on February 24, 2020, CenterPoint Energy, through its subsidiary CERC Corp., entered into the Equity Purchase Agreement to sell the Energy Services Disposal Group, which consisted of non-rate regulated natural gas sales and service operations. Accordingly, the previously reported Energy Services reportable segment has been eliminated. The transaction closed on June 1, 2020. See Note 4 for further information.

Expenditures for long-lived assets include property, plant and equipment. Intersegment sales are eliminated in consolidation, except as described in Note 2(b).

Financial data for reportable segments and products and services are as follows:

CenterPoint Energy

 Revenues
from
External
Customers		Equity in Earnings of Unconsolidated AffiliatesDepreciation
and
Amortization		Interest IncomeInterest ExpenseIncome Tax Expense
(Benefit)		Net Income (Loss)
(in millions)
For the year ended December 31, 2020:    
 
Electric$3,470 $— $663 $3 $(220)$72 $230 
Natural Gas3,631 — 454 8 (153)125 278 
Midstream Investments — (1,428)— 1 (54)(364)(1,116)
Corporate and Other317 — 72 103 (213)(107)17 
Eliminations— — — (111)111 — — 
Continuing Operations
$7,418 $(1,428)$1,189 $4 $(529)$(274)(591)
Discontinued Operations, net
(182)
Consolidated
$(773)
For the year ended December 31, 2019:     
Electric$3,519 $— $739 $27 $(225)$96 $419 
Natural Gas3,750 — 420 6 (144)2 251 
Midstream Investments — 229 — 8 (53)53 131 
Corporate and Other295 1 66 126 (290)(59)(119)
Eliminations— — — (145)145 — — 
Continuing Operations
$7,564 $230 $1,225 $22 $(567)$92  682 
Discontinued Operations, net
109 
Consolidated
$791 
For the year ended December 31, 2018:      
Electric$3,232 $— $917 $5 $(197)$89 $334 
Natural Gas3,031 — 280 1 (122)31 98 
Midstream Investments— 307 — — (10)73 224 
Corporate and Other14 — 33 66 (135)(38)(260)
Eliminations— — — (44)44 — — 
Continuing Operations
$6,277 $307 $1,230 $28 $(420)$155 396 
Discontinued Operations, net
(28)
Consolidated
$368 
(1)Houston Electric’s revenues from major external customers are as follows (CenterPoint Energy and Houston Electric):
Year Ended December 31,
202020192018
(in millions)
Affiliates of NRG$749 $727 $705 
Affiliates of Vistra Energy Corp.404 263 251 


Total AssetsExpenditures for Long-lived Assets
December 31, December 31,
 2020
 
20192018202020192018
(in millions)
Electric$14,493 $14,432 $10,509 $1,281 $1,216 $952 
Natural Gas14,976 14,002 7,188 1,139 1,098 638 
Midstream Investments 913 2,473 2,482 — — — 
Corporate and Other, net of eliminations (1)
3,089 2,658 5,805 95 194 110 
Continuing Operations
33,471 
 
33,565 25,984 2,515 2,508 1,700 
Assets Held for Sale/Discontinued Operations
— 1,964 1,109 21 79 20 
Consolidated
$33,471 $35,529 $27,093 $2,536 $2,587 $1,720 

(1)Total assets included pension and other postemployment-related regulatory assets of $540 million, $584 million and $665 million as of December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Additionally, total assets as of December 31, 2018 included $3.9 billion of temporary investments included in Cash and cash equivalents on CenterPoint Energy’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.

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.

Revenues by Products and Services:
 Year Ended December 31,
202020192018
Revenues by Products and Services:
CenterPoint EnergyHouston ElectricCERCCenterPoint EnergyHouston ElectricCERCCenterPoint EnergyHouston ElectricCERC
 (in millions)
Electric delivery$2,941 $2,911 $— $3,019 $2,990 $— $3,232 $3,234 $— 
Retail electric sales515 — — 486 — — — — — 
Wholesale electric sales14 — — 14 — — — — — 
Retail gas sales3,462 — 2,594 3,563 — 2,831 2,857 — 2,857 
Gas transportation and processing
15 — 15 33 — 33 32 — 32 
Energy products and services
471 — 154 449 — 154 156 — 142 
Total$7,418 $2,911 $2,763 $7,564 $2,990 $3,018 $6,277 $3,234 $3,031