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Employee Benefit Plans (Tables) | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2023
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 September 30, |  | Nine Months Ended September 30,
| 2023 |  | 2022 |  | 2023 |  | 2022
| (in millions)
Service cost (1) | $ | 6 |  |  | $ | 7 |  |  | $ | 19 |  |  | $ | 23 |
Interest cost (2) | 19 |  |  | 20 |  |  | 57 |  |  | 52 |
Expected return on plan assets (2) | (19) |  |  | (21) |  |  | (57) |  |  | (69) |
Amortization of net loss (2) | 7 |  |  | 8 |  |  | 21 |  |  | 22 |
Settlement cost (2) (3) | — |  |  | 8 |  |  | — |  |  | 38 |
Net periodic cost | $ | 13 |  |  | $ | 22 |  |  | $ | 40 |  |  | $ | 66 |
(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, net in CenterPoint Energy’s Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income, net of regulatory deferrals. (3)Amounts presented represent a one-time, non-cash settlement cost, prior to regulatory deferrals, which are required when the total lump sum distributions or other settlements of plan benefit obligations during a plan year exceed the service cost and interest cost components of the net periodic cost for that year. Postretirement Benefits
| Three Months Ended September 30,
| 2023 |  | 2022
| CenterPoint Energy |  | Houston Electric |  | CERC |  | CenterPoint Energy |  | Houston Electric |  | CERC
| (in millions)
Service cost (1) | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 1 |
Interest cost (2) | 3 |  |  | 1 |  |  | 1 |  |  | 3 |  |  | 1 |  |  | 1 |
Expected return on plan assets (2) | (1) |  |  | (1) |  |  | — |  |  | (1) |  |  | (1) |  |  | (1) |
Amortization of prior service credit (2) | (1) |  |  | (1) |  |  | 1 |  |  | (1) |  |  | (1) |  |  | — |
Amortization of net loss (2) | (2) |  |  | (1) |  |  | (1) |  |  | (1) |  |  | (1) |  |  | — |
Net periodic cost (benefit) | $ | (1) |  |  | $ | (2) |  |  | $ | 1 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | (2) |  |  | $ | 1 |
| Nine Months Ended September 30,
| 2023 |  | 2022
| CenterPoint Energy |  | Houston Electric |  | CERC |  | CenterPoint Energy |  | Houston Electric |  | CERC
| (in millions)
Service cost (1) | $ | 1 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 1 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 1 |
Interest cost (2) | 9 |  |  | 4 |  |  | 3 |  |  | 7 |  |  | 3 |  |  | 3 |
Expected return on plan assets (2) | (4) |  |  | (3) |  |  | — |  |  | (3) |  |  | (3) |  |  | (1) |
Amortization of prior service cost (credit) (2) | (2) |  |  | (4) |  |  | 2 |  |  | (2) |  |  | (3) |  |  | 1 |
Amortization of net loss (2) | (6) |  |  | (3) |  |  | (2) |  |  | (3) |  |  | (2) |  |  | (1) |
Net periodic cost (benefit) | $ | (2) |  |  | $ | (6) |  |  | $ | 3 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | (5) |  |  | $ | 3 |
(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.
Schedule of Benefit Plan Contributions | The table below reflects the expected contributions to be made to the pension and postretirement benefit plans during 2023:
| CenterPoint Energy |  | Houston Electric |  | CERC
| (in millions)
Expected contribution to pension plans during 2023 | $ | 31 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |
Expected contribution to postretirement benefit plans in 2023 | 8 |  |  | 1 |  |  | 4 |
The table below reflects the contributions made to the pension and postretirement benefit plans:
| Three Months Ended September 30, 2023 |  | Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
| CenterPoint Energy |  | Houston Electric |  | CERC |  | CenterPoint Energy |  | Houston Electric |  | CERC
| (in millions)
Pension plans (1) | $ | 26 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 30 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |
Postretirement benefit plans | 1 |  |  | — |  |  | 1 |  |  | 5 |  |  | — |  |  | 3 |
(1)A discretionary contribution in the amount of $24 million was made in September 2023.

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- Definition Tabular disclosure of the components of net benefit costs for pension plans and/or other employee benefit plans including service cost, interest cost, expected return on plan assets, gain (loss), prior service cost or credit, transition asset or obligation, and gain (loss) recognized due to settlements or curtailments. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Subparagraph (h) -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Paragraph 1 -Section 50 -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147480506/715-20-50-1 + Details
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