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Income Taxes
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes Income Taxes
The Registrants reported the following effective tax rates:
Three Months Ended March 31,
20242023
CenterPoint Energy (1)
18 %19 %
Houston Electric (2)
20 %23 %
CERC (3)
19 %22 %

(1)CenterPoint Energy’s lower effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the same period ended March 31, 2023 was primarily due to the tax impacts of the state deferred remeasurement benefit of $25 million related to the Louisiana and Mississippi natural gas LDC businesses sale, which met the held for sale criteria in the first quarter of 2024 and is described further below. This was partially offset by the tax impacts of the valuation allowance of $21 million established against Louisiana and Mississippi NOLs, since those NOLs will not be utilized due to the Louisiana and Mississippi natural gas LDC businesses sale. See Note 3 for further details.
(2)Houston Electric’s lower effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the same period ended March 31, 2023 was primarily driven by a decrease in state income taxes and an increase in EDIT amortization.
(3)CERC’s lower effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the same period ended March 31, 2023 was primarily driven by the tax impacts of the state deferred remeasurement benefit of $24 million associated with the Louisiana and Mississippi natural gas LDC businesses sale meeting the held for sale criteria in the first quarter of 2024. For tax purposes, when the held for sale criteria is met, the CERC and unitary state apportionment rates must be updated to account for the sale and applied to the estimated post-sale net deferred tax liability. This impact was partially offset by the tax impacts of a valuation allowance of $21 million against Louisiana and Mississippi NOLs, since those NOLs will not be utilized due to the Louisiana and Mississippi natural gas LDC businesses sale. Additionally, state income tax expense has decreased as a result of higher revenues in states with lower tax rates.

CenterPoint Energy reported a net uncertain tax liability, inclusive of interest and penalties, of $30 million as of March 31, 2024. The Registrants believe that it is reasonably possible that the Registrants will recognize a $3 million tax benefit, including penalties and interest, in the next 12 months as a result of a lapse of statutes on the 2020 Indiana state return.

Tax Audits and Settlements. Tax years through 2018 and tax year 2021 have been audited and settled with the IRS for CenterPoint Energy. Tax years 2019-2020 remain open. For the 2021-2023 tax years, the Registrants are participants in the IRS’s Compliance Assurance Process. Vectren’s pre-Merger 2014-2019 tax years have been audited and settled with the IRS.