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Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
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 March 31,
20242023
(in millions)
Service cost (1)$6 $6 
Interest cost (2)19 19 
Expected return on plan assets (2)(19)(19)
Amortization of net loss (2)7 7 
Settlement cost (2) (3)— 1 
Net periodic cost$13 $14 

(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 March 31,
20242023
CenterPoint EnergyHouston ElectricCERCCenterPoint EnergyHouston ElectricCERC
(in millions)
Interest cost (1)
$3 $1 $1 $3 $1 $1 
Expected return on plan assets (1)
(1)(1)— (1)(1)— 
Amortization of prior service cost (credit) (1)
(1)(1)1 — (1)1 
Amortization of net loss (1)
(2)(1)(1)(2)(1)(1)
Net periodic cost (benefit)$(1)$(2)$1 $— $(2)$1 
(1)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 2024:
CenterPoint EnergyHouston ElectricCERC
(in millions)
Expected contribution to pension plans during 2024
$9 $— $— 
Expected contribution to postretirement benefit plans in 2024
8 1 4 
The table below reflects the contributions made to the pension and postretirement benefit plans during the period presented:
Three Months Ended March 31, 2024
CenterPoint Energy Houston ElectricCERC
(in millions)
Pension plans
$2 $— $— 
Postretirement benefit plans2 — 1