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Property, Plant and Equipment
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]  
Property, Plant and Equipment Property, Plant and Equipment
(a) Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment includes the following:
December 31, 2024December 31, 2023
Weighted Average Useful LivesProperty, Plant and Equipment, GrossAccumulated Depreciation & AmortizationProperty, Plant and Equipment, NetProperty, Plant and Equipment, GrossAccumulated Depreciation & AmortizationProperty, Plant and Equipment, Net
(in years)(in millions)
CenterPoint Energy
Electric transmission and distribution 37$21,387 $4,810 $16,577 $19,151 $4,762 $14,389 
Electric generation (1)251,107 154 953 1,381 315 1,066 
Natural gas distribution3216,399 4,326 12,073 16,492 4,337 12,155 
Finance ROU asset (2)7.5662 232 430 662 136 526 
Other property223,112 1,056 2,056 2,710 993 1,717 
Total $42,667 $10,578 $32,089 $40,396 $10,543 $29,853 
December 31, 2024December 31, 2023
Weighted Average Useful LivesProperty, Plant and Equipment, GrossAccumulated Depreciation & AmortizationProperty, Plant and Equipment, NetProperty, Plant and Equipment, GrossAccumulated Depreciation & AmortizationProperty, Plant and Equipment, Net
(in years)(in millions)
Houston Electric
Electric transmission and distribution37$18,645 $3,647 $14,998 $16,800 $3,641 $13,159 
Finance ROU asset (2)7.5662 232 430 662 136 526 
Other property202,443 749 1,694 2,053 692 1,361 
Total$21,750 $4,628 $17,122 $19,515 $4,469 $15,046 
CERC
Natural gas distribution32$15,474 $4,118 $11,356 $15,591 $4,136 $11,455 
Other property1178 28 50 81 33 48 
Total $15,552 $4,146 $11,406 $15,672 $4,169 $11,503 

(1)SIGECO and AGC owned a 300 MW unit at the Warrick Power Plant (Warrick Unit 4) as tenants in common as of December 31, 2023. SIGECO’s share of the cost of this unit as of December 31, 2023, was $198 million with accumulated depreciation totaling $171 million. Under the operating agreement, AGC and SIGECO shared equally in the cost of operation and output of the unit. SIGECO’s share of operating costs was included in Operation and maintenance expense in CenterPoint Energy’s Statements of Consolidated Income. SIGECO exited joint operations of Warrick Unit 4 on January 1, 2024.
(2)Houston Electric recognized a finance ROU asset as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 related to temporary generation. See Note 19 for further discussion.

(b) Depreciation and Amortization

The following table presents depreciation and amortization expense for 2024, 2023 and 2022:
 Year Ended December 31,
 202420232022
 CenterPoint EnergyHouston ElectricCERCCenterPoint EnergyHouston ElectricCERCCenterPoint EnergyHouston ElectricCERC
 (in millions)
Depreciation$1,177 $545 $492 $1,092 $484 $459 $1,013 $434 $420 
Amortization of securitized regulatory assets90 74 — 163 155 — 191 191 — 
Other amortization172 143 30 146 109 34 84 45 28 
Total$1,439 $762 $522 $1,401 $748 $493 $1,288 $670 $448 

(c) AROs

The Registrants account for an ARO at fair value in the period during which the legal obligation is incurred if a reasonable estimate of fair value and its settlement date can be made. At the timing of recording an ARO, the associated asset retirement costs are capitalized as part of the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset. The Registrants recognize a regulatory asset or liability for the timing differences between the recognition of expenses and costs recovered through the ratemaking process. The estimates of future liabilities are developed using a discounted cash flow model based upon estimates and assumptions of future costs, interest rates, credit-adjusted risk-free rates and the estimated timing of settlement.

The Registrants have recorded AROs associated with the removal of asbestos and asbestos-containing material in its buildings, including substation building structures. CenterPoint Energy recorded AROs relating to the closure of the ash ponds at A.B. Brown and F.B. Culley as well as certain sites in Indiana pursuant to the CCR Legacy Rule; see Note 14(d) for further discussion. CenterPoint Energy and Houston Electric also recorded AROs relating to treated wood poles for electric distribution, distribution transformers containing PCB (also known as Polychlorinated Biphenyl), and underground fuel storage tanks. CenterPoint Energy and CERC also recorded AROs relating to gas pipelines abandoned in place.

A reconciliation of the changes in the ARO liability recorded in Other non-current liabilities on each of the Registrants’ respective Consolidated Balance Sheets is as follows:
 December 31, 2024December 31, 2023
 CenterPoint Energy Houston ElectricCERC CenterPoint Energy Houston ElectricCERC
 (in millions)
Beginning balance$590 $40 $380 $610 $36 $420 
Additions11 — — — — — 
Accretion expense (1)21 1 16 23 1 16 
Revisions in estimates (2)(34)(2)(33)(43)3 (56)
Ending balance$588 $39 $363 $590 $40 $380 

(1)Reflected in Regulatory assets on each of the Registrants’ respective Consolidated Balance Sheets.
(2)In 2024 and 2023, CenterPoint Energy and CERC reflected a decrease in their respective ARO liability, which was primarily attributable to increases in the long-term interest rates used for discounting in the ARO calculation. In 2024, Houston Electric reflected a decrease in its ARO liability attributable to an increase in discount rates, while in 2023, Houston Electric reflected an increase in its ARO liability attributable to an increase in discount rates and disposal costs.