Employee Benefit Plans

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2026

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 for the periods presented:

Pension Benefits (CenterPoint Energy)


	Three Months Ended March 31,
		2026		2025
		(in millions)
Service cost (1)		$	7	$	6
Interest cost (2)		19		20
Expected return on plan assets (2)		(21)		(20)

Amortization of net loss (2)		7		7


Net periodic cost		$	12	$	13

(1)Included in Operation and maintenance expense in CenterPoint Energy’s Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income, net of amounts capitalized and regulatory deferrals.

(2)Included in Other income, net in CenterPoint Energy’s Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income, net of regulatory deferrals.

Postretirement Benefits













	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2026						2025
	CenterPoint Energy		Houston Electric		CERC		CenterPoint Energy		Houston Electric		CERC
	(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)		—		(2)		(1)		(1)
Net periodic cost (benefit)	$	(1)	$	(2)	$	1	$	(1)	$	(2)	$	1

(1)Included in Other income, net in each of the Registrants’ respective Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income, net of regulatory deferrals.

Benefit Plan Contributions

The table below reflects the contributions made to the pension and postretirement benefit plans during the period presented:


	Three Months Ended March 31, 2026
		CenterPoint Energy		Houston Electric		CERC
		(in millions)
Pension plans		$	16	$	—	$	—
Postretirement benefit plans		4		—		2

- Definition

The entire disclosure for retirement benefits.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (o)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480506/715-20-50-1

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (p)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480506/715-20-50-1

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (q)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480506/715-20-50-1

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 60
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480266/715-60-50-3

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480126/715-20-S99-2

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 70
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480794/715-70-50-1

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 17
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480482/715-20-55-17

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (d)(iv)(03)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480506/715-20-50-1

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (d)(i)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480506/715-20-50-1

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (l)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480506/715-20-50-1

Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 715
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/715/tableOfContent

Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (d)(iii)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480506/715-20-50-1

Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (r)(1)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480506/715-20-50-1

Reference 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (r)(2)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480506/715-20-50-1

+ Details

CENTERPOINT ENERGY INC 10-Q