0000001 - Document - Cover Page link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000002 - Document - Audit Information link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000003 - Statement - STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED INCOME link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000004 - Statement - STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED INCOME (Parenthetical) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000005 - Statement - STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED COMPREHENSIVE INCOME link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000006 - Statement - STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Parenthetical) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000007 - Statement - CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000008 - Statement - CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000009 - Statement - STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOWS link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000010 - 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Disclosure - Held for Sale and Divestitures (CenterPoint Energy and CERC) - Discontinued Operations Narrative (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000074 - Disclosure - Held for Sale and Divestitures (CenterPoint Energy and CERC) - Summary of Discontinued Operations (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000075 - Disclosure - Revenue Recognition - Disaggregation of Revenue (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000076 - Disclosure - Revenue Recognition - Summary of Contract Assets and Liabilities (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000077 - Disclosure - Revenue Recognition - Remaining Performance Obligations (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000077 - Disclosure - Revenue Recognition - Remaining Performance Obligations (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000078 - Disclosure - Revenue Recognition - Schedule of Bad Debt Expense (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000079 - Disclosure - Goodwill and Other Intangibles (CenterPoint Energy and CERC ) (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000080 - Disclosure - Regulatory Matters - Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000081 - Disclosure - Regulatory Matters - Schedule of Allowed Equity Return Recognized (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000082 - Disclosure - Regulatory Matters - Narrative (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000083 - Disclosure - Stock-Based Incentive Compensation Plans and Employee Benefit Plans - Stock Based Incentive Compensation (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000084 - Disclosure - Stock-Based Incentive Compensation Plans and Employee Benefit Plans - Pension and Postretirement Benefits (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000085 - Disclosure - Stock-Based Incentive Compensation Plans and Employee Benefit Plans - Plan Assets (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000086 - Disclosure - Stock-Based Incentive Compensation Plans and Employee Benefit Plans - Change in Control Agreements and Other Employee Matters (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000087 - Disclosure - Derivative Instruments - Interest Rate Hedging and Weather Hedges (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000088 - Disclosure - Derivative Instruments - Summary of Derivative Activity (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000089 - Disclosure - Fair Value Measurements - Schedule of Assets and Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000090 - Disclosure - Fair Value Measurements - Narrative (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000091 - Disclosure - Fair Value Measurements - Schedule of Estimated Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000092 - Disclosure - Equity Securities and Indexed Debt Securities (ZENS) (CenterPoint Energy) - Schedule of Sale of Equity Securities (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000093 - Disclosure - Equity Securities and Indexed Debt Securities (ZENS) (CenterPoint Energy) - Schedule of Gain (Loss) On Equity Securities (CenterPoint Energy) (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000094 - Disclosure - Equity Securities and Indexed Debt Securities (ZENS) (CenterPoint Energy) - Narrative (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000095 - Disclosure - Equity Securities and Indexed Debt Securities (ZENS) (CenterPoint Energy) - Schedule of Securities Classified as Trading (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000096 - Disclosure - Equity Securities and Indexed Debt Securities (ZENS) (CenterPoint Energy) - Schedule of Reference Shares (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000097 - Disclosure - Equity Securities and Indexed Debt Securities (ZENS) (CenterPoint Energy) - Summarized Financial Information (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000098 - Disclosure - Equity (CenterPoint Energy) (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000099 - Disclosure - Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Debt - Schedule of Debt (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000100 - Disclosure - Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Debt - Debt Transactions (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000101 - Disclosure - Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Debt - 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