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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CERC link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000018 - Statement - STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - CERC link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000019 - Statement - STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - CERC (Parenthetical) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000020 - Statement - CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - CERC link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000021 - Statement - CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - CERC (Parenthetical) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000022 - Statement - STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOWS - CERC link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000023 - Statement - STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED CHANGES IN EQUITY - CERC link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000024 - Disclosure - Background link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000025 - Disclosure - 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Disclosure - Equity Securities and Indexed Debt Securities (ZENS) (CenterPoint Energy) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000035 - Disclosure - Equity (CenterPoint Energy) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000036 - Disclosure - Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Debt link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000037 - Disclosure - Income Taxes link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000038 - Disclosure - Commitments and Contingencies link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000039 - Disclosure - Earnings Per Share (CenterPoint Energy) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000040 - Disclosure - Reportable Segments link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000041 - Disclosure - Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow and Balance Sheet Information link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000042 - 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Goodwill and Other Intangibles (CenterPoint Energy and CERC) (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954477 - Disclosure - Regulatory Matters (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954478 - Disclosure - Stock-Based Incentive Compensation Plans and Employee Benefit Plans (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954479 - Disclosure - Derivative Instruments (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954480 - Disclosure - Fair Value Measurements (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954481 - Disclosure - Equity Securities and Indexed Debt Securities (ZENS) (CenterPoint Energy) (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954482 - Disclosure - Equity (CenterPoint Energy) (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954483 - Disclosure - Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Debt (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954484 - Disclosure - Income Taxes (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954485 - Disclosure - Commitments and Contingencies (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954486 - Disclosure - Earnings Per Share (CenterPoint Energy) (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954487 - Disclosure - Reportable Segments (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954488 - Disclosure - Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow and Balance Sheet Information (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954489 - Disclosure - Related Party Transactions (Houston Electric and CERC) (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954490 - Disclosure - Leases (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954491 - Disclosure - Background (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954492 - 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Disclosure - Stock-Based Incentive Compensation Plans and Employee Benefit Plans - Stock Based Incentive Compensation (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954507 - Disclosure - Stock-Based Incentive Compensation Plans and Employee Benefit Plans - Pension and Postretirement Benefits (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954508 - Disclosure - Stock-Based Incentive Compensation Plans and Employee Benefit Plans - Plan Assets (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954509 - 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 9954510 - Disclosure - Derivative Instruments - Narrative (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954511 - Disclosure - Derivative Instruments - Interest Rate Hedging and Weather Hedges (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954512 - Disclosure - Derivative Instruments - Summary of Derivative Activity (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954513 - Disclosure - Fair Value Measurements - Schedule of Assets and Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954514 - Disclosure - Fair Value Measurements - Schedule of Estimated Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954515 - 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 9954516 - Disclosure - Equity Securities and Indexed Debt Securities (ZENS) (CenterPoint Energy) - Narrative (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954517 - Disclosure - Equity Securities and Indexed Debt Securities (ZENS) (CenterPoint Energy) - Schedule of Securities Classified as Trading (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954518 - Disclosure - Equity Securities and Indexed Debt Securities (ZENS) (CenterPoint Energy) - Schedule of Reference Shares (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954519 - Disclosure - Equity Securities and Indexed Debt Securities (ZENS) (CenterPoint Energy) - Summarized Financial Information (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954520 - Disclosure - Equity (CenterPoint Energy) (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954521 - Disclosure - Equity (CenterPoint Energy) - Narrative (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954522 - Disclosure - Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Debt - Schedule of Debt (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954523 - Disclosure - Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Debt - Debt Transactions (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954524 - Disclosure - Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Debt - Narrative (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954525 - Disclosure - Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Debt - Debt Repayments and Redemptions (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954526 - Disclosure - Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Debt - Early Extinguishment of Debt (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954527 - Disclosure - Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Debt - Schedule of Revolving Credit Facilities (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954528 - Disclosure - Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Debt - Schedule of Maturities (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954529 - Disclosure - Income Taxes - Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954530 - Disclosure - Income Taxes - Schedule of Income Tax Reconciliation (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954531 - Disclosure - Income Taxes - Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954532 - Disclosure - Income Taxes - Narrative (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954533 - Disclosure - Income Taxes - Schedule of Unrecognized Tax Benefits (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954534 - Disclosure - Commitments and Contingencies - Narrative (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954535 - Disclosure - Commitments and Contingencies - Purchase Obligations (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954536 - Disclosure - Commitments and Contingencies - Schedule of Estimated Accrued Costs (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954537 - 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