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Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]  
Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]
Houston Electric expects to contribute $9 million to its postretirement benefits plan in 2017. The following benefit payments are expected to be paid by the postretirement benefit plan: 
 
Benefit
Payments
 
(in millions)
2017
$
11

2018
12

2019
13

2020
15

2021
16

2022-2026
90

As part of the investment strategy discussed above, Houston Electric has adopted and maintained the following asset allocation ranges for its postretirement benefit plans:
U.S. equity
13–23%
International equity
3–13%
Fixed income
69–79%
Cash
0–2%
Houston Electric is required to fund a portion of its obligations in accordance with rate orders. The net postretirement benefit cost includes the following components:
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
 
(in millions)
Service cost - benefits earned during the period
$
1

 
$
1

 
$
1

Interest cost on accumulated benefit obligation
10

 
13

 
14

Expected return on plan assets
(5
)
 
(6
)
 
(6
)
Amortization of transition obligation
—

 
—

 
4

Amortization of prior service credit
(4
)
 
(2
)
 
(2
)
Amortization of loss
1

 
3

 
1

Curtailment
(4
)
 
—

 
—

Net postretirement benefit cost (credit)
$
(1
)
 
$
9

 
$
12


Houston Electric used the following assumptions to determine net postretirement benefit costs:
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
Discount rate
4.35
%
 
3.90
%
 
4.75
%
Expected return on plan assets
5.00
%
 
5.45
%
 
6.00
%
Following are reconciliations of Houston Electric’s beginning and ending balances of its postretirement benefit plan’s benefit obligation, plan assets and funded status for 2016 and 2015.  The measurement dates for plan assets and obligations were December 31, 2016 and 2015.
 
December 31,
 
2016
 
2015
 
(in millions)
Change in Benefit Obligation
 
 
 
Accumulated benefit obligation, beginning of year
$
283

 
$
347

Service cost
1

 
1

Interest cost
10

 
13

Benefits paid
(20
)
 
(17
)
Participant contributions
3

 
3

Medicare drug reimbursement
1

 
1

Plan amendment (1)
(65
)
 
(4
)
Actuarial (gain) loss
4

 
(61
)
Accumulated benefit obligation, end of year
$
217

 
$
283

Change in Plan Assets
 

 
 

Plan assets, beginning of year
$
110

 
$
115

Benefits paid
(20
)
 
(17
)
Employer contributions
10

 
9

Participant contributions
3

 
3

Actual investment return
5

 
—

Plan amendment (2)
(20
)
 
—

Plan assets, end of year
$
88

 
$
110

Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheets
 

 
 

Other liabilities-benefit obligations
$
(129
)
 
$
(173
)
Net liability, end of year
$
(129
)
 
$
(173
)
Actuarial Assumptions
 

 
 

Discount rate
4.15
%
 
4.35
%
Expected long-term return on assets
4.75
%
 
5.00
%
Healthcare cost trend rate assumed for the next year - Pre 65
5.75
%
 
6.00
%
Healthcare cost trend rate assumed for the next year - Post 65
10.65
%
 
5.50
%
Prescription drug cost trend rate assumed for the next year
10.75
%
 
11.00
%
Rate to which the cost trend rate is assumed to decline (ultimate trend rate)
4.50
%
 
5.00
%
Year that the healthcare rate reaches the ultimate trend rate
2024

 
2024

Year that the prescription drug rate reaches the ultimate trend rate
2024

 
2024



(1)
The Postretirement plan was amended during 2016 to change retiree medical coverage, effective January 1, 2017, as follows: (i) members of the IBEW Local Union 66 who retire on or after January 1, 2017, and their dependents, will receive any retiree medical and prescription drug coverage exclusively through the NECA/IBEW Family Medical Care Plan pursuant to the terms of the renegotiated collective bargaining agreement entered into in May 2016; and (ii)  Medicare eligible post-65 retirees will receive coverage through a Medicare Advantage Program, an insured benefit, in lieu of the previous self-insured benefit.  These changes resulted in a reduction in our Postretirement Plan liability of $65 million as of December 31, 2016.

(2)
In May 2016, Houston Electric entered into a renegotiated collective bargaining agreement with the IBEW Local Union 66 and amended the Houston Electric Union Postretirement Trust.  The amendment resulted in a split of the trust into two segregated and restricted accounts, one holds assets for the benefit of current, retired on or before December 31, 2016, union retirees and one holds assets for the benefit of post-2016 union retirees who are now covered exclusively by the NECA/IBEW Family Medical Care Plan. Accordingly, $20 million was transferred to the account for post-2016 union retirees.
Schedule of a one-percent point change In Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates [Table Text Block]
Assumed healthcare cost trend rates have a significant effect on the reported amounts for Houston Electric’s postretirement benefit plans. A 1% change in the assumed healthcare cost trend rate would have the following effects:
 
1%
Increase
 
1%
Decrease
 
(in millions)
Effect on the postretirement benefit obligation
$
10

 
$
10

Effect on total of service and interest cost
1

 
—
Schedule Of Fair Value Of Financial Assets For Pension And Postretirement Benefits [Text Block]
The following tables present by level, within the fair value hierarchy, Houston Electric’s postretirement plan assets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, by asset category as follows:
 
Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2016
 
Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
 
Significant
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
 
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
Total
 
 
 
 
Mutual funds (1)
$
88

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
88

Total
$
88

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
88


(1)
73% of the amount invested in mutual funds was in fixed income securities; 19% was in U.S. equities and 8% was in international equities.
 
Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2015
 
Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
 
Significant
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
 
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
Total
 
 
 
 
Mutual funds (1)
$
110

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
110

Total
$
110

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
110


(1)
73% of the amount invested in mutual funds was in fixed income securities; 19% was in U.S. equities and 8% was in international equities.