Asset Retirement Obligations

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Asset Retirement Obligations [Abstract]

NEE's AROs relate primarily to decommissioning obligations of FPL's and NEER's nuclear units and to obligations for the dismantlement of certain of NEER's wind and solar facilities. For NEE's rate-regulated operations, including FPL, the accounting provisions result in timing differences in the recognition of legal asset retirement costs for financial reporting purposes and the method the regulator allows for recovery in rates. See Note 1 – Rate Regulation and – Decommissioning of Nuclear Plants, Dismantlement of Plants and Other Accrued Asset Removal Costs.

A rollforward of NEE's and FPL's AROs is as follows:


	NEE			FPL
	(millions)
Balances, December 31, 2019	$	3,506		$	2,410
Liabilities incurred	138			—
Accretion expense	169			103
Liabilities settled	(53)			(32)
Revision in estimated cash flows – net	(594)		(a)	(545)		(a)

Balances, December 31, 2020	3,166		(b)	1,936		(b)
Liabilities incurred	79			7
Accretion expense	141			78
Liabilities settled	(88)		(c)	(15)
Revision in estimated cash flows – net	(119)		(d)	101		(e)

Balances, December 31, 2021	$	3,179	(b)	$	2,107	(b)

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(a)Primarily reflects the effect of revised cost estimates for decommissioning FPL's nuclear units consistent with the updated nuclear decommissioning studies filed with the FPSC in December 2020.

(b)Includes the current portion of AROs as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 of approximately $97 million ($58 million for FPL) and $109 million ($65 million for FPL), respectively, which are included in other current liabilities on NEE's and FPL's consolidated balance sheets.

(c)Includes approximately $35 million related to project sales to NEP as well as other sales of businesses and assets. See Note 1 – Disposal of Businesses/Assets and Sale of Noncontrolling Ownership Interests.

(d)The increase at FPL discussed in (e) was offset primarily by the effect of revised cost estimates and useful lives of NEER's solar facilities.

(e)Primarily reflects the effect of pending license extension requests of St. Lucie Units Nos. 1 and 2 for an additional 20 years.

Restricted funds for the payment of future expenditures to decommission NEE's and FPL's nuclear units included in special use funds on NEE's and FPL's consolidated balance sheets are presented below (see Note 4 – Special Use Funds). Duane Arnold is being actively decommissioned and was granted an exemption from the NRC, which allows for use of the funds for certain other site restoration activities in addition to decommissioning obligations recorded as AROs.


	NEE		FPL
	(millions)
Balances, December 31, 2021	$	8,846	$	6,082
Balances, December 31, 2020	$	7,703	$	5,271

NEE and FPL have identified but not recognized ARO liabilities related to the majority of their electric transmission and distribution assets and pipelines resulting from easements over property not owned by NEE or FPL. These easements are generally perpetual and only require retirement action upon abandonment or cessation of use of the property or facility for its specified purpose. The related ARO liability is not estimable for such easements as NEE and FPL intend to use these properties indefinitely. In the event NEE or FPL decide to abandon or cease the use of a particular easement, an ARO liability would be recorded at that time.