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Significant Accounting Policies | 6 Months Ended
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Jun. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Significant Accounting Policies | Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies As permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC, the Companies' accompanying unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements contain certain condensed financial information and exclude certain footnote disclosures normally included in annual audited consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. These unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes in the Companies' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. In the Companies' opinion, the accompanying unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements contain all adjustments necessary to present fairly their financial position as of June 30, 2017, their results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, their cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 and Dominion Energy's changes in equity for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016. Such adjustments are normal and recurring in nature unless otherwise noted. The Companies make certain estimates and assumptions in preparing their Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with GAAP. These estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses for the periods presented. Actual results may differ from those estimates. The Companies' accompanying unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements include, after eliminating intercompany transactions and balances, their accounts, those of their respective majority-owned subsidiaries and non-wholly-owned entities in which they have a controlling financial interest. For certain partnership structures, income is allocated based on the liquidation value of the underlying contractual arrangements. At June 30, 2017, Dominion Energy owns the general partner, 50.9% of the common and subordinated units and 37.5% of the convertible preferred interests in Dominion Energy Midstream. The public’s ownership interest in Dominion Energy Midstream is reflected as noncontrolling interest in Dominion Energy’s Consolidated Financial Statements. Also, at June 30, 2017, Dominion Energy owns 50% of the units in and consolidates Four Brothers and Three Cedars. NRG's ownership interest in Four Brothers and Three Cedars, as well as Terra Nova Renewable Partners' 33% interest in certain Dominion Energy merchant solar projects, is reflected as noncontrolling interest in Dominion Energy’s Consolidated Financial Statements. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the full year. Information for quarterly periods is affected by seasonal variations in sales, rate changes, electric fuel and other energy-related purchases, purchased gas expenses and other factors. Certain amounts in the Companies' 2016 Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes have been reclassified to conform to the 2017 presentation for comparative purposes. The reclassifications did not affect the Companies’ net income, total assets, liabilities, equity or cash flows. Amounts disclosed for Dominion Energy are inclusive of Virginia Power and/or Dominion Energy Gas, where applicable. With the exception of the items described below, there have been no significant changes from Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in the Companies' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. Property, Plant and Equipment In the first quarter of 2017, Virginia Power revised the depreciation rates for its assets to reflect the results of a new depreciation study. This change resulted in an increase in depreciation expense of $22 million ($13 million after-tax) for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and is expected to increase annual depreciation by approximately $40 million ($25 million after-tax). Additionally, Dominion Energy revised the depreciable lives for its merchant generation assets, excluding Millstone, which resulted in a decrease in depreciation expense of $13 million ($8 million after-tax) for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and is expected to decrease annual depreciation by approximately $26 million ($16 million after-tax). New Accounting Standards In March 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued revised accounting guidance for the presentation of net periodic pension and other postretirement benefit costs. The update requires that the service cost component of net periodic pension and other postretirement benefit costs be classified in the same line item as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by employees, while all other components of net periodic pension and other postretirement benefit costs would be classified outside of income from operations. In addition, only the service cost component will be eligible for capitalization during construction. The standard also recognized that in the event that a regulator continues to require capitalization of all net periodic benefit costs prospectively, the difference would result in recognition of a regulatory asset or liability. The guidance is effective for the Companies’ interim and annual reporting periods beginning January 1, 2018, although it can be early adopted, with a retrospective approach for income statement presentation and a prospective approach for capitalization. The Companies are currently evaluating the impact the adoption of the standard will have on their consolidated financial statements and disclosures. The Companies are also evaluating industry issues that could potentially create a regulatory accounting difference in the event that FERC or any of our state commissions do not adopt the change in capitalization requirements for regulatory reporting.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for the basis of presentation and significant accounting policies concepts. Basis of presentation describes the underlying basis used to prepare the financial statements (for example, US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Other Comprehensive Basis of Accounting, IFRS). Accounting policies describe all significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2122369 + Details
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