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Other Material Contingencies | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2021
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Other Material Contingencies | Other Material Contingencies Manhattan Explosion and Fire On March 12, 2014, two multi-use five-story tall buildings located on Park Avenue between 116 th and 117 th Streets in Manhattan were destroyed by an explosion and fire. CECONY had delivered gas to the buildings through service lines from a distribution main located below ground on Park Avenue. Eight people died and more than 50 people were injured. Additional buildings were also damaged. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated. The parties to the investigation included the company, the City of New York, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the NYSPSC. In June 2015, the NTSB issued a final report concerning the incident, its probable cause and safety recommendations. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the incident was (1) the failure of a defective fusion joint at a service tee (which joined a plastic service line to a plastic distribution main) installed by the company that allowed gas to leak from the distribution main and migrate into a building where it ignited and (2) a breach in a City sewer line that allowed groundwater and soil to flow into the sewer, resulting in a loss of support for the distribution main, which caused it to sag and overstressed the defective fusion joint. The NTSB also made safety recommendations, including recommendations to the company that addressed its procedures for the preparation and examination of plastic fusions, training of its staff on conditions for notifications to the City’s Fire Department and extension of its gas main isolation valve installation program. In February 2017, the NYSPSC approved a settlement agreement with the company related to the NYSPSC's investigations of the incident and the practices of qualifying persons to perform plastic fusions. Pursuant to the agreement, the company is providing $27 million of future benefits to customers (for which it has accrued a regulatory liability) and will not recover from customers $126 million of costs for gas emergency response activities that it had previously incurred and expensed. Approximately eighty suits are pending against the company seeking generally unspecified damages and, in some cases, punitive damages, for wrongful death, personal injury, property damage and business interruption. The company notified its insurers of the incident and believes that the policies in force at the time of the incident will cover the company’s costs, in excess of a required retention (the amount of which is not material), to satisfy any liability it may have for damages in connection with the incident. In the company’s estimation, there is not a reasonable possibility that an exposure to loss exists for the suits that is materially in excess of the estimated liability accrued. At March 31, 2021, the company has accrued its estimated liability for the suits of $40 million and an insurance receivable in the same amount. Other Contingencies For additional contingencies, see "Other Regulatory Matters" in Note B, Note G and “Uncertain Tax Positions” in Note J. Guarantees Con Edison and its subsidiaries have entered into various agreements providing financial or performance assurance primarily to third parties on behalf of their subsidiaries. Maximum amounts guaranteed by Con Edison under these agreements totaled $2,251 million and $2,042 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. A summary, by type and term, of Con Edison’s total guarantees under these agreements at March 31, 2021 is as follows:
Guarantee Type | 0 – 3 years | 4 – 10 years | > 10 years | Total
| (Millions of Dollars)
Con Edison Transmission | $393 | $177 | $— |  | $570
Energy transactions | 455 | 52 | 308 | 815
Renewable electric production projects | 392 | 48 | 356 | 796
Other | 70 | — |  | — |  | 70
Total | $1,310 | $277 | $664 | $2,251
Con Edison Transmission — Con Edison has guaranteed payment by CET Electric of the contributions CET Electric agreed to make to New York Transco LLC (NY Transco). CET Electric owns a 45.7 percent interest in NY Transco. In April 2019, the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) selected a transmission project that was jointly proposed by National Grid and NY Transco. The siting, construction and operation of the project will require approvals and permits from appropriate governmental agencies and authorities, including the NYSPSC. The NYISO indicated it will work with the developers to enter into agreements for the development and operation of the projects, including a schedule for entry into service by December 2023. Guarantee amounts shown includes the maximum possible required amount of CET Electric’s contributions for this project as calculated based on the assumptions that the project is completed at 175 percent of its estimated costs and NY Transco does not use any debt financing for the project. Energy Transactions — Con Edison and the Clean Energy Businesses guarantee payments on behalf of their subsidiaries in order to facilitate physical and financial transactions in electricity, gas, pipeline capacity, transportation, oil, renewable energy credits and energy services. To the extent that liabilities exist under the contracts subject to these guarantees, such liabilities are included in Con Edison’s consolidated balance sheet. Renewable Electric Production Projects — Con Edison and the Clean Energy Businesses guarantee payments on behalf of their wholly-owned subsidiaries associated with their investment in, or development for others of, solar and wind energy facilities. Other — Other guarantees include $70 million in guarantees provided by Con Edison to Travelers Insurance Company for indemnity agreements for surety bonds in connection with the operation of solar energy facilities and energy service projects of the Clean Energy Businesses.

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