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Discontinued Operations, Acquisitions and Dispositions
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]  
Discontinued Operations, Acquisitions and Dispositions
Discontinued Operations, Acquisitions and Dispositions
Discontinued Operations
As described in Note 1, Nature of Business, on the Petition Date, the GenOn Entities filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Bankruptcy Court. As a result of the bankruptcy filings, NRG concluded that it no longer controls GenOn as it is subject to the control of the Bankruptcy Court; and, accordingly, NRG no longer consolidates GenOn for financial reporting purposes.
By eliminating a large portion of its operations in the PJM market with the deconsolidation of GenOn, NRG concluded that GenOn meets the criteria for discontinued operations, as this represents a strategic shift in the markets in which NRG operates. As such, all prior period results for GenOn have been reclassified as discontinued operations while NRG will record all ongoing results of GenOn as a cost method investment, which was valued at zero at the date of deconsolidation.
Summarized results of discontinued operations were as follows:
 
Year ended December 31,
(In millions)
2017
 
2016
Operating revenues
$
646

 
$
1,862

Operating costs and expenses
(702
)
 
(1,896
)
Gain on sale of assets

 
294

Other expenses
(98
)
 
(168
)
(Loss)/Income from operations of discontinued components, before tax
(154
)
 
92

Income tax expense
9

 
11

(Loss)/Income from operations of discontinued components
(163
)
 
81

Interest income - affiliate
8

 
11

(Loss)/Income from operations of discontinued components, net of tax
(155
)
 
92

Pre-tax loss on deconsolidation
(208
)
 

Settlement consideration and services credit
(289
)
 

Pension and post-retirement liability assumption
(131
)
 

Other
(6
)
 

Loss on disposal of discontinued components, net of tax
(634
)
 

(Loss)/Income from discontinued operations, net of tax
$
(789
)
 
$
92


The following table summarizes the major classes of assets and liabilities classified as discontinued operations as of December 31, 2016. As of June 14, 2017, NRG no longer consolidates GenOn for financial reporting purposes.
(In millions)
 
December 31, 2016
Cash and cash equivalents
 
$
1,034

Other current assets
 
885

Current assets - discontinued operations
 
1,919

Property, plant and equipment, net
 
2,543

Other non-current assets
 
418

Non-current assets - discontinued operations
 
2,961

Current portion of long term debt and capital leases
 
704

Other current liabilities
 
506

Current liabilities - discontinued operations
 
1,210

Long-term debt and capital leases
 
2,050

Out-of-market contracts
 
811

Other non-current liabilities
 
323

Non-current liabilities - discontinued operations
 
$
3,184


Chapter 11 Cases
Prior to the GenOn Entities' filing the Chapter 11 Cases, on June 12, 2017, NRG entered into a restructuring support and lock-up agreement, or the Restructuring Support Agreement, with the GenOn Entities and certain holders of the GenOn and GenOn Americas Generation Senior Notes, that provides for a restructuring and recapitalization of the GenOn Entities through a prearranged plan of reorganization. There is no assurance that the GenOn Entities' plan will be successfully implemented. The principal terms of the Restructuring Support Agreement are described further below.

On September 18, 2017, and October 2, 2017, the GenOn Entities filed amendments to the plan of reorganization and the disclosure statement which primarily provided the GenOn Entities with the flexibility to complete sales of certain assets pursuant to the amended plan of reorganization and removed the GenOn Entities' requirement to conduct a rights offering in connection with the GenOn Entities' exit financing.
On October 31, 2017, the GenOn Entities announced that they entered into a Consent Agreement with certain holders of GenOn’s Senior Notes and GenOn Americas Generation's Senior Notes, collectively, the Consenting Holders, whereby the GenOn Entities and the Consenting Holders agreed to extend the milestones in the Restructuring Support Agreement, by which the plan of reorganization must become effective, or the Effective Date. Specifically, the Consent Agreement extended the Effective Date milestone to June 30, 2018, or September 30, 2018, if regulatory approvals are still pending, or the Extended Effective Dates.
On December 12, 2017, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order confirming the plan of reorganization, and effective December 12, 2017, GenOn and NRG entered into agreements concerning (i) timeline and transition, (ii) cooperation and co-development matters, (iii) post-employment and retiree health and welfare benefits and pension benefits, (iv) tax matters, and (v) intercompany balances and releases, consistent with the Restructuring Support Agreement, which among other things, provide for the transition of GenOn to a standalone enterprise, the resolution of substantial intercompany claims between GenOn and NRG, and the allocation of certain costs and liabilities between GenOn and NRG. On December 12, 2017, the Bankruptcy Court also entered an order giving effect to the Consent Agreement.
Forms of certain of the definitive documents that make up the plan supplement were filed with the Bankruptcy Court by the GenOn Entities and approved by the Bankruptcy Court in connection with the confirmation of the plan of reorganization. It is a condition precedent to the occurrence of the effective date of the plan of reorganization that the final version of the plan supplement be consistent with the Restructuring Support Agreement, in all material respects.
Restructuring Support Agreement
As described in Note 1, Nature of Business, NRG, GenOn and certain holders representing greater than 93% in aggregate principal amount of GenOn’s Senior Notes and certain holders representing greater than 93% in aggregate principal amount of GenOn Americas Generation’s Senior Notes entered into a Restructuring Support Agreement that provides for a restructuring and recapitalization of the GenOn Entities through a prearranged plan of reorganization that was approved by the Bankruptcy Court pursuant to an order of confirmation. Completion of the agreed upon terms is contingent upon certain milestones in the Restructuring Support Agreement and the satisfaction or waiver or certain conditions precedent. Certain principal terms of the Restructuring Support Agreement and the plan of reorganization are detailed below:
1)
The dismissal of litigation and full releases from GenOn and GenOn Americas Generation in favor of NRG upon the earlier of the consummation of the GenOn Entities' plan of reorganization or the Settlement Agreement; a condition precedent to the consummation of the Settlement Agreement is a full release or indemnification in favor of NRG from any claims of GenOn Mid-Atlantic and REMA.
2)
NRG will provide settlement cash consideration to GenOn of $261.3 million, which will be paid in cash less any amounts owed to NRG under the intercompany secured revolving credit facility. As of December 31, 2017, GenOn owed NRG approximately $125 million under the intercompany secured revolving credit facility. See Note 21, Related Party Transactions, for further discussion of the intercompany secured revolving credit facility.
3)
NRG will consent to the cancellation of its interests in the equity of GenOn and be entitled to a worthless stock deduction, as further described in the tax matters agreement. The equity interests in the reorganized GenOn will be issued to the holders of the GenOn Senior Notes.
4)
NRG will retain the pension liability, including payment of approximately $13 million of 2017 pension contributions, for GenOn employees for service provided prior to the completion of the reorganization, which was paid in September 2017. GenOn’s pension liability as of December 31, 2017, was approximately $92 million. NRG will also retain the liability for GenOn’s post-employment and retiree health and welfare benefits, in an amount up to $25 million.
5)
The shared services agreement between NRG and GenOn was terminated and replaced as of the plan confirmation date with a transition services agreement. Under the transition services agreement, NRG will continue to provide the shared services and other separation services at an annualized rate of $84 million, subject to certain credits and adjustments. See Note 21, Related Party Transactions, for further discussion of the Services Agreement.
6)
NRG will provide a credit of $28 million to GenOn to apply against amounts owed under the transition services agreement. Any unused amount can be paid in cash at GenOn’s request. The credit was intended to reimburse GenOn for its payment of financing costs.
7)
NRG agreed to provide GenOn with a letter of credit facility during the pendency of the Chapter 11 Cases, which could be utilized for required letters of credit in lieu of the intercompany secured revolving credit facility. GenOn can no longer utilize the intercompany secured revolving credit facility and, on July 27, 2017, the letter of credit facility was terminated, as GenOn had obtained a separate letter of credit facility with a third party financial institution. See Note 21, Related Party Transactions, for further discussion of the intercompany secured revolver credit facility and the letter of credit facility obtained in July 2017.
8)
NRG and GenOn have agreed to cooperate in good faith to maximize the value of certain development projects. Pursuant to this, GenOn made a one-time payment in the amount of $15 million to NRG in December 2017 as compensation for a purchase option with respect to the Canal 3 project.
Settlement Consideration    
NRG has determined that the payment of the settlement consideration is probable and has recorded a liability for the amount due of $261.3 million in accrued expenses and other current liabilities - affiliate with a corresponding loss from discontinued operations. NRG expects to pay this amount net of amounts due from GenOn under the intercompany secured revolving credit facility, which is further described in Note 21, Related Party Transactions.
Pension Liability
NRG will retain the pension liability, including payment of approximately $13 million of 2017 pension contributions, which was paid in September 2017, for the GenOn employees for service provided prior to emergence from bankruptcy. NRG determined that the retention of this liability is probable and has recorded the estimated accumulated pension benefit obligation as of December 31, 2017 of $92 million in other non-current liabilities with a corresponding loss from discontinued operations. NRG's obligation for this liability will be revalued through and at GenOn's emergence from bankruptcy.
Services Agreement
In December 2017, in conjunction with the confirmation of the GenOn Entities' plan of reorganization, the Services Agreement was terminated and replaced by the transition services agreement. Under the transition services agreement, NRG will continue to provide shared services and other separation services to GenOn at an annualized rate of $84 million until June 30, 2018, which may be extended by GenOn through September 30, 2018. NRG may provide additional separation services that are necessary for or reasonably related to the operation of GenOn's business after such date, subject to NRG's prior written consent, not to be unreasonably withheld.
Beginning on June 14, 2017, and through December 2017, NRG recorded amounts earned for shared services of approximately $5 million per month. In December 2017, NRG provided GenOn with a $3.5 million credit for services provided under the transition services agreement and began recording amounts earned for shared services of approximately $7 million per month. NRG has also agreed to provide GenOn with a credit of $28 million against amounts owed under the transition services agreement. Any unused amount can be paid in cash at GenOn’s request, subject to the terms and conditions of the transition services agreement. As a result, NRG has concluded that the liability for this credit is probable and has recorded a payable to GenOn for $28 million in accrued expenses and other current liabilities - affiliate with a corresponding loss from discontinued operations.
Commercial Operations
For pre-disposal periods, NRG provided GenOn with services as described in Note 21, Related Party Transactions. Under intercompany agreements, NRG Power Marketing LLC has entered into physical and financial intercompany commodity and hedging transactions with GenOn and certain of its subsidiaries. Subject to applicable collateral thresholds, these arrangements may provide for the bilateral exchange of credit support based upon market exposure and potential market movements. The terms and conditions of the agreements are generally consistent with industry practices and other third party arrangements. For current and pre-disposal periods, revenue and expense associated with these transactions is recorded in continuing operations.
GenOn Debt
As of June 14, 2017, the GenOn Senior Notes and GenOn Americas Generation Senior Notes, which totaled approximately $2.5 billion, were deconsolidated from NRG's consolidated financial statements. The filing of the Chapter 11 Cases constitutes an event of default under the following debt instruments of GenOn:
1)
The intercompany secured revolving credit facility with NRG;
2)
The indenture governing the GenOn 7.875% Senior Notes due 2017 (as amended or supplemented from time to time);
3)
The indenture governing the GenOn 9.500% Notes due 2018 (as amended or supplemented from time to time);
4)
The indenture governing the GenOn 9.875% Notes due 2020 (as amended or supplemented from time to time);
5)
The indenture governing the GenOn Americas Generation 8.50% Senior Notes due 2021 (as amended or supplemented from time to time); and
6)
The indenture governing the GenOn Americas Generation 9.125% Senior Notes due 2031 (as amended or supplemented from time to time).
Dispositions
2016 Disposition of Majority Interest in EVgo
On June 17, 2016, the Company completed the sale of a majority interest in its EVgo business to Vision Ridge Partners for total consideration of approximately $39 million, including $17 million in cash received, which is net of $2.5 million in working capital adjustments, $15 million contributed as capital to the EVgo business and $7 million of future contributions by Vision Ridge Partners, all of which were determined based on forecasted cash requirements to operate the business in future periods. In addition, the Company has future earnout potential of up to $70 million based on future profitability targets. NRG retained its original financial obligation of $102.5 million under its agreement with the CPUC whereby EVgo will build at least 200 public fast charging Freedom Station sites and perform the associated work to prepare 10,000 commercial and multi-family parking spaces for electric vehicle charging in California. As part of the sale, NRG has contracted with EVgo to continue to build the remaining required Freedom Stations and commercial and multi-family parking spaces for electric vehicle charging required under this obligation and EVgo will be directly reimbursed by NRG for the costs. As a result of the sale, the Company recorded a loss on sale of $78 million during the second quarter of 2016, which reflects the loss on the sale of the equity interest of $27 million and the accrual of NRG's remaining obligation under its agreement with the CPUC of $56 million, of which $25 million remains as of December 31, 2017. On February 22, 2017, the Company and CPUC entered into a second amendment to the agreement which extended the operating period commitment for the Freedom Stations to December 5, 2020. As of December 31, 2017, the Company's remaining 35% interest in EVgo of $1 million was accounted for as an equity method investment.
2016 Rockford Disposition
On May 12, 2016, the Company entered into an agreement with RA Generation, LLC to sell 100% of its interests in the Rockford I and Rockford II generating stations, or Rockford, for cash consideration of $55 million, subject to adjustments for working capital and the results of the PJM 2019/2020 base residual auction. Rockford is a 450-MW natural gas facility located in Rockford, Illinois. The transaction triggered an indicator of impairment as the sales price was less than the carrying amount of the assets and, as a result, the assets were considered to be impaired. The Company measured the impairment loss as the difference between the carrying amount of the assets and the agreed-upon sales price. The Company recorded an impairment loss of $17 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2016 to reduce the carrying amount of the assets held for sale to the fair market value. On July 12, 2016, the Company completed the sale of Rockford for cash proceeds of $56 million, including $1 million in adjustments for the PJM base residual auction results. For further discussion on this impairment, refer to Note 10, Asset Impairments.
2015 Disposition of Altenex
On December 31, 2015, the Company completed the sale of its 32% interest in Altenex, LLC to Edison Energy, LLC and Edison Energy NewCo 2, LLC for cash consideration of $26 million. The Company had accounted for its investment in Altenex as an equity method investment and recognized a loss of $14 million as a result of the transactions within the Company's consolidated statements of operations.
Acquisitions
2016 Utility-Scale Solar and Wind Acquisition
On November 2, 2016, the Company acquired equity interests in a tax equity portfolio from SunEdison, located in Utah, comprised of 530 MW of mechanically-complete solar assets, of which NRG’s net interest based on cash to be distributed is 265 MW, for upfront cash consideration of $111 million. In connection with the acquisition, the Company assumed non-recourse debt of $222 million.  The Company also borrowed additional amounts of $65 million during the fourth quarter of 2016, as described in Note 12, Debt and Capital Leases, which effectively reduced the Company's use of liquidity related to the acquisition. The Company does not have a controlling interest in the tax equity portfolio and, accordingly, its interest is recorded as an equity method investment. The purchase price was allocated to the equity method investment balance of approximately $328 million, current assets of $5 million and the assumed non-recourse debt of $222 million. The assets reached commercial operations during the fourth quarter of 2016 and have 20-year PPAs with PacifiCorp.
The Company acquired a 110-MW portfolio of construction-ready and 71 MW of development solar assets in Hawaii from SunEdison for upfront cash consideration of $2 million on October 3, 2016, and a 154-MW construction-ready solar project in Texas for upfront cash consideration of $11 million on November 9, 2016.
In addition to the total $124 million in upfront cash consideration paid for the above acquisitions, the Company expects to make an estimated $59 million in additional payments contingent upon future development milestones, of which $20 million was paid as of December 31, 2017.
2016 Solar Distributed Generation Acquisition
On October 3, 2016, the Company acquired a 29-MW portfolio of mechanically-complete and construction-ready distributed generation solar assets from SunEdison for cash consideration of approximately $67 million excluding post-closing adjustments which reduced the purchase price by $5 million.  Subsequent to the acquisition, the Company sold these assets into a tax-equity financed portfolio within the DGPV Holdco partnership between NRG and NRG Yield, Inc. The purchase price was allocated to $47 million in construction in progress and $15 million in intangible assets.
2015 Acquisition of Desert Sunlight
On June 29, 2015, NRG Yield, Inc., through its subsidiary NRG Yield Operating LLC, acquired 25% of the membership interest in Desert Sunlight Investment Holdings, LLC, which owns two solar photovoltaic facilities that total 550 MW located in Desert Center, California from EFS Desert Sun, LLC, an affiliate of GE Energy Financial Services, for a purchase price of $285 million. The Company accounts for its 25% investment as an equity method investment.
Transfers of Assets under Common Control
On November 1, 2017, NRG completed the sale of a 38-MW solar portfolio primarily comprised of assets from SPP funds, in addition to other projects developed by NRG, to NRG Yield, Inc. for cash consideration of $71 million, plus $3 million in working capital adjustments.
On August 1, 2017, NRG closed on the sale of its remaining 25% interest in NRG Wind TE Holdco, a portfolio of 12 wind projects, to NRG Yield, Inc. for total cash consideration of $44 million, including working capital adjustment of $3 million. The transaction also includes potential additional payments to NRG dependent upon actual energy prices for merchant periods beginning in 2027.
On March 27, 2017, the Company sold to NRG Yield, Inc.: (i) a 16% interest in the Agua Caliente solar project, representing ownership of approximately 46 net MW of capacity and (ii) NRG's interests in seven utility-scale solar projects located in Utah representing 265 net MW of capacity, which have reached commercial operations. NRG Yield, Inc. paid cash consideration of $130 million, plus $1 million in working capital adjustments, and assumed non-recourse debt of approximately $328 million.
On September 1, 2016, the Company completed the sale of its remaining 51.05% interest in the CVSR project to NRG Yield, Inc. for total cash consideration of $78.5 million, plus an immaterial working capital adjustment. In addition, NRG Yield, Inc. assumed non-recourse project level debt of $496 million.
On November 3, 2015, the Company sold 75% of the Class B interests of NRG Wind TE Holdco, which owns a portfolio of 12 wind facilities totaling 814 net MW, to NRG Yield, Inc. NRG Yield, Inc. paid total cash consideration of $209 million, subject to working capital adjustments. NRG Yield, Inc. is responsible for its pro-rata share of non-recourse project debt of $193 million and noncontrolling interest associated with a tax equity structure of $159 million (as of the acquisition date). In February 2016, the Company made a final working capital payment of $2 million to NRG Yield, Inc. reducing total cash consideration to $207 million.

On January 2, 2015, the Company sold the following facilities to NRG Yield, Inc.: Walnut Creek, the Tapestry projects (Buffalo Bear, Pinnacle and Taloga) and Laredo Ridge. NRG Yield, Inc. paid total cash consideration of $489 million, including $9 million of working capital adjustments, plus assumed project level debt of $737 million.

The above sales were recorded as transfers of entities under common control and the related assets were transferred at their carrying value.