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Organization and Basis of Presentation | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2019
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] |
ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION | ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION Unless otherwise indicated, defined terms and abbreviations used herein have the meanings set forth in the accompanying Glossary of Terms. FE was incorporated under Ohio law in 1996. FE’s principal business is the holding, directly or indirectly, of all of the outstanding equity of its principal subsidiaries: OE, CEI, TE, Penn (a wholly owned subsidiary of OE), JCP&L, ME, PN, FESC, AE Supply, MP, AGC, PE, WP, and FET and its principal subsidiaries (ATSI, MAIT and TrAIL). In addition, FE holds all of the outstanding equity of other direct subsidiaries including: Allegheny Energy Service Corporation, FirstEnergy Properties, Inc., FEV, FELHC, Inc., GPUN, and Allegheny Ventures, Inc. FE and its subsidiaries are principally involved in the transmission, distribution and generation of electricity. FirstEnergy’s ten utility operating companies comprise one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric systems, based on serving over six million customers in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. FirstEnergy’s transmission operations include approximately 24,500 miles of lines and two regional transmission operation centers. AGC, JCP&L and MP control 3,790 MWs of total capacity. These interim financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC for Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Certain information and disclosures normally included in financial statements and notes prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. These interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. FE and its subsidiaries follow GAAP and comply with the related regulations, orders, policies and practices prescribed by the SEC, FERC, and, as applicable, the NRC, the PUCO, the PPUC, the MDPSC, the NYPSC, the WVPSC, the VSCC and the NJBPU. The accompanying interim financial statements are unaudited, but reflect all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, that, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair statement of the financial statements. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make periodic estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ from these estimates. The reported results of operations are not necessarily indicative of results of operations for any future period. FE and its subsidiaries have evaluated events and transactions for potential recognition or disclosure through the date the financial statements were issued. FE and its subsidiaries consolidate all majority-owned subsidiaries over which they exercise control and, when applicable, entities for which they have a controlling financial interest. Intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated in consolidation as appropriate and permitted pursuant to GAAP. FE and its subsidiaries consolidate a VIE when it is determined that it is the primary beneficiary (see Note 10, “Variable Interest Entities”). Investments in affiliates over which FE and its subsidiaries have the ability to exercise significant influence, but do not have a controlling financial interest, follow the equity method of accounting. Under the equity method, the interest in the entity is reported as an investment in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and the percentage of FE’s ownership share of the entity’s earnings is reported in the Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) and Comprehensive Income (Loss). Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. FES and FENOC Chapter 11 Filing On March 31, 2018, the FES Debtors announced that, in order to facilitate an orderly financial restructuring, they filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code with the Bankruptcy Court (which is referred to throughout as the FES Bankruptcy). As a result of the bankruptcy filings, FirstEnergy concluded that it no longer had a controlling interest in the FES Debtors as the entities are subject to the jurisdiction of the Bankruptcy Court and, accordingly, as of March 31, 2018, the FES Debtors were deconsolidated from FirstEnergy’s consolidated financial statements. Since such time, FE has accounted and will account for its investments in the FES Debtors at fair values of zero. FE concluded that in connection with the disposal, FES and FENOC became discontinued operations. See Note 3, “Discontinued Operations,” for additional information. On September 26, 2018, the Bankruptcy Court approved a FES Bankruptcy settlement agreement dated August 26, 2018, by and among FirstEnergy, two groups of key FES creditors (collectively, the FES Key Creditor Groups), the FES Debtors and the UCC. The FES Bankruptcy settlement agreement resolves certain claims by FirstEnergy against the FES Debtors and all claims by the FES Debtors and the FES Key Creditor Groups against FirstEnergy, and includes the following terms, among others:
• | FE will pay certain pre-petition FES Debtors employee-related obligations, which include unfunded pension obligations and other employee benefits.
• | FE will waive all pre-petition claims (other than those claims under the Tax Allocation Agreement for the 2018 tax year) and certain post-petition claims, against the FES Debtors related to the FES Debtors and their businesses, including the full borrowings by FES under the $500 million secured credit facility, the $200 million credit agreement being used to
support surety bonds, the BNSF Railway Company/CSX Transportation, Inc. rail settlement guarantee, and the FES Debtors’ unfunded pension obligations.
• | A nonconsensual release of all claims against FirstEnergy by the FES Debtors’ creditors, which was subsequently waived pursuant to the Waiver Agreement, discussed below.
• | A $225 million cash payment from FirstEnergy.
• | A $628 million aggregate principal amount note issuance by FirstEnergy to the FES Debtors, which may be decreased by the amount, if any, of cash paid by FirstEnergy to the FES Debtors under the Intercompany Income Tax Allocation Agreement for the tax benefits related to the sale or deactivation of certain plants.
• | Transfer of the Pleasants Power Station and related assets, including the economic interests therein as of January 1, 2019, and a requirement that FE continue to provide access to the McElroy’s Run CCR Impoundment Facility, which is not being transferred. FE will provide guarantees for certain retained environmental liabilities of AE Supply, including the McElroy’s Run CCR Impoundment Facility.
• | FirstEnergy agrees to waive all pre-petition claims related to shared services and credit for nine months of the FES Debtors’ shared service costs beginning as of April 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018, in an amount not to exceed $112.5 million, and FirstEnergy agrees to extend the availability of shared services until no later than June 30, 2020.
• | Subject to a cap, FirstEnergy has agreed to fund a pension enhancement through its pension plan, for voluntary enhanced retirement packages offered to certain FES employees, as well as offer certain other employee benefits (approximately $14 million recognized in the first nine months of 2019).
• | FirstEnergy agrees to perform under the Intercompany Tax Allocation Agreement through the FES Debtors’ emergence from bankruptcy, at which time FirstEnergy will waive a 2017 overpayment for NOLs of approximately $71 million, reverse 2018 estimated payments for NOLs of approximately $88 million and pay the FES Debtors for the use of NOLs in an amount no less than $66 million for 2018. Based on the 2018 federal tax return filed in September 2019, FirstEnergy owes the FES debtors approximately $31 million associated with 2018, which will be paid upon emergence.
The FES Bankruptcy settlement agreement remains subject to satisfaction of certain conditions. There can be no assurance that such conditions will be satisfied or the FES Bankruptcy settlement agreement will be otherwise consummated, and the actual outcome of this matter may differ materially from the terms of the agreement described herein. FirstEnergy will continue to evaluate the impact of any new factors on the settlement and their relative impact on the financial statements. In connection with the FES Bankruptcy settlement agreement, FirstEnergy entered into a separation agreement with the FES Debtors to implement the separation of the FES Debtors and their businesses from FirstEnergy. A business separation committee was established between FirstEnergy and the FES Debtors to review and determine issues that arise in the context of the separation of the FES Debtors’ businesses from those of FirstEnergy. As contemplated under the FES Bankruptcy settlement agreement, AE Supply entered into an agreement on December 31, 2018, to transfer the 1,300 MW Pleasants Power Station and related assets to FG, while retaining certain specified liabilities. Under the terms of the agreement, FG acquired the economic interests in Pleasants as of January 1, 2019, and AE Supply will operate Pleasants until the transfer is completed. After closing, AE Supply will continue to provide access to the McElroy’s Run CCR Impoundment Facility, which is not being transferred, and FE will provide guarantees for certain retained environmental liabilities of AE Supply, including the McElroy’s Run CCR Impoundment Facility. The transfer of the Pleasants Power Station is subject to various customary and other closing conditions, including the effectiveness of a plan of reorganization for the FES Debtors in connection with the FES Bankruptcy. There can be no assurance that all closing conditions will be satisfied or that the transfer will be consummated. On April 11, 2019, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order denying the FES Debtors’ disclosure statement approval motion. The Bankruptcy Court concluded that the nonconsensual third-party releases proposed under the plan of reorganization, which were a condition under the FES Bankruptcy settlement agreement for FirstEnergy’s benefit, were legally impermissible and rendered the plan unconfirmable. On April 18, 2019, FirstEnergy consented to the waiver of the condition. Additionally, the FES Debtors agreed to provide FirstEnergy with the same third-party release provided in favor of certain other parties in any plan of reorganization and to pay FirstEnergy approximately $60 million in cash (paid during the second quarter of 2019) to resolve certain outstanding pension and service charges totaling $87 million, which resulted in FirstEnergy recognizing a $27 million pre-tax charge to income in the first quarter of 2019 ($17 million of which was recognized in continuing operations). Further, the FES Debtors agreed to initiate negotiations with the EPA, OEPA, PA DEP and the NRC to obtain those parties’ cooperation with the FES Debtors’ revised plan of reorganization. FirstEnergy may choose to participate in those negotiations at its option. On May 20, 2019, the Bankruptcy Court approved the waiver and a revised disclosure statement. In August 2019, the Bankruptcy Court held hearings to consider whether to confirm the FES Debtors’ plan of reorganization. Upon the conclusion of the hearing, the Bankruptcy Court ruled against the objections of several parties, including FERC and OVEC. However, the Bankruptcy Court ruled in favor of the objections made by certain of the FES Debtors’ unions regarding their collective bargaining agreements. The Bankruptcy Court adjourned the hearing without ruling on confirmation and explained that the only issue to be resolved was the acceptance or rejection by the FES Debtors of the collective bargaining agreements at issue. In October 2019, the FES Debtors and the unions objecting to confirmation of the plan of reorganization reached an agreement framework and the unions agreed to withdraw their objections to the plan of reorganization. On October 15, 2019, the Bankruptcy Court held a hearing to confirm the FES Debtors’ plan of reorganization, and on October 16, 2019, entered a final order confirming the FES Debtors' plan of reorganization. On October 29, 2019, several parties, including FERC, filed notices of appeal with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio appealing the Bankruptcy Court’s final order approving FES Debtors’ plan of reorganization. The emergence of the FES Debtors from bankruptcy pursuant to the confirmed plan of reorganization is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including approvals from the FERC and NRC. Capitalized Financing Costs For each of the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, capitalized financing costs on FirstEnergy’s Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) include $12 million and $11 million, respectively, of allowance for equity funds used during construction and $7 million and $5 million, respectively, of capitalized interest. For each of the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, capitalized financing costs on FirstEnergy’s Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) include $34 million and $33 million, respectively, of allowance for equity funds used during construction and $19 million and $14 million, respectively, of capitalized interest. Restricted Cash Restricted cash primarily relates to the consolidated VIE’s discussed in Note 10, “Variable Interest Entities.” The cash collected from JCP&L, MP, PE and the Ohio Companies’ customers is used to service debt of their respective funding companies. New Accounting Pronouncements Recently Adopted Pronouncements ASU 2016-02, "Leases (Topic 842)" (Issued February 2016 and subsequently updated to address implementation questions): The new guidance requires organizations that lease assets with lease terms of more than 12 months to recognize assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by those leases on their balance sheets, as well as new qualitative and quantitative disclosures. FirstEnergy implemented a third-party software tool that assisted with the initial adoption and will assist with ongoing compliance. FirstEnergy chose to apply the requirements of the standard in the period of adoption (January 1, 2019) with no restatement of prior periods. Upon adoption, on January 1, 2019, FirstEnergy increased assets and liabilities by $186 million, with no impact to results of operations or cash flows. See Note 8, "Leases," for additional information on FirstEnergy's leases. Recently Issued Pronouncements - The following new authoritative accounting guidance issued by the FASB has not yet been adopted. Unless otherwise indicated, FirstEnergy is currently assessing the impact such guidance may have on its financial statements and disclosures, as well as the potential to early adopt where applicable. FirstEnergy has assessed other FASB issuances of new standards not described below based upon the current expectation that such new standards will not significantly impact FirstEnergy's financial reporting. ASU 2016-13, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” (Issued June 2016 and subsequently updated): ASU 2016-13 removes all recognition thresholds and will require companies to recognize an allowance for credit losses for the difference between the amortized cost basis of a financial instrument and the amount of amortized cost that the company expects to collect over the instrument’s contractual life. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. FirstEnergy has analyzed its financial instruments within the scope of this guidance, primarily trade receivables and AFS debt securities, and does not expect a material impact to its financial statements upon adoption in 2020. ASU 2018-15, "Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract" (Issued August 2018): ASU 2018-15 requires implementation costs incurred by customers in cloud computing arrangements to be deferred and recognized over the term of the arrangement, if those costs would be capitalized by the customers in a software licensing arrangement. The guidance will be effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. FirstEnergy does not expect a material impact to its financial statements upon adoption in 2020.

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