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Financial Risk Management | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2016
Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract] |
Financial Risk Management | FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT The Corporation is primarily exposed to credit risk, liquidity risk and market risk as a result of holding financial instruments in the normal course of business.
Credit risk | Risk that a counterparty to a financial instrument might fail to meet its obligations under the terms of the financial instrument.
Liquidity risk | Risk that an entity will encounter difficulty in raising funds to meet commitments associated with financial instruments.
Market risk | Risk that the fair value or future cash flows of a financial instrument will fluctuate due to changes in market prices. The Corporation is exposed to foreign exchange risk, interest rate risk and commodity price risk.
Credit Risk For cash equivalents, trade and other accounts receivable, and long-term other receivables, the Corporation’s credit risk is generally limited to the carrying value on the consolidated balance sheet. The Corporation generally has a large and diversified customer base, which minimizes the concentration of credit risk. The Corporation and its subsidiaries have various policies to minimize credit risk, which include requiring customer deposits, prepayments and/or credit checks for certain customers and performing disconnections and/or using third-party collection agencies for overdue accounts. ITC has a concentration of credit risk as a result of approximately 70% of its revenue being derived from three primary customers. Credit risk is limited as such customers have investment-grade credit ratings. ITC further reduces its exposure to credit risk by requiring a letter of credit or cash deposit equal to the credit exposure, which is determined by a credit-scoring model and other factors. FortisAlberta has a concentration of credit risk as a result of its distribution service billings being to a relatively small group of retailers. As at December 31, 2016, FortisAlberta’s gross credit risk exposure was approximately $123 million, representing the projected value of retailer billings over a 37-day period. The Company has reduced its exposure to $1 million by obtaining from the retailers either a cash deposit, bond, letter of credit, an investment-grade credit rating from a major rating agency, or a financial guarantee from an entity with an investment-grade credit rating. UNS Energy, Central Hudson, FortisBC Energy and Aitken Creek may be exposed to credit risk in the event of non‑performance by counterparties to derivative instruments. The Companies use netting arrangements to reduce credit risk and net settle payments with counterparties where net settlement provisions exist. They also limit credit risk by only dealing with counterparties that have investment‑grade credit ratings. At UNS Energy, contractual arrangements also contain certain provisions requiring counterparties to derivative instruments to post collateral under certain circumstances. 32. FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT (cont’d) Liquidity Risk The Corporation’s consolidated financial position could be adversely affected if it, or one of its subsidiaries, fails to arrange sufficient and cost-effective financing to fund, among other things, capital expenditures, acquisitions and the repayment of maturing debt. The ability to arrange sufficient and cost-effective financing is subject to numerous factors, including the consolidated results of operations and financial position of the Corporation and its subsidiaries, conditions in capital and bank credit markets, ratings assigned by rating agencies and general economic conditions. To help mitigate liquidity risk, the Corporation and its regulated utilities have secured committed credit facilities to support short-term financing of capital expenditures, seasonal working capital requirements, and for general corporate purposes. In addition to its credit facilities, ITC uses commercial paper to finance its short-term cash requirements, and may use credit facility borrowings, from time to time, to repay borrowings under its commercial paper program. The Corporation’s committed corporate credit facility is used for interim financing of acquisitions and for general corporate purposes. Depending on the timing of cash payments from subsidiaries, borrowings under the Corporation’s committed corporate credit facility may be required from time to time to support the servicing of debt and payment of dividends. As at December 31, 2016, over the next five years, average annual consolidated fixed-term debt maturities and repayments are expected to be approximately $680 million. The combination of available credit facilities and reasonable annual debt maturities and repayments provides the Corporation and its subsidiaries with flexibility in the timing of access to capital markets. As at December 31, 2016, the Corporation and its subsidiaries had consolidated credit facilities of approximately $6.0 billion, of which approximately $3.7 billion was unused, including $915 million unused under the Corporation’s committed revolving corporate credit facility. The credit facilities are syndicated mostly with large banks in Canada and the United States, with no one bank holding more than 20% of these facilities. Approximately $5.1 billion of the total credit facilities are committed facilities with maturities ranging from 2017 through 2021. The following summary outlines the credit facilities of the Corporation and its subsidiaries.
(in millions) | Regulated Utilities |  | Corporate and Other |  | 2016 |  | 2015 |
Total credit facilities (1) | $ | 3,823 |  | $ | 2,153 |  | $ | 5,976 |  | $ | 3,565 |
Credit facilities utilized: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Short-term borrowings (1) (2) | (640 | ) | (515 | ) | (1,155 | ) | (511 | )
Long-term debt (Note 14) (3) | (508 | ) | (465 | ) | (973 | ) | (551 | )
Letters of credit outstanding | (68 | ) | (51 | ) | (119 | ) | (104 | )
Credit facilities unused (1) | $ | 2,607 |  | $ | 1,122 |  | $ | 3,729 |  | $ | 2,399 |
(1) | Total credit facilities and short-term borrowings as at December 31, 2016 include $195 million (US$145 million) outstanding under ITC’s commercial paper program. Outstanding commercial paper does not reduce available capacity under the Corporation’s consolidated credit facilities.
(2) | The weighted average interest rate on short-term borrowings was approximately 1.7% as at December 31, 2016 (December 31, 2015 - 1.0%).
(3) | As at December 31, 2016, credit facility borrowings classified as long-term debt included $61 million in current installments of long-term debt on the consolidated balance sheet (December 31, 2015 - $71 million). The weighted average interest rate on credit facility borrowings classified as long‑term debt was approximately 1.8% as at December 31, 2016 (December 31, 2015 - 1.5%).
As at December 31, 2016 and 2015, certain borrowings under the Corporation’s and subsidiaries’ long‑term committed credit facilities were classified as long-term debt. It is management’s intention to refinance these borrowings with long‑term permanent financing during future periods. 32. FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT Liquidity Risk (cont’d) Regulated Utilities ITC has a total of US$1.0 billion in unsecured committed revolving credit facilities maturing in March 2019. ITC has an ongoing commercial paper program in an aggregate amount of US$400 million, under which US$145 million in commercial paper was outstanding as at December 31, 2016. UNS Energy has a total of US$350 million in unsecured committed revolving credit facilities, with US$305 million maturing in October 2021, and US$45 million maturing in October 2020. Central Hudson has a US$200 million unsecured committed revolving credit facility, maturing in October 2020, and an uncommitted credit facility totalling US$25 million. FortisBC Energy has a $700 million unsecured committed revolving credit facility, maturing in August 2021. FortisAlberta has a $250 million unsecured committed revolving credit facility, maturing in August 2021, and a $90 million bilateral credit facility, maturing in November 2017. FortisBC Electric has a $150 million unsecured committed revolving credit facility, maturing in May 2019, and a $10 million unsecured demand overdraft facility. Newfoundland Power has a $100 million unsecured committed revolving credit facility, maturing in August 2021, and a $20 million demand credit facility. Maritime Electric has a $50 million unsecured committed revolving credit facility, maturing in February 2019. FortisOntario has a $30 million unsecured committed revolving credit facility, maturing in June 2019. Caribbean Utilities has unsecured credit facilities totalling approximately US$49 million. Fortis Turks and Caicos has short-term unsecured demand credit facilities of US$31 million, maturing in June 2017. Corporate and Other Fortis has a $1.3 billion unsecured committed revolving credit facility, maturing in July 2021, and a $500 million non-revolving term senior unsecured equity bridge credit facility, used to finance a portion of the cash purchase price of the acquisition of ITC, maturing in October 2017. UNS Energy Corporation has a US$150 million unsecured committed revolving credit facility, with US$130 million maturing in October 2021, and US$20 million maturing in October 2020. CH Energy Group has a US$50 million unsecured committed revolving credit facility, maturing in July 2020. FHI has a $50 million unsecured committed revolving credit facility, maturing in April 2019. The Corporation and its currently rated utilities target investment-grade credit ratings to maintain capital market access at reasonable interest rates. As at December 31, 2016, the Corporation’s credit ratings were as follows.
Rating Agency | Credit Rating | Type of Rating | Outlook
Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) | A- | Corporate | Stable
| BBB+ | Unsecured debt | Stable
DBRS | BBB (high) | Unsecured debt | Stable
Moody’s Investor Service (“Moody’s”) | Baa3 | Issuer | Stable
| Baa3 | Unsecured debt | Stable
The above-noted credit ratings reflect the Corporation’s low business-risk profile and diversity of its operations, the stand-alone nature and financial separation of each of the regulated subsidiaries of Fortis, and the level of debt at the holding company. In September 2016 Moody’s commenced rating Fortis. In October 2016, following the completion of the acquisition of ITC, DBRS revised the Corporation’s unsecured debt credit rating to BBB (high) from A (low) and revised its outlook to stable from under review with negative implications, and S&P affirmed the Corporation’s long-term corporate and unsecured debt credit ratings as A- and BBB+, respectively, and revised its outlook to stable from negative. 32. FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT (cont’d) Market Risk Foreign Exchange Risk The reporting currency of ITC, UNS Energy, Central Hudson, Caribbean Utilities, Fortis Turks and Caicos and BECOL is the US dollar. The Corporation’s earnings from, and net investments in, foreign subsidiaries are exposed to fluctuations in the US dollar-to-Canadian dollar exchange rate. The Corporation has decreased the above-noted exposure through the use of US dollar-denominated borrowings at the corporate level. The foreign exchange gain or loss on the translation of US dollar-denominated interest expense partially offsets the foreign exchange gain or loss on the translation of the Corporation’s foreign subsidiaries’ earnings. As at December 31, 2016, the Corporation’s corporately issued US$3,511 million (December 31, 2015 -US$1,535 million) long-term debt had been designated as an effective hedge of a portion of the Corporation’s foreign net investments. As at December 31, 2016, the Corporation had approximately US$7,250 million (December 31, 2015 ‑ US$3,137 million) in foreign net investments that were unhedged. Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations associated with the translation of the Corporation’s corporately issued US dollar‑denominated borrowings designated as effective hedges are recorded on the consolidated balance sheet in accumulated other comprehensive income and serve to help offset unrealized foreign currency exchange gains and losses on the net investments in foreign subsidiaries, which gains and losses are also recorded on the consolidated balance sheet in accumulated other comprehensive income. As a result of the acquisition of ITC, consolidated earnings and cash flows of Fortis are impacted to a greater extent by fluctuations in the US dollar-to-Canadian dollar exchange rate. On an annual basis, it is estimated that a 5 cent increase or decrease in the US dollar relative to the Canadian dollar exchange rate of US$1.00=CAD$1.34 as at December 31, 2016 would increase or decrease earnings per common share of Fortis by approximately 7 cents. Management will continue to hedge future exchange rate fluctuations related to the Corporation’s foreign net investments and US dollar‑denominated earnings streams, where possible, through future US dollar‑denominated borrowings, and will continue to monitor the Corporation’s exposure to foreign currency fluctuations on a regular basis. Interest Rate Risk The Corporation and most of its subsidiaries are exposed to interest rate risk associated with borrowings under variable-rate credit facilities, variable-rate long-term debt and the refinancing of long-term debt. The Corporation and its subsidiaries may enter into interest rate swap agreements to help reduce this risk (Note 30). Commodity Price Risk UNS Energy is exposed to commodity price risk associated with changes in the market price of gas, purchased power and coal. Central Hudson is exposed to commodity price risk associated with changes in the market price of electricity and gas. FortisBC Energy is exposed to commodity price risk associated with changes in the market price of gas. The risks have been reduced by entering into derivative contracts that effectively fix the price of natural gas, power and electricity purchases. Aitken Creek is exposed to commodity price risk associated with changes in the market price of gas and enters into derivative contracts to manage the financial risk posed by physical transactions. These derivative instruments are recorded on the consolidated balance sheet at fair value and any change in the fair value is deferred as a regulatory asset or liability, as permitted by the regulators, for recovery from, or refund to, customers in future rates, except at Aitken Creek where the changes in fair value are recorded in earnings (Note 30).

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- Definition The entire disclosure for any concentrations existing at the date of the financial statements that make an entity vulnerable to a reasonably possible, near-term, severe impact. This disclosure informs financial statement users about the general nature of the risk associated with the concentration, and may indicate the percentage of concentration risk as of the balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 16 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64851502&loc=d3e6327-108592 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 20 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73719730&loc=d3e13531-108611 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 20 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64851502&loc=d3e6404-108592 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 21 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64851502&loc=d3e6442-108592 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 18 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64851502&loc=d3e6351-108592 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 21 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73719730&loc=d3e13537-108611 + Details
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