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Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy) | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2020
General, Basis of Accounting | The interim unaudited Financial Statements included herein have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted, although management believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. These Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto included in the latest combined Annual Report on Form 10-K. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, which unless otherwise noted are normal and recurring in nature, necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations, financial position and cash flows have been made. Results for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020.
General, COVID-19 | In March 2020, COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, which has resulted in widespread travel restrictions, closures of commercial spaces and industrial facilities, and more people working from home in Alliant Energy’s service territories. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL considered the impact of COVID-19 on their overall business operations, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, along with assumptions and estimates used. While the total expected impact of COVID-19 on future sales is currently unknown, Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL have experienced higher electric residential sales and lower electric commercial and industrial sales since the outset of the pandemic. The degree to which the COVID-19 pandemic may impact Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL in the future is currently unknown and will depend on future developments of the pandemic as well as possible additional actions by government and regulatory authorities.
General, Use of Estimates | A change in management’s estimates or assumptions could have a material impact on financial condition and results of operations during the period in which such change occurred.
General, Reclassification | Certain prior period amounts in the Financial Statements and Notes have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation for comparative purposes.
Cash and Cash Equivalents | At September 30, 2020, Alliant Energy’s and IPL’s cash and cash equivalents included $183 million and $183 million of money market fund investments, with weighted average interest rates of 0.1% and 0.1%, respectively.
Current Expected Credit Losses Estimates | Current expected credit losses are estimated for trade and other receivables and credit exposures on guarantees of the performance by third parties. The current expected credit losses for short-term trade receivables are based on estimates of losses resulting from the inability of customers to make required payments. The methodology used to estimate losses is based on historical write-offs, regional economic conditions, significant events that could impact collectability, such as impacts related to COVID-19, the derecho windstorm and related regulatory actions, and forecasted changes to the accounts receivable aging portfolio and write-offs. The current expected credit losses related to guarantees of the performance by third parties are estimated using both quantitative and qualitative information, which utilizes potential outcomes in a range of possible estimated amounts.
New Accounting Standards | Credit Losses - In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued an accounting standard requiring use of a current expected credit loss model rather than an incurred loss method, which is intended to result in more timely recognition of credit losses on trade receivables, certain other assets and off-balance sheet credit exposures. Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL adopted this standard on January 1, 2020 using a modified retrospective method of adoption, which required cumulative effect adjustments to retained earnings on January 1, 2020. IPL and WPL did not record a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings and Alliant Energy recorded a pre-tax $12 million (after-tax $9 million) cumulative effect adjustment to decrease retained earnings related to Alliant Energy’s guarantees in the partnership obligations of an affiliate of Whiting Petroleum (refer to Note 13(c) for further discussion). This adjustment is included in “Adoption of new accounting standard” in Alliant Energy’s summary of changes in shareowners’ equity in Note 5 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.
IPL [Member] |
General, Basis of Accounting | The interim unaudited Financial Statements included herein have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted, although management believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. These Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto included in the latest combined Annual Report on Form 10-K. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, which unless otherwise noted are normal and recurring in nature, necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations, financial position and cash flows have been made. Results for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020.
General, COVID-19 | In March 2020, COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, which has resulted in widespread travel restrictions, closures of commercial spaces and industrial facilities, and more people working from home in Alliant Energy’s service territories. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL considered the impact of COVID-19 on their overall business operations, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, along with assumptions and estimates used. While the total expected impact of COVID-19 on future sales is currently unknown, Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL have experienced higher electric residential sales and lower electric commercial and industrial sales since the outset of the pandemic. The degree to which the COVID-19 pandemic may impact Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL in the future is currently unknown and will depend on future developments of the pandemic as well as possible additional actions by government and regulatory authorities.
General, Use of Estimates | A change in management’s estimates or assumptions could have a material impact on financial condition and results of operations during the period in which such change occurred.
General, Reclassification | Certain prior period amounts in the Financial Statements and Notes have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation for comparative purposes.
Cash and Cash Equivalents | At September 30, 2020, Alliant Energy’s and IPL’s cash and cash equivalents included $183 million and $183 million of money market fund investments, with weighted average interest rates of 0.1% and 0.1%, respectively.
Current Expected Credit Losses Estimates | Current expected credit losses are estimated for trade and other receivables and credit exposures on guarantees of the performance by third parties. The current expected credit losses for short-term trade receivables are based on estimates of losses resulting from the inability of customers to make required payments. The methodology used to estimate losses is based on historical write-offs, regional economic conditions, significant events that could impact collectability, such as impacts related to COVID-19, the derecho windstorm and related regulatory actions, and forecasted changes to the accounts receivable aging portfolio and write-offs. The current expected credit losses related to guarantees of the performance by third parties are estimated using both quantitative and qualitative information, which utilizes potential outcomes in a range of possible estimated amounts.
New Accounting Standards | Credit Losses - In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued an accounting standard requiring use of a current expected credit loss model rather than an incurred loss method, which is intended to result in more timely recognition of credit losses on trade receivables, certain other assets and off-balance sheet credit exposures. Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL adopted this standard on January 1, 2020 using a modified retrospective method of adoption, which required cumulative effect adjustments to retained earnings on January 1, 2020. IPL and WPL did not record a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings and Alliant Energy recorded a pre-tax $12 million (after-tax $9 million) cumulative effect adjustment to decrease retained earnings related to Alliant Energy’s guarantees in the partnership obligations of an affiliate of Whiting Petroleum (refer to Note 13(c) for further discussion). This adjustment is included in “Adoption of new accounting standard” in Alliant Energy’s summary of changes in shareowners’ equity in Note 5 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.
WPL [Member] |
General, Basis of Accounting | The interim unaudited Financial Statements included herein have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted, although management believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. These Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto included in the latest combined Annual Report on Form 10-K. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, which unless otherwise noted are normal and recurring in nature, necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations, financial position and cash flows have been made. Results for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020.
General, COVID-19 | In March 2020, COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, which has resulted in widespread travel restrictions, closures of commercial spaces and industrial facilities, and more people working from home in Alliant Energy’s service territories. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL considered the impact of COVID-19 on their overall business operations, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, along with assumptions and estimates used. While the total expected impact of COVID-19 on future sales is currently unknown, Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL have experienced higher electric residential sales and lower electric commercial and industrial sales since the outset of the pandemic. The degree to which the COVID-19 pandemic may impact Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL in the future is currently unknown and will depend on future developments of the pandemic as well as possible additional actions by government and regulatory authorities.
General, Use of Estimates | A change in management’s estimates or assumptions could have a material impact on financial condition and results of operations during the period in which such change occurred.
General, Reclassification | Certain prior period amounts in the Financial Statements and Notes have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation for comparative purposes.
Current Expected Credit Losses Estimates | Current expected credit losses are estimated for trade and other receivables and credit exposures on guarantees of the performance by third parties. The current expected credit losses for short-term trade receivables are based on estimates of losses resulting from the inability of customers to make required payments. The methodology used to estimate losses is based on historical write-offs, regional economic conditions, significant events that could impact collectability, such as impacts related to COVID-19, the derecho windstorm and related regulatory actions, and forecasted changes to the accounts receivable aging portfolio and write-offs. The current expected credit losses related to guarantees of the performance by third parties are estimated using both quantitative and qualitative information, which utilizes potential outcomes in a range of possible estimated amounts.
New Accounting Standards | Credit Losses - In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued an accounting standard requiring use of a current expected credit loss model rather than an incurred loss method, which is intended to result in more timely recognition of credit losses on trade receivables, certain other assets and off-balance sheet credit exposures. Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL adopted this standard on January 1, 2020 using a modified retrospective method of adoption, which required cumulative effect adjustments to retained earnings on January 1, 2020. IPL and WPL did not record a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings and Alliant Energy recorded a pre-tax $12 million (after-tax $9 million) cumulative effect adjustment to decrease retained earnings related to Alliant Energy’s guarantees in the partnership obligations of an affiliate of Whiting Petroleum (refer to Note 13(c) for further discussion). This adjustment is included in “Adoption of new accounting standard” in Alliant Energy’s summary of changes in shareowners’ equity in Note 5 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.

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