Variable Interest Entities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]

33. VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES

The Company performs ongoing analysis to assess whether it holds any variable interest entities (“VIEs”). To identify potential VIEs, management reviews contracts under leases, long-term purchase power agreements, tolling contracts and jointly owned facilities.

VIEs of which the Company is deemed the primary beneficiary must be consolidated. The primary beneficiary of a VIE has both the power to direct the activities of the entity that most significantly impact its economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses of the entity that could potentially be significant to the entity. In circumstances where Emera is not deemed the primary beneficiary, the VIE is accounted for using the equity method.

For the years ended, December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company has identified the following material VIEs:

Emera holds a variable interest in NSPML, a VIE for which it was determined that Emera is not the primary beneficiary since it does not have the controlling financial interest of NSPML. In Q2 2014, when the critical milestones were achieved, Nalcor Energy was deemed the beneficiary of the asset for financial reporting purposes as they have authority over the majority of the direct activities that are expected to most significantly impact the economic performance of the Maritime Link Project. Thus, Emera began recording the Maritime Link Project as an equity investment.

BLPC has established a Self-Insurance Fund primarily for the purpose of building a fund to cover risk against damage and consequential loss to certain generating, transmission and distribution systems. ECI holds a variable interest in the SIF for which it was determined that ECI was the primary beneficiary and, accordingly, the SIF must be consolidated by ECI. In its determination that ECI controls the SIF, management considered that, in substance, the activities of the SIF are being conducted on behalf of ECI’s subsidiary BLPC and BLPC, alone, obtains the benefits from the SIF’s operations. Additionally, because ECI, through BLPC, has rights to all the benefits of the SIF, it is also exposed to the risks related to the activities of the SIF. Any withdrawal of SIF fund assets by the Company would be subject to existing regulations. Emera’s consolidated VIE in the SIF is recorded as an “Investment securities”, “Restricted cash” and “Regulatory liabilities”.

The Company has identified certain long-term purchase power agreements that meet the definition of variable interests as the Company has to purchase all or a majority of the electricity generation at a fixed price. However, it was determined that the Company was not the primary beneficiary since it lacked the power to direct the activities of the entity, including the ability to operate the generating facilities and make management decisions.

The following table provides information about Emera’s portion of material unconsolidated VIEs:

As at		December 31, 2016				December 31, 2015
			Maximum				Maximum
millions of Canadian dollars		Total assets	exposure to loss			Total assets	exposure to loss
Unconsolidated VIEs in which Emera has variable interests
NSPML (equity accounted)	$	315	$	577	$	188	$	1,007