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Asset Impairment Expense | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017
Impairment or Disposal of Tangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract] |
ASSET IMPAIRMENT EXPENSE | ASSET IMPAIRMENT EXPENSE
Year ended December 31, (in millions) |  | 2017 |  | 2016 |  | 2015
DPL |  | $ | 175 |  |  | $ | 859 |  |  | $ | — |
Laurel Mountain |  | 121 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Kazakhstan Hydroelectric |  | 92 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Kazakhstan CHPs |  | 94 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Kilroot |  | 37 |  |  | — |  |  | 121 |
Buffalo Gap II |  | — |  |  | 159 |  |  | — |
Buffalo Gap I |  | — |  |  | 77 |  |  | — |
Buffalo Gap III |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 116 |
U.K. Wind |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 37 |
Other |  | 18 |  |  | 1 |  |  | 11 |
Total |  | $ | 537 |  |  | $ | 1,096 |  |  | $ | 285 |
Laurel Mountain — During the fourth quarter of 2017, the Company tested the recoverability of its long-lived assets at Laurel Mountain, a wind farm in the U.S. Impairment indicators were identified based on a decline in forward pricing. The Company determined that the carrying amount was not recoverable. The Laurel Mountain asset group was determined to have a fair value of $33 million using the income approach. As a result, the Company recognized an asset impairment expense of $121 million. Laurel Mountain is reported in the US SBU reportable segment. Kilroot — During the fourth quarter of 2017, the Company tested the recoverability of its long-lived assets at Kilroot, a coal and oil-fired plant in Northern Ireland, as Kilroot was not successful in bidding its coal units into the December 2017 capacity auction for the newly implemented I-SEM market. The Company determined that the carrying amount of the asset group was not recoverable. The Kilroot asset group was determined to have a fair value of $20 million using the income approach. As a result, the Company recognized an asset impairment expense of $37 million, which was limited to the carrying value of the coal units. Kilroot is reported in the Eurasia SBU reportable segment. During 2015, the Company tested the recoverability of long-lived assets at Kilroot when the regulator established lower capacity prices for the I-SEM. The Company determined that the carrying amount of the asset group was not recoverable. The Kilroot asset group was determined to have a fair value of $70 million using the income approach. As a result, the Company recognized asset impairment expense of $121 million. Kilroot is reported in the Eurasia SBU reportable segment. Kazakhstan Hydroelectric — In April 2017, the Republic of Kazakhstan stated the concession agreements would not be extended for Shulbinsk HPP and Ust-Kamenogorsk HPP, two hydroelectric plants in Kazakhstan, and initiated the process to transfer these plants back to the government. Upon meeting the held-for-sale criteria in the second quarter of 2017, the Company performed an impairment analysis and determined the carrying value of the asset group of $190 million, which included cumulative translation losses of $100 million, was greater than its fair value less costs to sell of $92 million. As a result, the Company recognized asset impairment expense of $92 million limited to the carrying value of the long-lived assets. The Company completed the transfer of the plants in October 2017. Prior to their transfer, the Kazakhstan hydroelectric plants were reported in the Eurasia SBU reportable segment. See Note 22—Held-for-Sale Businesses and Dispositions for further information. Kazakhstan CHPs — In January 2017, the Company entered into an agreement for the sale of Ust-Kamenogorsk CHP and Sogrinsk CHP, its combined heating and power coal plants in Kazakhstan. Upon meeting the held-for-sale criteria in the first quarter of 2017, the Company performed an impairment analysis and determined that the carrying value of the asset group of $171 million, which included cumulative translation losses of $92 million, was greater than its fair value less costs to sell of $29 million. As a result, the Company recognized asset impairment expense of $94 million limited to the carrying value of the long-lived assets. The Company completed the sale of its interest in the Kazakhstan CHP plants in April 2017. Prior to their sale, the plants were reported in the Eurasia SBU reportable segment. See Note 22—Held-for-Sale Businesses and Dispositions for further information. DPL — In March 2017, the Board of Directors of DPL approved the retirement of the DPL operated and co-owned Stuart coal-fired and diesel-fired generating units, and the Killen coal-fired generating unit and combustion turbine on or before June 1, 2018. The Company performed an impairment analysis and determined that the carrying amounts of the facilities were not recoverable. The Stuart and Killen asset groups were determined to have fair values of $3 million and $8 million, respectively, using the income approach. As a result, the Company recognized total asset impairment expense of $66 million. DPL is reported in the US SBU reportable segment. In December 2017, DPL entered into an agreement for the sale of six of its combustion turbine and diesel-fired generation facilities and related assets ("DPL peaker assets"). Upon meeting the held-for-sale criteria, the Company performed an impairment analysis and determined that the carrying value of the asset group of $346 million was greater than its fair value less costs to sell of $237 million. As a result, the Company recognized asset impairment expense of $109 million. The DPL peaker assets are reported in the US SBU reportable segment. See Note 22—Held-for-Sale Businesses and Dispositions for further information. During the second quarter of 2016, the Company tested the recoverability of its long-lived generation assets at DPL. Uncertainty created by the Supreme Court of Ohio’s June 20, 2016 opinion regarding ESP 2, lower expectations of future revenue resulting from the most recent PJM capacity auction and higher anticipated environmental compliance costs resulting from third party studies were collectively determined to be an impairment indicator for these assets. The Company performed an impairment analysis and determined that the carrying amount of Killen, a coal-fired generation facility, and certain DPL peaking generation facilities were not recoverable. The Killen and DPL peaking generation asset groups were determined to have a fair value of $84 million and $5 million, respectively, using the income approach. As a result, the Company recognized total asset impairment expense of $235 million. DPL is reported in the US SBU reportable segment. During the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company tested the recoverability of its long-lived coal-fired generation assets and one gas-fired peaking plant at DPL. Uncertainty around the useful life of Stuart and Killen related to the Company’s ESP proceedings and lower forward dark spreads and capacity prices were collectively determined to be an impairment indicator for these assets. Market information indicating a significant decrease in the fair value of Zimmer and Miami Fort was determined to be an indicator of impairment for these assets. The lower forward dark spreads and capacity prices, along with the indicators at the other coal-fired facilities, collectively, resulted in an indicator of impairment for the Conesville asset group. For the gas-fired peaking plant, significant incremental capital expenditures relative to its fair value, and an impairment charge taken at this facility in the second quarter of 2016, were collectively determined to be impairment indicators for this asset. The Company performed an impairment analysis for each of these asset groups and determined that their carrying amounts were not recoverable. The Stuart, Killen, Miami Fort, Zimmer, Conesville and the gas-fired peaking plant asset groups were determined to have fair values of $57 million, $43 million, $36 million, $24 million, $1 million and $2 million, respectively, using the market approach for Miami Fort and Zimmer and the income approach for the remaining asset groups. As a result, the Company recognized total asset impairment expense of $624 million. DPL is reported in the US SBU reportable segment. Buffalo Gap I — During 2016, the Company tested the recoverability of its long-lived assets at Buffalo Gap I. Low wind production during 2016 resulted in management lowering future expectations of production and therefore future forecasted revenues. As such this was determined to be an impairment indicator. The Company determined that the carrying amount of the asset group was not recoverable. The Buffalo Gap I asset group was determined to have a fair value of $36 million using the income approach. As a result, the Company recognized asset impairment expense of $77 million ($23 million attributable to AES). Buffalo Gap I is reported in the US SBU reportable segment. Buffalo Gap II — During 2016, the Company tested the recoverability of its long-lived assets at Buffalo Gap II. Impairment indicators were identified based on a decline in forward power curves. The Company determined that the carrying amount was not recoverable. The Buffalo Gap II asset group was determined to have a fair value of $92 million using the income approach. As a result, the Company recognized asset impairment expense of $159 million ($49 million attributable to AES). Buffalo Gap II is reported in the US SBU reportable segment. Buffalo Gap III — During 2015, the Company tested the recoverability of its long-lived assets at Buffalo Gap III, a wind farm in Texas. Impairment indicators were identified based on a decline in forward power curves coupled with the near term expiration of favorable contracted cash flows. The Company determined that the carrying amount was not recoverable. The Buffalo Gap III asset group was determined to have a fair value of $118 million using the income approach. As a result, the Company recognized asset impairment expense of $116 million. Buffalo Gap III is reported in the US SBU reportable segment. U.K. Wind — During 2015, the Company decided to no longer pursue two wind projects in the U.K. based on regulatory clarifications specific to these projects, resulting in a full impairment. Impairment indicators were also identified at four other wind projects based on their current development status and a reassessment of the likelihood that each project would be pursued given aviation concerns, regulatory changes, economic considerations and other factors. The Company determined that the carrying amounts of each of these asset groups, which totaled $38 million, were not recoverable. In aggregate, the asset groups were determined to have a fair value of $1 million using the market approach and, as a result, the Company recognized asset impairment expense of $37 million. The U.K. Wind Projects are reported in the Eurasia SBU reportable segment. See Note 22—Held-for-Sale Businesses and Dispositions for further information.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for the details of the charge against earnings resulting from the aggregate write down of all assets from their carrying value to their fair value. Disclosure may also include a description of the impaired asset and facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, amount of the impairment loss and where the loss is located in the income statement, method(s) for determining fair value, and the segment in which the impaired asset is reported. + References No definition available. + Details
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