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Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies (Notes) | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2013
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items] |
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block] | Commitments and Contingencies Except as set forth below, in Note 14 and under "Environmental Laws and Regulations" in Item 2 of Part I and in Item 1 of Part II of this form 10-Q, the circumstances set forth in Notes 16 and 17 to the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company's 2012 Form 10-K appropriately represent, in all material respects, the current status of the Company's material commitments and contingent liabilities. OG&E Minimum Fuel Purchase Commitments OG&E has coal contracts for purchases from January 2012 through December 2016. Also, as previously reported, OG&E had entered into multiple-month term natural gas contracts for 26.1 percent of its 2013 annual forecasted natural gas requirements. In February 2013, through a request for proposal, OG&E entered into various multiple-month term natural gas contracts for 84.0 percent of its remaining forecasted 2013 natural gas requirements. OG&E has entered into multiple-month term natural gas contracts for 25.5 percent of its 2014 annual forecasted natural gas requirements. Additional gas supplies to fulfill OG&E's remaining 2014 natural gas requirements will be acquired through additional requests for proposal in early to mid-2014, along with monthly and daily purchases, all of which are expected to be made at market prices. OG&E Long-Term Service Agreement Commitments OG&E has a long-term parts and service maintenance contract for the upkeep of the McClain Plant. The existing contract will expire on January 1, 2015. In May 2013, a new contract was signed that is expected to run for the earlier of 128,000 factored-fired hours or 3,600 factored-fired starts. Based on historical usage and current expectations for future usage, this contract is expected to run until 2030. The contract requires payments based on both a fixed and variable cost component, depending on how much the McClain Plant is used. OG&E has a long-term parts and service maintenance contract for the upkeep of the Redbud Plant. In March 2013, the contract was amended to extend the contract coverage for an additional 24,000 factored-fired hours. Based on historical usage and current expectations for future usage, this contract is expected to run until 2027. The contract requires payments based on both a fixed and variable cost component, depending on how much the Redbud Plant is used. Enable Midstream Partners Transportation Contract Enable Midstream Partners provides gas transmission delivery services to all of PSO's natural gas-fired electric generation facilities in Oklahoma under a firm intrastate transportation contract. The PSO contract provides for a monthly demand charge plus variable transportation charges including fuel. The stated term of the PSO contract was set to expire January 1, 2014, but the contract remains in effect from year to year thereafter unless either party provides written notice of termination to the other party at least 180 days prior to the commencement of the next succeeding annual period. Because neither party provided notice of termination 180 days prior to January 1, 2014, the PSO contract will remain in effect at least through January 1, 2015. OGE Holdings Noncancellable Operating Leases As a result of the formation of Enable Midstream Partners on May 1, 2013 and the Company's deconsolidation of Enogex Holdings, the Company has no obligations included in its Consolidated Financial Statements at September 30, 2013 under OGE Holdings' noncancellable lease obligations previously disclosed in the Company's 2012 Form 10-K. Enogex Energy Resources, LLC Commitments As a result of the formation of Enable Midstream Partners on May 1, 2013 and the Company's deconsolidation of Enogex Holdings, the Company has no obligations included in its Consolidated Financial Statements at September 30, 2013, under Enogex Energy Resources, Inc.'s commitments previously disclosed in the Company's 2012 Form 10-K. OG&E Wind Energy Purchased Power Lawsuit In 2009, OG&E entered into a wind energy purchase power agreement with CPV Keenan for the purchase of all the energy output from its 150 MW wind farm in Woodward County, Oklahoma. In August of 2013, CPV Keenan filed suit against OG&E for the non-payment of curtailment charges, for a non-specified amount in excess of $0.1 million. OG&E believes that it is not liable for curtailment charges in this case. Management believes the range of possible outcomes in this suit is between $0 and approximately $10 million. The Company believes that any possible losses in this case would not be quantitatively material to its financial statements and would not have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Environmental Laws and Regulations Federal Clean Air Act New Source Review Litigation As previously reported, in July 2008, OG&E received a request for information from the EPA regarding Federal Clean Air Act compliance at OG&E's Muskogee and Sooner generating plants. In recent years, the EPA has issued similar requests to numerous other electric utilities seeking to determine whether various maintenance, repair and replacement projects should have required permits under the Federal Clean Air Act's new source review process. In January 2012, OG&E received a supplemental request for an update of the previously provided information and for some additional information not previously requested. On May 1, 2012, OG&E responded to the EPA's supplemental request for information. On April 26, 2011, the EPA issued a notice of violation alleging that 13 projects occurred at OG&E's Muskogee and Sooner generating plants between 1993 and 2006 without the required new source review permits. The notice of violation also alleges that OG&E's visible emissions at its Muskogee and Sooner generating plants are not in accordance with applicable new source performance standards. In March 2013, the DOJ informed OG&E that it was prepared to initiate enforcement litigation concerning the matters identified in the notice of violation. OG&E subsequently met with EPA and DOJ representatives regarding the notice of violation and proposals for resolving the matter without litigation. On July 8, 2013, the United States, at the request of the EPA, filed a complaint for declaratory relief against OG&E in United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma (Case No. CIV-13-690-D) alleging that OG&E did not follow the Federal Clean Air Act procedures for projecting emission increases attributable to eight projects that occurred between 2003 and 2006. This complaint seeks to have OG&E submit a new assessment of whether the projects were likely to result in a significant emissions increase. The Sierra Club has intervened in this proceeding and has asserted claims for declaratory relief that are similar to those requested by the United States. OG&E expects to vigorously defend against these claims, but OG&E cannot predict the outcome of such litigation. On August 12, 2013, the Sierra Club filed a complaint against OG&E in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma (Case No. 13-CV-00356) alleging that OG&E modifications made at Unit 6 of the Muskogee generating plant in 2008 were made without obtaining a prevention of significant deterioration permit and that the plant has exceeded emissions limits for opacity and particulate matter. The Sierra Club seeks permanent injunction preventing OG&E from operating the Muskogee generating plant. At this time, OG&E continues to believe that it has acted in compliance with the Federal Clean Air Act. If OG&E does not prevail in these proceedings and if a new assessment of the projects were to conclude that they caused a significant emissions increase, the EPA and the Sierra Club could seek to require OG&E to install additional pollution control equipment, including Dry Scrubbers and selective catalytic reduction systems with capital costs in excess of $1.0 billion and pay fines and significant penalties as a result of the allegations in the notice of violation. Section 113 of the Federal Clean Air Act (along with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1996) provides for civil penalties as much as $37,500 per day for each violation. The cost of any required pollution control equipment could also be significant. OG&E cannot predict at this time whether it will be legally required to incur any of these costs. Other In the normal course of business, the Company is confronted with issues or events that may result in a contingent liability. These generally relate to lawsuits or claims made by third parties, including governmental agencies. When appropriate, management consults with legal counsel and other appropriate experts to assess the claim. If, in management's opinion, the Company has incurred a probable loss as set forth by GAAP, an estimate is made of the loss and the appropriate accounting entries are reflected in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. At the present time, based on currently available information, except as otherwise stated above, in Note 14 below, under "Environmental Laws and Regulations" in Item 2 of Part 1 and in Item 1 of Part II of this Form 10-Q, in Notes 16 and 17 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and Item 3 of Part I of the Company's 2012 Form 10-K, the Company believes that any reasonably possible losses in excess of accrued amounts arising out of pending or threatened lawsuits or claims would not be quantitatively material to its financial statements and would not have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

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