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Derivative Instruments | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2011
Derivative Instruments | 10: DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS In order to limit exposure to certain market risks, primarily changes in commodity prices, interest rates, and foreign exchange rates, CMS Energy and Consumers may enter into various risk management contracts, such as forward contracts, futures, options, and swaps. The contracts used to manage market risks may qualify as derivative instruments. Neither CMS Energy nor Consumers enters into any derivatives for trading purposes. Commodity Price Risk: In order to support ongoing operations, CMS Energy and Consumers enter into contracts for the future purchase and sale of various commodities, such as electricity, natural gas, and coal. These forward contracts are generally long-term in nature and result in physical delivery of the commodity at a contracted price. Most of these contracts are not subject to derivative accounting because:
| • |  | they do not have a notional amount (that is, a number of units specified in a derivative instrument, such as MWh of electricity or bcf of natural gas);
| • |  | they qualify for the normal purchases and sales exception; or
| • |  | there is not an active market for the commodity.
Consumers' coal purchase contracts are not derivatives because there is not an active market for the coal it purchases. If an active market for coal develops in the future, some of these contracts may qualify as derivatives. Since Consumers is subject to regulatory accounting, the resulting fair value gains and losses would be deferred as regulatory assets or liabilities and would not affect net income. Consumers also uses FTRs to manage price risk related to electricity transmission congestion. An FTR is a financial instrument that entitles its holder to receive compensation or requires its holder to remit payment for congestion-related transmission charges. FTRs are accounted for as derivatives. Under regulatory accounting, all changes in fair value associated with these instruments are deferred as regulatory assets or liabilities until the instruments are settled. CMS ERM has not designated its contracts to purchase and sell electricity and natural gas as normal purchases and sales and, therefore, CMS Energy accounts for those contracts as derivatives. The fair value of CMS Energy's commodity contracts not designated as hedging instruments and recorded in other assets were $3 million at December 31, 2011 and $1 million at December 31, 2010. The fair value of Consumers' commodity contracts not designated as hedging instruments and recorded in other assets were $2 million at December 31, 2011 and $1 million at December 31, 2010. The fair value of CMS Energy's commodity contracts not designated as hedging instruments and recorded in other liabilities were $7 million at December 31, 2011 and $4 million at December 31, 2010. Consumers did not have any contracts recorded as liabilities at December 31, 2011 and 2010. Presented in the following table is the effect on CMS Energy's and Consumers' consolidated statements of income of their derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
|  | Amount of Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Recognized in Income |
|  | Years Ended December 31 |
Location of Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Recognized in Income |  | 2011 |  |  | 2010 |  |  | 2009 |
|  | In Millions |
CMS ENERGY |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commodity contracts |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating revenue |  | $ | 2 |  |  | $ | 4 |  |  | $ | 7 |
Fuel for electric generation |  |  | — |  |  |  | 4 |  |  |  | (3 | )
Cost of gas sold |  |  | (2 | ) |  |  | — |  |  |  | (2 | )
Purchased and interchange power |  |  | — |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | — |
Other expense |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | (1 | )
Interest rate contracts |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other expense |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | (1 | )
Foreign exchange contracts |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other expense |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | (1 | )
Total CMS Energy |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 10 |  |  | $ | (1 | )
CONSUMERS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commodity contracts |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other expense |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | (1 | )
Consumers' gains on FTRs deferred as regulatory liabilities were $2 million for the year ended December 31, 2011, $3 million for the year ended December 31, 2010, and $9 million for the year ended December 31, 2009. CMS Energy's derivative liabilities subject to credit-risk-related contingent features were $4 million at December 31, 2011 and $1 million at December 31, 2010.
Consumers Energy Company [Member] |
Derivative Instruments | 10: DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS In order to limit exposure to certain market risks, primarily changes in commodity prices, interest rates, and foreign exchange rates, CMS Energy and Consumers may enter into various risk management contracts, such as forward contracts, futures, options, and swaps. The contracts used to manage market risks may qualify as derivative instruments. Neither CMS Energy nor Consumers enters into any derivatives for trading purposes. Commodity Price Risk: In order to support ongoing operations, CMS Energy and Consumers enter into contracts for the future purchase and sale of various commodities, such as electricity, natural gas, and coal. These forward contracts are generally long-term in nature and result in physical delivery of the commodity at a contracted price. Most of these contracts are not subject to derivative accounting because:
| • |  | they do not have a notional amount (that is, a number of units specified in a derivative instrument, such as MWh of electricity or bcf of natural gas);
| • |  | they qualify for the normal purchases and sales exception; or
| • |  | there is not an active market for the commodity.
Consumers' coal purchase contracts are not derivatives because there is not an active market for the coal it purchases. If an active market for coal develops in the future, some of these contracts may qualify as derivatives. Since Consumers is subject to regulatory accounting, the resulting fair value gains and losses would be deferred as regulatory assets or liabilities and would not affect net income. Consumers also uses FTRs to manage price risk related to electricity transmission congestion. An FTR is a financial instrument that entitles its holder to receive compensation or requires its holder to remit payment for congestion-related transmission charges. FTRs are accounted for as derivatives. Under regulatory accounting, all changes in fair value associated with these instruments are deferred as regulatory assets or liabilities until the instruments are settled. CMS ERM has not designated its contracts to purchase and sell electricity and natural gas as normal purchases and sales and, therefore, CMS Energy accounts for those contracts as derivatives. The fair value of CMS Energy's commodity contracts not designated as hedging instruments and recorded in other assets were $3 million at December 31, 2011 and $1 million at December 31, 2010. The fair value of Consumers' commodity contracts not designated as hedging instruments and recorded in other assets were $2 million at December 31, 2011 and $1 million at December 31, 2010. The fair value of CMS Energy's commodity contracts not designated as hedging instruments and recorded in other liabilities were $7 million at December 31, 2011 and $4 million at December 31, 2010. Consumers did not have any contracts recorded as liabilities at December 31, 2011 and 2010. Presented in the following table is the effect on CMS Energy's and Consumers' consolidated statements of income of their derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
|  | Amount of Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Recognized in Income |
|  | Years Ended December 31 |
Location of Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Recognized in Income |  | 2011 |  |  | 2010 |  |  | 2009 |
|  | In Millions |
CMS ENERGY |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commodity contracts |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating revenue |  | $ | 2 |  |  | $ | 4 |  |  | $ | 7 |
Fuel for electric generation |  |  | — |  |  |  | 4 |  |  |  | (3 | )
Cost of gas sold |  |  | (2 | ) |  |  | — |  |  |  | (2 | )
Purchased and interchange power |  |  | — |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | — |
Other expense |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | (1 | )
Interest rate contracts |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other expense |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | (1 | )
Foreign exchange contracts |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other expense |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | (1 | )
Total CMS Energy |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 10 |  |  | $ | (1 | )
CONSUMERS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commodity contracts |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other expense |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | (1 | )
Consumers' gains on FTRs deferred as regulatory liabilities were $2 million for the year ended December 31, 2011, $3 million for the year ended December 31, 2010, and $9 million for the year ended December 31, 2009. CMS Energy's derivative liabilities subject to credit-risk-related contingent features were $4 million at December 31, 2011 and $1 million at December 31, 2010.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for the entity's entire derivative instruments and hedging activities. Describes an entity's risk management strategies, derivatives in hedging activities and non-hedging derivative instruments, the assets, obligations, liabilities, revenues and expenses arising therefrom, and the amounts of and methodologies and assumptions used in determining the amounts of such items. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 133 -Paragraph 44 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1B -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6935481&loc=SL5580258-113959 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(n)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6881521&loc=d3e23780-122690 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4A -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6935481&loc=SL5618551-113959 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4B -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6935481&loc=SL5624163-113959 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4J -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6935481&loc=SL5708773-113959 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6935481&loc=d3e41638-113959 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4C -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6935481&loc=SL5624171-113959 Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6935481&loc=d3e41620-113959 Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6935481&loc=d3e41641-113959 Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6887037&loc=d3e80748-113994 Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6441202&loc=d3e80720-113993 Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6887037&loc=d3e80784-113994 Reference 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6935481&loc=SL5579240-113959 Reference 15: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6935481&loc=d3e41635-113959 Reference 16: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4E -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6935481&loc=SL5624181-113959 Reference 17: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4H -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6935481&loc=SL5624258-113959 Reference 18: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1A -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6935481&loc=SL5579245-113959 Reference 19: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 25 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6886632&loc=d3e76258-113986 Reference 20: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 133 -Paragraph 45 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. 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