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Variable Interest Entities | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2019
Variable Interest Entities [Abstract] |
Variable Interest Entities | Variable Interest Entities GAAP determines how an enterprise evaluates and accounts for its involvement with variable interest entities, focusing primarily on whether the enterprise has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of a variable interest entity (“VIE”). GAAP also requires continual reassessment of the primary beneficiary of a VIE. Valencia PNM has a PPA to purchase all of the electric capacity and energy from Valencia, a 158 MW natural gas-fired power plant near Belen, New Mexico, through May 2028. A third party built, owns, and operates the facility while PNM is the sole purchaser of the electricity generated. PNM is obligated to pay fixed operation and maintenance and capacity charges in addition to variable operation and maintenance charges under this PPA. For the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, PNM paid $19.9 million, $19.6 million, and $19.6 million for fixed charges and $1.2 million, $1.4 million, and $1.3 million for variable charges. PNM does not have any other financial obligations related to Valencia. The assets of Valencia can only be used to satisfy its obligations and creditors of Valencia do not have any recourse against PNM’s assets. During the term of the PPA, PNM has the option, under certain conditions, to purchase and own up to 50% of the plant or the VIE. The PPA specifies that the purchase price would be the greater of 50% of book value reduced by related indebtedness or 50% of fair market value. PNM sources fuel for the plant, controls when the facility operates through its dispatch, and receives the entire output of the plant, which factors directly and significantly impact the economic performance of Valencia. Therefore, PNM has concluded that the third-party entity that owns Valencia is a VIE and that PNM is the primary beneficiary of the entity under GAAP since PNM has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of Valencia and will absorb the majority of the variability in the cash flows of the plant. As the primary beneficiary, PNM consolidates Valencia in its financial statements. Accordingly, the assets, liabilities, operating expenses, and cash flows of Valencia are included in the Consolidated Financial Statements of PNM although PNM has no legal ownership interest or voting control of the VIE. The assets and liabilities of Valencia set forth below are immaterial to PNM and, therefore, not shown separately on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The owner’s equity and net income of Valencia are considered attributable to non-controlling interest. Summarized financial information for Valencia is as follows:
Results of Operations
| Year Ended December 31
| 2019 |  | 2018 |  | 2017
| (In thousands)
Operating revenues | $ | 21,073 |  |  | $ | 21,025 |  |  | $ | 20,887 |
Operating expenses | (6,832 | ) |  | (5,913 | ) |  | (5,870 | )
Earnings attributable to non-controlling interest | $ | 14,241 |  |  | $ | 15,112 |  |  | $ | 15,017 |
Financial Position
| December 31,
| 2019 |  | 2018
| (In thousands)
Current assets | $ | 5,094 |  |  | $ | 2,684 |
Net property, plant and equipment | 58,581 |  |  | 62,066 |
Total assets | 63,675 |  |  | 64,750 |
Current liabilities | 623 |  |  | 538 |
Owners’ equity – non-controlling interest | $ | 63,052 |  |  | $ | 64,212 |
Westmoreland San Juan Mining, LLC As discussed in the subheading Coal Supply in Note 16, PNM purchases coal for SJGS under a coal supply agreement (“SJGS CSA”). That section includes information on the acquisition of SJCC by WSJ, a subsidiary of Westmoreland Coal Company (“Westmoreland”), on January 31, 2016, as well as the $125.0 million loan (the “Westmoreland Loan”) from NM Capital, a subsidiary of PNMR, to WSJ, which loan provided substantially all of the funds required for the purchase of SJCC. On May 22, 2018, the full principal outstanding under the Westmoreland Loan was repaid. NM Capital used a portion of the proceeds to repay all remaining amounts owed under the BTMU Term Loan. These payments effectively terminated the loan agreements and PNMR’s guarantee of NM Capital’s obligations under the BTMU Term Loan. Prior to its repayment, the Westmoreland Loan resulted in PNMR being considered to have a variable interest in WSJ, including its subsidiary, SJCC, since PNMR and NM Capital were subject to possible loss in the event of default of WSJ. On October 9, 2018, Westmoreland filed a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC announcing it had filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. On March 15, 2019, Westmoreland emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy as a privately held company owned and operated by a group of its former creditors. Under the reorganization, the assets of SJCC were sold to Westmoreland San Juan Mining, LLC (“WSJ LLC”), a subsidiary of Westmoreland Mining Holdings, LLC. As successor entity to SJCC, WSJ LLC assumed all rights and obligations of WSJ including obligations to PNM under the SJGS CSA and to PNMR under a letter of credit support agreement. See Note 16. PNMR issued $30.3 million in letters of credit to facilitate the issuance of reclamation bonds required in order for SJCC to mine coal to be supplied to SJGS. As discussed above, WSJ LLC assumed the rights and obligations of SJCC, including obligations to PNMR for the letters of credit. The letters of credit support results in PNMR having a variable interest in WSJ LLC since PNMR is subject to possible loss in the event performance by PNMR is required under the letters of credit support. PNMR considers the possibility of loss under the letters of credit support to be remote since the purpose of posting the bonds is to provide assurance that WSJ LLC performs the required reclamation of the mine site in accordance with applicable regulations and all reclamation costs are reimbursable under the SJGS CSA. Also, much of the mine reclamation activities will not be performed until after the expiration of the SJGS CSA. In addition, each of the SJGS participants has established and actively fund trusts to meet future reclamation obligations. WSJ LLC is considered to be a VIE. PNMR’s analysis of its arrangements with WSJ LLC concluded that WSJ LLC has the ability to direct its mining operations, which is the factor that most significantly impacts the economic performance of WSJ LLC. Other than PNM being able to ensure that coal is supplied in adequate quantities and of sufficient quality to provide the fuel necessary to operate SJGS in a normal manner, the mining operations are solely under the control of WSJ LLC, including developing mining plans, hiring of personnel, and incurring operating and maintenance expenses. Neither PNMR nor PNM has any ability to direct or influence the mining operation. PNM’s involvement through the SJGS CSA, which was assumed by WSJ LLC pursuant to the March 15, 2019 purchase of the assets owned by SJCC by WSJ LLC, is a protective right rather than a participating right and WSJ LLC has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of WSJ LLC. The SJGS CSA requires WSJ LLC to deliver coal required to fuel SJGS in exchange for payment of a set price per ton, which is escalated over time for inflation. If WSJ LLC is able to mine more efficiently than anticipated, its economic performance will be improved. Conversely, if WSJ LLC cannot mine as efficiently as anticipated, its economic performance will be negatively impacted. Accordingly, PNMR believes WSJ LLC is the primary beneficiary and, therefore, WSJ LLC is not consolidated by either PNMR or PNM. The amounts outstanding under the letters of credit support constitute PNMR’s maximum exposure to loss from the VIE at December 31, 2019.

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