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Summary of the Business and Significant Accounting Policies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Summary of the Business and Significant Accounting Policies | Summary of the Business and Significant Accounting Policies Nature of Business PNMR is an investor-owned holding company with two regulated utilities providing electricity and electric services in New Mexico and Texas. PNMR’s primary subsidiaries are PNM and TNMP. PNM is a public utility with regulated operations primarily engaged in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. TNMP is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TNP, which is a holding company that is wholly-owned by PNMR. TNMP provides regulated transmission and distribution services in Texas. PNMR’s common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PNM. On October 20, 2020, PNMR, Avangrid, and Merger Sub, entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) pursuant to which Merger Sub will merge with and into PNMR (the “Merger”), with PNMR surviving the Merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Avangrid. See Note 22. Financial Statement Preparation and Presentation The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could ultimately differ from those estimated. The Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements include disclosures for PNMR, PNM, and TNMP. This report uses the term “Company” when discussing matters of common applicability to PNMR, PNM, and TNMP. Discussions regarding only PNMR, PNM, or TNMP are so indicated. Certain amounts in the 2019 and 2018 Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto have been reclassified to conform to the 2020 financial statement presentation. GAAP defines subsequent events as events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date but before financial statements are issued or are available to be issued. Based on their nature, magnitude, and timing, certain subsequent events may be required to be reflected at the balance sheet date and/or required to be disclosed in the financial statements. The Company has evaluated subsequent events as required by GAAP. Principles of Consolidation The Consolidated Financial Statements of each of PNMR, PNM, and TNMP include their accounts and those of subsidiaries in which that entity owns a majority voting interest. PNM also consolidates Valencia (Note 10). PNM owns undivided interests in several jointly-owned power plants and records its pro-rata share of the assets, liabilities, and expenses for those plants. The agreements for the jointly-owned plants provide that if an owner were to default on its payment obligations, the non-defaulting owners would be responsible for their proportionate share of the obligations of the defaulting owner. In exchange, the non-defaulting owners would be entitled to their proportionate share of the generating capacity of the defaulting owner. There have been no such payment defaults under any of the agreements for the jointly-owned plants. PNMR Services Company expenses, which represent costs that are primarily driven by corporate level activities, are charged to the business segments. These services are billed at cost and are reflected as general and administrative expenses in the business segments. Other significant intercompany transactions between PNMR, PNM, and TNMP include interest and income tax sharing payments, as well as equity transactions, and interconnection billings. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. See Note 20. Accounting for the Effects of Certain Types of Regulation The Company maintains its accounting records in accordance with the uniform system of accounts prescribed by FERC and adopted by the NMPRC and PUCT. Certain of the Company’s operations are regulated by the NMPRC, PUCT, and FERC and the provisions of GAAP for rate-regulated enterprises are applied to the regulated operations. Regulators may assign costs to accounting periods that differ from accounting methods applied by non-regulated utilities. When it is probable that regulators will permit recovery of costs through future rates, costs are deferred as regulatory assets that otherwise would be expensed. Likewise, regulatory liabilities are recognized when it is probable that regulators will require refunds through future rates or when revenue is collected for expenditures that have not yet been incurred. GAAP also provides for the recognition of revenue and regulatory assets and liabilities associated with “alternative revenue programs” authorized by regulators. Such programs allow the utility to adjust future rates in response to past activities or completed events, if certain criteria are met. Regulatory assets and liabilities are amortized into earnings over the authorized recovery period. Accordingly, the Company has deferred certain costs and recorded certain liabilities pursuant to the rate actions of the NMPRC, PUCT, and FERC. Information on regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities is contained in Note 13. In some circumstances, regulators allow a requested increase in rates to be implemented, subject to refund, before the regulatory process has been completed and a decision rendered by the regulator. When this occurs, the Company assesses the possible outcomes of the rate proceeding. The Company records a provision for refund to the extent the amounts being collected, subject to refund, exceed the amount the Company determines is probable of ultimately being allowed by the regulator. Cash and Restricted Cash Cash deposits received and held for a period of time that are restricted to a specific purpose, under the terms of their effective agreements, are considered restricted cash. Investments in highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase are considered cash and cash equivalents. At December 31, 2020 and 2019 there was no restricted cash for PNMR, PNM, and TNMP. Utility Plant Utility plant is stated at original cost and includes capitalized payroll-related costs such as taxes, pension, other fringe benefits, administrative costs, and AFUDC, where authorized by rate regulation, or capitalized interest. Repairs, including major maintenance activities, and minor replacements of property are expensed when incurred, except as required by regulators for ratemaking purposes. Major replacements are charged to utility plant. Gains, losses, and costs to remove resulting from retirements or other dispositions of regulated property in the normal course of business are credited or charged to accumulated depreciation. PNM and TNMP may receive reimbursements, referred to as CIAC, from customers to pay for all or part of certain construction projects to the extent the project does not benefit regulated customers in general. PNM and TNMP account for these reimbursements as offsets to utility plant additions based on the requirements of the NMPRC, FERC, and PUCT. Due to the PUCT’s regulatory treatment of CIAC reimbursements, TNMP also receives a financing component that is recognized as other income on the Consolidated Statements of Earnings. Under the NMPRC regulatory treatment, PNM typically does not receive a financing component. Depreciation and Amortization PNM’s provision for depreciation and amortization of utility plant, other than nuclear fuel, is based upon straight-line rates approved by the NMPRC and FERC. Amortization of nuclear fuel is based on units-of-production. TNMP’s provision for depreciation and amortization of utility plant is based upon straight-line rates approved by the PUCT. Depreciation and amortization of non-utility property, including right-of-use assets for finance leases as discussed in Note 8, is computed based on the straight-line method. The provision for depreciation of certain equipment is allocated between operating expenses and construction projects based on the use of the equipment. Average straight-line rates used were as follows:
| Year ended December 31,
| 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2018
PNM |  |  |  |  |
Electric plant | 2.47 | % |  | 2.47 | % |  | 2.40 | %
Common, intangible, and general plant | 7.65 | % |  | 7.91 | % |  | 8.18 | %
TNMP | 3.95 | % |  | 4.04 | % |  | 3.49 | %
Allowance for Funds Used During Construction As provided by the FERC uniform systems of accounts, AFUDC is charged to regulated utility plant for construction projects. This allowance is designed to enable a utility to capitalize financing costs during periods of construction of property subject to rate regulation. It represents the cost of borrowed funds (allowance for borrowed funds used during construction or “debt AFUDC”) and a return on other funds (allowance for equity funds used during construction or “equity AFUDC”). The debt AFUDC is recorded in interest charges and the equity AFUDC is recorded in other income on the Consolidated Statements of Earnings. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, PNM recorded $3.0 million, $5.0 million, and $6.1 million of debt AFUDC at annual rates of 2.40%, 2.99%, and 3.19% and $7.0 million, $6.7 million, and $8.2 million of equity AFUDC at annual rates of 3.42%, 3.95%, and 4.25%. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, TNMP recorded $2.1 million, $2.4 million, and $2.3 million of debt AFUDC at rates of 2.20%, 3.23%, and 3.32% and $4.3 million, $2.8 million, and $2.2 million of equity AFUDC at rates of 4.42%, 3.78%, and 3.29%. Materials, Supplies, and Fuel Stock Materials and supplies relate to transmission, distribution, and generating assets. Materials and supplies are charged to inventory when purchased and are expensed or capitalized as appropriate when issued. Materials and supplies are valued using an average costing method. Coal is valued using a rolling weighted average costing method that is updated based on the current period cost per ton. Periodic aerial surveys are performed on the coal piles and adjustments are made. Average cost is equal to net realizable value under the ratemaking process. Inventories consisted of the following at December 31:
| PNMR |  | PNM |  | TNMP
| 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2020 |  | 2019
| (In thousands)
Coal | $ | 12,012 |  |  | $ | 24,914 |  |  | $ | 12,012 |  |  | $ | 24,914 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |
Materials and supplies | 54,405 |  |  | 53,015 |  |  | 48,460 |  |  | 47,311 |  |  | 5,945 |  |  | 5,704 |
| $ | 66,417 |  |  | $ | 77,929 |  |  | $ | 60,472 |  |  | $ | 72,225 |  |  | $ | 5,945 |  |  | $ | 5,704 |
Investments PNM holds investment securities in the NDT for the purpose of funding its share of the decommissioning costs of PVNGS and trusts for PNM’s share of final reclamation costs related to the coal mines serving SJGS and Four Corners (Note 16). Since third party investment managers have sole discretion over the purchase and sale of the securities, PNM records a realized loss as an impairment for any available-for-sale debt security that has a market value that is less than cost at the end of each quarter. Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 – Financial Instruments (Subtopic 825-10), which eliminates the requirement to classify investments in equity securities with readily determinable fair values into trading or available-for-sale categories and requires those equity securities to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in earnings rather than in OCI. On January 1, 2018, PNM recorded a cumulative effect adjustment to reclassify unrealized holding gains on equity securities held in the NDT and coal mine reclamation trusts from AOCI to retained earnings on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, PNM recorded impairment losses on the available-for-sale debt securities of $3.2 million, $5.7 million and $13.7 million. No gains or losses are deferred as regulatory assets or liabilities. See Notes 3 and 9. All investments are held in PNM’s name and are in the custody of major financial institutions. The specific identification method is used to determine the cost of securities disposed of, with realized gains and losses reflected in other income and deductions. On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 – Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which changed the way entities recognize impairments of many financial assets by requiring immediate recognition of estimated credit losses expected to occur over the remaining lives of the assets. The majority of the amendments made by the new standard were required to be applied using a modified retrospective approach. The amendments in ASU 2016-13 also required entities to separately measure and realize an impairment for credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities for which carrying value exceeded fair value, unless such securities have been determined to be other than temporarily impaired and the entire decrease in value had been realized as an impairment. The amendments relating to available-for-sale debt securities were required to be applied prospectively on the date of adoption. PNM records a realized loss as an impairment for any available-for-sale debt security that has a fair value that is less than its carrying value. As a result, the Company has no available-for-sale debt securities for which carrying value exceeds fair value and there are no impairments considered to be “other than temporary” that are included in AOCI and not recognized in earnings. Adoption of the standard did not result in the Company recording a cumulative effect adjustment or impact the Company's accounting for its available-for-sale debt securities. All gains and losses resulting from sales and changes in the fair value of equity securities are recognized immediately in earnings. Equity Method Investment PNMR accounts for its investment in NMRD using the equity method of accounting because PNMR’s ownership interest results in significant influence, but not control, over NMRD and its operations. PNMR records as income its percentage share of earnings or loss of NMRD and carries its investment at cost, adjusted for its share of undistributed earnings or losses. See Note 21. Goodwill The Company does not amortize goodwill. Goodwill is evaluated for impairment annually, or more frequently if events and circumstances indicate that the goodwill might be impaired. See Note 19. Asset Impairment Tangible long-lived assets and right-of-use assets associated with leases are evaluated in relation to the estimated future undiscounted cash flows to assess recoverability when events and circumstances indicate that the assets might be impaired. See Note 16. Revenue Recognition See Note 4 for a discussion of electric operating revenues. Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses Accounts receivable consists primarily of trade receivables from customers. In the normal course of business, credit is extended to customers on a short-term basis. PNM estimates the allowance for credit losses on trade receivables based on historical experience and estimated default rates. Accounts receivable balances are reviewed monthly, adjustments to the allowance for credit losses are made as necessary, and amounts that are deemed uncollectible are written off. See Note 4. TNMP has a regulatory mechanism to recover uncollectible amounts from REPs as a regulatory asset and as a result has no allowance for credit losses on trade receivables. As discussed in Note 17, both PNM and TNMP suspended disconnecting certain customers for past due bills, waived late fees during the pandemic, and have been provided regulatory mechanisms to recover bad debt expense and other costs resulting from COVID-19. Amortization of Debt Acquisition Costs Discount, premium, and expense related to the issuance of long-term debt are amortized over the lives of the respective issues. Gains and losses incurred upon the early retirement of long-term debt are recognized in other income or other deductions, except for amounts recoverable through NMPRC, FERC, or PUCT regulation, which are recorded as regulatory assets or liabilities and amortized over the lives of the respective issues. Unamortized premium, discount, and expense related to long-term debt are reflected as part of the related liability on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Derivatives The Company records derivative instruments, including energy contracts, on the balance sheet as either an asset or liability measured at their fair value. Changes in the derivatives’ fair value are recognized in earnings unless specific hedge accounting criteria are met. PNM also records certain commodity derivative transactions recoverable through NMPRC regulation as regulatory assets or liabilities. See Note 7 and Note 9. The Company treats all forward commodity purchases and sales contracts subject to unplanned netting or “book-out” by the transmission provider as derivative instruments subject to mark-to-market accounting. GAAP provides guidance on whether realized gains and losses on derivative contracts not held for trading purposes should be reported on a net or gross basis and concludes such classification is a matter of judgment that depends on the relevant facts and circumstances. See Note 4. Decommissioning and Reclamation Costs PNM is only required to recognize and measure decommissioning liabilities for tangible long-lived assets for which a legal obligation exists. Nuclear decommissioning costs and related accruals are based on periodic site-specific estimates of the costs for removing all radioactive and other structures at PVNGS and are dependent upon numerous assumptions, including estimates of future decommissioning costs at current price levels, inflation rates, and discount rates. PNM’s accruals for PVNGS Units 1, 2, and 3, including portions held under leases, have been made based on such estimates, the guidelines of the NRC, and the PVNGS license periods. See Note 17 for information concerning the treatment of nuclear decommissioning costs for certain purchased and leased portions of PVNGS in the NMPRC’s order in PNM’s NM 2015 Rate Case and the NM Supreme Court’s decision on PNM’s appeal of that order. In connection with both the SJGS and Four Corners coal supply agreements, the owners are required to reimburse the mining companies for the cost of contemporaneous reclamation, as well as the costs for final reclamation of the coal mines. The reclamation costs are based on periodic site-specific studies that estimate the costs to be incurred in the future and are dependent upon numerous assumptions, including estimates of future reclamation costs at current price levels, inflation rates, and discount rates. PNM considers the contemporaneous reclamation costs part of the cost of its delivered coal costs. See Note 16 for a discussion of reclamation costs. Environmental Costs The normal operations of the Company involve activities and substances that expose the Company to potential liabilities under laws and regulations protecting the environment. Liabilities under these laws and regulations can be material and may be imposed without regard to fault, or may be imposed for past acts, even though the past acts may have been lawful at the time they occurred. The Company records its environmental liabilities when site assessments or remedial actions are probable and a range of reasonably likely cleanup costs can be estimated. The Company reviews its sites and measures the liability by assessing a range of reasonably likely costs for each identified site using currently available information and the probable level of involvement and financial condition of other potentially responsible parties. These estimates are based on assumptions regarding the costs for site investigations, remediation, operations and maintenance, monitoring, and site closure. The ultimate cost to clean up the Company’s identified sites may vary from its recorded liability due to numerous uncertainties inherent in the estimation process. Amounts recorded for environmental expense in the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, as well as the amounts of environmental liabilities at December 31, 2020 and 2019 were insignificant. Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits See Note 11 for a discussion of pension and postretirement benefits expense, including a discussion of the actuarial assumptions. Stock-Based Compensation See Note 12 for a discussion of stock-based compensation expense. Income Taxes Income taxes are recognized using the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying value of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis. All deferred taxes are reflected as non-current on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Current NMPRC, FERC, and PUCT approved rates include the tax effects of the majority of these differences. Rate-regulated enterprises are required to record deferred income taxes for temporary differences accorded flow-through treatment at the direction of a regulatory commission. The resulting deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded based on the expected cash flow to be reflected in future rates. Because the NMPRC, FERC, and the PUCT have consistently permitted the recovery of tax effects previously flowed-through earnings, the Company has established regulatory assets and liabilities offsetting such deferred tax assets and liabilities. The Company recognizes only the impact of tax positions that, based on their merits, are more likely than not to be sustained upon an IRS audit. The Company defers investment tax credits and amortizes them over the estimated useful lives of the assets. See Note 18 for additional information, including a discussion of the impacts of the Tax Act. The Company makes an estimate of its anticipated effective tax rate for the year as of the end of each quarterly period within its fiscal year. In interim periods, income tax expense is calculated by applying the anticipated annual effective tax rate to year-to-date earnings before taxes, which includes the earnings attributable to the Valencia non-controlling interest. Certain unusual or infrequently occurring items, as well as adjustments due to enactment of new tax laws, have been excluded from the estimated annual effective tax rate calculation. Lease Commitments See Note 8 for a discussion of lease commitments. New Accounting Pronouncements Information concerning recently issued accounting pronouncements that have not been adopted by the Company is presented below. The Company does not expect difficulty in adopting these standards by their required effective dates. Accounting Standards Update 2019-12 – Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12 as part of its initiative to reduce complexity in accounting standards. The amendments in ASU 2019-12 simplify accounting for income taxes by removing several accounting exceptions to accounting for income taxes. ASU 2019-12 also eliminates or simplifies other income tax accounting requirements, including a requirement that entities recognize franchise tax (or similar tax) that is partially based on income as an income-based tax. ASU 2019-12 is effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2021 and allows for early adoption. ASU 2019-12 is to be applied prospectively or retrospectively in the period of adoption depending on the type of amendment. The Company is in the process of analyzing the impacts of this new standard.

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