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Balance Sheet Components | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2012
Balance Sheet Components Note [Abstract] |
Balance Sheet Components | BALANCE SHEET COMPONENTS Accounts Receivable, Net Accounts receivable is net of an allowance for uncollectible accounts of $5 million and $6 million as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The following is the activity in the allowance for uncollectible accounts (in millions):
| Years Ended December 31,
| 2012 |  | 2011 |  | 2010
Balance as of beginning of year | $ | 6 |  |  | $ | 5 |  |  | $ | 5 |
Increase in provision | 6 |  |  | 11 |  |  | 7 |
Amounts written off, less recoveries | (7 | ) |  | (10 | ) |  | (7 | )
Balance as of end of year | $ | 5 |  |  | $ | 6 |  |  | $ | 5 |
Trust Accounts PGE maintains two trust accounts as follows: Nuclear decommissioning trust—Reflects assets held in trust to cover general decommissioning costs and operation of the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) and represent amounts collected from customers less qualified expenditures plus any realized and unrealized gains and losses on the investments held therein. Non-qualified benefit plan trust—Reflects assets held in trust to cover the obligations of PGE’s non-qualified benefit plans and represents contributions made by the Company less qualified expenditures plus any realized and unrealized gains and losses on the investment held therein. The trusts are comprised of the following investments as of December 31 (in millions):
| Nuclear Decommissioning Trust |  | Non-Qualified Benefit Plan Trust
| 2012 |  | 2011 |  | 2012 |  | 2011
Cash equivalents | $ | 15 |  |  | $ | 14 |  |  | $ | 2 |  |  | $ | — |
Marketable securities, at fair value: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Equity securities | — |  |  | — |  |  | 5 |  |  | 10 |
Debt securities | 23 |  |  | 23 |  |  | 2 |  |  | 3 |
Insurance contracts, at cash surrender value | — |  |  | — |  |  | 23 |  |  | 23 |
| $ | 38 |  |  | $ | 37 |  |  | $ | 32 |  |  | $ | 36 |
For information concerning the fair value measurement of those assets recorded at fair value held in the trusts, see Note 4, Fair Value of Financial Instruments. Other Current Assets and Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities Other current assets and Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consist of the following (in millions):
| As of December 31,
| 2012 |  | 2011
Other current assets: |  |  |
Current deferred income tax asset | $ | 51 |  |  | $ | 33 |
Assets from price risk management activities | 4 |  |  | 19 |
Income taxes receivable | 1 |  |  | 12 |
Other | 37 |  |  | 34 |
| $ | 93 |  |  | $ | 98 |
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities: |  |  |
Accrued employee compensation and benefits | $ | 46 |  |  | $ | 44 |
Accrued interest payable | 23 |  |  | 24 |
Dividends payable | 21 |  |  | 21 |
Regulatory liabilities—current | 12 |  |  | 6 |
Other | 77 |  |  | 62 |
| $ | 179 |  |  | $ | 157 |
Other Noncurrent Assets The Company incurs preliminary engineering costs related to potential future capital projects, which are capitalized in Other noncurrent assets in the consolidated balance sheets. Preliminary engineering costs consist of expenditures for preliminary surveys, plans, and investigations made for the purpose of determining the feasibility of utility projects being considered. Once the project is approved for construction, such costs are reclassified to Construction work in progress within Electric utility plant. If the project is abandoned, such costs are expensed to Production and distribution expense in the period such determination is made. If any preliminary engineering costs are expensed, the Company may seek recovery of such costs in customer prices, although there can be no guarantee such recovery would be granted. As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, PGE has recorded preliminary engineering costs of $14 million and $10 million, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011, and 2010, no material preliminary engineering costs were expensed.

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