XML 29 R6.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.4.0.8

Basis of Presentation (Notes) | 9 Months Ended
--- | ---
Sep. 30, 2013
Basis of Presentation [Abstract] |
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block] | BASIS OF PRESENTATION Nature of Business Portland General Electric Company (PGE or the Company) is a single, vertically integrated electric utility engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution, and retail sale of electricity. The Company also participates in the wholesale market by purchasing and selling electricity and natural gas in an effort to obtain reasonably-priced power for its retail customers. PGE operates as a single segment, with revenues and costs related to its business activities maintained and analyzed on a total electric operations basis. PGE’s corporate headquarters are located in Portland, Oregon and its service area is located entirely within the state of Oregon. PGE’s service area includes 52 incorporated cities, of which Portland and Salem are the largest, within a state-approved service area allocation of approximately 4,000 square miles. As of September 30, 2013, PGE served 835,540 retail customers with a service area population of approximately 1.7 million, comprising approximately 44% of the state’s population. Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements These condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such regulations, although PGE believes that the disclosures provided are adequate to make the interim information presented not misleading. To conform with the 2013 presentation, PGE has separately presented Decoupling mechanism deferrals, net of amortization of $1 million from Other non-cash income and expenses, net and collapsed Contribution to voluntary employees’ beneficiary association trust of $2 million to Other, net and Renewable adjustment clause deferrals of $1 million to Other non-cash income and expenses, net, all of which are included in the operating activities section of the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2012. The financial information included herein for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 is unaudited; however, such information reflects all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the condensed consolidated financial position, condensed consolidated results of income and comprehensive income, and condensed consolidated cash flows of the Company for these interim periods. Certain costs are estimated for the full year and allocated to interim periods based on estimates of operating time expired, benefit received, or activity associated with the interim period; accordingly, such costs may not be reflective of amounts to be recognized for a full year. Due to seasonal fluctuations in electricity sales, as well as the price of wholesale energy and natural gas, interim financial results do not necessarily represent those to be expected for the year. The financial information as of December 31, 2012 is derived from the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2012, included in Item 8 of PGE’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 22, 2013, and should be read in conjunction with such condensed consolidated financial statements. Comprehensive Income PGE had no material components of other comprehensive income to report for the three or nine month periods ended September 30, 2013 and 2012. Use of Estimates The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosures of gain or loss contingencies, as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results experienced by the Company could differ materially from those estimates. Customer Billing Matter In May 2013, PGE discovered that it had over-billed an industrial customer during a period of several years as a result of a meter configuration error. An analysis of the data determined that the Company’s revenues were overstated by approximately $3 million in 2012 and in 2011, $2 million in 2010, and $1 million in 2009. PGE believes the customer billing error is not material to any annual reporting period. The Company corrected this matter in the second quarter of 2013 as an out of period adjustment, and recorded, as a reduction to Revenues, net, a refund to the customer in the amount of $9 million. Recent Accounting Pronouncements Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2011-11, Balance Sheet (Topic 210) - Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities (ASU 2011-11), requires an entity to disclose information about offsetting and related arrangements to enable users of its financial statements to understand the effect of those arrangements on its financial position. In addition, ASU 2013-01, Balance Sheet (Topic 210) - Clarifying the Scope of Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities (ASU 2013-01), was issued in January 2013 and clarifies that the scope of ASU 2011-11 applies to financial instruments accounted for in accordance with Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging. Both ASUs are effective January 1, 2013 for the Company, and require retrospective application. PGE adopted the amendments contained in ASU 2011-11 and ASU 2013-01 on January 1, 2013, which did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position, consolidated results of operations, or consolidated cash flows. See Note 4, Price Risk Management, for the additional disclosures made pursuant to the adoption of these ASUs. New Tax Regulation On September 13, 2013, the U.S. Department of Treasury issued final regulations related to the deductibility and capitalization of expenditures on tangible property. The regulations give a general framework to distinguish capital expenditures from supplies, repairs, maintenance and other deductible business expenses that apply to amounts paid or incurred on or after January 1, 2014 with the option to early adopt for earlier tax periods. The U.S. Department of Treasury is expected to provide further guidance on the new regulations during the fourth quarter of 2013. Based on an initial analysis, the Company does not believe that the new regulations have a material impact to the consolidated financial statements. PGE will complete a more detailed assessment in the fourth quarter of 2013 to determine the impact of each specific provision and evaluate potential options for the adoption of the new regulations. The impact, if any, would occur between balance sheet classification of current and noncurrent deferred tax balances and taxes currently payable, but would not impact income tax expense.

X
- Details
Name: | por_BasisOfPresentationAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | por_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The entire disclosure for organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=SL6228881-111685 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 720 -SubTopic 15 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2122524 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6359566&loc=d3e326-107755 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367646&loc=d3e18780-107790 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7668296&loc=d3e288-107754 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2197480 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=18733093&loc=d3e5614-111684 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 915 -SubTopic 235 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6472506&loc=d3e38932-110933 Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 852 -SubTopic 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2209116 Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 272 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6373374&loc=d3e70478-108055 Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2134480 Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2122150 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_OrganizationConsolidationAndPresentationOfFinancialStatementsDisclosureTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration