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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Cash and Cash Equivalents Highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less at the date of acquisition are classified as cash equivalents, of which PGE had $30 million as of December 31, 2017 and $1 million as of December 31, 2016 included within Cash and cash equivalents in the consolidated balance sheets. Accounts Receivable Accounts receivable are recorded at invoiced amounts based on prices that are subject to federal (FERC) and state (OPUC) regulations. Balances do not bear interest; however, late fees are assessed beginning 16 business days after the invoice due date. Accounts that are inactivated due to nonpayment are charged-off in the period in which the receivable is deemed uncollectible, but no sooner than 45 business days after the due date of the final invoice. Provisions for uncollectible accounts receivable related to retail sales are charged to Administrative and other expense and are recorded in the same period as the related revenues, with an offsetting credit to the allowance for uncollectible accounts. Such estimates are based on management’s assessment of the probability of collection, aging of accounts receivable, bad debt write-offs, actual customer billings, and other factors. Provisions for uncollectible accounts receivable related to wholesale sales are charged to Purchased power and fuel expense and are recorded periodically based on a review of counterparty non-performance risk and contractual right of offset when applicable. There have been no material write-offs of accounts receivable related to wholesale sales in 2017, 2016, or 2015. Price Risk Management PGE engages in price risk management activities, utilizing financial instruments such as forward, future, swap, and option contracts for electricity, natural gas, and foreign currency. These instruments are measured at fair value and recorded on the consolidated balance sheets as assets or liabilities from price risk management activities. Changes in fair value are recognized in the consolidated statement of income, offset by the effects of regulatory accounting. Certain electricity forward contracts that were entered into in anticipation of serving the Company’s regulated retail load may meet the requirements for treatment under the normal purchases and normal sales scope exception. Such contracts are not recorded at fair value and are recognized under accrual accounting. Price risk management activities are utilized as economic hedges to protect against variability in expected future cash flows due to associated price risk and to manage exposure to volatility in net power costs for the Company’s retail customers. In accordance with ratemaking and cost recovery processes authorized by the OPUC, PGE recognizes a regulatory asset or liability to defer unrealized losses or gains, respectively, on derivative instruments until settlement. At the time of settlement, the Company recognizes a realized gain or loss on the derivative instrument. Physically settled electricity and natural gas sale and purchase transactions are recorded in Revenues, net and Purchased power and fuel expense, respectively, upon settlement, while transactions that are not physically settled (financial transactions) are recorded on a net basis in Purchased power and fuel expense upon financial settlement. Pursuant to transactions entered into in connection with PGE’s price risk management activities, the Company may be required to provide collateral with certain counterparties. The collateral requirements are based on the contract terms and commodity prices and can vary period to period. Cash deposits provided as collateral are included within Other current assets in the consolidated balance sheets and were $11 million and $8 million as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Letters of credit provided as collateral are not recorded on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet and were $31 million and $17 million as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Inventories PGE’s inventories, which are recorded at average cost, consist primarily of materials and supplies for use in operations, maintenance, and capital activities, as well as fuel, which includes natural gas, coal, and oil for use in the Company’s generating plants. Periodically, the Company assesses inventory for purposes of determining that it is recorded at the lower of average cost or net realizable value. Electric Utility Plant Capitalization Policy Electric utility plant is capitalized at original cost, which includes direct labor, materials and supplies, and contractor costs, as well as indirect costs such as engineering, supervision, employee benefits, and an allowance for funds used during construction (AFDC). Plant replacements are capitalized, with minor items charged to expense as incurred. Periodic major maintenance inspections and overhauls at PGE’s generating plants are charged to expense as incurred, subject to regulatory accounting as applicable. Costs to purchase or develop software applications for internal use only are capitalized and amortized over the estimated useful life of the software. Costs of obtaining FERC licenses for the Company’s hydroelectric projects are capitalized and amortized over the related license period. During the period of construction, costs expected to be included in the final value of the constructed asset, and depreciated once the asset is complete and placed in service, are classified as Construction work-in-progress (CWIP) in Electric utility plant on the consolidated balance sheets. If the project becomes probable of being abandoned, such costs are expensed in the period such determination is made. If any costs are expensed, PGE may seek recovery of such costs in customer prices, although there can be no guarantee such recovery would be granted. Costs disallowed for recovery in customer prices, if any, are charged to expense at the time such disallowance becomes probable. PGE records AFDC, which is intended to represent the Company’s cost of funds used for construction purposes, based on the rate granted in the latest general rate case for equity funds and the cost of actual borrowings for debt funds. AFDC is capitalized as part of the cost of plant and credited to the consolidated statements of income. The average rate used by PGE was 7.3% in 2017, 2016, and 2015. AFDC from borrowed funds was $6 million in 2017, $11 million in 2016, and $13 million in 2015 and is reflected as a reduction to Interest expense. AFDC from equity funds, included in Other income, net, was $12 million in 2017, and $21 million in 2016 and 2015. Depreciation and Amortization Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method, based upon original cost, and includes an estimate for cost of removal and expected salvage. Depreciation expense as a percent of the related average depreciable plant in service was 3.6% in 2017, 3.5% in 2016 and 3.6% in 2015. A component of depreciation expense includes estimated asset retirement removal costs allowed in customer prices. Periodic studies are conducted to update depreciation parameters (i.e. retirement dispersion patterns, average service lives, and net salvage rates), including estimates of asset retirement obligations (AROs) and asset retirement removal costs. The studies are conducted at a minimum of every five years and are filed with the OPUC for approval and inclusion in a future rate proceeding. The most recent depreciation study was completed for 2015, with an order received from the OPUC in September 2017 authorizing new depreciation rates effective January 1, 2018. This study was incorporated into the Company’s 2018 general rate case filed with the OPUC in 2017. Thermal generation plants are depreciated using a life-span methodology which ensures that plant investment is recovered by the estimated retirement dates, which range from 2020 to 2059. Depreciation is provided on PGE’s other classes of plant in service over their estimated average service lives, which are as follows (in years):
Generation, excluding thermal: |
Hydro | 95 |
Wind | 30 |
Transmission | 57 |
Distribution | 45 |
General | 12 |
When property is retired and removed from service, the original cost of the depreciable property units, net of any related salvage value, is charged to accumulated depreciation. Cost of removal expenditures are recorded against AROs or to accumulated asset retirement removal costs, if applicable, and included in Regulatory liabilities. Intangible plant consists primarily of computer software development costs, which are amortized over either five or ten years, and hydro licensing costs, which are amortized over the applicable license term, which range from 30 to 50 years. Accumulated amortization was $296 million and $257 million as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, with amortization expense of $46 million in 2017, and $44 million in 2016 and $38 million in 2015. Future estimated amortization expense as of December 31, 2017 is as follows: $49 million in 2018; $48 million in 2019; $43 million in 2020; $35 million in 2021; and $28 million in 2022. Marketable Securities All of PGE’s investments in marketable securities, included in the Non-qualified benefit plan trust and Nuclear decommissioning trust on the consolidated balance sheets, are classified as trading. These securities are classified as noncurrent because they are not available for use in operations. Trading securities are stated at fair value based on quoted market prices. Realized and unrealized gains and losses on the Non-qualified benefit plan trust assets are included in Other income, net. Realized and unrealized gains and losses on the Nuclear decommissioning trust fund assets are recorded as regulatory liabilities or assets, respectively, for future ratemaking treatment. The cost of securities sold is based on the average cost method. Regulatory Accounting Regulatory Assets and Liabilities As a rate-regulated enterprise, PGE applies regulatory accounting, which results in the creation of regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities. Regulatory assets represent: i) probable future revenue associated with certain actual or estimated costs that are expected to be recovered from customers through the ratemaking process; or ii) probable future collections from customers resulting from revenue accrued for completed alternative revenue programs, provided certain criteria are met. Regulatory liabilities represent probable future reductions in revenue associated with amounts that are expected to be credited to customers through the ratemaking process. Regulatory accounting is appropriate as long as: prices are established by, or subject to, approval by independent third-party regulators; prices are designed to recover the specific enterprise’s cost of service; and in view of demand for service, it is reasonable to assume that prices set at levels that will recover costs can be charged to and collected from customers. Once the regulatory asset or liability is reflected in prices, the respective regulatory asset or liability is amortized to the appropriate line item in the consolidated statement of income over the period in which it is included in prices. Circumstances that could result in the discontinuance of regulatory accounting include: i) increased competition that restricts PGE’s ability to establish prices to recover specific costs; and ii) a significant change in the manner in which prices are set by regulators from cost-based regulation to another form of regulation. The Company periodically reviews the criteria of regulatory accounting to ensure that its continued application is appropriate. Based on a current evaluation of the various factors and conditions, management believes that recovery of PGE’s regulatory assets is probable. For additional information concerning the Company’s regulatory assets and liabilities, see Note 6, Regulatory Assets and Liabilities. Power Cost Adjustment Mechanism PGE is subject to a power cost adjustment mechanism (PCAM) as approved by the OPUC. Pursuant to the PCAM, the Company can adjust future customer prices to reflect a portion of the difference between net variable power costs (NVPC) forecast each year and included in customer prices (baseline NVPC) and actual NVPC. NVPC consists of the cost of power purchased and fuel used to generate electricity to meet PGE’s retail load requirements, as well as the cost of settled electric and natural gas financial contracts, all of which is classified as Purchased power and fuel in the Company’s consolidated statements of income, and is net of wholesale sales, which are classified as Revenues, net in the consolidated statements of income. The Company is subject to a portion of the business risk or benefit associated with the difference between actual and baseline NVPC by application of an asymmetrical deadband, which ranges from $15 million below to $30 million above baseline NVPC. To the extent actual NVPC, subject to certain adjustments, is outside the deadband range, the PCAM provides for 90% of the excess variance to be collected from or refunded to customers. Pursuant to a regulated earnings test, a refund will occur only to the extent that it results in PGE’s actual regulated return on equity (ROE) for the given year being no less than 1% above the Company’s latest authorized ROE, while a collection will occur only to the extent that it results in PGE’s actual regulated ROE for that year being no greater than 1% below the Company’s authorized ROE. PGE’s authorized ROE was 9.6% for 2017, 9.6% for 2016, and 9.68% for 2015. Any estimated refund to customers pursuant to the PCAM is recorded as a reduction in Revenues, net in PGE’s consolidated statements of income, while any estimated collection from customers is recorded as a reduction in Purchased power and fuel expense. A final determination of any customer refund or collection is made in the following year by the OPUC through a public filing and review. The PCAM has resulted in no collection from, or refund to, customers since 2011. Asset Retirement Obligations Legal obligations related to the future retirement of tangible long-lived assets are classified as AROs on PGE’s consolidated balance sheet. An ARO is recognized in the period in which the legal obligation is incurred, and when the fair value of the liability can be reasonably estimated. Due to the long lead time involved until decommissioning activities occur, the Company uses present value techniques because quoted market prices and market-risk premiums are not available. The present value of estimated future decommissioning costs is capitalized and included in Electric utility plant, net on the consolidated balance sheets with a corresponding offset to ARO. Such estimates are revised periodically, with actual expenditures charged to the ARO as incurred. The estimated capitalized costs of AROs are depreciated over the estimated life of the related asset, which is included in Depreciation and amortization in the consolidated statements of income. Changes in the ARO resulting from the passage of time (accretion) is based on the original discount rate and recognized as an increase in the carrying amount of the liability and as a charge to accretion expense, which is included in Depreciation and amortization expense in the Company’s consolidated statements of income. For additional information concerning the Company’s AROs, see Note 7, Asset Retirement Obligations. The difference between the timing of the recognition of ARO depreciation and accretion expenses and the amount included in customers’ prices is recorded as a regulatory asset or liability in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. PGE had a regulatory liability related to AROs in the amount of $52 million as of December 31, 2017 and $49 million as of December 31, 2016. For additional information concerning the Company’s regulatory liability related to AROs, see Note 6, Regulatory Assets and Liabilities. Contingencies Contingencies are evaluated using the best information available at the time the consolidated financial statements are prepared. Legal costs incurred in connection with loss contingencies are expensed as incurred. Loss contingencies are accrued, and disclosed if material, when it is probable that an asset has been impaired or a liability incurred as of the financial statement date and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. If a reasonable estimate of probable loss cannot be determined, a range of loss may be established, in which case the minimum amount in the range is accrued, unless some other amount within the range appears to be a better estimate. A loss contingency will also be disclosed when it is reasonably possible that an asset has been impaired or a liability incurred if the estimate or range of potential loss is material. If a probable or reasonably possible loss cannot be determined, then the Company: i) discloses an estimate of such loss or the range of such loss, if the Company is able to determine such an estimate; or ii) discloses that an estimate cannot be made and the reasons. If an asset has been impaired or a liability incurred after the financial statement date, but prior to the issuance of the financial statements, the loss contingency is disclosed, if material, and the amount of any estimated loss is recorded in the subsequent reporting period. Gain contingencies are recognized when realized and are disclosed when material. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Accumulated other comprehensive loss (AOCL) presented on the consolidated balance sheets is comprised of the difference between the non-qualified benefit plans’ obligations recognized in net income and the unfunded position. Revenue Recognition Revenues are recognized as electricity is delivered to customers and include amounts for any services provided. Franchise taxes, which are collected from customers and remitted to taxing authorities, are recorded on a gross basis in PGE’s consolidated statements of income. Amounts collected from customers are included in Revenues, net and amounts due to taxing authorities are included in Taxes other than income taxes and totaled $43 million in 2017, 2016 and 2015. Retail revenue is billed monthly based on meter readings taken throughout the month. Unbilled revenue represents the revenue earned from the time of the last meter read date through the last day of the month, a period that has not been billed as of the last day of the month. Unbilled revenue is calculated based on actual net retail system load each month, the number of days from the last meter read date through the last day of the month, and current retail customer prices. As a rate-regulated utility, PGE, in certain situations, recognizes revenue to be billed to customers in future periods or defers the recognition of certain revenues to the period in which the related costs are incurred or approved by the OPUC for amortization. For additional information, see “Regulatory Assets and Liabilities” in this Note 2. Stock-Based Compensation The measurement and recognition of compensation expense for all share-based payment awards, including restricted stock units, is based on the estimated fair value of the awards. The fair value of the portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized as expense over the requisite vesting period. PGE attributes the value of stock-based compensation to expense on a straight-line basis. For additional information concerning the Company’s Stock-Based Compensation, see Note 13, Stock-Based Compensation Expense. Income Taxes Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between financial statement carrying amounts and tax bases of assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in current and future periods that includes the enactment date. Any valuation allowance would be established to reduce deferred tax assets to the “more likely than not” amount expected to be realized in future tax returns. Because PGE is a rate-regulated enterprise, changes in certain deferred tax assets and liabilities are required to be passed on to customers through future prices and are charged or credited directly to a regulatory asset or regulatory liability. Such amounts were recognized as net regulatory liabilities of $277 million and net regulatory assets of $86 million as of December 31, 2017, and 2016, respectively, and will be included in prices when the temporary differences reverse. Unrecognized tax benefits represent management’s expected treatment of a tax position taken in a filed tax return, or planned to be taken in a future tax return, that has not been reflected in measuring income tax expense for financial reporting purposes. Until such positions are no longer considered uncertain, PGE would not recognize the tax benefits resulting from such positions and would report the tax effect as a liability in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. PGE records any interest and penalties related to income tax deficiencies in Interest expense and Other income, net, respectively, in the consolidated statements of income. Recent Accounting Pronouncements Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) (ASU 2014-09), creates a new Topic 606 and supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, and most industry-specific guidance throughout the Industry Topics of the Codification. ASU 2014-09 provides a five-step analysis of transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized that consists of: i) identify the contract with the customer; ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; iii) determine the transaction price; iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations; and v) recognize revenue when or as each performance obligation is satisfied. Companies can transition to the requirements of this ASU either retrospectively (full retrospective method) or as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the effective date (modified retrospective method), which is January 1, 2018 for calendar year-end public entities. The Company plans to elect the modified retrospective method for implementation. PGE does not anticipate any material changes to its revenue recognition policy for tariff-based revenues, which comprises a majority of PGE’s retail, wholesale, and other revenues, as performance obligations are expected to be satisfied in a similar recognition pattern. PGE continues to finalize its evaluation of certain matters of presentation such as alternative revenue programs (including decoupling) and enhanced required disclosures. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) which supersedes the current lease accounting requirements for lessees and lessors within Topic 840, Leases. Pursuant to the new standard, lessees will be required to recognize all leases, including operating leases, on the balance sheet and record corresponding right-of-use assets and lease liabilities. Accounting for lessors is substantially unchanged from current accounting principles. Lessees will be required to classify leases as either finance leases or operating leases. Initial balance sheet measurement is similar for both types of leases; however, expense recognition and amortization of right-of-use assets will differ. Operating leases will reflect lease expense on a straight-line basis, while finance leases will result in the separate presentation of interest expense on the lease liability (as calculated using the effective interest method) and amortization expense of the right-of-use asset. Quantitative and qualitative disclosures will also be required surrounding significant judgments made by management. The provisions of this pronouncement are effective for calendar year-end, public entities on January 1, 2019. As issued, ASU 2016-02 requires transition under a modified retrospective basis as of the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented, however the Company is monitoring the FASB’s decisions regarding potential transition practical expedients that would allow companies to adopt the new standard with a cumulative effect adjustment as of the beginning of the year of adoption with prior year comparative financial information and disclosures remaining as previously reported. Early adoption is permitted, but the Company does not plan to early adopt. In January 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-01, Leases (Topic 842) Land Easement Practical Expedient for Transition to Topic 842, which amends ASU 2016-02 to provide entities an optional transition practical expedient to not evaluate under Topic 842 existing or expired land easements that were not previously accounted for as leases under the current leases guidance in Topic 842. An entity that elects this practical expedient should evaluate new or modified land easements under Topic 842 beginning at the date that the entity adopts Topic 842. PGE plans to elect this practical expedient. The Company is monitoring utility industry implementation issues that may change existing and future lease classification in areas such as purchase power agreements, pipeline laterals, utility pole attachments, and other utility industry-related arrangements. In conjunction with monitoring industry issues that may impact lease classification, the Company is in the process of evaluating whether it will elect to adopt certain other, optional practical expedients included within the standard. Decisions surrounding the election of practical expedients may impact the Company’s lease population that is ultimately recorded. As a result, PGE has not yet quantified the estimated financial statement impact, but overall, the Company does expect an increase in the recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, Compensation-Retirement Benefits (Topic 715), Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost (ASU 2017-07). Pursuant to this ASU, only the service cost component of net periodic pension and postretirement benefit costs will be eligible for capitalization and should be applied on a prospective basis upon implementation. Also, the non-service components are required to be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside the subtotal of income from operations and should be applied on a retrospective basis upon implementation. For calendar year-end public entities, the update will be effective for annual periods beginning January 1, 2018. The Company does not plan to early adopt. For ratemaking purposes, the Company will continue to be allowed to recover this portion of the non-service costs as a component of rate base, however such amounts will be recorded as Regulatory assets on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets, instead of Utility plant, and amortized in a systematic and rational manner and reflected as expense in a line item outside the subtotal of income from operations on the condensed consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income. PGE estimates the portion of the non-service components of net periodic pension and postretirement benefit costs that is eligible for deferral for ratemaking purposes, to be $3 million for the twelve month period ending December 31, 2018, and is deemed to have an immaterial impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position and consolidated results of operations.

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