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Financial instruments - Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Detail) $ in Thousands, $ in Thousands | Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2019 CAD ($)
--- | --- | --- | ---
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Note payable to related party | $ 30,493 | $ 0 |
Cross currency swap |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 84,542 |  |
Interest rate swaps |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 19,325 |  |
Level 1 |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Long-term investments carried at fair value | 1,706,900 |  | $ 1,178,581
Total financial assets | 1,706,900 | 1,178,581 |
Long-term debt | 2,316,586 | 1,495,153 |
Convertible debentures | 623 | 623 |
Total financial liabilities | 2,317,209 | 1,495,776 |
Level 2 |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Long-term investments carried at fair value | 20,015 |  | 27,072
Development loans and other receivables | 31,088 | 37,984 |
Derivative Asset | 194 | 16 |
Total financial assets | 51,297 | 65,072 |
Long-term debt | 2,823,473 | 2,788,915 |
Note payable to related party | 30,493 |  |
Convertible debentures | 0 |  |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 104,481 | 83,837 |
Total financial liabilities | 2,974,012 | 2,887,872 |
Level 2 | Commodity contracts for regulatory operations |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative Asset | 194 | 16 |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 614 | 2,072 |
Level 2 | Cross currency swap | Designated as a hedge | Net Investment Hedging |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 84,543 | 81,765 |
Level 2 | Interest rate swaps | Designated as a hedge |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 19,324 |  |
Level 2 | Series C Preferred Stock |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Preferred shares, Series C | 15,565 | 15,120 |
Level 3 |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Long-term investments carried at fair value | 110,514 |  | $ 88,494
Development loans and other receivables | 0 | 0 |
Derivative Asset | 51,913 | 85,688 |
Total financial assets | 162,427 | 174,182 |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 5,929 | 827 |
Total financial liabilities | 5,929 | 827 |
Level 3 | Energy contracts | Designated as a hedge | Cash flow hedge |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative Asset | 51,525 | 65,304 |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 5,597 | 789 |
Level 3 | Energy contracts | Not designated as a hedge |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative Asset | 388 |  |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 332 |  |
Level 3 | Energy contracts | Not designated as a hedge | Cash flow hedge |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative Asset |  | 20,384 |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities |  | 38 |
Level 3 | Commodity contracts for regulatory operations |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative Asset | 0 |  |
Carrying amount |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Long-term investments carried at fair value | 1,837,429 | 1,294,147 |
Development loans and other receivables | 23,804 | 37,050 |
Derivative Asset | 52,107 | 85,704 |
Total financial assets | 1,913,340 | 1,416,901 |
Long-term debt | 4,538,470 | 3,931,868 |
Convertible debentures | 295 | 342 |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 110,410 | 84,664 |
Total financial liabilities | 4,693,366 | 4,030,667 |
Carrying amount | Energy contracts | Designated as a hedge | Cash flow hedge |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative Asset | 51,525 | 65,304 |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 5,597 | 789 |
Carrying amount | Energy contracts | Not designated as a hedge |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative Asset | 388 |  |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 332 |  |
Carrying amount | Energy contracts | Not designated as a hedge | Cash flow hedge |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative Asset |  | 20,384 |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities |  | 38 |
Carrying amount | Commodity contracts for regulatory operations |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative Asset | 194 | 16 |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 614 | 2,072 |
Carrying amount | Cross currency swap | Designated as a hedge | Net Investment Hedging |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 84,543 | 81,765 |
Carrying amount | Interest rate swaps | Designated as a hedge |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 19,324 |  |
Carrying amount | Series C Preferred Stock |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Preferred shares, Series C | 13,698 | 13,793 |
Fair value |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Long-term investments carried at fair value | 1,837,429 | 1,294,147 |
Development loans and other receivables | 31,088 | 37,984 |
Derivative Asset | 52,107 | 85,704 |
Total financial assets | 1,920,624 | 1,417,835 |
Long-term debt | 5,140,059 | 4,284,068 |
Note payable to related party | 30,493 |  |
Convertible debentures | 623 | 623 |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 110,410 | 84,664 |
Total financial liabilities | 5,297,150 | 4,384,475 |
Fair value | Energy contracts | Designated as a hedge | Cash flow hedge |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative Asset | 51,525 | 65,304 |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 5,597 | 789 |
Fair value | Energy contracts | Not designated as a hedge |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative Asset | 388 |  |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 332 |  |
Fair value | Energy contracts | Not designated as a hedge | Cash flow hedge |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative Asset |  | 20,384 |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities |  | 38 |
Fair value | Commodity contracts for regulatory operations |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative Asset | 194 | 16 |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 614 | 2,072 |
Fair value | Cross currency swap | Designated as a hedge | Net Investment Hedging |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 84,543 | 81,765 |
Fair value | Interest rate swaps | Designated as a hedge |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Derivative financial instruments, liabilities | 19,324 |  |
Fair value | Series C Preferred Stock |  |  |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |  |
Preferred shares, Series C | $ 15,565 | $ 15,120 |

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- Definition Fair value, after the effects of master netting arrangements, of a financial asset or other contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset. Includes assets not subject to a master netting arrangement and not elected to be offset. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 20 -Section 55 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393222&loc=SL20226008-175313 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121572278&loc=d3e13433-108611 Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312 + Details
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- Definition Fair value, after the effects of master netting arrangements, of a financial liability or contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset. Includes liabilities not subject to a master netting arrangement and not elected to be offset. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121572278&loc=d3e13433-108611 Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 20 -Section 55 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393222&loc=SL20226008-175313 + Details
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- Definition The fair value amount of long-term debt whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission. + References No definition available. + Details
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