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Pending Merger with Hydro One Pending Merger with Hydro One (Notes) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2018
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |
Business Combination Disclosure [Text Block] | On July 19, 2017, Avista Corp. entered into a Merger Agreement, by and among Hydro One, Olympus Holding Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hydro One (US parent), and Olympus Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of US parent (Merger Sub). Subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will be merged with and into Avista Corp., with Avista Corp. surviving as an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Hydro One. Hydro One, based in Toronto, is Ontario’s largest electricity transmission and distribution provider. At the effective time of the acquisition, each share of Avista Corp. common stock issued and outstanding, other than shares of Avista Corp. common stock that are owned by Hydro One, US Parent (as defined in the Merger Agreement) or Merger Sub or any of their respective subsidiaries, will be converted automatically into the right to receive an amount in cash equal to $53, without interest. Closing Conditions, Required Approvals Consummation of the acquisition is subject to the satisfaction or waiver, if permissible under applicable law, of specified closing conditions, including, but not limited to, (i) the approval of the acquisition by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Avista Corp. Common Stock, (ii) the receipt of regulatory approvals required to consummate the acquisition, including approval from the FERC, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the WUTC, IPUC, MPSC, OPUC, and the RCA, and (iii) meeting the requirements of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (HSR Act), as amended. Under the HSR Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the acquisition may not be completed until notification and report forms have been filed with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the applicable waiting period has expired or been terminated. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2018 subject to remaining referenced approvals and the satisfaction or waiver of other specified conditions. The table below presents the approvals required for the consummation of the acquisition by Hydro One, as well as the date the Company filed an approval request and the current status of each required approval.
Required Approval |  | Approval Request Filing Date |  | Status |
Avista Corp. shareholder approval |  | October 2, 2017 |  | Approved November 21, 2017, no further action |
FERC |  | September 14, 2017 |  | Approved January 16, 2018, no further action |
HSR Act |  | March 6, 2018 |  | Approved April 6, 2018, no further action |
WUTC |  | September 14, 2017 |  | Settlement agreement filed with WUTC | (a)
RCA |  | November 21, 2017 |  | Settlement agreement filed with RCA | (b)
IPUC |  | September 14, 2017 |  | Settlement agreement filed with IPUC | (c)
OPUC |  | September 14, 2017 |  | Pending | (d)
MPSC |  | September 14, 2017 |  | Pending | (e)
CFIUS |  | February 9, 2018 |  | Pending |
FCC |  | April 13, 2018 |  | Pending |
(a) | Washington - On March 27, 2018, Avista Corp. and Hydro One filed an all-parties, all-issues settlement agreement with the WUTC recommending approval of the acquisition of the Company by Hydro One. This represents a full settlement that all parties, including the WUTC Staff, have agreed results in a net benefit to the Company's Washington customers. The settlement agreement is subject to WUTC approval.
The settlement includes financial and non-financial commitments by the Company. No costs associated with the transaction will be recovered from the customers of Avista Corp. or Hydro One. The Company's initial September 2017 applications for state regulatory approval of the transaction proposed a shareholder-funded rate credit of approximately $32 million over a 10-year period across Washington, Oregon and Idaho. This amounted to an allocation of an approximately $20 million rate credit in Washington. The settlement, if approved, would result in a rate credit of approximately $31 million over a 5-year period. In the settlement, Hydro One and Avista Corp. also agreed to a number of other financial commitments, including providing funding for low income participation in new renewable energy and replacing certain manufactured homes. If the settlement is approved, the Company's financial commitments in Washington would total approximately $44 million, including the rate credits. While negotiations with parties in Oregon and Montana are still underway and will be resolved on a state-by-state basis, if the financial commitments in each other state bore the same ratio to the Company’s base revenue in such state as the financial commitments in Washington bear to the Washington revenue, the total amount of financial commitments would be approximately $74 million, which includes the $1 million proposed rate credit in Alaska. The settlement agreement also provides for the use of a portion of Avista Corp.’s excess deferred federal income taxes for the purpose of accelerating the depreciation schedule for Colstrip Units 3 and 4 to reflect a remaining useful life of those units through December 31, 2027. In addition, included in the financial commitments described above is funding toward a Colstrip community transition fund which is intended to help the Colstrip community transition from coal-fired generation in the event of a future closure. The settlement does not reflect any agreement with respect to the ultimate closure of Colstrip Units 3 and 4 as that decision would be made in conjunction with the other owners of Colstrip.
(b) | Alaska - On April 3, 2018, Avista Corp. and Hydro One filed a settlement agreement with the RCA recommending approval of the acquisition of the Company by Hydro One. The settlement agreement is with the City and Borough of Juneau, the only intervenor in the case. The settlement agreement includes specific commitments by the Company to preserve the ownership structure and current operations of AEL&P, ensure customer rates will not be impacted by the transaction, enhance community giving and provide a $1 million rate credit over five years for AEL&P’s customers. This rate credit period would begin at the close of the transaction. The settlement agreement is subject to RCA review and approval. The parties have requested a decision from the RCA within 30 days of filing the settlement agreement.
(c) | Idaho - On April 13, 2018, Avista Corp. and Hydro One filed an all-parties, all-issues settlement agreement with the IPUC recommending approval of the acquisition of the Company by Hydro One. The settlement agreement is subject to IPUC approval and the parties have requested approval from the IPUC by August 14, 2018.
The settlement agreement reflects similar financial and non-financial commitments that align in value with those agreed to in Washington. The Idaho portion of the shareholder-funded rate credits is approximately $16 million over a 5-year period. The total amount of financial commitments for Idaho, including the rate credit is approximately $22 million. The Idaho settlement agreement does not change the Company's previous total estimated financial commitments of approximately $74 million among all jurisdictions. The settlement agreement in Idaho does not address Colstrip in the same manner as Washington; rather the parties to the settlement agreement have recommended that Colstrip be addressed in a separate filing requesting revised depreciation rates. The Company will be proposing that a portion of the benefits from the TCJA be set aside for the purpose of accelerating the depreciation schedule for Colstrip Units 3 and 4 to reflect a remaining useful life of those units through December 31, 2027.
(d) | Oregon - On February 12, 2018, OPUC Staff and other interested parties in Oregon filed their initial recommendations regarding the proposed acquisition by Hydro One. In their initial recommendation, the OPUC Staff recommended that the Commission deny the application as it was originally filed. OPUC Staff believes the application does not provide a net benefit to Avista Corp.’s customers, nor are the ring-fencing commitments adequate to protect those customers from harm. However, the OPUC Staff indicated they would not issue a final opinion until after receiving and reviewing additional testimony from us and Hydro One and they indicated they would consider a more comprehensive and functional set of interlocking, reinforcing conditions designed to help ensure that Avista Corp. customers are not harmed by the proposed merger, accompanied by a proposal with incremental benefits to customers. Subsequent to the Company's initial filing of the application for approval, the OPUC set a procedural schedule with an end date no later than September 14, 2018.
(e) | Montana - In the initial application for approval, the Company requested approval of the transaction on or before August 14, 2018.
Avista Corp. and Hydro One intend to continue to work with the various commissions, their staff and other parties to try and satisfy any concerns associated with the proposed transaction. Other Information Related to the Acquisition The Merger Agreement also contains customary representations, warranties and covenants of Avista Corp., Hydro One, US Parent and Merger Sub. These covenants include, among others, an obligation on behalf of Avista Corp. to operate its business in the ordinary course until the acquisition is consummated, subject to certain exceptions. In addition, the parties are required to use reasonable best efforts to obtain any required regulatory approvals. Avista Corp. has made certain additional customary covenants, including, among others, and subject to certain exceptions, a customary non-solicitation covenant prohibiting Avista Corp. from soliciting, providing non-public information or entering into discussions or negotiations concerning proposals relating to alternative business combination transactions, except as and to the extent permitted under the Merger Agreement with respect to an unsolicited written Takeover Proposal (as defined in the Merger Agreement) made prior to the approval of the acquisition by Avista Corp.'s shareholders if, among other things, Avista Corp.'s board of directors determines in good faith that such Takeover Proposal is or could be reasonably expected to lead to a Superior Proposal (as defined in the Merger Agreement) and that failure to take such actions would reasonably be expected to be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable law. No such Takeover Proposals have been received. The Merger Agreement may be terminated by Avista Corp. and Hydro One by mutual consent and by either Avista Corp. or Hydro One under certain circumstances, including if the acquisition is not consummated by September 30, 2018 (subject to an extension of up to six months by either party if all of the conditions to closing, other than the conditions related to obtaining required regulatory approvals, the absence of a law or injunction preventing the consummation of the acquisition and the absence of a Burdensome Condition (as defined in the Merger Agreement) in any required regulatory approval, have been satisfied). The Merger Agreement also provides for certain additional termination rights for each of Avista Corp. and Hydro One. Upon termination of the Merger Agreement under certain specified circumstances, including (i) termination by Avista Corp. in order to enter into a definitive agreement with respect to a Superior Proposal, or (ii) termination by Hydro One following a withdrawal by Avista Corp.'s board or directors of its recommendation of the Merger Agreement, Avista Corp. will be required to pay Hydro One the Company Termination Fee of $103.0 million. Avista Corp. will also be required to pay Hydro One the Company Termination Fee in the event Avista Corp. signs or consummates any specified alternative transaction within twelve months following the termination of the Merger Agreement under certain circumstances. In addition, if the Merger Agreement is terminated under certain circumstances due to the failure to obtain required regulatory approvals, the imposition of a Burdensome Condition with respect to a required regulatory approval, or the breach by Hydro One, US Parent or Merger Sub of their obligations in respect of obtaining regulatory approvals, Hydro One will be required to pay Avista Corp. a termination fee of $103.0 million. The Company is incurring significant acquisition costs associated with the pending Hydro One acquisition consisting primarily of consulting, banking fees, legal fees and employee time and are not being passed through to customers. In addition, a significant portion of these costs are not deductible for income tax purposes. See Note 11 for discussion of shareholder lawsuits filed against the Company, the Company’s directors, Hydro One, Olympus Holding Corp., and Olympus Corp. in relation to the Merger Agreement and the proposed acquisition.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for a business combination (or series of individually immaterial business combinations) completed during the period, including background, timing, and recognized assets and liabilities. The disclosure may include leverage buyout transactions (as applicable). + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2303972 + Details
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