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Kingston Fossil Plant Ash Spill Kingston Fossil Plant Ash Spill (Policies)
 12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract]  
Kingston Fossil Plant Ash Spill Policy
Financial Impact

TVA recorded an estimate of $1.1 billion for the cost of cleanup related to this event.  In August 2009, TVA began using regulatory accounting treatment to defer all actual costs already incurred and expected future costs related to the ash spill.  The cost is being charged to expense as it is collected in rates over 15 years, beginning October 1, 2009.  

Amounts spent since the event through September 30, 2014, totaled $1.1 billion.  The remaining estimated liability at September 30, 2014, was $21 million and is included in Current liabilities.

TVA has not included the following categories of costs in the above estimate since it has been determined that these costs are currently either not probable or not reasonably estimable: penalties (other than the penalties set out in a June 2010 TDEC order), regulatory directives, natural resources damages (other than payments required under a memorandum of agreement with TDEC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service establishing a process and a method for resolving the natural resource damages claim), future lawsuits, future claims, long-term environmental impact costs, final long-term disposition of the ash processing area, and costs associated with new laws and regulations.  There are certain other costs that will be incurred that have not been included in the estimate as they are appropriately accounted for in other areas of the consolidated financial statements.  Associated capital asset purchases are recorded in property, plant, and equipment.  Ash handling and disposition costs from current plant operations are recorded in operating expenses.  A portion of the dredge cell closure costs are also excluded from the estimate, as they are included in the non-nuclear ARO liability.