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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) | 3 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
General | General The Tennessee Valley Authority ("TVA") is a corporate agency and instrumentality of the United States that was created in 1933 by legislation enacted by the United States ("U.S.") Congress in response to a request by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. TVA was created to, among other things, improve navigation on the Tennessee River, reduce the damage from destructive flood waters within the Tennessee River system and downstream on the lower Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, further the economic development of TVA's service area in the southeastern United States, and sell the electricity generated at the facilities TVA operates. Today, TVA operates the nation's largest public power system and supplies power in most of Tennessee, northern Alabama, northeastern Mississippi, and southwestern Kentucky and in portions of northern Georgia, western North Carolina, and southwestern Virginia to a population of nine million people. TVA also manages the Tennessee River, its tributaries, and certain shorelines to provide, among other things, year-round navigation, flood damage reduction, and affordable and reliable electricity. Consistent with these primary purposes, TVA also manages the river system to provide recreational opportunities, adequate water supply, improved water quality, natural resource protection, and economic development. The power program has historically been separate and distinct from the stewardship programs. It is required to be self-supporting from power revenues and proceeds from power financings, such as proceeds from the issuance of bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness ("Bonds"). Although TVA does not currently receive congressional appropriations, it is required to make annual payments to the United States Department of the Treasury ("U.S. Treasury") as a return on the government's appropriation investment in TVA's power facilities (the "Power Program Appropriation Investment"). In the 1998 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, Congress directed TVA to fund essential stewardship activities related to its management of the Tennessee River system and nonpower or stewardship properties with power revenues in the event that there were insufficient appropriations or other available funds to pay for such activities in any fiscal year. Congress has not provided any appropriations to TVA to fund such activities since 1999. Consequently, during 2000, TVA began paying for essential stewardship activities primarily with power revenues, with the remainder funded with user fees and other forms of revenues derived in connection with those activities. The activities related to stewardship properties do not meet the criteria of an operating segment under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). Accordingly, these assets and properties are included as part of the power program, TVA's only operating segment. Power rates are established by the TVA Board of Directors (the "TVA Board") as authorized by the Tennessee Valley Authority Act of 1933, as amended, 16 U.S.C. §§ 831-831ee (the “TVA Act”). The TVA Act requires TVA to charge rates for power that will produce gross revenues sufficient to provide funds for operation, maintenance, and administration of its power system; payments to states and counties in lieu of taxes ("tax equivalents"); debt service on outstanding indebtedness; payments to the U.S. Treasury in repayment of and as a return on the Power Program Appropriation Investment; and such additional margin as the TVA Board may consider desirable for investment in power system assets, retirement of outstanding Bonds in advance of maturity, additional reduction of the Power Program Appropriation Investment, and other purposes connected with TVA's power business. In setting TVA's rates, the TVA Board is charged by the TVA Act to have due regard for the primary objectives of the TVA Act, including the objective that power shall be sold at rates as low as are feasible. Rates set by the TVA Board are not subject to review or approval by any state or other federal regulatory body. TVA fulfilled its requirement to repay $1.0 billion of the Power Program Appropriation Investment in 2014.
Fiscal Year | Fiscal Year TVA's fiscal year ends September 30. Years (2016, 2015, etc.) refer to TVA's fiscal years unless they are preceded by “CY,” in which case the references are to calendar years.
Cost-Based Regulation | Cost-Based Regulation Since the TVA Board is authorized by the TVA Act to set rates for power sold to its customers, TVA is self-regulated. Additionally, TVA's regulated rates are designed to recover its costs. Based on current projections, TVA believes that rates, set at levels that will recover TVA's costs, can be charged and collected. As a result of these factors, TVA records certain assets and liabilities that result from the regulated ratemaking process that would not be recorded under GAAP for non-regulated entities. Regulatory assets generally represent incurred costs that have been deferred because such costs are probable of future recovery in customer rates. Regulatory liabilities generally represent obligations to make refunds to customers for previous collections for costs that are not likely to be incurred or deferral of gains that will be credited to customers in future periods. TVA assesses whether the regulatory assets are probable of future recovery by considering factors such as applicable regulatory changes, potential legislation, and changes in technology. Based on these assessments, TVA believes the existing regulatory assets are probable of future recovery. This determination reflects the current regulatory and political environment and is subject to change in the future. If future recovery of regulatory assets ceases to be probable, or any of the other factors described above cease to be applicable, TVA would no longer be considered to be a regulated entity and would be required to write off these costs. Most regulatory asset write offs would be required to be recognized in earnings in the period in which future recovery ceases to be probable.
Basis of Presentation | Basis of Presentation TVA prepares its consolidated interim financial statements in conformity with GAAP for consolidated interim financial information. Accordingly, TVA's consolidated interim financial statements do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for annual financial statements. As such, they should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2015, and the notes thereto, which are contained in TVA's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2015 (the “Annual Report”). In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of items of a normal recurring nature) considered necessary for fair presentation are included in the interim financial statements. The accompanying consolidated interim financial statements include the accounts of TVA and three variable interest entities ("VIEs"), of which TVA is the primary beneficiary. See Note 7. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates | Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements requires TVA to estimate the effects of various matters that are inherently uncertain as of the date of the consolidated financial statements. Although the consolidated financial statements are prepared in conformity with GAAP, TVA is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and the amounts of revenues and expenses reported during the reporting period. Each of these estimates varies in regard to the level of judgment involved and its potential impact on TVA's financial results. Estimates are deemed critical either when a different estimate could have reasonably been used or where changes in the estimate are reasonably likely to occur from period to period and such use or change would materially impact TVA's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
Reclassifications | Reclassifications Certain historical amounts have been reclassified in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the three months ended December 31, 2014. Amounts previously presented in Cash flows from operating activities as Environmental cleanup costs – Kingston ash spill – non cash of $12 million and Environmental cleanup costs – Kingston ash spill of $(9) million for the three months ended December 31, 2014, are currently reported in Other, net. In the Consolidated Balance Sheet at September 30, 2015, TVA reclassified $80 million of debt issuance costs previously presented in Other long-term assets and presented $67 million as a reduction to Long-term power bonds, net and $13 million as a reduction to Long-term debt, net of variable interest entities. See Note 2 – Debt Issuance Costs for additional information.
Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts | Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts The allowance for uncollectible accounts reflects TVA's estimate of probable losses inherent in its accounts and loans receivable balances. TVA determines the allowance based on known accounts, historical experience, and other currently available information including events such as customer bankruptcy and/or a customer failing to fulfill payment arrangements. It also reflects TVA's corporate credit department's assessment of the financial condition of customers and the credit quality of the receivables. The allowance for uncollectible accounts was $1 million at both December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2015, for accounts receivable. Additionally, loans receivable of $135 million and $129 million at December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2015, respectively, are included in Accounts receivable, net and Other long-term assets, for the current and long-term portions, respectively, and reported net of allowances for uncollectible accounts of $8 million at both December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2015.
Depreciation | Depreciation Depreciation expense was $364 million and $380 million for the three months ended December 31, 2015, and December 31, 2014, respectively. In September 2015, the NRC approved renewed licenses for Sequoyah Nuclear Plant ("Sequoyah") Units 1 and 2, which allow both units to operate for an additional 20 years and TVA adjusted prospectively the Sequoyah depreciation rate. These license extensions contributed to $22 million of the decrease in depreciation expense for the three months ended December 31, 2015, as compared to the three months ended December 31, 2014 as a result of this change in estimate.
Blended Low-Enriched Uranium Program | Blended Low-Enriched Uranium Program Under the blended low-enriched uranium ("BLEU") program, TVA, the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE"), and certain nuclear fuel contractors have entered into agreements providing for the DOE's surplus of enriched uranium to be blended with other uranium down to a level that allows the blended uranium to be fabricated into fuel that can be used in nuclear power plants. Under the terms of an interagency agreement between TVA and the DOE, in exchange for supplying highly enriched uranium materials to the appropriate third-party fuel processors for processing into usable BLEU fuel for TVA, the DOE participates to a degree in the savings generated by TVA’s use of this blended nuclear fuel. Over the life of the program, TVA projects that the DOE’s share of savings generated by TVA’s use of this blended nuclear fuel could result in payments to the DOE of as much as $162 million. TVA accrues an obligation with each BLEU reload batch related to the portion of the ultimate future payments estimated to be attributable to the BLEU fuel currently in use. At December 31, 2015, TVA had paid out approximately $131 million for this program, and the obligation recorded was $12 million.

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