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Revenue (Notes)
6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]  
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Text Block]
Revenue

As described in Note 2, TVA adopted Revenue from Contracts with Customers effective October 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective method of adoption, which does not require restatement of prior year reported results. As a result of the adoption of this standard, no cumulative effect adjustment was recorded. Additionally, comparative disclosures for 2018 operating results with the previous revenue recognition rules are not applicable as TVA’s revenue recognition has not materially changed as a result of the new standard.

Revenue from Sales of Electricity

TVA’s revenue from contracts with customers is primarily derived from the generation and sale of electricity to its customers and is included in Revenue from sales of electricity on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Electricity is sold primarily to LPCs for distribution to their end-use customers. In addition, TVA sells electricity to directly served industrial companies, federal agencies, and others.


LPC sales
Approximately 93 percent of TVA’s revenue from sales of electricity is to LPCs, which then distribute the power to their customers using their own distribution systems. Power is delivered to each LPC at delivery points within the LPC's service territory. TVA recognizes revenue when the customer takes possession of the power at the delivery point. For power sales, the performance obligation to deliver power is satisfied in a series over time because the sales of electricity over the term of the customer contract are a series of distinct goods that are substantially the same and have the same pattern of transfer to the customer. TVA has no continuing performance obligations subsequent to delivery. Using the output method for revenue recognition provides a faithful depiction of the transfer of electricity as customers obtain control of the power and benefit from its use at delivery. Additionally, TVA has an enforceable right to consideration for energy delivered at any discrete point in time and will recognize revenue at an amount that reflects the consideration to which TVA is entitled for the energy delivered.

The amount of revenue is based on contractual prices approved by the TVA Board. Customers are invoiced monthly for power delivered as measured by meters located at the delivery points. The net transaction price is offset by certain credits available to customers that are known at the time of billing. Credits are designed to achieve objectives of the TVA Act and include items such as hydro preference credits for residential customers of LPCs, economic development credits to promote growth in the Tennessee Valley, and interruptible credits allowing TVA to reduce industrial customer usage in periods of peak demand to balance system demand. Payments are typically due within approximately one month of invoice issuance.
 
Directly served customers
Directly served customers, including industrial customers, federal agencies, and other customers, take power for their own consumption. Similar to LPCs, power is delivered to a delivery point, at which time the customer takes possession and TVA recognizes revenue. For all power sales, the performance obligation to deliver power is satisfied in a series over time since the sales of electricity over the term of the customer contract are a series of distinct goods that are substantially the same and have the same pattern of transfer to the customer. TVA has no continuing performance obligations subsequent to delivery. Using the output method for revenue recognition provides a faithful depiction of the transfer of electricity as customers obtain control of the power and benefit from its use at delivery. Additionally, TVA has an enforceable right to consideration for energy delivered at any discrete point in time and will recognize revenue at an amount that reflects the consideration to which TVA is entitled for the energy delivered.

The amount of revenue is based on contractual prices approved by the TVA Board. Customers are invoiced monthly for power delivered as measured by meters located at the delivery points. The net transaction price is offset by certain credits available to customers that are known at the time of billing. Examples of credits include items such as economic development credits to promote growth in the Tennessee Valley and interruptible credits allowing TVA to reduce industrial customer usage in periods of peak demand to balance system demand. Payments are typically due within approximately one month of invoice issuance.

Other Revenue

Other revenue consists primarily of wheeling and network transmission charges, sales of excess steam that is a by-product of power production, delivery point charges for interconnection points between TVA and the customer, and certain other ancillary goods or services.
 
Disaggregated Revenue

During the three and six months ended March 31, 2019, revenues generated from TVA’s electricity sales were $2.7 billion and $5.4 billion, respectively, and accounted for virtually all of TVA’s revenues. TVA’s revenues by state for the three and six months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 are detailed in the table below:
Operating Revenues By State
(in millions)
 
Three Months Ended
March 31
 
Six Months Ended
March 31
 
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
Alabama
$
387

 
$
406

 
$
779

 
$
767

Georgia
70

 
73

 
137

 
136

Kentucky
173

 
174

 
341

 
333

Mississippi
249

 
252

 
501

 
489

North Carolina
21

 
20

 
41

 
36

Tennessee
1,799

 
1,822

 
3,568

 
3,482

Virginia
13

 
14

 
25

 
26

Subtotal
2,712

 
2,761

 
5,392

 
5,269

Off-system sales

 
2

 
1

 
4

Revenue capitalized during pre-commercial plant operations(1)

 
(10
)
 

 
(11
)
Revenue from sales of electricity
2,712

 
2,753

 
5,393

 
5,262

Other revenues
38

 
39

 
82

 
79

Total operating revenues
$
2,750

 
$
2,792

 
$
5,475

 
$
5,341

Note
(1) Represents revenue capitalized during pre-commercial operations of $10 million and $11 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2018, respectively. See Note 1Pre-Commercial Plant Operations.

TVA’s revenues by customer type for the three and six months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 are detailed in the table below:
Operating Revenues by Customer Type
(in millions)
 
Three Months Ended
March 31
 
Six Months Ended
March 31
 
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
Revenue from sales of electricity
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Local power companies
$
2,514

 
$
2,564

 
$
4,981

 
$
4,880

Industries directly served
168

 
168

 
353

 
333

Federal agencies and other
30

 
31

 
59

 
60

Revenue capitalized during pre-commercial plant operations(1)

 
(10
)
 

 
(11
)
Revenue from sales of electricity
2,712

 
2,753

 
5,393

 
5,262

Other revenues
38

 
39

 
82

 
79

Total operating revenues
$
2,750

 
$
2,792

 
$
5,475

 
$
5,341

Note
(1) Represents revenue capitalized during pre-commercial operations of $10 million and $11 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2018, respectively. See Note 1Pre-Commercial Plant Operations.

    








The number of LPCs with the contract arrangements described below, the revenues derived from such arrangements for the three and six months ended March 31, 2019, and the percentage of TVA’s total operating revenues for the three and six months ended March 31, 2019 represented by these revenues are summarized in the tables below:
TVA Local Power Company Contracts
At March 31, 2019
Contract Arrangements(1)
Number of LPCs
 
Sales to LPCs
in the Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
(in millions)
 
Percentage of Total Operating Revenues in the Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
20-year termination notice
3

 
$
34

 
1.2
%
15-year termination notice
11

 
127

 
4.6
%
12-year termination notice
1

 
6

 
0.2
%
10-year termination notice
52

 
862

 
31.3
%
 6-year termination notice
1

 
13

 
0.5
%
 5-year termination notice
86

 
1,472

 
53.5
%
Total
154

 
$
2,514

 
91.3
%
Note
(1) Ordinarily, the LPCs and TVA have the same termination notice period; however, in contracts with five of the LPCs with five-year termination notices, TVA has a 10-year termination notice (which becomes a five-year termination notice if TVA loses its discretionary wholesale rate-setting authority). Two of the LPCs have five-year termination notices or a shorter period if any act of Congress, court decision, or regulatory change requires or permits that election.    
TVA Local Power Company Contracts
At March 31, 2019
Contract Arrangements(1)
Number of LPCs
 
Sales to LPCs
in the Six Months Ended March 31, 2019
(in millions)
 
Percentage of Total Operating Revenues in the
Six Months Ended March 31, 2019
20-year termination notice
3

 
$
67

 
1.2
%
15-year termination notice
11

 
251

 
4.6
%
12-year termination notice
1

 
12

 
0.2
%
10-year termination notice
52

 
1,714

 
31.3
%
 6-year termination notice
1

 
25

 
0.5
%
 5-year termination notice
86

 
2,912

 
53.2
%
Total
154

 
$
4,981

 
91.0
%
Note
(1) Ordinarily, the LPCs and TVA have the same termination notice period; however, in contracts with five of the LPCs with five-year termination notices, TVA has a 10-year termination notice (which becomes a five-year termination notice if TVA loses its discretionary wholesale rate-setting authority). Two of the LPCs have five-year termination notices or a shorter period if any act of Congress, court decision, or regulatory change requires or permits that election.                                             
TVA’s two largest LPCs — Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division ("MLGW") and Nashville Electric Service ("NES") — have contracts with a five-year and a 10-year termination notice period, respectively. Sales to MLGW and NES both accounted for eight percent of TVA’s total operating revenues during the six months ending March 31, 2019.

Contract Balances

Contract assets represent an entity’s right to consideration in exchange for goods and services that the entity has transferred to customers. TVA does not have any material contract assets as of March 31, 2019.

Contract liabilities represent an entity’s obligations to transfer goods or services to customers for which the entity has received consideration (or an amount of consideration is due) from the customers. These contract liabilities are primarily related to upfront consideration received prior to the satisfaction of the performance obligation.

Energy Prepayment Obligations. In 2004, TVA and its largest customer, Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division ("MLGW"), entered into an energy prepayment agreement under which MLGW prepaid TVA $1.5 billion for the future costs of electricity to be delivered by TVA to MLGW over a period of 15 years.  TVA accounted for the prepayment as unearned revenue and reported the obligation to deliver power under this arrangement as Energy prepayment obligations and Current portion of energy prepayment obligations on the September 30, 2018 Consolidated Balance Sheet.  TVA recognized approximately $100 million of noncash revenue in each year of the arrangement as electricity was delivered to MLGW based on the ratio of units of kilowatt hours delivered to total units of kilowatt hours under contract.  At March 31, 2019, $1.5 billion had been recognized as noncash revenue on a cumulative basis during the life of the agreement, $25 million of which was recognized as noncash revenue and a corresponding reduction in the balance of Energy prepayment obligations during the three months ended March 31, 2018. There was no recognized noncash revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2019. During the six months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, $10 million and $50 million, respectively, were recognized as noncash revenue and a corresponding reduction in the balance of Energy prepayment obligations. Discounts to account for the time value of money, which were recorded as a reduction to electricity sales, amounted to $12 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018. There were no discounts to account for the time value of money during the three months ended March 31, 2019. Discounts to account for the time value of money, which were recorded as a reduction to electricity sales, amounted to $4 million and $23 million for the six months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Economic Development Incentives. Under certain economic development programs, TVA offers incentives to existing and potential power customers in certain business sectors that make multi-year commitments to invest in the Tennessee Valley. TVA records those incentives as reductions of revenue. Incentives recorded as a reduction to revenue were $89 million and $71 million during the three months ended March 31, 2019, and 2018, respectively. Incentives recorded as a reduction to revenue were $156 million and $136 million during the six months ended March 31, 2019, and 2018, respectively. Incentives that have been approved but have not been paid are recorded in Accounts payable and accrued liabilities and Other long-term liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. At March 31, 2019 and September 30, 2018, the outstanding unpaid incentives were $154 million and $145 million, respectively. These incentives may be subject to clawback provisions if the customers fail to meet certain program requirements.