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Risk Management Activities and Derivative Transactions | 12 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2020
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract] |
Risk Management Activities and Derivative Transactions | Risk Management Activities and Derivative Transactions TVA is exposed to various risks related to commodity prices, investment prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates, and inflation as well as counterparty credit and performance risks. To help manage certain of these risks, TVA has historically entered into various derivative transactions, principally commodity option contracts, forward contracts, swaps, swaptions, futures, and options on futures. Other than certain derivative instruments in its trust investment funds, it is TVA's policy to enter into these derivative transactions solely for hedging purposes and not for speculative purposes. During the fourth quarter of 2020, TVA discontinued derivative accounting for forward coal contracts because these contracts no longer meet the criteria of net settlement. As a result, the associated $10 million net derivative liabilities have been derecognized. TVA suspended its FTP in 2014 and no longer uses financial instruments to hedge risks related to commodity prices; however, TVA plans to continue to manage fuel price volatility through other methods and is currently reevaluating its suspended FTP program for future use of financial instruments. Overview of Accounting Treatment TVA recognizes certain of its derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities on its Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value. The accounting for changes in the fair value of these instruments depends on (1) whether TVA uses regulatory accounting to defer the derivative gains and losses, (2) whether the derivative instrument has been designated and qualifies for hedge accounting treatment, and (3) if so, the type of hedge relationship (for example, cash flow hedge). The following tables summarize the accounting treatment that certain of TVA's financial derivative transactions receive:
Summary of Derivative Instruments That Receive Hedge Accounting Treatment (part 1) Amount of Mark-to-Market Gain (Loss) Recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) For the years ended September 30
Derivatives in Cash Flow Hedging Relationship |  | Objective of Hedge Transaction |  | Accounting for Derivative Hedging Instrument |  | 2020 |  | 2019
Currency swaps |  | To protect against changes in cash flows caused by changes in foreign currency exchange rates (exchange rate risk) |  | Unrealized gains and losses are recorded in AOCI and reclassified to Interest expense to the extent they are offset by gains and losses on the hedged transaction |  | $ | (1) |  |  | $ | (114) |
Summary of Derivative Instruments That Receive Hedge Accounting Treatment (part 2)(1) Amount of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income to Interest Expense For the years ended September 30
Derivatives in Cash Flow Hedging Relationship |  | 2020 |  | 2019
Currency swaps |  | $ | 38 |  |  | $ | (45) |
Note (1) There were no amounts excluded from effectiveness testing for any of the periods presented. Based on forecasted foreign currency exchange rates, TVA expects to reclassify approximately $27 million of gains from AOCI to Interest expense within the next 12 months to offset amounts anticipated to be recorded in Interest expense related to exchange gain on the debt.
Summary of Derivative Instruments That Do Not Receive Hedge Accounting Treatment Amount of Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivatives(1) For the years ended September 30
Derivative Type |  | Objective of Derivative(2) |  | Accounting for Derivative Instrument |  | 2020 |  | 2019
Interest rate swaps |  | To fix short-term debt variable rate to a fixed rate (interest rate risk) |  | Mark-to-market gains and losses are recorded as regulatory assets or liabilities Realized gains and losses are recognized in Interest expense when incurred during the settlement period and are presented in operating cash flow |  | $ | (97) |  |  | $ | (79) |
Commodity contract derivatives |  | To protect against fluctuations in market prices of purchased coal or natural gas (price risk) |  | Mark-to-market gains and losses are recorded as regulatory assets or liabilities Realized gains and losses due to contract settlements are recognized in Fuel expense as incurred |  | (1) |  |  | — |
Notes (1) All of TVA's derivative instruments that do not receive hedge accounting treatment have unrealized gains (losses) that would otherwise be recognized in income but instead are deferred as regulatory assets and liabilities. As such, there were no related gains (losses) recognized in income for these unrealized gains (losses) for the years ended September 30, 2020 and 2019. (2) During the fourth quarter of 2020, TVA discontinued derivative accounting for forward coal contracts.
Fair Values of TVA Derivatives At September 30
| 2020 |  | 2019
Derivatives That Receive Hedge Accounting Treatment:
| Balance |  | Balance Sheet Presentation |  | Balance |  | Balance Sheet Presentation
Currency swaps |  |  |  |  |  |  |
£200 million Sterling | $ | (78) |  |  | Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $(78) |  | $ | (90) |  |  | Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $(6); Other long-term liabilities $(84)
£250 million Sterling | (63) |  |  | Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $(5); Other long-term liabilities $(58) |  | (61) |  |  | Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $(5); Other long-term liabilities $(56)
£150 million Sterling | (68) |  |  | Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $(3); Other long-term liabilities $(65) |  | (57) |  |  | Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $(4); Other long-term liabilities $(53)
Derivatives That Do Not Receive Hedge Accounting Treatment:
| Balance |  | Balance Sheet Presentation |  | Balance |  | Balance Sheet Presentation
Interest rate swaps |  |  |  |  |  |  |
$1.0 billion notional | $ | (1,449) |  |  | Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $(43); Accrued interest $(37); Other long-term liabilities $(1,369) |  | $ | (1,261) |  |  | Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $(29); Accrued interest $(33); Other long-term liabilities $(1,199)
$476 million notional | (588) |  |  | Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $(22); Accrued interest $(10); Other long-term liabilities $(556) |  | (498) |  |  | Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $(15); Accrued interest $(9); Other long-term liabilities $(474)
$42 million notional | (4) |  |  | Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $(2); Other long-term liabilities $(2) |  | (5) |  |  | Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $(1); Accrued interest $(1); Other long-term liabilities $(3)
Commodity contract derivatives | 46 |  |  | Other current assets $26; Other long-term assets $23; Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $(3) |  | (41) |  |  | Other current assets $12; Other long-term liabilities $(16); Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $(37)
Cash Flow Hedging Strategy for Currency Swaps To protect against exchange rate risk related to three British pound sterling denominated Bond transactions, TVA entered into foreign currency hedges at the time the Bond transactions occurred. TVA had the following currency swaps outstanding at September 30, 2020:
Currency Swaps Outstanding September 30, 2020
Effective Date of Currency Swap Contract |  | Associated TVA Bond Issues Currency Exposure |  | Expiration Date of Swap |  | Overall Effective Cost to TVA
1999 |  | £200 million |  | 2021 |  | 5.81%
2001 |  | £250 million |  | 2032 |  | 6.59%
2003 |  | £150 million |  | 2043 |  | 4.96%
When the dollar strengthens against the British pound sterling, the exchange gain on the Bond liability and related accrued interest is offset by an equal amount of loss on the swap contract that is reclassified out of AOCI. Conversely, the exchange loss on the Bond liability and related accrued interest is offset by an equal amount of gain on the swap contract that is reclassified out of AOCI. All such exchange gains or losses on the Bond liability and related accrued interest are included in Long-term debt, net and Accounts payable and accrued liabilities, respectively. The offsetting exchange losses or gains on the swap contracts are recognized in AOCI. If any gain (loss) were to be incurred as a result of the early termination of the foreign currency swap contract, the resulting income (expense) would be amortized over the remaining life of the associated Bond as a component of Interest expense. The values of the currency swap liabilities are included in Accounts payable and accrued liabilities and Other long-term liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Derivatives Not Receiving Hedge Accounting Treatment Interest Rate Derivatives. Generally TVA uses interest rate swaps to fix variable short-term debt to a fixed rate, and TVA uses regulatory accounting treatment to defer the MtM gains and losses on its interest rate swaps. The net deferred unrealized gains and losses are classified as regulatory assets or liabilities on TVA's Consolidated Balance Sheets and are included in the ratemaking formula when gains or losses are realized. The values of these derivatives are included in Accounts payable and accrued liabilities, Accrued interest, and Other long-term liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, and realized gains and losses, if any, are included in TVA's Consolidated Statements of Operations. For the years ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, the changes in fair market value of the interest rate swaps resulted in the deferral of unrealized losses of $272 million and $565 million, respectively. TVA may hold short-term debt balances lower than the notional amount of the interest rate swaps from time to time due to changes in business conditions and other factors. While actual balances vary, TVA generally plans to maintain average balances of short-term debt equal to or in excess of the combined notional amount of the interest rate swaps. Commodity Derivatives. TVA enters into certain commodity contracts for coal and natural gas that require physical delivery of the contracted quantity of the commodity. During the fourth quarter of 2020, TVA discontinued derivative accounting for forward coal contracts. TVA marks to market natural gas contracts and defers the fair market values as regulatory assets or liabilities on a gross basis. At September 30, 2020, TVA's natural gas contract derivatives had terms of up to four years.
Commodity Contract Derivatives At September 30
| 2020 |  | 2019
| Number of Contracts |  | Notional Amount |  | Fair Value (MtM) |  | Number of Contracts |  | Notional Amount |  | Fair Value (MtM)
Coal contract derivatives | — |  | — million tons |  | $ | — |  |  | 8 |  | 9 million tons |  | $ | (4) |
Natural gas contract derivatives | 42 |  | 302 million mmBtu |  | $ | 46 |  |  | 65 |  | 330 million mmBtu |  | $ | (37) |
Offsetting of Derivative Assets and Liabilities The amounts of TVA's derivative instruments as reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2020 and 2019, are shown in the table below.
Derivative Assets and Liabilities(1) (in millions)
| At September 30, 2020 |  |  |  | At September 30, 2019
Assets |  |  |  |  |
Commodity derivatives not subject to master netting or similar arrangement | $ | 49 |  |  |  |  | $ | 12 |
Liabilities |  |  |  |  |
Currency swaps(2) | $ | 209 |  |  |  |  | $ | 208 |
Interest rate swaps(2) | 2,041 |  |  |  |  | 1,764 |
Total derivatives subject to master netting or similar arrangement | 2,250 |  |  |  |  | 1,972 |
Commodity derivatives not subject to master netting or similar arrangement | 3 |  |  |  |  | 53 |
Total liabilities | $ | 2,253 |  |  |  |  | $ | 2,025 |
Notes (1) Offsetting amounts primarily include counterparty netting of derivative contracts, margin account deposits for futures commission merchants transactions, and cash collateral received or paid in accordance with the accounting guidance for derivatives and hedging transactions. There were no offsetting amounts on TVA's Consolidated Balance Sheets at either September 30, 2020 or 2019. (2) Letters of credit of approximately $1.5 billion and $1.3 billion were posted as collateral at September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, to partially secure the liability positions of one of the currency swaps and one of the interest rate swaps in accordance with the collateral requirements for these derivatives. Other Derivative Instruments Investment Fund Derivatives. Investment funds consist primarily of funds held in the NDT, ART, SERP, and DCP. See Note 16 — Fair Value Measurements — Investment Funds for a discussion of the trusts, plans, and types of investments. The NDT and ART may invest in derivative instruments which may include swaps, futures, options, forwards, and other instruments. At September 30, 2020 and 2019, the NDT held investments in forward contracts to purchase debt securities. The fair values of these derivatives were in net asset positions totaling $13 million and $22 million at September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Collateral. TVA's interest rate swaps and currency swaps contain contract provisions that require a party to post collateral (in a form such as cash or a letter of credit) when the party's liability balance under the agreement exceeds a certain threshold. At September 30, 2020, the aggregate fair value of all derivative instruments with credit-risk related contingent features that were in a liability position was $2.2 billion. TVA's collateral obligations at September 30, 2020, under these arrangements, were approximately $1.5 billion, for which TVA had posted approximately $1.5 billion in letters of credit. These letters of credit reduce the available balance under the related credit facilities. TVA's assessment of the risk of its nonperformance includes a reduction in its exposure under the contract as a result of this posted collateral. For all of its derivative instruments with credit-risk related contingent features: •If TVA remains a majority-owned U.S. government entity but Standard & Poor's Financial Services, LLC ("S&P") or Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") downgrades TVA's credit rating to AA or Aa2, respectively, TVA's collateral obligations would likely increase by $22 million, and •If TVA ceases to be majority-owned by the U.S. government, TVA's credit rating would likely be downgraded and TVA would be required to post additional collateral. Counterparty Risk TVA may be exposed to certain risks when a counterparty has the potential to fail to meet its obligations in accordance with agreed terms. These risks may be related to credit, operational, or nonperformance matters. To mitigate certain counterparty risk, TVA analyzes the counterparty's financial condition prior to entering into an agreement, establishes credit limits, monitors the appropriateness of those limits, as well as any changes in the creditworthiness of the counterparty, on an ongoing basis, and when required, employs credit mitigation measures, such as collateral or prepayment arrangements and master purchase and sale agreements. Customers. TVA is exposed to counterparty credit risk associated with trade accounts receivable from delivered power sales to LPCs, and from industries and federal agencies directly served, all located in the Tennessee Valley region. Of the $1.4 billion and $1.6 billion of receivables from power sales outstanding at September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, nearly all counterparties were rated investment grade. The obligations of customers that are not investment grade are secured by collateral. TVA is also exposed to risk from exchange power arrangements with a small number of investor-owned regional utilities related to either delivered power or the replacement of open positions of longer-term purchased power or fuel agreements. TVA believes its policies and procedures for counterparty performance risk reviews have generally protected TVA against significant exposure related to market and economic conditions. See Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts and Note 3 — Accounts Receivable, Net. TVA had revenue from two LPCs that collectively accounted for 17 percent of total operating revenue for the years ended both September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019. Suppliers. TVA assesses potential supplier performance risks, including procurement of fuel, parts, and services. If suppliers are unable to perform under TVA's existing contracts or if TVA is unable to obtain similar services from other vendors, TVA could experience delays, disruptions, additional costs, or other operational outcomes that may impact generation, maintenance, and capital programs. If one of TVA's fuel or purchased power suppliers fails to perform under the terms of its contract with TVA, TVA might lose the money that it paid to the supplier under the contract and have to purchase replacement fuel or power on the spot market, perhaps at a significantly higher price than TVA was entitled to pay under the contract. In addition, TVA might not be able to acquire replacement fuel or power in a timely manner and thus might be unable to satisfy its own obligations to deliver power. Natural Gas. TVA purchases the majority of its natural gas requirements from a variety of suppliers under primarily short-term contracts. In the event of nonperformance by these suppliers, TVA believes that it can obtain replacement natural gas. Coal. To help ensure a reliable supply of coal, TVA had coal contracts with multiple suppliers at September 30, 2020. The contracted supply of coal is sourced from multiple geographic regions of the United States and is to be delivered via various transportation methods (e.g., barge, rail, and truck). Emerging technologies, environmental regulations, and low natural gas prices have contributed to weak demand for coal. As a result, coal suppliers are facing increased financial pressure, which has led to relatively poor credit ratings and bankruptcies. Continued difficulties by coal suppliers, including impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, could result in consolidations, additional bankruptcies, restructuring, contract renegotiations, or other scenarios. Nuclear Fuel. Nuclear fuel is obtained predominantly through long-term uranium concentrate supply contracts, contracted conversion services, contracted enrichment services, or a combination thereof, and contracted fuel fabrication services. The supply markets for uranium concentrates and certain nuclear fuel services are subject to price fluctuations and availability restrictions. Supply market conditions may make procurement contracts subject to credit risk related to the potential nonperformance of counterparties. In the event of nonperformance by these or other suppliers, TVA believes that replacement uranium concentrate and nuclear fuel services can be obtained, although at prices that may be unfavorable when compared to the prices under the current supply agreements. Purchased Power. TVA has a power purchase agreement that expires on March 31, 2032, with a supplier of electricity for 440 megawatts ("MW") of summer net capability from a lignite-fired generating plant. TVA has determined that the supplier has the equivalent of a non-investment grade credit rating; therefore, the supplier has provided credit assurance to TVA under the terms of the agreement. Other Suppliers. At this time, TVA has experienced minimal impacts due to force majeure events, with the exception of a manufacturing delay for a major turbine component. A mitigation strategy was developed by TVA and the vendor to reduce projected delays and impacts to TVA's outage schedule. TVA will continue to monitor the supply base and remain in contact with suppliers to identify potential risks. Derivative Counterparties. TVA has entered into physical and financial contracts that qualify as derivatives for hedging purposes, and TVA's NDT, ART, and qualified defined benefit pension plan have entered into derivative contracts for investment purposes. If a counterparty to one of the physical or financial derivative transactions defaults, TVA might incur substantial costs in connection with entering into a replacement transaction. If a counterparty to the derivative contracts into which the NDT, the ART, and the qualified pension plan have entered for investment purposes defaults, the value of the investment could decline significantly or perhaps become worthless. TVA has concentrations of credit risk from the banking, coal, and gas industries because multiple companies in these industries serve as counterparties to TVA in various derivative transactions. At September 30, 2020, all of TVA's currency swaps and interest rate swaps as well as all of the derivatives in the NDT and ART were with banking counterparties whose Moody's credit ratings were A3 or higher. TVA classifies qualified forward natural gas contracts as derivatives. See Derivatives Not Receiving Hedge Accounting Treatment above. At September 30, 2020, the natural gas contracts were with counterparties whose ratings ranged from Caa2 to A2. TVA recognizes the slowdown in demand and the impacts on the oil and gas industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. TVA will continue to monitor the impacts and affected credit ratings and enforce contract performance assurance provisions when applicable.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for derivative instruments and hedging activities including, but not limited to, risk management strategies, non-hedging derivative instruments, assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, and methodologies and assumptions used in determining the amounts. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2229140 + Details
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