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Variable Interest Entities and Unconsolidated Investments | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2011
Variable Interest Entities and Unconsolidated Investments [Abstract] |
Variable Interest Entities and Unconsolidated Investments | Variable Interest Entities and Unconsolidated Investments We consolidate all of our VIEs where we have determined that we are the primary beneficiary. We have the following types of VIEs consolidated in our financial statements: Subsidiaries with Project Debt — All of our subsidiaries with project debt not guaranteed by Calpine have PPAs that provide financial support and are thus considered VIEs. We retain ownership and absorb the full risk of loss and potential for reward once the project debt is paid in full. Actions by the lender to assume control of collateral can occur only under limited circumstances such as upon the occurrence of an event of default, which we have determined to be unlikely. See Note 6 for further information regarding our project debt and Note 2 for information regarding our restricted cash balances. Subsidiaries with PPAs — Certain of our majority owned subsidiaries have PPAs that limit the risk and reward of our ownership and thus constitute a VIE. VIEs with a Purchase Option — Riverside Energy Center and OMEC have agreements that provide third parties a fixed price option to purchase power plant assets exercisable in the years 2012 and 2019, respectively, with an aggregate capacity of 1,211 MW. These purchase options limit the risk and reward of our ownership and, thus, constitute a VIE. Consolidation of VIEs We consolidate our VIEs where we determine that we have both the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE's economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses or receive benefits from the VIE. We have determined that we hold the obligation to absorb losses and receive benefits in all of our VIEs where we hold the majority equity interest. Therefore, our determination of whether to consolidate is based upon which variable interest holder has the power to direct the most significant activities of the VIE (the primary beneficiary). Our analysis includes consideration of the following primary activities which we believe to have a significant impact on a power plant's financial performance: operations and maintenance, plant dispatch, and fuel strategy as well as our ability to control or influence contracting and overall plant strategy. Our approach to determining which entity holds the powers and rights is based on powers held as of the balance sheet date. Contractual terms that may change the powers held in future periods, such as a purchase or sale option, are not considered in our analysis. Based on our analysis, we believe that we hold the power and rights to direct the most significant activities of all our majority owned VIEs. Under our consolidation policy and under U.S. GAAP we also:
• | perform an ongoing reassessment each reporting period of whether we are the primary beneficiary of our VIEs; and
• | evaluate if an entity is a VIE and whether we are the primary beneficiary whenever any changes in facts and circumstances occur such that the holders of the equity investment at risk, as a group, lose the power from voting rights or similar rights of those investments to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE's economic performance or when there are other changes in the powers held by individual variable interest holders.
On August 23, 2011, we closed on the $373 million Los Esteros Project Debt to fund the upgrade of our Los Esteros Critical Energy Facility from a 188 MW simple-cycle power plant to a 308 MW combined-cycle generation power plant. The addition of this project debt resulted in Los Esteros Critical Energy Facility, LLC meeting the definition of a VIE for which we have determinded we are the primary beneficiary. There were no other changes to our determination of whether we are the primary beneficiary of our VIEs for the year ended December 31, 2011. Noncontrolling Interest — We own a 75% interest in Russell City Energy Company, LLC, one of our VIEs, which is also 25% owned by a third party. We fully consolidate this entity in our Consolidated Financial Statements and account for the third party ownership interest as a noncontrolling interest. VIE Disclosures U.S. GAAP requires separate disclosure on the face of our Consolidated Balance Sheets of the significant assets of a consolidated VIE that can only be used to settle obligations of the consolidated VIE and the significant liabilities of a consolidated VIE for which creditors (or beneficial interest holders) do not have recourse to the general credit of the primary beneficiary. In determining which assets of our VIEs met the separate disclosure criteria, we determined this separate disclosure requirement is met where Calpine Corporation is substantially limited or prohibited from access to assets (primarily cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and property, plant and equipment), and where there are agreements that prohibit the debt holders of the VIE from recourse to the general credit of Calpine Corporation or its other subsidiaries. In determining which liabilities of our VIEs met the separate disclosure criteria, we reviewed all of our VIEs and determined this separate disclosure requirement was met where our VIEs had project financing that prohibits the VIE from providing guarantees on the debt of others and where the amounts were material to our financial statements. The VIEs meeting the above disclosure criteria are majority owned subsidiaries of Calpine Corporation and include natural gas-fired power plants with an aggregate capacity of approximately 11,391 MW, including 584 MW under construction, and 13,656 MW, including 1,029 MW under construction, at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. For these VIEs, we may provide other operational and administrative support through various affiliate contractual arrangements among the VIEs, Calpine Corporation and its other wholly owned subsidiaries whereby we support the VIE through the reimbursement of costs and/or the purchase and sale of energy. Calpine Corporation provided support to these VIEs in the form of cash and other contributions other than amounts contractually required of $171 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. During the year ended December 31, 2010, Calpine Corporation provided $540 million to NDH, an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary, to fund the Conectiv Acquisition, including $110 million to complete the construction of the York Energy Center. Additionally, Calpine Corporation provided support to our other VIEs in the form of cash and other contributions other than amounts contractually required of $46 million during the year ended December 31, 2010. Unconsolidated VIEs and Investments We have a 50% partnership interest in Greenfield LP and in Whitby. Greenfield LP and Whitby are also VIEs; however, we do not have the power to direct the most significant activities of these entities and therefore do not consolidate them. We account for these entities under the equity method of accounting and include our net equity interest in investments on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. During 2009, we were not the primary beneficiary of OMEC based upon the accounting guidance in 2009, and did not consolidate OMEC. As required by U.S. GAAP, we consolidated OMEC effective January 1, 2010. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, our equity method investments included on our Consolidated Balance Sheets were comprised of the following (in millions):
| Ownership Interest as of December 31, 2011 |  | 2011 |  | 2010
Greenfield LP | 50% |  | 72 |  |  | 77 |
Whitby | 50% |  | 8 |  |  | 3 |
Total investments |  |  | $ | 80 |  |  | $ | 80 |
Our risk of loss related to our unconsolidated VIEs is limited to our investment balance. Holders of the debt of our unconsolidated investments do not have recourse to Calpine Corporation and its other subsidiaries; therefore, the debt of our unconsolidated investments is not reflected on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, equity method investee debt was approximately $462 million and $494 million, respectively, and based on our pro rata share of each of the investments, our share of such debt would be approximately $231 million and $247 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Our equity interest in the net income from OMEC for the year ended December 31, 2009, and both Greenfield LP and Whitby for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 are recorded in (income) from unconsolidated investments in power plants. The following table sets forth details of our (income) from unconsolidated investments in power plants for the years indicated (in millions):
| (Income) from Unconsolidated Investments in Power Plants |  | Distributions
| 2011 |  | 2010 |  | 2009 |  | 2011 |  | 2010 |  | 2009
OMEC(1) | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | (32 | ) |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 9 |
Greenfield LP | (12 | ) |  | (8 | ) |  | (16 | ) |  | 2 |  |  | 6 |  |  | 9 |
Whitby | (9 | ) |  | (8 | ) |  | (2 | ) |  | 4 |  |  | 5 |  |  | 2 |
Total | $ | (21 | ) |  | $ | (16 | ) |  | $ | (50 | ) |  | $ | 6 |  |  | $ | 11 |  |  | $ | 20 |
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(1) | OMEC was consolidated effective January 1, 2010. See Note 2.
Greenfield LP — Greenfield LP is a limited partnership between certain subsidiaries of ours and of Mitsui & Co., Ltd., which operates the Greenfield Energy Centre, a 1,038 MW natural gas-fired, combined-cycle power plant located in Ontario, Canada. We and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. each hold a 50% interest in Greenfield LP. Greenfield LP holds an 18-year term loan in the amount of CAD $648 million. Borrowings under the project finance facility bear interest at Canadian LIBOR plus 1.125% or Canadian prime rate plus 0.125%. Whitby — Whitby is a limited partnership between certain subsidiaries of ours and Atlantic Packaging Ltd., which operates the Whitby facility, a 50 MW natural gas-fired, simple-cycle cogeneration power plant located in Ontario, Canada. We and Atlantic Packaging Ltd. each hold a 50% partnership interest in Whitby. Inland Empire Energy Center Put and Call Options — We hold a call option to purchase the Inland Empire Energy Center (a 775 MW natural gas-fired power plant located in California which achieved COD on May 3, 2010) from GE that may be exercised between years 7 and 14 after the start of commercial operation. GE holds a put option whereby they can require us to purchase the power plant, if certain plant performance criteria are met during year 15 after the start of commercial operation. We determined that we were not the primary beneficiary of the Inland Empire power plant, and we do not consolidate it due to, but not limited to, the fact that GE directs the most significant activities of the power plant including operations and maintenance. Significant Subsidiary — OMEC met the criteria of a significant unconsolidated subsidiary for the year ended December 31, 2009. OMEC was consolidated effective January 1, 2010. The condensed combined financial statements for our unconsolidated subsidiaries for the period in which OMEC was a significant unconsolidated subsidiary and was accounted for under the equity method of accounting is presented below (in millions): Condensed Combined Statement of Operations of Our Unconsolidated Subsidiaries For the Year Ended December 31, 2009
| 2009
Revenues | $ | 256 |
Operating expenses | 195 |
Income from operations | 61 |
Interest (income) expense | 2 |
Other (income) expense, net | 5 |
Net income | $ | 54 |

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