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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2012
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies We are an independent wholesale power generation company engaged in the ownership and operation of primarily natural gas-fired and geothermal power plants in North America. We have a significant presence in the major competitive wholesale power markets in California, Texas and the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. We sell wholesale power, steam, capacity, renewable energy credits and ancillary services to our customers, which include utilities, independent electric system operators, industrial and agricultural companies, retail power providers, municipalities, power marketers and others. We engage in the purchase of natural gas and fuel oil as fuel for our power plants and in related natural gas transportation and storage transactions, and in the purchase of electric transmission rights to deliver power to our customers. We also enter into natural gas and power physical and financial contracts to economically hedge our business risks and optimize our portfolio of power plants. Basis of Interim Presentation — The accompanying unaudited, interim Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements of Calpine Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and consolidated subsidiaries have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. In the opinion of management, the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements include the normal, recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the information required to be set forth therein. Certain information and note disclosures, normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, have been condensed or omitted from these statements pursuant to such rules and regulations and, accordingly, these financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2011, included in our 2011 Form 10-K. The results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire year primarily due to acquisitions and disposals of assets, seasonal fluctuations in our revenues, timing of major maintenance expense, variations resulting from the application of the method to calculate the provision for income tax for interim periods, volatility of commodity prices and unrealized gains and losses from commodity and interest rate derivative contracts. Use of Estimates in Preparation of Financial Statements — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and related disclosures included in our Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Cash and Cash Equivalents — We consider all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. We have certain project finance facilities and lease agreements that require us to establish and maintain segregated cash accounts, which have been pledged as security in favor of the lenders under such project finance facilities, and the use of certain cash balances on deposit in such accounts is limited, at least temporarily, to the operations of the respective projects. At September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, we had cash and cash equivalents of $211 million and $306 million, respectively, that were subject to such project finance facilities and lease agreements. Restricted Cash — Certain of our debt agreements, lease agreements or other operating agreements require us to establish and maintain segregated cash accounts, the use of which is restricted. These amounts are held by depository banks in order to comply with the contractual provisions requiring reserves for payments such as for debt service, rent, major maintenance and debt repurchases or with applicable regulatory requirements. Funds that can be used to satisfy obligations due during the next 12 months are classified as current restricted cash, with the remainder classified as non-current restricted cash. Restricted cash is generally invested in accounts earning market rates; therefore, the carrying value approximates fair value. Such cash is excluded from cash and cash equivalents on our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets and Statements of Cash Flows. The table below represents the components of our restricted cash as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 (in millions):
| September 30, 2012 |  | December 31, 2011
| Current |  | Non-Current |  | Total |  | Current |  | Non-Current |  | Total
Debt service(1) | $ | 22 |  |  | $ | 42 |  |  | $ | 64 |  |  | $ | 11 |  |  | $ | 42 |  |  | $ | 53 |
Rent reserve | 3 |  |  | — |  |  | 3 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Construction/major maintenance | 37 |  |  | 11 |  |  | 48 |  |  | 33 |  |  | 10 |  |  | 43 |
Security/project/insurance | 101 |  |  | 8 |  |  | 109 |  |  | 79 |  |  | — |  |  | 79 |
Other | — |  |  | 2 |  |  | 2 |  |  | 16 |  |  | 3 |  |  | 19 |
Total | $ | 163 |  |  | $ | 63 |  |  | $ | 226 |  |  | $ | 139 |  |  | $ | 55 |  |  | $ | 194 |
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(1) | At September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, amounts restricted for debt service included approximately $24 million and $25 million, respectively, of repurchase agreements with a financial institution containing maturity dates greater than one year.
Inventory — At September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, we had inventory of $269 million and $294 million, respectively. Inventory primarily consists of spare parts, stored natural gas and fuel oil, emission reduction credits and natural gas exchange imbalances. Inventory, other than spare parts, is stated primarily at the lower of cost or market value under the weighted average cost method. Spare parts inventory is valued at weighted average cost and is expensed to plant operating expense or capitalized to property, plant and equipment as the parts are utilized and consumed. Property, Plant and Equipment, Net — At September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the components of property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation as follows (in millions):
| September 30, 2012 |  | December 31, 2011
Buildings, machinery and equipment | $ | 15,150 |  |  | $ | 15,074 |
Geothermal properties | 1,212 |  |  | 1,163 |
Other | 158 |  |  | 156 |
| 16,520 |  |  | 16,393 |
Less: Accumulated depreciation | 4,518 |  |  | 4,158 |
| 12,002 |  |  | 12,235 |
Land | 91 |  |  | 91 |
Construction in progress | 1,036 |  |  | 693 |
Property, plant and equipment, net | $ | 13,129 |  |  | $ | 13,019 |
Capitalized Interest — The total amount of interest capitalized was $10 million and $6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively, and $27 million and $17 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Leases — We have contracts, such as certain tolling agreements, which we account for as operating leases under U.S. GAAP. Generally, we levelize certain components of these contract revenues on a straight-line basis over the term of the contract. The total contractual future minimum lease rentals for our contracts accounted for as operating leases, excluding tolling agreements related to power plants under construction, at September 30, 2012, are as follows (in millions):
2012 | $ | 114 |
2013 | 527 |
2014 | 452 |
2015 | 461 |
2016 | 375 |
Thereafter | 2,270 |
Total | $ | 4,199 |
Treasury Stock — During the nine months ended September 30, 2012, we repurchased common stock with a value of $308 million under our share repurchase program and withheld shares with a value of $6 million to satisfy tax withholding obligations associated with the vesting of restricted stock awarded to employees under the Equity Plan. New Accounting Standards and Disclosure Requirements Fair Value Measurement — In May 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2011-04, “Fair Value Measurement” to clarify and amend the application or requirements relating to fair value measurements and disclosures relating to fair value measurements. The update stems from the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board project to develop common requirements for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements. The update did not impact any of our fair value measurements but did require disclosure of the following:
• | quantitative information about the unobservable inputs used in a fair value measurement that is categorized within level 3 of the fair value hierarchy;
• | for those fair value measurements categorized within level 3 of the fair value hierarchy, both the valuation processes used and the sensitivity of the fair value measurement to changes in unobservable inputs and the interrelationships between those unobservable inputs, if any; and
• | the categorization by level of the fair value hierarchy for items that are not measured at fair value in the statement of financial position but for which the fair value is required to be disclosed.
The new requirements relating to fair value measurements are prospective and effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011, with early adoption prohibited. We adopted all of the requirements related to this update at January 1, 2012. Since this update did not impact any of our fair value measurements and only required additional disclosures, adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our results of operations, cash flows or financial condition. Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities — In December 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2011-11, “Balance Sheet - Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities” to enhance disclosure requirements relating to the offsetting of assets and liabilities on an entity's balance sheet. The update requires enhanced disclosures regarding assets and liabilities that are presented net or gross in the statement of financial position when the right of offset exists, or that are subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement. The new disclosure requirements relating to this update are retrospective and effective for annual and interim periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013. The update only requires additional disclosures, as such, the adoption of this standard will not have a material impact on our results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for all significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367646&loc=d3e18861-107790 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367646&loc=d3e18743-107790 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367646&loc=d3e18780-107790 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367646&loc=d3e18854-107790 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367646&loc=d3e18726-107790 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB) -Number 22 -Paragraph 8 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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