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Variable Interest Entities and Unconsolidated Investments in Power Plants | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2015
Variable Interest Entities and Unconsolidated Investments [Abstract] |
Variable interest entities and unconsolidated investments in power plants | Variable Interest Entities and Unconsolidated Investments We consolidate all of our VIEs where we have determined that we are the primary beneficiary. There were no changes to our determination of whether we are the primary beneficiary of our VIEs for the nine months ended September 30, 2015. See Note 5 in our 2014 Form 10-K for further information regarding our VIEs. VIE Disclosures Our consolidated VIEs include natural gas-fired power plants with an aggregate capacity of 10,266 MW and 10,365 MW at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, 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. Other than amounts contractually required, we provided support to these VIEs in the form of cash and other contributions of $2 million during each of the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and $7 million and $47 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, respectively. Unconsolidated VIEs and Investments in Power Plants 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. 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. Whitby is a limited partnership between certain of our subsidiaries 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. We account for these entities under the equity method of accounting and include our net equity interest in investments in power plants on our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets. At September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, our equity method investments included on our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets were comprised of the following (in millions):
| Ownership Interest as of September 30, 2015 |  | September 30, 2015 |  | December 31, 2014
Greenfield LP | 50% |  | $ | 66 |  |  | $ | 78 |
Whitby | 50% |  | 11 |  |  | 17 |
Total investments in power plants |  |  | $ | 77 |  |  | $ | 95 |
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; therefore, the debt of our unconsolidated investments is not reflected on our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets. At September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, equity method investee debt was approximately $283 million and $342 million, respectively, and based on our pro rata share of each of the investments, our share of such debt would be approximately $142 million and $171 million at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. Our equity interest in the net income from Greenfield LP and Whitby for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, is recorded in (income) from unconsolidated investments in power plants on our Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations. The following table sets forth details of our (income) from unconsolidated investments in power plants for the periods indicated (in millions):
| Three Months Ended September 30, |  | Nine Months Ended September 30,
| 2015 |  | 2014 |  | 2015 |  | 2014
Greenfield LP | $ | (3 | ) |  | $ | (2 | ) |  | $ | (9 | ) |  | $ | (7 | )
Whitby | (3 | ) |  | (3 | ) |  | (9 | ) |  | (11 | )
Total | $ | (6 | ) |  | $ | (5 | ) |  | $ | (18 | ) |  | $ | (18 | )
Distributions from Greenfield LP were $10 million during each of the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, and nil during each of the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014. Distributions from Whitby were nil and $13 million during both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. 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) from GE that may be exercised between years 2017 and 2024. GE holds a put option whereby they can require us to purchase the power plant, if certain plant performance criteria are met by 2025. We determined that we are not the primary beneficiary of the Inland Empire power plant, and we do not consolidate it due to the fact that GE directs the most significant activities of the power plant including operations and maintenance.

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- Definition Variable Interest Entities and Unconsolidated Investments Abstract + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The entire disclosure for a variable interest entity (VIE), including but not limited to, judgments and assumptions in determining whether to consolidate and in identifying the primary beneficiary, gain (loss) recognized on the initial consolidation of the VIE, terms of arrangements, amounts and classification of the VIE's assets and liabilities, and the entity's maximum exposure to loss. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5A -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=52262685&loc=SL6759159-111685 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=52262685&loc=d3e5728-111685 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=52262685&loc=d3e5710-111685 + Details
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