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Variable Interest Entities and Unconsolidated Investments in Power Plants | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2016
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 three months ended March 31, 2016. See Note 5 in our 2015 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 at both March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015. 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 nil during each of the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015. Unconsolidated VIEs and Investments in Power Plants We have a 50% partnership interest in Greenfield LP and in Whitby. Greenfield LP and Whitby are 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 March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, our equity method investments included on our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets were comprised of the following (in millions):
| Ownership Interest as of March 31, 2016 |  | March 31, 2016 |  | December 31, 2015
Greenfield LP | 50% |  | $ | 71 |  |  | $ | 65 |
Whitby | 50% |  | 18 |  |  | 14 |
Total investments in power plants |  |  | $ | 89 |  |  | $ | 79 |
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 Condensed Balance Sheets. At March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, equity method investee debt was approximately $284 million and $269 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 $135 million at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. Our equity interest in the net income from Greenfield LP and Whitby for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, is 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 periods indicated (in millions):
|  | Three Months Ended March 31,
|  | 2016 |  | 2015
Greenfield LP |  | $ | (4 | ) |  | $ | (2 | )
Whitby |  | (3 | ) |  | (3 | )
Total |  | $ | (7 | ) |  | $ | (5 | )
Distributions from Greenfield LP and Whitby were nil during each of the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015.

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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=64801991&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=64801991&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=64801991&loc=d3e5710-111685 + Details
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