Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

We are a 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 major competitive wholesale power markets in California (included in our West segment), Texas (included in our Texas segment) and the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions (included in our East segment) of the U.S. We sell 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 and other governmental entities, power marketers as well as retail commercial, industrial, governmental and residential customers. We continue to focus on getting closer to our customers through expansion of our retail platform which began with the acquisition of Champion Energy in 2015 and was followed by the acquisitions of Calpine Solutions in late 2016 and North American Power in early 2017. We purchase primarily natural gas and some fuel oil as fuel for our power plants and engage in related natural gas transportation and storage transactions. We also purchase power for sale to our customers and purchase electric transmission rights to deliver power to our customers. Additionally, consistent with our Risk Management Policy, we enter into natural gas, power, environmental product, fuel oil and other physical and financial commodity contracts to hedge certain 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, 2016, included in our 2016 Form 10-K. The results for interim periods are not indicative of the results for the entire year primarily due to acquisitions and disposals of assets, seasonal fluctuations in our revenues and expenses, 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 mark-to-market 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 cash and cash equivalents held in non-corporate accounts relating to certain project finance facilities and lease agreements that require us to establish and maintain segregated cash accounts. These accounts 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.

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, making these cash funds unavailable for general use. 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 and major maintenance 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 March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 (in millions):



	March 31, 2017						December 31, 2016
	Current		Non-Current		Total		Current		Non-Current		Total
Debt service	$	12	$	7	$	19	$	11	$	8	$	19
Construction/major maintenance	48		6		54		45		6		51
Security/project/insurance	99		—		99		114		—		114
Other	3		2		5		3		1		4
Total	$	162	$	15	$	177	$	173	$	15	$	188

Property, Plant and Equipment, Net — At March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the components of property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation as follows (in millions):



	March 31, 2017		December 31, 2016		Depreciable Lives
Buildings, machinery and equipment	$	16,481	$	16,468	3	–	46	Years
Geothermal properties	1,460		1,377		13	–	58	Years
Other	237		259		3	–	46	Years
	18,178		18,104
Less: Accumulated depreciation	5,975		5,865
	12,203		12,239
Land	116		116
Construction in progress	690		658
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	13,009	$	13,013

Capitalized Interest — The total amount of interest capitalized was $7 million and $4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Goodwill — The change in goodwill during the three months ended March 31, 2017 was as follows (in millions):



	West			Texas		East			Total
Goodwill at December 31, 2016	$	68		$	31	$	88		$	187
Acquisition of North American Power	—			—		49			49
Calpine Solutions purchase price allocation adjustment	(1		)	—		(2		)	(3		)
Goodwill at March 31, 2017	$	67		$	31	$	135		$	233

Related Party — Under the Accounts Receivables Sales Program, at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, we had $179 million and $211 million, respectively, in trade accounts receivable outstanding that were sold to Calpine Receivables and $40 million and $32 million, respectively, in notes receivable from Calpine Receivables which were recorded on our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets. During the three months ended March 31, 2017, we sold an aggregate of $542 million in trade accounts receivable and recorded $546 million in proceeds. For a further discussion of the Accounts Receivable Sales Program and Calpine Receivables, see Notes 2 and 5 in our 2016 Form 10-K.

New Accounting Standards and Disclosure Requirements

Revenue Recognition — In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” The comprehensive new revenue recognition standard will supersede all existing revenue recognition guidance. The core principle of the standard is that a company should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The standard also requires expanded disclosures surrounding revenue recognition. The standard allows for either full retrospective or modified retrospective adoption. In August 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 for public entities by one year, such that the standard will become effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The standard permits entities to adopt early, but only as of the original effective date. In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-08 “Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net)” which clarifies implementation guidance for principal versus agent considerations in the new revenue recognition standard. In May 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-12 “Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients” which addresses assessing the collectability of a contract, the presentation of sales taxes and other taxes collected from customers, non-cash consideration and completed contracts and contract modifications at transition. We expect to adopt the standard in the first quarter of 2018 using the modified retrospective transition approach; however, our method of adoption may change as we complete our assessment of the standard. We are currently evaluating the effect the revenue recognition standards will have on our revenue contracts such as our PPAs and tolling agreements; however, we do not anticipate the adoption of this standard will have a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Upon adoption, we intend to elect the practical expedient that would allow an entity to recognize revenue in the amount to which the entity has the right to invoice to the extent we determine that we have a right to consideration from the customer in an amount that corresponds directly with the value provided based on our performance completed to date.

Inventory — In July 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2015-11, “Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory.” The standard changes the inventory valuation method from the lower of cost or market to the lower of cost or net realizable value for inventory valued under the first-in, first-out or average cost methods. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods and requires prospective adoption with early adoption permitted. We adopted Accounting Standards Update 2015-11 in the first quarter of 2017 which did not have a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Leases — In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-02, “Leases.” The comprehensive new lease standard will supersede all existing lease guidance. The standard requires that a lessee should recognize a right-to-use asset and a lease liability for substantially all operating leases based on the present value of the minimum rental payments. Entities may make an accounting policy election to not recognize lease assets and liabilities for leases with a term of 12 months or less. For lessors, the accounting for leases remains substantially unchanged. The standard also requires expanded disclosures surrounding leases. The standard is effective for fiscal periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that reporting period and requires modified retrospective adoption with early adoption permitted. We expect to adopt the standard in the first quarter of 2019. We have completed our initial evaluation of the standard and believe that the key changes that will affect us relate to our accounting for operating leases that are currently off-balance sheet and tolling contracts which we currently account for as operating leases. Additionally, we are evaluating the potential effects of the removal of the real estate guidance currently applicable to lessors that will be abrogated under Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” We are also considering electing the practical expedient in our implementation of the standard; however, this may change as we complete our assessment of the standard.

Statement of Cash Flows — In August 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-15, “Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments.” The standard addresses several matters of diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows including the presentation of debt extinguishment costs and distributions received from equity method investments. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods and allows for retrospective adoption with early adoption permitted. We do not anticipate a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows as a result of adopting this standard.

Restricted Cash — In November 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-18, “Restricted Cash.” The standard requires restricted cash to be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning and ending amounts in the statement of cash flows and also requires disclosures regarding the nature of restrictions on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods and requires for retrospective adoption with early adoption permitted. We do not anticipate a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows as a result of adopting this standard.

Intangibles – Goodwill and Other — In January 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2017-04, “Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment.” The standard eliminates the second step in the goodwill impairment test which requires an entity to determine the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill. Instead, an entity should recognize an impairment loss if the carrying value of the net assets assigned to the reporting unit exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, with the impairment loss not to exceed the amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. The standard is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests conducted in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. We do not anticipate a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows as a result of adopting this standard.