v3.7.0.1

Variable Interest Entities and Unconsolidated Investments in Power Plants | 6 Months Ended
--- | ---
Jun. 30, 2017
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 six months ended June 30, 2017. See Note 5 in our 2016 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 8,423 MW and 9,491 MW at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, 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 nil during each of the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016. Unconsolidated VIEs and Investments in Unconsolidated Subsidiaries 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. In December 2016, we acquired Calpine Receivables, a bankruptcy remote entity created for the special purpose of purchasing trade accounts receivable from Calpine Solutions under the Accounts Receivable Sales Program. Calpine Receivables is a VIE. We have determined that we do not have the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly affect the VIE’s economic performance nor the obligation to absorb losses or receive benefits from the VIE. Accordingly, we have determined that we are not the primary beneficiary of Calpine Receivables because we do not have the power to affect its financial performance as the unaffiliated financial institutions that purchase the receivables from Calpine Receivables control the selection criteria of the receivables sold and appoint the servicer of the receivables which controls management of default. Thus, we do not consolidate Calpine Receivables in our Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements and use the equity method of accounting to record our net interest in Calpine Receivables. We account for these entities under the equity method of accounting and include our net equity interest in investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries on our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets. At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, our equity method investments included on our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets were comprised of the following (in millions):
| Ownership Interest as of June 30, 2017 |  | June 30, 2017 |  | December 31, 2016
Greenfield LP | 50% |  | $ | 85 |  |  | $ | 73 |
Whitby | 50% |  | 3 |  |  | 16 |
Calpine Receivables | 100% |  | 10 |  |  | 10 |
Total investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries |  |  | $ | 98 |  |  | $ | 99 |
Our risk of loss related to our investments in Greenfield LP, Whitby and Calpine Receivables 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 June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, Greenfield LP’s debt was approximately $258 million and $259 million, respectively, and based on our pro rata share of our investment in Greenfield LP, our share of such debt would be approximately $129 million and $130 million at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. Our equity interest in the net income from our investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, is recorded in (income) from unconsolidated subsidiaries. We did not have any income or receive any distributions from our investment in Calpine Receivables for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017. The following table sets forth details of our (income) from unconsolidated subsidiaries for the periods indicated (in millions):
| Three Months Ended June 30, |  | Six Months Ended June 30,
| 2017 |  | 2016 |  | 2017 |  | 2016
Greenfield LP | $ | (4 | ) |  | $ | (1 | ) |  | $ | (6 | ) |  | $ | (5 | )
Whitby | (2 | ) |  | (2 | ) |  | (4 | ) |  | (5 | )
Total | $ | (6 | ) |  | $ | (3 | ) |  | $ | (10 | ) |  | $ | (10 | )
Distributions from Greenfield LP were nil during each of the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, and $5 million during each of the three and six months ended June 30, 2016. Distributions from Whitby were $3 million and $16 million during the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively, and $13 million during each of the three and six months ended June 30, 2016.

X
- Definition Variable Interest Entities and Unconsolidated Investments Abstract + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cpn_VariableInterestEntitiesAndUnconsolidatedInvestmentsAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | cpn_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- 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 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2197479 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityDisclosureTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration