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Short-Term Borrowings and Bank Lines of Credit
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
SHORT-TERM BORROWINGS AND BANK LINES OF CREDIT
SHORT-TERM BORROWINGS AND BANK LINES OF CREDIT

FE and the Utilities and FET and its subsidiaries participate in two separate five-year syndicated revolving credit facilities with aggregate commitments of $5.0 billion (Facilities), which are available through December 6, 2021. FE and the Utilities and FET and its subsidiaries may use borrowings under their Facilities for working capital and other general corporate purposes, including intercompany loans and advances by a borrower to any of its subsidiaries. Generally, borrowings under each of the Facilities are available to each borrower separately and mature on the earlier of 364 days from the date of borrowing or the commitment termination date, as the same may be extended. Each of the Facilities contains financial covenants requiring each borrower to maintain a consolidated debt-to-total-capitalization ratio (as defined under each of the Facilities) of no more than 65%, and 75% for FET, measured at the end of each fiscal quarter.

FirstEnergy had $300 million and $2,675 million of short-term borrowings as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. FirstEnergy’s available liquidity from external sources as of January 31, 2018 was as follows:
Borrower(s)
 
Type
 
Maturity
 
Commitment
 
Available Liquidity
 
 
 
 
 
 
(In millions)
FirstEnergy(1)
 
Revolving
 
December 2021
 
$
4,000

 
$
3,740

FET(2)
 
Revolving
 
December 2021
 
1,000

 
1,000

 
 
 
 
Subtotal
 
$
5,000

 
$
4,740

 
 
 
 
Cash
 

 
358

 
 
 
 
Total
 
$
5,000

 
$
5,098



(1) 
FE and the Utilities. Available liquidity includes impact of $10 million of LOCs issued under various terms.
(2) 
Includes FET, ATSI, MAIT and TrAIL.

FES had $105 million and $101 million of short-term borrowings as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. Of such amounts, $102 million and $101 million, respectively, represents a currently outstanding promissory note due April 2, 2018, payable to AE Supply with any additional short-term borrowings representing borrowings under an unregulated companies' money pool, which also includes FE, FET, FEV and certain other unregulated subsidiaries of FE, but excludes FENOC, FES and its subsidiaries. In addition to FES' access to a separate unregulated companies' money pool, which includes FE, FES' subsidiaries and FENOC, FES' available liquidity as of January 31, 2018, was as follows:

Type
 
Commitment
 
Available Liquidity
 
 
(In millions)
    Two-year secured credit facility with FE
 
$
500

 
$
500

Cash
 

 
1

 
 
$
500

 
$
501




The following table summarizes the borrowing sub-limits for each borrower under the facilities, the limitations on short-term indebtedness applicable to each borrower under current regulatory approvals and applicable statutory and/or charter limitations, as of January 31, 2018:

Borrower
 
FirstEnergy Revolving Credit Facility Sub-Limits
 
FET Revolving Credit Facility Sub-Limits
 
Regulatory and
Other Short-Term Debt Limitations
 
 
 
(In millions)
 
FE
 
 
$
4,000

 
 
$

 
 
$

(1) 
FET
 
 

 
 
1,000

 
 

(1) 
OE
 
 
500

 
 

 
 
500

(2) 
CEI
 
 
500

 
 

 
 
500

(2) 
TE
 
 
300

 
 

 
 
300

(2) 
JCP&L
 
 
600

 
 

 
 
500

(2) 
ME
 
 
300

 
 

 
 
500

(2) 
PN
 
 
300

 
 

 
 
300

(2) 
WP
 
 
200

 
 

 
 
200

(2) 
MP
 
 
500

 
 

 
 
500

(2) 
PE
 
 
150

 
 

 
 
150

(2) 
ATSI
 
 

 
 
500

 
 
500

(2) 
Penn
 
 
50

 
 

 
 
100

(2) 
TrAIL
 
 

 
 
400

 
 
400

(2) 
MAIT
 
 

 
 
400

 
 
400

(2) 

(1)
No limitations.
(2)
Includes amounts which may be borrowed under the regulated companies' money pool.

$250 million of the FE Facility and $100 million of the FET Facility, subject to each borrower’s sub-limit, is available for the issuance of LOCs (subject to borrowings drawn under the Facilities) expiring up to one year from the date of issuance. The stated amount of outstanding LOCs will count against total commitments available under each of the Facilities and against the applicable borrower’s borrowing sub-limit.

The Facilities do not contain provisions that restrict the ability to borrow or accelerate payment of outstanding advances in the event of any change in credit ratings of the borrowers. Pricing is defined in “pricing grids,” whereby the cost of funds borrowed under the facilities is related to the credit ratings of the company borrowing the funds, other than the FET facility, which is based on its subsidiaries' credit ratings. Additionally, borrowings under each of the Facilities are subject to the usual and customary provisions for acceleration upon the occurrence of events of default, including a cross-default for other indebtedness in excess of $100 million.

As of December 31, 2017, the borrowers were in compliance with the applicable debt-to-total-capitalization covenants, as well as in the case of FE, the minimum interest coverage ratio requirement, in each case as defined under the respective Facilities.

Separately, in December 2016, FE and FES entered into a two-year secured credit facility in which FE provides a committed line of credit to FES of up to $500 million and additional credit support of up to $200 million to cover surety bonds for $169 million and $31 million for the benefit of the PA DEP with respect to LBR and the Hatfield's Ferry disposal site, respectively. So long as FES remains in an unregulated companies' money pool, which includes FE, FES' subsidiaries and FENOC, the $500 million secured line of credit provides FES the needed liquidity in order for FES to, among other things, satisfy its nuclear support obligation to NG in the event of extraordinary circumstances with respect to its nuclear facilities. The new facility matures on December 31, 2018, and is secured by FMBs issued by FG ($250 million) and NG ($450 million). Additionally, FES maintains access to an unregulated companies' money pool, which includes FE, FES' subsidiaries and FENOC, and continues to conduct its ordinary course of business under that money pool in lieu of borrowing under the new facility.

Term Loans

As of December 31, 2017, FE had a $1.2 billion variable rate syndicated term loan and two separate $125 million term loans. On January 22, 2018, FE repaid these term loans in full using the proceeds from the $2.5 billion equity investment.

FirstEnergy Money Pools

FirstEnergy’s utility operating subsidiary companies also have the ability to borrow from each other and the holding company to meet their short-term working capital requirements. Similar but separate arrangements exist among FirstEnergy’s unregulated companies with AE Supply, FE, FET, FEV and certain other unregulated subsidiaries of FE participating in a money pool and FE (as a lender only), FENOC, FES and its subsidiaries participating in a similar money pool. FESC administers these money pools and tracks surplus funds of FirstEnergy and the respective regulated and unregulated subsidiaries, as the case may be, as well as proceeds available from bank borrowings. Companies receiving a loan under the money pool agreements must repay the principal amount of the loan, together with accrued interest, within 364 days of borrowing the funds. The rate of interest is the same for each company receiving a loan from their respective pool and is based on the average cost of funds available through the pool. The average interest rate for borrowings in 2017 was 1.48% per annum for the regulated companies’ money pool and 2.30% per annum for the unregulated companies’ money pools.

As discussed above, FES currently maintains access to its unregulated companies' money pool in lieu of borrowing under its $500 million secured line of credit. FE expects to provide ongoing liquidity to FES within such unregulated companies' money pool through March 2018. As of December 31, 2017, FES, its subsidiaries, and FENOC had no borrowings in the aggregate under the unregulated companies' money pool.

Weighted Average Interest Rates

The weighted average interest rates on short-term borrowings outstanding, including borrowings under the FirstEnergy Money Pools, as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, were as follows:
 
 
2017
 
2016
FirstEnergy
 
3.24
%
 
2.47
%