Variable Interest Entities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Variable Interest Entities

Note 16. Variable Interest Entities

The primary beneficiary of a VIE is required to consolidate the VIE and to disclose certain information about its significant variable interests in the VIE. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is the entity that has both 1) the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and 2) the obligation to absorb losses or receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE.

Dominion Energy

At December 31, 2019, Dominion Energy owns the manager and 67% of the membership interest in certain merchant solar facilities, as discussed in Note 2. Dominion Energy has concluded that these entities are VIEs due to the members lacking the characteristics of a controlling financial interest. In addition, in 2016 Dominion Energy created a wholly owned subsidiary, SBL Holdco, as a holding company of its interest in the VIE merchant solar facilities and accordingly SBL Holdco is a VIE. Dominion Energy is the primary beneficiary of SBL Holdco and the merchant solar facilities, as it has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact their economic performance as well as the obligation to absorb losses and benefits which could be significant to them. Dominion Energy’s securities due within one year and long-term debt include $31 million and $267 million, respectively, of debt issued by SBL Holdco net of issuance costs that is nonrecourse to Dominion Energy and is secured by SBL Holdco’s interest in certain merchant solar facilities.

Dominion Energy owns a 48% membership interest in Atlantic Coast Pipeline. See Note 9 for more details regarding the nature of this entity. Dominion Energy concluded that Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a VIE because it has insufficient equity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support. Dominion Energy has concluded that it is not the primary beneficiary of Atlantic Coast Pipeline as it does not have the power to direct the activities of Atlantic Coast Pipeline that most significantly impact its economic performance, as the power to direct is shared among multiple unrelated parties. In February 2020, Dominion Energy entered an agreement to acquire Southern’s 5% membership interest which is expected to close by the second quarter of 2020. Following completion of the acquisition, Dominion Energy will own a 53% noncontrolling membership interest in Atlantic Coast Pipeline which is not expected to change Dominion Energy’s conclusion that it is not the primary beneficiary as the power to direct the activities most significant to Atlantic Coast Pipeline will be shared with Duke. Dominion Energy is obligated to provide capital contributions based on its ownership percentage. Dominion Energy’s maximum exposure to loss is limited to its current and future investment as well as any obligations under a guarantee provided. See Note 23 for more information.

Dominion Energy previously concluded that Dominion Energy Midstream was a VIE due to the limited partners lacking the characteristics of a controlling financial interest and that it was the primary beneficiary as it had the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance as well as to absorb losses and benefits which could be significant to Dominion Energy Midstream. In January 2019, Dominion Energy acquired all outstanding partnership interests not owned by Dominion Energy and Dominion Energy Midstream became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dominion Energy. As a result, Dominion Energy concluded that Dominion Energy Midstream is no longer a VIE.

Dominion Energy and Virginia Power

Dominion Energy and Virginia Power’s nuclear decommissioning trust funds and Dominion Energy’s rabbi trusts hold investments in limited partnerships or similar type entities (see Note 9 for further details). Dominion Energy and Virginia Power concluded that these partnership investments are VIEs due to the limited partners lacking the characteristics of a controlling financial interest. Dominion Energy and Virginia Power have concluded neither is the primary beneficiary as they do not have the power to

direct the activities that most significantly impact these VIEs’ economic performance. Dominion Energy and Virginia Power are obligated to provide capital contributions to the partnerships as required by each partnership agreement based on their ownership percentages. Dominion Energy and Virginia Power’s maximum exposure to loss is limited to their current and future investments.

Virginia Power

Virginia Power had a long-term power and capacity contract with one non-utility generator with an aggregate summer generation capacity of approximately 218 MW. The contract contained certain variable pricing mechanisms in the form of partial fuel reimbursement that Virginia Power considered to be variable interests and for which Virginia Power had previously concluded if the generation facility were to be a VIE that it would not be the primary beneficiary. In May 2019, Virginia Power entered into an agreement and paid $135 million to terminate the remaining contract with the non-utility generator. A $135 million ($100 million after-tax) charge was recorded in impairment of assets and other charges in Virginia Power’s Consolidated Statements of Income during the second quarter of 2019. Virginia Power paid $13 million, $50 million, and $86 million for electric capacity to non-utility generators and $1 million, $18 million and $24 million for electric energy to non-utility generators for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Dominion Energy and Dominion Energy Gas

As part of the Dominion Energy Gas Restructuring, Dominion Energy contributed to Dominion Energy Gas a 75% controlling limited partner interest in Cove Point. In December 2019, Dominion Energy sold its retained 25% noncontrolling limited partner interest in Cove Point. Dominion Energy Gas concluded that Cove Point is a VIE due to the limited partners lacking the characteristics of a controlling financial interest. Dominion Energy Gas is the primary beneficiary of Cove Point as it has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact its economic performance as well as the obligation to absorb losses and benefits which could be significant to it.

Dominion Energy Gas

DETI has been engaged to oversee the construction of, and to subsequently operate and maintain, the projects undertaken by Atlantic Coast Pipeline based on the overall direction and oversight of Atlantic Coast Pipeline’s members. An affiliate of DETI holds a membership interest in Atlantic Coast Pipeline, therefore DETI is considered to have a variable interest in Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The members of Atlantic Coast Pipeline hold the power to direct the construction, operations and maintenance activities of the entity. DETI has concluded it is not the primary beneficiary of Atlantic Coast Pipeline as it does not have the power to direct the activities of Atlantic Coast Pipeline that most significantly impact its economic performance. DETI has no obligation to absorb any losses of the VIE. See Note 25 for information about associated related party receivable balances.

Dominion Energy Gas purchased shared services from DECGS and DEQPS, affiliated VIEs, of $49 million, $45 million and $45 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Dominion Energy Gas’ Consolidated Balance Sheets included amounts due to DECGS and DEQPS of $15 million and $6 million at December 31, 2019 and at December 31, 2018, respectively. Dominion Energy

Gas determined that neither it nor any of its consolidated entities is the primary beneficiary of DECGS or DEQPS, as neither it nor any of its consolidated entities has both the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact their economic performance as well as the obligation to absorb losses and benefits which could be significant to them. DECGS and DEQPS provide marketing and operational services to Dominion Energy and its subsidiaries as subsidiary service companies. Neither Dominion Energy Gas nor any of its consolidated entities has any obligation to absorb more than its allocated share of DECGS or DEQPS costs.

Virginia Power and Dominion Energy Gas

Virginia Power and Dominion Energy Gas purchased shared services from DES, an affiliated VIE, of $387 million and $119 million, $335 million and $106 million, and $340 million and $106 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Virginia Power and Dominion Energy Gas’ Consolidated Balance Sheets included amounts due to DES of $102 million and $27 million, respectively, at December 31, 2019, and $107 million and $43 million, respectively, at December 31, 2018, recorded in payables to affiliates in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Virginia Power and Dominion Energy Gas determined that neither is the primary beneficiary of DES as neither has both the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact its economic performance as well as the obligation to absorb losses and benefits which could be significant to it. DES provides accounting, legal, finance and certain administrative and technical services to all Dominion Energy subsidiaries, including Virginia Power and Dominion Energy Gas. Virginia Power and Dominion Energy Gas have no obligation to absorb more than their allocated shares of DES costs.