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Long-Term Debt
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Long-term Debt, Unclassified [Abstract]  
Long-Term Debt
LONG-TERM DEBT
The following details long-term debt outstanding as of December 31 (dollars in thousands):
Maturity
Year
 
Description
 
Interest
Rate
 
2014
 
2013
Avista Corp. Secured Long-Term Debt
 
 
 
 
 
 
2016
 
First Mortgage Bonds
 
0.84%
 
$
90,000

 
$
90,000

2018
 
First Mortgage Bonds
 
5.95%
 
250,000

 
250,000

2018
 
Secured Medium-Term Notes
 
7.39%-7.45%
 
22,500

 
22,500

2019
 
First Mortgage Bonds
 
5.45%
 
90,000

 
90,000

2020
 
First Mortgage Bonds
 
3.89%
 
52,000

 
52,000

2022
 
First Mortgage Bonds
 
5.13%
 
250,000

 
250,000

2023
 
Secured Medium-Term Notes
 
7.18%-7.54%
 
13,500

 
13,500

2028
 
Secured Medium-Term Notes
 
6.37%
 
25,000

 
25,000

2032
 
Secured Pollution Control Bonds (1)
 
(1)
 
66,700

 
66,700

2034
 
Secured Pollution Control Bonds (1)
 
(1)
 
17,000

 
17,000

2035
 
First Mortgage Bonds
 
6.25%
 
150,000

 
150,000

2037
 
First Mortgage Bonds
 
5.70%
 
150,000

 
150,000

2040
 
First Mortgage Bonds
 
5.55%
 
35,000

 
35,000

2041
 
First Mortgage Bonds
 
4.45%
 
85,000

 
85,000

2044
 
First Mortgage Bonds (2)
 
4.11%
 
60,000

 

2047
 
First Mortgage Bonds
 
4.23%
 
80,000

 
80,000

 
 
Total Avista Corp. secured long-term debt
 
 
 
1,436,700

 
1,376,700

Alaska Electric Light and Power Company Secured Long-Term Debt
 
 
 
 
 
 
2044
 
First Mortgage Bonds (3)
 
4.54%
 
75,000

 

 
 
Total secured long-term debt
 
 
 
1,511,700

 
1,376,700

Alaska Energy and Resources Company Unsecured Long-Term Debt
 
 
 
 
 
 
2019
 
Unsecured Term Loan (4)
 
3.85%
 
15,000

 

 
 
Total secured and unsecured long-term debt
 
 
 
1,526,700

 
1,376,700

 
 
Other long-term debt and capital leases
 
 
 
74,149

 
4,630

 
 
Settled interest rate swaps (5)
 
 
 
(17,541
)
 
(23,560
)
 
 
Unamortized debt discount
 
 
 
(1,122
)
 
(1,287
)
 
 
Total
 
 
 
1,582,186

 
1,356,483

 
 
Secured Pollution Control Bonds held by Avista Corporation (1)
 
 
 
(83,700
)
 
(83,700
)
 
 
Current portion of long-term debt
 
 
 
(6,424
)
 
(358
)
 
 
Total long-term debt
 
 
 
$
1,492,062

 
$
1,272,425

 
(1)
In December 2010, $66.7 million and $17.0 million of the City of Forsyth, Montana Pollution Control Revenue Refunding Bonds (Avista Corporation Colstrip Project) due in 2032 and 2034, respectively, which had been held by Avista Corp. since 2008 and 2009, respectively, were refunded by new bond issues (Series 2010A and Series 2010B). The new bonds were not offered to the public and were purchased by Avista Corp. due to market conditions. The Company expects that at a later date, subject to market conditions, these bonds may be remarketed to unaffiliated investors. So long as Avista Corp. is the holder of these bonds, the bonds will not be reflected as an asset or a liability on Avista Corp.'s Consolidated Balance Sheets.
(2)
In December 2014, Avista Corp. issued $60.0 million of first mortgage bonds to three institutional investors in a private placement transaction. The first mortgage bonds bear an interest rate of 4.11 percent and mature in 2044. The total net proceeds from the sale of the new bonds were used to repay a portion of the borrowings outstanding under the Company’s $400.0 million committed line of credit and for general corporate purposes.
(3)
In September 2014, AEL&P issued $75.0 million of 4.54 percent first mortgage bonds due in 2044 to two institutional investors in the private placement market. The first mortgage bonds were issued under and in accordance with the AEL&P Mortgage and Deed of Trust, dated as of July 1, 2014.
(4)
In December 2014, AERC issued a $15.0 million unsecured term loan note due in 2019 to a national cooperative bank. The term note bears an interest rate of 3.85 percent.
(5)
Upon settlement of interest rate swaps, these are recorded as a regulatory asset or liability and included as part of long-term debt above. They are amortized as a component of interest expense over the life of the associated debt and included as a part of the Company's cost of debt calculation for ratemaking purposes.
The following table details future long-term debt maturities including long-term debt to affiliated trusts (see Note 15) (dollars in thousands):
 
2015
 
2016
 
2017
 
2018
 
2019
 
Thereafter
 
Total
Debt maturities
$

 
$
90,000

 
$

 
$
272,500

 
$
105,000

 
$
1,027,047

 
$
1,494,547


Substantially all Avista Utilities' and AEL&P's owned properties are subject to the lien of their respective mortgage indentures. Under the Mortgages and Deeds of Trust (Mortgages) securing their first mortgage bonds (including secured medium-term notes), Avista Utilities and AEL&P may each issue additional first mortgage bonds under their specific mortgage in an aggregate principal amount equal to the sum of: 1) 66-2/3 percent of the cost or fair value (whichever is lower) of property additions at each entity which have not previously been made the basis of any application under the Mortgages, or 2) an equal principal amount of retired first mortgage bonds at each entity which have not previously been made the basis of any application under the Mortgages, or 3) deposit of cash. However, Avista Utilities and AEL&P may not individually issue any additional first mortgage bonds (with certain exceptions in the case of bonds issued on the basis of retired bonds) unless the particular entity issuing the bonds has “net earnings” (as defined in the Mortgages) for any period of 12 consecutive calendar months out of the preceding 18 calendar months that were at least twice the annual interest requirements on all mortgage securities at the time outstanding, including the first mortgage bonds to be issued, and on all indebtedness of prior rank. As of December 31, 2014, property additions and retired bonds would have allowed, and the net earnings test would not have prohibited, the issuance of $1.0 billion in aggregate principal amount of additional first mortgage bonds at Avista Utilities and $3.5 million at AEL&P.
See Note 13 for information regarding first mortgage bonds issued to secure the Company’s obligations under its committed line of credit agreement.
Snettisham Capital Lease Obligation
Included in long-term capital leases above is a power purchase agreement between AEL&P and AIDEA, an agency of the State of Alaska, under which AEL&P has a take-or-pay obligation, expiring in December 2038, to purchase all the output of the 78 MW Snettisham hydroelectric project. For accounting purposes, this power purchase agreement is treated as a capital lease. As of December 31, 2014, the capital lease obligation was $70.0 million (which is equal to the amount of AIDEA's revenue bonds outstanding) and the capital lease asset was $71.0 million (included in utility plant in service on the Consolidated Balance Sheet) and accumulated amortization was $1.8 million. For 2014 interest on the capital lease obligation was $1.9 million and amortization of the capital lease asset was $1.8 million. These amounts were included in utility resource costs in the Consolidated Statements of Income.
AIDEA issued $100.0 million in revenue bonds in 1998 to finance its acquisition of the project and the payments by AEL&P are designed to be more than sufficient to enable the AIDEA to pay the principal and interest amount of its revenue bonds, bearing interest at rates ranging from 4.9 percent to 6.0 percent and maturing in January 2034. AEL&P will make its last bond payment to AIDEA in December 2033. The payments by AEL&P under the agreement are unconditional, notwithstanding any suspension, reduction or curtailment of the operation of the project. The bonds are payable solely out of AIDEA's receipts under the agreement. AEL&P is also obligated to operate, maintain and insure the project. AEL&P's payments for power under the agreement are approximately $10.6 million per year, while debt service on the bonds is approximately $5.9 million per year, which are included in the $10.6 million total costs of power.
Snettisham Electric Company, a non-operating subsidiary of AERC, has the option to purchase the Snettisham project at any time for the principal amount of the bonds outstanding at that time.
While the power purchase agreement is treated as a capital lease for accounting purposes, for ratemaking purposes, this agreement is treated as an operating lease with a constant level of annual rental expense (straight line expense). Because of this regulatory treatment, any difference between the operating lease expense for ratemaking purposes and the expenses recognized under capital lease treatment (interest and depreciation of the capital lease asset) is recorded as a regulatory asset and amortized during the later years of the lease when the capital lease expense is less than the operating lease expense included in base rates.
The Company evaluated this agreement to determine if it has a variable interest which must be consolidated. Based on this evaluation, AIDEA will not be consolidated under ASC 810 "Consolidation" because AIDEA is a government agency and ASC 810 has a specific scope exception which does not allow for the consolidation of government organizations.
The following table details future capital lease obligations, including interest, under the Snettisham PPA (dollars in thousands):
 
2015
 
2016
 
2017
 
2018
 
2019
 
Thereafter
 
Total
Principal
$
2,230

 
$
2,350

 
$
2,480

 
$
2,615

 
$
2,755

 
$
57,525

 
$
69,955

Interest
3,690

 
3,567

 
3,438

 
3,305

 
3,165

 
25,364

 
42,529

Total
$
5,920

 
$
5,917

 
$
5,918

 
$
5,920

 
$
5,920

 
$
82,889

 
$
112,484


Nonrecourse Long-Term Debt
Nonrecourse long-term debt (including current portion) represents the long-term debt of Spokane Energy. To provide funding to acquire a long-term fixed rate electric capacity contract from Avista Corp., Spokane Energy borrowed $145.0 million from a funding trust in December 1998. The long-term debt has scheduled monthly installments and interest at a fixed rate of 8.45 percent with the final payment due in January 2015. Spokane Energy bears full recourse risk for the debt, which is secured by the fixed rate electric capacity contract and $1.6 million of funds held in a trust account. As of December 31, 2014, the entire remaining portion of the nonrecourse debt of $1.4 million was included in current liabilities due to its maturity in January 2015.