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Risk Management and Hedging Activities (Notes)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Risk Management and Hedging Activities [Text Block]
(14)    Risk Management and Hedging Activities

The Company is exposed to the impact of market fluctuations in commodity prices, interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates. The Company is principally exposed to electricity, natural gas, coal and fuel oil commodity price risk primarily through BHE's ownership of the Utilities as they have an obligation to serve retail customer load in their regulated service territories. MidAmerican Energy also provides nonregulated retail electricity and natural gas services in competitive markets. The Utilities' load and generating facilities represent substantial underlying commodity positions. Exposures to commodity prices consist mainly of variations in the price of fuel required to generate electricity, wholesale electricity that is purchased and sold, and natural gas supply for retail customers. Commodity prices are subject to wide price swings as supply and demand are impacted by, among many other unpredictable items, weather, market liquidity, generating facility availability, customer usage, storage, and transmission and transportation constraints. Interest rate risk exists on variable-rate debt, future debt issuances and mortgage commitments. Additionally, the Company is exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risk from its business operations and investments in Great Britain and Canada. The Company does not engage in a material amount of proprietary trading activities.

Each of the Company's business platforms has established a risk management process that is designed to identify, assess, monitor, report, manage and mitigate each of the various types of risk involved in its business. To mitigate a portion of its commodity price risk, the Company uses commodity derivative contracts, which may include forwards, futures, options, swaps and other agreements, to effectively secure future supply or sell future production generally at fixed prices. The Company manages its interest rate risk by limiting its exposure to variable interest rates primarily through the issuance of fixed-rate long-term debt and by monitoring market changes in interest rates. Additionally, the Company may from time to time enter into interest rate derivative contracts, such as interest rate swaps or locks, forward sale commitments, or mortgage interest rate lock commitments, to mitigate the Company's exposure to interest rate risk. The Company does not hedge all of its commodity price, interest rate and foreign currency exchange rate risks, thereby exposing the unhedged portion to changes in market prices.

There have been no significant changes in the Company's accounting policies related to derivatives. Refer to Notes 2, 6 and 15 for additional information on derivative contracts.

The following table, which reflects master netting arrangements and excludes contracts that have been designated as normal under the normal purchases or normal sales exception afforded by GAAP, summarizes the fair value of the Company's derivative contracts, on a gross basis, and reconciles those amounts to the amounts presented on a net basis on the Consolidated Balance Sheets (in millions):
 
Other
 
 
 
Other
 
Other
 
 
 
Current
 
Other
 
Current
 
Long-term
 
 
 
Assets
 
Assets
 
Liabilities
 
Liabilities
 
Total
As of December 31, 2014
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Not designated as hedging contracts:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commodity assets(1)
$
47

 
$
66

 
$
21

 
$
1

 
$
135

Commodity liabilities(1)
(11
)
 
—

 
(146
)
 
(134
)
 
(291
)
Interest rate assets
4

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
4

Interest rate liabilities
—

 
—

 
(2
)
 
(4
)
 
(6
)
Total
40

 
66

 
(127
)
 
(137
)
 
(158
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Designated as hedging contracts:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commodity assets
1

 
—

 
5

 
2

 
8

Commodity liabilities
—

 
—

 
(27
)
 
(17
)
 
(44
)
Interest rate assets
—

 
1

 
—

 
—

 
1

Interest rate liabilities
—

 
—

 
(4
)
 
—

 
(4
)
Total
1

 
1

 
(26
)
 
(15
)
 
(39
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total derivatives
41

 
67

 
(153
)
 
(152
)
 
(197
)
Cash collateral (payable) receivable
—

 
—

 
56

 
19

 
75

Total derivatives - net basis
$
41

 
$
67

 
$
(97
)
 
$
(133
)
 
$
(122
)

As of December 31, 2013
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Not designated as hedging contracts:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commodity assets(1)
$
16

 
$
62

 
$
18

 
$
2

 
$
98

Commodity liabilities(1)
(2
)
 
(1
)
 
(78
)
 
(145
)
 
(226
)
Interest rate assets
3

 
5

 
—

 
—

 
8

Interest rate liabilities
—

 
—

 
(1
)
 
—

 
(1
)
Total
17

 
66

 
(61
)
 
(143
)
 
(121
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Designated as hedging contracts:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commodity assets
1

 
—

 
1

 
—

 
2

Commodity liabilities
(1
)
 
—

 
(5
)
 
(8
)
 
(14
)
Interest rate assets
—

 
6

 
—

 
—

 
6

Interest rate liabilities
—

 
—

 
(6
)
 
—

 
(6
)
Total
—

 
6

 
(10
)
 
(8
)
 
(12
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total derivatives
17

 
72

 
(71
)
 
(151
)
 
(133
)
Cash collateral receivable
(2
)
 
—

 
1

 
13

 
12

Total derivatives - net basis
$
15

 
$
72

 
$
(70
)
 
$
(138
)
 
$
(121
)

(1)
The Company's commodity derivatives not designated as hedging contracts are generally included in regulated rates, and as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, a net regulatory asset of $223 million and $182 million, respectively, was recorded related to the net derivative liability of $156 million and $128 million, respectively.

Not Designated as Hedging Contracts

The following table reconciles the beginning and ending balances of the Company's net regulatory assets and summarizes the pre-tax gains and losses on commodity derivative contracts recognized in net regulatory assets, as well as amounts reclassified to earnings for the years ended December 31 (in millions):
 
Commodity Derivatives
 
2014
 
2013
 
2012
 
 
 
 
 
 
Beginning balance
$
182

 
$
235

 
$
400

NV Energy Transaction
—

 
47

 
—

Changes in fair value recognized in net regulatory assets
96

 
29

 
69

Net (losses) gains reclassified to operating revenue
(32
)
 
8

 
63

Net losses reclassified to cost of sales
(23
)
 
(137
)
 
(297
)
Ending balance
$
223

 
$
182

 
$
235



Designated as Hedging Contracts

The Company uses commodity derivative contracts accounted for as cash flow hedges to hedge electricity and natural gas commodity prices for delivery to nonregulated customers, spring operational sales, natural gas storage and other transactions. The following table reconciles the beginning and ending balances of the Company's AOCI (pre-tax) and summarizes pre-tax gains and losses on commodity derivative contracts designated and qualifying as cash flow hedges recognized in OCI, as well as amounts reclassified to earnings for the years ended December 31 (in millions):
 
Commodity Derivatives
 
2014
 
2013
 
2012
 
 
 
 
 
 
Beginning balance
$
12

 
$
32

 
$
46

Changes in fair value recognized in OCI
(6
)
 
(9
)
 
20

Net gains reclassified to operating revenue
—

 
—

 
4

Net gains (losses) reclassified to cost of sales
26

 
(11
)
 
(38
)
Ending balance
$
32

 
$
12

 
$
32


Certain derivative contracts, principally interest rate locks, have settled and the fair value at the date of settlement remains in AOCI and is recognized in earnings when the forecasted transactions impact earnings. Realized gains and losses on hedges and hedge ineffectiveness are recognized in income as operating revenue, cost of sales, operating expense or interest expense depending upon the nature of the item being hedged. For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, hedge ineffectiveness was insignificant. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had cash flow hedges with expiration dates extending through December 2019 and $22 million of pre-tax unrealized losses are forecasted to be reclassified from AOCI into earnings over the next twelve months as contracts settle.

Derivative Contract Volumes

The following table summarizes the net notional amounts of outstanding derivative contracts with fixed price terms that comprise the mark-to-market values as of December 31 (in millions):
 
Unit of
 
 
 
 
 
Measure
 
2014
 
2013
Electricity purchases (sales)
Megawatt hours
 
6

 
(5
)
Natural gas purchases
Decatherms
 
308

 
322

Fuel purchases
Gallons
 
2

 
9

Interest rate swaps
US$
 
443

 
650

Mortgage sale commitments, net
US$
 
(264
)
 
(121
)


Credit Risk

The Utilities are exposed to counterparty credit risk associated with wholesale energy supply and marketing activities with other utilities, energy marketing companies, financial institutions and other market participants. Additionally, MidAmerican Energy participates in the regional transmission organization ("RTO") markets and has indirect credit exposure related to other participants, although RTO credit policies are designed to limit exposure to credit losses from individual participants. Credit risk may be concentrated to the extent the Utilities' counterparties have similar economic, industry or other characteristics and due to direct or indirect relationships among the counterparties. Before entering into a transaction, the Utilities analyze the financial condition of each significant wholesale counterparty, establish limits on the amount of unsecured credit to be extended to each counterparty and evaluate the appropriateness of unsecured credit limits on an ongoing basis. To further mitigate wholesale counterparty credit risk, the Utilities enter into netting and collateral arrangements that may include margining and cross-product netting agreements and obtain third-party guarantees, letters of credit and cash deposits. If required, the Utilities exercise rights under these arrangements, including calling on the counterparty's credit support arrangement.

Collateral and Contingent Features

In accordance with industry practice, certain wholesale derivative contracts contain credit support provisions that in part base certain collateral requirements on credit ratings for senior unsecured debt as reported by one or more of the three recognized credit rating agencies. These derivative contracts may either specifically provide bilateral rights to demand cash or other security if credit exposures on a net basis exceed specified rating-dependent threshold levels ("credit-risk-related contingent features") or provide the right for counterparties to demand "adequate assurance," or in some cases terminate the contract, in the event of a material adverse change in creditworthiness. These rights can vary by contract and by counterparty. As of December 31, 2014, the applicable credit ratings from the three recognized credit rating agencies were investment grade.

The aggregate fair value of the Company's derivative contracts in liability positions with specific credit-risk-related contingent features totaled $243 million and $176 million as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, for which the Company had posted collateral of $28 million and $12 million, respectively, in the form of cash deposits. If all credit-risk-related contingent features for derivative contracts in liability positions had been triggered as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company would have been required to post $182 million and $147 million, respectively, of additional collateral. The Company's collateral requirements could fluctuate considerably due to market price volatility, changes in credit ratings, changes in legislation or regulation, or other factors.