Note 12. Investments in Unconsolidated Affiliates and Joint Ventures (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]

Schedule of Cost and Equity Method Investments [Table Text Block]

The following table summarizes our equity and cost method investments as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands):

	2016		2015
Equity method investments	$	240,088	$	375,355
Cost method investments	2,273		24,450
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates and joint ventures	$	242,361	$	399,805

Equity Method Investments [Table Text Block]

The following table presents summarized financial information, in the aggregate, for our significant equity method investees, as provided to us by the investees (in thousands):

	Fiscal 2016		Fiscal 2015
Summary statement of operations information:
Net sales	$	125,643	$	7,099
Operating income (loss)	55,266		(555		)
Net income(1)	63,893		8,936
Net income attributable to equity method investees(1)	190,240		111,135
	As of Fiscal 2016		As of Fiscal 2015
Summary balance sheet information:
Current assets	$	35,407	$	70,135
Long-term assets	1,299,656		1,938,785
Current liabilities	26,606		150,313
Long-term liabilities	398,192		309,169
Noncontrolling interests, including redeemable noncontrolling interests	58,658		101,520

(1) The difference between Net income and Net income attributable to equity method investees is due to our investment in OpCo, which has entered into tax equity financing facilities with third-party investors that hold noncontrolling ownership interests in certain of its subsidiaries. Accordingly, earnings or losses are allocated to such tax equity investors using the Hypothetical Liquidation at Book Value (or “HLBV”) method. During the fiscal 2016 and 2015 periods, OpCo allocated certain losses to such third-party investors under the HLBV method, which represented the difference between Net income and Net income attributable to equity method investees.