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

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

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, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands):

	2017		2016
Equity method investments	$	217,230	$	232,337
Cost method investments	2,273		2,273
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates and joint ventures	$	219,503	$	234,610

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 2017		Fiscal 2016		Fiscal 2015
Summary statement of operations information:
Net sales	$	70,089	$	125,643	$	7,099
Operating income (loss)	24,661		55,266		(555		)
Net income(1)	46,713		63,893		8,936
Net income attributable to equity method investees(1)	53,183		190,240		111,135
			As of Fiscal 2017		As of Fiscal 2016
Summary balance sheet information:
Current assets			$	36,744	$	35,407
Long-term assets			1,573,115		1,299,656
Current liabilities			7,648		26,606
Long-term liabilities			706,885		398,192
Noncontrolling interests, including redeemable noncontrolling interests			72,945		58,658

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(1) The difference between Net income and Net income attributable to equity method investees is due to OpCo’s 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 2017, 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.