Asset Sale and Exit Activities

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Asset Sale and Exit Activities

Asset Sale and Exit Activities

Asset Sale: In October 2020, Consumers completed a sale of electric transmission assets to METC. Consumers sold these assets at a price above their book value and will recognize a gain in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Exit Activities: Under its Clean Energy Plan, Consumers plans to retire the D.E. Karn 1 & 2 coal-fueled generating units in 2023. In October 2019, Consumers announced a retention incentive program to ensure necessary staffing at the D.E. Karn generating complex through the anticipated retirement of the coal-fueled generating units. Based on the number of employees that have chosen to participate, the aggregate cost of the program through 2023 is estimated to be $35 million. Consumers is seeking recovery of these costs from customers in its 2020 electric rate case.

As of September 30, 2020, the cumulative cost incurred and charged to expense related to this program was $14 million; an amount of $2 million has been capitalized as a cost of plant, property, and equipment. Presented in the following table is a reconciliation of the retention benefit liability recorded in other liabilities on Consumers’ consolidated balance sheets:

In Millions
September 30, 2020	Nine Months Ended
Retention benefit liability at beginning of period		$	4
Costs incurred and charged to maintenance and other operating expenses¹		11
Costs incurred and capitalized		1
Retention benefit liability at the end of the period²		$	16

¹  Includes $4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020.

² 

Includes current portion of other liabilities of $7 million.

Consumers Energy Company

Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]

Asset Sale and Exit Activities

Asset Sale and Exit Activities

Asset Sale: In October 2020, Consumers completed a sale of electric transmission assets to METC. Consumers sold these assets at a price above their book value and will recognize a gain in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Exit Activities: Under its Clean Energy Plan, Consumers plans to retire the D.E. Karn 1 & 2 coal-fueled generating units in 2023. In October 2019, Consumers announced a retention incentive program to ensure necessary staffing at the D.E. Karn generating complex through the anticipated retirement of the coal-fueled generating units. Based on the number of employees that have chosen to participate, the aggregate cost of the program through 2023 is estimated to be $35 million. Consumers is seeking recovery of these costs from customers in its 2020 electric rate case.

As of September 30, 2020, the cumulative cost incurred and charged to expense related to this program was $14 million; an amount of $2 million has been capitalized as a cost of plant, property, and equipment. Presented in the following table is a reconciliation of the retention benefit liability recorded in other liabilities on Consumers’ consolidated balance sheets:

In Millions
September 30, 2020	Nine Months Ended
Retention benefit liability at beginning of period		$	4
Costs incurred and charged to maintenance and other operating expenses¹		11
Costs incurred and capitalized		1
Retention benefit liability at the end of the period²		$	16

¹  Includes $4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020.

² 

Includes current portion of other liabilities of $7 million.