Fair Value Measurements

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]

Accounting standards define fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. When measuring fair value, CMS Energy and Consumers are required to incorporate all assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. A fair value hierarchy prioritizes inputs used to measure fair value according to their observability in the market. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:

•Level 1 inputs are unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

•Level 2 inputs are observable, market-based inputs, other than Level 1 prices. Level 2 inputs may include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices in inactive markets, and inputs derived from or corroborated by observable market data.

•Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs that reflect CMS Energy’s or Consumers’ own assumptions about how market participants would value their assets and liabilities.

CMS Energy and Consumers classify fair value measurements within the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

Presented in the following table are CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ assets and liabilities recorded at fair value on a recurring basis:


In Millions
	CMS Energy, including Consumers						Consumers
	March 31 2021			December 31 2020			March 31 2021			December 31 2020
Assets1

Restricted cash equivalents		$	28		$	17		$	25		$	15

Nonqualified deferred compensation plan assets		24			23			19			18

Derivative instruments		—			1			—			1
Total assets		$	52		$	41		$	44		$	34
Liabilities1
Nonqualified deferred compensation plan liabilities		$	24		$	23		$	19		$	18
Derivative instruments		14			17			—			—
Total liabilities		$	38		$	40		$	19		$	18

1All assets and liabilities were classified as Level 1 with the exception of derivative contracts, which were classified as Level 2 or Level 3.

Restricted Cash Equivalents: Restricted cash equivalents consist of money market funds with daily liquidity. For further details, see Note 11, Cash and Cash Equivalents.

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan Assets and Liabilities: The nonqualified deferred compensation plan assets consist of mutual funds, which are valued using the daily quoted net asset values. CMS Energy and Consumers value their nonqualified deferred compensation plan liabilities based on the fair values of the plan assets, as they reflect the amount owed to the plan participants in accordance with their investment elections. CMS Energy and Consumers report the assets in other non‑current assets and the liabilities in other non‑current liabilities on their consolidated balance sheets.

Derivative Instruments: CMS Energy and Consumers value their derivative instruments using either a market approach that incorporates information from market transactions, or an income approach that discounts future expected cash flows to a present value amount. CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ derivatives are classified as Level 2 or Level 3.

The derivatives classified as Level 2 are interest rate swaps at CMS Energy, which are valued using market-based inputs. CMS Energy uses interest rate swaps to manage its interest rate risk on certain long‑term debt obligations and certain notes receivable at EnerBank.

A subsidiary of CMS Enterprises uses floating-to-fixed interest rate swaps to reduce the impact of interest rate fluctuations associated with future interest payments on certain long‑term variable-rate debt. The interest rate swaps are accounted for as cash flow hedges of the future variability of interest payments on debt with a notional amount of $83 million at March 31, 2021 and $85 million at December 31, 2020. Gains or losses on these swaps are initially reported in other comprehensive income (loss) and then, as interest payments are made on the hedged debt, are recognized in earnings within interest on long-term debt on CMS Energy’s consolidated statements of income. CMS Energy recorded a gain of $1 million in other comprehensive income (loss) for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and a loss of $5 million in other comprehensive income (loss) for the three months ended March 31, 2020. There were no material impacts on interest on long-term debt associated with these swaps during the periods presented. The fair value of these swaps recorded in other liabilities on CMS Energy’s consolidated balance sheets totaled $7 million at March 31, 2021 and $9 million at December 31, 2020. CMS Energy also has other interest rate swaps that economically hedge interest rate risk on debt, but that do not qualify for cash flow hedge accounting; the amounts associated with these swaps were not material for the periods presented.

EnerBank uses fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps to manage interest rate risk exposure associated with changes in the fair value of certain long‑term fixed‑rate loans. The interest rate swaps qualify as fair value hedges of long‑term, fixed‑rate notes receivable with a notional amount of $134 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. The fair value of these interest rate swaps recorded in other liabilities was $5 million at March 31, 2021 and $6 million at December 31, 2020. CMS Energy is adjusting the carrying value of the hedged notes receivable for the change in their fair value due to the hedged risk. Both gains and losses on the swaps and changes to the carrying value of the hedged notes receivable are recorded within operating revenue on CMS Energy’s consolidated statements of income. The net impact of these hedges on operating revenue was not material for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.

The majority of derivatives classified as Level 3 are FTRs held by Consumers. Due to the lack of quoted pricing information, Consumers determines the fair value of its FTRs based on Consumers’ average historical settlements. There was no material activity within the Level 3 categories of assets and liabilities during the periods presented.

Consumers Energy Company