Variable Interest Entities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]

Variable Interest Entities

Variable Interest Entities

Consolidated VIEs: During 2023, NorthStar Clean Energy sold a Class A membership interest in Newport Solar Holdings to tax equity investors for $86 million. Newport Solar Holdings wholly owns Newport Solar, a 180‑MW solar generation project located in Jackson County, Arkansas; the project began commercial operation in October 2023.

NorthStar Clean Energy holds a Class B membership interest in NWO Holdco, which wholly owns Northwest Ohio Wind, LLC, a 100‑MW wind generation project in Paulding County, Ohio. The Class A membership interest in NWO Holdco is held by a tax equity investor.

NorthStar Clean Energy has a 51-percent ownership interest in Aviator Wind Equity Holdings, which holds a Class B membership interest in Aviator Wind, the holding company of a 525‑MW wind generation project in Coke County, Texas. The Class A membership interest in Aviator Wind is held by a tax equity investor.

Earnings, tax attributes, and cash flows generated by Newport Solar Holdings, NWO Holdco, and Aviator Wind are allocated among and distributed to the membership classes in accordance with the ratios specified in the associated limited liability company agreements; these ratios change over time and are not representative of the ownership interest percentages of each membership class. Since these entities’ income and cash flows are not distributed among their investors based on ownership interest percentages, NorthStar Clean Energy allocates the entities’ income (loss) among the investors by applying the hypothetical liquidation at book value method. This method calculates each investor’s earnings based on a hypothetical liquidation of the entities at the net book value of underlying assets as of the balance sheet date. The liquidation tax gain (loss) is allocated to each investor’s capital account, resulting in income (loss) equal to the period change in the investor’s capital account balance.

Newport Solar Holdings, NWO Holdco, Aviator Wind Equity Holdings, and Aviator Wind are VIEs. In accordance with the associated limited liability company agreements, the tax equity investors are guaranteed preferred returns from these entities. However, NorthStar Clean Energy manages and controls the entities’ operating activities. As a result, NorthStar Clean Energy is the primary beneficiary, as it has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the companies, as well as the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the companies. NorthStar Clean Energy consolidates Newport Solar Holdings, NWO Holdco, Aviator Wind Equity Holdings, and Aviator Wind and presents the Class A membership interests and 49 percent of Aviator Wind Equity Holdings as noncontrolling interests.

Presented in the following table are the carrying values of the VIEs’ assets and liabilities included on CMS Energy’s consolidated balance sheets:

In Millions
December 31	2023			2022
Current
Cash and cash equivalents		$	28		$	43
Accounts receivable		3			7
Prepayments and other current assets		4			7
Non-current
Plant, property, and equipment, net		1,064			850
Construction work in progress		—			156
Other non-current assets		3			—
Total assets1		$	1,102		$	1,063
Current
Current portion of long-term debt		$	—		$	100
Accounts payable		12			33
Non-current
Non-current portion of finance leases		23			23
Asset retirement obligations		32			24
Total liabilities		$	67		$	180

1Assets may be used only to meet VIEs’ obligations and commitments.

NorthStar Clean Energy is obligated under certain indemnities that protect the tax equity investors against losses incurred as a result of breaches of representations and warranties under the associated limited liability company agreements. For additional details on these indemnity obligations, see Note 3, Contingencies and Commitments—Guarantees.

Consumers’ wholly-owned subsidiaries, Consumers 2014 Securitization Funding and Consumers 2023 Securitization Funding, are VIEs designed to collateralize Consumers’ securitization bonds. These entities are considered VIEs primarily because their equity capitalization is insufficient to support their operations. Consumers is the primary beneficiary of and consolidates these VIEs, as it has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the companies, as well as the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the companies. The VIEs’ primary assets and liabilities comprise regulatory assets and long-term debt. For more information on these assets and liabilities, see Note 2, Regulatory Matters— Securitized Costs and Note 4, Financings and Capitalization—Securitization Bonds.

Non-consolidated VIEs: CMS Energy has variable interests in T.E.S. Filer City, Grayling, Genesee, and Craven. While CMS Energy owns 50 percent of each partnership, it is not the primary beneficiary of any of these partnerships because decision making is shared among unrelated parties, and no one party has the ability to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entities’ economic performance, such as operations and maintenance, plant dispatch, and fuel strategy. The partners must agree on all major decisions for each of the partnerships.

Presented in the following table is information about these partnerships:

Name	Nature of the Entity	Nature of CMS Energy’s Involvement
T.E.S. Filer City	Coal-fueled power generator	Long-term PPA between partnership and Consumers
		Employee assignment agreement
Grayling	Wood waste-fueled power generator	Long-term PPA between partnership and Consumers
		Reduced dispatch agreement with Consumers1
		Operating and management contract
Genesee	Wood waste-fueled power generator	Long-term PPA between partnership and Consumers
		Reduced dispatch agreement with Consumers1
		Operating and management contract
Craven	Wood waste-fueled power generator	Operating and management contract

1Reduced dispatch agreements allow the facilities to be dispatched based on the market price of power compared with the cost of production of the plants. This results in fuel cost savings that each partnership shares with Consumers’ customers.

The creditors of these partnerships do not have recourse to the general credit of CMS Energy or Consumers. CMS Energy’s maximum risk exposure to these partnerships is generally limited to its investment in the partnerships, which is included in investments on its consolidated balance sheets in the amount of $74 million at December 31, 2023 and $71 million at December 31, 2022.

Consumers Energy Company

Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]

Variable Interest Entities

Variable Interest Entities

Consolidated VIEs: During 2023, NorthStar Clean Energy sold a Class A membership interest in Newport Solar Holdings to tax equity investors for $86 million. Newport Solar Holdings wholly owns Newport Solar, a 180‑MW solar generation project located in Jackson County, Arkansas; the project began commercial operation in October 2023.

NorthStar Clean Energy holds a Class B membership interest in NWO Holdco, which wholly owns Northwest Ohio Wind, LLC, a 100‑MW wind generation project in Paulding County, Ohio. The Class A membership interest in NWO Holdco is held by a tax equity investor.

NorthStar Clean Energy has a 51-percent ownership interest in Aviator Wind Equity Holdings, which holds a Class B membership interest in Aviator Wind, the holding company of a 525‑MW wind generation project in Coke County, Texas. The Class A membership interest in Aviator Wind is held by a tax equity investor.

Earnings, tax attributes, and cash flows generated by Newport Solar Holdings, NWO Holdco, and Aviator Wind are allocated among and distributed to the membership classes in accordance with the ratios specified in the associated limited liability company agreements; these ratios change over time and are not representative of the ownership interest percentages of each membership class. Since these entities’ income and cash flows are not distributed among their investors based on ownership interest percentages, NorthStar Clean Energy allocates the entities’ income (loss) among the investors by applying the hypothetical liquidation at book value method. This method calculates each investor’s earnings based on a hypothetical liquidation of the entities at the net book value of underlying assets as of the balance sheet date. The liquidation tax gain (loss) is allocated to each investor’s capital account, resulting in income (loss) equal to the period change in the investor’s capital account balance.

Newport Solar Holdings, NWO Holdco, Aviator Wind Equity Holdings, and Aviator Wind are VIEs. In accordance with the associated limited liability company agreements, the tax equity investors are guaranteed preferred returns from these entities. However, NorthStar Clean Energy manages and controls the entities’ operating activities. As a result, NorthStar Clean Energy is the primary beneficiary, as it has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the companies, as well as the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the companies. NorthStar Clean Energy consolidates Newport Solar Holdings, NWO Holdco, Aviator Wind Equity Holdings, and Aviator Wind and presents the Class A membership interests and 49 percent of Aviator Wind Equity Holdings as noncontrolling interests.

Presented in the following table are the carrying values of the VIEs’ assets and liabilities included on CMS Energy’s consolidated balance sheets:

In Millions
December 31	2023			2022
Current
Cash and cash equivalents		$	28		$	43
Accounts receivable		3			7
Prepayments and other current assets		4			7
Non-current
Plant, property, and equipment, net		1,064			850
Construction work in progress		—			156
Other non-current assets		3			—
Total assets1		$	1,102		$	1,063
Current
Current portion of long-term debt		$	—		$	100
Accounts payable		12			33
Non-current
Non-current portion of finance leases		23			23
Asset retirement obligations		32			24
Total liabilities		$	67		$	180

1Assets may be used only to meet VIEs’ obligations and commitments.

NorthStar Clean Energy is obligated under certain indemnities that protect the tax equity investors against losses incurred as a result of breaches of representations and warranties under the associated limited liability company agreements. For additional details on these indemnity obligations, see Note 3, Contingencies and Commitments—Guarantees.

Consumers’ wholly-owned subsidiaries, Consumers 2014 Securitization Funding and Consumers 2023 Securitization Funding, are VIEs designed to collateralize Consumers’ securitization bonds. These entities are considered VIEs primarily because their equity capitalization is insufficient to support their operations. Consumers is the primary beneficiary of and consolidates these VIEs, as it has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the companies, as well as the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the companies. The VIEs’ primary assets and liabilities comprise regulatory assets and long-term debt. For more information on these assets and liabilities, see Note 2, Regulatory Matters— Securitized Costs and Note 4, Financings and Capitalization—Securitization Bonds.

Non-consolidated VIEs: CMS Energy has variable interests in T.E.S. Filer City, Grayling, Genesee, and Craven. While CMS Energy owns 50 percent of each partnership, it is not the primary beneficiary of any of these partnerships because decision making is shared among unrelated parties, and no one party has the ability to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entities’ economic performance, such as operations and maintenance, plant dispatch, and fuel strategy. The partners must agree on all major decisions for each of the partnerships.

Presented in the following table is information about these partnerships:

Name	Nature of the Entity	Nature of CMS Energy’s Involvement
T.E.S. Filer City	Coal-fueled power generator	Long-term PPA between partnership and Consumers
		Employee assignment agreement
Grayling	Wood waste-fueled power generator	Long-term PPA between partnership and Consumers
		Reduced dispatch agreement with Consumers1
		Operating and management contract
Genesee	Wood waste-fueled power generator	Long-term PPA between partnership and Consumers
		Reduced dispatch agreement with Consumers1
		Operating and management contract
Craven	Wood waste-fueled power generator	Operating and management contract

1Reduced dispatch agreements allow the facilities to be dispatched based on the market price of power compared with the cost of production of the plants. This results in fuel cost savings that each partnership shares with Consumers’ customers.

The creditors of these partnerships do not have recourse to the general credit of CMS Energy or Consumers. CMS Energy’s maximum risk exposure to these partnerships is generally limited to its investment in the partnerships, which is included in investments on its consolidated balance sheets in the amount of $74 million at December 31, 2023 and $71 million at December 31, 2022.