Variable Interest Entities

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]

Variable Interest Entities

Variable Interest Entities

Consolidated VIEs: NorthStar Clean Energy consolidates certain entities that it does not wholly own, but for which it manages and controls the entities’ operating activities. NorthStar Clean Energy is the primary beneficiary of these entities because 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. Presented in the following table is information about the VIEs NorthStar Clean Energy consolidates:

Consolidated VIE	NorthStar Clean Energy’s ownership interest	Description of VIE
Aviator Wind Equity Holdings	51-percent ownership interest1	Holds a Class B membership interest in Aviator Wind
Aviator Wind	Class B membership interest2	Holding company of a 525-MW wind generation project in Coke County, Texas
Newport Solar Holdings	Class B membership interest2	Holding company of a 180-MW solar generation project in Jackson County, Arkansas
NWO Holdco	Class B membership interest2	Holding company of a 100-MW wind generation project in Paulding County, Ohio

1The remaining 49-percent interest is presented as noncontrolling interest on CMS Energy’s consolidated balance sheets.

2The Class A membership interest in the entity is held by a tax equity investor and is presented as noncontrolling interest on CMS Energy’s consolidated balance sheets. Under the associated limited liability company agreement, the tax equity investor is guaranteed preferred returns from the entity.

Earnings, tax attributes, and cash flows generated by the entities in which NorthStar Clean Energy holds a Class B membership 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.

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
	March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
Current
Cash and cash equivalents		$	24		$	28
Accounts receivable		5			3
Prepayments and other current assets		5			4
Non-current
Plant, property, and equipment, net		1,055			1,064
Other non-current assets		3			3
Total assets1		$	1,092		$	1,102
Current
Accounts payable		$	5		$	12
Non-current
Non-current portion of finance leases		23			23
Asset retirement obligations		32			32
Total liabilities		$	60		$	67

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 2, 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. The carrying value of the regulatory assets were $750 million at March 31, 2024 and $778 million at December 31, 2023. The securitization bonds outstanding under the VIEs were $787 million at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

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 $71 million at March 31, 2024 and $74 million at December 31, 2023.

Consumers Energy Company

Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]

Variable Interest Entities

Variable Interest Entities

Consolidated VIEs: NorthStar Clean Energy consolidates certain entities that it does not wholly own, but for which it manages and controls the entities’ operating activities. NorthStar Clean Energy is the primary beneficiary of these entities because 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. Presented in the following table is information about the VIEs NorthStar Clean Energy consolidates:

Consolidated VIE	NorthStar Clean Energy’s ownership interest	Description of VIE
Aviator Wind Equity Holdings	51-percent ownership interest1	Holds a Class B membership interest in Aviator Wind
Aviator Wind	Class B membership interest2	Holding company of a 525-MW wind generation project in Coke County, Texas
Newport Solar Holdings	Class B membership interest2	Holding company of a 180-MW solar generation project in Jackson County, Arkansas
NWO Holdco	Class B membership interest2	Holding company of a 100-MW wind generation project in Paulding County, Ohio

1The remaining 49-percent interest is presented as noncontrolling interest on CMS Energy’s consolidated balance sheets.

2The Class A membership interest in the entity is held by a tax equity investor and is presented as noncontrolling interest on CMS Energy’s consolidated balance sheets. Under the associated limited liability company agreement, the tax equity investor is guaranteed preferred returns from the entity.

Earnings, tax attributes, and cash flows generated by the entities in which NorthStar Clean Energy holds a Class B membership 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.

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
	March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
Current
Cash and cash equivalents		$	24		$	28
Accounts receivable		5			3
Prepayments and other current assets		5			4
Non-current
Plant, property, and equipment, net		1,055			1,064
Other non-current assets		3			3
Total assets1		$	1,092		$	1,102
Current
Accounts payable		$	5		$	12
Non-current
Non-current portion of finance leases		23			23
Asset retirement obligations		32			32
Total liabilities		$	60		$	67

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 2, 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. The carrying value of the regulatory assets were $750 million at March 31, 2024 and $778 million at December 31, 2023. The securitization bonds outstanding under the VIEs were $787 million at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

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 $71 million at March 31, 2024 and $74 million at December 31, 2023.