XML 153 R12.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.19.3.a.u2
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Other Matters
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Other Matters Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Other Matters
Principles of Consolidation
The Companies’ consolidated financial statements include the accounts of their respective majority-owned subsidiaries, and variable interest entities (see Note Q), as required. All intercompany balances and intercompany transactions have been eliminated.

Accounting Policies
The accounting policies of Con Edison and its subsidiaries conform to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (GAAP). For the Utilities, these accounting principles include the accounting rules for regulated operations and the accounting requirements of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the state regulators having jurisdiction.

The accounting rules for regulated operations specify the economic effects that result from the causal relationship of costs and revenues in the rate-regulated environment and how these effects are to be accounted for by a regulated enterprise. Revenues intended to cover some costs may be recorded either before or after the costs are incurred. If regulation provides assurance that incurred costs will be recovered in the future, these costs would be recorded as deferred charges or “regulatory assets” under the accounting rules for regulated operations. If revenues are recorded for costs that are expected to be incurred in the future, these revenues would be recorded as deferred credits or “regulatory liabilities” under the accounting rules for regulated operations.

The Utilities’ principal regulatory assets and liabilities are detailed in Note B. The Utilities are receiving or being credited with a return on all of their regulatory assets for which a cash outflow has been made, and are paying or being charged with a return on all of their regulatory liabilities for which a cash inflow has been received. The Utilities’ regulatory assets and liabilities at December 31, 2019 are recoverable from customers, or to be applied for customer benefit, in accordance with rate provisions that have been approved by state regulators.

Other significant accounting policies of the Companies are referenced below in this Note A and in the notes that follow.

Revenue Recognition
The following table presents, for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, revenue from contracts with customers as defined in Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 606, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers," as well as additional revenue from sources other than contracts with customers, disaggregated by major source. Revenue was recognized for the year ended December 31, 2017 under ASC Topic 605, “Revenue Recognition,” and was materially consistent with revenue that would have been recognized under Topic 606.
 
2019
2018
(Millions of Dollars)
Revenues from contracts with customers
 
Other revenues (a)
Total operating revenues
Revenues from contracts with customers
 
Other revenues (a)
Total operating revenues
CECONY
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Electric
$7,913
 
$149
$8,062
$7,920
 
$51
$7,971
Gas
2,097
 
35
2,132
2,052
 
26
2,078
Steam
610
 
17
627
625
 
6
631
Total CECONY
$10,620
 
$201
$10,821
$10,597
 
$83
$10,680
O&R
 
 
 
 


 



Electric
627
 
7
634
647
 
(5)
642
Gas
247
 
12
259
256
 
(7)
249
Total O&R
$874
 
$19
$893
$903
 
$(12)
$891
Clean Energy Businesses
 
 
 
 

 


Renewables
575
(b)

575
329
(b)

329
Energy services
71
 

71
95
 

95
Other

 
211
211

 
339
339
Total Clean Energy Businesses
$646
 
$211
$857
$424
 
$339
$763
Con Edison Transmission
4
 

4
4
 

4
Other (c)

 
(1)
(1)

 
(1)
(1)
Total Con Edison
$12,144
 
$430
$12,574
$11,928
 
$409
$12,337
(a) For the Utilities, this includes revenue from alternative revenue programs, such as the revenue decoupling mechanisms under their New York electric and gas rate plans. For the Clean Energy Businesses, this includes revenue from wholesale services.
(b) Included within the total for Renewables revenue at the Clean Energy Businesses is $14 million and $103 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, of revenue related to engineering, procurement and construction services.
(c) Parent company and consolidation adjustments.

Revenues are recorded as energy is delivered, generated or services are provided and billed to customers, except for services under percentage-of-completion contracts. Amounts billed are recorded in accounts receivable - customers, with payment generally due the following month. Con Edison’s and the Utilities’ accounts receivable - customers balance also reflects the Utilities’ purchase of receivables from energy service companies to support retail choice programs. Accrued revenues not yet billed to customers are recorded as accrued unbilled revenues.

The Utilities have the obligation to deliver electricity, gas and steam energy to their customers. As the energy is immediately available for use upon delivery to the customer, the energy and its delivery are identifiable as a single performance obligation. The Utilities recognize revenues as this performance obligation is satisfied over time as the Utilities deliver, and the customers simultaneously receive and consume, the energy. The amount of revenues recognized reflects the consideration the Utilities expect to receive in exchange for delivering the energy. Under their tariffs, the transaction price for full-service customers includes the Utilities’ energy cost and for all customers includes delivery charges determined based on customer class and in accordance with established tariffs and guidelines of the New York State Public Service Commission (NYSPSC) or the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), as applicable. Accordingly, there is no unsatisfied performance obligation associated with these customers. The transaction price is applied to the Utilities’ revenue generating activities through the customer billing process. Because energy is delivered over time, the Utilities use output methods that recognize revenue based on direct measurement of the value transferred, such as units delivered, which provides an accurate measure of value for the energy delivered. The Utilities accrue revenues at the end of each month for estimated energy delivered but not yet billed to customers. The Utilities defer over a 12-month period net interruptible gas revenues, other than those authorized by the NYSPSC to be retained by the Utilities, for refund to firm gas sales and transportation customers.

The Clean Energy Businesses recognize revenue for the sale of energy from renewable electric production projects as energy is generated and billed to counterparties; accrue revenues at the end of each month for energy generated but not yet billed to counterparties; and recognize revenue as energy is delivered and services are provided for managing energy supply assets leased from others and managing the dispatch, fuel requirements and risk management activities for generating plants and merchant transmission in the northeastern United States. The Clean Energy Businesses also recognize revenue for providing energy-efficiency services to government and commercial customers, and recognize revenue for engineering, procurement and construction services, under the percentage-of-completion method of revenue recognition.

Sales and profits on each percentage-of-completion contract are recorded each month based on the ratio of actual cumulative costs incurred to the total estimated costs at completion of the contract, multiplied by the total estimated contract revenue, less cumulative revenues recognized in prior periods (the ‘‘cost-to-cost’’ method). The impact of revisions of contract estimates, which may result from contract modifications, performance or other reasons, are recognized on a cumulative catch-up basis in the period in which the revisions are made.
 
2019
2018
(Millions of Dollars)
Unbilled contract revenue (a)
 
Unearned revenue (b)
 
Unbilled contract revenue (a)
 
Unearned revenue (b)
 
Beginning balance as of January 1,
$29
 
$20
 
$58
 
$87
 
Additions (c)
86
 
1
 
144
 
38
 
Subtractions (c)
86
 
4
(d)
173
 
105
(d)
Ending balance as of December 31,
$29
 
$17
 
$29
 
$20
 
(a)
Unbilled contract revenue represents accumulated incurred costs and earned profits on contracts (revenue arrangements), which have been recorded as revenue, but have not yet been billed to customers, and which represent contract assets as defined in Topic 606. Substantially all accrued unbilled contract revenue is expected to be collected within one year. Unbilled contract revenue arises from the cost-to-cost method of revenue recognition. Unbilled contract revenue from fixed-price type contracts is converted to billed receivables when amounts are invoiced to customers according to contractual billing terms, which generally occur when deliveries or other performance milestones are completed.
(b)
Unearned revenue represents a liability for billings to customers in excess of earned revenue, which are contract liabilities as defined in Topic 606.
(c)
Additions for unbilled contract revenue and subtractions for unearned revenue represent additional revenue earned. Additions for unearned revenue and subtractions for unbilled contract revenue represent billings. Activity also includes appropriate balance sheet classification for the period.
(d)
Of the subtractions from unearned revenue, $4 million and $50 million was included in the balance as of January 1, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

As of December 31, 2019, the aggregate amount of the remaining fixed performance obligations of the Clean Energy Businesses, under contracts with customers for energy services is $82 million, of which $46 million will be recognized within the next two years, and the remaining $36 million will be recognized pursuant to long-term service and maintenance agreements.

CECONY’s electric and gas rate plans and O&R’s New York electric and gas rate plans each contain a revenue decoupling mechanism under which the company’s actual energy delivery revenues are compared with the authorized delivery revenues and the difference accrued, with interest, for refund to, or recovery from, customers, as applicable. See “Rate Plans” in Note B.

The NYSPSC requires utilities to record gross receipts tax revenues and expenses on a gross income statement presentation basis (i.e., included in both revenue and expense). The recovery of these taxes is generally provided for in the revenue requirement within each of the respective NYSPSC approved rate plans. Total excise taxes (inclusive of gross receipts taxes) recorded in operating revenues were as follows:
  
            For the Years Ended December 31,
(Millions of Dollars)
2019
 
2018
 
2017
Con Edison
$323
 
$330
 
$302
CECONY
312
 
318
 
292


Other Receivables
Other Receivables includes costs related to aid provided by the Utilities in the restoration of power in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of September 2017 hurricanes. Such costs have fully been billed to the appropriate authorities. As of December 31, 2019, Con Edison and CECONY other receivables' balances related to such costs were $8 million.

Plant and Depreciation
Utility Plant
Utility plant is stated at original cost. The cost of repairs and maintenance is charged to expense and the cost of betterments is capitalized. The capitalized cost of additions to utility plant includes indirect costs such as engineering, supervision, payroll taxes, pensions, other benefits and an allowance for funds used during construction (AFUDC). The original cost of property is charged to expense over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Upon retirement, the original cost of property is charged to accumulated depreciation. See Note R.

Rates used for AFUDC include the cost of borrowed funds and a reasonable rate of return on the Utilities’ own funds when so used, determined in accordance with regulations of the FERC or the state public utility regulatory authority having jurisdiction. The rate is compounded semiannually, and the amounts applicable to borrowed funds are treated as a reduction of interest charges, while the amounts applicable to the Utilities’ own funds are credited to other income (deductions). The AFUDC rates for CECONY were 5.1 percent, 5.4 percent and 5.5 percent for 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The AFUDC rates for O&R were 5.3 percent, 2.2 percent and 2.5 percent for 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

The Utilities generally compute annual charges for depreciation using the straight-line method for financial statement purposes, with rates based on average service lives and net salvage factors. The average depreciation rates for CECONY were 3.2 percent for 2019 and 3.1 percent for 2018 and 2017. The average depreciation rates for O&R were 3.0 percent for 2019 and 2.9 percent for 2018 and 2017.

The estimated lives for utility plant for CECONY range from 5 to 95 years for electric, 5 to 90 years for gas, 5 to 80 years for steam and 5 to 55 years for general plant. For O&R, the estimated lives for utility plant range from 5 to 75 years for electric and gas and 5 to 50 years for general plant.

At December 31, 2019 and 2018, the capitalized cost of the Companies’ utility plant, net of accumulated depreciation, was as follows:
  
                 Con Edison
 
                CECONY
(Millions of Dollars)
2019
 
2018

 
2019
 
2018

Electric
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Generation
$591
 
$593
 
$591
 
$592
Transmission
3,634
 
3,333
 
3,380
 
3,106
Distribution
20,676
 
19,750
 
19,602
 
18,716
General
43
 

 
43
 

Gas (a)
8,617
 
7,714
 
7,961
 
7,107
Steam
1,813
 
1,830
 
1,813
 
1,830
General
2,365
 
2,306
 
2,143
 
2,102
Held for future use
75
 
76
 
67
 
67
Construction work in progress
1,937
 
1,978
 
1,812
 
1,850
Net Utility Plant
$39,751
 
$37,580
 
$37,412
 
$35,370
(a) Primarily distribution.
General utility plant of Con Edison and CECONY included $93 million and $88 million, respectively, at December 31, 2019, and $100 million and $95 million, respectively at December 31, 2018, related to a May 2018 acquisition of software licenses. The estimated aggregate annual amortization expense for Con Edison and CECONY is $7 million. The accumulated amortization for Con Edison and CECONY was $10 million at December 31, 2019 and was $3 million at December 31, 2018.

Under the Utilities’ rate plans, the aggregate annual depreciation allowance for the period ended December 31, 2019 was $1,417 million, including $1,332 million under CECONY’s electric, gas and steam rate plans that have been approved by the NYSPSC.
Non–Utility Plant
Non-utility plant is stated at original cost. For Con Edison, non-utility plant consists primarily of the Clean Energy Businesses’ renewable electric production projects. For the Utilities, non-utility plant consists of land and conduit for telecommunication use. Depreciation on these assets is computed using the straight-line method for financial statement purposes over their estimated useful lives, which is 10 years.

Goodwill
Con Edison tests goodwill for impairment at least annually or whenever there is a triggering event. There is an option to first make a qualitative assessment of whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount before applying a two-step, quantitative goodwill impairment test. Con Edison has elected to perform the qualitative assessment for substantially all of its goodwill and, if needed, applies the two-step quantitative approach. The first step of the quantitative goodwill impairment test compares the estimated fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying value, including goodwill. If the estimated fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, goodwill of the reporting unit is considered not impaired. If the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value of the reporting unit, the second step is performed to measure the amount of impairment loss, if any. The second step requires a calculation of the implied fair value of goodwill. In 2019, Con Edison recorded no impairment charge on goodwill. See Note K.

Long–Lived and Intangible Assets
The Companies test long-lived and intangible assets for recoverability when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of long-lived or intangible assets may not be recoverable. The carrying amount of a long-lived asset or intangible asset with a definite life is deemed not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the assets. In the event a test indicates that such cash flows cannot be expected to be sufficient to fully recover the assets, the assets are considered impaired and written down to their estimated fair value.

Con Edison's intangible assets with definite lives consist primarily of power purchase agreements, which were identified as part of purchase price allocations associated with acquisitions made by the Clean Energy Businesses in 2016 and 2018. At December 31, 2019 and 2018, intangible assets arising from power purchase agreements, including the PG&E PPAs (discussed below), were $1,554 million and $1,651 million, net of accumulated amortization of $119 million and $22 million, respectively, and are being amortized over the life of each agreement. Excluding power purchase agreements, Con Edison’s other intangible assets were $3 million, net of accumulated amortization of $7 million, at December 31, 2019 and 2018. CECONY’s other intangible assets were immaterial at December 31, 2019 and 2018. Con Edison recorded amortization expense related to its intangible assets of $99 million in 2019, $14 million in 2018 and $9 million in 2017. Con Edison expects amortization expense to be $100 million per year over the next five years. Con Edison recorded $2 million of impairment charges in 2018. No impairment charges were recorded on Con Edison's long-lived assets or intangible assets with definite lives in 2019 or 2017.
In January 2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The output of certain of the Clean Energy Businesses' renewable electric production projects with an aggregate generating capacity of 680 MW (AC) (PG&E Projects) is sold to PG&E under long-term power purchase agreements (PG&E PPAs). Most of the PG&E PPAs have contract prices that are higher than estimated market prices. PG&E, as a debtor in possession, may assume or reject the PG&E PPAs, subject to review by the bankruptcy court.
In January 2020, PG&E and certain PG&E shareholders submitted a plan of reorganization to the bankruptcy court. The plan includes the assumption by PG&E of all of its power purchase agreements. The plan is subject to, among other things: confirmation by the bankruptcy court by June 30, 2020 (or any extension of the date by which PG&E’s bankruptcy must be resolved for PG&E to participate in the insurance fund described below); approval by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) of PG&E’s implementation of the plan and participation in the insurance fund; PG&E obtaining funding for distributions under the plan; and the continuation in full force and effect of the September 2019 subrogation claims restructuring support agreement, the December 2019 tort claimants restructuring support agreement and the January 2020 noteholder restructuring support agreement. The plan is
supported by the parties to these restructuring support agreements, subject to their terms, and includes the assumption by PG&E of all of its power purchase agreements. A plan of reorganization can be revoked, amended, withdrawn or delayed prior to its confirmation by the bankruptcy court. Bankruptcy court approval is required for a plan of reorganization to be sent to creditors for consideration.
In January and May 2019, FERC issued orders (which PG&E is challenging) affirming its jurisdiction to review and approve the modification or abrogation of wholesale power contracts that are the subject of rejection in bankruptcy. In June 2019, the bankruptcy court ruled that FERC does not have concurrent jurisdiction with it and that FERC’s January and May 2019 orders are of no force and effect in the bankruptcy proceeding. FERC and additional parties, including the Clean Energy Businesses, are challenging the bankruptcy court’s June 2019 ruling in appeals that are pending in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

In July 2019, California enacted a law addressing future California wildfires. The law includes provisions for the establishment of wildfire liquidity and insurance funds and possible limitation of future wildfire liabilities for California utilities. PG&E, Southern California Edison Company and San Diego Gas & Electric Company have agreed to participate in the insurance fund. PG&E’s participation will require bankruptcy court approval and is conditioned on, among other things, resolution of PG&E’s bankruptcy by June 30, 2020, and a determination by the CPUC that PG&E’s bankruptcy reorganization plan is consistent with the state’s climate goals as required under the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program and related procurement requirements of the state.

The PG&E bankruptcy is an event of default under the PG&E PPAs. Unless the lenders for the related project debt otherwise agree, distributions from the related projects to the Clean Energy Businesses will not be made during the pendency of the bankruptcy. See “Reconciliation of Cash, Temporary Cash Investments and Restricted Cash,” below.

At December 31, 2019 and 2018, Con Edison’s consolidated balance sheet included $819 million and $885 million of net non-utility plant relating to the PG&E Projects, $1,057 million and $1,125 million of intangible assets relating to the PG&E PPAs, $282 million and $292 million of net non-utility plant of additional projects that secure the related project debt and $1,001 million and $1,050 million of non-recourse related project debt, respectively. See "Long-term Debt" in Note C. Con Edison has tested whether its net non-utility plant relating to the PG&E Projects and intangible assets relating to the PG&E PPAs have been impaired. The projected future cash flows used in the test reflected Con Edison’s expectation that the PG&E PPAs are not likely to be rejected. Based on the test, Con Edison has determined that there was no impairment. If, in the future, one or more of the PG&E PPAs is rejected or any such rejection becomes likely, there will be an impairment of the related intangible assets and could be an impairment of the related non-utility plant. The amount of any such impairment could be material.

Recoverable Energy Costs
The Utilities generally recover all of their prudently incurred fuel, purchased power and gas costs, including hedging gains and losses, in accordance with rate provisions approved by the applicable state public utility regulators. If the actual energy supply costs for a given month are more or less than the amounts billed to customers for that month, the difference in most cases is recoverable from or refundable to customers. Differences between actual and billed electric and steam supply costs and costs of its electric demand management programs are generally deferred for charge or refund to customers during the next billing cycle (normally within one or two months). For the Utilities’ gas costs, differences between actual and billed gas costs during the 12-month period ending each August are charged or refunded to customers during a subsequent 12-month period.
New York Independent System Operator (NYISO)
The Utilities purchase electricity through the wholesale electricity market administered by the NYISO. The difference between purchased power and related costs initially billed to the Utilities by the NYISO and the actual cost of power subsequently calculated by the NYISO is refunded by the NYISO to the Utilities, or paid to the NYISO by the Utilities. The reconciliation payments or receipts are recoverable from or refundable to the Utilities’ customers.
Certain other payments to or receipts from the NYISO are also subject to reconciliation, with shortfalls or amounts in excess of specified rate allowances recoverable from or refundable to customers. These include proceeds from the sale through the NYISO of transmission rights on CECONY’s transmission system (transmission congestion contracts or TCCs).
Temporary Cash Investments
Temporary cash investments are short-term, highly-liquid investments that generally have maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase. They are stated at cost, which approximates market. The Companies consider temporary cash investments to be cash equivalents.
Investments
Investments consist primarily of the investments of Con Edison Transmission that are accounted for under the equity method, and the fair value of the Utilities’ supplemental retirement income plan and deferred income plan assets. Equity method investments are subject to the accounting rules which would require the recognition of a decrease in value other than for a temporary decline. The following investment assets are included in the Companies' consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 
Con Edison
 
CECONY
(Millions of Dollars)
2019
 
2018
 
2019

 
2018

CET Gas investment in Stagecoach Gas Services, LLC
$924
 
$948
 

$—

 

$—

CET Gas investment in Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC (a)
602
 
363
 

 

Supplemental retirement income plan assets (b)
397
 
326
 
371
 
301
Deferred income plan assets
81
 
75
 
81
 
75
CET Electric investment in New York Transco, LLC
59
 
52
 

 

Other
2
 
2
 
9
 
9
Total investments
$2,065
 
$1,766
 
$461
 
$385
(a)
See Note U.
(b)
See Note E.

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits
The accounting rules for retirement benefits require an employer to recognize an asset or liability for the overfunded or underfunded status of its pension and other postretirement benefit plans. For a pension plan, the asset or liability is the difference between the fair value of the plan’s assets and the projected benefit obligation. For any other postretirement benefit plan, the asset or liability is the difference between the fair value of the plan’s assets and the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation. The accounting rules generally require employers to recognize all unrecognized prior service costs and credits and unrecognized actuarial gains and losses in accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) (OCI), net of tax. Such amounts will be adjusted as they are subsequently recognized as components of total periodic benefit cost or income pursuant to the current recognition and amortization provisions.
For the Utilities’ pension and other postretirement benefit plans, regulatory accounting treatment is generally applied in accordance with the accounting rules for regulated operations. Unrecognized prior service costs or credits and unrecognized actuarial gains and losses are recorded to regulatory assets or liabilities, rather than OCI. See Notes E and F.
The total periodic benefit costs are recognized in accordance with the accounting rules for retirement benefits. Investment gains and losses are recognized in expense over a 15-year period and other actuarial gains and losses are recognized in expense over a 10-year period, subject to the deferral provisions in the rate plans.
In accordance with the Statement of Policy issued by the NYSPSC and its current electric, gas and steam rate plans, CECONY defers for payment to or recovery from customers the difference between such expenses and the amounts for such expenses reflected in rates. O&R also defers such difference pursuant to its New York rate plans. See Note B.
The Companies calculate the expected return on pension and other postretirement benefit plan assets by multiplying the expected rate of return on plan assets by the market-related value (MRV) of plan assets at the beginning of the year, taking into consideration anticipated contributions and benefit payments that are to be made during the year. The accounting rules allow the MRV of plan assets to be either fair value or a calculated value that recognizes changes in fair value in a systematic and rational manner over not more than five years. The Companies use a calculated value when determining the MRV of the plan assets that adjusts for 20 percent of the difference
between fair value and expected MRV of plan assets. This calculated value has the effect of stabilizing variability in assets to which the Companies apply the expected return.
Federal Income Tax
In accordance with accounting rules for income taxes, the Companies have recorded an accumulated deferred federal income tax liability at current tax rates for temporary differences between the book and tax basis of assets and liabilities. In accordance with rate plans, the Utilities have recovered amounts from customers for a portion of the tax liability they will pay in the future as a result of the reversal or “turn-around” of these temporary differences. As to the remaining deferred tax liability, the Utilities had established regulatory assets for the net revenue requirements to be recovered from customers for the related future tax expense pursuant to the NYSPSC's 1993 Policy Statement approving accounting procedures consistent with accounting rules for income taxes and providing assurances that these future increases in taxes will be recoverable in rates.

Upon enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 on December 22, 2017 (the TCJA), the Companies re-measured their deferred tax assets and liabilities based upon the 21 percent corporate income tax rate under the TCJA. The tax effects of changes in tax laws are to be recognized in the period in which the law is enacted and deferred tax assets and liabilities are to be re-measured at the enacted tax rate expected to apply when temporary differences are to be realized or settled. For the Utilities, in accordance with their New York rate plans and the accounting rules for regulated operations, the change in deferred taxes was recorded as either an offset to a regulatory asset or a regulatory liability. For Con Edison’s other businesses, the change in deferred taxes was reflected as a decrease in income tax expense, which increased Con Edison's net income. See “Other Regulatory Matters” and “Regulatory Assets and Liabilities” in Note B and Note L.

Accumulated deferred investment tax credits are amortized ratably over the lives of the related properties and applied as a reduction to future federal income tax expense.

Con Edison and its subsidiaries file a consolidated federal income tax return. The consolidated income tax liability is allocated to each member of the consolidated group using the separate return method. Each member pays or receives an amount based on its own taxable income or loss in accordance with a consolidated tax allocation agreement. Tax loss and tax credit carryforwards are allocated among members in accordance with consolidated tax return regulations.

State Income Tax
Con Edison and its subsidiaries file a combined New York State Corporation Business Franchise Tax Return. Similar to a federal consolidated income tax return, the income of all entities in the combined group is subject to New York State taxation, after adjustments for differences between federal and New York law and apportionment of income among the states in which the company does business. Each member’s share of the New York State tax is based on its own New York State taxable income or loss.

Research and Development Costs
Research and development costs are charged to operating expenses as incurred. Research and development costs were as follows:
  
                 For the Years Ended December 31,
(Millions of Dollars)
2019
 
2018
 
2017
Con Edison
$24
 
$24
 
$24
CECONY
23
 
23
 
23


Earnings Per Common Share
Con Edison presents basic and diluted earnings per share (EPS) on the face of its consolidated income statement. Basic EPS is calculated by dividing earnings available to common shareholders (“Net income for common stock” on Con Edison’s consolidated income statement) by the weighted average number of Con Edison common shares outstanding during the period. In the calculation of diluted EPS, weighted average shares outstanding are increased for additional shares that would be outstanding if potentially dilutive securities were converted to common stock.

Potentially dilutive securities for Con Edison consist of restricted stock units and deferred stock units for which the average market price of the common shares for the period was greater than the exercise price (see Note M) and its common shares that are subject to forward sale agreements (see Note C). Before the issuance of common shares upon settlement of the forward sale agreements, the shares will be reflected in the company’s diluted earnings per share calculations using the treasury stock method. Under this method, the number of common shares used in calculating diluted earnings per share is deemed to be increased by the excess, if any, of the number of shares that would be issued upon physical settlement of the forward sale agreements over the number of shares that could be purchased by the company in the market (based on the average market price during the period) using the proceeds due upon physical settlement (based on the adjusted forward sale price at the end of the reporting period).
Basic and diluted EPS for Con Edison are calculated as follows:
 
               For the Years Ended December 31,
(Millions of Dollars, except per share amounts/Shares in Millions)
2019
 
2018
 
2017
Net income for common stock
$1,343
 
$1,382
 
$1,525
Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic
328.5
 
311.7
 
307.1
Add: Incremental shares attributable to effect of potentially dilutive securities
1.0
 
1.2
 
1.7
Adjusted weighted average common shares outstanding – diluted
329.5
 
312.9
 
308.8
Net Income per common share – basic
$4.09
 
$4.43
 
$4.97
Net Income per common share – diluted
$4.08
 
$4.42
 
$4.94


The computation of diluted EPS for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 excludes immaterial amounts of performance share awards that were not included because of their anti-dilutive effect.

Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income/(Loss) by Component
Changes to accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) (OCI) for Con Edison and CECONY are as follows:
(Millions of Dollars)
Con Edison
 
CECONY

Accumulated OCI, net of taxes, at December 31, 2016 (a)
$(27)
 
$(7)
OCI before reclassifications, net of tax of $3 and $1 for Con Edison and CECONY, respectively
(4)
 

Amounts reclassified from accumulated OCI related to pension plan liabilities, net of tax of $(3) and $(1) for Con Edison and CECONY, respectively (a)(b)
5
 
1
Total OCI, net of taxes, at December 31, 2017
1
 
1
Accumulated OCI, net of taxes, at December 31, 2017 (a)
$(26)
 
$(6)
OCI before reclassifications, net of tax of $3 for Con Edison
4
 

Amounts reclassified from accumulated OCI related to pension plan liabilities, net of tax of $(2) for Con Edison (a)(b)
6
 
1
Total OCI, net of taxes, at December 31, 2018
10
 
1
Accumulated OCI, net of taxes, at December 31, 2018 (a)
$(16)
 
$(5)
OCI before reclassifications, net of tax of $(6) and $(1) for Con Edison and CECONY, respectively
(10)
 
(3)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated OCI related to pension plan liabilities, net of tax of $(2) for Con Edison (a)(b)
7
 
2
Total OCI, net of taxes, at December 31, 2019
(3)
 
(1)
Accumulated OCI, net of taxes, at December 31, 2019 (a)
$(19)
 
$(6)
(a) Tax reclassified from accumulated OCI is reported in the income tax expense line item of the consolidated income statement.
(b) For the portion of unrecognized pension and other postretirement benefit costs relating to the Utilities, costs are recorded into, and amortized out of, regulatory assets and liabilities instead of OCI. The net actuarial losses and prior service costs recognized during the period are included in the computation of total periodic pension and other postretirement benefit cost. See Notes E and F.


Reconciliation of Cash, Temporary Cash Investments and Restricted Cash
Cash, temporary cash investments and restricted cash are presented on a combined basis in the Companies’ consolidated statements of cash flows. At December 31, 2019 and 2018, cash, temporary cash investments and restricted cash for Con Edison and CECONY were as follows:

 
At December 31,
 
Con Edison
 
CECONY
(Millions of Dollars)
2019
 
2018
 
2019

 
2018

Cash and temporary cash investments
$981
 
$895
 
$933
 
$818
Restricted cash (a)
236
 
111
 

 

Total cash, temporary cash investments and restricted cash
$1,217
 
$1,006
 
$933
 
$818
(a)
Restricted cash included cash of the Clean Energy Businesses' renewable electric production project subsidiaries ($236 million and $109 million at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively) that, under the related project debt agreements, is either restricted until the various maturity dates of the project debt to being used for normal operating expenses and capital expenditures, debt service, and required reserves or restricted as a result of the PG&E bankruptcy. During the pendency of the PG&E bankruptcy, unless the lenders for the related project debt otherwise agree, cash may not be distributed from the related projects to the Clean Energy Businesses. See "Long-Lived and Intangible Assets,” above and "Long-term Debt" in Note C. In addition, restricted cash included O&R's New Jersey utility subsidiary, Rockland Electric Company transition bond charge collections, net of principal, interest, trustee and service fees ($2 million at December 31, 2018).