Variable Interest Entities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]

The accounting rules for consolidation address the consolidation of a variable interest entity (VIE) by a business enterprise that is the primary beneficiary. A VIE is an entity that does not have a sufficient equity investment at risk to permit it to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support, or whose equity investors lack the characteristics of a controlling financial interest. The primary beneficiary is the business enterprise that has the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and either absorbs a significant amount of the VIE’s losses or has the right to receive benefits that could be significant to the VIE.

The Companies enter into arrangements including leases, partnerships and electricity purchase agreements, with various entities. As a result of these arrangements, the Companies retain or may retain a variable interest in these entities.

CECONY

CECONY has an ongoing long-term electricity purchase agreement with Brooklyn Navy Yard Cogeneration Partners, LP, a potential VIE. In 2019, a request was made of this counterparty for information necessary to determine whether the entity was a VIE and whether CECONY is the primary beneficiary; however, the information was not made available. In April 2017, CECONY's long-term electricity purchase agreement with Cogen Technologies Linden Venture, LP (Linden Cogeneration), another potential VIE, expired. See Note I for information on these electricity purchase agreements, the payments pursuant to which constitute CECONY's maximum exposure to loss with respect to the potential VIEs.

Clean Energy Businesses

In September 2019, the Clean Energy Businesses, which previously owned an 80 percent membership interest in OCI Solar San Antonio 4 LLC (Texas Solar 4), acquired the remaining 20 percent interest. As a result of the acquisition, Texas Solar 4 is a consolidated entity. Prior to the acquisition, Con Edison had a variable interest in Texas Solar 4, as to which Con Edison was the primary beneficiary since the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economics of Texas Solar 4 was held by the Clean Energy Businesses. Texas Solar 4 owns a project company that developed a 40 MW (AC) solar electric production project. Electricity generated by the project is sold pursuant to a long-term power purchase agreement. Con Edison's earnings from Texas Solar 4 for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 were immaterial.

In December 2018, the Clean Energy Businesses completed its acquisition of Sempra Solar Holdings, LLC. See Note U. Included in the acquisition were certain operating projects (Tax Equity Projects) with a noncontrolling tax equity investor to which a percentage of earnings, tax attributes and cash flows are allocated. The Tax Equity Projects are consolidated entities in which Con Edison has less than a 100 percent membership interest. Con Edison is the primary beneficiary since the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economics of the Tax Equity Projects is held by the Clean Energy Businesses. Electricity generated by the Tax Equity Projects is sold to utilities and municipalities pursuant to long-term power purchase agreements. For the year ended December 31, 2019, the hypothetical liquidation at book value (HLBV) method of accounting for the Tax Equity Projects resulted in $98 million of income ($74 million, after tax) for the tax equity investor and a $64 million loss ($48 million, after tax) for Con Edison, and earnings under the HLBV method for the year ended December 31, 2018 were immaterial.

Con Edison has determined that the use of HLBV accounting is reasonable and appropriate to attribute income and loss to the tax equity investors. Using the HLBV method, the company's earnings from the projects are adjusted to reflect the income or loss allocable to the tax equity investors calculated based on how the project would allocate and distribute its cash if it were to sell all of its assets for their carrying amounts and liquidate at a particular point in time. Under the HLBV method, the company calculates the liquidation value allocable to the tax equity investors at the beginning and end of each period based on the contractual liquidation waterfall and adjusts its income for the period to reflect the change in the liquidation value allocable to the tax equity investors.

At December 31, 2019 and 2018, Con Edison’s consolidated balance sheet included the following amounts associated with its VIEs:



	Tax Equity Projects
	Great Valley Solar (c)(d)				Copper Mountain - Mesquite Solar (c)(e)				Texas Solar 4 (c)(f)
(Millions of Dollars)	2019		2018		2019		2018		2018
Restricted cash		$—		$—		$—		$—	$4
Non-utility property, less accumulated depreciation (g)(h)	293		313		461		492		98
Other assets	40		18		128		97		9
Total assets (a)	$333		$331		$589		$589		$111
Long-term debt due within one year		$—		$—		$—		$—	$2
Other liabilities	17		17		18		33		26
Long-term debt	—		—		—		—		56
Total liabilities (b)	$17		$17		$18		$33		$84


(a)	The assets of the Tax Equity Projects represent assets of a consolidated VIE that can be used only to settle obligations of the consolidated VIE.


(b)	The liabilities of the Tax Equity Projects represent liabilities of a consolidated VIE for which creditors do not have recourse to the general credit of the primary beneficiary.


(c)	Con Edison did not provide any financial or other support during the year that was not previously contractually required.


(d)	Great Valley Solar consists of the Great Valley Solar 1, Great Valley Solar 2, Great Valley Solar 3 and Great Valley Solar 4 projects, for which the noncontrolling interest of the tax equity investor was $62 million and $33 million at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.


(e)	Copper Mountain - Mesquite Solar consists of the Copper Mountain Solar 4, Mesquite Solar 2 and Mesquite Solar 3 projects for which the noncontrolling interest of the tax equity investor was $126 million and $71 million at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.


(f)	Noncontrolling interest of the third party was $7 million at December 31, 2018.


(g)	Non-utility property is reduced by accumulated depreciation of $9 million for Great Valley Solar and $15 million for Copper Mountain - Mesquite Solar at December 31, 2019.


(h)	Non-utility property is reduced by accumulated depreciation of $1 million for Great Valley Solar, $1 million for Copper Mountain - Mesquite Solar and $15 million for Texas Solar 4 at December 31, 2018.

The following table summarizes the VIEs into which the Clean Energy Businesses have entered as of December 31, 2019:



Project Name	Generating Capacity (a) (MW AC)	Power Purchase Agreement Term in Years	Year of Investment	Location	Maximum Exposure to Loss (Millions of Dollars) (b)
Great Valley Solar (c)	200	15-20	2018	California	$254
Copper Mountain - Mesquite Solar (c)	344	20-25	2018	Nevada and Arizona	445


(a)	Represents ownership interest in the project.


(b)	Maximum exposure is equal to the net assets of the project on the consolidated balance sheet less any applicable noncontrolling interest ($62 million for Great Valley Solar and $126 million for Copper Mountain - Mesquite Solar). Con Edison did not provide any financial or other support during the year that was not previously contractually required.

(c)

For the projects comprising Great Valley Solar and Copper Mountain Mesquite Solar, refer to (d) and (e) in the table above.