Other Material Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Note H – Other Material Contingencies

Manhattan Steam Main Rupture

In July 2007, a CECONY steam main located in midtown Manhattan ruptured. It has been reported that one person died and others were injured as a result of the incident. Several buildings in the area were damaged. Debris from the incident included dirt and mud containing asbestos. The response to the incident required the closing of several buildings and streets for various periods. Approximately ninety suits are pending against the company seeking generally unspecified compensatory and, in some cases, punitive damages, for personal injury, property damage and business interruption. The company has notified its insurers of the incident and believes that the policies in force at the time of the incident will cover the company’s costs to satisfy its liability to others in connection with the suits. In the company’s estimation, there is not a reasonable possibility that an exposure to loss exists for the suits that is materially in excess of the estimated liability accrued. At December 31, 2014, the company has accrued its estimated liability for the suits of $50 million and an insurance receivable in the same amount.

Manhattan Explosion and Fire

On March 12, 2014, two multi-use five-story tall buildings located on Park Avenue between 116^th and 117^th Street in Manhattan were destroyed by an explosion and fire. CECONY had delivered gas to the buildings through service lines from a distribution main located below ground on Park Avenue. Eight people died and more than 48 people were injured. Additional buildings were also damaged. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. The parties to the investigation include the company, the City of New York, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the NYSPSC (which is also conducting an investigation). Approximately thirty suits are pending against the company seeking generally unspecified damages and, in one case, punitive damages, for personal injury, property damage and business interruption. The company has notified its insurers of the incident and believes that the policies in force at the time of the incident will cover the company’s costs, in excess of a required retention (the amount of which is not material), to satisfy any liability it may have for damages in connection with the incident. The company is unable to estimate the amount or range of its possible loss related to the incident. At December 31, 2014, the company had not accrued a liability for the incident.

Other Contingencies

See “Other Regulatory Matters” in Note B.

Guarantees

Con Edison and its subsidiaries enter into various agreements providing financial or performance assurance primarily to third parties on behalf of their subsidiaries. Maximum amounts guaranteed by Con Edison totaled $2,547 million and $1,331 million at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

A summary, by type and term, of Con Edison’s total guarantees at December 31, 2014 is as follows:


Guarantee Type	0 – 3 years		4 – 10 years		> 10 years		Total
	(Millions of Dollars)
NY Transco	$	1,361	$	-	$	-	$	1,361
Energy transactions		774		31		96		901
Renewable electric production projects		248		-		7		255
Other		30		-		-		30
Total	$	2,413	$	31	$	103	$	2,547

NY Transco – Con Edison has guaranteed payment by its subsidiary, Con Edison Transmission, of the contributions it agreed to make in New York Transco LLC (NY Transco). Con Edison Transmission acquired a 46 percent interest in NY Transco when it was formed in 2014. NY Transco’s transmission projects are expected to be developed initially by CECONY and other New York transmission owners and then sold to NY Transco. The development and sale of the projects would be subject to authorizations from the NYSPSC, FERC and other federal, state and local agencies. Guarantee amount shown is for the maximum possible required amount of Con Edison Transmission’s contributions, which assumed that all the NY Transco projects proposed when NY Transco was formed receive all required regulatory approvals and are completed at 175 percent of their estimated costs and that NY Transco does not use any debt financing for the projects. Guarantee term shown is assumed as the timing of the contributions is not known.

Energy Transactions – Con Edison guarantees payments on behalf of its competitive energy businesses in order to facilitate physical and financial transactions in gas, pipeline capacity, transportation, oil, electricity, renewable energy credits and energy services. To the extent that liabilities exist under the contracts subject to these guarantees, such liabilities are included in Con Edison’s consolidated balance sheet.

Renewable Electric Production Projects – Con Edison and Con Edison Development guarantee payments associated with the investment in solar and wind energy facilities on behalf of their wholly-owned subsidiaries. In addition, Con Edison Development has entered into two guarantees ($63 million maximum and $31 million maximum, respectively) on behalf of entities (Copper Mountain Solar 2 and Copper Mountain Solar 3, respectively) in which it has a 50 percent interest (see Note Q) in connection with the construction of solar energy facilities. Con Edison Development also provided $3 million in guarantees to Travelers Insurance Company for indemnity agreements for surety bonds in connection with the construction and operation of solar energy facilities performed by its subsidiaries.

Other – Other guarantees primarily relate to guarantees provided by Con Edison to Travelers Insurance Company for indemnity agreements for surety bonds in connection with energy service projects performed by Con Edison Solutions ($25 million). In addition, Con Edison issued a guarantee to the Public Utility Commission of Texas covering obligations of Con Edison Solutions as a retail electric provider. Con Edison’s estimate of the maximum potential obligation for this guarantee is $5 million as of December 31, 2014.

CECONY [Member]

Other Material Contingencies