Asset Retirement Obligations

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Asset Retirement Obligations [Abstract]

Asset Retirement ObligationsNEE's AROs relate primarily to decommissioning obligations of FPL's and NEER's nuclear units and to obligations for the dismantlement of certain of NEER's wind and solar facilities. For NEE's rate-regulated operations, including FPL, the accounting provisions result in timing differences in the recognition of legal asset retirement costs for financial reporting purposes and the method the regulator allows for recovery in rates. See Note 1 - Rate Regulation and - Decommissioning of Nuclear Plants, Dismantlement of Plants and Other Accrued Asset Removal Costs.

A rollforward of NEE's and FPL's AROs is as follows:


	NEE			FPL
	(millions)
Balances, December 31, 2018	$	3,135		$	2,147
Liabilities incurred	100			1
Accretion expense	172			107
Liabilities settled	(65)		(a)	(1)
Revision in estimated cash flows - net	32		(b)	14		(b)
Additions from acquisitions	132		(c)	—
Balances, December 31, 2019	3,506		(d)	2,268		(d)
Liabilities incurred	138			—
Accretion expense	169			100
Liabilities settled	(53)			(6)
Revision in estimated cash flows - net	(594)		(e)	(558)		(e)

Balances, December 31, 2020	$	3,166	(d)	$	1,804	(d)

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(a)Primarily reflects sales of ownership interests to subsidiaries of NEP. See Note 1 - Disposal of Businesses/Assets.

(b)Includes an increase of approximately $75 million for additional estimated ash pond closure costs at Scherer, partly offset by a decrease of approximately $71 million due to the approval of Turkey Point Units Nos. 3 and 4 license renewals for an additional 20 years.

(c)See Note 6 for 2019 acquisitions.

(d)Includes the current portion of AROs as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 of approximately $109 million ($21 million for FPL) and $49 million (none for FPL), respectively, which is included in other current liabilities on NEE's and FPL's consolidated balance sheets.

(e)Primarily reflects the effect of revised cost estimates for decommissioning FPL's nuclear units consistent with the updated nuclear decommissioning studies filed with the FPSC in December 2020.

Restricted funds for the payment of future expenditures to decommission NEE's and FPL's nuclear units included in special use funds on NEE's and FPL's consolidated balance sheets are presented below (see Note 4 - Special Use Funds). Duane Arnold is being actively decommissioned and was granted an exemption from the NRC, which allows for use of the funds for certain other site restoration activities in addition to decommissioning obligations recorded as AROs.


	NEE		FPL
	(millions)
Balances, December 31, 2020	$	7,703	$	5,271
Balances, December 31, 2019	$	6,880	$	4,697

NEE and FPL have identified but not recognized ARO liabilities related to the majority of their electric transmission and distribution assets and pipelines resulting from easements over property not owned by NEE or FPL. These easements are generally perpetual and only require retirement action upon abandonment or cessation of use of the property or facility for its specified purpose. The related ARO liability is not estimable for such easements as NEE and FPL intend to use these properties indefinitely. In the event NEE or FPL decide to abandon or cease the use of a particular easement, an ARO liability would be recorded at that time.