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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]  
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy
(All Registrants)
 
The following accounting policy disclosures represent updates to Note 1 in each Registrant's 2017 Form 10-K and should be read in conjunction with those disclosures.

Income Taxes

The Registrants recognized certain provisional amounts relating to the impact of the enactment of the TCJA in their December 31, 2017 financial statements, in accordance with SEC guidance. Included in those provisional amounts were estimates of: tax depreciation, deductible executive compensation, accumulated foreign earnings, foreign tax credits, and deemed dividends from foreign subsidiaries, all of which were based on the interpretation and application of various provisions of the TCJA.

In the third quarter of 2018, PPL filed its consolidated federal income tax return, which was prepared using guidance issued by the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS since the filing of each Registrant’s 2017 Form 10-K. Accordingly, the Registrants have updated the following provisional amounts and now consider them to be complete: (1) the amount of the deemed dividend and associated foreign tax credits relating to the transition tax imposed on accumulated foreign earnings as of December 31, 2017; (2) the amount of accelerated 100% “bonus” depreciation PPL is eligible to claim in its 2017 federal income tax return; and (3) the related impacts on PPL’s 2017 consolidated federal net operating loss to be carried forward to future periods. In addition, the Registrants recorded the tax impact of the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate reduction from 35% to 21% on the changes to deferred tax assets and liabilities resulting from the completed provisional amounts. The completed provisional amounts related to the tax rate reduction had an insignificant impact on the net regulatory liabilities of PPL's U.S. regulated operations. See Note 6 to the Financial Statements for the final amounts reported in PPL’s 2017 federal income tax return, provisional adjustment amounts for the year ended December 31, 2017, the related measurement period adjustments and the resulting tax impact for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018.

The Registrants' accounting related to the effects of the TCJA on financial results for the period ended December 31, 2017 is complete as of September 30, 2018 with respect to the three items discussed above. The Registrants continue to analyze the impact of the TCJA on the deductibility of executive compensation awarded on or before November 2, 2017. The Registrants do not currently anticipate a material change from what was reflected in the December 31, 2017 financial statements and expect to record the impact, if any, of changes in the deductibility of executive compensation in the fourth quarter of 2018.

New Accounting Guidance Adopted

Accounting for Revenue from Contracts with Customers

Effective January 1, 2018, the Registrants adopted accounting guidance that establishes a comprehensive new model for the recognition of revenue from contracts with customers. This model is based on the core principle that revenue should be recognized to depict the transfer of control of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The Registrants adopted this guidance using the modified retrospective transition method. No cumulative effect adjustment was required as of the January 1, 2018 adoption date.

The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Registrants' revenue recognition policies. See Note 4 for the required disclosures resulting from the adoption of this standard.

Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost

Effective January 1, 2018, the Registrants adopted accounting guidance that changes the income statement presentation of net periodic benefit cost. Retrospectively, this guidance requires the service cost component to be disaggregated from other components of net benefit cost and presented in the same income statement line items as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period. The other components of net periodic benefits are presented separately from the line items that include the service cost and outside of any subtotal of operating income. Prospectively, the guidance limits the capitalization to the service cost component of net periodic benefit costs.

For PPL, the non-service cost components of net periodic benefit costs were in a net credit position for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018. The non-service cost credits that would have been capitalized under previous guidance, but are now recorded as income within "Other Income (Expense) - net," were $5 million ($4 million after-tax or $0.01 per share) and $16 million ($13 million after-tax or $0.02 per share) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018. For PPL Electric, LG&E and KU, non-service costs or credits that would have been capitalized under previous guidance are now recognized as a regulatory asset or regulatory liability, as applicable, in accordance with regulatory approvals.

The following provides the non-service cost components of net periodic benefits (costs) or credits presented in "Other Income (Expense) - net" in 2018 and reclassified from "Other operation and maintenance" to "Other Income (Expense) - net" in 2017 on the Statements of Income as a result of the adoption.
 
Three Months
 
Nine Months
 
2018
 
2017
 
2018
 
2017
PPL
$
61

 
$
41

 
$
195

 
$
123

PPL Electric
1

 

 
4

 

LKE
1

 
(2
)
 
3

 
(4
)
LG&E

 
(2
)
 
(1
)
 
(4
)
KU

 

 
2

 
(1
)


PPL and PPL Electric elected to use the practical expedient that permits using the amounts disclosed in the defined benefit plan note for the prior comparative period as the estimation basis for applying the retrospective presentation requirements.

Presentation of Restricted Cash in the Statement of Cash Flows (PPL and PPL Electric)

Effective January 1, 2018, PPL and PPL Electric adopted accounting guidance that changes the cash flow statement presentation of restricted cash. Under the new guidance, amounts considered restricted cash are presented with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total cash amounts on the Statements of Cash Flows. The guidance requires a reconciliation of the total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash from the Statement of Cash Flows to amounts on the Balance Sheets and disclosure of the nature of the restrictions. PPL and PPL Electric have applied this guidance on a retrospective basis for all periods presented. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Statements of Cash Flows.

Reconciliation of Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

The following provides a reconciliation of Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash reported within the Balance Sheets that sum to the total of the same amounts shown on the Statements of Cash Flows:
 
PPL
 
PPL Electric
 
September 30,
2018
 
December 31, 2017
 
September 30,
2018
 
December 31, 2017
Cash and cash equivalents
$
842

 
$
485

 
$
414

 
$
49

Restricted cash - current (a)
3

 
3

 
2

 
2

Restricted cash - noncurrent (a)
19

 
23

 

 

Total Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash
$
864

 
$
511

 
$
416

 
$
51


(a)
Bank deposits and other cash equivalents that are restricted by agreement or that have been clearly designated for a specific purpose are classified as restricted cash. On the Balance Sheets, the current portion of restricted cash is included in "Other current assets," while the noncurrent portion is included in "Other noncurrent assets."