SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

This is a combined annual report of PG&E Corporation and the Utility. PG&E Corporation’s Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of PG&E Corporation, the Utility, and other wholly owned and controlled subsidiaries. The Utility’s Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Utility and its wholly owned and controlled subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements apply to both PG&E Corporation and the Utility. PG&E Corporation and the Utility assess financial performance and allocate resources on a consolidated basis (i.e., the companies operate in one segment).

The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in conformity with GAAP and in accordance with the reporting requirements of Form 10-K.

Use of Estimates and Assumptions

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the use of estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Some of the more significant estimates and assumptions relate to the Utility’s wildfire-related liabilities, legal and regulatory contingencies, environmental remediation liabilities, insurance receivables, regulatory assets and liabilities, AROs, and pension and other postretirement benefit plans obligations. Management believes that its estimates and assumptions reflected in the Consolidated Financial Statements are appropriate and reasonable. A change in management’s estimates or assumptions could result in an adjustment that could have a material effect on PG&E Corporation’s and the Utility’s financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, and cash flows during the period in which such change occurred.

Loss Contingencies

A provision for a loss contingency is recorded when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can reasonably be estimated. PG&E Corporation and the Utility evaluate which potential liabilities are probable and the related range of reasonably estimated losses and record a charge that reflects their best estimate or the lower end of the range, if there is no better estimate. The assessment of whether a loss is probable or reasonably possible, and whether the loss or a range of losses is estimable, often involves a series of complex judgments about future events. Loss contingencies are reviewed quarterly and estimates are adjusted to reflect the impact of all known information, such as negotiations, discovery, settlements and payments, rulings, advice of legal counsel, and other information and events pertaining to a particular matter. PG&E Corporation’s and the Utility’s provision for loss and expense excludes anticipated legal costs, which are expensed as incurred.

Regulation and Regulated Operations

The Utility follows accounting principles for rate-regulated entities and collects rates from customers to recover “revenue requirements” that have been authorized by the CPUC or the FERC based on the Utility’s cost of providing service. The Utility’s ability to recover a significant portion of its authorized revenue requirements through rates is generally independent, or “decoupled,” from the volume of the Utility’s electricity and natural gas sales. The Utility records assets and liabilities that result from the regulated ratemaking process that would not be recorded under GAAP for nonregulated entities. The Utility capitalizes and records, as regulatory assets, costs that would otherwise be charged to expense if it is probable that the incurred costs will be recovered in future rates. Regulatory assets are amortized over the future periods in which the costs are recovered. If costs expected to be incurred in the future are currently being recovered through rates, the Utility records those expected future costs as regulatory liabilities. Amounts that are probable of being credited or refunded to customers in the future are also recorded as regulatory liabilities.

The Utility also records a regulatory balancing account asset or liability for differences between customer billings and authorized revenue requirements that are probable of recovery or refund. In addition, the Utility records a regulatory balancing account asset or liability for differences between incurred costs and customer billings or authorized revenue meant to recover those costs, to the extent that these differences are probable of recovery or refund. These differences have no impact on net income. See “Revenue Recognition” below.

Management continues to believe the use of regulatory accounting is applicable and that all regulatory assets and liabilities are recoverable or refundable. To the extent that portions of the Utility’s operations cease to be subject to cost of service rate regulation, or recovery is no longer probable as a result of changes in regulation or other reasons, the related regulatory assets and liabilities are written off.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

The Utility recognizes revenues when electricity and natural gas services are delivered. The Utility records unbilled revenues for the estimated amount of energy delivered to customers but not yet billed at the end of the period. Unbilled revenues are included in accounts receivable on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Rates charged to customers are based on CPUC and FERC authorized revenue requirements. Revenues can vary significantly from period to period because of seasonality, weather, and customer usage patterns.

The FERC authorizes the Utility’s revenue requirements in periodic TO rate cases. The Utility’s ability to recover revenue requirements authorized by the FERC is dependent on the volume of the Utility’s electricity sales, and revenue is recognized only for amounts billed and unbilled, net of a reserve for revenues subject to refund.

Regulatory Balancing Account Revenue

The CPUC authorizes most of the Utility’s revenues in the Utility’s GRC and its GT&S rate cases, which generally occur every three or four years. The Utility recognizes revenues that have been authorized for rate recovery, are objectively determinable and probable of recovery, and are expected to be collected within 24 months. Generally, electric and natural gas operating revenue is recognized ratably over the year.

The CPUC also has authorized the Utility to collect additional revenue requirements to recover costs that the Utility has been authorized to pass on to customers, including costs to purchase electricity and natural gas, and to fund public purpose, demand response, and customer energy efficiency programs. In general, the revenue recognition criteria for pass-through costs billed to customers are met at the time the costs are incurred. The Utility records a regulatory balancing account asset or liability for differences between incurred costs and customer billings or authorized revenue meant to recover those costs, to the extent that these differences are probable of recovery or refund. As a result, these differences have no impact on net income.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and short-term, highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less. Cash equivalents are stated at fair value.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable

PG&E Corporation and the Utility recognize an allowance for doubtful accounts to record uncollectable customer accounts receivable at estimated net realizable value. The allowance is determined based upon a variety of factors, including historical write-off experience, aging of receivables, current economic conditions, and assessment of customer collectability.

Inventories

Inventories are carried at weighted-average cost and include natural gas stored underground as well as materials and supplies. Natural gas stored underground is recorded to inventory when injected and then expensed as the gas is withdrawn for distribution to customers or to be used as fuel for electric generation. Materials and supplies are recorded to inventory when purchased and expensed or capitalized to plant, as appropriate, when consumed or installed.

Emission Allowances

The Utility purchases GHG emission allowances to satisfy its compliance obligations. Associated costs are recorded as inventory and included in current assets – other and other noncurrent assets – other on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Costs are carried at weighted-average and are recoverable through rates.

Property, Plant, And Equipment

Property, Plant, and Equipment

Property, plant, and equipment are reported at the lower of their historical cost less accumulated depreciation or fair value. Historical costs include labor and materials, construction overhead, and AFUDC. (See “AFUDC” below.) The Utility’s total estimated useful lives and balances of its property, plant, and equipment were as follows:



	Estimated Useful	Balance at December 31,
(in millions, except estimated useful lives)	Lives (years)	2018			2017
Electricity generating facilities⁽¹⁾	5 to 120	$	13,047		$	11,843
Electricity distribution facilities	15 to 65	32,926			31,110
Electricity transmission facilities	15 to 75	13,177			12,180
Natural gas distribution facilities	20 to 60	13,296			12,312
Natural gas transmission and storage facilities	5 to 62	8,260			7,329
Construction work in progress		2,564			2,471
Total property, plant, and equipment		83,270			77,245
Accumulated depreciation		(24,713		)	(23,456		)
Net property, plant, and equipment		$	58,557		$	53,789

⁽¹⁾Balance includes nuclear fuel inventories. Stored nuclear fuel inventory is stated at weighted-average cost. Nuclear fuel in the reactor is expensed as it is used based on the amount of energy output. (See Note 14 below.)

The Utility depreciates property, plant, and equipment using the composite, or group, method of depreciation, in which a single depreciation rate is applied to the gross investment balance in a particular class of property. This method approximates the straight line method of depreciation over the useful lives of property, plant, and equipment. The Utility’s composite depreciation rates were 3.82% in 2018, 3.83% in 2017, and 3.73% in 2016. The useful lives of the Utility’s property, plant, and equipment are authorized by the CPUC and the FERC, and the depreciation expense is recovered through rates charged to customers. Depreciation expense includes a component for the original cost of assets and a component for estimated cost of future removal, net of any salvage value at retirement. Upon retirement, the original cost of the retired assets, net of salvage value, is charged against accumulated depreciation. The cost of repairs and maintenance, including planned major maintenance activities and minor replacements of property, is charged to operating and maintenance expense as incurred.

AFUDC

AFUDC represents the estimated costs of debt (i.e., interest) and equity funds used to finance regulated plant additions before they go into service and is capitalized as part of the cost of construction. AFUDC is recoverable from customers through rates over the life of the related property once the property is placed in service. AFUDC related to the cost of debt is recorded as a reduction to interest expense. AFUDC related to the cost of equity is recorded in other income.

Asset Retirement Obligations

The Utility has not recorded a liability related to certain AROs for assets that are expected to operate in perpetuity. As the Utility cannot estimate a settlement date or range of potential settlement dates for these assets, reasonable estimates of fair value cannot be made. As such, ARO liabilities are not recorded for retirement activities associated with substations, photovoltaic facilities, and certain hydroelectric facilities; removal of lead-based paint in some facilities and certain communications equipment from leased property; and restoration of land to the conditions under certain agreements.

Nuclear Decommissioning Obligation

Detailed studies of the cost to decommission the Utility’s nuclear generation facilities are generally conducted every three years in conjunction with the Nuclear Decommissioning Cost Triennial Proceeding conducted by the CPUC. In December 2018, the Utility submitted its updated decommissioning cost estimate to the CPUC and correspondingly increased its ARO liabilities by $1.1 billion. The adjustment was a result of increased estimated costs based on a site-specific decommissioning analysis. The decommissioning cost estimates are based on the plant location and cost characteristics for the Utility's nuclear power plants. Actual decommissioning costs may vary from these estimates as a result of changes in assumptions such as decommissioning dates; regulatory requirements; technology; and costs of labor, materials, and equipment. The Utility recovers its revenue requirements for decommissioning costs from customers through a non-bypassable charge that the Utility expects will continue until those costs are fully recovered.

The total nuclear decommissioning obligation accrued was $4.7 billion and $3.5 billion at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The estimated undiscounted nuclear decommissioning cost for the Utility’s nuclear power plants was $10.6 billion and $7.0 billion at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Disallowance of Plant Costs

PG&E Corporation and the Utility record a charge when it is both probable that costs incurred or projected to be incurred for recently completed plant will not be recoverable through rates charged to customers and the amount of disallowance can be reasonably estimated. See “Enforcement and Litigation Matters” in Note 14 below.

Nuclear Decommissioning Trusts

The Utility’s nuclear generation facilities consist of two units at Diablo Canyon and one retired facility at Humboldt Bay. Nuclear decommissioning requires the safe removal of a nuclear generation facility from service and the reduction of residual radioactivity to a level that permits termination of the NRC license and release of the property for unrestricted use. The Utility's nuclear decommissioning costs are recovered from customers through rates and are held in trusts until authorized for release by the CPUC.

The Utility classifies its debt investments held in the nuclear decommissioning trusts as available-for-sale. Since the Utility’s nuclear decommissioning trust assets are managed by external investment managers, the Utility does not have the ability to sell its investments at its discretion. Therefore, all unrealized losses are considered other-than-temporary impairments. Gains or losses on the nuclear decommissioning trust investments are refundable or recoverable, respectively, from customers through rates. Therefore, trust earnings are deferred and included in the regulatory liability for recoveries in excess of the ARO. There is no impact on the Utility’s earnings or accumulated other comprehensive income. The cost of debt and equity securities sold by the trust is determined by specific identification.

Variable Interest Entities

A VIE is an entity that does not have sufficient equity at risk to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties, or whose equity investors lack any characteristics of a controlling financial interest. An enterprise that has a controlling financial interest in a VIE is a primary beneficiary and is required to consolidate the VIE.

Some of the counterparties to the Utility’s power purchase agreements are considered VIEs. Each of these VIEs was designed to own a power plant that would generate electricity for sale to the Utility. To determine whether the Utility was the primary beneficiary of any of these VIEs at December 31, 2018, it assessed whether it absorbs any of the VIE’s expected losses or receives any portion of the VIE’s expected residual returns under the terms of the power purchase agreement, analyzed the variability in the VIE’s gross margin, and considered whether it had any decision-making rights associated with the activities that are most significant to the VIE’s performance, such as dispatch rights and operating and maintenance activities. The Utility’s financial obligation is limited to the amount the Utility pays for delivered electricity and capacity. The Utility did not have any decision-making rights associated with any of the activities that are most significant to the economic performance of any of these VIEs. Since the Utility was not the primary beneficiary of any of these VIEs at December 31, 2018, it did not consolidate any of them.

Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

Revenue Recognition Standard

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-9, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which amends the previous revenue recognition guidance. The objective of the new standard is to provide a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers to improve comparability across entities, industries, jurisdictions, and capital markets and to provide more useful information to users of financial statements through improved and expanded disclosure requirements. PG&E Corporation and the Utility applied the requirements using the modified retrospective method when the ASU became effective on January 1, 2018. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements as of the adoption date or for the year ended December 31, 2018. A majority of the Utility’s revenue from contracts with customers continues to be recognized on a monthly basis based on applicable tariffs and customers' monthly consumption. Such revenue is recognized using the invoice practical expedient which allows an entity to recognize revenue in the amount that directly corresponds to the value transferred to the customer. See "Revenue Recognition" above.

Restricted Cash

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows – Restricted Cash (Topic 230), which amends the existing guidance relating to the disclosure of restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents on the statement of cash flows. Amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning and end of period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. Previously, changes in restricted cash were reported within cash flows from investing activities. PG&E Corporation and the Utility applied the requirements on a retrospective basis when the ASU became effective on January 1, 2018. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements as of the adoption date or for the year ended December 31, 2018.

The retrospective adjustments to the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for PG&E Corporation and the Utility resulted in an increase to Net cash used in investing activities of $227 million, an increase to Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at January 1 by $234 million, and an increase to Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at December 31 by $7 million for the year ended December 31, 2016.

Presentation of Net Periodic Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Costs

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07, Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715), which amends the guidance relating to the presentation of net periodic pension cost and net periodic other post-retirement benefit costs. PG&E Corporation and the Utility applied the requirements when the ASU became effective on January 1, 2018.

On a retrospective basis, the amendment requires an employer to separate the service cost component from the other components of net benefit cost and provides explicit guidance on how to present the service cost component and other components in the income statement. As a result, the Consolidated Statements of Income for PG&E Corporation and the Utility were restated. This change resulted in increases to Operating and maintenance expenses and Other income, net, of $51 million and $54 million for PG&E Corporation and the Utility, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2017 and $97 million and $100 million for PG&E Corporation and the Utility, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2016.

On a prospective basis, the ASU limits the component of net benefit cost eligible to be capitalized to service costs. The FERC has allowed and the Utility has made a one-time election to adopt the new FASB guidance for regulatory filing purposes. In January 2018, the CPUC approved modifications to the Utility’s calculation for pension-related revenue requirements to allow for capitalization of only the service cost component determined by a plan’s actuary. The capitalization of service costs only results in higher rate base and a reduction in the Utility’s 2018 revenues. The changes in capitalization of retirement benefits did not have a material impact on PG&E Corporation’s and the Utility’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments – Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities, which amends the guidance relating to the recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. The amendments require equity investments (excluding those accounted for under the equity method or those that result in consolidation) to be measured at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in net income. The majority of PG&E Corporation’s and the Utility’s investments are held in the nuclear decommissioning trusts and gains or losses are refundable or recoverable, respectively, from customers through rates, therefore gains and losses are deferred and recognized as regulatory assets or liabilities. The ASU became effective for PG&E Corporation and the Utility on January 1, 2018 and did not have a material impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements and related disclosures.

Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. The amendments in this update allow a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Act. When amounts are reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to the Consolidated Statement of Income, PG&E Corporation and the Utility recognize the related income tax expense at the tax rate in effect at that time. The ASU is effective for PG&E Corporation and the Utility on January 1, 2019, and early adoption is permitted. PG&E Corporation and the Utility early adopted this ASU on January 1, 2018, resulting in an immaterial reclassification.

Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted

Recognition of Lease Assets and Liabilities

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which amends the guidance relating to the definition of a lease, recognition of ROU assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet, and the disclosure of key information about leasing arrangements. Under the new standard, all lessees must recognize an ROU asset and lease liability on the balance sheet. Operating leases were previously not recognized on the balance sheet. The ASU became effective for PG&E Corporation and the Utility on January 1, 2019.

PG&E Corporation and the Utility elected certain practical expedients and will carry forward historical conclusions related to (1) contracts that contain leases, (2) existing lease and easement classification, and (3) initial direct costs. Additionally, PG&E Corporation and the Utility do not intend to restate comparative periods upon adoption.

PG&E Corporation and the Utility plan to adopt this guidance in the first quarter of 2019. PG&E Corporation and the Utility will apply the requirements using the modified retrospective method. PG&E Corporation and the Utility expect this standard to increase ROU assets and liabilities by approximately $2.5 billion to $3.0 billion on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and will result in additional footnote disclosures, but do not expect the guidance will have a material impact on the Consolidated Statements of Income and Statements of Cash Flows. The majority of PG&E Corporation and the Utility's leases are power purchase agreements.

Fair Value Measurement

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurements, which amends the existing guidance relating to the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. The ASU will be effective for PG&E Corporation and the Utility on January 1, 2020 with early adoption permitted. PG&E Corporation and the Utility are currently evaluating the impact the guidance will have on their Consolidated Financial Statements and related disclosures.

Intangibles-Goodwill and Other

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement that is a Service Contract. This ASU will be effective for PG&E Corporation and the Utility on January 1, 2020 with early adoption permitted. PG&E Corporation and the Utility are currently evaluating the impact the guidance will have on their Consolidated Financial Statements and related disclosures.

Earnings Per Share

PG&E Corporation’s basic EPS is calculated by dividing the income available for common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. PG&E Corporation applies the treasury stock method of reflecting the dilutive effect of outstanding share-based compensation in the calculation of diluted EPS.

Fair Value Measurement

PG&E Corporation and the Utility measure their cash equivalents, trust assets and price risk management instruments at fair value. A three-tier fair value hierarchy is established that prioritizes the inputs to valuation methodologies used to measure fair value:


•	Level 1 – Observable inputs that reflect quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.


•	Level 2 – Other inputs that are directly or indirectly observable in the marketplace.


•	Level 3 – Unobservable inputs which are supported by little or no market activities.

The fair value hierarchy requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value.