Common Shareholder's Equity

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Common Shareholder's Equity [Abstract]

Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]

(15)Common Shareholder's Equity

In January 2012, PacifiCorp declared a dividend of $50 million, which was paid to PPW Holdings LLC, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of MEHC and PacifiCorp's direct parent company, in February 2012.

In March 2011, PacifiCorp declared a dividend of $275 million, which was paid to PPW Holdings LLC in April 2011.

In January 2011, PacifiCorp declared a dividend of $275 million, which was paid to PPW Holdings LLC in February 2011.

Through PPW Holdings LLC, MEHC is the sole shareholder of PacifiCorp's common stock. The state regulatory orders that authorized MEHC's acquisition of PacifiCorp contain restrictions on PacifiCorp's ability to pay dividends to the extent that they would reduce PacifiCorp's common stock equity below specified percentages of defined capitalization.

As of December 31, 2011, the most restrictive of these commitments prohibits PacifiCorp from making any distribution to PPW Holdings LLC or MEHC without prior state regulatory approval to the extent that it would reduce PacifiCorp's common stock equity below 45.25% of its total capitalization, excluding short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt. This minimum level of common equity declines to 44% for the year ending December 31, 2012 and thereafter. The terms of this commitment treat 50% of PacifiCorp's remaining balance of preferred stock in existence prior to the acquisition of PacifiCorp by MEHC as common equity. As of December 31, 2011, PacifiCorp's actual common stock equity percentage, as calculated under this measure, was 54.2%, and PacifiCorp would have been permitted to dividend $2.2 billion under this commitment.

These commitments also restrict PacifiCorp from making any distributions to either PPW Holdings LLC or MEHC if PacifiCorp's unsecured debt rating is BBB- or lower by Standard & Poor's Rating Services or Fitch Ratings or Baa3 or lower by Moody's Investor Service, as indicated by two of the three rating services. As of December 31, 2011, PacifiCorp's unsecured debt rating was A- by Standard & Poor's Rating Services, BBB+ by Fitch Ratings and Baa1 by Moody's Investor Service.

PacifiCorp is also subject to a maximum debt-to-total capitalization percentage under various financing agreements as further discussed in Notes 8 and 9.