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Derivative Accounting
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2020
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Derivative Accounting Derivative Accounting
 
Derivative financial instruments are used to manage exposure to commodity price and transportation costs of electricity, natural gas, emissions allowances, and in interest rates.  Risks associated with market volatility are managed by utilizing various physical and financial derivative instruments, including futures, forwards, options and swaps.  As part of our overall risk management program, we may use derivative instruments to hedge purchases and sales of electricity and fuels.  Derivative instruments that meet certain hedge accounting criteria may be designated as cash flow hedges and are used to limit our exposure to cash flow variability on forecasted transactions.  The changes in market value of such instruments have a high correlation to price changes in the hedged transactions.  Derivative instruments are also entered into for economic hedging purposes.  While economic hedges may mitigate exposure to fluctuations in commodity prices, these instruments have not been designated as accounting hedges.  Contracts that have the same terms (quantities, delivery points and delivery periods) and for which power does not flow are netted, which reduces both revenues and fuel and purchased power costs in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income, but does not impact our financial condition, net income or cash flows.
 
Our derivative instruments, excluding those qualifying for a scope exception, are recorded on the balance sheets as an asset or liability and are measured at fair value.  See Note 11 for a discussion of fair value measurements.  Derivative instruments may qualify for the normal purchases and normal sales scope exception if they require physical delivery and the quantities represent those transacted in the normal course of business.  Derivative instruments qualifying for the normal purchases and sales scope exception are accounted for under the accrual method of accounting and excluded from our derivative instrument discussion and disclosures below.
 
For its regulated operations, APS defers for future rate treatment 100% of the unrealized gains and losses on derivatives pursuant to the PSA mechanism that would otherwise be recognized in income.  Realized gains and losses on derivatives are deferred in accordance with the PSA to the extent the amounts are above or below the Base Fuel Rate (see Note 4).  Gains and losses from derivatives in the following tables represent the amounts reflected in income before the effect of PSA deferrals.
 
As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, we had the following outstanding gross notional volume of derivatives, which represent both purchases and sales (does not reflect net position): 
 
 
 
Quantity
Commodity
 
Unit of Measure
June 30, 2020
 
December 31, 2019
Power
 
GWh
294

 
193

Gas
 
Billion cubic feet
249

 
257


 
Gains and Losses from Derivative Instruments
 
The following table provides information about gains and losses from derivative instruments in designated cash flow accounting hedging relationships during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 (dollars in thousands):
 
 
 
Financial Statement Location
 
Three Months Ended
June 30,
 
Six Months Ended
June 30,
Commodity Contracts
 
 
2020
 
2019
 
2020
 
2019
Loss Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income (Effective Portion Realized) (a)
 
Fuel and purchased power (b)
 
$
(349
)
 
$
(538
)
 
$
(763
)
 
$
(974
)

(a)
During the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, we had no gains or losses reclassified from accumulated OCI to earnings related to discontinued cash flow hedges.
(b)
Amounts are before the effect of PSA deferrals.
 
During the next twelve months we estimate that no amounts will be reclassified from accumulated OCI into income. For APS, the delivery period for all derivative instruments in designated cash flow accounting hedging relationship have lapsed.
 
The following table provides information about gains and losses from derivative instruments not designated as accounting hedging instruments during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 (dollars in thousands):
 
 
 
Financial Statement Location
 
Three Months Ended
June 30,
 
Six Months Ended
June 30,
Commodity Contracts
 
 
2020
 
2019
 
2020
 
2019
Net Loss Recognized in Income
 
Fuel and purchased power (a)
 
$
(4,894
)
 
$
(49,686
)
 
$
(34,971
)
 
$
(41,516
)

(a)
Amounts are before the effect of PSA deferrals.
 
Derivative Instruments in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
 
Our derivative transactions are typically executed under standardized or customized agreements, which include collateral requirements and, in the event of a default, would allow for the netting of positive and negative exposures associated with a single counterparty.  Agreements that allow for the offsetting of positive and negative exposures associated with a single counterparty are considered master netting arrangements.  Transactions with counterparties that have master netting arrangements are offset and reported net on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.  Transactions that do not allow for offsetting of positive and negative positions are reported gross on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
 
We do not offset a counterparty’s current derivative contracts with the counterparty’s non-current derivative contracts, although our master netting arrangements would allow current and non-current positions to be offset in the event of a default.  These types of transactions may include non-derivative instruments, derivatives qualifying for scope exceptions, trade receivables and trade payables arising from settled positions, and other forms of non-cash collateral (such as letters of credit).  These types of transactions are excluded from the offsetting tables presented below.
 
The following tables provide information about the fair value of our risk management activities reported on a gross basis, and the impacts of offsetting as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019.  These amounts relate to commodity contracts and are located in the assets and liabilities from risk management activities lines of our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

As of June 30, 2020:
(dollars in thousands)
 
Gross
 Recognized
 Derivatives
 (a)
 
Amounts
Offset
 (b)
 
Net
 Recognized
 Derivatives
 
Other
 (c)
 
Amount Reported on Balance Sheets
Current assets
 
$
2,989

 
$
(2,279
)
 
$
710

 
$
—

 
$
710

Investments and other assets
 
540

 
(510
)
 
30

 
—

 
30

Total assets
 
3,529

 
(2,789
)
 
740

 
—

 
740

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Current liabilities
 
(45,899
)
 
2,279

 
(43,620
)
 
(1,185
)
 
(44,805
)
Deferred credits and other
 
(26,691
)
 
510

 
(26,181
)
 
—

 
(26,181
)
Total liabilities
 
(72,590
)
 
2,789

 
(69,801
)
 
(1,185
)
 
(70,986
)
Total
 
$
(69,061
)
 
$
—

 
$
(69,061
)
 
$
(1,185
)
 
$
(70,246
)

(a)
All of our gross recognized derivative instruments were subject to master netting arrangements.
(b)
No cash collateral has been provided to counterparties, or received from counterparties, that is subject to offsetting.
(c)
Represents cash collateral and cash margin that is not subject to offsetting. Amounts relate to non-derivative instruments, derivatives qualifying for scope exceptions, or collateral and margin posted in excess of the recognized derivative instrument. Includes cash collateral received from counterparties of $1,185 and cash margin provided to counterparties of $0.

As of December 31, 2019:
(dollars in thousands)
 
Gross
Recognized
Derivatives
 (a)
 
Amounts
Offset
(b)
 
Net
 Recognized
 Derivatives
 
Other
 (c)
 
Amount
Reported on
Balance Sheets
Current assets
 
$
584

 
$
(474
)
 
$
110

 
$
405

 
$
515

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Current liabilities
 
(38,235
)
 
474

 
(37,761
)
 
(1,185
)
 
(38,946
)
Deferred credits and other
 
(33,186
)
 
—

 
(33,186
)
 
—

 
(33,186
)
Total liabilities
 
(71,421
)
 
474

 
(70,947
)
 
(1,185
)
 
(72,132
)
Total
 
$
(70,837
)
 
$
—

 
$
(70,837
)
 
$
(780
)
 
$
(71,617
)

(a)
All of our gross recognized derivative instruments were subject to master netting arrangements.
(b)
No cash collateral has been provided to counterparties, or received from counterparties, that is subject to offsetting.
(c)
Represents cash collateral and cash margin that is not subject to offsetting. Amounts relate to non-derivative instruments, derivatives qualifying for scope exceptions, or collateral and margin posted in excess of the recognized derivative instrument.  Includes cash collateral received from counterparties of $1,185 and cash margin provided to counterparties of $405.

Credit Risk and Credit Related Contingent Features
 
We are exposed to losses in the event of nonperformance or nonpayment by counterparties and have risk management contracts with many counterparties. As of June 30, 2020 we have one counterparty for which our exposure represents approximately 79% of Pinnacle West's $0.7 million of risk management assets. This exposure relates to a master agreement with a counterparty that has a very high credit rating. Our risk management process assesses and monitors the financial exposure of all counterparties.  Despite the fact that the great majority of our trading counterparties' debt is rated as investment grade by the credit rating agencies, there is still a possibility that one or more of these counterparties could default, resulting in a material impact on consolidated earnings for a given period. Counterparties in the portfolio consist principally of financial institutions, major energy companies, municipalities and local distribution companies.  We maintain credit policies that we believe minimize overall credit risk to within acceptable limits.  Determination of the credit quality of our counterparties is based upon a number of factors, including credit ratings and our evaluation of their financial condition.  To manage credit risk, we employ collateral requirements and standardized agreements that allow for the netting of positive and negative exposures associated with a single counterparty.  Valuation adjustments are established representing our estimated credit losses on our overall exposure to counterparties.
 
Certain of our derivative instrument contracts contain credit-risk-related contingent features including, among other things, investment grade credit rating provisions, credit-related cross-default provisions, and adequate assurance provisions.  Adequate assurance provisions allow a counterparty with reasonable grounds for uncertainty to demand additional collateral based on subjective events and/or conditions.  For those derivative instruments in a net liability position, with investment grade credit contingencies, the counterparties could demand additional collateral if our debt credit rating were to fall below investment grade (below BBB- for Standard & Poor’s or Fitch or Baa3 for Moody’s).
 
The following table provides information about our derivative instruments that have credit-risk-related contingent features at June 30, 2020 (dollars in thousands):
 
June 30, 2020
Aggregate fair value of derivative instruments in a net liability position
$
72,590

Cash collateral posted
—

Additional cash collateral in the event credit-risk-related contingent features were fully triggered (a)
63,880


(a)
This amount is after counterparty netting and includes those contracts which qualify for scope exceptions, which are excluded from the derivative details above.
 
We also have energy-related non-derivative instrument contracts with investment grade credit-related contingent features, which could also require us to post additional collateral of approximately $88 million if our debt credit ratings were to fall below investment grade.