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Asset Retirement Obligations
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Asset Retirement Obligation [Abstract]  
Asset Retirement Obligations ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS
The Duke Energy Registrants record AROs when there is a legal obligation to incur retirement costs associated with the retirement of a long-lived asset and the obligation can be reasonably estimated. Actual costs incurred could be materially different from current estimates that form the basis of the recorded AROs.
The following table presents the AROs recorded on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
 
September 30, 2020
 
 
 
Duke

 
 
 
Duke

 
Duke

 
Duke

 
Duke

 
 
 
Duke

 
Energy

 
Progress

 
Energy

 
Energy

 
Energy

 
Energy

 
 
(in millions)
Energy

 
Carolinas

 
Energy

 
Progress

 
Florida

 
Ohio

 
Indiana

 
Piedmont

Decommissioning of nuclear power facilities(a)
$
6,815

 
$
2,658

 
$
4,107

 
$
3,606

 
$
501

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
—

Closure of ash impoundments
6,458

 
3,049

 
2,172

 
2,150

 
22

 
51

 
1,186

 
—

Other
381

 
67

 
76

 
44

 
32

 
40

 
28

 
17

Total ARO
$
13,654

 
$
5,774

 
$
6,355

 
$
5,800

 
$
555

 
$
91

 
$
1,214

 
$
17

Less: Current portion
742

 
267

 
297

 
297

 
—

 
7

 
170

 
—

Total noncurrent ARO
$
12,912


$
5,507


$
6,058


$
5,503


$
555


$
84


$
1,044

 
$
17

(a)    Duke Energy amount includes purchase accounting adjustments related to the merger with Progress Energy.
ARO Liability Rollforward
The following table presents the change in liability associated with AROs for the Duke Energy Registrants.
 
 
 
Duke

 
 
 
Duke

 
Duke

 
Duke

 
Duke

 
 
 
Duke

 
Energy

 
Progress

 
Energy

 
Energy

 
Energy

 
Energy

 
 
(in millions)
Energy

 
Carolinas

 
Energy

 
Progress

 
Florida

 
Ohio

 
Indiana

 
Piedmont

Balance at December 31, 2019(a)
$
13,318

 
$
5,734

 
$
6,471

 
$
5,893

 
$
578

 
$
80

 
$
832

 
$
17

Accretion expense(b)
408

 
195

 
187

 
171

 
16

 
3

 
22

 
—

Liabilities settled(c)
(540
)
 
(151
)
 
(333
)
 
(293
)
 
(40
)
 
(1
)
 
(56
)
 
—

Liabilities incurred in the current year
17

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

Revisions in estimates of cash flows(d)
451

 
(4
)
 
30

 
29

 
1

 
9

 
416

 
—

Balance at September 30, 2020
$
13,654

 
$
5,774

 
$
6,355

 
$
5,800

 
$
555

 
$
91

 
$
1,214

 
$
17

(a)
Primarily relates to decommissioning nuclear power facilities, closure of ash impoundments, asbestos removal, closure of landfills at fossil generation facilities, retirement of natural gas mains and removal of renewable energy generation assets.
(b)
For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, substantially all accretion expense relates to Duke Energy's regulated operations and has been deferred in accordance with regulatory accounting treatment.
(c)
Primarily relates to ash impoundment closures.
(d)
Primarily relates to increases in closure estimates for certain ash impoundments as a result of certain changes in estimates and the impact of Hoosier Environmental Council’s petition filed with the court challenging the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s partial approval of Duke Energy Indiana’s ash pond closure plan, new closure plan approvals, as well as increased post closure maintenance, landfill and beneficiation costs. See Note 4 for more information on Hoosier Environmental Council's petition. The incremental amount recorded represents the discounted cash flows for estimated closure costs based upon the probability weightings of the potential closure methods as evaluated on a site-by-site basis.
Asset retirement costs associated with the AROs for operating plants and retired plants are included in Net property, plant and equipment and Regulatory assets within Other Noncurrent Assets, respectively, on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.