Lease Commitments

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Leases [Abstract]

Lease Commitments

Lease Commitments

The Company leases office buildings, vehicles, and other equipment under operating leases. In addition, PNM leases interests in Units 1 and 2 of PVNGS and an interest in the EIP transmission line. Additional information concerning the Company’s lease commitments is contained in Note 7 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the 2013 Annual Reports on Form 10-K.

The PVNGS leases were scheduled to expire on January 15, 2015 for the four Unit 1 leases and January 15, 2016 for the four Unit 2 leases. Each of the leases provides PNM with an option to purchase the leased assets at fair market value at the end of the lease. In addition, the leases provide PNM with options to renew the leases at fixed rates set forth in each of the leases for two years beyond the termination of the original lease terms. The option periods on certain leases could be further extended for up to an additional six years (the “Maximum Option Period”) if the appraised remaining useful lives and fair values of the leased assets are greater than parameters set forth in the leases. The rental payments during the renewal option periods would be 50% of the amounts during the original terms of the leases.

Following procedures set forth in the PVNGS leases, PNM notified each of the lessors under the Unit 1 leases that it would elect to renew those leases for the Maximum Option Period on the expiration date of the original leases. In addition, PNM notified the lessor under the one Unit 2 lease containing the Maximum Option Period provision that it would elect to renew that lease for the Maximum Option Period on the expiration date of the original lease. On December 11, 2013, PNM and each of the Unit 1 lessors entered into amendments to each of the Unit 1 leases setting forth the terms and conditions that will implement the extension of the term of the lease through the agreed upon Maximum Option Period expiring on January 15, 2023. Similarly, on March 18, 2014, PNM and the lessor under the one Unit 2 lease containing the Maximum Option Period provision entered into an amendment to that lease setting forth the terms and conditions that will implement the extension of the term of the lease through the agreed upon Maximum Option Period expiring on January 15, 2024.

For the three PVNGS Unit 2 leases which do not contain the Maximum Option Period provisions, PNM, following procedures set forth in the leases, notified each of the lessors that PNM would elect to purchase the assets underlying those leases on the expiration date of the original leases. On February 25, 2014, PNM and the lessor under one of the Unit 2 leases entered into a letter agreement that establishes that the purchase price, representing the fair market value, to be paid by PNM for the assets underlying that lease will be $78.1 million on January 15, 2016. This lease is for 31.25 MW of the entitlement from PVNGS Unit 2. The lease remains in existence and PNM will record the purchase at the termination of the lease on January 15, 2016.

On May 1, 2014, PNM and the trusts that are the lessors under the other two PVNGS Unit 2 leases signed a letter agreement that establishes a binding agreement regarding the purchase price, representing the fair market value, to be paid by PNM for the assets underlying those leases of $85.2 million on January 15, 2016. These leases are for 32.76 MW of the entitlement from PVNGS Unit 2. PNMR Development, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PNMR, is also a party to the letter agreement, which constitutes a letter of intent providing PNMR Development with the option, subject to approval by the Board and negotiation of definitive documents, to acquire the entities that own the leased assets at any time from June 1, 2014 through January 14, 2016. The early purchase price would be equal to the January 15, 2016 purchase price discounted to the actual purchase date. The early purchase amount was $79.9 million on June 1, 2014 and escalates to $85.2 million on January 14, 2016. The consideration paid to the lessor on an early purchase would include an additional amount equal to the discounted value of the lessors’ equity return portion of the future lease payments. Such additional consideration was $5.8 million on June 1, 2014 and declines to $1.2 million on January 14, 2016. PNMR and PNM are unable to predict whether or not the early purchase will occur.