Significant Accounting Policies and Responsibility for Financial Statements (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Principles of Consolidation

Principles of Consolidation

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of each of PNMR, PNM, and TNMP include their accounts and those of subsidiaries in which that entity owns a majority voting interest. PNM also consolidates Valencia (Note 5) and, through January 15, 2016, the PVNGS Capital Trust. PNM owns undivided interests in several jointly-owned power plants and records its pro-rata share of the assets, liabilities, and expenses for those plants. The agreements for the jointly-owned plants provide that if an owner were to default on its payment obligations, the non-defaulting owners would be responsible for their proportionate share of the obligations of the defaulting owner. In exchange, the non-defaulting owners would be entitled to their proportionate share of the generating capacity of the defaulting owner. There have been no such payment defaults under any of the agreements for the jointly-owned plants.

PNMR shared services’ administrative and general expenses, which represent costs that are primarily driven by corporate level activities, are charged to the business segments. These services are billed at cost. Other significant intercompany transactions between PNMR, PNM, and TNMP include interest and income tax sharing payments, as well as equity transactions. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.

New Accounting Pronouncements

New Accounting Pronouncements

Information concerning recently issued accounting pronouncements that have not been adopted by the Company is presented below.

Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. When it becomes effective, the new standard will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in GAAP. Since the issuance of ASU No. 2014-09, the FASB issued a one-year deferral in the effective date and has issued additional ASUs that clarify implementation guidance regarding principal versus agent considerations, licensing, and identifying performance obligations, as well as adding certain additional practical expedients. The new standard can be applied retrospectively to each prior period presented or on a modified retrospective basis with a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings on the date of adoption. The Company has not made a final decision on the transition method, but currently anticipates using the modified retrospective method. The Company will adopt the standard on January 1, 2018, its required effective date.

The Company has completed its initial assessment and made significant progress toward completing the evaluation of its revenues for potential changes to the amounts and timing of revenue recognition under the new guidance. The Company, along with others in the utility industry, is continuing to monitor the activities of the FASB and other non-authoritative groups regarding industry specific issues for further clarification. These industry specific issues include the impacts of the new guidance on its accounting for CIAC, collectability, and the presentation of revenues associated with “alternative revenue programs,” which primarily result from its approved rate rider programs. The Company is working towards completing its evaluation and drafting its revenue recognition disclosures under the new standard. The Company has not finalized conclusions and has not yet completely determined the effect of the standard on its financial reporting, but does not anticipate significant changes in revenue recognition associated with retail electric service rates or expect difficulty in completing this project by the required January 1, 2018 implementation date.

Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 – Financial Instruments (Subtopic 825-10) – Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, which makes targeted improvements to GAAP regarding financial instruments. The new standard eliminates the requirement to classify investments in equity securities with readily determinable fair values into trading or available-for-sale categories and will require those equity securities to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income rather than in OCI. Also, the new standard will revise certain presentation and disclosure requirements. Under the new standard, accounting for investments in debt securities remains essentially unchanged. PNM currently classifies the investments held in the NDT and coal mine reclamation trusts as available for sale securities. Unrealized losses on these securities are recorded immediately through earnings and unrealized gains are recorded in AOCI until the securities are sold. The Company will adopt the new standard on January 1, 2018, its required effective date. At that time any unrealized gains, net of income taxes, recorded in AOCI related to equity securities will be reclassified to retained earnings as a cumulative effect adjustment and, thereafter, changes in the value of equity securities will be recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings. The amount of the cumulative adjustment upon adoption will depend on the amounts recorded in AOCI at that time, but PNM had unrealized gains on equity securities, net of income taxes, recorded in AOCI of $6.8 million at March 31, 2017.

Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 – Leases (Topic 842)

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, which will change how lessees account for leases. The ASU will require that a liability be recorded on the balance sheet for all leases based on the present value of future lease obligations. A corresponding right-of-use asset will also be recorded. Amortization of the lease obligation and the right-of-use asset for certain leases, primarily those classified as operating leases, will be on a straight-line basis, which is not expected to have a significant impact on the statements of earnings or cash flows, whereas other leases will be required to be accounted for as financing arrangements similar to the accounting treatment for capital leases under current GAAP. Also, the new standard will revise certain disclosure requirements. Although early adoption of the standard is permitted, the Company does not currently plan to adopt this standard prior to January 1, 2019, its required effective date. At adoption of the ASU, leases will be recognized and measured as of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach.

As discussed in Note 7 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the 2016 Annual Reports on Form 10-K, the Company has operating leases of office buildings, vehicles, equipment, and certain rights-of-way. PNM also has operating lease interests in PVNGS Units 1 and 2 that will expire in January 2023 and 2024. The Company, along with others in the utility industry, is continuing to monitor the activities of the FASB and other non-authoritative groups regarding industry specific issues for further clarification. The Company has formed a project team, conducted outreach activities across its lines of business, and made significant progress in identifying arrangements, in addition to its existing operating lease arrangements, that may be classified as leases under the ASU. It is likely the arrangements currently classified as leases will continue to be recognized as leases under the new ASU. It is possible that other contractual arrangements not previously meeting the lease definition may contain elements that qualify as leases under ASU 2016-02 and that previously identified operating leases may be classified as financing leases under the new standard. The Company is in the process of analyzing each of the identified contractual arrangement to determine if it contains lease elements under the new standard and to quantify the potential impacts of identified lease arrangements. The Company anticipates this process will continue through the remainder of 2017 and possibly into 2018. Upon completion of that process, the Company will provide additional information about the expected financial impact of this ASU.

Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 – Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326) Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13. The ASU changes the way entities recognize impairment of many financial assets, including accounts receivable and investments in debt securities, by requiring immediate recognition of estimated credit losses expected to occur over their remaining lives. The new standard is effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2020. Early adoption is permitted beginning on January 1, 2019. The Company is in the process of analyzing the impacts of this new standard.

Accounting Standards Update 2016-15 – Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15.  The ASU eliminates diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. Although early adoption is permitted, the Company does not currently plan to adopt this standard prior to January 1, 2018, its required effective date.   The Company is in the process of analyzing the impacts of this new standard, but does not anticipate it will have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.

Accounting Standards Update 2016-18 – Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18. The ASU requires that the statements of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents during the period. Under the new standard, amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the Statements of Cash Flows. Although early adoption is permitted, the Company does not currently plan to adopt this standard prior to January 1, 2018, its required effective date. The new standard requires the use of a retrospective transition method for each period presented after adoption. The Company is in the process of analyzing the impacts of this new standard.

Accounting Standards Update 2017-04 – Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350)

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04 to simplify the annual goodwill impairment assessment process. Currently, the first step of the quantitative impairment test requires an entity to compare the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying value, including goodwill. If as a result of this analysis, the entity concludes there is an indication of impairment in a reporting unit having goodwill, the entity is required to perform the second step of the impairment analysis, determining the amount of goodwill impairment to be recorded. The amount is calculated by comparing the implied fair value of the goodwill to its carrying amount. This exercise requires the entity to allocate the fair value determined in step one to the individual assets and liabilities of the reporting unit. Any remaining fair value would be the implied fair value of goodwill on the testing date. To the extent the recorded amount of goodwill of a reporting unit exceeds the implied fair value determined in step two, an impairment loss would be reflected in results of operations. ASU 2017-04 eliminates the second step of the impairment analysis. Accordingly, if the first step of a quantitative goodwill impairment analysis performed after adoption of this ASU indicates that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, the goodwill of that reporting unit would be impaired to the extent of that difference. The Company must adopt this ASU in 2020, but early adoption is permitted. The Company currently anticipates adopting this ASU in 2020. However, if there is an indication of potential impairment of goodwill as a result of an annual impairment assessment prior to 2020, the Company will evaluate the impact of ASU 2017-04 and could elect to early adopt this ASU.

Accounting Standards Update 2017-07 – Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715)

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07 to improve the presentation of net periodic pension and other postretirement benefit costs. Currently, the Company presents all of its net periodic benefit costs as administrative and general expenses on its Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings, net of amounts capitalized to construction and other accounts. The amendments in this ASU require the service cost component of net benefit costs be presented in the same line item or items as compensation costs arising from services rendered by the pertinent employees during the period. The other components of net benefit cost are required to be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside of operating income with disclosures identifying where the other components of net benefit cost have been presented. The ASU also limits capitalization to only the service cost component of benefit costs. PNMR and its subsidiaries maintain qualified defined benefit pension and OPEB plans. Currently, net periodic benefit cost for the Company’s defined benefit pension plans do not include a service cost component and there is only a minor amount of service cost for the OPEB plans. Additional information about the Company’s plans is discussed in Note 12 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the 2016 Annual Reports on Form 10-K and in Note 10. The ASU requires retrospective presentation of the service cost component and the other components of net benefit cost in the income statement and prospective application regarding the capitalization of only the service cost component of net benefit cost. The Company must adopt this ASU beginning January 1, 2018. The Company is in the process of analyzing the impacts of this new standard, including the treatment of benefit costs by the NMPRC, PUCT, and FERC in the regulatory process.

Accounting Standards Update 2017-08 - Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Topic 310-20) Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-08. The ASU amends the amortization period for certain purchased callable debt securities held at a premium. Under current GAAP, some entities amortize the premium as an adjustment of yield over the contractual life of the security. The update requires premiums to be amortized over the period to the earliest call date. The new standard is effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2019. Early adoption is permitted including adoption in an interim period. The Company is in the process of analyzing the impacts of this new standard.

The FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-09 – Compensation –- Stock Compensation (Topic 718) to simplify several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions and eliminate diversity in practice. PNMR’s historical accounting for stock compensation complies with ASU 2016-09, except for the treatment of the income tax consequences of awards and the presentation of reductions to taxes payable on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Prior to ASU 2016-09, benefits resulting from income tax deductions in excess of compensation cost recognized under GAAP for vested restricted stock and on exercised stock options (“excess tax benefits”) were recorded to equity provided the excess tax benefits reduced income taxes payable. Deficiencies resulting from tax deductions related to stock awards that were below recognized compensation cost upon vesting and on canceled stock options were recorded to equity. PNMR has not recorded excess tax benefits to equity since 2009 because it is in a net operating loss position for income tax purposes. ASU 2016-09 requires that all excess tax benefits and deficiencies be recorded to tax expense and classified as cash flows from operating activities.

Variable Interest Entity

GAAP determines how an enterprise evaluates and accounts for its involvement with variable interest entities, focusing primarily on whether the enterprise has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of a variable interest entity (“VIE”). GAAP also requires continual reassessment of the primary beneficiary of a VIE.