Variable Interest Entities

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]

How an enterprise evaluates and accounts for its involvement with variable interest entities, focuses 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”). This evaluation requires continual reassessment of the primary beneficiary of a VIE. Additional information concerning PNM’s VIEs is contained in Note 10 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the 2021 Annual Reports on Form 10-K.

Valencia

PNM has a PPA to purchase all of the electric capacity and energy from Valencia, a 155 MW natural gas-fired power plant near Belen, New Mexico, through May 2028. A third party built, owns, and operates the facility while PNM is the sole purchaser of the electricity generated. PNM is obligated to pay fixed operation and maintenance and capacity charges in addition to variable operation and maintenance charges under this PPA. For the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, PNM paid $4.8 million and $4.9 million for fixed charges and $0.1 million and $0.2 million for variable charges. PNM does not have any other financial obligations related to Valencia. The assets of Valencia can only be used to satisfy its obligations and creditors of Valencia do not have any recourse against PNM’s assets. During the term of the PPA, PNM has the option, under certain conditions, to purchase and own up to 50% of the plant or the VIE. The PPA specifies that the purchase price would be the greater of 50% of book value reduced by related indebtedness or 50% of fair market value.

PNM sources fuel for the plant, controls when the facility operates through its dispatch, and receives the entire output of the plant, which factors directly and significantly impact the economic performance of Valencia. Therefore, PNM has concluded that the third-party entity that owns Valencia is a VIE and that PNM is the primary beneficiary of the entity since PNM has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of Valencia and will absorb the majority of the variability in the cash flows of the plant. As the primary beneficiary, PNM consolidates Valencia in its financial statements. Accordingly, the assets, liabilities, operating expenses, and cash flows of Valencia are included in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of PNM although PNM has no legal ownership interest or voting control of the VIE. The assets and liabilities of Valencia set forth below are immaterial to PNM and, therefore, not shown separately on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The owner’s equity and net income of Valencia are considered attributable to non-controlling interest.

Summarized financial information for Valencia is as follows:


		Results of Operations
	Three Months Ended March 31,
		2022		2021
		(In thousands)
Operating revenues		$	4,932	$	5,127
Operating expenses		1,837		1,633
Earnings attributable to non-controlling interest		$	3,095	$	3,494


	Financial Position
	March 31,		December 31,
	2022		2021
	(In thousands)
Current assets	$	3,206	$	3,042
Net property, plant, and equipment	52,198		52,908
Total assets	55,404		55,950
Current liabilities	1,136		545
Owners’ equity – non-controlling interest	$	54,268	$	55,405

Westmoreland San Juan Mining, LLC

As discussed in the subheading Coal Supply in Note 11, PNM purchases coal for SJGS under the SJGS CSA. On October 9, 2018, Westmoreland filed a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC announcing it had filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. On March 15, 2019, Westmoreland emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy as a privately held company owned and operated by a group of its former creditors. Under the reorganization, the assets of SJCC were sold to Westmoreland San Juan Mining, LLC (“WSJ LLC”), a subsidiary of Westmoreland Mining Holdings, LLC. As successor entity to SJCC, WSJ LLC assumed all rights and obligations of SJCC including obligations to PNM under the SJGS CSA and to PNMR under letter of credit support agreements.

PNMR issued $30.3 million in letters of credit to facilitate the issuance of reclamation bonds required in order for SJCC to mine coal to be supplied to SJGS. As discussed above, WSJ LLC assumed the rights and obligations of SJCC, including obligations to PNMR for the letters of credit. The letters of credit support results in PNMR having a variable interest in WSJ LLC since PNMR is subject to possible loss in the event performance by PNMR is required under the letters of credit support. PNMR considers the possibility of loss under the letters of credit support to be remote since the purpose of posting the bonds is to provide assurance that WSJ LLC performs the required reclamation of the mine site in accordance with applicable regulations and all reclamation costs are reimbursable under the SJGS CSA. Also, much of the mine reclamation activities will not be performed until after the expiration of the SJGS CSA. In addition, each of the SJGS participants has established and actively fund trusts to meet future reclamation obligations.

WSJ LLC is considered a VIE. PNMR’s analysis of its arrangements with WSJ LLC concluded that WSJ LLC has the ability to direct its mining operations, which is the factor that most significantly impacts the economic performance of WSJ LLC. Other than PNM being able to ensure that coal is supplied in adequate quantities and of sufficient quality to provide the fuel necessary to operate SJGS in a normal manner, the mining operations are solely under the control of WSJ LLC, including developing mining plans, hiring of personnel, and incurring operating and maintenance expenses. Neither PNMR nor PNM has any ability to direct or influence the mining operation. PNM’s involvement through the SJGS CSA is a protective right rather than a participating right and WSJ LLC has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of WSJ LLC. The SJGS CSA requires WSJ LLC to deliver coal required to fuel SJGS in exchange for payment of a set price per ton, which is escalated over time for inflation. If WSJ LLC is able to mine more efficiently than anticipated, its economic performance will be improved. Conversely, if WSJ LLC cannot mine as efficiently as anticipated, its economic performance will be negatively impacted. Accordingly, PNMR believes WSJ LLC is the primary beneficiary and, therefore, WSJ LLC is not consolidated by either PNMR or PNM. The amounts outstanding under the letters of credit support constitute PNMR’s maximum exposure to loss from the VIE at March 31, 2022.