Fair value is defined as the price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Fair value is based on current market quotes as available and is supplemented by modeling techniques and assumptions made by the Company to the extent quoted market prices or volatilities are not available. External pricing input availability varies based on commodity location, market liquidity, and term of the agreement. Valuations of derivative assets and liabilities take into account nonperformance risk, including the effect of counterparties’ and the Company’s credit risk. The Company regularly assesses the validity and availability of pricing data for its derivative transactions. Although the Company uses its best judgment in estimating the fair value of these instruments, there are inherent limitations in any estimation technique.

The primary objective for the use of commodity derivative instruments, including energy contracts, options, swaps, and futures, is to manage price risk associated with forecasted purchases of energy and fuel used to generate electricity, as well as managing anticipated generation capacity in excess of forecasted demand from existing customers. PNM’s energy related derivative contracts manage commodity risk. PNM is required to meet the demand and energy needs of its customers. PNM is exposed to market risk for the needs of its customers not covered under the FPPAC.

In 2021, PNM entered into three agreements to purchase power from third parties at a fixed price in order to ensure that customer demand during the 2022 summer peak load period is met. Two of the agreements, the purchase of 85 MW from June through September 2022 and the purchase of 40 MW for the full year of 2022, are not considered derivatives because there are no notional amounts due to the unit-contingent nature of the agreements. The third agreement for the purchase of 150 MW firm power in June and September 2022 meets the definition of an economic hedge described below and has been accounted for accordingly.

Beginning January 1, 2018, PNM is exposed to market risk for its 65 MW interest in SJGS Unit 4, which is held as merchant plant as ordered by the NMPRC. PNM has entered into agreements to sell power from 36 MW of that capacity to a third party at a fixed price for the period January 1, 2018 through May 31, 2022, subject to certain conditions. Under these agreements, PNM is obligated to deliver 36 MW of power only when SJGS Unit 4 is operating. These agreements are not considered derivatives because there is no notional amount due to the unit-contingent nature of the transactions.

PNM and Tri-State have a hazard sharing agreement that expires in May 2022. Under this agreement, each party sells the other party 100 MW of capacity and energy from a designated generation resource on a unit contingent basis, subject to certain performance guarantees. Both the purchases and sales are made at the same market index price. This agreement serves to reduce the magnitude of each party’s single largest generating hazard and assists in enhancing the reliability and efficiency of their respective operations. PNM passes the sales and purchases through to customers under PNM’s FPPAC.

PNM’s operations are managed primarily through a net asset-backed strategy, whereby PNM’s aggregate net open forward contract position is covered by its forecasted excess generation capabilities or market purchases. PNM could be exposed to market risk if its generation capabilities were to be disrupted or if its load requirements were to be greater than anticipated. If all or a portion of load requirements were required to be covered as a result of such unexpected situations, commitments would have to be met through market purchases. TNMP does not enter into energy related derivative contracts.

Marketing and procurement of energy often involve market risks associated with managing energy commodities and establishing positions in the energy markets, primarily on a short-term basis. PNM routinely enters into various derivative instruments such as forward contracts, option agreements, and price basis swap agreements to economically hedge price and volume risk on power commitments and fuel requirements and to minimize the effect of market fluctuations. PNM monitors the market risk of its commodity contracts in accordance with approved risk and credit policies.

Unusually cold weather in February 2021 resulted in higher than expected natural gas and purchased power costs. PNM mitigated the impacts from the cold weather by securing gas supplies in advance, engaging in market purchases when lower prices were available, and adjusting plant operation of its gas units to minimize reliance on higher-priced gas supplies. PNM estimates the impact of the cold weather conditions in the first quarter of 2021 resulted in approximately $20 million of additional natural gas costs and approximately $8 million in additional purchased power costs. These fuel increases were passed through to customers under the FPPAC.

Under derivative accounting and related rules for energy contracts, PNM accounts for its various instruments for the purchase and sale of energy, which meet the definition of a derivative, based on PNM’s intent. During the three months ended March 31, 2022 and the year ended December 31, 2021, PNM was not hedging its exposure to the variability in future cash flows from commodity derivatives through designated cash flows hedges. The derivative contracts recorded at fair value that do not qualify or are not designated for cash flow hedge accounting are classified as economic hedges. Economic hedges are defined as derivative instruments, including long-term power agreements, used to economically hedge generation assets, purchased power and fuel costs, and customer load requirements. Changes in the fair value of economic hedges are reflected in results of operations and are classified between operating revenues and cost of energy according to the intent of the hedge. PNM also uses such instruments under an NMPRC approved hedging plan to manage fuel and purchased power costs related to customers covered by its FPPAC. Changes in the fair value of instruments covered by its FPPAC are recorded as regulatory assets and liabilities. PNM has no trading transactions.

Certain of PNM’s commodity derivative instruments in the above table are subject to master netting agreements whereby assets and liabilities could be offset in the settlement process. PNM does not offset fair value and cash collateral for derivative instruments under master netting arrangements and the above table reflects the gross amounts of fair value assets and liabilities for commodity derivatives. Included in the table above are equal amounts of current assets and current liabilities aggregating $0.2 million at March 31, 2022 and $0.5 million at December 31, 2021, resulting from PNM’s hazard sharing arrangements with Tri-State. The hazard sharing arrangements are net-settled upon delivery.

As discussed above, PNM has a NMPRC-approved hedging plan to manage fuel and purchased power costs related to customers covered by its FPPAC. The table above includes zero and $0.2 million in current assets and $3.7 million and $1.8 million of current liabilities related to this plan at March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021.

At March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, PNM had no amounts recognized for the legal right to reclaim cash collateral. However, at both March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, amounts posted as cash collateral under margin arrangements were $0.5 million, which is included in other current assets on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. At both March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, obligations to return cash collateral were $0.9 million, which is included in other current liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

PNM has contingent requirements to provide collateral under commodity contracts having an objectively determinable collateral provision that are in net liability positions and are not fully collateralized with cash. In connection with managing its commodity risks, PNM enters into master agreements with certain counterparties. If PNM is in a net liability position under an agreement, some agreements provide that the counterparties can request collateral if PNM’s credit rating is downgraded; other agreements provide that the counterparty may request collateral to provide it with “adequate assurance” that PNM will perform; and others have no provision for collateral. At March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, PNM had no such contracts in a net liability position.

The carrying amounts reflected on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets approximate fair value for cash, receivables, and payables due to the short period of maturity. Investment securities are carried at fair value. Investment securities consist of PNM assets held in the NDT for its share of decommissioning costs of PVNGS and trusts for PNM’s share of final reclamation costs related to the coal mines serving SJGS and Four Corners. See Note 11. At March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the fair value of investment securities included $364.1 million and $394.5 million for the NDT and $67.0 million and $68.6 million for the mine reclamation trusts.

PNM records a realized loss as an impairment for any available-for-sale debt security that has a fair value that is less than its carrying value. At March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, PNM had no available-for-sale debt securities for which carrying value exceeds fair value and there are no impairments considered to be “other than temporary” that are included in AOCI and not recognized in earnings. All gains and losses resulting from sales and changes in the fair value of equity securities are recognized immediately in earnings. Gains and losses recognized on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings related to investment securities in the NDT and reclamation trusts are presented in the following table:


	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
		2022		2021
		(In thousands)
Equity securities:
Net gains from equity securities sold		$	5,006	$	2,022
Net (losses) from equity securities still held		(22,035)		(3,166)
Total net (losses) on equity securities		(17,029)		(1,144)
Available-for-sale debt securities:


Net gains (losses) on debt securities		(9,544)		2,112
Net gains (losses) on investment securities		$	(26,573)	$	968

The proceeds and gross realized gains and losses on the disposition of securities held in the NDT and coal mine reclamation trusts are shown in the following table. Realized gains and losses are determined by specific identification of costs of securities sold. Gross realized losses shown below exclude the (increase)/decrease in realized impairment losses of $(8.9) million and $1.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021.

The Company determines the fair values of its derivative and other financial instruments based on the hierarchy which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. There are three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value. Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the reporting entity has the ability to access at the measurement date. Level 2 inputs are inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.

For investment securities, Level 2 and Level 3 fair values are provided by fund managers utilizing a pricing service. For Level 2 fair values, the pricing provider predominantly uses the market approach using bid side market values based upon a hierarchy of information for specific securities or securities with similar characteristics. Fair values of Level 2 investments in mutual funds are equal to net asset value. For commodity derivatives, Level 2 fair values are determined based on market observable inputs, which are validated using multiple broker quotes, including forward price, volatility, and interest rate curves to establish expectations of future prices. Credit valuation adjustments are made for estimated credit losses based on the overall exposure to each counterparty. For the Company’s long-term debt, Level 2 fair values are provided by an external pricing service. The pricing service primarily utilizes quoted prices for similar debt in active markets when determining fair value. The valuation of Level 3 investments, when applicable, requires significant judgment by the pricing provider due to the absence of quoted market values, changes in market conditions, and the long-term nature of the assets. The Company has no Level 3 investments as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021. Management of the Company independently verifies the information provided by pricing services.


			GAAP Fair Value Hierarchy
	Total		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Unrealized Gains
	(In thousands)
March 31, 2022
Cash and cash equivalents	$	13,935	$	13,935	$	—
Equity securities:
Corporate stocks, common	84,240		84,240		—
Corporate stocks, preferred	8,253		3,349		4,904
Mutual funds and other	69,476		69,476		—
Available-for-sale debt securities:
U.S. government	56,695		53,720		2,975		$	283
International government	13,004		—		13,004		832
Municipals	43,828		—		43,828		227
Corporate and other	141,666		—		141,666		6,398
	$	431,097	$	224,720	$	206,377	$	7,740





	Total		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Unrealized Gains
	(In thousands)
December 31, 2021

Cash and cash equivalents	$	7,895	$	7,895	$	—
Equity securities:
Corporate stocks, common	97,626		97,626		—
Corporate stocks, preferred	9,114		3,775		5,339
Mutual funds and other	75,285		75,241		44
Available-for-sale debt securities:
U.S. government	43,128		13,204		29,924		$	214
International government	16,001		—		16,001		1,508
Municipals	47,050		—		47,050		1,807
Corporate and other	167,027		—		167,027		12,212
	$	463,126	$	197,741	$	265,385	$	15,741