Variable Interest Entities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 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.

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 years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, PNM paid $19.5 million, $19.8 million, and $20.0 million for fixed charges and $1.9 million, $1.9 million, and $1.4 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 Consolidated Financial Statements of PNM although PNM has no legal ownership interest or voting control of the VIE. The assets and liabilities of Valencia are set forth below and are not shown separately on the 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
	Year Ended December 31
	2022		2021		2020
	(In thousands)
Operating revenues	$	21,403	$	21,624	$	21,297
Operating expenses	6,281		6,134		7,284
Earnings attributable to non-controlling interest	$	15,122	$	15,490	$	14,013


Financial Position
	December 31,
	2022		2021
	(In thousands)
Current assets	$	3,429	$	3,042
Net property, plant and equipment	50,094		52,908
Total assets	53,523		55,950
Current liabilities	529		545
Owners’ equity – non-controlling interest	$	52,994	$	55,405

Westmoreland San Juan Mining, LLC

As discussed in the subheading Coal Supply in Note 16, PNM purchased coal for SJGS under the SJGS CSA. PNM and Westmoreland also entered into agreements under which CCR disposal and mine reclamation services for SJGS would be provided. 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. See Note 16.

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 the reclamation services agreement provides WSJ LLC the ability to recover the cost of reclamation. Additionally, much of the mine reclamation activities are being performed after the SJGS CSA expired on September 30, 2022. As discussed in Note 16, 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 had the ability to direct its mining operations and reclamation services, which are the factors that most significantly impact the economic performance of WSJ LLC. Other than PNM being able to ensure that coal was supplied in adequate quantities and of sufficient quality to provide the fuel necessary to operate SJGS in a normal manner and monitoring of reclamation activities, the mining operations and reclamation services were solely under the control of WSJ LLC, including developing mining and reclamation plans, hiring of personnel, and incurring operating and maintenance expenses. Neither PNMR nor PNM had any ability to direct or influence the mining operation or reclamation activities. PNM’s involvement through the SJGS CSA and the reclamation services agreement is a protective right rather than a participating right and WSJ LLC still has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of WSJ LLC. The SJGS CSA required WSJ LLC to deliver coal to fuel SJGS in exchange for payment of a set price per ton, which escalated over time for inflation. The reclamation services agreement requires WSJ LLC to perform reclamation services at a base price per activity, which escalates over time for inflation. If WSJ LLC had been able to mine or perform reclamation services more efficiently than anticipated, its economic performance would improve. Conversely, if WSJ LLC had not been able to mine or does not perform reclamation services as efficiently as anticipated, its economic performance would 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 continue to be PNMR’s maximum exposure to loss from the VIE at December 31, 2022.