Derivative Instruments

Types of Derivative Instruments and Volumetric Information

Commodity Instruments — We are exposed to changes in prices for the purchase and sale of power, natural gas, environmental products and other energy commodities. We use derivatives, which include physical commodity contracts and financial commodity instruments such as OTC and exchange traded swaps, futures, options, forward agreements and instruments that settle on the power price to natural gas price relationships (Heat Rate swaps and options) or instruments that settle on power price relationships between delivery points for the purchase and sale of power and natural gas to attempt to maximize the risk-adjusted returns by economically hedging a portion of the commodity price risk associated with our assets. By entering into these transactions, we are able to economically hedge a portion of our Spark Spread at estimated generation and prevailing price levels.

We also engage in limited trading activities, as authorized by our Board of Directors and monitored by our Chief Risk Officer and Risk Management Committee of senior management, related to our commodity derivative portfolio which exposes us to certain market risks that are segregated from the market risks of our underlying asset portfolio. These transactions are executed primarily for the purpose of providing improved price and price volatility discovery, greater market access, and profiting from our market knowledge, all of which benefit our asset hedging activities. Our trading gains and losses were not material for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.

Interest Rate Swaps — A portion of our debt is indexed to base rates, primarily LIBOR. We have historically used interest rate swaps to adjust the mix between fixed and floating rate debt to hedge our interest rate risk for potential adverse changes in interest rates. As of March 31, 2015, the maximum length of time over which we were hedging using interest rate derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges was 9 years.

As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the net forward notional buy (sell) position of our outstanding commodity and interest rate swap contracts that did not qualify or were not designated under the normal purchase normal sale exemption were as follows (in millions):



Derivative Instruments	Notional Amounts
Derivative Instruments	March 31, 2015			December 31, 2014
Power (MWh)	(79		)	(62		)
Natural gas (MMBtu)	693			291
Environmental credits (Tonnes)	1			—
Interest rate swaps	$	1,419		$	1,431

Certain of our derivative instruments contain credit risk-related contingent provisions that require us to maintain collateral balances consistent with our credit ratings. If our credit rating were to be downgraded, it could require us to post additional collateral or could potentially allow our counterparty to request immediate, full settlement on certain derivative instruments in liability positions. Currently, we do not believe that it is probable that any additional collateral posted as a result of a one credit notch downgrade from its current level would be material. The aggregate fair value of our derivative liabilities with credit risk-related contingent provisions as of March 31, 2015, was $16 million for which we have posted collateral of $10 million by posting margin deposits or granting additional first priority liens on the assets currently subject to first priority liens under our First Lien Notes, First Lien Term Loans and Corporate Revolving Facility. However, if our credit rating were downgraded by one notch from its current level, we estimate that additional collateral of $8 million would be required and that no counterparty could request immediate, full settlement.

Accounting for Derivative Instruments

We recognize all derivative instruments that qualify for derivative accounting treatment as either assets or liabilities and measure those instruments at fair value unless they qualify for, and we elect, the normal purchase normal sale exemption. For transactions in which we elect the normal purchase normal sale exemption, gains and losses are not reflected on our Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations until the period of delivery. Revenues and expenses derived from instruments that qualified for hedge accounting or represent an economic hedge are recorded in the same financial statement line item as the item being hedged. Hedge accounting requires us to formally document, designate and assess the effectiveness of transactions that receive hedge accounting. We present the cash flows from our derivatives in the same category as the item being hedged (or economically hedged) within operating activities or investing activities on our Consolidated Condensed Statements of Cash Flows unless they contain an other-than-insignificant financing element in which case their cash flows are classified within financing activities.

Cash Flow Hedges — We report the effective portion of the mark-to-market gain or loss on a derivative instrument designated and qualifying as a cash flow hedging instrument as a component of OCI and reclassify such gains and losses into earnings in the same period during which the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings. During the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, we did not have any commodity derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges. Gains and losses due to ineffectiveness on interest rate hedging instruments are recognized currently in earnings as a component of interest expense. If it is determined that the forecasted transaction is no longer probable of occurring, then hedge accounting will be discontinued prospectively and future changes in fair value are recorded in earnings. If the hedging instrument is terminated or de-designated prior to the occurrence of the hedged forecasted transaction, the net accumulated gain or loss associated with the changes in fair value of the hedge instrument remains deferred in AOCI until such time as the forecasted transaction impacts earnings or until it is determined that the forecasted transaction is probable of not occurring.

Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments — We enter into power, natural gas, interest rate and environmental product transactions that primarily act as economic hedges to our asset and interest rate portfolio, but either do not qualify as hedges under the hedge accounting guidelines or qualify under the hedge accounting guidelines and the hedge accounting designation has not been elected. Changes in fair value of commodity derivatives not designated as hedging instruments are recognized currently in earnings and are separately stated on our Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations in mark-to-market gain/loss as a component of operating revenues (for power and Heat Rate swaps and options) and fuel and purchased energy expense (for natural gas contracts, environmental product contracts, swaps and options). Changes in fair value of interest rate derivatives not designated as hedging instruments are recognized currently in earnings as interest expense.

Derivatives Included on Our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets

The following tables present the fair values of our derivative instruments recorded on our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets by location and hedge type at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 (in millions):



	March 31, 2015
	Commodity Instruments		Interest Rate Swaps			Total Derivative Instruments
Balance Sheet Presentation
Current derivative assets	$	1,858	$	—		$	1,858
Long-term derivative assets	707		4			711
Total derivative assets	$	2,565	$	4		$	2,569

Current derivative liabilities	$	1,600	$	43		$	1,643
Long-term derivative liabilities	497		75			572
Total derivative liabilities	$	2,097	$	118		$	2,215
Net derivative asset (liabilities)	$	468	$	(114	)	$	354



	December 31, 2014
	Commodity Instruments		Interest Rate Swaps			Total Derivative Instruments
Balance Sheet Presentation
Current derivative assets	$	2,058	$	—		$	2,058
Long-term derivative assets	435		4			439
Total derivative assets	$	2,493	$	4		$	2,497

Current derivative liabilities	$	1,738	$	44		$	1,782
Long-term derivative liabilities	374		70			444
Total derivative liabilities	$	2,112	$	114		$	2,226
Net derivative asset (liabilities)	$	381	$	(110	)	$	271



	March 31, 2015				December 31, 2014
	Fair Value of Derivative Assets		Fair Value of Derivative Liabilities		Fair Value of Derivative Assets		Fair Value of Derivative Liabilities
Derivatives designated as cash flow hedging instruments:
Interest rate swaps	$	4	$	117	$	4	$	112
Total derivatives designated as cash flow hedging instruments	$	4	$	117	$	4	$	112

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Commodity instruments	$	2,565	$	2,097	$	2,493	$	2,112
Interest rate swaps	—		1		—		2
Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments	$	2,565	$	2,098	$	2,493	$	2,114
Total derivatives	$	2,569	$	2,215	$	2,497	$	2,226

We elected not to offset fair value amounts recognized as derivative instruments on our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets that are executed with the same counterparty under master netting arrangements or other contractual netting provisions negotiated with the counterparty. Our netting arrangements include a right to set off or net together purchases and sales of similar products in the margining or settlement process. In some instances, we have also negotiated cross commodity netting rights which allow for the net presentation of activity with a given counterparty regardless of product purchased or sold. We also post cash collateral in support of our derivative instruments which may also be subject to a master netting arrangement with the same counterparty. The tables below set forth our net exposure to derivative instruments after offsetting amounts subject to a master netting arrangement with the same counterparty at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 (in millions):



	March 31, 2015
	Gross Amounts Not Offset on the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets
	Gross Amounts Presented on our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets			Derivative Asset (Liability) not Offset on the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets			Margin/Cash (Received) Posted⁽¹⁾			Net Amount
Derivative assets:
Commodity exchange traded futures and swaps contracts	$	2,037		$	(1,810	)	$	(227	)	$	—
Commodity forward contracts	528			(263		)	(1		)	264
Interest rate swaps	4			—			—			4
Total derivative assets	$	2,569		$	(2,073	)	$	(228	)	$	268
Derivative (liabilities):
Commodity exchange traded futures and swaps contracts	$	(1,814	)	$	1,810		$	4		$	—
Commodity forward contracts	(283		)	263			10			(10		)
Interest rate swaps	(118		)	—			—			(118		)
Total derivative (liabilities)	$	(2,215	)	$	2,073		$	14		$	(128	)
Net derivative assets (liabilities)	$	354		$	—		$	(214	)	$	140



	December 31, 2014
	Gross Amounts Not Offset on the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets
	Gross Amounts Presented on our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets			Derivative Asset (Liability) not Offset on the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets			Margin/Cash (Received) Posted⁽¹⁾			Net Amount
Derivative assets:
Commodity exchange traded futures and swaps contracts	$	2,134		$	(1,865	)	$	(269	)	$	—
Commodity forward contracts	359			(222		)	—			137
Interest rate swaps	4			—			—			4
Total derivative assets	$	2,497		$	(2,087	)	$	(269	)	$	141
Derivative (liabilities):
Commodity exchange traded futures and swaps contracts	$	(1,870	)	$	1,865		$	5		$	—
Commodity forward contracts	(242		)	222			10			(10		)
Interest rate swaps	(114		)	—			—			(114		)
Total derivative (liabilities)	$	(2,226	)	$	2,087		$	15		$	(124	)
Net derivative assets (liabilities)	$	271		$	—		$	(254	)	$	17

____________

(1)

Negative balances represent margin deposits posted with us by our counterparties related to our derivative activities that are subject to a master netting arrangement. Positive balances reflect margin deposits and natural gas and power prepayments posted by us with our counterparties related to our derivative activities that are subject to a master netting arrangement. See Note 6 for a further discussion of our collateral.

Derivatives Included on Our Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations

Changes in the fair values of our derivative instruments (both assets and liabilities) are reflected either in cash for option premiums paid or collected, in OCI, net of tax, for the effective portion of derivative instruments which qualify for and we have elected cash flow hedge accounting treatment, or on our Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations as a component of mark-to-market activity within our earnings.

The following tables detail the components of our total activity for both the net realized gain (loss) and the net mark-to-market gain (loss) recognized from our derivative instruments in earnings and where these components were recorded on our Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations for the periods indicated (in millions):



	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2015		2014
Realized gain (loss)⁽¹⁾
Commodity derivative instruments	$	59	$	(39	)
Total realized gain (loss)	$	59	$	(39	)

Mark-to-market gain (loss)⁽²⁾
Commodity derivative instruments	$	70	$	(73	)
Interest rate swaps	1		1
Total mark-to-market gain (loss)	$	71	$	(72	)
Total activity, net	$	130	$	(111	)

___________


(1)	Does not include the realized value associated with derivative instruments that settle through physical delivery.


(2)	In addition to changes in market value on derivatives not designated as hedges, changes in mark-to-market gain (loss) also includes de-designation of interest rate swap cash flow hedges and related reclassification from AOCI into earnings, hedge ineffectiveness and adjustments to reflect changes in credit default risk exposure.



	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2015		2014
Realized and mark-to-market gain (loss)
Derivatives contracts included in operating revenues	$	119	$	(237	)
Derivatives contracts included in fuel and purchased energy expense	10		125
Interest rate swaps included in interest expense	1		1
Total activity, net	$	130	$	(111	)

Derivatives Included in OCI and AOCI

We do not have any commodity derivative instruments that were designated as cash flow hedges during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014. The following table details the effect of our net derivative instruments that qualified for hedge accounting treatment and are included in OCI and AOCI for the periods indicated (in millions):



	Three Months Ended March 31,					Three Months Ended March 31,
	Gain (Loss) Recognized in OCI (Effective Portion)					Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)⁽³⁾⁽⁴⁾
	2015			2014		2015			2014			Affected Line Item on the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations
Interest rate swaps⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾	$	(6	)	$	—	$	(12	)	$	(13	)	Interest expense

____________


(1)	We did not record any gain (loss) on hedge ineffectiveness related to our interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.


(2)	We recorded an income tax expense of nil for each of the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, in AOCI related to our cash flow hedging activities.


(3)	Cumulative cash flow hedge losses attributable to Calpine, net of tax, remaining in AOCI were $154 million and $149 million at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. Cumulative cash flow hedge losses attributable to the noncontrolling interest, net of tax, remaining in AOCI were $13 million and $12 million at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.


(4)	Includes a loss of nil and $5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, that was reclassified from AOCI to interest expense, where the hedged transactions are no longer expected to occur.

We estimate that pre-tax net losses of $46 million would be reclassified from AOCI into interest expense during the next 12 months as the hedged transactions settle; however, the actual amounts that will be reclassified will likely vary based on changes in interest rates. Therefore, we are unable to predict what the actual reclassification from AOCI into earnings (positive or negative) will be for the next 12 months.