Commitments and Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

The following include commitments, contingencies and unresolved contingencies that are material to SPS’ financial position.

Legal

SPS is involved in various litigation matters in the ordinary course of business. The assessment of whether a loss is probable or is a reasonable possibility, and whether the loss or a range of loss is estimable, often involves a series of complex judgments about future events. Management maintains accruals for losses probable of being incurred and subject to reasonable estimation. Management is sometimes unable to estimate an amount or range of a reasonably possible loss in certain situations, including but not limited to, when (1) the damages sought are indeterminate, (2) the proceedings are in the early stages or (3) the matters involve novel or unsettled legal theories. In such cases, there is considerable uncertainty regarding the timing or ultimate resolution of such matters, including a possible eventual loss.

For current proceedings not specifically reported herein, management does not anticipate that the ultimate liabilities, if any, would have a material effect on SPS’ financial statements. Unless otherwise required by GAAP, legal fees are expensed as incurred.

Rate Matters and Other

SPP OATT Upgrade Costs — Under the SPP OATT, costs of transmission upgrades may be recovered from other SPP customers whose transmission service depends on capacity enabled by the upgrade. SPP had not been charging its customers for these upgrades, even though the SPP OATT had allowed SPP to do so since 2008. In 2016, the FERC granted SPP’s request to recover these previously unbilled charges and SPP subsequently billed SPS approximately $13 million.

In July 2018, SPS’ appeal to the D.C. Circuit over the FERC rulings granting SPP the right to recover these previously unbilled charges was remanded to the FERC. In February 2019, the FERC reversed its 2016 decision and ordered SPP to refund the charges retroactively collected from its transmission customers, including SPS, related to periods before September 2015.

In March 2020, SPP and Oklahoma Gas & Electric separately filed petitions for review of FERC’s orders at the D.C. Circuit. SPS has intervened in both appeals in support of FERC. Any refunds received by SPS are expected to be given back to SPS customers through future rates.

In October 2017, SPS filed a separate related complaint against SPP asserting that SPP has assessed upgrade charges to SPS in violation of the SPP OATT. In March 2018, the FERC issued an order denying the SPS complaint in its entirety and found SPP’s calculations to be consistent with the SPP Tariff. SPS filed a request for rehearing in April 2018. The FERC issued a tolling order granting a rehearing for further consideration in May 2018. If SPS’ complaint results in additional charges or refunds, SPS will seek to recover or refund the amounts through future SPS customer rates.

SPP Filing to Assign GridLiance Facilities to SPS Rate Zone — In August 2018, SPP filed a request with the FERC to amend its OATT to include the costs of the GridLiance High Plains, LLC facilities in the SPS rate zone. In a previous filing, the FERC determined that some of these facilities did not qualify as transmission facilities under the SPP OATT. SPP’s proposed tariff changes resulted in an increase in the annual transmission revenue requirement of $9.5 million per year, with $6 million allocated to SPS’ retail customers. The remaining $3.5 million would be paid by other wholesale loads in the SPS rate zone.On March 16, 2020, GridLiance also filed additional rate increases for 2020 which would raise their annual revenue requirement to $13.6 million, with approximately $8.7 million allocated to SPS’ retail customers. The hearing portion of this proceeding was concluded on Sept. 11, 2020. The initial post-hearing brief was filed on Oct. 27, 2020 and the administrative law judge’s decision on this case is expected on Feb. 3, 2021. The FERC will then rule on the judge’s decision and either sustain it, overturn it, or order further proceedings. SPS has incurred approximately $12.6 million in associated charges as of Sept. 30, 2020.

Contract Termination — SPS and Lubbock Power & Light are parties to a 25-year, 170 MW partial requirements contract. Lubbock Power & Light has initiated discussions with SPS concerning the interpretation of contractual terms related to early termination and default. If the parties are unable to reach resolution, the contract calls for the matter to proceed to arbitration.

Environmental

Manufactured Gas Plant, Landfill and Disposal Sites — SPS is currently remediating a former disposal site. SPS has recognized its best estimate of costs/liabilities that will result from final resolution of these issues, however, the outcome and timing is unknown. In addition, there may be insurance recovery and/or recovery from other potentially responsible parties, offsetting a portion of costs incurred.

VIEs

Under certain PPAs, SPS purchases power from IPPs for which SPS is required to reimburse fuel costs, or to participate in tolling arrangements under which SPS procures the natural gas required to produce the energy that it purchases. These specific PPAs create a variable interest in the IPP.

SPS had approximately 1,197 megawatts of capacity under long-term PPAs at Sept. 30, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2019 with entities that have been determined to be VIEs. SPS concluded that these entities are not required to be consolidated in its financial statements because it does not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entities’ economic performance. The PPAs have expiration dates through 2041.