Generation has a legal obligation to decommission its nuclear power plants following the expiration of their operating licenses. To estimate its decommissioning obligation related to its nuclear generating stations for financial accounting and reporting purposes, Generation uses a probability-weighted, discounted cash flow model which, on a unit-by-unit basis, considers multiple outcome scenarios that include significant estimates and assumptions, and are based on decommissioning cost studies, cost escalation rates, probabilistic cash flow models, and discount rates. Generation updates its ARO annually unless circumstances warrant more frequent updates, based on its review of updated cost studies and its annual evaluation of cost escalation factors and probabilities assigned to various scenarios. Generation began decommissioning the TMI nuclear plant upon permanently ceasing operations in 2019. See below section for decommissioning of Zion Station.

The financial statement impact for changes in the ARO, on an individual unit basis, due to the changes in and timing of estimated cash flows generally result in a corresponding change in the unit’s ARC within Property, plant, and equipment on Exelon’s and Generation’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. If the ARO decreases for a Non-Regulatory Agreement unit without any remaining ARC, the corresponding change is recorded as decrease in Operating and maintenance expense within Exelon’s and Generation’s Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income.


Nuclear decommissioning ARO at January 1, 2019	$	10,005
Net increase due to changes in, and timing of, estimated future cash flows	864
Sale of Oyster Creek	(755)
Accretion expense	479
Costs incurred related to decommissioning plants	(89)
Nuclear decommissioning ARO at December 31, 2019(a)	10,504
Net increase due to changes in, and timing of, estimated future cash flows	1,022
Accretion Expense	489
Costs incurred related to decommissioning plants	(93)
Nuclear decommissioning ARO at December 31, 2020(a)	$	11,922

The 2019 ARO updates resulted in a decrease of $150 million in Operating and maintenance expense for the year ended December 31, 2019 within Exelon and Generation's Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income. See Note 7 — Early Plant Retirements for additional information regarding TMI and economically challenged nuclear plants and Note 3 — Regulatory Matters regarding the Peach Bottom second license renewal.

The NDT funds associated with Generation's nuclear units have been funded with amounts collected from the previous owners and their respective utility customers. PECO is authorized to collect funds, in revenues, for decommissioning the former PECO nuclear plants through regulated rates, and these collections are scheduled through the operating lives of the former PECO plants. The amounts collected from PECO customers are remitted to Generation and deposited into the NDT funds for the unit for which funds are collected. Every five years, PECO files a rate adjustment with the PAPUC that reflects PECO’s calculations of the estimated amount needed to decommission each of the former PECO units based on updated fund balances and estimated decommissioning costs. The rate adjustment is used to determine the amount collectible from PECO customers. On March 31, 2017, PECO filed its Nuclear Decommissioning Cost Adjustment with the PAPUC proposing an annual recovery from customers of approximately $4 million. This amount reflects a decrease from the previously approved annual collection of approximately $24 million primarily due to the removal of the collections for Limerick Units 1 and 2 as a result of the NRC approving the extension of the operating licenses for an additional 20 years. On August 8, 2017, the PAPUC approved the filing and the new rates became effective January 1, 2018.

Any shortfall of funds necessary for decommissioning, determined for each generating station unit, is ultimately required to be funded by Generation, with the exception of a shortfall for the current decommissioning activities at Zion Station, where certain decommissioning activities have been transferred to a third-party (see Zion Station Decommissioning below) and the CENG units, where any shortfall is required to be funded by both Generation and EDF. Generation, through PECO, has recourse to collect additional amounts from PECO customers related to a shortfall of NDT funds for the former PECO units, subject to certain limitations and thresholds, as prescribed by an order from the PAPUC. Generally, PECO, and likewise Generation will not be allowed to collect amounts associated with the first $50 million of any shortfall of trust funds compared to decommissioning costs, as well as 5% of any additional shortfalls, on an aggregate basis for all former PECO units. The initial $50 million and up to 5% of any additional shortfalls would be borne by Generation. No recourse exists to collect additional amounts from utility customers for any of Generation's other nuclear units. With respect to the former ComEd and PECO units, any funds remaining in the NDTs after all decommissioning has been completed are required to be refunded to ComEd’s or PECO’s customers, subject to certain limitations that allow sharing of excess funds with Generation related to the former PECO units. With respect to Generation's other nuclear units, Generation retains any funds remaining after decommissioning. However, in connection with CENG's acquisition of the Nine Mile Point and Ginna plants and settlements with certain regulatory agencies, CENG is subject to certain conditions pertaining to NDT funds that, if met, could possibly result in obligations to make payments to certain third parties (clawbacks). For Nine Mile Point and Ginna, the clawback provisions are triggered only in the event

that the required decommissioning activities are discontinued or not started or completed in a timely manner. In the event that the clawback provisions are triggered for Nine Mile Point, then, depending upon the triggering event, an amount equal to 50% of the total amount withdrawn from the funds for non-decommissioning activities or 50% of any excess funds in the trust funds above the amounts required for decommissioning (including spent fuel management and decommissioning) is to be paid to the Nine Mile Point sellers. In the event that the clawback provisions are triggered for Ginna, then an amount equal to any estimated cost savings realized by not completing any of the required decommissioning activities is to be paid to the Ginna sellers. Generation expects to comply with applicable regulations and timely commence and complete all required decommissioning activities.

At December 31, 2020 and 2019, Exelon and Generation had NDT funds totaling $14,599 million and $13,353 million, respectively. The NDT funds include $134 million and $163 million for the current portion of the NDT at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, which are included in Other current assets in Exelon's and Generation's Consolidated Balance Sheets. See Note 24 — Supplemental Financial Information for additional information on activities of the NDT funds.

Based on the regulatory agreements with the ICC and PAPUC that dictate Generation’s obligations related to the shortfall or excess of NDT funds necessary for decommissioning the former ComEd units on a unit-by-unit basis and the former PECO units in total, decommissioning-related activities net of applicable taxes, including realized and unrealized gains and losses on the NDT funds, depreciation of the ARC, and accretion of the decommissioning obligation, are generally offset within Exelon’s and Generation’s Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income and are recorded by Generation and the corresponding regulated utility as a component of the intercompany and regulatory balances on the balance sheet. For the purposes of making this determination, the decommissioning obligation referred to is different, as described below, from the calculation used in the NRC minimum funding obligation filings based on NRC guidelines.

For the former PECO units, given the symmetric settlement provisions that allow for continued recovery of decommissioning costs from PECO customers in the event of a shortfall and the obligation for Generation to ultimately return any excess funds to PECO customers (on an aggregate basis for all seven units), decommissioning-related activities are generally offset within Exelon’s and Generation’s Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income regardless of whether the NDT funds are expected to exceed or fall short of the total estimated decommissioning obligation. The offset of decommissioning-related activities within the Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income results in an equal adjustment to the noncurrent payables or noncurrent receivables to affiliates at Generation with PECO recording an equal noncurrent affiliate receivable from or payable to Generation and a corresponding regulatory liability or regulatory asset. Any changes to the existing PECO regulatory agreements could impact Exelon’s and Generation’s ability to offset decommissioning-related activities within the Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income, and the impact to Exelon’s and Generation’s financial statements could be material.

For the former ComEd units, given no further recovery from ComEd customers is permitted and Generation retains an obligation to ultimately return any unused NDTs to ComEd customers (on a unit-by-unit basis), to the extent the related NDT investment balances are expected to exceed the total estimated decommissioning obligation for each unit, the offset of decommissioning-related activities within the Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income results with Generation recognizing an intercompany payable to ComEd while ComEd records an intercompany receivable from Generation with a corresponding regulatory liability. However, given the asymmetric settlement provision that does not allow for continued recovery from ComEd customers in the event of a shortfall, recognition of a regulatory asset at ComEd is not permissible and accounting for decommissioning-related activities at Generation for that unit would not be offset, and the impact to Exelon’s and Generation’s Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income could be material during such periods.

Generation had retained its obligation for the SNF as well as certain NDT assets to fund its obligation to maintain the SNF at Zion Station until transfer to the DOE and to complete all remaining decommissioning activities for the SNF storage facility. Any shortage of funds necessary to maintain the SNF and decommission the SNF storage facility is ultimately required to be funded by Generation. As of December 31, 2020, the ARO associated with Zion's SNF storage facility is $175 million and the NDT funds available to fund this obligation are $66 million.

NRC regulations require that licensees of nuclear generating facilities demonstrate reasonable assurance that funds will be available in specified minimum amounts to decommission the facility at the end of its life. The estimated decommissioning obligations as calculated using the NRC methodology differ from the ARO recorded in Generation’s and Exelon’s Consolidated Balance Sheets primarily due to differences in the type of costs included in the estimates, the basis for estimating such costs, and assumptions regarding the decommissioning alternatives to be used, potential license renewals, decommissioning cost escalation, and the growth rate in the NDT funds. Under NRC regulations, if the minimum funding requirements calculated under the NRC methodology are less than the future value of the NDT funds, also calculated under the NRC methodology, then the NRC requires either further funding or other financial guarantees.

Key assumptions used in the minimum funding calculation using the NRC methodology at December 31, 2020 include: (1) consideration of costs only for the removal of radiological contamination at each unit; (2) the option on a unit-by-unit basis to use generic, non-site specific cost estimates; (3) consideration of only one decommissioning scenario for each unit; (4) the plants cease operation at the end of their current license lives (with no assumed license renewals for those units that have not already received renewals); (5) the assumption of current nominal dollar cost estimates that are neither escalated through the anticipated period of decommissioning, nor discounted using the CARFR; and (6) assumed annual after-tax returns on the NDT funds of 2% (3% for the former PECO units, as specified by the PAPUC).

In contrast, the key criteria and assumptions used by Generation to determine the ARO and to forecast the target growth in the NDT funds at December 31, 2020 include: (1) the use of site specific cost estimates that are updated at least once every five years; (2) the inclusion in the ARO estimate of all legally unavoidable costs required to decommission the unit (e.g., radiological decommissioning and full site restoration for certain units, on-site spent fuel maintenance and storage subsequent to ceasing operations and until DOE acceptance, and disposal of certain LLRW); (3) the consideration of multiple scenarios where decommissioning and site restoration activities, as applicable, are completed under possible scenarios ranging from 10 to 70 years after the cessation of plant operations; (4) the consideration of multiple end of life scenarios; (5) the measurement of the obligation at the present value of the future estimated costs and an annual average accretion of the ARO of approximately 4% through a period of approximately 30 years after the end of the extended lives of the units; and (6) an estimated targeted annual pre-tax return on the NDT funds of 5.6% to 6.1% (as compared to a historical 5-year annual average pre-tax return of approximately 9.0%).

Generation is required to provide to the NRC a biennial report by unit (annually for units that have been retired or are within five years of the current approved license life), based on values as of December 31, addressing Generation’s ability to meet the NRC minimum funding levels. Depending on the value of the trust funds, Generation may be required to take steps, such as providing financial guarantees through letters of credit or parent company guarantees or making additional contributions to the trusts, which could be significant, to ensure that the trusts are adequately funded and that NRC minimum funding requirements are met. As a result, Exelon’s and Generation’s cash flows and financial positions may be significantly adversely affected.

Generation filed its biennial decommissioning funding status report with the NRC on April 1, 2019 for all units, including its shutdown units, except for Zion Station which is included in a separate report to the NRC submitted by ZionSolutions, LLC. The status report demonstrated adequate decommissioning funding assurance as of December 31, 2018 for all units except for Clinton and Peach Bottom Unit 1. As of February 28, 2019, Clinton demonstrated adequate minimum funding assurance due to market recovery and no further action is required. This demonstration was also included in the April 1, 2019 submittal. On March 31, 2020, Generation filed its annual decommissioning funding status report with the NRC for Generation’s shutdown units (excluding Zion Station for the reason noted above). The annual status report demonstrated adequate decommissioning funding assurance as of December 31, 2019, for all of its shutdown reactors except for Peach Bottom Unit 1. As a former PECO plant, financial assurance for decommissioning Peach Bottom Unit 1 is provided by the NDT fund, collections from PECO ratepayers, and the ability to adjust those collections in accordance with the approved PAPUC tariff. No additional actions are required aside from the PAPUC filing in accordance with the tariff.

Generation will file its next decommissioning funding status report with the NRC by March 31, 2021. This report will reflect the status of decommissioning funding assurance as of December 31, 2020 and will include the 2021 early retirements of Byron and Dresden. A shortfall could require Exelon to post parental guarantee for Generation’s share of the funding assurance. However, the amount of any required guarantee will ultimately depend on the decommissioning approach adopted at Byron and Dresden, the associated level of costs, and the decommissioning trust fund investment performance going forward.

As the future values of trust funds change due to market conditions, the NRC minimum funding status of Generation’s units will change. In addition, if changes occur to the regulatory agreement with the PAPUC that currently allows amounts to be collected from PECO customers for decommissioning the former PECO units, the NRC minimum funding status of those plants could change at subsequent NRC filing dates.

Generation has AROs for plant closure costs associated with its fossil and renewable generating facilities, including asbestos abatement, removal of certain storage tanks, restoring leased land to the condition it was in prior to construction of renewable generating stations and other decommissioning-related activities. The Utility Registrants have AROs primarily associated with the abatement and disposal of equipment and buildings contaminated with asbestos and PCBs. See Note 1 — Significant Accounting Policies for additional information on the Registrants’ accounting policy for AROs.


	Exelon		Generation		ComEd		PECO		BGE		PHI		Pepco		DPL		ACE
Non-nuclear AROs at January 1, 2019	$	471	$	238	$	121	$	28	$	25	$	52	$	37	$	11	$	4
Net increase (decrease) due to changes in, and timing of, estimated future cash flows	17		7		8		—		(2)		4		3		1		—
Development projects	2		2		—		—		—		—		—		—		—
Accretion expense(a)	16		12		1		1		1		1		1		—		—
Asset divestitures	(42)		(42)		—		—		—		—		—		—		—
Payments	(4)		(1)		(1)		(1)		(1)		—		—		—		—
Non-nuclear AROs at December 31, 2019	460		216		129		28		23		57		41		12		4
Net increase (decrease) due to changes in, and timing of, estimated future cash flows	7		2		—		2		1		1		(3)		2		2
Development projects	1		1		—		—		—		—		—		—		—
Accretion expense(a)	16		11		1		1		1		1		1		—		—
Asset divestitures	(4)		(4)		—		—		—		—		—		—		—
Payments	(9)		(4)		(1)		(2)		(2)		—		—		—		—
AROs reclassified to liabilities held for sale(b)	(10)		(10)		—		—		—		—		—		—		—
Non-nuclear AROs at December 31, 2020	$	461	$	212	$	129	$	29	$	23	$	59	$	39	$	14	$	6