Mergers, Acquisitions, and Dispositions (Exelon and Generation)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2021

Mergers, Acquisitions, and Dispositions [Abstract]

Mergers, Acquisitions, and Dispositions (Exelon and Generation)

Mergers, Acquisitions, and Dispositions (Exelon and Generation)

CENG Put Option (Exelon and Generation)

Generation owns a 50.01% membership interest in CENG, a joint venture with EDF, which wholly owns the Calvert Cliffs and Ginna nuclear stations and Nine Mile Point Unit 1, in addition to an 82% undivided ownership interest in Nine Mile Point Unit 2. CENG is 100% consolidated in Exelon's and Generation's financial statements. See Note 17 — Variable Interest Entities for additional information.

On April 1, 2014, Generation and EDF entered into various agreements including a NOSA, an amended LLC Operating Agreement, an Employee Matters Agreement, and a Put Option Agreement, among others. Under the amended LLC Operating Agreement, CENG made a $400 million special distribution to EDF and committed to make preferred distributions to Generation until Generation has received aggregate distributions of $400 million plus a return of 8.50% per annum.

Under the terms of the Put Option Agreement, EDF has the option to sell its 49.99% equity interest in CENG to Generation exercisable beginning on January 1, 2016 and thereafter until June 30, 2022. The Put Option Agreement’s terms also provide that in the event the put closing has not been completed prior to the 18-month anniversary of the exercise date, EDF may withdraw its exercise notice. In the event of a withdrawal, EDF retains the right to exercise the put option until the later of June 30, 2022 and 18 months following the date of withdrawal, but in no event later than January 1, 2024. EDF is not entitled to this withdrawal right in the event it breaches any provision of the Put Option Agreement that results in the failure of the put to close on or before the 18-month anniversary of the exercise date.

The Put Option Agreement provides that the purchase price is to be determined by agreement of the parties, or absent such agreement, by a third-party arbitration process. The third parties determining fair market value of EDF’s 49.99% interest are to take into consideration all rights and obligations under the LLC Operating Agreement and Employee Matters Agreement including but not limited to Generation’s rights with respect to any unpaid aggregate preferred distributions and the related return. As of June 30, 2021, the total unpaid aggregate preferred distributions and related return owed to Generation is $645 million. 

On November 20, 2019, Generation received notice of EDF’s intention to exercise the put option to sell its interest in CENG to Generation, and the put automatically exercised on January 19, 2020 at the end of the sixty-day advance notice period. At this time, Generation cannot reasonably predict the ultimate purchase price that will be paid to EDF for its interest in CENG. The transaction required approval by the FERC and the NYPSC, which approvals were received on July 30, 2020 and April 15, 2021, respectively. The sale process is currently expected to close in the second half of 2021. EDF has not exercised its right to withdraw the exercise of the put, which right became effective on July 19, 2021.

Agreement for Sale of Generation’s Solar Business (Exelon and Generation)

On December 8, 2020, Generation entered into an agreement with an affiliate of Brookfield Renewable, for the sale of a significant portion of Generation’s solar business, including 360 MW of generation in operation or under construction across more than 600 sites across the United States. Generation will retain certain solar assets not included in this agreement, primarily Antelope Valley.

Completion of the transaction contemplated by the sale agreement was subject to the satisfaction of several closing conditions which were satisfied in the first quarter of 2021. The sale was completed on March 31, 2021 for a purchase price of $810 million. Generation received cash proceeds of $675 million, net of $125 million long-term debt assumed by the buyer and certain working capital and other post-closing adjustments. Exelon and

Generation recognized a pre-tax gain of $68 million which is included in Gain on sales of assets and businesses in Exelon’s and Generation’s Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income.

See Note 17 — Debt and Credit Agreements of the Exelon 2020 Form 10-K for additional information on the SolGen nonrecourse debt included as part of the transaction.

Agreement for the Sale of a Generation Biomass Facility (Exelon and Generation)

On April 28, 2021, Generation and ReGenerate Energy Holdings, LLC (“ReGenerate”) entered into a purchase agreement, under which ReGenerate agreed to purchase Generation’s interest in the Albany Green Energy biomass facility. As a result, in the second quarter of 2021, Exelon and Generation recorded a pre-tax impairment charge of $140 million within Operating and maintenance expense in Exelon’s and Generation’s Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income. Completion of the transaction was subject to the satisfaction of various customary closing conditions which were satisfied in the second quarter of 2021. The sale was completed on June 30, 2021 for a net purchase price of $36 million.