Impairment of Long-lived Assets (Exelon and Generation)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Impaired Long-Lived Assets Held and Used [Line Items]

Impairment Of Long Lived Assets Held [Text Block]

8. Impairment of Long-Lived Assets (Exelon and Generation)

Long-Lived Assets (Exelon and Generation)

Generation evaluates long-lived assets for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. In the third quarter of 2013, lower projected wind production and a decline in power prices suggested that the carrying value of certain wind projects may be impaired. Generation concluded that the estimated undiscounted future cash flows and fair value of eleven wind projects, primarily located in West Texas and Minnesota, were less than their respective carrying values at September 30, 2013. The fair value analysis was primarily based on the income approach using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) including revenue and generation forecasts, projected capital and maintenance expenditures and discount rates. As a result, long-lived assets held and used with a carrying amount of approximately $75 million were written down to their fair value of $32 million and a pre-tax impairment charge of $43 million was recorded during the third quarter in operating and maintenance expense in Exelon's and Generation's Consolidated Statements of Operations. Of the $43 million, $4 million was attributable to non-controlling interests for certain of the wind projects.

Nuclear Uprate Program (Exelon and Generation)

Generation is engaged in individual projects as part of a planned power uprate program across its nuclear fleet. When economically viable, the projects take advantage of new production and measurement technologies, new materials and application of expertise gained from a half-century of nuclear power operations. Based on ongoing reviews, the nuclear uprate implementation plan was adjusted during 2013 to cancel certain projects.  The Measurement Uncertainty Recapture (MUR) uprate projects at the Dresden and Quad Cities nuclear stations were cancelled as a result of the cost of additional plant modifications identified during final design work which, when combined with then current market conditions,made the projects not economically viable.  Additionally, the market conditions prompted Generation to cancel the previously deferred extended power uprate projects at the LaSalle and Limerick nuclear stations. During 2013, Generation recorded a pre-tax charge to operating and maintenance expense and interest expense of approximately $111 million and $8 million, respectively, to accrue remaining costs and reverse the previously capitalized costs.

Like-Kind Exchange Transaction (Exelon)

Prior to the PECO/Unicom Merger in October 2000, UII, LLC (formerly Unicom Investments, Inc.) (UII), a wholly owned subsidiary of Exelon, entered into a like-kind exchange transaction pursuant to which approximately $1.6billion was invested in coal-fired generating station leases located in Georgia and Texas with two separate entities unrelated to Exelon. The generating stations were leased back to such entities as part of the transaction. See Note 14 – Income Taxes for further information. For financial accounting purposes, the investments are accounted for as direct financing lease investments. UII holds the leasehold interests in the generating stations in several separate bankruptcy remote, special purpose companies it directly or indirectly wholly owns. The lease agreements provide the lessees with fixed purchase options at the end of the lease terms. If the lessees do not exercise the fixed purchase options, Exelon has the ability to require the lessees to return the leasehold interests or to arrange for a third-party to bid on a service contract for a period following the lease term. If Exelon chooses the service contract option, the leasehold interests will be returned to Exelon at the end of the term of the service contract. In any event, Exelon will be subject to residual value risk if the lessees do not exercise the fixed purchase options. This risk is partially mitigated by the fair value of the scheduled payments under the service contract. However, such payments are not guaranteed.  Further, the term of the service contract is less than the expected remaining useful life of the plants and, therefore, Exelon's exposure to residual value risk will not be mitigated by payments under the service contract in this remaining period. In the fourth quarter of 2000, under the terms of the lease agreements, UII received a prepayment of $1.2billion for all rent, which reduced the investment in the leases. There are no minimum scheduled lease payments to be received over the remaining term of the leases.

Pursuant to the applicable accounting guidance, Exelon is required to review the estimated residual values of its direct financing lease investments at least annually and record an impairment charge if the review indicates an other than temporary decline in the fair value of the residual values below their carrying values. Exelon estimates the fair value of the residual values of its direct financing lease investments under the income approach, which uses a discounted cash flow analysis, which takes into considerationsignificant unobservable inputs (Level 3) including the expected revenues to be generated and costs to be incurred to operate the plants over their remaining useful lives subsequent to the lease end dates. Significant assumptions used in estimating the fair value include fundamental energy and capacity prices, fixed and variable costs, capital expenditure requirements, discount rates, tax rates, and the estimated remaining useful lives of the plants. The estimated fair values also reflect the cash flows associated with the service contract option discussed above given that a market participant would take into consideration all of the terms and conditions contained in the lease agreements.

Based on the review performed in the second quarter of 2013, the estimated residual value of one of Exelon's direct financing leases experienced an other than temporary decline given reduced long-term energy and capacity price expectations. As a result, Exelon recorded a $14 million pre-tax impairment charge in the second quarter of 2013, which was recorded in investments and operating and maintenance expense in the Consolidated Balance Sheet and the Consolidated Statement of Operations, respectively. Changes in the assumptions described above could potentially result in future impairments of Exelon's direct financing lease investments, which could be material. Through December 31, 2013, no events have occurred that would require Exelon to review the estimated residual values of its direct financing lease investments subsequent to the review performed in the second quarter of 2013.

As of December 31, 2012, Exelon concluded that the estimated fair values of the residual values at the end of the lease terms exceeded the residual values established at the lease dates.

At December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the components of the net investment in long-term leases were as follows:

	December 31, 2013		December 31, 2012
Estimated residual value of leased assets	$	1,465	$	1,492
Less: unearned income		767		807
Net investment in long-term leases	$	698	$	685