XML 96 R19.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT

Nuclear Decommissioning (Exelon and Generation)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Nuclear Decommissioning Disclosure [Line Items]

Nuclear Decommissioning (Exelon and Generation)

10. Nuclear Decommissioning (Exelon and Generation)

Nuclear Decommissioning Asset Retirement Obligations

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 generally updates its ARO annually during the third quarter, 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.

The following table provides a rollforward of the nuclear decommissioning ARO reflected on Exelon's and Generation's Consolidated Balance Sheets from December 31, 2013 to March 31, 2014:

Nuclear decommissioning ARO at December 31, 2013 ^(a)	$	4,855
Accretion expense(a)		66
Costs incurred to decommission retired plants		(1)
Nuclear decommissioning ARO at March 31, 2014 ^(a)	$	4,920

(a) Includes $9 million as the current portion of the ARO at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 which is included in Other current liabilities on Exelon's and Generation's Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Fund Investments

NDT funds have been established for each generating station unit to satisfy Generation's nuclear decommissioning obligations. Generally, NDT funds established for a particular unit may not be used to fund the decommissioning obligations of any other unit.

The NDT funds associated with the former ComEd, former PECO and former AmerGen units have been funded with amounts collected from ComEd customers, PECO customers and the previous owners of the former AmerGen plants, respectively. Based on an ICC order, ComEd ceased collecting amounts from its customers to pay for decommissioning costs. 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. The most recent rate adjustment occurred on January 1, 2013, and the effective rates currently yield annual collections of approximately $24 million. The next five-year adjustment is expected to be reflected in rates charged to PECO customers effective January 1, 2018. With respect to the former AmerGen units, Generation does not collect any amounts, nor is there any mechanism by which Generation can seek to collect additional amounts, from customers. Apart from the contributions made to the NDT funds from amounts collected from ComEd and PECO customers, Generation has not made contributions to the NDT funds.

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). 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, on an aggregate basis for all former PECO units, compared to decommissioning obligations, as well as 5% of any additional shortfalls. 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 ComEd customers for the former ComEd units or from the previous owners of the former AmerGen 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 the former AmerGen units, Generation retains any funds remaining in the funds after decommissioning.

At March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, Exelon and Generation had NDT fund investments totaling $8,215 million and $8,071 million, respectively.

The following table provides unrealized gains on NDT funds for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013:

		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
			2014		2013
Net unrealized gains on decommissioning trust funds —
	Regulatory Agreement Units ^(a)	$	61	$	195
Net unrealized gains on decommissioning trust funds —
	Non-Regulatory Agreement Units ^(b)(c)		13		64

(a) Net unrealized gains related to Generation's NDT funds associated with Regulatory Agreement Units are included in Regulatory liabilities on Exelon's Consolidated Balance Sheets and Noncurrent payables to affiliates on Generation's Consolidated Balance Sheets.

(b) Excludes $ 10 million and $2 million of net unrealized gains related to the Zion Station pledged assets for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Net unrealized gains (losses) related to Zion Station pledged assets are included in the Payable for Zion Station decommissioning on Exelon's and Generation's Consolidated Balance Sheets.

(c) Net unrealized gains related to Generation's NDT funds with Non-Regulatory Agreement Units are included within Other, net in Exelon's and Generation's Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income.

Interest and dividends on NDT fund investments are recognized when earned and are included in Other, net in Exelon's and Generation's Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income. Interest and dividends earned on the NDT fund investments for the Regulatory Agreement Units are eliminated within Other, net in Exelon's and Generation's Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income.

See Note 3 – Regulatory Matters and Note 25 – Related Party Transactions of the Exelon 2013 Form 10-K for information regarding regulatory liabilities at ComEd and PECO and intercompany balances between Generation, ComEd and PECO reflecting the obligation to refund to customers any decommissioning-related assets in excess of the related decommissioning obligations.

Zion Station Decommissioning. On September 1, 2010, Generation completed an Asset Sale Agreement (ASA) with EnergySolutions Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, EnergySolutions, LLC (EnergySolutions) and ZionSolutions under which ZionSolutions has assumed responsibility for decommissioning Zion Station, which is located in Zion, Illinois and ceased operation in 1998. See Note 15 – Asset Retirement Obligations of the Exelon 2013 Form 10-K for information regarding the specific treatment of assets, including NDT funds, and decommissioning liabilities transferred in the transaction.

ZionSolutions is subject to certain restrictions on its ability to request reimbursements from the Zion Station NDT funds as defined within the ASA. Therefore, the transfer of the Zion Station assets did not qualify for asset sale accounting treatment and, as a result, the related NDT funds were reclassified to pledged assets for Zion Station decommissioning within Generation's and Exelon's Consolidated Balance Sheets and will continue to be measured in the same manner as prior to the completion of the transaction. Additionally, the transferred ARO for decommissioning was replaced with a payable to ZionSolutions in Generation's and Exelon's Consolidated Balance Sheets. Changes in the value of the Zion Station NDT assets, net of applicable taxes, will be recorded as a change in the payable to ZionSolutions. At no point will the payable to ZionSolutions exceed the project budget of the costs remaining to decommission Zion Station. Generation has retained its obligation for the SNF. Following ZionSolutions' completion of its contractual obligations, Generation will store the SNF at Zion Station until it is transferred to the DOE for ultimate disposal and will complete all remaining decommissioning activities associated with the SNF dry storage facility. Generation has a liability of approximately $84 million, which is included within the nuclear decommissioning ARO at March 31, 2014. Generation also has retained NDT assets to fund its obligation to maintain and transfer the SNF at Zion Station 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. Any Zion Station NDT funds remaining after the completion of all decommissioning activities will be returned to ComEd customers in accordance with the applicable orders. The following table provides the pledged assets and payable to ZionSolutions, and withdrawals by ZionSolutions at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013:

	Exelon and Generation
	March 31,		December 31,
	2014		2013
Carrying value of Zion Station pledged assets	$	429	$	458
Payable to Zion Solutions ^(a)		385		414
Current portion of payable to Zion Solutions ^(b)		103		109
Withdrawals by Zion Solutions to pay decommissioning costs ^(c)		537		498

__________

Excludes a liability recorded within Exelon's and Generation's Consolidated Balance Sheets related to the tax obligation on the unrealized activity associated with the Zion Station NDT Funds. The NDT Funds will be utilized to satisfy the tax obligations as gains and losses are realized.
Included in Other current liabilities within Exelon's and Generation's Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Cumulative withdrawals since September 1, 2010.

NRC Minimum Funding Requirements. 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. On April 1, 2013, Generation submitted its NRC-required biennial decommissioning funding status report as of December 31, 2012. As of December 31, 2012, Generation provided adequate funding assurance for all of its units, including Limerick Unit 1, where Generation has in place a $115 million parent guarantee to cover the NRC minimum funding assurance requirements. On October 2, 2013, the NRC issued summary findings from the NRC Staff's review of the 2013 decommissioning funding status reports for all 104 operating reactors, including the Generation operating units. Based on that review, the NRC Staff determined that Generation provided decommissioning funding assurance under the NRC regulations for all of its operating units, including Limerick Unit 1.

On March 31, 2014, Generation submitted its NRC required annual decommissioning funding report as of December 31, 2013 for shutdown reactors. This submittal also included the required updated financial tests for the Limerick Unit 1 parent guarantee. There was no change to the amount of the parent guarantee, or the funding status of these reactors. Adequate decommissioning funding assurance is in place for all reactors owned by Generation.

On January 31, 2013, Generation received a letter from the NRC indicating that the NRC has identified potential “apparent violations” of its regulations because of alleged inaccuracies in the Decommissioning Funding Status reports for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009. The NRC asserted that Generation's status reports deliberately reflected cost estimates for decommissioning its nuclear plants that were less than what the NRC says are the minimum amounts required by NRC regulations. Generation met with the NRC on April 30, 2013 for a pre-decisional enforcement conference to provide additional information to explain why Generation believes that it complied with the regulatory requirements and did not deliberately or otherwise provide incomplete or inaccurate information in its decommissioning funding status reports. While Generation does not believe that any sanction is appropriate, the ultimate outcome of this proceeding including the amount of a potential fine or sanction, if any, is uncertain. On April 7, 2014, Generation received a request for additional detail related to information Generation provided during the pre-decisional enforcement conference. Generation is in the process of collecting and providing the additional detail. Generation does not have a definite date on which it will receive a response from the NRC, but anticipates that the NRC will issue its findings sometime this year. The January 31, 2013 letter from the NRC does not take issue with Generation's current funding status, and as reflected in Generation's April 1, 2013 decommissioning funding status report referenced above, Generation continues to provide adequate funding assurance for each of its units. In the normal course of NRC review, Generation has received a series of data requests that are unrelated to the potential apparent violations and the pre-decisional enforcement conference. Generation continues to cooperate with the NRC and provide the requested information.

In addition, on June 24, 2013, Exelon received a subpoena from the SEC requesting that Exelon provide the SEC with certain documents generally relating to Exelon and Generation's reporting and funding of the future decommissioning of Generation's nuclear power plants. Exelon and Generation have cooperated with the SEC and provided the requested documents. On February 13, 2014, Exelon received a letter from the SEC confirming that it had concluded its investigation and that no further action was anticipated based on information provided by Exelon.

Exelon Generation Co L L C [Member]