Significant Accounting Policies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation (Exelon, Generation, ComEd, PECO and BGE)

1.   Significant Accounting Policies (All Registrants)

Description of Business (All Registrants)

Exelon is a utility services holding company engaged through its principal subsidiaries in the energy generation and energy distribution and transmission businesses. Prior to March 23, 2016, Exelon's principal, wholly owned subsidiaries included Generation, ComEd, PECO and BGE. On March 23, 2016, in conjunction with the Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger (the PHI Merger Agreement), Purple Acquisition Corp, a wholly owned subsidiary of Exelon, merged with and into PHI, with PHI continuing as the surviving entity as a wholly owned subsidiary of Exelon. PHI is a utility services holding company engaged through its principal wholly owned subsidiaries, Pepco, DPL and ACE, in the energy distribution and transmission businesses. Refer to Note 4 - Mergers, Acquisitions and Dispositions for further information regarding the merger transaction.

The energy generation business includes:

• Generation: Generation, physical delivery and marketing of power across multiple geographical regions through its customer-facing business, Constellation, which sells electricity and natural gas to both wholesale and retail customers. Generation also sells renewable energy and other energy-related products and services. Generation has six reportable segments consisting of the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, New England, New York, ERCOT and Other Power Regions.

The energy delivery businesses include:

• ComEd:   Purchase and regulated retail sale of electricity and the provision of electric distribution and transmission services in northern Illinois, including the City of Chicago.

• PECO:    Purchase and regulated retail sale of electricity and the provision of electric distribution and transmission services in southeastern Pennsylvania, including the City of Philadelphia, and the purchase and regulated retail sale of natural gas and the provision of natural gas distribution services in the Pennsylvania counties surrounding the City of Philadelphia.

• BGE:    Purchase and regulated retail sale of electricity and the provision of electric distribution and transmission services in central Maryland, including the City of Baltimore, and the purchase and regulated retail sale of natural gas and the provision of natural gas distribution services in central Maryland, including the City of Baltimore.

• Pepco: Purchase and regulated retail sale of electricity and the provision of electric distribution and transmission services in the District of Columbia and major portions of Prince George's County and Montgomery County in Maryland.

• DPL: Purchase and regulated retail sale of electricity and the provision of electric distribution and transmission services in portions of Maryland and Delaware, and the purchase and regulated retail sale of natural gas and the provision of natural gas distribution services in northern Delaware.

• ACE: Purchase and regulated retail sale of electricity and the provision of electric distribution and transmission services in southern New Jersey.

Basis of Presentation (All Registrants)

As a result of the acquisition of PHI, Exelon’s financial reporting reflects PHI’s consolidated financial results subsequent to the March 23, 2016, acquisition date.  Exelon has accounted for the merger transaction applying the acquisition method of accounting, which requires the assets acquired and liabilities assumed by Exelon to be reported in Exelon’s financial statements at fair value, with any excess of the purchase price over the fair value of net assets acquired reported as goodwill.  Exelon has pushed-down the application of the acquisition method of accounting to the consolidated financial statements of PHI such that the assets and liabilities of PHI are similarly recorded at their respective fair values, and goodwill has been established as of the acquisition date.  Accordingly, the consolidated financial statements of PHI for periods before and after the March 23, 2016, acquisition date reflect different bases of accounting, and the financial positions and the results of operations of the predecessor and successor periods are not comparable.  The acquisition method of accounting has not been pushed down to PHI’s wholly-owned subsidiary utility registrants, Pepco, DPL and ACE.

For financial statement purposes, beginning on March 24, 2016, disclosures that had solely related to PHI, Pepco, DPL or ACE activities now also apply to Exelon, unless otherwise noted.

In the second quarter of 2016, an error was identified and corrected related to the PHI successor period Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the period March 24, 2016 to March 31, 2016. The $46 million classification error related to the presentation of changes in Receivables from and payables to affiliates, net within Cash flows from operating activities and Change in Exelon intercompany money pool within Cash flows from financing activities. As revised for the first quarter of 2017, the successor period statement of cash flows for the period March 24, 2016 to March 31, 2016 presents Cash flows used in operating activities of $3 million, a decrease of $46 million from the originally reported amount, and Cash flows used in financing activities of $135 million, a decrease of $46 million from the originally reported amount. Management has concluded that the error is not material to the previously issued financial statements.

Each of the Registrant’s Consolidated Financial Statements includes the accounts of its subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements as of March 31, 2017 and 2016 and for the three months then ended are unaudited but, in the opinion of the management of each Registrant include all adjustments that are considered necessary for a fair statement of the Registrants’ respective financial statements in accordance with GAAP. All adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature, except as otherwise disclosed. The December 31, 2016 Consolidated Balance Sheets were derived from audited financial statements. Financial results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2017. These Combined Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC for Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations.

Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Diluted earnings per share is calculated by dividing Net income attributable to common shareholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding, including shares to be issued upon exercise of stock options, performance share awards and restricted stock outstanding under Exelon’s LTIPs considered to be common stock equivalents.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Valuation Techniques Used to Determine Fair Value

The following describes the valuation techniques used to measure the fair value of the assets and liabilities shown in the tables above.

Cash Equivalents (Exelon, Generation, ComEd, PECO, BGE, PHI, Pepco, DPL and ACE). The Registrants’ cash equivalents include investments with maturities of three months or less when purchased. The cash equivalents shown in the fair value tables are comprised of investments in mutual and money market funds. The fair values of the shares of these funds are based on observable market prices and, therefore, have been categorized in Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy.

Preferred Stock Derivative (PHI). In connection with entering into the PHI Merger Agreement, PHI entered into a Subscription Agreement with Exelon dated April 29, 2014, pursuant to which PHI issued to Exelon shares of Preferred stock. The Preferred stock contained embedded features requiring separate accounting consideration to reflect the potential value to PHI that any issued and outstanding Preferred stock could be called and redeemed at a nominal par value upon a termination of the merger agreement under certain circumstances due to the failure to obtain required regulatory approvals. The embedded call and redemption features on the shares of the Preferred stock in the event of such a termination were separately accounted for as derivatives. These Preferred stock derivatives were valued quarterly using quantitative and qualitative factors, including management’s assessment of the likelihood of a Regulatory Termination and therefore, were categorized in Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. As a result of the PHI Merger, the PHI Preferred stock derivative was reduced to zero as of March 23, 2016. The write-off was charged to Other, net on the PHI Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income.

Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Fund Investments and Pledged Assets for Zion Station Decommissioning (Exelon and Generation). The trust fund investments have been established to satisfy Generation’s and CENG's nuclear decommissioning obligations as required by the NRC. The NDT funds hold debt and equity securities directly and indirectly through commingled funds and mutual funds, which are included in Equities and Fixed Income. Generation’s and CENG's NDT fund investments policies outline investment guidelines for the trusts and limit the trust funds’ exposures to investments in highly illiquid markets and other alternative investments. Investments with maturities of three months or less when purchased, including certain short-term fixed income securities are considered cash equivalents and included in the recurring fair value measurements hierarchy as Level 1 or Level 2.

With respect to individually held equity securities, the trustees obtain prices from pricing services, whose prices are generally obtained from direct feeds from market exchanges, which Generation is able to independently corroborate. The fair values of equity securities held directly by the trust funds which are based on quoted prices in active markets are categorized in Level 1. Certain equity securities have been categorized as Level 2 because they are based on evaluated prices that reflect observable market information, such as actual trade information or similar securities. Equity securities held individually are primarily traded on the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ-Global Select Market, which contain only actively traded securities due to the volume trading requirements imposed by these exchanges.

For fixed income securities, multiple prices from pricing services are obtained whenever possible, which enables cross-provider validations in addition to checks for unusual daily movements. A primary price source is identified based on asset type, class or issue for each security. With respect to individually held fixed income securities, the trustees monitor prices supplied by pricing services and may use a supplemental price source or change the primary price source of a given security if the portfolio managers challenge an assigned price and the trustees determine that another price source is considered to be preferable. Generation has obtained an understanding of how these prices are derived, including the nature and observability of the inputs used in deriving such prices. Additionally, Generation selectively corroborates the fair values of securities by comparison to other market-based price sources. U.S. Treasury securities are categorized as Level 1 because they trade in a highly liquid and transparent market. The fair values of fixed income securities, excluding U.S. Treasury securities, are based on evaluated prices that reflect observable market information, such as actual trade information or similar securities, adjusted for observable differences and are categorized in Level 2. The fair values of private placement fixed income securities, which are included in Corporate debt, are determined using a third party valuation that contains significant unobservable inputs and are categorized in Level 3.

Equity and fixed income commingled funds and mutual funds are maintained by investment companies and hold certain investments in accordance with a stated set of fund objectives such as holding short term fixed income securities or tracking the performance of certain equity indices by purchasing equity securities to replicate the capitalization and characteristics of the indices. The values of some of these funds are publicly quoted. For mutual funds which are publicly quoted, the funds are valued based on quoted prices in active markets and have been categorized as Level 1. For commingled funds and mutual funds, which are not publicly quoted, the funds are valued using NAV as a practical expedient for fair value, which is primarily derived from the quoted prices in active markets on the underlying securities, and are not classified within the fair value hierarchy. These investments typically can be redeemed monthly with 30 or less days of notice and without further restrictions.

Derivative instruments consisting primarily of futures and interest rate swaps to manage risk are recorded at fair value. Over the counter derivatives are valued daily based on quoted prices in active markets and trade in open markets, and have been categorized as Level 1. Derivative instruments other than over the counter derivatives are valued based on external price data of comparable securities and have been categorized as Level 2.

Middle market lending are investments in loans or managed funds which lend to private companies. Generation elected the fair value option for its investments in certain limited partnerships that invest in middle market lending managed funds. The fair value of these loans is determined using a combination of valuation models including cost models, market models and income models. Investments in loans are categorized as Level 3 because the fair value of these securities is based largely on inputs that are unobservable and utilize complex valuation models. Managed funds are valued using NAV or its equivalent as a practical expedient, and therefore, are not classified within the fair value hierarchy. Investments in middle market lending typically cannot be redeemed until maturity of the term loan.

Private equity and real estate investments include those in limited partnerships that invest in operating companies and real estate holding companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange, such as, leveraged buyouts, growth capital, venture capital, distressed investments, investments in natural resources, and direct investments in pools of real estate properties. The fair value of private equity and real estate investments is determined using NAV or its equivalent as a practical expedient, and therefore, are not classified within the fair value hierarchy. These investments typically cannot be redeemed and are generally liquidated over a period of 8 to 10 years from the initial investment date. Private equity and real estate valuations are reported by the fund manager and are based on the valuation of the underlying investments, which include inputs such as cost, operating results, discounted future cash flows, market based comparable data, and independent appraisals from sources with professional qualifications. These valuation inputs are unobservable.

As of March 31, 2017, Generation has outstanding commitments to invest in middle market lending, private equity investments and real estate investments of approximately $290 million,$120 million, and$107 million, respectively. These commitments will be funded by Generation’s existing nuclear decommissioning trust funds.

Concentrations of Credit Risk. Generation evaluated its NDT portfolios for the existence of significant concentrations of credit risk as of March 31, 2017. Types of concentrations that were evaluated include, but are not limited to, investment concentrations in a single entity, type of industry, foreign country, and individual fund. As of March 31, 2017, there were no significant concentrations (generally defined as greater than 10 percent) of risk in Generation's NDT assets.

See Note 12 — Nuclear Decommissioning for further discussion on the NDT fund investments.

Rabbi Trust Investments (Exelon, Generation, PECO, BGE, PHI, Pepco, DPL and ACE). The Rabbi trusts were established to hold assets related to deferred compensation plans existing for certain active and retired members of Exelon’s executive management and directors. The Rabbi trusts assets are included in investments in the Registrants’ Consolidated Balance Sheets and consist primarily of money market funds, mutual funds, fixed income securities and life insurance policies. The mutual funds are maintained by investment companies and hold certain investments in accordance with a stated set of fund objectives, which are consistent with Exelon’s overall investment strategy. Money market funds and mutual funds are publicly quoted and have been categorized as Level 1 given the clear observability of the prices. The fair values of fixed income securities are based on evaluated prices that reflect observable market information, such as actual trade information or similar securities, adjusted for observable differences and are categorized in Level 2. The life insurance policies are valued using the cash surrender value of the policies, net of loans against those policies, which is provided by a third-party. Certain life insurance policies, which consist primarily of mutual funds that are priced based on observable market data, have been categorized as Level 2 because the life insurance policies can be liquidated at the reporting date for the value of the underlying assets. Life insurance policies that are valued using unobservable inputs have been categorized as Level 3.

Mark-to-Market Derivatives (Exelon, Generation, ComEd, PHI and DPL).Derivative contracts are traded in both exchange-based and non-exchange-based markets. Exchange-based derivatives that are valued using unadjusted quoted prices in active markets are categorized in Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy. Certain derivatives’ pricing is verified using indicative price quotations available through brokers or over-the-counter, on-line exchanges and are categorized in Level 2. These price quotations reflect the average of the bid-ask, mid-point prices and are obtained from sources that the Registrants believe provide the most liquid market for the commodity. The price quotations are reviewed and corroborated to ensure the prices are observable and representative of an orderly transaction between market participants. This includes consideration of actual transaction volumes, market delivery points, bid-ask spreads and contract duration. The remainder of derivative contracts are valued using the Black model, an industry standard option valuation model. The Black model takes into account inputs such as contract terms, including maturity, and market parameters, including assumptions of the future prices of energy, interest rates, volatility, credit worthiness and credit spread. For derivatives that trade in liquid markets, such as generic forwards, swaps and options, model inputs are generally observable. Such instruments are categorized in Level 2. The Registrants’ derivatives are predominately at liquid trading points. For derivatives that trade in less liquid markets with limited pricing information model inputs generally would include both observable and unobservable inputs. These valuations may include an estimated basis adjustment from an illiquid trading point to a liquid trading point for which active price quotations are available. Such instruments are categorized in Level 3.

Exelon may utilize fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps, which are typically designated as fair value hedges, as a means to achieve its targeted level of variable-rate debt as a percent of total debt. In addition, the Registrants may utilize interest rate derivatives to lock in interest rate levels in anticipation of future financings. These interest rate derivatives are typically designated as cash flow hedges. Exelon determines the current fair value by calculating the net present value of expected payments and receipts under the swap agreement, based on and discounted by the market's expectation of future interest rates. Additional inputs to the net present value calculation may include the contract terms, counterparty credit risk and other market parameters. As these inputs are based on observable data and valuations of similar instruments, the interest rate swaps are categorized in Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy. See Note 9 - Derivative Financial Instruments for further discussion on mark-to-market derivatives.

Deferred Compensation Obligations (Exelon, Generation, ComEd, PECO, BGE, PHI, Pepco, DPL and ACE). The Registrants’ deferred compensation plans allow participants to defer certain cash compensation into a notional investment account. The Registrants include such plans in other current and noncurrent liabilities in their Consolidated Balance Sheets. The value of the Registrants’ deferred compensation obligations is based on the market value of the participants’ notional investment accounts. The underlying notional investments are comprised primarily of equities, mutual funds, commingled funds, and fixed income securities which are based on directly and indirectly observable market prices. Since the deferred compensation obligations themselves are not exchanged in an active market, they are categorized as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.

The value of certain employment agreement obligations (which are included with the Deferred Compensation Obligation in the tables above) are based on a known and certain stream of payments to be made over time and are categorized as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy.