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 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.

The following table provides a rollforward of the nuclear decommissioning ARO reflected on Exelon’s and Generation’s Consolidated Balance Sheets from December 31, 2016 to September 30, 2017:



Nuclear decommissioning ARO at December 31, 2016^(a)	$	8,734
Acquisition of FitzPatrick	444
Accretion expense	342
Net decrease due to changes in, and timing of, estimated cash flows	(148		)
Costs incurred to decommission retired plants	(6		)
Nuclear decommissioning ARO at September 30, 2017^(a)	$	9,366

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(a)	Includes $12 million and $10 million for the current portion of the ARO at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively, which is included in Other current liabilities on Exelon’s and Generation’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, Generation’s nuclear ARO increased by approximately $632 million. The increase primarily reflects the net impacts of the acquisition of FitzPatrick, the announced early retirement of TMI, year-to-date accretion of the ARO liability due to the passage of time and ARO updates completed during 2017 to reflect changes in amounts and timing of estimated decommissioning cash flows.

In the first quarter of 2017, a preliminary estimate of $417 million was recorded for the fair value of FitzPatrick’s ARO. In the third quarter of 2017, an adjustment was recorded to increase the FitzPatrick ARO valuation by $27 million to $444 million to reflect updated cost estimate inputs from a third-party engineering firm. For additional details on the acquisition of FitzPatrick, see Note 4 - Mergers, Acquisitions and Dispositions.

The net $148 million decrease due to changes in, and timing of, estimated cash flows was driven by multiple adjustments throughout the period, some with offsetting impacts. These adjustments include a $180 million decrease for refinements in estimated fleet wide labor costs expected to be incurred for certain on-site personnel during decommissioning as well as decreases resulting from updates to the cost studies of Clinton and Quad Cities. These decreases were partially offset by a $138 million increase in TMI's ARO liability associated with the May 30, 2017 announcement to early retire the unit on September 30, 2019. The increase in the ARO liability for TMI incorporates the early shutdown date, increases the probabilities of longer term decommissioning scenarios, and reflects an increase in the estimated costs to decommission based on an updated decommissioning cost study. Refer to Note 7 - Early Nuclear Plant Retirements for additional information regarding the announced early retirement of TMI.

Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Fund Investments

NDT funds have been established for each generation 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 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 (NDCA) with the PAPUC proposing an annual recovery from customers of approximately $4 million. This amount reflects a decrease from the current 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 will be effective January 1, 2018. See Note 16 - Asset Retirement Obligations of Exelon's 2016 Form 10-K, for information regarding the amount collected from PECO ratepayers for decommissioning costs.

Exelon and Generation had NDT fund investments totaling $12,966 million and $11,061 million at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. The increase is primarily driven by improved market performance and the acquisition of FitzPatrick.

The following table provides unrealized gains on NDT funds for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016:



	Exelon and Generation				Exelon and Generation
	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2017		2016		2017		2016
Net unrealized gains on decommissioning trust funds — Regulatory Agreement Units^(a)	$	44	$	155	$	253	$	286
Net unrealized gains on decommissioning trust funds — Non-Regulatory Agreement Units^(b)(c)	111		116		347		216

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(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 $4 million and $5 million of net unrealized losses related to the Zion Station pledged assets for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 respectively. Excludes $5 million and $2 million of net unrealized losses related to the Zion Station pledged assets for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Net unrealized losses related to Zion Station pledged assets are included in Other current liabilities and Payable for Zion Station decommissioning on Exelon’s and Generation’s Consolidated Balance Sheets in 2017 and 2016, respectively.


(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.

Refer to Note 3 — Regulatory Matters and Note 27 — Related Party Transactions of the Exelon 2016 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 completing certain decommissioning activities at Zion Station, which is located in Zion, Illinois and ceased operation in 1998. See Note 16 — Asset Retirement Obligations of the Exelon 2016 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 for Zion Station decommissioning in Generation’s and Exelon’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. Changes in the value of the Zion Station NDT assets, net of applicable taxes, are 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 and transfer of the NRC license to Generation, 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 $112 million which is included within the nuclear decommissioning ARO at September 30, 2017. Generation also has retained 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. 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 payables to ZionSolutions, and withdrawals by ZionSolutions at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016:



	Exelon and Generation
	September 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Carrying value of Zion Station pledged assets	$	57	$	113
Payable to Zion Solutions^(a)	53		104
Current portion of payable to Zion Solutions^(b)	53		90
Cumulative withdrawals by Zion Solutions to pay decommissioning costs^(c)	928		878

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(a)	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.


(b)	Included in Other current liabilities within Exelon’s and Generation’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.


(c)	Includes project expenses to decommission Zion Station and estimated tax payments on Zion Station NDT fund earnings.

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.

Generation filed its biennial decommissioning funding status report with the NRC on March 30, 2017 for all units except for Zion Station which is included in a separate report to the NRC submitted by ZionSolutions (see Zion Station Decommissioning above). The status report demonstrated adequate decommissioning funding assurance for all units 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 in addition to collections from PECO ratepayers. As discussed under Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Fund Investments above, the amount collected from PECO ratepayers has been adjusted in the March 31, 2017 filing to the PAPUC which was approved on August 8, 2017 and will be effective January 1, 2018.

Generation will file its next decommissioning funding status report with the NRC by March 31, 2018 for shutdown reactors and reactors within five years of shutdown. This report will reflect the status of decommissioning funding assurance as of December 31, 2017 and will include the impact of the announced early retirement of TMI. A shortfall could necessitate that Exelon post a 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 TMI, the associated level of costs, and the decommissioning trust fund investment performance going forward.