Material Contingencies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2024

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Manhattan Explosion and Fire

On March 12, 2014, two multi-use five-story tall buildings located on Park Avenue between 116th and 117th Streets in Manhattan were destroyed by an explosion and fire. CECONY had delivered gas to the buildings through service lines from a distribution main located below ground on Park Avenue. Eight people died and more than 50 people were injured. Additional buildings were also damaged. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated. The parties to the investigation included CECONY, the City of New York, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the NYSPSC. In June 2015, the NTSB issued a final report concerning the incident, its probable cause and safety recommendations. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the incident was (1) the failure of a defective fusion joint at a service tee (which joined a plastic service line to a plastic distribution main) installed by CECONY that allowed gas to leak from the distribution main and migrate into a building where it ignited and (2) a breach in a city sewer line that allowed groundwater and soil to flow into the sewer, resulting in a loss of support for the distribution main, that caused it to sag and overstressed the defective fusion joint. The NTSB also made safety recommendations, including recommendations to CECONY that addressed its procedures for the preparation and examination of plastic fusions, training of its staff on conditions for notifications to the city’s Fire Department and extension of its gas main isolation valve installation program. In February 2017, the NYSPSC approved a settlement agreement with CECONY related to the NYSPSC's investigations of the incident and the practices of qualifying persons to perform plastic fusions. Pursuant to the agreement, CECONY provided $27 million of future benefits to customers (for which it accrued a regulatory liability) and did not recover from customers $126 million of costs for gas emergency response activities that it had previously incurred and expensed. Lawsuits are pending against CECONY seeking generally unspecified damages and, in some cases, punitive damages, for wrongful death, personal injury, property damage and business interruption. CECONY notified its insurers of the incident and believes that the policies in force at the time of the incident will cover CECONY’s costs, in excess of a required retention (the amount of which is not material), to satisfy any liability it may have for damages in connection with the incident. During 2020, CECONY accrued its estimated liability for the suits of $40 million and an insurance receivable in the same amount, and such estimated liability and receivable did not change as of June 30, 2024.

Other Contingencies

For additional contingencies, see "Other Regulatory Matters" in Note B, Note G and “Uncertain Tax Positions” in Note J.

Guarantees

Con Edison and its subsidiaries have entered into various agreements providing financial or performance assurance primarily to third parties on behalf of their subsidiaries. In addition, Con Edison provided guarantees to third parties on behalf of the Clean Energy Businesses, all of which were transferred to the buyer of the Clean Energy Businesses, RWE Aktiengesellschaft (RWE). Maximum amounts guaranteed by Con Edison and its subsidiaries under these agreements totaled $175 million at December 31, 2023, and there were no guarantees related to the Clean Energy Businesses at June 30, 2024.

A summary, by type and term, of Con Edison's total guarantees under these agreements at June 30, 2024 is as follows:


Guarantee Type	0 – 3 years	> 10 years	Total
	(Millions of Dollars)
Con Edison Transmission	$63	$—	$63
Broken Bow II	—	9	9

Total	$63	$9	$72

Con Edison Transmission — Con Edison has guaranteed payment by Con Edison Transmission of the contributions Con Edison Transmission agreed to make to New York Transco LLC (New York Transco). Con Edison Transmission owns a 45.7 percent interest in New York Transco’s New York Energy Solution project, the majority of which has been completed. Guarantee amount shown includes the maximum possible required amount of Con Edison Transmission's contributions for the remainder of this project as calculated based on the assumptions that the project is completed at 175 percent of its estimated remaining costs and New York Transco does not use any debt financing for the project.

Broken Bow II — Con Edison has guaranteed obligations on behalf of Broken Bow II associated with its investment in a wind energy facility. Broken Bow II is held for sale as of June 30, 2024. See Note R.