Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash includes cash held by us that is unavailable for general use and is comprised of amounts advanced to us by certain equity method investees related to the construction of fixed assets where we serve as construction manager. The following table presents a reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash reported on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet that sum to the total of the amounts shown on our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows as of the end of the period (in millions):



	September 30, 2019
Cash and cash equivalents	$	609
Restricted cash	59
Total cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash	$	668

We did not have any restricted cash as of December 31, 2018.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Except as discussed below and in our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K, there have been no new accounting pronouncements that have become effective or have been issued during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 that are of significance or potential significance to us.

Accounting Standards Updates Adopted During the Period

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, (followed by a series of related accounting standard updates (collectively referred to as “Topic 842”)), that revises the historical accounting model for leases. The most significant changes are the clarification of the definition of a lease and required lessee recognition on the balance sheet of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities with lease terms of more than 12 months (with the election of the practical expedient to exclude short-term leases on the balance sheet), including extensive quantitative and qualitative disclosures. This guidance became effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. We adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2019. Our adoption resulted in the recording of additional net lease right-of-use assets and lease liabilities of approximately $560 million and $570 million, respectively, on January 1, 2019 and did not have a material impact on our results of operations or cash flows.

We elected the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within Topic 842, which, among other things, allowed us to carry forward the historical accounting related to lease identification, classification and indirect costs. We also elected the practical expedient related to land easements, allowing us to carry forward our accounting treatment for land easements (including rights of way) on existing agreements. Additionally, we elected the non-lease component separation practical expedient for certain classes of assets where we are the lessee and for all classes of assets where we are the lessor. Further, we elected the practical expedient which provides us with an optional transitional method, thereby applying the new guidance at the effective date, without adjusting the comparative periods and, if necessary, recognizing a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of Partners’ Capital upon adoption. There was no impact to retained earnings related to our adoption. We did not elect the practical expedient related to using hindsight in determining the lease term as this was not relevant following our election of the optional transitional method. We implemented a process to evaluate the impact of adopting this guidance on each type of lease contract we have entered into with counterparties. Our implementation team determined appropriate changes to our business processes, systems and controls to support recognition and disclosure under Topic 842. In addition to the above, which primarily relates to our accounting as a lessee, our accounting from a lessor perspective remains substantially unchanged under Topic 842. See Note 11 for information about our leases.

We also adopted the ASUs listed below effective January 1, 2019 and our adoption did not have a material impact to our financial position, results of operations or cash flows (see Note 2 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part IV of our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding these ASUs):


•	ASU 2018-16, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Inclusion of the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) Overnight Index Swap (OIS) Rate as a Benchmark Interest Rate for Hedge Accounting Purposes;


•	ASU 2018-09, Codification Improvements;


•	ASU 2018-07, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting; and


•	ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities.

Accounting Standards Updates Issued During the Period

In July 2019, the FASB issued 2019-07, Codification Updates to SEC Sections: Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Final Rule Releases No. 33-10532, Disclosure Update and Simplification, and Nos. 33-10231 and 33-10442, Investment Company Reporting Modernization, and Miscellaneous Updates, which amended SEC paragraphs in the ASC to reflect the SEC final rule releases Disclosure Update and Simplification, Investment Company Reporting Modernization and other miscellaneous updates. This guidance is effective upon issuance and did not have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In May 2019, the FASB issued 2019-05, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Targeted Transition Relief, which provides transition relief and allows entities to elect the fair value option on certain financial instruments. We expect to adopt this guidance on January 1, 2020, and we are currently evaluating the effect that our adoption will have on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

In April 2019, the FASB issued 2019-04, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses, Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and Topic 825, Financial Instruments, which clarifies certain aspects of accounting for credit losses, hedging activities and financial instruments. We expect to adopt this guidance on January 1, 2020, and we are currently evaluating the effect that our adoption will have on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.