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Business And Significant Accounting Policies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Business And Significant Accounting Policies
BUSINESS AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Description of Business

References in this report to "the company" are to EFIH and/or its direct and indirect subsidiaries, as apparent in the context. See "Glossary" for defined terms.

EFIH, a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of EFH Corp., is a Dallas, Texas-based holding company with no operations or operating assets whose wholly owned subsidiary, Oncor Holdings, holds a majority interest (approximately 80%) in Oncor. Oncor is a regulated electricity transmission and distribution company principally engaged in providing delivery services to REPs, including subsidiaries of TCEH, that sell electricity to residential, business and other consumers in Texas. EFIH has no reportable business segments. Oncor Holdings and its subsidiaries (the Oncor Ring-Fenced Entities) are not consolidated in EFIH's financial statements in accordance with consolidation accounting standards related to variable interest entities (VIEs) (see Note 3).

Various "ring-fencing" measures have been taken to enhance the credit quality of Oncor Holdings and Oncor. These measures serve to mitigate Oncor's and Oncor Holdings' credit exposure to the Texas Holdings Group, which includes EFIH, and to reduce the risk that the assets and liabilities of the Oncor Ring-Fenced Entities would be substantively consolidated with the assets and liabilities of the Texas Holdings Group in the event of a bankruptcy of one or more of Texas Holding Group's subsidiaries. Such measures include, among other things: Oncor's sale of a 19.75% equity interest to Texas Transmission Investment LLC (a limited liability company that owns a 19.75% equity interest in Oncor and is not affiliated with EFH Corp., any of EFH Corp.'s subsidiaries or any member of the Sponsor Group) in November 2008; maintenance of separate books and records for the Oncor Ring-Fenced Entities; the board of directors of Oncor Holdings and Oncor being comprised of a majority of independent directors, and prohibitions on the Oncor Ring-Fenced Entities providing credit support to, or receiving credit support from, any member of the Texas Holdings Group. The assets and liabilities of the Oncor Ring-Fenced Entities are separate and distinct from those of the Texas Holdings Group, including TXU Energy and Luminant, and none of the assets of the Oncor Ring-Fenced Entities are available to satisfy the debt or contractual obligations of any member of the Texas Holdings Group. Oncor and Oncor Holdings do not bear any liability for debt or contractual obligations of the Texas Holdings Group (including, but not limited to, EFIH's debt obligations), and vice versa. Accordingly, Oncor Holdings' operations are conducted, and its cash flows managed, independently from the Texas Holdings Group.

Bankruptcy Filing

As discussed further in Note 2, on April 29, 2014 (the Petition Date), EFH Corp. and the substantial majority of its direct and indirect subsidiaries, including EFIH, EFCH and TCEH but excluding the Oncor Ring-Fenced Entities, (the Debtors), filed voluntary petitions for relief (the Bankruptcy Filing) under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (the Bankruptcy Code) in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (the Bankruptcy Court). See Note 5 for discussion of debtor-in-possession financing.

Basis of Presentation, Including Application of Bankruptcy Accounting

The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared as if EFIH is a going concern and reflect the application of ASC 852-10, Reorganizations. During the pendency of the Bankruptcy Filing, the Debtors will operate their businesses as "debtors-in-possession" under the jurisdiction of the Bankruptcy Court and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Bankruptcy Code. ASC 852-10 applies to entities that have filed a petition for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. The guidance requires that transactions and events directly associated with the reorganization be distinguished from the ongoing operations of the business. In addition, the guidance provides for changes in the accounting and presentation of liabilities, as well as expenses and income directly associated with the Chapter 11 Cases. See Notes 6 and 7 for discussion of these accounting and reporting changes.

Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries, which are 50% or less owned and/or do not meet accounting standards criteria for consolidation, are accounted for under the equity method (see Note 3). Adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations and financial position have been included therein. All intercompany items and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with US GAAP have been omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. Because the condensed consolidated interim financial statements do not include all of the information and footnotes required by US GAAP, they should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and related notes included in EFIH's 2013 Form 10-K. The results of operations for an interim period may not give a true indication of results for a full year. All dollar amounts in the financial statements and tables in the notes are stated in millions of US dollars unless otherwise indicated.

Use of Estimates

Preparation of financial statements requires estimates and assumptions about future events that affect the reporting of assets and liabilities at the balance sheet dates and the reported amounts of income and expense, including fair value measurements and estimates of expected allowed claims. In the event estimates and/or assumptions prove to be different from actual amounts, adjustments are made in subsequent periods to reflect more current information.

Changes in Accounting Standards

In August 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-15 (ASU 2014-15), Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern. ASU 2014-15 is effective for annual reporting periods (including interim periods within those periods) ending after December 15, 2016. Early application is permitted. The amendments in ASU 2014-15 create a new ASC Sub-topic 205-40, Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern and requires management to assess for each annual and interim reporting period if conditions exist that raise substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. The rule requires various disclosures depending on the facts and circumstances surrounding an entity's ability to continue as a going concern. EFIH is in the process of assessing the effects of the application of the new guidance on its financial statements.