ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy)

Accounting standards require companies to record liabilities for all legal obligations associated with the retirement of long-lived assets that result from the normal operation of the assets. For Entergy, substantially all of its asset retirement obligations consist of its liability for decommissioning its nuclear power plants. In addition, an insignificant amount of removal costs associated with non-nuclear power plants is also included in the decommissioning line item on the balance sheets.

These liabilities are recorded at their fair values (which are the present values of the estimated future cash outflows) in the period in which they are incurred, with an accompanying addition to the recorded cost of the long-lived asset. The asset retirement obligation is accreted each year through a charge to expense, to reflect the time value of money for this present value obligation. The accretion will continue through the completion of the asset retirement activity. The amounts added to the carrying amounts of the long-lived assets will be depreciated over the useful lives of the assets. The application of accounting standards related to asset retirement obligations is earnings neutral to the rate-regulated business of the Registrant Subsidiaries.

In accordance with ratemaking treatment and as required by regulatory accounting standards, the depreciation provisions for the Registrant Subsidiaries include a component for removal costs that are not asset retirement obligations under accounting standards. In accordance with regulatory accounting principles, the Registrant Subsidiaries have recorded regulatory assets (liabilities) in the following amounts to reflect their estimates of the difference between estimated incurred removal costs and estimated removal costs recovered in rates:



	December 31,
	2014	2013
	(In Millions)
Entergy Arkansas	$59.0	$18.6
Entergy Gulf States Louisiana	($36.9)	($35.3)
Entergy Louisiana	($45.7)	($37.0)
Entergy Mississippi	$76.3	$64.3
Entergy New Orleans	$35.2	$34.9
Entergy Texas	$18.9	$15.1
System Energy	$55.7	$56.0

The cumulative decommissioning and retirement cost liabilities and expenses recorded in 2014 by Entergy were as follows:



	Liabilities as of December 31, 2013	Accretion		Change in Cash Flow Estimate		Spending			Liabilities as of December 31, 2014
	(In Millions)
Utility:
Entergy Arkansas	$723.8		$47.0		$47.6		$—			$818.4
Entergy Gulf States Louisiana	$403.1		$23.5		$20.0		$—			$446.6
Entergy Louisiana	$479.1		$24.6		$—		$—			$503.7
Entergy Mississippi	$6.4		$0.4		$—		$—			$6.8
Entergy New Orleans	$2.3		$0.2		$—		$—			$2.5
Entergy Texas	$4.3		$0.3		$—		$—			$4.6
System Energy	$616.2		$41.8		$99.9		$—			$757.9
Entergy Wholesale Commodities	$1,698.2		$139.7		$101.6		($21.7	)		$1,917.8

The cumulative decommissioning and retirement cost liabilities and expenses recorded in 2013 by Entergy were as follows:



	Liabilities as of December 31, 2012		Accretion		Change in Cash Flow Estimate		Spending			Liabilities as of December 31, 2013
	(In Millions)
Utility:
Entergy Arkansas		$680.7		$43.1		$—		$—			$723.8
Entergy Gulf States Louisiana		$380.8		$22.3		$—		$—			$403.1
Entergy Louisiana		$418.1		$21.6		$39.4		$—			$479.1
Entergy Mississippi		$6.0		$0.4		$—		$—			$6.4
Entergy New Orleans		$2.2		$0.1		$—		$—			$2.3
Entergy Texas		$4.1		$0.2		$—		$—			$4.3
System Energy		$478.4		$35.5		$102.3		$—			$616.2
Entergy Wholesale Commodities		$1,543.3		$125.3		$38.6		($9.0	)		$1,698.2

Entergy periodically reviews and updates estimated decommissioning costs. The actual decommissioning costs may vary from the estimates because of regulatory requirements, changes in technology, and increased costs of labor, materials, and equipment. As described below, during 2014 and 2013 Entergy updated decommissioning cost estimates for certain nuclear power plants.

In 2014, Entergy Arkansas recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liabilities for ANO 1 and ANO 2 as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimates resulted in a $47.6 million increase in the decommissioning cost liabilities, along with a corresponding increase in the related asset retirement cost assets that will be depreciated over the remaining lives of the units.

See Note 1 to the financial statements for further discussion of the shutdown of Vermont Yankee and the December 2013 settlement agreement involving Entergy and Vermont parties. In accordance with the settlement agreement, Entergy Vermont Yankee provided to the Vermont parties, in 2014, a site assessment study of the costs and tasks of radiological decommissioning, spent nuclear fuel management, and site restoration for Vermont Yankee. Entergy Vermont Yankee also filed its Post-Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report (PSDAR) for Vermont Yankee with the NRC in December 2014. As part of the development of the site assessment study and PSDAR, Entergy obtained a revised decommissioning cost study in the third quarter 2014. The revised estimate, along with reassessment of the assumptions regarding the timing of decommissioning cash flows, resulted in a $101.6 million increase in the decommissioning cost liability and a corresponding impairment charge.

In the fourth quarter 2014, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for River Bend as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $20 million increase in the decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding increase in the related asset retirement cost asset that will be depreciated over the remaining useful life of the unit.

In the fourth quarter 2014, System Energy recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for Grand Gulf as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $99.9 million increase in its decommissioning liability, along with a corresponding increase in the related asset retirement cost asset that will be depreciated over the remaining life of the unit.

In the first quarter 2013, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for a nuclear site as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $46.6 million reduction in the decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding reduction in the related asset retirement cost asset.

In the third quarter 2013, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for Vermont Yankee as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $58 million increase in the decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding increase in the related asset retirement cost asset. The increase in the estimated decommissioning cost liability resulted from the change in expectation regarding the timing of decommissioning cash flows due to the decision to cease operations of the plant. The asset retirement cost asset was included in the carrying value used to write down Vermont Yankee and related assets to their fair values in third quarter 2013. See Note 1 to the financial statements for further discussion of the resulting impairment charge recorded in third quarter 2013.

In the fourth quarter 2013, System Energy recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for Grand Gulf as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $102.3 million increase in its decommissioning liability, along with a corresponding increase in the related asset retirement cost asset that will be depreciated over the remaining life of the unit.

In the fourth quarter 2013, Entergy Louisiana recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for Waterford 3 as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $39.4 million increase in its decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding increase in the related asset retirement cost asset that will be depreciated over the remaining life of the unit.

In the fourth quarter 2013, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for Vermont Yankee. As a result of the settlement agreement regarding the remaining operation and decommissioning of Vermont Yankee, Entergy reassessed its assumptions regarding the timing of decommissioning cash flows. The reassessment resulted in a $27.2 million increase in the decommissioning cost liability and a corresponding impairment charge, which will not result in future cash expenditures. See Note 1 to the financial statements for further discussion of the Vermont Yankee plant.

In the second quarter 2012, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a reduction of $60.6 million in the estimated decommissioning cost liability for a plant as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a credit to decommissioning expense of $49 million, reflecting the excess of the reduction in the liability over the amount of the undepreciated asset retirement costs asset.

Vermont Yankee submitted notification of permanent cessation of operations and permanent removal of fuel from the reactor in January 2015 after final shutdown in December 2014. The PSDAR for Vermont Yankee, including a site specific cost estimate, was submitted to the NRC in December 2014. Vermont Yankee’s future certifications to satisfy the NRC’s financial assurance requirements will now be based on the site specific cost estimate, including the estimated cost of managing spent fuel, rather than the NRC minimum formula for estimating decommissioning costs. Entergy expects that amounts available in Vermont Yankee’s decommissioning trust fund, including expected earnings, together with the credit facilities entered into in January 2015 that are expected to be repaid with recoveries from DOE litigation related to spent fuel storage, will be sufficient to cover expected costs of decommissioning, spent fuel management costs, and site restoration. Filings with the NRC for planned shutdown activities will determine whether any other financial assurance may be required and will specifically address funding for spent fuel management, which will be required until the federal government takes possession of the fuel and removes it from the site, per its current obligation.

For the Indian Point 3 and FitzPatrick plants purchased in 2000, NYPA retained the decommissioning trusts and the decommissioning liabilities. NYPA and Entergy subsidiaries executed decommissioning agreements, which specify their decommissioning obligations. NYPA has the right to require the Entergy subsidiaries to assume each of the decommissioning liabilities provided that it assigns the corresponding decommissioning trust, up to a specified level, to the Entergy subsidiaries. If the decommissioning liabilities are retained by NYPA, the Entergy subsidiaries will perform the decommissioning of the plants at a price equal to the lesser of a pre-specified level or the amount in the decommissioning trusts. Entergy recorded an asset, which is $599.9 million as of December 31, 2014, representing its estimate of the present value of the difference between the stipulated contract amount for decommissioning the plants less the decommissioning costs estimated in independent decommissioning cost studies. The asset is increased by monthly accretion based on the applicable discount rate necessary to ultimately provide for the estimated future value of the decommissioning contract. The monthly accretion is recorded as interest income.

Entergy maintains decommissioning trust funds that are committed to meeting its obligations for the costs of decommissioning the nuclear power plants. The fair values of the decommissioning trust funds and the related asset retirement obligation regulatory assets (liabilities) of Entergy as of December 31, 2014 are as follows:



	Decommissioning Trust Fair Values		Regulatory Asset (Liability)
	(In Millions)
Utility:
ANO 1 and ANO 2		$769.9		$247.6
River Bend		$637.7		($25.5	)
Waterford 3		$383.6		$145.5
Grand Gulf		$679.8		$80.4
Entergy Wholesale Commodities		$2,899.9		$—

Entergy maintains decommissioning trust funds that are committed to meeting its obligations for the costs of decommissioning the nuclear power plants. The fair values of the decommissioning trust funds and the related asset retirement obligation regulatory assets (liabilities) of Entergy as of December 31, 2013 are as follows:



	Decommissioning Trust Fair Values		Regulatory Asset (Liability)
	(In Millions)
Utility:
ANO 1 and ANO 2		$710.9		$219.1
River Bend		$573.7		($28.7	)
Waterford 3		$347.3		$128.5
Grand Gulf		$603.9		$60.8
Entergy Wholesale Commodities		$2,667.3		$—

Asset Retirement Obligations

ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy)

Accounting standards require companies to record liabilities for all legal obligations associated with the retirement of long-lived assets that result from the normal operation of the assets. For Entergy, substantially all of its asset retirement obligations consist of its liability for decommissioning its nuclear power plants. In addition, an insignificant amount of removal costs associated with non-nuclear power plants is also included in the decommissioning line item on the balance sheets.

These liabilities are recorded at their fair values (which are the present values of the estimated future cash outflows) in the period in which they are incurred, with an accompanying addition to the recorded cost of the long-lived asset. The asset retirement obligation is accreted each year through a charge to expense, to reflect the time value of money for this present value obligation. The accretion will continue through the completion of the asset retirement activity. The amounts added to the carrying amounts of the long-lived assets will be depreciated over the useful lives of the assets. The application of accounting standards related to asset retirement obligations is earnings neutral to the rate-regulated business of the Registrant Subsidiaries.

In accordance with ratemaking treatment and as required by regulatory accounting standards, the depreciation provisions for the Registrant Subsidiaries include a component for removal costs that are not asset retirement obligations under accounting standards. In accordance with regulatory accounting principles, the Registrant Subsidiaries have recorded regulatory assets (liabilities) in the following amounts to reflect their estimates of the difference between estimated incurred removal costs and estimated removal costs recovered in rates:



	December 31,
	2014	2013
	(In Millions)
Entergy Arkansas	$59.0	$18.6
Entergy Gulf States Louisiana	($36.9)	($35.3)
Entergy Louisiana	($45.7)	($37.0)
Entergy Mississippi	$76.3	$64.3
Entergy New Orleans	$35.2	$34.9
Entergy Texas	$18.9	$15.1
System Energy	$55.7	$56.0

The cumulative decommissioning and retirement cost liabilities and expenses recorded in 2014 by Entergy were as follows:



	Liabilities as of December 31, 2013	Accretion		Change in Cash Flow Estimate		Spending			Liabilities as of December 31, 2014
	(In Millions)
Utility:
Entergy Arkansas	$723.8		$47.0		$47.6		$—			$818.4
Entergy Gulf States Louisiana	$403.1		$23.5		$20.0		$—			$446.6
Entergy Louisiana	$479.1		$24.6		$—		$—			$503.7
Entergy Mississippi	$6.4		$0.4		$—		$—			$6.8
Entergy New Orleans	$2.3		$0.2		$—		$—			$2.5
Entergy Texas	$4.3		$0.3		$—		$—			$4.6
System Energy	$616.2		$41.8		$99.9		$—			$757.9
Entergy Wholesale Commodities	$1,698.2		$139.7		$101.6		($21.7	)		$1,917.8

The cumulative decommissioning and retirement cost liabilities and expenses recorded in 2013 by Entergy were as follows:



	Liabilities as of December 31, 2012		Accretion		Change in Cash Flow Estimate		Spending			Liabilities as of December 31, 2013
	(In Millions)
Utility:
Entergy Arkansas		$680.7		$43.1		$—		$—			$723.8
Entergy Gulf States Louisiana		$380.8		$22.3		$—		$—			$403.1
Entergy Louisiana		$418.1		$21.6		$39.4		$—			$479.1
Entergy Mississippi		$6.0		$0.4		$—		$—			$6.4
Entergy New Orleans		$2.2		$0.1		$—		$—			$2.3
Entergy Texas		$4.1		$0.2		$—		$—			$4.3
System Energy		$478.4		$35.5		$102.3		$—			$616.2
Entergy Wholesale Commodities		$1,543.3		$125.3		$38.6		($9.0	)		$1,698.2