Commitments and Contingencies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2019

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies [Text Block]

Commitments and Contingencies

Except as set forth below, in Note 13 and under "Environmental Laws and Regulations" in Item 2 of Part I and in Item 1 of Part II of this Form 10-Q, the circumstances set forth in Notes 13 and 14 to OG&E's Financial Statements included in OG&E's 2018 Form 10-K appropriately represent, in all material respects, the current status of OG&E's material commitments and contingent liabilities.

Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act of 1978

As previously disclosed in OG&E's 2018 Form 10-K, OG&E has a QF contract with Oklahoma Cogeneration LLC which expires on August 31, 2019. For this 120 MW contract, OG&E purchases 100 percent of the electricity generated. OG&E also had a 320 MW contract with AES that expired on January 15, 2019, through which OG&E purchased 100 percent of the electricity generated.

In December 2018, OG&E announced its plan to acquire power plants from AES and Oklahoma Cogeneration LLC, pending regulatory approval, to meet customers' energy needs. In May 2019, OG&E received the necessary approval from the OCC and the FERC and conditional approval from the APSC to acquire both plants. In May 2019, OG&E acquired the power plant from AES and expects to acquire the plant from Oklahoma Cogeneration LLC in the third quarter of 2019. Further discussion can be found in Note 13.

Environmental Laws and Regulations

The activities of OG&E are subject to numerous stringent and complex federal, state and local laws and regulations governing environmental protection. These laws and regulations can change, restrict or otherwise impact OG&E's business activities in many ways, including the handling or disposal of waste material, future construction activities to avoid or mitigate harm to threatened or endangered species and requiring the installation and operation of emissions pollution control equipment. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations could result in the assessment of administrative, civil and criminal penalties, the imposition of remedial requirements and the issuance of orders enjoining future operations. Management believes that all of its operations are in substantial compliance with current federal, state and local environmental standards.

Environmental regulation can increase the cost of planning, design, initial installation and operation of OG&E's facilities. Management continues to evaluate its compliance with existing and proposed environmental legislation and regulations and implement appropriate environmental programs in a competitive market.

Other

In the normal course of business, OG&E is confronted with issues or events that may result in a contingent liability. These generally relate to lawsuits or claims made by third parties, including governmental agencies. When appropriate, management consults with legal counsel and other experts to assess the claim. If, in management's opinion, OG&E has incurred a probable loss as set forth by GAAP, an estimate is made of the loss, and the appropriate accounting entries are reflected in OG&E's Condensed Financial Statements. At the present time, based on currently available information, OG&E believes that any reasonably possible losses in excess of accrued amounts arising out of pending or threatened lawsuits or claims would not have a material adverse effect on OG&E's financial position, results of operations or cash flows.