Early Plant Retirements Early Plant Retirements

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

Early Plant Retirements [Line Items]

Early Plant Retirements

Early Plant Retirements

Fossil

In October 2016, Power determined that it would cease generation operations of the existing coal/gas units at the Hudson and Mercer generating stations on June 1, 2017. Power has filed deactivation notices with PJM for these existing units at both stations and final must-offer exception requests for the 2020-2021 PJM capacity auction to the PJM Independent Market Monitor. Power expects the units to continue to be available to generate electricity and receive previously cleared capacity payments through the date the units cease operations.

In the latter half of 2016, PSEG and Power recognized pre-tax charges in Energy Costs and Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of $62 million and $53 million, respectively, related to coal inventory adjustments, capacity penalties, materials and supplies inventory reserve adjustments for parts that cannot be used at other generating units, employee-related severance benefits costs and construction work in progress impairments, among other shut down items. In addition to these charges, Power recognized Depreciation and Amortization (D&A) during 2016 of $571 million due to the significant shortening of the expected economic useful lives of Hudson and Mercer.

In the first quarter of 2017, Power recognized total D&A of $574 million and expects to recognize additional total D&A of $389 million in 2017 for the Hudson and Mercer units. Power also recognized pre-tax charges in Energy Costs of $7 million primarily for coal inventory lower of cost or market adjustments. Power currently anticipates using the sites for alternative industrial activity. However, if Power determines not to use the sites for alternative industrial activity, the early retirement of the units at such sites would trigger obligations under certain environmental regulations, including possible remediation. The amounts for any such environmental remediation are neither currently probable nor estimable but may be material.

As of December 31, 2016, Power had reduced the estimated useful life of Bridgeport Harbor Station unit 3 (BH3) from 2025 to the summer of 2021 as it was more likely than not it will retire the unit by this time. The change in the estimated useful life is not expected to have a material impact on Power’s future financial results.

PSEG and Power continue to monitor their other coal assets, including the Keystone and Conemaugh generating stations, to assess their economic viability through the end of their designated useful lives and their continued classification as held for use. The precise timing of a change in useful lives may be dependent upon events out of PSEG’s and Power’s control and may impact their ability to operate or maintain certain assets in the future. These generating stations may be impacted by factors such as environmental legislation, co-owner capital requirements and continued depressed wholesale power prices or capacity factors, among other things. Any early retirement or change in the classification as held for use of our remaining coal units may have a material adverse impact on PSEG’s and Power’s future financial results.

Nuclear

Since 2013, several nuclear generating stations in the United States have closed or announced early retirement due to economic reasons, or have announced being at risk for early retirement. This situation is generally due to low natural gas prices, and the related decline in market prices of energy, resulting from the growth of shale gas production since 2007, the continuing cost of regulatory compliance and enhanced security for nuclear facilities and both federal and state-level policies that provide financial incentives to renewable energy such as wind and solar, but generally do not apply to nuclear generating stations. These trends have significantly reduced the revenues of nuclear generating stations while limiting their ability to reduce the unit cost of production. This may result in the electric generation industry experiencing a shift from nuclear generation to natural gas-fired generation, creating less diversity of the generation fleet and greater reliance on natural gas pipelines for fuel delivery.

If trends noted above continue or worsen, Power’s nuclear generating units could cease being economically competitive which may cause Power to retire such units prior to the end of their useful lives. The costs associated with any such retirement, which may include, among other things, accelerated D&A or impairment charges, accelerated asset retirement costs, severance costs, environmental remediation costs, and additional funding of the NDT Fund will likely have a material adverse impact on PSEG’s and Power’s future financial results. PSEG and Power continue to advocate for sound policies that recognize nuclear power as a source of reliable and clean energy and an important part of a diverse and reliable energy portfolio.

The following table provides the balance sheet amounts by generating station as of March 31, 2017 for significant assets and liabilities associated with Power’s owned share of its nuclear assets.

	As of March 31, 2017
	Hope Creek			Salem			Support Facilities and Other (A)		Peach Bottom
	Millions
Assets
Materials and Supplies Inventory	$	82		$	86		$	—	$	39
Nuclear Production, net of Accumulated Depreciation	456			545			208		774
Nuclear Fuel In-Service, net of Accumulated Depreciation	152			77			—		142
Construction Work in Progress (including nuclear fuel)	156			137			12		26
Total Assets	$	846		$	845		$	220	$	981
Liability
Asset Retirement Obligation	$	144		$	157		$	—	$	159
Total Liabilities	$	144		$	157		$	—	$	159
Net Assets	$	702		$	688		$	220	$	822
NRC License Renewal Term	2046			2036/2040			—		2033/2034
% Owned	100		%	57		%	—		50		%

(A) Includes Hope Creek’s and Salem’s shared support facilities and other nuclear development capital.

The precise timing of any potential early retirement and resulting financial statement impact may be affected by a number of factors, including co-owner considerations, the results of any transmission system reliability study assessments and decommissioning trust fund requirements and other commitments, as well as future energy prices. Power maintains a NDT Fund that funds its decommissioning obligations. See Note 7. Available-for-Sale Securities.

Power [Member]

Early Plant Retirements [Line Items]

Early Plant Retirements

Early Plant Retirements

Fossil

In October 2016, Power determined that it would cease generation operations of the existing coal/gas units at the Hudson and Mercer generating stations on June 1, 2017. Power has filed deactivation notices with PJM for these existing units at both stations and final must-offer exception requests for the 2020-2021 PJM capacity auction to the PJM Independent Market Monitor. Power expects the units to continue to be available to generate electricity and receive previously cleared capacity payments through the date the units cease operations.

In the latter half of 2016, PSEG and Power recognized pre-tax charges in Energy Costs and Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of $62 million and $53 million, respectively, related to coal inventory adjustments, capacity penalties, materials and supplies inventory reserve adjustments for parts that cannot be used at other generating units, employee-related severance benefits costs and construction work in progress impairments, among other shut down items. In addition to these charges, Power recognized Depreciation and Amortization (D&A) during 2016 of $571 million due to the significant shortening of the expected economic useful lives of Hudson and Mercer.

In the first quarter of 2017, Power recognized total D&A of $574 million and expects to recognize additional total D&A of $389 million in 2017 for the Hudson and Mercer units. Power also recognized pre-tax charges in Energy Costs of $7 million primarily for coal inventory lower of cost or market adjustments. Power currently anticipates using the sites for alternative industrial activity. However, if Power determines not to use the sites for alternative industrial activity, the early retirement of the units at such sites would trigger obligations under certain environmental regulations, including possible remediation. The amounts for any such environmental remediation are neither currently probable nor estimable but may be material.

As of December 31, 2016, Power had reduced the estimated useful life of Bridgeport Harbor Station unit 3 (BH3) from 2025 to the summer of 2021 as it was more likely than not it will retire the unit by this time. The change in the estimated useful life is not expected to have a material impact on Power’s future financial results.

PSEG and Power continue to monitor their other coal assets, including the Keystone and Conemaugh generating stations, to assess their economic viability through the end of their designated useful lives and their continued classification as held for use. The precise timing of a change in useful lives may be dependent upon events out of PSEG’s and Power’s control and may impact their ability to operate or maintain certain assets in the future. These generating stations may be impacted by factors such as environmental legislation, co-owner capital requirements and continued depressed wholesale power prices or capacity factors, among other things. Any early retirement or change in the classification as held for use of our remaining coal units may have a material adverse impact on PSEG’s and Power’s future financial results.

Nuclear

Since 2013, several nuclear generating stations in the United States have closed or announced early retirement due to economic reasons, or have announced being at risk for early retirement. This situation is generally due to low natural gas prices, and the related decline in market prices of energy, resulting from the growth of shale gas production since 2007, the continuing cost of regulatory compliance and enhanced security for nuclear facilities and both federal and state-level policies that provide financial incentives to renewable energy such as wind and solar, but generally do not apply to nuclear generating stations. These trends have significantly reduced the revenues of nuclear generating stations while limiting their ability to reduce the unit cost of production. This may result in the electric generation industry experiencing a shift from nuclear generation to natural gas-fired generation, creating less diversity of the generation fleet and greater reliance on natural gas pipelines for fuel delivery.

If trends noted above continue or worsen, Power’s nuclear generating units could cease being economically competitive which may cause Power to retire such units prior to the end of their useful lives. The costs associated with any such retirement, which may include, among other things, accelerated D&A or impairment charges, accelerated asset retirement costs, severance costs, environmental remediation costs, and additional funding of the NDT Fund will likely have a material adverse impact on PSEG’s and Power’s future financial results. PSEG and Power continue to advocate for sound policies that recognize nuclear power as a source of reliable and clean energy and an important part of a diverse and reliable energy portfolio.

The following table provides the balance sheet amounts by generating station as of March 31, 2017 for significant assets and liabilities associated with Power’s owned share of its nuclear assets.

	As of March 31, 2017
	Hope Creek			Salem			Support Facilities and Other (A)		Peach Bottom
	Millions
Assets
Materials and Supplies Inventory	$	82		$	86		$	—	$	39
Nuclear Production, net of Accumulated Depreciation	456			545			208		774
Nuclear Fuel In-Service, net of Accumulated Depreciation	152			77			—		142
Construction Work in Progress (including nuclear fuel)	156			137			12		26
Total Assets	$	846		$	845		$	220	$	981
Liability
Asset Retirement Obligation	$	144		$	157		$	—	$	159
Total Liabilities	$	144		$	157		$	—	$	159
Net Assets	$	702		$	688		$	220	$	822
NRC License Renewal Term	2046			2036/2040			—		2033/2034
% Owned	100		%	57		%	—		50		%

(A) Includes Hope Creek’s and Salem’s shared support facilities and other nuclear development capital.

The precise timing of any potential early retirement and resulting financial statement impact may be affected by a number of factors, including co-owner considerations, the results of any transmission system reliability study assessments and decommissioning trust fund requirements and other commitments, as well as future energy prices. Power maintains a NDT Fund that funds its decommissioning obligations. See Note 7. Available-for-Sale Securities.