Asset Retirement Obligations

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]

12. Asset Retirement Obligations

TEC accounts for AROs at fair value at inception of the obligation if there is a legal obligation under applicable law, a written or oral contract, or by legal construction under the doctrine of promissory estoppel. Retirement obligations are recognized only if the legal obligation exists in connection with or as a result of the permanent retirement, abandonment or sale of a long-lived asset. When the liability is initially recorded in “Deferred credits and other liabilities” in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset is correspondingly increased. Over time, the liability is accreted to its estimated future value. The corresponding amount capitalized at inception is depreciated over the remaining useful life of the asset. The ARO estimates are reviewed quarterly. Any updates are revalued based on current market prices.

Reconciliation of beginning and ending carrying amount of asset retirement obligations:

	December 31,
(millions)	2019			2018
Beginning balance	$	64		$	47
Additional liabilities ⁽¹⁾		0			18
Liabilities settled ⁽¹⁾		(18	)		0
Revisions to estimated cash flows		0			(3	)
Other ⁽²⁾		3			2
Ending balance	$	49		$	64

(1)

Tampa Electric produces ash and other by-products, collectively known as CCRs, at its Big Bend and Polk power stations. The increase in the ARO in 2018 is to achieve compliance with the EPA’s CCR rule, which contains design and operating standards for CCR management units, due to the closure of a CCR management facility that began in 2018 and was completed in 2019.

(2)

Includes accretion recorded as a deferred regulatory asset.