Form 10-K
Table of Contents

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 10-K

 

 

x     Annual Report Pursuant To Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2013

OR

¨     Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the transition period from                      to                     

 

 

Commission File Number 1-14514

Consolidated Edison, Inc.

Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter

and principal office address and telephone number

 

New York   13-3965100
State of Incorporation  

I.R.S. Employer

ID. Number

4 Irving Place,

New York, New York 10003

(212) 460-4600

 

 

Commission File Number 1-1217

Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.

Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter

and principal office address and telephone number

 

New York   13-5009340
State of Incorporation  

I.R.S. Employer

ID. Number

4 Irving Place,

New York, New York 10003

(212) 460-4600

 

 

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class   

Name of each exchange

on which registered

 

Consolidated Edison, Inc.,

  

Common Shares ($.10 par value)

     New York Stock Exchange   

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

 

      CON EDISON ANNUAL REPORT   1


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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

 

Consolidated Edison, Inc. (Con Edison)

     Yes      x           No        ¨     

Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (CECONY)

     Yes       x           No        ¨     

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

 

Con Edison

     Yes        ¨           No        x     

CECONY

     Yes        ¨           No        x     

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

 

Con Edison

     Yes        x           No        ¨     

CECONY

     Yes        x           No        ¨     

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

 

Con Edison

     Yes        x           No        ¨     

CECONY

     Yes        x           No        ¨     

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Con Edison

             

Large accelerated filer

  x          Accelerated filer      ¨          Non-accelerated filer      ¨          Smaller reporting company      ¨     

CECONY

             

Large accelerated filer

  ¨          Accelerated filer      ¨          Non-accelerated filer      x          Smaller reporting company      ¨     

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).

 

Con Edison

     Yes       ¨           No        x     

CECONY

     Yes       ¨           No        x     

The aggregate market value of the common equity of Con Edison held by non-affiliates of Con Edison, as of June 30, 2013, was approximately $17.1 billion.

As of January 31, 2014, Con Edison had outstanding 292,902,495 Common Shares ($.10 par value).

All of the outstanding common equity of CECONY is held by Con Edison.

Documents Incorporated By Reference

Portions of Con Edison’s definitive proxy statement for its Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on May 19, 2014, to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A, not later than 120 days after December 31, 2013, is incorporated in Part III of this report.

Filing Format

This Annual Report on Form 10-K is a combined report being filed separately by two different registrants: Consolidated Edison, Inc. (Con Edison) and Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (CECONY). CECONY is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Con Edison and, as such, the information in this report about CECONY also applies to Con Edison. CECONY meets the conditions set forth in General Instruction (I)(1)(a) and (b) of Form 10-K and is therefore filing this Form 10-K with the reduced disclosure format.

As used in this report, the term the “Companies” refers to Con Edison and CECONY. However, CECONY makes no representation as to the information contained in this report relating to Con Edison or the subsidiaries of Con Edison other than itself.

 

 

 

 

2   CON EDISON ANNUAL REPORT      


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Glossary of Terms

The following is a glossary of frequently used abbreviations or acronyms that are used in the Companies’ SEC reports:

 

Con Edison Companies     

Con Edison

  

Consolidated Edison, Inc.

CECONY

  

Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.

Con Edison Development

  

Consolidated Edison Development, Inc.

Con Edison Energy

  

Consolidated Edison Energy, Inc.

Con Edison Solutions

  

Consolidated Edison Solutions, Inc.

O&R

  

Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc.

Pike

  

Pike County Light & Power Company

RECO

  

Rockland Electric Company

The Companies

  

Con Edison and CECONY

The Utilities

  

CECONY and O&R

Regulatory Agencies, Government Agencies, and Quasi-governmental Not-for-Profits

EPA

  

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency

FERC

  

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

IRS

  

Internal Revenue Service

ISO-NE

  

ISO New England Inc.

NJBPU

  

New Jersey Board of Public Utilities

NJDEP

  

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

NYISO

  

New York Independent System Operator

NYPA

  

New York Power Authority

NYSAG

  

New York State Attorney General

NYSDEC

  

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

NYSERDA

  

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

NYSPSC

  

New York State Public Service Commission

NYSRC

  

New York State Reliability Council, LLC

PAPUC

  

Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission

PJM

  

PJM Interconnection LLC

SEC

  

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Accounting     

ABO

  

Accumulated Benefit Obligation

ASU

  

Accounting Standards Update

FASB

  

Financial Accounting Standards Board

LILO

  

Lease In/Lease Out

OCI

  

Other Comprehensive Income

SFAS

  

Statement of Financial Accounting Standards

VIE

  

Variable interest entity

Environmental     

CO2

  

Carbon dioxide

GHG

  

Greenhouse gases

MGP Sites

  

Manufactured gas plant sites

PCBs

  

Polychlorinated biphenyls

PRP

  

Potentially responsible party

SO2

  

Sulfur dioxide

Superfund

  

Federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 and similar state statutes

 

      CON EDISON ANNUAL REPORT   3


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Units of Measure     

AC

  

Alternating current

dths

  

Dekatherms

kV

  

Kilovolt

kWh

  

Kilowatt-hour

mdths

  

Thousand dekatherms

MMlbs

  

Million pounds

MVA

  

Megavolt ampere

MW

  

Megawatt or thousand kilowatts

MWH

  

Megawatt hour

Other     

AFDC

  

Allowance for funds used during construction

COSO

  

Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission

EMF

  

Electric and magnetic fields

ERRP

  

East River Repowering Project

Fitch

  

Fitch Ratings

LTIP

  

Long Term Incentive Plan

Moody’s

  

Moody’s Investors Service

S&P

  

Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC

VaR

  

Value-at-Risk

 

4   CON EDISON ANNUAL REPORT      


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

     PAGE  

Introduction

    6   

Available Information

    7   

Forward-Looking Statements

    8   

Part I

   

Item 1:

 

Business

    11   

Item 1A:

 

Risk Factors

    31   

Item 1B:

 

Unresolved Staff Comments

    33   

Item 2:

 

Properties

    33   

Item 3:

 

Legal Proceedings

    34   

Item 4:

 

Mine Safety Disclosures

    34   
 

Executive Officers of the Registrant

    35   

Part II

   

Item 5:

 

Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

    36   

Item 6:

 

Selected Financial Data

    39   

Item 7:

 

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

    40   

Item 7A:

 

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

    64   

Item 8:

 

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

    65   

Item 9:

 

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

    141   

Item 9A:

 

Controls and Procedures

    141   
Item 9B:  

Other Information

    141   

Part III

   

Item 10:

 

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

    142   

Item 11:

 

Executive Compensation

    142   

Item 12:

 

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

    142   

Item 13:

 

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

    142   

Item 14:

 

Principal Accounting Fees and Services

    142   

Part IV

   

Item 15:

 

Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

    144   
 

Signatures

    152   

 

      CON EDISON ANNUAL REPORT   5


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Introduction

This introduction contains certain information about Con Edison and its subsidiaries, including CECONY, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the more detailed information appearing elsewhere or incorporated by reference in this report.

Con Edison’s mission is to provide energy services to our customers safely, reliably, efficiently and in an environmentally sound manner; to provide a workplace that allows employees to realize their full potential; to provide a fair return to our investors; and to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve.

Con Edison is a holding company that owns:

 

 

CECONY, which delivers electricity, natural gas and steam to customers in New York City and Westchester County;

 

 

O&R (together with CECONY referred to as the Utilities), which delivers electricity and natural gas to customers primarily located in southeastern New York, and northern New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania; and

 

 

Competitive energy businesses, which sell to retail customers electricity purchased in wholesale markets and enter into related hedging transactions; provide energy-related products and services to wholesale and retail customers and participate in energy infrastructure projects.

Con Edison anticipates that the Utilities, which are subject to extensive regulation, will continue to provide substantially all of its earnings over the next few years. The Utilities have approved rate plans that are generally designed to cover each company’s cost of service, including the capital and other costs of the company’s energy delivery systems. The Utilities recover from their full-service customers (generally, on a current basis) the cost the Utilities pay for the energy and charge all of their customers the cost of delivery service.

 

Selected Financial Data

Con Edison

 

      For the Year Ended December 31,  
(Millions of Dollars, except per share amounts)    2009      2010      2011      2012      2013  

Operating revenues

   $ 13,032       $ 13,325       $ 12,886       $ 12,188       $ 12,354   

Energy costs

     6,242         5,754         5,001         3,887         4,054   

Operating income

     1,899         2,120         2,239         2,339         2,244   

Net income

     879         1,003         1,062         1,141         1,062 (d) 

Total assets

     33,844         36,348 (a)       39,214 (b)       41,209 (c)       40,647 (e) 

Long-term debt

     9,854         10,671         10,143         10,062         10,489   

Shareholders’ equity

     10,462         11,274         11,649         11,869         12,245   

Basic earnings per share

   $ 3.16       $ 3.49       $ 3.59       $ 3.88       $ 3.62   

Diluted earnings per share

   $ 3.14       $ 3.47       $ 3.57       $ 3.86       $ 3.61   

Cash dividends per common share

   $ 2.36       $ 2.38       $ 2.40       $ 2.42       $ 2.46   

Book value per share

   $ 36.82       $ 37.95       $ 39.05       $ 40.53       $ 41.81   

Average common shares outstanding (millions)

     275         284         293         293         293   

Stock price low

   $ 32.56       $ 41.52       $ 48.55       $ 53.63       $ 54.33   

Stock price high

   $ 46.35       $ 51.03       $ 62.74       $ 65.98       $ 63.66   

 

(a) Reflects a $1,399 million increase in net plant, a $303 million increase in regulatory assets for environmental remediation costs and a $210 million increase in prepayments.
(b) Reflects a $1,230 million increase in net plant and a $1,481 million increase in regulatory assets for unrecognized pension and other postretirement costs.
(c) Reflects a $1,846 million increase in net plant and a $304 million increase in regulatory assets for deferred storm costs.
(d) Reflects a charge to earnings of $95 million (after taxes of $63 million) relating to the LILO transactions. See “Lease In/Lease Out Transactions” in Note J to the financial statements in Item 8.
(e) Reflects a $2,947 million decrease in regulatory assets for unrecognized pension and other postretirement costs offset by a $1,497 million increase in net plant, a $280 million increase in cash, a $257 million increase in special deposits and a $223 million increase in regulatory assets for future income tax. See Notes B, E and F to the financial statements in Item 8.

 

6   CON EDISON ANNUAL REPORT      


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CECONY

 

      For the Year Ended December 31,  
(Millions of Dollars)    2009      2010     2011     2012     2013  

Operating revenues

   $ 10,036       $ 10,573      $ 10,432      $ 10,187      $ 10,430   

Energy costs

     3,904         3,715        3,243        2,665        2,873   

Operating income

     1,716         1,922        2,083        2,093        2,060   

Net income for common stock

     781         893        978        1,014        1,020   

Total assets

     30,461         32,605 (a)      35,218 (b)      36,885 (c)      36,258 (d) 

Long-term debt

     9,038         9,743        9,220        9,145        9,366   

Shareholder’s equity

     9,560         10,136        10,431        10,552        10,847   

 

(a) Reflects a $1,257 million increase in net plant, a $241 million increase in regulatory assets for environmental remediation costs and a $125 million increase in accounts receivable from affiliated companies.
(b) Reflects a $1,101 million increase in net plant and a $1,402 million increase in regulatory assets for unrecognized pension and other postretirement costs.
(c) Reflects a $1,243 million increase in net plant and a $229 million increase in regulatory assets for deferred storm costs.
(d) Reflects a $2,797 million decrease in regulatory assets for unrecognized pension and other postretirement costs offset by a $1,405 million increase in net plant, a $280 million increase in cash and $215 and $199 million increases in regulatory assets for environmental remediation costs and future income tax, respectively. See Notes B, E and F to the financial statements in Item 8.

 

Significant 2013 Developments

 

CECONY delivered 56,918 million kWhs of electricity (0.5 percent decrease from prior year), 139,046 mdths of gas (19.4 percent increase from prior year) and 21,923 MMlbs of steam to its customers (11.1 percent increase from prior year). The company’s electric and gas rate plans include revenue decoupling mechanisms pursuant to which delivery revenues are not generally affected by changes in delivery volumes from levels assumed in the rate plans. See “Results of Operations” in Item 7.

 

 

CECONY invested $2,135 million to upgrade and reinforce its energy delivery systems. O&R invested $135 million in its energy delivery systems. The competitive energy businesses invested $378 million primarily in solar projects. See “Capital Requirements and Resources” in Item 1.

 

 

In December 2013, CECONY entered into a Joint Proposal with New York State Public Service Commission staff and other parties with respect to its rates for electric, gas and steam delivery service in 2014 and 2015 (and, for gas and steam delivery service, 2016). See “Rate Plans” in Note B to the financial statements in Item 8.

 

 

A commission established by the Governor of New York issued its report on actions taken by New York utilities relating to emergency weather events, including Superstorm Sandy, and the New York Public Service Law was amended to provide additional authority to the NYSPSC. Subsequently, the NYSPSC approved emergency response plans submitted by the utilities, adopted statewide policies that will require credits to customers who are without electric service for more than three days and approved a scorecard that will be used to assess electric utility performance. In addition, the NYSPSC directed its staff to recommend a process for decisions regarding the broad restructuring of distribution utility regulation. See “Utility Regulation” in Item 1.

 

 

A court disallowed tax losses claimed by Con Edison relating to Con Edison Development’s lease in/lease out (LILO) transactions and the company subsequently terminated the transactions, resulting in a charge to earnings of $95 million (after taxes of $63 million). See Note J to the financial statements in Item 8.

Available Information

Con Edison and CECONY file annual, quarterly and current reports and other information, and Con Edison files proxy statements, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The public may read and copy any materials that the Companies file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580 Washington, D.C. 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy statements, and other information regarding issuers (including Con Edison and CECONY) that file electronically with the SEC. The address of that site is www.sec.gov.

This information the Companies file with the SEC is also available free of charge on or through the Investor Information section of their websites as soon as reasonably practicable after the reports are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Con Edison’s internet website is at: www.conedison.com; and CECONY’s is at: www.coned.com.

The Investor Information section of Con Edison’s website also includes the company’s Standards of Business Conduct (its code of ethics) and amendments or waivers of the standards for executive officers or directors, corporate governance guidelines and the charters of the following committees of the company’s Board of Directors: Audit Committee, Management Development and Compensation Committee, and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. This information is available in print to any shareholder who requests it. Requests should be directed to: Corporate Secretary, Consolidated Edison, Inc., 4 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003.

 

      CON EDISON ANNUAL REPORT   7


Table of Contents

Information on the Companies’ websites is not incorporated herein.

Forward-Looking Statements

This report includes forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe-harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectation and not facts. Words such as “expects,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “believes,” “plans,” “will” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time the statements are made, and accordingly speak only as of that time. Actual results or developments might differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements because of various factors including, but not limited to, those discussed under “Risk Factors,” in Item 1A.

 

8   CON EDISON ANNUAL REPORT      


Table of Contents
Item 1: Business

 

Contents of Item 1   Page  

Overview

    11   

CECONY

    11   

Electric

    11   

Gas

    11   

Steam

    11   

O&R

    11   

Electric

    11   

Gas

    11   

Competitive Energy Businesses

    11   

Utility Regulation

    12   

State Utility Regulation

    12   

Regulators

    12   

Utility Industry Restructuring in New York

    12   

Rate Plans

    12   

Liability for Service Interruptions and Other Non-rate Conditions of Service

    14   

Generic Proceedings

    14   

Federal Utility Regulation

    15   

New York Independent System Operator (NYISO)

    15   

New York Energy Highway

    15   

Competition

    15   

The Utilities

    16   

CECONY

    16   

Electric Operations

    16   

Electric Facilities

    16   

Electric Sales and Deliveries

    16   

Electric Peak Demand

    17   

Electric Supply

    17   

Gas Operations

    18   

Gas Facilities

    18   

Gas Sales and Deliveries

    18   

Gas Peak Demand

    19   

Gas Supply

    19   

Steam Operations

    20   

Steam Facilities

    20   

Steam Sales and Deliveries

    20   

Steam Peak Demand and Capacity

    20   

Steam Supply

    20   

O&R

    20   

Electric Operations

    20   

Electric Facilities

    20   

Electric Sales and Deliveries

    21   

Electric Peak Demand

    21   

Electric Supply

    21   

Gas Operations

    21   

Gas Facilities

    21   

Gas Sales and Deliveries

    22   

Gas Peak Demand

    22   

Gas Supply

    23   

 

      CON EDISON ANNUAL REPORT   9


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Contents of Item 1   Page  

Competitive Energy Businesses

    23   

Con Edison Solutions

    23   

Con Edison Energy

    24   

Con Edison Development

    24   

Capital Requirements and Resources

    24   

Environmental Matters

    27   

Climate Change

    27   

Environmental Sustainability

    28   

CECONY

    28   

O&R

    30   

Other Federal, State and Local Environmental Provisions

    30   

State Anti-Takeover Law

    31   

Employees

    31   

Incorporation By Reference

Information in any item of this report as to which reference is made in this Item 1 is hereby incorporated by reference in this Item 1. The use of terms such as “see” or “refer to” shall be deemed to incorporate into Item 1 at the place such term is used the information to which such reference is made.

 

10   CON EDISON ANNUAL REPORT      


Table of Contents

PART I

 

Item 1: Business

Overview

Consolidated Edison, Inc. (Con Edison), incorporated in New York State in 1997, is a holding company which owns all of the outstanding common stock of Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (CECONY), Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. (O&R) and the competitive energy businesses. As used in this report, the term the “Companies” refers to Con Edison and CECONY.

 

LOGO

 

CECONY’s principal business operations are its regulated electric, gas and steam delivery businesses. O&R’s principal business operations are its regulated electric and gas delivery businesses. The competitive energy businesses sell electricity to retail customers, provide energy-related products and services, and participate in energy infrastructure projects.

Con Edison’s strategy is to provide reliable energy services, maintain public and employee safety, promote energy efficiency, and develop cost-effective ways of performing its business. Con Edison seeks to be a responsible steward of the environment and enhance its relationships with customers, regulators and members of the communities it serves.

CECONY

Electric

CECONY provides electric service to approximately 3.4 million customers in all of New York City (except a part of Queens) and most of Westchester County, an approximately 660 square mile service area with a population of more than nine million.

Gas

CECONY delivers gas to approximately 1.1 million customers in Manhattan, the Bronx and parts of Queens and Westchester County.

Steam

CECONY operates the largest steam distribution system in the United States by producing and delivering approximately 22,000 MMlbs of steam annually to 1,703 customers in parts of Manhattan.

O&R

Electric

O&R and its utility subsidiaries, Rockland Electric Company (RECO) and Pike County Light & Power Company (Pike) (together referred to herein as O&R) provide electric service to approximately 0.3 million customers in southeastern New York and in adjacent areas of northern New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania, an approximately 1,350 square mile service area.

Gas

O&R delivers gas to over 0.1 million customers in southeastern New York and adjacent areas of northeastern Pennsylvania.

Competitive Energy Businesses

Con Edison pursues competitive energy opportunities through three wholly-owned subsidiaries: Con Edison Solutions, Con Edison Energy and Con Edison Development. These businesses sell to retail customers electricity purchased in wholesale markets and enter into related hedging transactions, provide energy-related products and services to wholesale and retail customers, and participate in energy infrastructure projects. At December 31, 2013, Con Edison’s equity investment in its competitive energy businesses was $488 million and their assets amounted to $1,314 million.

 

      CON EDISON ANNUAL REPORT   11


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Utility Regulation

State Utility Regulation

Regulators

The Utilities are subject to regulation by the New York State Public Service Commission (NYSPSC), which under the New York Public Service Law, is authorized to set the terms of service and the rates the Utilities charge for providing service in New York. It also approves the issuance of the Utilities’ securities. It exercises jurisdiction over the siting of the Utilities’ electric transmission lines and approves mergers or other business combinations involving New York utilities. In addition, it has the authority to impose penalties on utilities, which could be substantial, for violating state utility laws and regulations and its orders. O&R’s New Jersey subsidiary, RECO, is subject to similar regulation by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU). O&R’s Pennsylvania subsidiary, Pike, is subject to similar regulation by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PAPUC). The NYSPSC, together with the NJBPU and the PAPUC, are referred to herein as state utility regulators.

In November 2012, the Governor of New York established a commission to review actions taken by New York utilities relating to emergency weather events, including Superstorm Sandy and other major storms, and to make recommendations regarding, among other things, the oversight, management and legal framework governing power delivery services in New York. See “Other Regulatory Matters” in Note B to the financial statements in Item 8. In March 2013, following the issuance of recommendations by the commission and submission by the Governor of a bill to the State legislature, the New York Public Service Law was amended to, among other things, authorize the NYSPSC to (i) levy expanded penalties against combination gas and electric utilities; (ii) review, at least every five years, an electric utility’s capability to provide safe, adequate and reliable service, order the utility to comply with additional and more stringent terms of service than existed prior to the review, assess the continued operation of the utility as the provider of electric service in its service territory and propose, and act upon, such measures as are necessary to ensure safe and adequate service; and (iii) based on findings of repeated violations of the New York Public Service Law or rules or regulations adopted thereto that demonstrate a failure of a combination gas and electric utility to continue to provide safe and adequate service, revoke or modify an operating certificate issued to the utility by the NYSPSC (following consideration of certain factors, including public interest and standards deemed necessary by the NYSPSC to ensure continuity of service, and due process).

Utility Industry Restructuring In New York

In the 1990s, the NYSPSC restructured the electric utility industry in the state. In accordance with NYSPSC orders, the Utilities sold all of their electric generating facilities other than those that also produce steam for CECONY’s steam business (see Electric Operations – Electric Facilities below) and provided all of their customers the choice to buy electricity or gas from the Utilities or other suppliers (see Electric Operations – Electric Sales and Deliveries and Gas Operations – Gas Sales and Deliveries below).

Following adoption of NYSPSC industry restructuring, there were several utility mergers as a result of which substantially all of the electric and gas delivery service in New York State is now provided by one of four investor-owned utility companies – Con Edison, National Grid plc, Iberdrola, S.A. and Fortis Inc. – or one of two state authorities – New York Power Authority (NYPA) or Long Island Power Authority.

Rate Plans

Investor-owned utilities in the United States provide service to customers according to the terms of tariffs approved by the appropriate state utility regulator. The tariffs include schedules of rates for service that are designed to permit the utilities to recover from their customers the approved anticipated costs, including capital costs, of providing service to customers as defined by the tariff. The tariffs implement rate plans adopted by state utility regulators in rate orders issued at the conclusion of rate proceedings. The utilities’ earnings depend on the rate levels authorized in their rate plans and their ability to operate their businesses in a manner consistent with such rate plans.

The utilities’ rate plans each cover specified periods, but rates determined pursuant to a plan generally continue in effect until a new rate plan is approved by the state utility regulator. In New York, either the utility or the NYSPSC can commence a proceeding for a new rate plan, and a new rate plan filed by the utility will generally take effect automatically in 11 months unless prior to such time the NYSPSC approves a rate plan.

In each rate proceeding, rates are determined by the state utility regulator following the submission by the utility of testimony and supporting information, which are subject to review by the staff of the regulator. Other parties with an interest in the proceeding can also review the utility’s proposal and become involved in the rate proceeding. The review process is overseen by an Administrative Law Judge. After an Administrative Law Judge issues a recommended decision, that generally considers the interests of the utility, the regulatory staff, other parties, and legal requisites, the regulator will issue a rate order. The utility and the regulator’s staff and interested parties may enter into a settlement agreement or joint proposal prior to the completion of this administrative process, in which case the agreement would be subject to approval of the regulator.

For each rate plan, the revenues needed to provide the utility a return on invested capital is determined by multiplying the utilities’ forecasted rate base by the utility’s pre-tax weighted average cost of capital. In general, rate base is the amount of the utility’s net plant, deferred taxes and working capital. The NYSPSC uses a forecast of the average rate base for the year

 

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that new rates would be in effect (“rate year”). The NJBPU and the PAPUC use the rate base balances that would exist at the beginning of the rate year. The capital structure used in the weighted average cost of capital is determined utilizing actual and forecast data for the same time periods as rate base. The cost of long-term debt, customer deposits and the allowed return on common equity represents a combination of actual and forecast financing information. The allowed return on common equity is determined by each state’s respective utility regulator. The NYSPSC’s current methodology for determining the allowed return on common equity assigns a one-third weight to an estimate determined from a capital asset pricing model applied to a peer group of utility companies and a two-thirds weight to an estimate determined from a dividend discount model using stock prices and dividend forecasts for a peer group of utility companies.

Pursuant to the Utilities’ rate plans, there generally can be no change to the charges to customers during the respective terms of the rate plans other than for recovery of the costs incurred for energy supply and specified adjustments provided for in the rate plans.

Common provisions of the Utilities’ rate plans may include:

“Recoverable energy cost clauses” that allow the Utilities to recover on a current basis the costs for the energy they supply with no mark-up to their full-service customers.

“Other cost reconciliations” that reconcile pension and other postretirement benefit costs, environmental remediation costs, and certain other costs to amounts reflected in delivery rates for such costs. Utilities generally retain the right to petition for recovery or accounting deferral of extraordinary and material cost increases for items such as major storm events and provision is sometimes made for the utility to retain a share of cost reductions, for example, property tax refunds.

“Revenue decoupling mechanisms” under which actual energy delivery revenues will be compared with the authorized delivery revenues. The difference is accrued with interest for refund to, or recovery from customers, as applicable.

“Earnings sharing provisions” that require the Utilities to defer for customer benefit earnings over specified rates of return on common equity. There is no symmetric mechanism for earnings below specified rates of return on common equity.

“Negative earnings adjustments” for failure to meet certain performance standards relating to service, reliability, safety and other matters.

 

The following table includes information about the Utilities’ current rate plans and should be read in conjunction with, and is subject to, the more detailed discussion of the Utilities’ rate plans in Note B to the financial statements in Item 8 (which information is incorporated by reference herein).

 

Effective

Period

  Rate
Changes
   

Rate

Base

    Amortization
To Income of
Net Regulatory
(Assets) and
Liabilities
  Authorized
Return on
Equity (ROE)(a)
 
(Millions of Dollars, except percentages)  

CECONY – Electric(b)

       

January 2014 –

December 2015

   

 

Yr. 1 – $(76.2)

Yr. 2 –$124.0

  

  

   

 

Yr. 1 – $17,323

Yr. 2 – $18,113

  

  

  $(37)
over 2 yrs.
    9.2

CECONY – Gas(b)

       

January 2014 –

December 2016

   

 

 

Yr. 1 – $(54.6)

Yr. 2 – $38.6

Yr. 3 – $56.8

  

  

  

   

 

 

Yr. 1 – $3,521

Yr. 2 – $3,863

Yr. 3 – $4,236

  

  

  

  $4
over 3 yrs.
    9.3

CECONY – Steam(b)

       

January 2014 –

December 2016

   

 

 

Yr. 1 – $(22.4)

Yr. 2 – $19.8

Yr. 3 – $20.3

  

  

  

   

 

 

Yr. 1 – $1,511

Yr. 2 – $1,547

Yr. 3 – $1,604

  

  

  

  $37
over 3 yrs.
    9.3

O&R – Electric (NY)

       

July 2012 –

June 2015

   

 

 

Yr. 1 – $19.4

Yr. 2 – $8.8

Yr. 3 – $15.2

  

  

  

   

 

 

Yr. 1 – $671

Yr. 2 – $708

Yr. 3 – $759

  

  

  

  $(32)
over 3 yrs.
   

 

 

Yr. 1 – 9.4

Yr. 2 – 9.5

Yr. 3 – 9.6


O&R – Gas (NY)

       

November 2009 –

October 2012

   

 

 

Yr. 1 – $9.0

Yr. 2 – $9.0

Yr. 3 – $4.6

  

  

(c) 

   

 

 

Yr. 1 – $280

Yr. 2 – $296

Yr. 3 – $309

  

  

  

  $(2)
over 3 yrs.
    10.4

 

(a) Most of any actual earnings above specified annual returns on equity under CECONY’s rate plans are to be applied to reduce regulatory assets.
(b) The impact of these base rate changes is being deferred, which will result in regulatory liabilities at December 31, 2015 of $30 million for electric and at December 31, 2016 of $32 million and $8 million for gas and steam, respectively. Pursuant to NYSPSC orders, a portion of the company’s revenues is being collected subject to refund.
(c) The rate plan provided for a one-time surcharge of $4.3 million in Year 3.

 

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Liability for Service Interruptions and Other Non-rate Conditions of Service

The tariff provisions under which CECONY provides electric, gas and steam service limit the company’s liability to pay for damages resulting from service interruptions to circumstances resulting from its gross negligence or willful misconduct.

CECONY’s tariff for electric service provides for reimbursement to electric customers for spoilage losses resulting from service interruptions in certain circumstances. In general, the company is obligated to reimburse affected residential and commercial customers for food spoilage of up to $450 and $9,000, respectively, and reimburse affected residential customers for prescription medicine spoilage losses without limitation on amount per claim. The company’s maximum aggregate liability for such reimbursement for an incident is $15 million. The company is not required to provide reimbursement to electric customers for outages attributable to generation or transmission system facilities or events beyond its control, such as storms, provided the company makes reasonable efforts to restore service as soon as practicable.

In June 2013, a commission established by the Governor of New York issued its final report on utility storm preparation and response. The commission made recommendations regarding, among other things, preparation and response to flooding; estimation of customer restoration times; reliability of website outage maps; coordination with local governments and providers of other utility services; availability and allocation of staffing and other resources (including the utility industry’s mutual aid process); and communications with affected communities and local officials. The commission’s report also addressed the Long Island Power Authority, energy efficiency programs, utility infrastructure investment and regulatory deficiencies.

In August 2013, the NYSPSC approved emergency response plans submitted by the Utilities, subject to certain modifications. Pursuant to the New York Public Service Law, as amended in 2013 (see “Regulators,” above), each electric utility is required to submit to the NYSPSC annually a plan for the reasonably prompt restoration of service in the case of widespread outages in the utility’s service territory due to storms or other events beyond the control of the utility. If, after evidentiary hearings or other investigatory proceedings, the NYSPSC finds that the utility failed to implement its plan reasonably, the NYSPSC may deny recovery of any part of the service restoration costs caused by such failure.

In November 2013, the NYSPSC adopted statewide policies pursuant to which the Utilities are required to provide credits to customers who are without electric service for more than three days; adjust rate plan revenue targets so the credits would not be recovered pursuant to revenue decoupling mechanisms; and temporarily suspend collection-related activities and service terminations for such customers (or, if the NYSPSC determines, to all residential customers in a designated area and certain other customers). The credit to a customer would equal the portion of the monthly customer charge attributable to the period the customer was without service. If an extraordinary event occurs, the NYSPSC may direct New York gas utilities to implement the same policies.

In December 2013, the NYSPSC approved a scorecard for use as a guide in assessing electric utility performance in restoring electric service during outages that result from a major storm event, to assist in holding the utilities accountable to certain performance levels, and to guide utilities as to the NYSPSC’s expectations for their restoration efforts. The order indicated that the scorecard, which could also be applied by the NYSPSC for other outages or actions, was developed to work with the penalty and emergency response plan provisions of the New York Public Service Law, as amended in 2013 (see “Regulators,” above). The scorecard includes performance metrics in categories for preparation, operational response and communications. Within 30 days of the completion of customer restoration, electric utilities are required to provide data for the scorecard. The NYSPSC staff would use the data to assess performance against the metrics and determine a score for each such event for each electric utility.

Generic Proceedings

The NYSPSC from time to time conducts “generic” proceedings to consider issues relating to all electric and gas utilities operating in New York State. Pending proceedings include those relating to utilities exiting the service of selling electric energy and gas at retail (including an examination of utilities’ provider of last resort responsibility); the utilities’ vision for the “smart grid”; utility staffing levels; and the implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy programs and consumer protections. The Utilities are typically active participants in such proceedings. The Utilities do not expect that these pending generic proceedings will have a material adverse effect on their financial positions, results of operation or liquidity.

In February 2011, the NYSPSC initiated a proceeding to examine the existing mechanisms pursuant to which utilities recover site investigation and remediation costs and possible alternatives. In November 2012, the NYSPSC adopted an order in which it, among other things, declined to adopt a generic policy requiring sharing such costs between utilities and their customers and indicated that sharing may be appropriate in specific company and rate case circumstances (for example, to serve as an incentive to a utility that has failed to adequately constrain such costs or, in the context of a multi-year rate plan, where some allocation of earnings in excess of the allowed rate of return could be used toward payment of such costs). See

 

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“Environmental Matters – CECONY” and “Environmental Matters – O&R,” below, and Note G to the financial statements in Item 8.

In December 2013, the NYSPSC directed the NYSPSC staff “to recommend, for commencement in the first quarter of 2014, a process that will result in timely decisions regarding the broad restructuring of distribution utility regulation, such that the post-2015 course of energy efficiency and other clean energy programs can be determined in the context of these more sweeping changes.” The NYSPSC articulated five core policy outcomes intended to better align the role and operations of utilities to enable market and customer-driven change: empowering customers; leveraging customer contributions; system-wide efficiency; fuel and resource diversity; and system reliability and resiliency. The NYSPSC requested that the scope of the proceeding be sufficiently broad to address the role of distribution utilities in enabling system-wide efficiency and market-based deployment of distributed energy resources and load management; changes that can and should be made in the current regulatory, tariff, and market design and incentive structure in New York to better align utility interest with achieving the NYSPSC’s energy policy objectives; and further changes that need to be made to energy efficiency delivery including better alignment and definition of the roles and responsibilities of New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and utilities. For information about the Utilities’ participation in New York State’s clean energy programs, see “Environmental Matters – Climate Change,” below.

Federal Utility Regulation

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), among other things, regulates the transmission and wholesale sales of electricity in interstate commerce and the transmission and sale of natural gas for resale in interstate commerce. In addition, the FERC has the authority to impose penalties, which could be substantial, including penalties for the violation of reliability and cyber security rules. Certain activities of the Utilities and the competitive energy businesses are subject to the jurisdiction of the FERC. The Utilities are subject to regulation by the FERC with respect to electric transmission rates and to regulation by the NYSPSC with respect to electric and gas retail commodity sales and local delivery service. As a matter of practice, the NYSPSC has approved delivery service rates that include both distribution and transmission costs. In 2013, the NYSPSC approved certain transmission projects for which it endorsed a different method. See “CECONY – Electric Operations – Electric Supply,” below.

New York Independent System Operator (NYISO)

The NYISO is a not-for-profit organization that controls and operates most of the electric transmission facilities in New York State, including those of the Utilities, as an integrated system and administers wholesale markets for electricity in New York State. In addition to operating the state’s high voltage grid, the NYISO administers the energy, ancillary services and capacity markets. The New York State Reliability Council (NYSRC) promulgates reliability standards subject to FERC oversight. Pursuant to a requirement that is set annually by the NYSRC, the NYISO requires that entities supplying electricity to customers in New York State have generating capacity (owned, procured through the NYISO capacity markets or contracted for) in an amount equal to the peak demand of their customers plus the applicable reserve margin. In addition, the NYISO has determined that entities that serve customers in New York City must have enough capacity that is electrically located in New York City to cover a substantial percentage (currently 86 percent; 85 percent effective May 2014) of the peak demands of their New York City customers. These requirements apply both to regulated utilities such as CECONY and O&R for the customers they supply under regulated tariffs and to companies such as Con Edison Solutions that supply customers on market terms. RECO, O&R’s New Jersey subsidiary, provides electric service in an area that has a different independent system operator – PJM Interconnection LLC (PJM). See “CECONY – Electric Operations – Electric Supply” and “O&R – Electric Operations – Electric Supply,” below.

New York Energy Highway

In October 2012, the Energy Highway Task Force appointed by the Governor of New York issued its Blueprint containing recommendations to modernize New York’s energy systems. The recommended actions included electric transmission construction and upgrades to electric and natural gas infrastructure.

In November 2012, the NYSPSC established a proceeding to review specific proposals from utilities and private developers for new electric transmission lines and upgrades to existing facilities that will address transmission congestion between upstate and downstate. In January 2013, the owners of transmission facilities in New York (including the Utilities), on behalf of the proposed New York transmission company (New York Transco) that is to be owned by their affiliates, submitted a statement of intent to construct five transmission projects, with an aggregate estimated cost of $1,300 million. The projects, which could be completed in the 2016 to 2019 timeframe, will require authorizations from the NYSPSC (including its determination that the projects meet public policy goals), the FERC, as well as other federal, state and local agencies. In October 2013, two of these projects, with an aggregate estimated cost of approximately $200 million, were approved by the NYSPSC in a separate proceeding. See “CECONY – Electric Operations – Electric Supply,” below.

Competition

Competition from suppliers of oil and other sources of energy, including distributed generation (such as solar, fuel cells and micro-turbines), may provide alternatives for the Utilities’ delivery customers. See “Rate Plans” in Note B and “Recoverable Energy Costs” in Note A to the financial statements in Item 8.

 

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The Utilities do not consider it reasonably likely that another company would be authorized to provide utility delivery service of electricity, natural gas or steam where the company already provides service. Any such other company would need to obtain NYSPSC consent, satisfy applicable local requirements, install facilities to provide the service, meet applicable services standards, and charge customers comparable taxes and other fees and costs imposed on the service. A new delivery company would also be subject to extensive ongoing regulation by the NYSPSC. See “Utility Regulation – State Utility Regulation – Regulators”.

The competitive energy businesses participate in competitive energy supply and services businesses and energy infrastructure projects that are subject to different risks than those found in the businesses of the Utilities.

The Utilities

CECONY

CECONY, incorporated in New York State in 1884, is a subsidiary of Con Edison and has no significant subsidiaries of its own. Its principal business segments are its regulated electric, gas and steam businesses.

For a discussion of the company’s operating revenues and operating income for each segment, see “Results of Operations” in Item 7. For additional information about the segments, see Note N to the financial statements in Item 8.

Electric Operations

Electric Facilities

CECONY’s capitalized costs for utility plant, net of accumulated depreciation, for distribution facilities were $14,496 million and $13,930 million at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. For its transmission facilities, the costs for utility plant, net of accumulated depreciation, were $2,597 million and $2,518 million at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and for its generation facilities, the costs for utility plant, net of accumulated depreciation, were $452 million and $434 million, at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Distribution Facilities.    CECONY owns 62 area distribution substations and various distribution facilities located throughout New York City and Westchester County. At December 31, 2013, the company’s distribution system had a transformer capacity of 29,125 MVA, with 36,782 miles of overhead distribution lines and 97,120 miles of underground distribution lines. The underground distribution lines represent the single longest underground electric delivery system in the United States.

Transmission Facilities.    The company’s transmission facilities are located in New York City and Westchester, Orange, Rockland, Putnam and Dutchess counties in New York State. At December 31, 2013, CECONY owned or jointly owned 438 miles of overhead circuits operating at 138, 230, 345 and 500 kV and 749 miles of underground circuits operating at 69, 138 and 345 kV. The company’s 39 transmission substations and 62 area stations are supplied by circuits operated at 69 kV and above. In 2013, the NYSPSC approved transmission projects to address, among other things, reliability concerns associated with the potential closure of the Indian Point Energy Center (which is owned by Entergy Corporation subsidiaries). See “CECONY – Electric Operations – Electric Supply,” below.

CECONY’s transmission facilities interconnect with those of National Grid, Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, O&R, New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG), Connecticut Light & Power Company, Long Island Power Authority, NYPA and Public Service Electric and Gas Company.

Generating Facilities.    CECONY’s electric generating facilities consist of plants located in Manhattan with an aggregate capacity of 702 MW. The company expects to have sufficient amounts of gas and fuel oil available in 2014 for use in these facilities.

Electric Sales and Deliveries

CECONY delivers electricity to its full-service customers who purchase electricity from the company. The company also delivers electricity to its customers who purchase electricity from other suppliers through the company’s retail access plan. In addition, the company delivers electricity to state and municipal customers of NYPA and economic development customers of municipal electric agencies.

 

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The company charges all customers in its service area for the delivery of electricity. The company generally recovers, on a current basis, the cost of the electricity that it buys and then sells to its full-service customers. It does not make any margin or profit on the electricity it sells. CECONY’s electric revenues are subject to a revenue decoupling mechanism. As a result, its electric delivery revenues are generally not affected by changes in delivery volumes from levels assumed when rates were approved. CECONY’s electric sales and deliveries, excluding off-system sales, for the last five years were:

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
     2009     2010     2011     2012     2013  

Electric Energy Delivered (millions of kWhs)

         

CECONY full service customers

    23,483        24,142        22,622        20,622        20,118   

Delivery service for retail access customers

    21,859        23,098        24,234        25,990        26,574   

Delivery service to NYPA customers and others

    10,650        10,834        10,408        10,267        10,226   

Delivery service for municipal agencies

    675        619        562        322          

Total Deliveries in Franchise Area

    56,667        58,693        57,826        57,201        56,918   

Electric Energy Delivered ($ in millions)

         

CECONY full service customers

  $ 5,040      $ 5,546      $ 5,237      $ 4,731      $ 4,799   

Delivery service for retail access customers

    1,855        2,123        2,354        2,750        2,683   

Delivery service to NYPA customers and others

    423        516        555        596        602   

Delivery service for municipal agencies

    21        22        22        10          

Other operating revenues

    335        169        60        89        47   

Total Deliveries in Franchise Area

  $ 7,674      $ 8,376      $ 8,228      $ 8,176      $ 8,131   

Average Revenue per kWh Sold (Cents)(a)

         

Residential

    23.6        25.8        25.6        25.6        27.0   

Commercial and Industrial

    19.6        20.4        20.7        20.0        20.6   

 

(a) Includes Municipal Agency sales.

 

For further discussion of the company’s electric operating revenues and its electric results, see “Results of Operations” in Item 7. For additional segment information, see Note N to the financial statements in Item 8.

Electric Peak Demand

The electric peak demand in CECONY’s service area occurs during the summer air conditioning season. CECONY’s 2013 service area peak demand was 13,322 MW, which occurred on July 19, 2013. The 2013 peak demand was also the highest in the company’s history. The 2013 peak demand included an estimated 5,161 MW for CECONY’s full-service customers, 6,168 MW for customers participating in its electric retail access program and 1,993 MW for NYPA’s customers and municipal electric agency customers. The NYISO invoked demand reduction programs on July 15, 2013 through July 19, 2013, as it had on peak demand days in some previous years (most recently 2012). “Design weather” for the electric system is a standard to which the actual peak demand is adjusted for evaluation and planning purposes. Since the majority of demand reduction programs are invoked only in specific circumstances, design conditions do not include these programs’ potential impact. However, the CECONY forecasted peak demand at design conditions does include the impact of mandatory demand reduction programs. The company estimates that, under design weather conditions, the 2014 service area peak demand will be 13,675 MW, including an estimated 5,280 MW for its full-service customers, 6,345 MW for its electric retail access customers and 2,050 MW for NYPA’s customers and municipal electric agency customers. The company forecasts average annual growth of the peak electric demand in the company’s service area over the next five years at design conditions to be approximately 1.4 percent per year.

Electric Supply

Most of the electricity sold by CECONY to its customers in 2013 was purchased under firm power contracts or through the wholesale electricity market administered by the NYISO. Con Edison expects that these resources will again be adequate to meet the requirements of its customers in 2014. The company plans to meet its continuing obligation to supply electricity to its customers through a combination of electricity purchased under contracts, purchased through the NYISO’s wholesale electricity market, or generated from its electricity generating facilities. For information about the company’s contracts for approximately 2,849 MW of electric generating capacity, see Notes I and O to the financial statements in Item 8. To reduce the volatility of its customers’ electric energy costs, the company has contracts to purchase electric energy and enters into derivative transactions to hedge the costs of a portion of its expected purchases under these contracts and through the NYISO’s wholesale electricity market.

 

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CECONY owns generating stations in New York City associated primarily with its steam system. As of December 31, 2013, the generating stations had a combined electric capacity of approximately 702 MW, based on 2013 summer test ratings. For information about electric generating capacity owned by the company, see “Electric Operations – Electric Facilities – Generating Facilities”, above.

In general, the Utilities recover their purchased power costs, including the cost of hedging purchase prices, pursuant to rate provisions approved by the state public utility regulatory authority having jurisdiction. See “Financial and Commodity Market Risks – Commodity Price Risk,” in Item 7 and “Recoverable Energy Costs” in Note A to the financial statements in Item 8. From time to time, certain parties have petitioned the NYSPSC to review these provisions, the elimination of which could have a material adverse effect on the Companies’ financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

In a July 1998 order, the NYSPSC indicated that it “agree(s) generally that CECONY need not plan on constructing new generation as the competitive market develops,” but considers “overly broad” and did not adopt CECONY’s request for a declaration that, solely with respect to providing generating capacity, it will no longer be required to engage in long-range planning to meet potential demand and, in particular, that it will no longer have the obligation to construct new generating facilities, regardless of the market price of capacity. CECONY monitors the adequacy of the electric capacity resources and related developments in its service area, and works with other parties on long-term resource adequacy issues within the framework of the NYISO. In addition, the NYISO has adopted reliability rules that include obligations on transmission owners (such as CECONY) to construct facilities that may be needed for system reliability if the market does not solve a reliability need identified by the NYISO. See “NYISO” above.

In November 2012, the NYSPSC directed CECONY to work with NYPA to develop a contingency plan to address reliability concerns associated with the potential closure by the end of 2015 of the nuclear power plants at the Indian Point Energy Center (which is owned by Entergy Corporation subsidiaries). In February 2013, CECONY and NYPA submitted their plan, and, in October 2013, the NYSPSC approved three transmission projects and several energy efficiency, demand reduction and combined heat and power programs to address concerns associated with the potential closure. The transmission projects, which also address transmission congestion between upstate and downstate and make available more generation from Staten Island, are scheduled to be placed into service by 2016. CECONY is to develop two of the transmission projects, and NYPA and NYSEG are to develop the other project. The aggregate estimated cost of the CECONY projects is $371 million. One of these CECONY projects, with an estimated cost of $123 million, and the NYPA/NYSEG project were among the projects proposed in a separate proceeding on behalf of the New York Transco. See “New York Energy Highway” above. The two CECONY projects and the NYPA/NYSEG project are expected to be transferred to the proposed New York Transco. The NYSPSC also endorsed the method by which the costs associated with the projects will be allocated among load serving entities and a cost recovery mechanism will be filed for approval with the FERC. Additional authorizations will be required from the NYSPSC, FERC and other Federal, state and local agencies. In February 2014, CECONY submitted to the NYSPSC the implementation plan for the energy efficiency, demand reduction and combined heat and power programs, which are estimated to cost up to $285 million. CECONY is to fund the program costs, the majority of which are expected to be incurred from 2014 through 2016, and recover its costs over a ten-year period through a surcharge billed to customers.

In 2009, the then Governor of New York announced a new goal of meeting 45 percent of the State’s electricity needs with energy efficiency or renewable resources by 2015. The goal is to be achieved by reducing electricity consumption by 15 percent, and having 30 percent of the electricity used in New York provided by renewable resources. For information about the Utilities’ participation in New York State’s clean energy programs, see “Environmental Matters – Climate Change,” below.

Gas Operations

Gas Facilities

CECONY’s capitalized costs for utility plant, net of accumulated depreciation, for gas facilities, which are primarily distribution facilities, were $4,013 million and $3,735 million at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Natural gas is delivered by pipeline to CECONY at various points in its service territory and is distributed to customers by the company through an estimated 4,307 miles of mains and 367,555 service lines. The company owns a natural gas liquefaction facility and storage tank at its Astoria property in Queens, New York. The plant can store approximately 1,000 mdths of which a maximum of about 250 mdths can be withdrawn per day. The company has about 1,226 mdths of additional natural gas storage capacity at a field in upstate New York, owned and operated by Honeoye Storage Corporation, a corporation 28.8 percent owned by CECONY and 71.2 percent owned by Con Edison Development.

Gas Sales and Deliveries

The company generally recovers the cost of the gas that it buys and then sells to its firm sales customers. It does not make any margin or profit on the gas it sells. CECONY’s gas revenues are subject to a weather normalization clause and a revenue decoupling mechanism. As a result, its gas delivery revenues are generally not affected by changes in delivery volumes from levels assumed when rates were approved.

 

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CECONY’s gas sales and deliveries for the last five years were:

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
     2009     2010     2011     2012     2013  

Gas Delivered (mdth)

         

Firm Sales

         

Full service

    67,994        63,592        64,696        57,595        67,007   

Firm transportation

    48,671        51,859        54,291        52,860        61,139   

Total Firm Sales and Transportation

    116,665        115,451        118,987        110,455        128,146   

Interruptible Sales(a)

    8,225        8,521        10,035        5,961        10,900   

Total Gas Sold to CECONY Customers

    124,890        123,972        129,022        116,416        139,046   

Transportation of customer-owned gas

         

NYPA

    37,764        24,890        34,893        48,107        48,682   

Other (mainly generating plants)

    86,454        99,666        97,163        108,086        87,379   

Off-System Sales

    1        7        97        730        4,638   

Total Sales and Transportation

    249,109        248,535        261,175        273,339        279,745   

(a)   Includes 5,362, 563, 3,801, 3,385 and 2,851 mdths for 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively, which are also reflected in firm transportation and other.

      

Gas Delivered ($ in millions)

         

Firm Sales

         

Full service

  $ 1,229      $ 1,099      $ 1,048      $ 889      $ 1,059   

Firm transportation

    266        347        356        380        414   

Total Firm Sales and Transportation

    1,495        1,446        1,404        1,269        1,473   

Interruptible Sales

    79        72        74        39        69   

Total Gas Sold to CECONY Customers

    1,574        1,518        1,478        1,308        1,542   

Transportation of customer-owned gas

         

NYPA

    4        2        2        2        2   

Other (mainly generating plants and interruptible transportation)

    62        71        71        68        71   

Off-System Sales

                         5        18   

Other operating revenues (mainly regulatory amortizations)

    61        (50     (30     32        (17

Total Sales and Transportation

  $ 1,701      $ 1,541      $ 1,521      $ 1,415      $ 1,616   

Average Revenue per dth Sold

         

Residential

  $ 20.33      $ 19.31      $ 18.45      $ 18.14      $ 18.52   

General

  $ 14.91      $ 14.28      $ 12.96      $ 11.68      $ 12.05   

 

For further discussion of the company’s gas operating revenues and its gas results, see “Results of Operations” in Item 7. For additional segment information, see Note N to the financial statements in Item 8.

Gas Peak Demand

The gas peak demand for firm service customers in CECONY’s service area occurs during the winter heating season. The daily peak day demand during the winter 2013/2014 (through January 31, 2014) occurred on January 7, 2014 when the demand reached 1,104 mdths. The 2013/2014 peak demand included 574 mdths for CECONY’s full-service customers and 530 mdths for customers participating in its gas retail access program. “Design weather” for the gas system is a standard to which the actual peak demand is adjusted for evaluation and planning purposes. The company estimates that, under design weather conditions, the 2014/2015 service area peak demand will be 1,340 mdths, including an estimated 699 mdths for its full-service customers and 641 mdths for its retail access customers. The company forecasts average annual growth of the peak gas demand over the next five years at design conditions to be approximately 3.8 percent in its service area. The forecasted peak demand at design conditions does not include gas used by interruptible gas customers or in generating stations (electricity and steam).

Gas Supply

CECONY and O&R have combined their gas requirements, and contracts to meet those requirements, into a single portfolio.

 

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The combined portfolio is administered by, and related management services are provided by, CECONY (for itself and as agent for O&R) and costs are allocated between the Utilities in accordance with provisions approved by the NYSPSC. See Note S to the financial statements in Item 8.

Charges from suppliers for the firm purchase of gas, which are based on formulas or indexes or are subject to negotiation, are generally designed to approximate market prices. The gas supply contracts are for various terms extending to 2015. The Utilities have contracts with interstate pipeline companies for the purchase of firm transportation from upstream points where gas has been purchased to the Utilities’ distribution systems, and for upstream storage services. Charges under these transportation and storage contracts are approved by the FERC. Such contracts are for various terms extending to 2027. The Utilities are required to pay certain fixed charges under the supply, transportation and storage contracts whether or not the contracted capacity is actually used. These fixed charges amounted to approximately $270 million in 2013, including $230 million for CECONY. See “Contractual Obligations” below. In addition, the Utilities purchase gas on the spot market and contract for interruptible gas transportation. See “Recoverable Energy Costs” in Note A to the financial statements in Item  8.

Steam Operations

Steam Facilities

CECONY’s capitalized costs for utility plant, net of accumulated depreciation for steam facilities were $1,790 million and $1,674 million at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

CECONY generates steam at one steam-electric generating station and five steam-only generating stations and distributes steam to its customers through approximately 105 miles of transmission, distribution, and service piping.

 

Steam Sales and Deliveries

CECONY’s steam sales and deliveries for the last five years were:

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
     2009     2010     2011     2012     2013  

Steam Sold (MMlbs)

         

General

    544        515        519        425        547   

Apartment house

    6,725        5,748        5,779        5,240        6,181   

Annual power

    15,748        16,767        16,024        14,076        15,195   

Total Steam Delivered to CECONY Customers

    23,017        23,030        22,322        19,741        21,923   

Steam Sold ($ in millions)

         

General

  $ 28      $ 25      $ 28      $ 25      $ 31   

Apartment house

    165        158        175        158        187   

Annual power

    446        457        487        429        491   

Other operating revenues

    22        16        (7     (16     (26

Total Steam Delivered to CECONY Customers

  $ 661      $ 656      $ 683      $ 596      $ 683   

Average Revenue per Mlb Sold

  $ 27.76      $ 27.79      $ 30.91      $ 31.00      $ 32.34   

 

For further discussion of the company’s steam operating revenues and its steam results, see “Results of Operations” in Item 7. For additional segment information, see Note N to the financial statements in Item 8.

Steam Peak Demand and Capacity

Demand for steam in CECONY’s service area peaks during the winter heating season. The one-hour peak demand during the winter of 2013/2014 (through January 31, 2014) occurred on January 23, 2014 when the demand reached 8.9 MMlbs per hour. The company’s estimate for the winter of 2014/2015 peak demand of its steam customers is 9.3 MMlbs per hour under design criteria, which assumes severe weather.

On December 31, 2013, the steam system had the capability of delivering approximately 11.7 MMlbs of steam per hour, and CECONY estimates that the system will have the capability to deliver 11.7 MMlbs of steam per hour in the 2014/2015 winter.

Steam Supply

Thirty-six percent of the steam produced by CECONY in 2013 was supplied by the company’s steam-only generating assets; 47 percent was produced by the company’s steam-electric generating assets, where steam and electricity are primarily cogenerated; and 17 percent was purchased under an agreement with Brooklyn Navy Yard Cogeneration Partners L.P.

O&R

Electric Operations

Electric Facilities

O&R’s capitalized costs for utility plant, net of accumulated depreciation, for distribution facilities were $781 million and

 

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$728 million at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. For its transmission facilities, the costs for utility plant, net of accumulated depreciation, were $179 million and $180 million at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

O&R, RECO and Pike, own, in whole or in part, transmission and distribution facilities which include 557 circuit miles of transmission lines, 14 transmission substations, 61 distribution substations, 85,986 in-service line transformers, 3,828 pole miles of overhead distribution lines and 1,827 miles of underground distribution lines. O&R’s transmission system is part of the NYISO system except that portions of RECO’s system are located within the transmission area controlled by PJM.

 

Electric Sales and Deliveries

O&R generally recovers, on a current basis, the cost of the electricity that it buys and then sells to its full-service customers. It does not make any margin or profit on the electricity it sells. O&R’s New York electric revenues (which accounted for 74.3 percent of O&R’s electric revenues in 2013) are subject to a revenue decoupling mechanism. As a result, O&R’s New York electric delivery revenues are generally not affected by changes in delivery volumes from levels assumed when rates were approved. O&R’s electric sales in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are not subject to a decoupling mechanism. O&R’s electric sales and deliveries, excluding off-system sales for the last five years were:

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
     2009     2010     2011     2012     2013  

Electric Energy Delivered (millions of kWhs)

         

Total deliveries to O&R full service customers

    3,673        3,498        3,029        2,691        2,555   

Delivery service for retail access customers

    1,901        2,330        2,760        3,040        3,166   

Total Deliveries In Franchise Area

    5,574        5,828        5,789        5,731        5,721   

Electric Energy Delivered ($ in millions)

         

Total deliveries to O&R full service customers

  $ 551      $ 570      $ 486      $ 405      $ 427   

Delivery service for retail access customers

    95        132        157        178        192   

Other operating revenues

    2        (10     (2     9        9   

Total Deliveries In Franchise Area

  $ 648      $ 692      $ 641      $ 592      $ 628   

Average Revenue Per kWh Sold (Cents)

         

Residential

    17.2        18.3        18.0        16.7        18.1   

Commercial and Industrial

    13.3        14.1        13.7        13.0        14.8   

 

For further discussion of the company’s electric operating revenues and its electric results, see “Results of Operations” in Item 7. For additional segment information, see Note N to the financial statements in Item 8.

Electric Peak Demand

The electric peak demand in O&R’s service area occurs during the summer air conditioning season. O&R’s highest service area peak demand, which occurred in 2006, was 1,617 MW. The 2013 service area peak demand, which occurred on July 18, 2013, was 1,561 MW. The 2013 peak demand included an estimated 702 MW for O&R’s full-service customers and 859 MW for customers participating in its electric retail access program. The NYISO invoked demand reduction programs on July 18, 2013, as it had on peak demand days in some previous years. “Design weather” for the electric system is a standard to which the actual peak demand is adjusted for evaluation and planning purposes. Since the majority of demand reduction programs are invoked only in specific circumstances, design conditions do not include these programs’ potential impact. However, the O&R forecasted peak demand at design conditions does include the impact of permanent demand reduction programs. The company estimates that, under design weather conditions, the 2014 service area peak demand will be 1,630 MW, including an estimated 701 MW for its full-service customers and 929 MW for its electric retail access customers. The company forecasts average annual growth of the peak electric demand in the company’s service area over the next five years at design conditions to be approximately 0.9 percent per year.

Electric Supply

The electricity O&R sold to its customers in 2013 was purchased under firm power contracts or through the wholesale electricity markets administered by the NYISO and PJM. The company expects that these resources will again be adequate to meet the requirements of its customers in 2014. O&R does not own any electric generating capacity.

Gas Operations

Gas Facilities

O&R’s capitalized costs for utility plant, net of accumulated depreciation for gas facilities, which are primarily distribution

 

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facilities, were $456 million and $435 million at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. O&R and Pike own their gas distribution systems and O&R owns a gas transmission system, which together include 1,862 miles of mains. Natural gas is delivered to customers by the company through an estimated 104,713 service lines.

 

Gas Sales and Deliveries

O&R generally recovers the cost of the gas that it buys and then sells to its firm sales customers. It does not make any margin or profit on the gas it sells. O&R’s gas revenues are subject to a weather normalization clause. Effective November 2009, O&R’s New York gas revenues (which accounted for substantially all of O&R’s gas revenues in 2013) became subject to a revenue decoupling mechanism. As a result, its gas delivery revenues are generally not affected by changes in delivery volumes from levels assumed when rates were approved. O&R’s gas deliveries and sales for the last five years were:

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
     2009     2010     2011     2012     2013  

Gas delivered (mdth)

         

Firm Sales

         

Full service

    9,561        8,772        8,384        7,539        8,808   

Firm transportation

    10,905        10,692        10,823        10,505        12,062   

Total Firm Sales and Transportation

    20,466        19,464        19,207        18,044        20,870   

Interruptible Sales

    2,390        675        8        1        1   

Total Gas Sold To O&R Customers

    22,856        20,139        19,215        18,045        20,871   

Transportation of customer-owned gas

         

Interruptible transportation

    2,112        3,822        4,176        4,325        4,117   

Sales for resale

    953        840        864        793        885   

Sales to electric generating stations

    1,346        691        1,109        738        2,167   

Off-System Sales

    624        1        -        -        -   

Total Sales and Transportation

    27,891        25,493        25,364        23,901        28,040   

Gas delivered ($ in millions)

         

Firm Sales

         

Full service

  $ 159      $ 131      $ 122      $ 103      $ 115   

Firm transportation

    51        65        71        76        77   

Total Firm Sales and Transportation

    210        196        193        179        192   

Interruptible Sales

    21        9        4        4        3   

Total Gas Sold To O&R Customers

    231        205        197        183        195   

Transportation of customer-owned gas

         

Sales to electric generating stations

    2        -        1        -        -   

Other operating revenues

    9        13        16        20        10   

Total Sales and Transportation

  $ 242      $ 218      $ 214      $ 203      $ 205   

Average Revenue Per dth Sold

         

Residential

  $ 16.86      $ 15.20      $ 14.84      $ 14.01      $ 13.31   

General

  $ 15.58      $ 13.64      $ 13.20      $ 11.99      $ 11.53   

 

For further discussion of the company’s gas operating revenues and its gas results, see “Results of Operations” in Item 7. For additional segment information, see Note N to the financial statements in Item 8.

Gas Peak Demand

The gas peak demand for firm service customers in O&R’s service area occurs during the winter heating season. The daily peak day demand during the winter 2013/2014 (through January 31, 2014) occurred on January 7, 2014 when the demand reached 202 mdths. The 2013/2014 peak demand included an estimated 92 mdths for O&R’s full-service customers and 110 mdths for customers participating in its gas retail access program. “Design weather” for the gas system is a standard to which the actual peak demand is adjusted for evaluation and planning purposes. The company estimates that, under design weather conditions, the 2014/2015 service area peak demand will be 218 mdths, including an estimated 100 mdths for its full-service customers and 118 mdths for its retail access customers. The company forecasts average annual growth of the peak gas demand over the next five years at design conditions to be approximately 0.7 percent in the

 

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company’s service area. The forecasted peak demand at design conditions does not include gas used by interruptible gas customers or in generating stations.

Gas Supply

O&R and CECONY have combined their gas requirements and purchase contracts to meet those requirements into a single portfolio. See “CECONY – Gas Operations – Gas Supply” above.

Competitive Energy Businesses

Con Edison pursues competitive energy opportunities through three wholly-owned subsidiaries: Con Edison Solutions, Con Edison Energy and Con Edison Development. These businesses sell to retail customers electricity purchased in wholesale markets and enter into related hedging transactions, provide energy-related products and services to wholesale and retail customers, and participate in energy infrastructure projects. At December 31, 2013, Con Edison’s equity investment in its competitive energy businesses was $488 million and their assets amounted to $1,314 million.

Con Edison Solutions

Con Edison Solutions primarily sells electricity to industrial, commercial and governmental customers in the northeastern United States and Texas. It also sells electricity to residential and small commercial customers in the northeastern United States. Con Edison Solutions does not sell electricity to the Utilities. Con Edison Solutions sells electricity to customers who are provided delivery service by the Utilities. It also provides energy efficiency services, procurement and management services to companies and governmental entities throughout most of the United States.

 

Con Edison Solutions was reported by KEMA, Inc. in September 2013 to be the 10th largest non-residential retail electricity provider in the United States. The company sells to retail aggregation entities in Massachusetts, Illinois, and New Jersey as well as to individual residential and small commercial (mass market) customers in the northeastern United States. At December 31, 2013, it served approximately 159,000 customers, not including approximately 148,000 served under the four aggregation agreements. Con Edison Solutions’ electricity sales for the last five years were:

 

      2009      2010      2011      2012      2013  

Retail electric volumes sold (millions of kWhs)

     12,723         15,993         15,725         13,840         12,167   

Number of retail customers accounts:(a)

              

Industrial and large commercial

     35,056         40,081         42,983         35,043         35,504   

Mass market

     49,094         85,191         117,635         119,276         123,813   

 

(a) Excludes aggregation agreement customers

 

Con Edison Solutions seeks to serve customers in utility service territories that encourage retail competition through transparent pricing, purchase of receivables programs or utility-sponsored customer acquisition programs. The company currently sells electricity in the service territories of 50 utilities in the states of New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Ohio and Texas, as well as the District of Columbia. Approximately 28 percent of the sales volumes were in New York, 28 percent in New England, 35 percent in the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and 9 percent in Texas.

The electricity Con Edison Solutions sold to its customers in 2013 was purchased primarily through wholesale electricity markets administered by the NYISO, PJM, Independent System Operator New England and Electric Reliability Council of Texas. The company expects that these resources will again be adequate to meet the requirements of its customers in 2014. Con Edison Energy provides hedging and risk management services to Con Edison Solutions.

Con Edison Solutions also provides energy-efficiency services to government and commercial customers. The services include the design and installation of lighting retrofits, high-efficiency heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment and other energy saving technologies. The company is compensated for its services based primarily on the increased energy efficiency of the installed equipment over a multi-year period. Con Edison Solutions has won competitive solicitations for energy savings contracts with the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense, and a shared energy savings contract with the United States Postal Service. The company owns renewable energy projects predominately in Massachusetts and California with an aggregate capacity of 18 MW (AC).

 

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Con Edison Energy

Con Edison Energy provides services to manage the output, fuel requirements and risk management activities for 12,153 MW of generating plants in the northeastern United States owned by unrelated parties. Among other things, the company also provides wholesale hedging and risk management services to Con Edison Solutions and Con Edison Development. The company, beginning during 2013, no longer engages in the sale of electricity to utilities. The company had sold electricity that it had purchased in wholesale markets to utilities in the northeastern United States, primarily under fixed and indexed price contracts, which they used to supply their full-service customers.

 

     2009     2010     2011     2012     2013  

Wholesale electricity sales (millions of kWh)

    5,472        3,610        2,231        958        236   

Con Edison Development

Con Edison Development participates in energy infrastructure projects. The company’s investments, at December 31, 2013, include ownership interests in solar energy projects in Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. The company’s interests in these projects amount to 292 MW (see table below). The company has additional solar energy projects under construction with an aggregate capacity of 20 MW. The company’s investments also include a gas storage corporation (see “CECONY – Gas Operations – Gas Facilities,” above) and an investment in an affordable housing partnership.

 

Solar Energy Projects (in MW (AC))

 
State    Ownership Interest(a)  

Arizona

     75 (b) 

California

     110 (b) 

Massachusetts

     15   

Nevada

     46 (b) 

New Jersey

     34   

Pennsylvania

     10   

Rhode Island

     2 (c) 

Total

     292   

 

(a) Represents Con Edison Development’s interest in solar projects in the state indicated
(b) Output sold under long term power purchase agreements (PPA) with Pacific Gas and Electric Company
(c) Output sold under a long term PPA with National Grid

Capital Requirements and Resources

Capital Requirements

The following table contains the Companies’ capital requirements for the years 2011 through 2013 and their current estimate of amounts for 2014 through 2016.

 

     Actual     Estimate  
(Millions of Dollars)   2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016  

Regulated utility construction expenditures(a)

           

CECONY(b)(c)

  $ 1,778      $ 1,909      $ 2,135      $ 2,223      $ 2,481      $ 2,347   

O&R

    111        137        135        142        160        158   

Total regulated utility construction expenditures

    1,889        2,046        2,270        2,365        2,641        2,505   

Competitive energy businesses capital expenditures

    114        492        378        243        360        365   

Sub-total

    2,003        2,538        2,648        2,608        3,001        2,870   

Retirement of long-term securities

                                               

Con Edison – parent company

    1        1        2        2        2        2   

CECONY(d)

    -        764        700        475        350        650   

O&R

    3        3        3        3        143        79   

Competitive energy businesses

    -        1        1        5        5        5   

Total retirement of long-term securities

    4        769        706        485        500        736   

Total

  $ 2,007      $ 3,307      $ 3,354      $ 3,093      $ 3,501      $ 3,606   

 

(a) Actuals for 2011-2013 include an aggregate $136 million for one-half of the costs of certain smart electric grid projects for which the company is receiving grants from the U.S. Department of Energy for the other half of the projects’ costs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

 

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(b) CECONY’s capital expenditures for environmental protection facilities and related studies were $178 million, $194 million and $149 million in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively, and are estimated to be $202 million in 2014.
(c) Estimates for 2014-2016 include an aggregate $371 million for transmission projects the NYSPSC approved to address, among other things, reliability concerns associated with the potential closure of the Indian Point Energy Center. Estimates do not include amounts for the energy efficiency, demand reduction and combined heat and power programs the NYSPSC approved to address these concerns or the other transmission projects that New York transmission owners, including the Utilities have proposed. See “CECONY – Electric Operations – Electric Supply” and “New York Energy Highway,” above.
(d) For 2012, includes $239 million for the May 2012 redemption of all of its preferred stock and $224.6 million tax-exempt debt which was subject to mandatory tender by bondholders in November 2012.

 

The Utilities have an ongoing need for substantial capital investment in order to meet the growth in demand for electricity and gas, and for electric, gas and steam reliability needs, including programs to strengthen the storm resiliency of their infrastructure. The estimated capital expenditures for the competitive energy businesses reflect potential investments in renewable generation and energy infrastructure projects and could significantly increase or decrease from the amounts estimated depending on market conditions and opportunities.

 

Contractual Obligations

The following table summarizes the Companies’ material obligations at December 31, 2013 to make payments pursuant to contracts. Long-term debt, capital lease obligations and other long-term liabilities are included on their balance sheets. Operating leases and electricity purchase agreements (for which undiscounted future annual payments are shown) are described in the notes to the financial statements.

 

     Payments Due by Period  
(Millions of Dollars)   Total     1 year
or less
    Years
2 & 3
    Years
4 & 5
    After 5
years
 

Long-term debt (Statement of Capitalization)

         

CECONY

  $ 9,861      $ 475      $ 1,000      $ 1,200      $ 7,186   

O&R

    604        3        222        62        317   

Competitive energy businesses and parent

    529        7        14        16        492   

Interest on long-term debt(a)

    8,518        541        1,038        894        6,045   

Total long-term debt, including interest

    19,512        1,026        2,274        2,172        14,040   

Capital lease obligations (Note J)

         

CECONY

    3        1        1        1        -   

Total capital lease obligations

    3        1        1        1        -   

Operating leases (Notes J and Q)

         

CECONY

    124        13        26        24        61   

O&R

    6        1        1        1        3   

Competitive energy businesses

    41        3        6        6        26   

Total operating leases

    171        17        33        31        90   

Purchase obligations

         

Electricity purchase power agreements – Utilities (Note I)

         

CECONY

         

Energy(b)

    6,117        753        1,366        531        3,467   

Capacity

    1,896        447        404        170        875   

Total CECONY

    8,013        1,200        1,770        701        4,342   

O&R

         

Energy and Capacity(b)

    91        57        34        -        -   

Total electricity and purchase power agreements – Utilities

    8,104        1,257        1,804        701        4,342   

Natural gas supply, transportation, and storage contracts – Utilities(c)

         

CECONY

         

Natural gas supply

    52        52        -        -        -   

Transportation and storage

    1,537        260        475        378        424   

Total CECONY

    1,589        312        475        378        424   

O&R

         

Natural gas supply

    5        5        -        -        -   

Transportation and storage

    286        48        88        71        79   

Total O&R

    291        53        88        71        79   

Total natural gas supply, transportation and storage contracts

    1,880        365        563        449        503   

Other purchase obligations(d)

         

CECONY

    3,321        2,254        1,007        60        -   

O&R

    212        151        59        2        -   

Total other purchase obligations

    3,533        2,405        1,066        62        -   

Competitive energy businesses commodity and service agreements(e)

    245        210        28        3        4   

Total

  $ 33,448      $ 5,281      $ 5,769      $ 3,419      $ 18,979   

 

(a) Includes interest on variable rate debt calculated at rates in effect at December 31, 2013.

 

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(b) Included in these amounts is the cost of minimum quantities of energy that the company is obligated to purchase at both fixed and variable prices.
(c) Included in these amounts is the cost of minimum quantities of natural gas supply, transportation and storage that the Utilities are obligated to purchase at both fixed and variable prices.
(d) Amounts shown for other purchase obligations, which reflect capital and operations and maintenance costs incurred by the Utilities in running their day-to-day operations, were derived from the Utilities’ purchasing system as the difference between the amounts authorized and the amounts paid (or vouchered to be paid) for each obligation. For many of these obligations, the Utilities are committed to purchase less than the amount authorized. Payments for the “Other Purchase Obligations” are generally assumed to be made ratably over the term of the obligations. The Utilities believe that unreasonable effort and expense would be involved to enable them to report their “Other Purchase Obligations” in a different manner.
(e) Amounts represent commitments to purchase minimum quantities of electric energy and capacity, renewable energy certificates, natural gas, natural gas pipeline capacity, energy efficiency services and construction services entered into by Con Edison’s competitive energy businesses.

 

The Companies’ commitments to make payments in addition to these contractual commitments include their other liabilities reflected in their balance sheets, any funding obligations for their pension and other postretirement benefit plans, financial hedging activities, their collective bargaining agreements and Con Edison’s guarantees of certain obligations of its competitive energy businesses. See Notes E, F, O and “Guarantees” in Note H to the financial statements in Item 8.

Capital Resources

Con Edison is a holding company that operates only through its subsidiaries and has no material assets other than its interests in its subsidiaries. Con Edison expects to finance its capital requirements primarily through internally-generated funds and the sale of its securities. The company does not expect to need to issue common equity in 2014. Con Edison’s ability to make payments on external borrowings and dividends on its common shares depends on receipt of dividends from its subsidiaries or proceeds from the sale of Con Edison’s securities or its interests in its subsidiaries.

For information about restrictions on the payment of dividends by the Utilities and significant debt covenants, see Note C to the financial statements in Item 8.

For information on the Companies’ commercial paper program and revolving credit agreements with banks, see Note D to the financial statements in Item 8.

The Utilities finance their operations, capital requirements and payment of dividends to Con Edison from internally-generated funds (see “Liquidity and Capital Resources – Cash Flows from Operating Activities” in Item 7), contributions of equity capital from Con Edison, if any, and external borrowings.

The Companies expect to meet their 2014 capital requirements, including for maturing securities, through internally-generated funds and the issuance of between $1,500 million and $2,000 million of long-term debt.

The Companies require access to the capital markets to fund capital requirements that are substantially in excess of available internally-generated funds. See “Capital Requirements,” above. Each of the Companies believes that it will continue to be able to access capital, although capital market conditions may affect the timing and cost of the Companies’ financing activities. The Companies monitor the availability and costs of various forms of capital, and will seek to issue Con Edison common stock and other securities when it is necessary or advantageous to do so. For information about the Companies’ long-term debt and short-term borrowing, see Notes C and D to the financial statements in Item 8.

In 2012, the NYSPSC authorized CECONY, through 2016, to issue up to $3,500 million of debt securities ($700 million of which the company had issued as of December 31, 2013). In 2013, the NYSPSC authorized O&R, through 2017, to issue up to $305 million of debt securities (none of which the company had issued as of December 31, 2013). The NYSPSC also authorized CECONY and O&R for such periods to issue up to $2,500 million and $125 million, respectively, of debt securities to refund existing debt securities. At December 31, 2013, the Utilities had not refunded any securities pursuant to this authorization.

Con Edison’s competitive energy businesses have financed their operations and capital requirements primarily with capital contributions and borrowings from Con Edison, internally-generated funds and external borrowings. In April 2013, a Con Edison Development subsidiary issued $219 million aggregate principal amount of 4.78 percent senior notes secured by the company’s California solar projects.

For each of the Companies, the ratio of earnings to fixed charges (SEC basis) for the last five years was:

 

     Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges  
     2009     2010     2011     2012     2013  

Con Edison

    3.0        3.3        3.6        3.7        3.0 (a) 

CECONY

    3.1        3.4        3.8        3.7        3.7   

 

(a) Reflects $95 million after-tax charge to earnings relating to Con Edison Development’s LILO transactions. See Note J to the financial statements in Item 8.

For each of the Companies, the common equity ratio for the last five years was:

 

     Common Equity Ratio
(Percent of total capitalization)
 
     2009     2010     2011     2012     2013  

Con Edison

    50.5        50.4        52.5        54.1        53.9   

CECONY

    50.3        49.9        52.0        53.6        53.7   

The commercial paper of Con Edison and O&R is rated P-2, A-2 and F2, respectively, by Moody’s, S&P and Fitch. The commercial paper of CECONY is rated P-1, A-2 and F2, respectively, by Moody’s, S&P and Fitch. Con Edison’s long-term credit rating is A3, BBB+ and BBB+, respectively, by Moody’s, S&P and Fitch. The unsecured debt of CECONY is

 

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rated A2, A- and A-, respectively, by Moody’s, S&P and Fitch. The unsecured debt of O&R is rated A3, A- and A-, respectively, by Moody’s, S&P and Fitch. Securities ratings assigned by rating organizations are expressions of opinion and are not recommendations to buy, sell or hold securities. A securities rating is subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the assigning rating organization. Each rating should be evaluated independently of any other rating.

CECONY has $636 million of tax-exempt debt for which the interest rates are to be determined pursuant to periodic auctions. Of this amount, $391 million is insured by Ambac Assurance Corporation and $245 million is insured by Syncora Guarantee Inc. (formerly XL Capital Assurance Inc.). Credit rating agencies have withdrawn the ratings of these insurers. Subsequently, there have not been sufficient bids to determine the interest rates pursuant to auctions, and interest rates have been determined by reference to a variable rate index. The weighted average annual interest rate on this tax-exempt debt was 0.10 percent on December 31, 2013. The weighted average interest rate was 0.17 percent, 0.29 percent and 0.34 percent for the years 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Under CECONY’s current electric, gas and steam rate plans, variations in auction rate debt interest expense are reconciled to the levels set in rates.

Environmental Matters

Climate Change

As indicated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, emissions of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, are very likely changing the world’s climate.

Climate change could affect customer demand for the Companies’ energy services. The effects of climate change might also include physical damage to the Companies’ facilities and disruption of their operations due to the impact of more frequent and more extreme weather-related events. In late October 2012, Superstorm Sandy caused extensive damage to the Utilities’ electric distribution system. Superstorm Sandy interrupted service to approximately 1.4 million of the Utilities’ customers – more than four times the number of customers impacted by the Utilities’ previous worst storm event (Hurricane Irene in 2011). See “Other Regulatory Matters” in Note B to the financial statements in Item 8.

Based on the most recent data (2013) published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Con Edison estimates that its direct greenhouse gas emissions constitute less than 0.1 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. Con Edison’s estimated emissions of greenhouse gases during the past five years were:

 

(metric tons, in millions(a))   2009     2010     2011     2012     2013  

CO2 equivalent emissions

    3.7        3.8        3.4        3.3        3.4   

 

(a) Emissions, as previously reported in tons (instead of metric tons), were 4.2, 4.3, 3.7 and 3.6 for the years 2009 to 2012, respectively. Estimated emissions for 2013, which are subject to third-party verification, expressed in tons were 3.7.

Con Edison’s 44 percent decrease in direct greenhouse gas emissions since 2005 (6.0 million metric tons) reflects the emission reductions resulting from equipment and repair projects, including projects to reduce sulfur hexafluoride emissions, and increased use of natural gas at CECONY’s steam production facilities.

CECONY has participated for several years in voluntary initiatives with the EPA to reduce its methane and sulfur hexafluoride emissions. The Utilities reduce methane emissions from the operation of their gas distribution systems through pipe maintenance and replacement programs, by operating system components at lower pressure, and by introducing new technologies. The Utilities reduce emissions of sulfur hexafluoride, which is used for arc suppression in substation circuit breakers and switches, by using improved technologies to locate and repair leaks, and by replacing older equipment. The Utilities also actively promote the use of energy efficiency and renewable generation to further reduce their customers’ greenhouse gas emissions.

NYSERDA and New York utilities are responsible for implementing the Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS) established by the NYSPSC through energy efficiency, targeted demand-side management and demand-response programs. The Utilities billed customers EEPS surcharges of approximately $100 million and $90 million in 2013 and 2012, respectively, to fund these programs. Through the Utilities’ energy-efficiency programs, end-use customers reduced their annual energy use by approximately 585,000 MWh and 750,000 dths from the programs’ inception in 2009 through 2013, resulting in their avoiding their release of approximately 247,000 tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year. CECONY’s targeted demand-side management programs assisted customers in reducing their annual energy use by approximately 281,000 MWh from the programs’ inception in 2004 through 2013, resulting in their avoiding their release of approximately 99,000 tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year.

Emissions are also avoided through the development of renewable generation. NYSERDA is responsible for implementing the renewable portfolio standard (RPS) established by the NYSPSC. For large renewable resources, NYSERDA enters into long-term agreements with developers, and pays the developers renewable premiums based on the facilities’ energy output. Large renewable resources are grid-connected and sell their energy output in the wholesale energy market administered by the NYISO. As a result of the Utilities’ participation in the NYISO wholesale markets, a portion of the Utilities’ NYISO energy purchases are sourced from renewable resources. For customer-sited resources, NYSERDA provides rebates when customers install eligible renewable technologies. The energy produced by customer-sited renewables offsets the energy which the Utilities would otherwise have procured, thereby reducing the overall level of non-renewable energy consumed.

 

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The Utilities billed customers RPS surcharges of $109 million and $92 million in 2013 and 2012, respectively, (and approximately $365 million cumulatively from 2006) to fund these NYSERDA programs. In 2013, NYSERDA reported that the environmental benefits of having electricity generated by renewable generation from 2006 through 2012, as opposed to the State’s “system-mix,” amounts to approximately 4,028 tons of nitrogen oxides, 8,853 tons of sulfur dioxides, and 4.1 million tons of carbon dioxide in reduced emissions over this time period.

Beginning in 2009, CECONY is subject to carbon dioxide emissions regulations established by New York State under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The Initiative, a cooperative effort by Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states, established a decreasing cap on carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the generation of electricity to a level fifteen percent below the Initiative’s baseline by 2020. Under the Initiative, affected electric generators are required to obtain emission allowances to cover their carbon dioxide emissions, available primarily through auctions administered by participating states or a secondary market. CECONY met its requirement of 6.3 million allowances for the first RGGI compliance period (2009—2011) and is managing auction purchases in preparation for complying with the second compliance period (2012—2014). In February 2013, RGGI released a model rule for adoption by the participating states that includes a 45 percent reduction in the emissions cap for 2014 and further reductions of 2.5 percent each year from 2015 to 2020. New York State adopted the model rule, and the lower, 91-million ton cap is effective as of January 1, 2014.

The EPA has started regulating greenhouse gas emissions from major sources, requiring existing sources to report emissions and subjecting certain new sources to emissions limitations. Also, New York State has announced a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, and New York City plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the City 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The cost to comply with legislation, regulations or initiatives limiting the Companies’ greenhouse gas emissions could be substantial.

Environmental Sustainability

Con Edison’s sustainability strategy, as it relates to environmental sustainability, provides that the company seeks to reduce its environmental footprint by making effective use of natural resources and to address the challenges of climate change and its impact on the company’s business. As part of its strategy, the company seeks, among other things, to reduce direct and indirect emissions; enhance the efficiency of its water use; minimize its impact to natural ecosystems; focus on reducing, reusing, and recycling to minimize consumption; and design its work in consideration of climate forecasts.

CECONY

Superfund

The Federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 and similar state statutes (Superfund) impose joint and several liability, regardless of fault, upon generators of hazardous substances for investigation costs, remediation costs and environmental damages. The sites as to which CECONY has been asserted to have liability under Superfund include its and its predecessor companies’ former manufactured gas sites, its multi-purpose Astoria site, its former Flushing Service Center site, the Gowanus Canal site, and other Superfund sites discussed below. There may be additional sites as to which assertions will be made that the Company has liability. For a further discussion of claims and possible claims against the Company under Superfund, estimated liability accrued for Superfund claims and recovery from customers of site investigation and remediation costs, see Note G to the financial statements in Item 8 (which information is incorporated herein by reference).

Manufactured Gas Sites

CECONY and its predecessors formerly manufactured gas and maintained storage holders for gas manufactured at sites in New York City and Westchester County (MGP Sites). Many of these sites have been subdivided and are now owned by parties other than CECONY and have been redeveloped by them for other uses, including schools, residential and commercial developments and hospitals. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) requires the company to investigate, and if necessary, develop and implement remediation programs for the sites, which include 34 manufactured gas plant sites and 17 storage holder sites and any neighboring areas to which contamination may have migrated.

The information available to CECONY for many of the MGP Sites is incomplete as to the extent of contamination and scope of the remediation likely to be required. Through the end of 2013, investigations have been started for all 51 MGP Sites, and have been completed at all or portions of 32 of the sites. Coal tar and/or other manufactured gas production/storage-related environmental contaminants have been detected at 35 sites including locations within Manhattan and other parts of New York City, and in Westchester County. Remediation has been completed at six sites and portions of nine other sites.

Astoria Site

CECONY is permitted by the NYSDEC to operate a hazardous waste storage facility on property the company owns in the Astoria section of Queens, New York. Portions of the property were formerly the location of a manufactured gas plant and also have been used or are being used for, among other things, electric generation operations, electric substation operations, the storage of fuel oil and liquefied natural gas, and the maintenance and storage of electric equipment. As a condition of its NYSDEC

 

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permit, the company is required to investigate the property and, where environmental contamination is found and action is necessary, to conduct corrective action to remediate the contamination. The company has investigated various sections of the property and is performing additional investigations. The company has submitted to the NYSDEC and the New York State Department of Health reports and in the future will be submitting additional reports identifying the known areas of contamination. The company estimates that its undiscounted potential liability for the completion of the site investigation and cleanup of the known contamination on the property could range from $152 million to $451 million.

Flushing Service Center Site

The owner of a former CECONY service center facility in Flushing, New York, informed the company that PCB contamination had been detected on a substantial portion of the property, which the owner remediated pursuant to the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program administered by the NYSDEC and has redeveloped for residential and commercial use. The property owner’s claim against the company for its environmental response costs for the site has been resolved. In September 2007, the NYSDEC demanded that the company investigate and remediate PCB contamination that may have migrated into the adjacent Flushing River from the site. In April 2008, the company and NYSDEC entered into a consent order under which the company has agreed to implement a NYSDEC-approved investigation program for the Flushing River and, if deemed necessary by the NYSDEC to protect human health and the environment from such contamination, to implement a NYSDEC-approved remediation program for any PCB contamination in the river attributable to the site. In March 2011, the company submitted to NYSDEC a report indicating that PCBs had migrated from the site to sediment in a portion of the river. In August 2013, the NYSDEC selected a remedy that requires the company to submit a remedial design report, remove contaminated sediment, restore the river bed with clean material, prepare a site management plan and implement institutional controls. The company estimates that its undiscounted potential liability for the completion of the cleanup in Flushing River will be at least $5.4 million.

Gowanus Canal

In August 2009, CECONY received a notice of potential liability and request for information from the EPA about the operations of the company and its predecessors at sites adjacent or near the 1.8 mile Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, New York. In March 2010, the EPA added the Gowanus Canal to its National Priorities List of Superfund sites. The canal’s adjacent waterfront is primarily commercial and industrial, currently consisting of concrete plants, warehouses, and parking lots, and the canal is near several residential neighborhoods. In September 2013, the EPA issued its record of decision for the site. The EPA concluded that there was significant contamination at the site, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, metals, and volatile organic compounds. The EPA selected a remedy for the site that includes dredging and disposal of some contaminated sediments and stabilization and capping of contamination that will not be removed. The EPA estimated the cost of the selected remedy to be $506.1 million (and indicated the actual cost could be significantly higher or lower). The EPA has identified 35 potentially responsible parties (PRPs) with respect to the site, including CECONY (which the EPA indicated has facilities that may be a source of PCBs at the site). The EPA is expected to order certain of the PRPs, including CECONY, to coordinate and cooperate with each other to perform and/or fund the remedial design for the selected remedy. CECONY is unable to predict its exposure to liability with respect to the Gowanus Canal site.

Other Superfund Sites

CECONY is a potentially responsible party (PRP) with respect to other Superfund sites where there are other PRPs and where it is generally not responsible for managing the site investigation and remediation. Work at these sites is in various stages, with the company participating in PRP groups at some of the sites. Investigation, remediation and monitoring at some of these sites have been, and are expected to continue to be, conducted over extended periods of time. The company does not believe that it is reasonably likely that monetary sanctions, such as penalties, will be imposed upon it by any governmental authority with respect to these sites.

The following table lists each of CECONY’s other Superfund sites for which the company anticipates it may have a liability. The table also shows for each such site, its location, the year in which the company was designated or alleged to be a PRP or to otherwise have responsibilities with respect to the site (shown in the table under “Start”), the name of the court or agency in which proceedings with respect to the site are pending and CECONY’s estimated percentage of total liability for each site. The company currently estimates that its potential liability for investigation, remediation, monitoring and environmental damages at each site is $0.2 million or less, with the exception of the Cortese Landfill site for which the estimate is $1 million. Superfund liability is joint and several. The company’s estimate of its liability for each site was determined pursuant to consent decrees, settlement agreements or otherwise and in light of the financial condition of other PRPs. The company’s actual liability could differ substantially from amounts estimated.

 

Site   Location   Start     Court or
Agency
    % of
Total
Liability
 

Maxey Flats Nuclear

  Morehead, KY     1986        EPA        0.8

Curcio Scrap Metal

  Saddle Brook, NJ     1987        EPA        100

Metal Bank of America

  Philadelphia, PA     1987        EPA        0.97

Cortese Landfill

  Narrowsburg, NY     1987        EPA        6.0

Global Landfill

  Old Bridge, NJ     1988        EPA        0.3

Borne Chemical

  Elizabeth, NJ     1997        NJDEP        0.7

 

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O&R

Superfund

The sites at which O&R has been asserted to have liability under Superfund include its manufactured gas sites and the Superfund sites discussed below. There may be additional sites as to which assertions will be made that O&R has liability. For a further discussion of claims and possible claims against O&R under Superfund, see Note G to the financial statements in Item 8 (which information is incorporated herein by reference).

Manufactured Gas Sites

O&R and its predecessors formerly owned and operated manufactured gas plants at seven sites (O&R MGP Sites) in Orange County and Rockland County, New York. Three of these sites are now owned by parties other than O&R, and have been redeveloped by them for residential, commercial or industrial uses. The NYSDEC is requiring O&R to develop and implement remediation programs for the O&R MGP Sites including any neighboring areas to which contamination may have migrated.

O&R has completed remedial investigations at all seven O&R MGP Sites and has received NYSDEC’s decision regarding the remedial work to be performed at five of the sites. Of the five sites, O&R has completed remediation at one site, remediation work is in process at two sites and remedial design is ongoing for the remaining two sites.

Superfund Sites

O&R is a PRP with respect to Superfund sites where there are other PRPs and it is not managing the site investigation and remediation. Work at these sites is in various stages, with the company participating in PRP groups at some of the sites. Investigation, remediation and monitoring at some of these sites have been, and are expected to continue to be, conducted over extended periods of time. The company does not believe that it is reasonably likely that monetary sanctions, such as penalties, will be imposed upon it by any governmental authority with respect to these sites.

The following table lists each of these Superfund sites for which the company anticipates it may have liability. The table also shows for each such site, its location, the year in which the company was designated or alleged to be a PRP or to otherwise have responsibilities with respect to the site (shown in the table under “Start”), the name of the court or agency in which proceedings with respect to the site are pending and O&R’s estimated percentage of total liability for each site. The company currently estimates that its potential liability for investigation, remediation, monitoring and environmental damages at each site is less than $0.3 million. Superfund liability is joint and several. The company’s estimate of its anticipated share of the total liability for each site was determined pursuant to consent decrees, settlement agreements or otherwise and in light of the financial condition of other PRPs. The company’s actual liability could differ substantially from amounts estimated.

 

Site   Location   Start     Court or
Agency
    % of
Total
Liability
 

Borne Chemical

  Elizabeth, NJ     1997        NJDEP        2.27

Metal Bank of America

  Philadelphia, PA     1993        EPA        4.58

Ellis Road

  Jacksonville, FL     2011        EPA        0.24

Other Federal, State and Local Environmental Provisions

Toxic Substances Control Act

Virtually all electric utilities, including CECONY, own equipment containing PCBs. PCBs are regulated under the Federal Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.

Water Quality

Under NYSDEC regulations, the operation of the CECONY generating facilities require permits for water discharges. Regulations that became effective in 2013 require permits for water withdrawals. Conditions to the renewal of such permits may include limitations on the operations of the permitted facility or requirements to install certain equipment, the cost of which could be substantial. For information about the company’s generating facilities, see “CECONY – Electric Operations – Electric Facilities” and “Steam Operations – Steam Facilities” above in this Item 1.

Certain governmental authorities are investigating contamination in the Hudson River and the New York Harbor. These waters run through portions of CECONY’s service area. Governmental authorities could require entities that released hazardous substances that contaminated these waters to bear the cost of investigation and remediation, which could be substantial.

Air Quality

Under new source review regulations, an owner of a large generating facility, including CECONY’s steam and steam-electric generating facilities, is required to obtain a permit before making modifications to the facility, other than routine maintenance, repair, or replacement, that increase emissions of pollutants from the facility above specified thresholds. To obtain a permit, the facility owner could be required to install additional pollution controls or otherwise limit emissions from the facility. The company reviews on an on-going basis its planned modifications to its generating facilities to determine the potential applicability of new source review and similar regulations. In December 2011, the company filed its proposed plan to comply with revised New York State nitrogen oxides reasonably available control technology regulations (NOx RACT) and is incorporating the plan provisions into its existing air quality permits as they are renewed. In 2011, the EPA adopted regulations establishing maximum achievable control technology standards for utility and industrial boilers. The regulations apply to major air emissions sources, including CECONY’s generating facilities. In 2013, CECONY complied with these regulations and the regulations

 

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known as the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) largely through the modification of certain of its generating facilities which enables the facilities to increase the use of natural gas, decreasing the use of fuel oil. In 2011, the EPA also adopted additional regulations known as the Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), which established a new cap and trade program requiring further reductions in air emissions than CAIR (which CSAPR was to have replaced). In August 2012, CSAPR was overturned by an appellate court. The EPA subsequently appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments in the case in December 2013. CAIR will remain in effect pending further action by the EPA and the U.S. Supreme Court. For information about the company’s generating facilities, see “CECONY– Electric Operations – Electric Facilities” and “Steam Operations – Steam Facilities” above in this Item 1. The company is unable to predict the impact on its operations of any regulations that may be adopted to replace CSAPR or the additional costs, which could be substantial, it could incur to comply with any such regulations.

State Anti-Takeover Law

New York State law provides that a “domestic corporation,” such as Con Edison, may not consummate a merger, consolidation or similar transaction with the beneficial owner of a 20 percent or greater voting stock interest in the corporation, or with an affiliate of the owner, for five years after the acquisition of the voting stock interest, unless the transaction or the acquisition of the voting stock interest was approved by the corporation’s board of directors prior to the acquisition of the voting stock interest. After the expiration of the five-year period, the transaction may be consummated only pursuant to a stringent “fair price” formula or with the approval of a majority of the disinterested stockholders.

Employees

Con Edison has no employees other than those of CECONY, O&R and Con Edison’s competitive energy businesses (which at December 31, 2013 had 13,235, 1,114 and 299 employees, respectively). Of the 13,235 CECONY employees and 1,114 O&R employees, 8,200 and 618 were represented by a collective bargaining unit, respectively. The collective bargaining agreement covering most of these CECONY employees expires in June 2016. Agreements covering other CECONY employees and O&R employees expire in June 2017 and June 2014, respectively.

Available Information

For the sources of information about the Companies, see “Available Information” in the “Introduction” appearing before this Item 1.

 

Item 1A: Risk Factors

Information in any item of this report as to which reference is made in this Item 1A is incorporated by reference herein. The use of such terms as “see” or “refer to” shall be deemed to incorporate at the place such term is used the information to which such reference is made.

The Companies’ businesses are influenced by many factors that are difficult to predict, and that involve uncertainties that may materially affect actual operating results, cash flows and financial condition.

The Companies have established an enterprise risk management program to identify, assess, manage and monitor its major business risks based on established criteria for the severity of an event, the likelihood of its occurrence, and the programs in place to control the event or reduce the impact. The Companies also have financial and commodity market risks. See “Financial and Commodity Market Risks” in Item 7.

The Companies’ major risks include:

The Failure to Operate Energy Facilities Safely and Reliably Could Adversely Affect The Companies.    The Utilities provide electricity, gas and steam service using energy facilities, many of which are located either in, or close to, densely populated public places. See the description of the Utilities’ facilities in Item 1. A failure of, or damage to, these facilities, or an error in the operation or maintenance of these facilities, could result in bodily injury or death, property damage, the release of hazardous substances or extended service interruptions. In such event, the Utilities could be required to pay substantial amounts, which may not be covered by the Utilities’ insurance policies, to repair or replace their facilities, compensate others for injury or death or other damage, and settle any proceedings initiated by state utility regulators or other regulatory agencies. In late October 2012, Superstorm Sandy caused extensive damage to the Utilities’ electric distribution system and interrupted service to approximately 1.4 million of the Utilities’ customers. See “Other Regulatory Matters” in Note B and “Manhattan Steam Main Rupture” in Note H to the financial statements in Item 8. The occurrence of such an event could also adversely affect the cost and availability of insurance. Changes to laws, regulations or judicial doctrines could further expand the Utilities’ liability for service interruptions. See “Utility Regulation – State Utility Regulation” in Item 1.

The Failure To Properly Complete Construction Projects Could Adversely Affect The Companies.    The Utilities’ ongoing construction program includes large energy transmission, substation and distribution system projects. The failure to properly complete these projects timely and effectively could adversely affect the Utilities’ ability to meet their customers’ growing energy needs with the high level of safety and reliability

that they currently provide, which would adversely affect the Companies. See “Capital Requirements”, “New York Energy Highway” and “CECONY – Electric Operations – Electric Supply” in Item 1.

 

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The Failure of Processes and Systems and the Performance of Employees and Contractors Could Adversely Affect the Companies.    The Companies have developed business processes for operations, customer service, legal compliance, personnel, accounting, planning and other matters. Some of the Companies’ information systems and communications systems have been operating for many years, and may become obsolete. The failure of the Companies’ business processes or information or communication systems could adversely affect the Companies’ operations and liquidity and result in substantial liability, higher costs and increased regulatory requirements. The failure by the Companies’ employees or contractors to follow procedures, or their unsafe actions, errors or intentional misconduct, or work stoppages could also adversely affect the Companies. See “Employees” in Item 1 and “Other Regulatory Matters” in Note B to the financial statements in Item 8.

The Companies Are Extensively Regulated And Are Subject To Penalties.    The Companies’ operations require numerous permits, approvals and certificates from various federal, state and local governmental agencies. State utility regulators may seek to impose substantial penalties on the Utilities for violations of state utility laws, regulations or orders. In addition, the Utilities rate plans usually include penalties for failing to meet certain operating standards. See Note B to the financial statements in Item 8. FERC has the authority to impose penalties on the Utilities and the competitive energy businesses, which could be substantial, for violations of the Federal Power Act, the Natural Gas Act or related rules, including reliability and cyber security rules. Environmental agencies may seek penalties for failure to comply with laws, regulations or permits. The Companies may also be subject to penalties from other regulatory agencies. The Companies may be subject to new laws, regulations, accounting standards or other requirements or the revision or reinterpretation of such requirements, which could adversely affect the Companies. In December 2013, the NYSPSC directed its staff to recommend, for commencement in the first quarter of 2014, a process that will result in timely decisions regarding the broad restructuring of distribution utility regulation. See “Utility Regulation” and “Environmental Matters – Climate Change and Other Federal, State and Local Environmental Provisions” in Item 1 and “Application of Critical Accounting Policies” in Item 7.

The Utilities’ Rate Plans May Not Provide A Reasonable Return.    The Utilities have rate plans approved by state utility regulators that limit the rates they can charge their customers. The rates are generally designed for, but do not guarantee, the recovery of the Utilities’ cost of service (including a return on equity). The Utilities’ rate plans can involve complex accounting and other calculations, a mistake in which could have a substantial adverse affect on the Utilities. See “Utility Regulation – State Utility Regulation, Rate Plans” in Item 1 and “Rate Plans” in Note B to the financial statements in Item 8. Rates usually may not be changed during the specified terms of the rate plans other than to recover energy costs and limited other exceptions. The Utilities’ actual costs may exceed levels provided for such costs in the rate plans. The Utilities’ rate plans usually include penalties for failing to meet certain operating standards. State utility regulators can initiate proceedings to prohibit the Utilities from recovering from their customers the cost of service (including energy costs) that the regulators determine to have been imprudently incurred (see “Other Regulatory Matters” in Note B to the financial statements in Item 8). The Utilities have from time to time entered into settlement agreements to resolve various prudence proceedings.

The Companies May Be Adversely Affected By Changes To The Utilities’ Rate Plans.    The Utilities’ rate plans typically require action by regulators at their expiration dates, which may include approval of new plans with different provisions. The need to recover from customers increasing costs, taxes or state-mandated assessments or surcharges could adversely affect the Utilities’ opportunity to obtain new rate plans that provide a reasonable rate of return and continue important provisions of current rate plans. The Utilities’ current New York electric and gas rate plans include revenue decoupling mechanisms and their New York electric, gas and steam rate plans include provisions for the recovery of energy costs and reconciliation of the actual amount of pension and other postretirement, environmental and certain other costs to amounts reflected in rates. In February 2014, the NYSPSC adopted a Joint Proposal with respect to CECONY’s rates for electric, gas and steam delivery service in 2014 and 2015 (and, for gas and steam delivery service, 2016). See “Rate Plans” in Note B to the financial statements in Item 8.

The Companies Are Exposed to Risks From The Environmental Consequences Of Their Operations.    The Companies are exposed to risks relating to climate change and related matters. See “Environmental Matters – Climate Change” in Item 1. CECONY may also be impacted by regulations requiring reductions in air emissions. See “Environmental Matters – Other Federal, State and Local Environmental Provisions, Air Quality” in Item 1. In addition, the Utilities are responsible for hazardous substances, such as asbestos, PCBs and coal tar, that have been used or produced in the course of the Utilities’ operations and are present on properties or in facilities and equipment currently or previously owned by them. See “Environmental Matters” in Item 1 and Note G to the financial statements in Item 8. Electric and magnetic fields are found wherever electricity is used. The Companies could be adversely affected if a causal relationship between these fields and adverse health effects were to be established. Negative perceptions about electric and magnetic fields can make it more difficult to construct facilities needed for the Companies’ operations.

 

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A Disruption In The Wholesale Energy Markets Or Failure By An Energy Supplier Could Adversely Affect The Companies.    Almost all the electricity and gas the Utilities sell to their full-service customers is purchased through the wholesale energy markets or pursuant to contracts with energy suppliers. See the description of the Utilities’ energy supply in Item 1. Con Edison’s competitive energy businesses also depend on wholesale energy markets to supply electricity to their customers. See “Competitive Energy Businesses” in Item 1. A disruption in the wholesale energy markets or a failure on the part of the Companies’ energy suppliers or operators of energy delivery systems that connect to the Utilities’ energy facilities could adversely affect the Companies’ ability to meet their customers’ energy needs and adversely affect the Companies.

The Companies Have Substantial Unfunded Pension And Other Postretirement Benefit Liabilities.    The Utilities have substantial unfunded pension and other postretirement benefit liabilities. The Utilities expect to make substantial contributions to their pension and other postretirement benefit plans. Significant declines in the market values of the investments held to fund pension and other postretirement benefits could trigger substantial funding requirements under governmental regulations. See “Application of Critical Accounting Policies – Accounting for Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits” and “Financial and Commodity Market Risks,” in Item 7 and Notes E and F to the financial statements in Item 8.

Con Edison’s Ability To Pay Dividends Or Interest Depends On Dividends From Its Subsidiaries.    Con Edison’s ability to pay dividends on its common stock or interest on its external borrowings depends primarily on the dividends and other distributions it receives from its subsidiaries. The dividends that the Utilities may pay to Con Edison are limited by the NYSPSC to not more than 100 percent of their respective income available for dividends calculated on a two-year rolling average basis, with certain exceptions. See “Dividends” in Note C to the financial statements in Item 8.

The Companies Require Access To Capital Markets To Satisfy Funding Requirements.    The Utilities estimate that their construction expenditures will exceed $7 billion over the next three years. The Utilities use internally-generated funds, equity contributions from Con Edison, if any, and external borrowings to fund the construction expenditures. The competitive energy businesses are evaluating opportunities to invest in renewable generation and energy-related infrastructure projects that would require funds in excess of those produced in the businesses. Con Edison expects to finance its capital requirements primarily through internally generated funds and the sale of its securities. The company does not expect to need to issue common equity in 2014. Changes in financial market conditions or in the Companies’ credit ratings could adversely affect their ability to raise new capital and the cost thereof. See “Capital Requirements and Resources” in Item 1.

A Cyber Attack Could Adversely Affect the Companies.    The Utilities and other operators of critical energy infrastructure may face a heightened risk of cyber attack. The Companies have experienced cyber attacks, although none of the attacks had a material impact on the Companies. In the event of a cyber attack that the Companies were unable to defend against or mitigate, the Utilities and the competitive energy businesses could have their operations disrupted, financial and other information systems impaired, property damaged and customer information stolen; experience substantial loss of revenues, response costs and other financial loss; and be subject to increased regulation, litigation and damage to their reputation.

The Companies Also Face Other Risks That Are Beyond Their Control.    The Companies’ results of operations can be affected by circumstances or events that are beyond their control. Weather directly influences the demand for electricity, gas and steam service, and can affect the price of energy commodities. Natural disasters, such as a major storm, heat wave or hurricane (see “Environmental Matters – Climate Change” in Item 1 and “Other Regulatory Matters” in Note B to the financial statements in Item 8) or terrorist or other physical attacks or acts of war could damage Company facilities. As a provider of essential utility services, the Utilities may experience more severe consequences from attempting to operate during and after such events. In addition, pandemic illness could potentially disrupt the Utilities’ employees and contractors from providing essential utility services. Economic conditions can affect customers’ demand and ability to pay for service, which could adversely affect the Companies.

 

Item 1B: Unresolved Staff Comments

Con Edison

Con Edison has no unresolved comments from the SEC staff.

CECONY

CECONY has no unresolved comments from the SEC staff.

 

Item 2: Properties

Con Edison

Con Edison has no significant properties other than those of the Utilities and its competitive energy businesses.

For information about the capitalized cost of the Companies’ utility plant, net of accumulated depreciation, see “Plant and Depreciation” in Note A to the financial statements in Item 8 (which information is incorporated herein by reference).

CECONY

For a discussion of CECONY’s electric, gas and steam facilities, see “CECONY- Electric Operations – Electric Facilities”, “CECONY- Gas Operations – Gas Facilities”, and “CECONY – Steam Operations – Steam Facilities” in Item 1 (which information is incorporated herein by reference).

 

      CON EDISON ANNUAL REPORT   33


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O&R

For a discussion of O&R’s electric and gas facilities, see “O&R – Electric Operations – Electric Facilities” and “O&R – Gas Operations – Gas Facilities” in Item 1 (which information is incorporated herein by reference).

Competitive Energy Businesses

For a discussion of the competitive energy businesses’ facilities, see “Competitive Energy Businesses” in Item 1 (which information is incorporated herein by reference).

 

Item 3: Legal Proceedings

CECONY

Manhattan Steam Main Rupture

For information about proceedings relating to the July 2007 rupture of a steam main located in midtown Manhattan, see “Manhattan Steam Main Rupture” in Note H to the financial statements in Item 8 (which information is incorporated herein by reference).

NYSPSC Prudence Proceeding

For information about an NYSPSC proceeding relating to unlawful conduct by certain former employees in connection with vendor payments, see “Other Regulatory Matters” in Note B to the financial statements in Item 8 (which is incorporated herein by reference).

Superstorm Sandy

For information about NYSPSC review of the company’s deferred storm costs, including for Superstorm Sandy, see “Other Regulatory Matters” in Note B to the financial statements in Item 8 (which is incorporated herein by reference).

Asbestos

For information about legal proceedings relating to exposure to asbestos, see Note G to the financial statements in Item 8 (which information is incorporated herein by reference).

Superfund

For information about CECONY Superfund sites, see “Environmental Matters – CECONY—Superfund” in Item 1 (which information is incorporated herein by reference) and Note G to the financial statements in Item 8.

O&R

Superstorm Sandy

For information about NYSPSC and NJBPU review of the company’s deferred storm costs, including for Superstorm Sandy, see “Other Regulatory Matters” in Note B to the financial statements in Item 8 (which is incorporated herein by reference).

Asbestos

For information about legal proceedings relating to exposure to asbestos, see Note G to the financial statements in Item 8 (which information is incorporated herein by reference).

Superfund

For information about O&R Superfund sites, see “Environmental Matters – O&R – Superfund” in Item 1 (which information is incorporated herein by reference) and Note G to the financial statements in Item 8.

 

Item 4: Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

 

 

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Executive Officers of the Registrant

The following table sets forth certain information about the executive officers of Con Edison and CECONY as of February 20, 2014. As indicated, certain of the executive officers are executive officers of each of Con Edison and CECONY and others are executive officers of Con Edison or CECONY. The term of office of each officer, is until the next election of directors (trustees) of their company and until his or her successor is chosen and qualifies. Officers are subject to removal at any time by the board of directors (trustees) of their company.

 

Name    Age      Offices and Positions During Past Five Years

Executive Officers of Con Edison and CECONY

John McAvoy

    
 
53
 
  
  
  

12/13 to present — President and Chief Executive Officer and Director of Con Edison and Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of CECONY

      1/13 to 11/13 — President and Chief Executive Officer of O&R
      12/12 — Senior Vice President of CECONY
      2/09 to 11/12 — Senior Vice President — Central Operations of CECONY

Craig S. Ivey

     51      

12/09 to present — President of CECONY

      8/07 to 9/09 — Senior Vice President — Transmission & Distribution, Dominion Resources, Inc.

William G. Longhi

     60      

1/13 to present — President — Shared Services of CECONY

      2/09 to 12/12 — President and Chief Executive Officer of O&R

Robert Hoglund

     52       9/05 to present — Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Con Edison and CECONY
      6/04 to 10/09 — Chief Financial Officer and Controller of O&R

Elizabeth D. Moore

     59       5/13 to present — Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Con Edison and CECONY
      5/09 to 4/13 — General Counsel of Con Edison and CECONY
      1/95 to 4/09 — Partner, Nixon Peabody LLP

Joseph P. Oates

     52       9/12 to present — Senior Vice President — Business Shared Services of CECONY
      7/12 to 8/12 — Senior Vice President of CECONY
      7/07 to 6/12 — Vice President — Energy Management of CECONY

Frances A. Resheske

     53       2/02 to present — Senior Vice President — Public Affairs of CECONY

Gurudatta Nadkarni

     48       1/08 to present — Vice President of Strategic Planning

Scott Sanders

     50       2/10 to present — Vice President and Treasurer of Con Edison and CECONY
      1/10 to 2/10 — Vice President — Finance
      5/09 to 12/09 — Co-founder and Partner of New Infrastructure Advisors

Robert Muccilo

     57       7/09 to present — Vice President and Controller of Con Edison and CECONY
      11/09 to present — Chief Financial Officer and Controller of O&R
      4/08 to 6/09 — Assistant Controller of CECONY

Executive Officers of Con Edison but not CECONY

Timothy P. Cawley

     49       12/13 to present — President and Chief Executive Officer of O&R
      11/13 — Senior Vice President of CECONY
     

12/12 to 10/13 — Senior Vice President — Central Operations

      5/11 to 11/12 — Vice President — Substation Operations
      9/07 to 4/11 — Vice President — Bronx and Westchester Electric Operations

Executive Officers of CECONY but not Con Edison

(All offices and positions listed are with CECONY)

Milovan Blair

     51       11/13 to present — Senior Vice President — Central Operations
      10/13 — Vice President of CECONY
      5/11 to 9/13 — Vice President — Brooklyn and Queens Electric Operations
      2/09 to 4/11 — Vice President — System and Transmission Operations of CECONY

Marilyn Caselli

     59       5/05 to present — Senior Vice President — Customer Operations

Edward Foppiano

     61       12/13 to present — Senior Vice President — Gas Operations
      6/10 to 11/13 — Vice President — Gas Engineering
      12/08 to 5/10 — Chief Engineer — Gas Engineering Transmission

John F. Miksad

     54       9/05 to present — Senior Vice President — Electric Operations

 

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Part II

Item 5: Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Con Edison

Con Edison’s Common Shares ($.10 par value), the only class of common equity of Con Edison, are traded on the New York Stock Exchange. As of January 31, 2014, there were 53,616 holders of record of Con Edison’s Common Shares.

The market price range for Con Edison’s Common Shares during 2013 and 2012, as reported in the consolidated reporting system, and the dividends paid by Con Edison in 2013 and 2012 were as follows:

 

     2013     2012  
     High     Low    

Dividends

Paid

    High     Low     Dividends
Paid
 

1st Quarter

  $ 61.03      $ 55.28      $ 0.615      $ 62.26      $ 56.99      $ 0.605   

2nd Quarter

  $ 63.66      $ 55.78      $ 0.615      $ 63.64      $ 57.01      $ 0.605   

3rd Quarter

  $ 60.59      $ 54.63      $ 0.615      $ 65.98      $ 59.01      $ 0.605   

4th Quarter

  $ 58.82      $ 54.33      $ 0.615      $ 60.83      $ 53.63      $ 0.605   

On January 16, 2014, Con Edison declared a quarterly dividend of 63 cents per Common Share. The first quarter 2014 dividend will be paid on March 15, 2014.

Con Edison expects to pay dividends to its shareholders primarily from dividends and other distributions it receives from its subsidiaries. The payment of future dividends, which is subject to approval and declaration by Con Edison’s Board of Directors, will depend on a variety of factors, including business, financial and regulatory considerations. For additional information, see “Dividends” in Note C to the financial statements in Item 8 (which information is incorporated herein by reference).

During 2013, the market price of Con Edison’s Common Shares decreased by 0.47 percent (from $55.54 at year-end 2012 to $55.28 at year-end 2013). By comparison, the S&P 500 Index increased 29.60 percent and the S&P Utilities Index increased 8.75 percent. The total return to Con Edison’s common shareholders during 2013, including both price depreciation and reinvestment of dividends, was 3.79 percent. By comparison, the total returns for the S&P 500 Index and the S&P Utilities Index were 32.39 percent and 13.21 percent, respectively. For the five-year period 2009 through 2013 inclusive, Con Edison’s shareholders’ total average annual return was 12.51 percent, compared with total average annual returns for the S&P 500 Index and the S&P Utilities Index of 17.94 percent and 10.17 percent, respectively.

 

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LOGO

 

      Period Ending  
Company/Index    12/31/08      12/31/09      12/31/10      12/31/11      12/31/12     12/31/13  

Consolidated Edison, Inc.

     100.00         123.89         142.37         186.25         173.72        180.31   

S&P 500 Index

     100.00         126.46         145.51         148.59         172.37        228.19   

S&P Utilities

     100.00         111.91         118.02         141.52         143.35        162.29   

 

Based on $100 invested at December 31, 2008, reinvestment of all dividends in equivalent shares of stock and market price changes on all such shares.

CECONY

The outstanding shares of CECONY’s Common Stock ($2.50 par value), the only class of common equity of CECONY, are held by Con Edison and are not traded.

The dividends declared by CECONY in 2013 and 2012 are shown in its Consolidated Statement of Common Shareholder’s Equity included in Item 8 (which information is incorporated herein by reference). For additional information about the payment of dividends by CECONY, and restrictions thereon, see “Dividends” in Note C to the financial statements in Item 8 (which information is incorporated herein by reference).

 

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ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

 

Period   Total Number
of Shares
(or Units)
Purchased*
    Average Price Paid
per Share (or Unit)
    Total Number of Shares
(or Units) Purchased as
Part of Publicly
Announced Plans or
Programs
    Maximum Number (or Appropriate
Dollar Value) of Shares (or Units)
that May Yet Be Purchased Under
the Plans or Programs
 

October 1, 2013 to October 31, 2013

    162,175      $ 55.98              —                        —                           

November 1, 2013 to November 30, 2013

    51,310        57.14              —                        —                           

December 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013

    55,160        54.73              —                        —                            

Total

    268,645      $ 55.94              —                        —                            

 

* Represents Con Edison common shares purchased in open-market transactions. The number of shares purchased approximated the number of treasury shares used for the company’s employee stock plans.

 

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Item 6: Selected Financial Data

For selected financial data of Con Edison and CECONY, see “Introduction” appearing before Item 1 (which selected financial data is incorporated herein by reference).

 

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Item 7: Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

This combined management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations relates to the consolidated financial statements included in this report of two separate registrants: Con Edison and CECONY and should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto. As used in this report, the term the “Companies” refers to Con Edison and CECONY. CECONY is a subsidiary of Con Edison and, as such, information in this management’s discussion and analysis about CECONY applies to Con Edison.

Information in any item of this report referred to in this discussion and analysis is incorporated by reference herein. The use of terms such as “see” or “refer to” shall be deemed to incorporate by reference into this discussion and analysis the information to which reference is made.

Corporate Overview

Con Edison’s principal business operations are those of the Utilities. Con Edison also has competitive energy businesses. See “The Utilities” and “Competitive Energy Businesses” in Item 1. Certain financial data of Con Edison’s businesses is presented below:

 

     Twelve months ended
December 31, 2013
    At
December 31,
2013
 
(Millions of Dollars,
except percentages)
  Operating
Revenues
    Net Income for
Common Stock
    Assets  

CECONY

  $ 10,430        84   $ 1,020        96   $ 36,258        89

O&R

    833        7     65        6     2,545        6

Total Utilities

    11,263        91     1,085        102     38,803        95

Con Edison Solutions(a)

    1,006        8     40        4     289        1

Con Edison Energy

    62        1     5        -     64        -

Con Edison Development(b)

    34        -     (68     (6 )%      904        2

Other(c)

    (11     -     -        -     587        2

Total Con Edison

  $ 12,354        100   $ 1,062        100   $ 40,647        100

 

(a) Net income from the competitive energy businesses for the twelve months ended December 31, 2013 includes $45 million of net after-tax mark-to-market gains (Con Edison Solutions, $45 million).
(b) Includes an after-tax charge of $95 million relating to the lease in/lease out (LILO) transactions for the twelve months ended December 31, 2013 (see “Lease In/Lease Out Transactions” in Note J to the financial statements in Item 8) and a tax benefit of $15 million resulting from the acceptance by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the company’s claim for manufacturing tax deductions for the twelve months ended December 31, 2013.
(c) Other includes parent company expenses, primarily interest, and consolidation adjustments. See “Results of Operations,” below.

 

Con Edison’s net income for common stock in 2013 was $1,062 million or $3.62 a share ($3.61 on a diluted basis). Net income for common stock in 2012 and 2011 was $1,138 million or $3.88 a share (3.86 on a diluted basis) and $1,051 million or $3.59 a share ($3.57 on a diluted basis), respectively. See “Results of Operations – Summary,” below. For segment financial information, see Note N to the financial statements in Item 8 and “Results of Operations,” below.

Results of Operations—Summary

Net income for common stock for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 was as follows:

 

(Millions of Dollars)    2013     2012     2011  

CECONY

   $ 1,020      $ 1,014      $ 978   

O&R

     65        64        53   

Competitive energy businesses(a)

     (23     76        32   

Other(b)

     -        (16     (12

Con Edison

   $ 1,062      $ 1,138      $ 1,051   

 

(a) Includes an after-tax charge of $95 million relating to the LILO transactions (see “Lease In/Lease Out Transactions” in Note J to the financial statements in Item 8) and a tax benefit of $15 million resulting from the acceptance by the IRS of the company’s claim for manufacturing tax deductions in 2013. Also includes $45 million, $40 million and $(13) million of net after-tax mark-to-market (losses)/gains in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
(b) Other includes parent company expenses, primarily interest, and consolidation adjustments. For 2013, also includes $16 million of certain income tax benefits and related interest.

The Companies’ results of operations for 2013, as compared with 2012, reflect changes in the rate plans and other regulatory matters of Con Edison’s utility subsidiaries, the weather impact on steam revenues, decreases in certain operations and maintenance expenses, increases in depreciation and amortization reflecting the impact of higher utility plant balances, and the net mark-to-market effects of the competitive energy businesses.

 

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued

 

The following table presents the estimated effect on earnings per share and net income for common stock for 2013 as compared with 2012, and 2012 as compared with 2011, resulting from these and other major factors:

 

      2013 vs. 2012     2012 vs. 2011  
     

Earnings per

Share

    Net Income
for Common
Stock
(Millions of
Dollars)
   

Earnings per

Share

    Net Income
for Common
Stock
(Millions of
Dollars)
 

CECONY(a)

        

Rate plans and other regulatory matters

   $ (0.07   $ (21   $ 0.90      $ 263   

Weather impact on steam revenues

     0.10        30        (0.07     (20

Operations and maintenance expenses

     0.11        32        (0.47     (137

Depreciation and amortization

     (0.11     (31     (0.19     (57

Other (includes dilutive effect of new stock issuances)

     (0.01     (4     (0.05     (13

Total CECONY

     0.02        6        0.12        36   

O&R(a)

     -        1        0.04        11   

Competitive energy businesses(b)

     (0.34     (99     0.15        44   

Other, including parent company expenses(c)

     0.06        16        (0.02     (4

Total variations

   $ (0.26   $ (76   $ 0.29      $ 87   

 

(a) Under the revenue decoupling mechanisms in the Utilities’ New York electric and gas rate plans and the weather-normalization clause applicable to their gas businesses, revenues are generally not affected by changes in delivery volumes from levels assumed when rates were approved. Under the rate plans, pension and other postretirement costs and certain other costs are reconciled to amounts reflected in rates for such costs. For information about the rate plans and other regulatory matters, see Note B to the financial statements in Item 8.
(b) The variation for the year ended December 31, 2013, as compared to the 2012 period, includes an after-tax charge in 2013 of $95 million or $0.32 a share relating to the LILO transactions (see “Lease In/Lease Out Transactions” in Note J to the financial statements in Item 8) and a tax benefit in 2013 of $15 million or $0.05 a share resulting from the acceptance by the IRS of the company’s claim for manufacturing tax deductions. These variations also reflect after-tax net mark-to-market gains/(losses) of $45 million or $0.14 a share, $40 million or $0.13 a share and $(13) million or $(0.05) a share for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
(c) The variation for the year ended December 31, 2013, as compared to the 2012 period, reflects certain income tax benefits and related interest in 2013 for Con Edison (parent company), $16 million or $0.06 a share.

See “Results of Operations” below for further discussion and analysis of results of operations.

 

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued

 

Risk Factors

The Companies’ businesses are influenced by many factors that are difficult to predict, and that involve uncertainties that may materially affect actual operating results, cash flows and financial condition. See “Risk Factors” in Item 1A.

Application of Critical Accounting Policies

The Companies’ financial statements reflect the application of their accounting policies, which conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The Companies’ critical accounting policies include industry-specific accounting applicable to regulated public utilities and accounting for pensions and other postretirement benefits, contingencies, long-lived assets, derivative instruments, goodwill and leases.

Accounting for Regulated Public Utilities

The Utilities are subject to the accounting rules for regulated operations and the accounting requirements of the FERC and the state public utility regulatory commissions having jurisdiction.

The accounting rules for regulated operations specify the economic effects that result from the causal relationship of costs and revenues in the rate-regulated environment and how these effects are to be accounted for by a regulated enterprise. Revenues intended to cover some costs may be recorded either before or after the costs are incurred. If regulation provides assurance that incurred costs will be recovered in the future, these costs would be recorded as deferred charges or “regulatory assets” under the accounting rules for regulated operations. If revenues are recorded for costs that are expected to be incurred in the future, these revenues would be recorded as deferred credits or “regulatory liabilities” under the accounting rules for regulated operations.

The Utilities’ principal regulatory assets and liabilities are listed in Note B to the financial statements in Item 8. The Utilities are each receiving or being credited with a return on all regulatory assets for which a cash outflow has been made. The Utilities are each paying or being charged with a return on all regulatory liabilities for which a cash inflow has been received. The regulatory assets and liabilities will be recovered from customers, or applied for customer benefit, in accordance with rate provisions approved by the applicable public utility regulatory commission.

In the event that regulatory assets of the Utilities were no longer probable of recovery, as required by the accounting rules for regulated operations, these regulatory assets would be charged to earnings. At December 31, 2013, the regulatory assets for Con Edison and CECONY were $7,230 million and $6,665 million, respectively.

Accounting for Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits

The Utilities provide pensions and other postretirement benefits to substantially all of their employees and retirees. Con Edison’s competitive energy businesses also provide such benefits to certain of their employees. The Companies account for these benefits in accordance with the accounting rules for retirement benefits. In addition, the Utilities apply the accounting rules for regulated operations to account for the regulatory treatment of these obligations (which, as described in Note B to the financial statements in Item 8, reconciles the amounts reflected in rates for the costs of the benefit to the costs actually incurred). In applying these accounting policies, the Companies have made critical estimates related to actuarial assumptions, including assumptions of expected returns on plan assets, discount rates, health care cost trends and future compensation. See Notes A, E and F to the financial statements in Item 8 for information about the Companies’ pension and other postretirement benefits, the actuarial assumptions, actual performance, amortization of investment and other actuarial gains and losses and calculated plan costs for 2013, 2012 and 2011.

The discount rate for determining the present value of future period benefit payments is determined using a model to match the durations of highly-rated (Aa or higher by either Moody’s or S&P) corporate bonds with the projected stream of benefit payments.

In determining the health care cost trend rate, the Companies review actual recent cost trends and projected future trends.

The cost of pension and other postretirement benefits in future periods will depend on actual returns on plan assets, assumptions for future periods, contributions and benefit experience. Con Edison’s and CECONY’s current estimates for 2014 are decreases, compared with 2013, in their pension and other postretirement benefits costs of $300 million and $280 million, respectively.

 

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued

 

The following table illustrates the effect on 2014 pension and other postretirement costs of changing the critical actuarial assumptions, while holding all other actuarial assumptions constant:

 

Actuarial

Assumption

  Change in
Assumption
    Pension    

Other

Postretirement

Benefits

    Total  
          (Millions of Dollars)  

Increase in accounting cost:

  

     

Discount rate

       

Con Edison

    (0.25 %)    $ 42      $ 4      $ 46   

CECONY

    (0.25 %)    $ 39      $ 3      $ 42   

Expected return on plan assets

       

Con Edison

    (0.25 %)    $ 24      $ 1      $ 25   

CECONY

    (0.25 %)    $ 23      $ 1      $ 24   

Health care trend rate

       

Con Edison

    1.00   $ -      $ (6   $ (6

CECONY

    1.00   $ -      $ (9   $ (9

Increase in projected benefit obligation:

       

Discount rate

       

Con Edison

    (0.25 %)    $ 423      $ 37      $ 460   

CECONY

    (0.25 %)    $ 399      $ 30      $ 429   

Health care trend rate

       

Con Edison

    1.00   $ -      $ (35   $ (35

CECONY

    1.00   $ -      $ (53   $ (53

A 5.0 percentage point variation in the actual annual return in 2014, as compared with the expected annual asset return of 8.00 percent, would change pension and other postretirement benefit costs for both Con Edison and CECONY by approximately $32 million and $30 million, respectively, in 2015.

Pension benefits are provided through a pension plan maintained by Con Edison to which CECONY, O&R and the competitive energy businesses make contributions for their participating employees. Pension accounting by the Utilities includes an allocation of plan assets.

The Companies’ policy is to fund their pension and other postretirement benefit accounting costs to the extent tax deductible, and for the Utilities, to the extent these costs are recovered under their rate plans. The Companies were not required to make cash contributions to the pension plan in 2013 under funding regulations and tax laws. However, CECONY and O&R made discretionary contributions to the pension plan in 2013 of $819 million and $60 million, respectively. In 2014, CECONY and O&R expect to make contributions to the pension plan of $543 million and $39 million, respectively. See “Expected Contributions” in Notes E and F to the financial statements in Item 8.

Accounting for Contingencies

The accounting rules for contingencies apply to an existing condition, situation or set of circumstances involving uncertainty as to possible loss that will ultimately be resolved when one or more future events occur or fail to occur. Known material contingencies, which are described in the notes to the financial statements, include certain regulatory matters (Note B), the Utilities’ responsibility for hazardous substances, such as asbestos, PCBs and coal tar that have been used or generated in the course of operations (Note G); and other contingencies (Note H). In accordance with the accounting rules, the Companies have accrued estimates of losses relating to the contingencies as to which loss is probable and can be reasonably estimated and no liability has been accrued for contingencies as to which loss is not probable or cannot be reasonably estimated.

The Utilities generally recover costs for asbestos lawsuits, workers’ compensation and environmental remediation pursuant to their current rate plans. Changes during the terms of the rate plans to the amounts accrued for these contingencies would not impact earnings.

Accounting for Long-Lived Assets

The accounting rules for property, plant and equipment require that certain long-lived assets must be tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. The carrying amount of a long-lived asset is deemed not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset. Under the accounting rules, an impairment loss is recognized if the carrying amount is not recoverable from such cash flows, and exceeds its fair value, which approximates market value.

Accounting for Goodwill

In accordance with the accounting rules for goodwill and intangible assets, Con Edison is required to test goodwill for impairment annually. See Note K to the financial statements in Item 8. Goodwill is tested for impairment using a two-step approach. The first step of the goodwill impairment test compares the estimated fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying value, including goodwill. If the estimated fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, goodwill of the reporting unit is considered not impaired. If the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value of the reporting unit, the second step is performed to measure the amount of impairment loss, if any. The second step requires a calculation of the implied fair value of goodwill.

Goodwill was $429 million at December 31, 2013. The most recent test, which was performed during 2013 did not require

 

      CON EDISON ANNUAL REPORT   43


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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued

 

any second-step assessment and did not result in any impairment. The company’s most significant assumptions surrounding the goodwill impairment test relate to the estimates of reporting unit fair values. The company estimated fair values based primarily on discounted cash flows and on market values for a proxy group of companies.

Accounting for Derivative Instruments

The Companies apply the accounting rules for derivatives and hedging to their derivative financial instruments. The Companies use derivative financial instruments to hedge market price fluctuations in related underlying transactions for the physical purchase and sale of electricity and gas and interest rate risk on certain debt securities. The Utilities are permitted by their respective regulators to reflect in rates all reasonably incurred gains and losses on these instruments. See “Financial and Commodity Market Risks,” below and Note O to the financial statements in Item 8.

Where the Companies are required to make mark-to-market estimates pursuant to the accounting rules, the estimates of gains and losses at a particular period end do not reflect the end results of particular transactions, and will most likely not reflect the actual gain or loss at the conclusion of a transaction. Substantially all of the estimated gains or losses are based on prices supplied by external sources such as the fair value of exchange-traded futures and options and the fair value of positions for which price quotations are available through or derived from brokers or other market sources.

Accounting for Leases

The Companies apply the accounting rules for leases and other related pronouncements to their leasing transactions. In accordance with the accounting rules, Con Edison accounted for Con Edison Development’s two “Lease In/Lease Out” or LILO transactions as leveraged leases. At December 31, 2012, the company’s investment in these leases, net of non-recourse debt, was carried as a single amount in Con Edison’s consolidated balance sheet included in Item 8. In 2013, a court disallowed tax losses claimed by Con Edison relating to Con Edison Development’s LILO transactions and the company subsequently terminated the transactions, resulting in a charge to earnings in 2013 of $95 million (after taxes of $63 million). The transactions did not impact earnings in either 2012 or 2011. See Notes J and L to the financial statements in Item 8.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

The Companies’ liquidity reflects cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities, as shown on their respective consolidated statement of cash flows and as discussed below.

The principal factors affecting Con Edison’s liquidity are its investments in the Utilities, the dividends it pays to its shareholders and the dividends it receives from the Utilities and cash flows from financing activities discussed below.

The principal factors affecting CECONY’s liquidity are its cash flows from operating activities, cash used in investing activities (including construction expenditures), the dividends it pays to Con Edison and cash flows from financing activities discussed below.

The Companies generally maintain minimal cash balances and use short-term borrowings to meet their working capital needs and other cash requirements. The Companies repay their short-term borrowings using funds from long-term financings and operating activities. The Utilities’ cost of capital, including working capital, is reflected in the rates they charge to their customers.

Each of the Companies believes that it will be able to meet its reasonably likely short-term and long-term cash requirements. See “The Companies Require Access to Capital Markets to Satisfy Funding Requirements” and “The Companies Also Face Other Risks That Are Beyond Their Control” in Item 1A, and “Capital Requirements and Resources” in Item 1.

Changes in the Companies’ cash and temporary cash investments resulting from operating, investing and financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 are summarized as follows:

Con Edison

 

(Millions of Dollars)   2013     2012    

Variance

2013

vs. 2012

    2011    

Variance

2012

vs. 2011

 

Operating activities

  $ 2,552      $ 2,599      $ (47   $ 3,137      $ (538

Investing activities

    (2,659     (2,523     (136     (2,150     (373

Financing activities

    387        (330     717        (677     347   

Net change

    280        (254     534        310        (564

Balance at beginning of period

    394        648        (254     338        310   

Balance at end of period

  $ 674      $ 394      $ 280      $ 648      $ (254

CECONY