CMS Energy 10-Q 2021-09-30

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

☒ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2021

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

(A Michigan Corporation)

One Energy Plaza, Jackson, Michigan 49201

(517) 788‑0550

(A Michigan Corporation)

One Energy Plaza, Jackson, Michigan 49201

(517) 788‑0550

CMS Energy Corporation

Consumers Energy Company

Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q to the Securities and Exchange Commission for the Period Ended September 30, 2021

Table of Contents

Glossary

Certain terms used in the text and financial statements are defined below.

Filing Format

This combined Form 10-Q is separately filed by CMS Energy and Consumers. Information in this combined Form 10-Q relating to each individual registrant is filed by such registrant on its own behalf. Consumers makes no representation regarding information relating to any other companies affiliated with CMS Energy other than its own subsidiaries.

CMS Energy is the parent holding company of several subsidiaries, including Consumers and CMS Enterprises. CMS Energy was also the parent holding company of EnerBank until October 1, 2021 when EnerBank was merged with Regions Bank. None of CMS Energy, CMS Enterprises, EnerBank, nor any of CMS Energy’s other subsidiaries (other than Consumers) has any obligation in respect of Consumers’ debt securities or preferred stock and holders of such securities should not consider the financial resources or results of operations of CMS Energy, CMS Enterprises, EnerBank, nor any of CMS Energy’s other subsidiaries (other than Consumers and its own subsidiaries (in relevant circumstances)) in making a decision with respect to Consumers’ debt securities or preferred stock. Similarly, neither Consumers nor any other subsidiary of CMS Energy has any obligation in respect of securities of CMS Energy.

This report should be read in its entirety. No one section of this report deals with all aspects of the subject matter of this report. This report should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes and with MD&A included in the 2020 Form 10-K.

Available Information

CMS Energy’s internet address is www.cmsenergy.com. CMS Energy routinely posts important information on its website and considers the Investor Relations section, www.cmsenergy.com/investor-relations, a channel of distribution. Information contained on CMS Energy’s website is not incorporated herein.

Forward-Looking Statements and Information

This Form 10‑Q and other CMS Energy and Consumers disclosures may contain forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The use of “might,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “predicts,” “assumes,” and other similar words is intended to identify forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainty. This discussion of potential risks and uncertainties is designed to highlight important factors that may impact CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ businesses and financial outlook. CMS Energy and Consumers have no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements regardless of whether new information, future events, or any other factors affect the information contained in the statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to various factors that could cause CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in these statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following, all of which are potentially significant:

• the impact and effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the related economic disruption on CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ workforce, operations, revenues, expenses, uncollectible accounts, energy efficiency programs, pension funding, PSCR and GCR costs, capital investment programs, cash flows, liquidity, maintenance of existing assets, and other operating expenses

• the impact of new regulation by the MPSC, FERC, and other applicable governmental proceedings and regulations, including any associated impact on electric or gas rates or rate structures

• potentially adverse regulatory treatment or failure to receive timely regulatory orders affecting Consumers that are or could come before the MPSC, FERC, or other governmental authorities

• changes in the performance of or regulations applicable to MISO, METC, pipelines, railroads, vessels, or other service providers that CMS Energy, Consumers, or any of their affiliates rely on to serve their customers

• the adoption of or challenges to federal or state laws or regulations or changes in applicable laws, rules, regulations, principles, or practices, or in their interpretation, such as those related to energy policy, ROA, PURPA, infrastructure integrity or security, cybersecurity, gas pipeline safety, gas pipeline capacity, energy waste reduction, the environment, regulation or deregulation, reliability, COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirements, health care reforms (including comprehensive health care reform enacted in 2010), taxes, accounting matters, climate change, air emissions, renewable energy, the Dodd-Frank Act, and other business issues that could have an impact on CMS Energy’s, Consumers’, or any of their affiliates’ businesses or financial results

• factors affecting operations, such as costs and availability of personnel, equipment, and materials; weather conditions; natural disasters; catastrophic weather-related damage; scheduled or unscheduled equipment outages; maintenance or repairs; environmental incidents; failures of equipment or materials; electric transmission and distribution or gas pipeline system constraints; interconnection requirements; political and social unrest; general strikes; the government and/or paramilitary response to political or social events; and changes in trade policies or regulations

• the ability of Consumers to execute its cost-reduction strategies

• potentially adverse regulatory or legal interpretations or decisions regarding environmental matters, or delayed regulatory treatment or permitting decisions that are or could come before EGLE, the EPA, and/or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and potential environmental remediation costs associated with these interpretations or decisions, including those that may affect Consumers’ routine maintenance, repair, and replacement classification under NSR regulations

• changes in energy markets, including availability and price of electric capacity and the timing and extent of changes in commodity prices and availability and deliverability of coal, natural gas, natural gas liquids, electricity, oil, gasoline, diesel fuel, and certain related products

• the price of CMS Energy common stock, the credit ratings of CMS Energy and Consumers, capital and financial market conditions, and the effect of these market conditions on CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ interest costs and access to the capital markets, including availability of financing to CMS Energy, Consumers, or any of their affiliates

• the potential effects of the future transition from LIBOR to an alternative reference interest rate in the credit and capital markets

• the investment performance of the assets of CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ pension and benefit plans, the discount rates, mortality assumptions, and future medical costs used in calculating the plans’ obligations, and the resulting impact on future funding requirements

• the impact of the economy, particularly in Michigan, and potential future volatility in the financial and credit markets on CMS Energy’s, Consumers’, or any of their affiliates’ revenues, ability to collect accounts receivable from customers, or cost and availability of capital

• changes in the economic and financial viability of CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ suppliers, customers, and other counterparties and the continued ability of these third parties, including those in bankruptcy, to meet their obligations to CMS Energy and Consumers

• population changes in the geographic areas where CMS Energy and Consumers conduct business

• national, regional, and local economic, competitive, and regulatory policies, conditions, and developments

• loss of customer demand for electric generation supply to alternative electric suppliers, increased use of self-generation including distributed generation, or energy waste reduction and storage

• increased renewable energy demand due to customers seeking to meet their own sustainability goals

• the reputational or other impact on CMS Energy and Consumers of the failure to achieve ambitions related to reducing their impact on climate change

• adverse consequences of employee, director, or third-party fraud or non‑compliance with codes of conduct or with laws or regulations

• federal regulation of electric sales, including periodic re‑examination by federal regulators of CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ market-based sales authorizations

• any event, change, development, occurrence, or circumstance that could impact the 2021 IRP filing or give rise to the termination of the associated purchase agreements, including any action by a regulatory authority or other third party to prohibit, delay, impair, or deny approval for or consent to the 2021 IRP or the consummation of the proposed acquisitions

• the availability, cost, coverage, and terms of insurance, the stability of insurance providers, and the ability of Consumers to recover the costs of any insurance from customers

• the effectiveness of CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ risk management policies, procedures, and strategies, including strategies to hedge risk related to interest rates and future prices of electricity, natural gas, and other energy-related commodities

• factors affecting development of electric generation projects, gas transmission, gas and electric distribution infrastructure replacement, conversion, and expansion projects, including factors related to project site identification, construction material pricing, schedule delays, availability of qualified construction personnel, permitting, acquisition of property rights, and government approvals

• potential disruption to, interruption of, or other impacts on facilities, utility infrastructure, operations, or backup systems due to accidents, explosions, physical disasters, global pandemics, cyber incidents, civil unrest, vandalism, war, or terrorism, and the ability to obtain or maintain insurance coverage for these events

• changes or disruption in fuel supply, including but not limited to supplier bankruptcy and delivery disruptions

• potential costs, lost revenues, reputational harm, or other consequences resulting from misappropriation of assets or sensitive information, corruption of data, or operational disruption in connection with a cyber attack or other cyber incident

• potential disruption to, interruption or failure of, or other impacts on information technology backup or disaster recovery systems

• technological developments in energy production, storage, delivery, usage, and metering

• the ability to implement technology successfully

• the impact of CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ integrated business software system and its effects on their operations, including utility customer billing and collections

• adverse consequences resulting from any past, present, or future assertion of indemnity or warranty claims associated with assets and businesses previously owned by CMS Energy or Consumers, including claims resulting from attempts by foreign or domestic governments to assess taxes on or to impose environmental liability associated with past operations or transactions

• the outcome, cost, and other effects of any legal or administrative claims, proceedings, investigations, or settlements

• the reputational impact on CMS Energy and Consumers of operational incidents, violations of corporate policies, regulatory violations, inappropriate use of social media, and other events

• restrictions imposed by various financing arrangements and regulatory requirements on the ability of Consumers and other subsidiaries of CMS Energy to transfer funds to CMS Energy in the form of cash dividends, loans, or advances

• earnings volatility resulting from the application of fair value accounting to certain energy commodity contracts or interest rate contracts

• changes in financial or regulatory accounting principles or policies (e.g., the adoption of the hypothetical liquidation at book value method of accounting for certain non-regulated renewable energy projects)

• other matters that may be disclosed from time to time in CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ SEC filings, or in other public documents

All forward-looking statements should be considered in the context of the risk and other factors described above and as detailed from time to time in CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ SEC filings. For additional details regarding these and other uncertainties, see Part I—Item 1. Financial Statements—MD&A—Outlook and Notes to the Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 1, Regulatory Matters and Note 2, Contingencies and Commitments; and Part II—Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Part I—Financial Information

Index to Financial Statements

CMS Energy Corporation

Consumers Energy Company

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

This MD&A is a combined report of CMS Energy and Consumers.

Executive Overview

CMS Energy is an energy company operating primarily in Michigan. It is the parent holding company of several subsidiaries, including Consumers, an electric and gas utility; and CMS Enterprises, primarily a domestic independent power producer and marketer. CMS Energy was also the parent holding company of EnerBank, an industrial bank located in Utah, until October 1, 2021 when EnerBank was merged with Regions Bank as described below. Consumers’ electric utility operations include the generation, purchase, distribution, and sale of electricity, and Consumers’ gas utility operations include the purchase, transmission, storage, distribution, and sale of natural gas. Consumers’ customer base consists of a mix of primarily residential, commercial, and diversified industrial customers. CMS Enterprises, through its subsidiaries and equity investments, is engaged in domestic independent power production, including the development and operation of renewable generation, and the marketing of independent power production. EnerBank provides primarily unsecured, fixed-rate installment loans throughout the U.S. to finance home improvements.

In June 2021, CMS Energy entered into an agreement for EnerBank to merge with Regions Bank. The merger was completed on October 1, 2021. CMS Energy received proceeds of approximately $1.0 billion from the transaction and expects to recognize a pre-tax gain of approximately $660 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, both of which may be impacted by customary post-closing adjustments. CMS Energy intends to use the proceeds from the merger to fund key initiatives in its core energy business related to safety, reliability, and its clean energy transformation.

CMS Energy and Consumers manage their businesses by the nature of services each provides. CMS Energy operates principally in three business segments: electric utility; gas utility; and enterprises, its non‑utility operations and investments. EnerBank is not included in the composition of CMS Energy’s reportable segments. EnerBank’s results of operations are presented as income from discontinued operations as a result of the merger described above. Consumers operates principally in two business segments: electric utility and gas utility. CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ businesses are affected primarily by:

• regulation and regulatory matters

• state and federal legislation

• economic conditions

• weather

• energy commodity prices

• interest rates

• their securities’ credit ratings

The Triple Bottom Line

CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ purpose is to achieve world class performance while delivering hometown service. In support of this purpose, the companies employ the “CE Way,” a lean operating model designed to improve safety, quality, cost, delivery, and employee morale.

CMS Energy and Consumers measure their progress toward the purpose by considering their impac

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There have been no material changes to market risk as previously disclosed in Part II—Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk, in the 2020 Form 10‑K.

CMS Energy

Disclosure Controls and Procedures: CMS Energy’s management, with the participation of its CEO and CFO, has evaluated the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a‑15(e) and 15d‑15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on such evaluation, CMS Energy’s CEO and CFO have concluded that, as of the end of such period, its disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

Internal Control Over Financial Reporting: There have not been any changes in CMS Energy’s internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a‑15(f) and 15d‑15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to affect materially, its internal control over financial reporting.

Consumers

Disclosure Controls and Procedures: Consumers’ management, with the participation of its CEO and CFO, has evaluated the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a‑15(e) and 15d‑15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on such evaluation, Consumers’ CEO and CFO have concluded that, as of the end of such period, its disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

Internal Control Over Financial Reporting: There have not been any changes in Consumers’ internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a‑15(f) and 15d‑15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to affect materially, its internal control over financial reporting.

Part II—Other Information

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

CMS Energy, Consumers, and certain of their affiliates are parties to various lawsuits and regulatory matters in the ordinary course of business. For information regarding material legal proceedings, including updates to information reported under Part I—Item 3. Legal Proceedings, of the 2020 Form 10‑K, see Part I—Item 1. Financial Statements—Notes to the Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 1, Regulatory Matters and Note 2, Contingencies and Commitments.

The following risk factor is in addition to the risk factors included in Part I—Item 1A. Risk Factors in the 2020 Form 10-K. Actual results in future periods for CMS Energy and Consumers could differ materially from historical results and the forward-looking statements contained in this report. Factors that might cause or contribute to these differences include those discussed in the following sections and in Part I—Item 1A. Risk Factors in the 2020 Form 10-K. CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ businesses are influenced by many factors that are difficult to predict, that involve uncertainties that may materially affect results, and that are often beyond their control. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known or that management believes to be immaterial may also adversely affect CMS Energy or Consumers. The risk factor, as well as the other information included in this report and in other documents filed with the SEC, should be considered carefully before making an investment in securities of CMS Energy or Consumers. Risk factors of Consumers are also risk factors of CMS Energy.

CMS Energy and Consumers have announced an ambitious plan to reduce their impact on climate change. Achieving this plan depends on numerous factors, many of which are outside of their control.

Consumers has announced a long-term strategy for delivering clean, reliable, resilient, and affordable energy, including a plan to end coal use in 2025 as set forth in the 2021 IRP. The MPSC, FERC, other regulatory authorities, or other third parties may prohibit, delay, impair, or deny approval or consent of the 2021 IRP and some or all of the 2021 IRP-associated natural gas-fueled plant acquisitions, or deny reasonable rate recovery of the undepreciated plant balances associated with the retirement of coal-fueled plants necessary to proceed with the 2021 IRP. Consumers may be unable to acquire, site, and/or permit some or all of the generation capacity proposed in the 2021 IRP. Consumers’ ability to implement the 2021 IRP may be affected by global supply chain disruptions. Changes in the cost, availability, and supply of generation capacity may affect the 2021 IRP. Advancements in technology related to items such as battery storage and electric vehicles may not become commercially available or economically feasible as projected in the 2021 IRP. Customer programs such as energy efficiency and demand response may not realize the projected levels of customer participation. CMS Energy and Consumers could suffer financial loss, reputational damage, or other negative repercussions if they are unable to achieve their ambitious plan.

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities

None.

Issuer Repurchases of Equity Securities

Presented in the following table are CMS Energy’s repurchases of common stock for the three months ended September 30, 2021:

1All of the common shares were repurchased to satisfy the minimum statutory income tax withholding obligation for common shares that have vested under the Performance Incentive Stock Plan. The value of shares repurchased is based on the market price on the vesting date.

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities

None.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

None.

CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ Exhibit Index

The agreements included as exhibits to this Form 10-Q filing are included solely to provide information regarding the terms of the agreements and are not intended to provide any other factual or disclosure information about CMS Energy, Consumers, or other parties to the agreements. The agreements may contain representations and warranties made by each of the parties to each of the agreements that were made exclusively for the benefit of the parties involved in each of the agreements and should not be treated as statements of fact. The representations and warranties were made as a way to allocate risk if one or more of those statements prove to be incorrect. The statements were qualified by disclosures of the parties to each of the agreements that may not be reflected in each of the agreements. The agreements may apply standards of materiality that are different than standards applied to other investors. Additionally, the statements were made as of the date of the agreements or as specified in the agreements and have not been updated. The representations and warranties may not describe the actual state of affairs of the parties to each agreement.

Additional information about CMS Energy and Consumers may be found in this filing, at www.cmsenergy.com, at www.consumersenergy.com, and through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

1 Obligations of CMS Energy or its subsidiaries, but not of Consumers.

Signatures

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. The signature for each undersigned company shall be deemed to relate only to matters having reference to such company or its subsidiary.