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<!--DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd" --> <!-- Begin Block Tagged Note 7 - us-gaap:ScheduleOfVariableInterestEntitiesTextBlock--> <div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; margin-left: 0in; "> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt"><b>7. Variable Interest Entities</b> </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-indent: 4%">On January 1, 2010 we adopted amended accounting guidance relating to VIEs. This amended guidance significantly changed the consolidation model for VIEs. Under the prior guidance the consolidation model considered risk absorption using a quantitative approach when determining the primary beneficiary. The consolidation model under the new guidance requires a qualitative assessment and focuses on the power to direct activities of the VIE when determining the primary beneficiary. As a result of applying this qualitative assessment, we have determined that APS is the primary beneficiary of certain VIEs, and is therefore required to consolidate these VIEs. Prior to adopting this new guidance, APS was not considered the primary beneficiary of these VIEs and did not consolidate these entities. We have adopted this guidance using retrospective application and have adjusted prior periods presented to reflect consolidation of the VIEs in those periods. Further discussion follows regarding the impact of the consolidation. </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt"><b>APS VIEs</b> </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-indent: 4%">In 1986, APS entered into agreements with three separate VIE lessor trusts in order to sell and lease back interests in Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station (“Palo Verde”) Unit 2 and related common facilities. The VIE lessor trusts are single-asset leasing entities. APS will pay approximately $49 million per year for the years 2010 to 2015 related to these leases. The leases do not contain fixed price purchase options or residual value guarantees. However, the lease agreements include fixed rate renewal periods which may have a significant impact on the VIEs’ economic performance. We have concluded that these fixed rate renewal periods may give APS the ability to utilize the asset for a significant portion of the asset’s economic life, and therefore provide APS with the power to direct activities of the VIEs that most significantly impact the VIEs’ economic performance. In addition to the fixed rate renewal periods, our primary beneficiary analysis also considered that we are the operating agent for Palo Verde, are obligated to decommission the leased assets and have fair value purchase options. </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-indent: 4%">Under the previous quantitative VIE consolidation model, APS was not considered the primary beneficiary of the lessor trusts, as APS did not absorb the majority of the entities’ expected losses or did not receive a majority of the residual returns. The arrangements were previously accounted for as operating leases. </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-indent: 4%">Consolidation of these VIEs eliminates the lease accounting we previously reported and results in changes in our consolidated assets, debt, equity, and net income. Assets of the VIEs are restricted and may only be used to settle the VIEs’ debt obligations and for payment to the noncontrolling interest holders. The creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to the assets of APS or Pinnacle West. As a result of consolidation we have eliminated rent expense, and have recognized depreciation and interest expense, resulting in an increase in net income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010 of $5 million and of $10 million, respectively, entirely attributable to the noncontrolling interests. Income attributable to Pinnacle West shareholders remains the same. Consolidation of these VIEs also results in changes to our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, but does not impact net cash flows. </div> <!-- Folio --> <!-- /Folio --> </div> <!-- PAGEBREAK --> <div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; margin-left: 0in; "> <div align="center" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt"> <b> </b> </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-indent: 4%">Our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at June 30, 2010 include the following amounts relating to the VIEs (in millions): </div> <div align="center"> <table style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left" cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <!-- Begin Table Head --> <tr valign="bottom"> <td width="86%"> </td> <td width="3%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="9%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 10pt" valign="bottom"> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2">June 30,</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 10pt" valign="bottom"> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000">2010</td> <td> </td> </tr> <!-- End Table Head --> <!-- Begin Table Body --> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Property plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation </div></td> <td> </td> <td align="left">$</td> <td align="right">142</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Long-term debt including current maturities </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">143</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Equity- Noncontrolling interests </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">89</td> <td> </td> </tr> <!-- End Table Body --> </table> </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-indent: 4%">For regulatory ratemaking purposes the leases continue to be treated as operating leases, and as a result we have recorded a regulatory asset of $32 million as of June 30, 2010. </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-indent: 4%">APS is exposed to losses relating to these lessor trust VIEs upon the occurrence of certain events that APS does not consider to be reasonably likely to occur. Under certain circumstances (for example, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”) issuing specified violation orders with respect to Palo Verde or the occurrence of specified nuclear events), APS would be required to make specified payments to the VIEs’ noncontrolling equity participants, assume the VIEs’ debt, and take title to the leased Unit 2 interests, which, if appropriate, may be required to be written down in value. If such an event had occurred as of June 30, 2010, APS would have been required to pay the noncontrolling equity participants approximately $152 million and assume $143 million of debt. Since APS now consolidates the VIEs, the debt APS would be required to assume is already reflected in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-indent: 4%">We also have certain long-term purchased power agreements to purchase substantially all of an entity’s output from a specified facility for a specified period. We have evaluated these arrangements under the VIE accounting guidance and have determined that these agreements do not represent variable interests. If these agreements had been deemed variable interests, we would not be considered the primary beneficiary, as we do not have the power to direct the entities’ activities in a manner that would significantly impact their economic performance and, therefore, would not consolidate the entities. The adoption of the amended accounting guidance has not changed how we account for these arrangements. </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt"><b>SunCor VIEs</b> </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-indent: 4%">SunCor is the primary beneficiary of certain land development trust arrangements and, accordingly, consolidates these VIEs. We have determined that SunCor is the primary beneficiary of these VIEs because SunCor controls the activities related to the development of the land held in the trusts. Our adoption of amended VIE accounting guidance has not changed our accounting treatment of the SunCor VIEs. Our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets reflect $25 million of assets and $25 million of noncontrolling equity interests relating to these arrangements at June 30, 2010. Our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets reflect $29 million of assets and $29 million of noncontrolling equity interests related to these arrangements at December 31, 2009. The assets relating to these VIEs consist strictly of land, all of which is restricted and may only be used for payment to the noncontrolling interests. We have not provided, and are not required to provide, financing or other financial support to these entities. </div> <!-- Folio --> <!-- /Folio --> </div> <!-- PAGEBREAK --> <div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; margin-left: 0in; "> <div align="center" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt"> <b> </b> </div> </div>
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