Cheniere Energy, Inc. Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Recent Accounting Standards

Description

Expected Date of Adoption

Effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements or Other Significant Matters

ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), and subsequent amendments thereto

This standard requires a lessee to recognize leases on its balance sheet by recording a lease liability representing the obligation to make future lease payments and a right-of-use asset representing the right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. A lessee is permitted to make an election not to recognize lease assets and liabilities for leases with a term of 12 months or less. The standard also modifies the definition of a lease and requires expanded disclosures. This guidance may be early adopted, and may be adopted using either a modified retrospective approach to apply the standard at the beginning of the earliest period presented in the financial statements or an optional transition approach to apply the standard at the date of adoption with no retrospective adjustments to prior periods. Certain additional practical expedients are also available.

January 1, 2019

We will adopt this standard on January 1, 2019 using the optional transition approach to apply the standard at the beginning of the first quarter of 2019 with no retrospective adjustments to prior periods. The adoption of the standard will result in the recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for operating leases of approximately $550 million on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, with no material impact on our Consolidated Statements of Operations or Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The adoption of this standard will also result in additional disclosures including the significant judgments and assumptions used in applying the standard. When we adopt this standard we will elect the practical expedients to (1) carryforward prior conclusions related to lease identification and classification for existing leases, (2) combine lease and non-lease components of an arrangement for all classes of leased assets, (3) omit short-term leases with a term of 12 months or less from recognition on the balance sheet and (4) carryforward our existing accounting for land easements not previously accounted for as leases.

Recent Accounting Standards

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]

RECENT ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

The following table provides a brief description of a recent accounting standard that had not been adopted by us as of December 31, 2018:

Additionally, the following table provides a brief description of recent accounting standards that were adopted by us during the reporting period:



Standard	Description	Date of Adoption	Effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements or Other Significant Matters
ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), and subsequent amendments thereto	This standard provides a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model which replaces and supersedes most existing revenue recognition guidance and requires an entity to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The standard requires that the costs to obtain and fulfill contracts with customers should be recognized as assets and amortized to match the pattern of transfer of goods or services to the customer if expected to be recoverable. The standard also requires enhanced disclosures. This guidance may be adopted either retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented subject to allowable practical expedients (“full retrospective approach”) or as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption (“modified retrospective approach”).	January 1, 2018	We adopted this guidance on January 1, 2018, using the full retrospective method. The adoption of this guidance represents a change in accounting principle that will provide financial statement readers with enhanced disclosures regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The adoption of this guidance did not impact our previously reported Consolidated Financial Statements in any prior period nor did it result in a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings. See Note 13—Revenues from Contracts with Customers for additional disclosures.
ASU 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory	This standard requires the immediate recognition of the tax consequences of intercompany asset transfers other than inventory. This guidance may be early adopted, but only at the beginning of an annual period, and must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach.	January 1, 2018	The adoption of this guidance did not have an impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements or related disclosures.