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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

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

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2015

or

o 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:  001-35358

TC PipeLines, LP

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

877-290-2772

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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.

Yes x                    No o

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).

Yes x                    No o

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.

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

Yes o                    No x

As of November 2, 2015, there were 64,179,181 of the registrant’s common units outstanding.

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TC PIPELINES, LP

All amounts are stated in United States dollars unless otherwise indicated.

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DEFINITIONS

The abbreviations, acronyms, and industry terminology used in this quarterly report are defined as follows:

Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, TC PipeLines, LP and its subsidiaries are collectively referred to in this quarterly report as “we,” “us,” “our” and “the Partnership.” We use “our pipeline systems” and “our pipelines” when referring to the Partnership’s ownership interests in Gas Transmission Northwest LLC (GTN), Northern Border Pipeline Company (Northern Border), Bison Pipeline LLC (Bison), Great Lakes Gas Transmission Limited

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Partnership (Great Lakes), North Baja Pipeline, LLC (North Baja) and Tuscarora Gas Transmission Company (Tuscarora).

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PART I

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This report includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning 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 identified by words and phrases such as: “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “forecast,” “should,” “predict,” “could,” “will,” “may,” and other terms and expressions of similar meaning. The absence of these words, however, does not mean that the statements are not forward-looking. These statements are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions and on currently available information and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding anticipated financial performance, future capital expenditures, liquidity, market or competitive conditions, regulations, organic or strategic growth opportunities, contract renewals and ability to market open capacity, business prospects, outcome of regulatory proceedings and cash distributions to unitholders.

Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from the results predicted. Factors that could cause actual results and our financial condition to differ materially from those contemplated in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

·                                 the ability of our pipeline systems to sell available capacity on favorable terms and renew expiring contracts which are affected by, among other factors:

o                 demand for natural gas;

o                 changes in relative cost structures and production levels of natural gas producing basins;

o                 natural gas prices and regional differences;

o                 weather conditions;

o                 availability and location of natural gas supplies in Canada and the United States (U.S.) in relation to our pipeline systems;

o                 competition from other pipeline systems;

o                 natural gas storage levels; and

o                 rates and terms of service;

·                                 the performance by the shippers of their contractual obligations on our pipeline systems;

·                                 the outcome and frequency of rate proceedings or settlement negotiations on our pipeline systems;

·                                 changes in the taxation of master limited partnerships by state or federal governments such as final adoption of proposed regulations narrowing the sources of income qualifying for partnership tax treatment or the elimination of pass-through taxation or tax deferred distributions;

·                                 increases in operational or compliance costs resulting from changes in laws and governmental regulations affecting our pipeline systems, particularly regulations issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT);

·                                 the impact of recent significant declines in oil and natural gas prices, including the effects on the creditworthiness of our shippers;

·                                 our ongoing ability to grow distributions through acquisitions, accretive expansions or other growth opportunities, including the timing, structure and closure of further potential acquisitions;

·                                 potential conflicts of interest between TC PipeLines GP, Inc., our general partner (General Partner), TransCanada and us;

·                                 the ability to maintain secure operation of our information technology;

·                                 the impact of any impairment charges;

·                                 cybersecurity threats, acts of terrorism and related disruptions;

·                                 operating hazards, casualty losses and other matters beyond our control; and

·                                 the level of our indebtedness, including the indebtedness of our pipeline systems, and the availability of capital.

These are not the only factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement. Other factors described elsewhere in this document, or factors that are unknown or unpredictable, could also have material adverse effects on future results. These and other risks are described in greater detail in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. All

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forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. All forward-looking statements are made only as of the date made and except as required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or other changes.

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PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1.          Financial Statements

TC PIPELINES, LP

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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TC PIPELINES, LP

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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TC PIPELINES, LP

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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TC PIPELINES, LP

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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TC PIPELINES, LP

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN PARTNERS’ EQUITY

(a)              Losses related to cash flow hedges reported in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss and expected to be reclassified to Net Income in the next 12 months are estimated to be $1 million. These estimates assume constant interest rates over time; however, the amounts reclassified will vary based on actual value of interest rates at the date of settlement.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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TC PIPELINES, LP

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTE 1        ORGANIZATION

TC PipeLines, LP and its subsidiaries are collectively referred to herein as the Partnership. The Partnership was formed by TransCanada PipeLines Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TransCanada Corporation (TransCanada Corporation together with its subsidiaries collectively referred to herein as TransCanada), to acquire, own and participate in the management of energy infrastructure assets in North America.

NOTE 2        SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The accompanying financial statements and related notes have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and amounts are stated in U.S. dollars. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full fiscal year. The accompanying financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. That report contains a more comprehensive summary of the Partnership’s significant accounting policies. In the opinion of management, the accompanying financial statements contain all of the appropriate adjustments, all of which are normally recurring adjustments unless otherwise noted, and considered necessary to present fairly the financial position of the Partnership, the results of operations and cash flows for the respective periods. Our significant accounting policies are consistent with those disclosed in Note 2 of the financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. Certain items from that Note are repeated or updated below as necessary to assist in understanding the accompanying financial statements.

(a) Basis of Presentation

The Partnership accounts for business acquisitions between itself and TransCanada and its affiliates as transactions between entities under common control. Using this approach, the assets and liabilities of the acquired entities are recorded at TransCanada’s carrying value. In the event recasting is required, the Partnership’s historical financial information will be recast, except net income per common unit, to include the acquired entities for all periods presented. If the fair market value paid for the acquired entities is greater than the recorded net assets of the acquired entities, the excess purchase price paid is recorded as a reduction in Partners’ Equity. Similarly, if the fair market value paid for the acquired entities is less than the recorded net assets of the acquired entities, the excess of assets acquired is recorded as an increase in Partners’ Equity.

The Partnership consolidates its investments in GTN, Bison, North Baja and Tuscarora, over which it is able to exercise control. To the extent there are interests owned by other parties, these interests are included in non-controlling interests. The Partnership uses the equity method of accounting for its investments in Northern Border and Great Lakes, over which it is able to exercise significant influence.

(b) Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Although management believes these estimates are reasonable, actual results could differ from these estimates.

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NOTE 3        ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

Revenue from contracts with customers

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606).” This guidance supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition and most industry-specific guidance. This new guidance requires that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. On July 9, 2015, the FASB voted to defer the effective date by one year to December 15, 2017 for annual reporting periods beginning after that date. The FASB also voted to permit early adoption of the standard, but not before the original effective date of December 15, 2016. This new guidance, once effective, allows two methods in which the amendment can be applied: (1) retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented, or (2) retrospectively with the cumulative effect recognized at the date of initial application. The Partnership is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU and has not yet determined the effect on its consolidated financial statements.

Consolidation

In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-02 “Consolidation (Topic 810),” an amendment of previously issued guidance on consolidation. This updated guidance requires that an entity evaluate whether it should consolidate certain legal entities. All legal entities are subject to reevaluation under the revised consolidation model. This guidance is effective from January 1, 2016 and early application is permitted. Application of this amendment could be performed using a modified retrospective approach by recording a cumulative-effect adjustment to equity as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. Alternatively, the amendment could be applied retrospectively. The Partnership is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU and has not yet determined the effect on its consolidated financial statements.

Imputation of interest

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03 “Interest – Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30),” an amendment of previously issued guidance on imputation of interest. This updated guidance requires debt issuance costs be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of debt liabilities, consistent with debt discount or premiums. The recognition and measurement for debt issuance costs would not be affected. This guidance is effective from January 1, 2016 and early application is permitted. This guidance should be adopted on a retrospective basis, wherein the balance sheet of each individual period presented would be adjusted to reflect the period-specific effects of applying the new guidance. The application of this amendment will result in a reclassification of debt issuance costs currently recorded in Other Assets to an offset of their respective debt liabilities.

Earnings Per Share

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No.2015-06 “Earnings Per Share (Topic 260),” an amendment of previously issued guidance on earnings per share (EPS) as it is being calculated by master limited partnerships. This updated guidance specifies that for purposes of calculating historical EPS under the two-class method, the earnings (losses) of a transferred business before the date of a dropdown transaction should be allocated entirely to the general partner interest, and previously reported EPS of the limited partners would not change as a result of a dropdown transaction. Qualitative disclosures about how the rights to the earnings (losses) differ before and after the dropdown transaction occurs are also required. This guidance is effective from January 1, 2016 and early application is permitted. This guidance should be adopted on a retrospective basis to all financial statements presented. The Partnership is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU and has not yet determined the effect on its consolidated financial statements.

Business Combinations

In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-16 “Business Combinations (Topic 805),” which replaces the requirement that an acquirer in a business combination account for measurement period adjustments retrospectively with a requirement that an acquirer recognize adjustments to the provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. The amended guidance

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requires that the acquirer record, in the same period’s financial statements, the effect on earnings of changes in depreciation, amortization, or other income effects, if any, as a result of the change to the provisional amounts, calculated as if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. The new guidance is effective January 1, 2016 and will be applied prospectively.

NOTE 4        INVESTMENTS IN UNCONSOLIDATED AFFILIATES

Northern Border and Great Lakes are regulated by FERC and are operated by TransCanada. The Partnership uses the equity method of accounting for its interests in its equity investees.

(a)             Equity earnings from Northern Border is net of the 12-year amortization of a $10 million transaction fee paid to the operator of Northern Border at the time of the Partnership’s additional 20 percent interest acquisition in April 2006.

Northern Border

The Partnership does not have undistributed earnings from Northern Border for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014.

The summarized financial information for Northern Border is as follows:

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Great Lakes

The Partnership made an equity contribution to Great Lakes of $4 million in the first quarter of 2015. This amount represents the Partnership’s 46.45 percent share of a $9 million cash call from Great Lakes to make a scheduled debt repayment.

The Partnership does not have undistributed earnings from Great Lakes for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014.

The summarized financial information for Great Lakes is as follows: