GOODWILL
Liquids
Pipelines
Gas
Transmission and Midstream
Gas
Distribution and Storage
Renewable Power GenerationEnergy
Services
Consolidated
(millions of Canadian dollars)
Balance at January 1, 2022
8,041 19,335 5,397 — 32,775 
Impairment— (2,465)— — — (2,465)
Foreign exchange and other506 1,236 — (4)— 1,738 
Acquisition3
— — — 392 — 392 
Balance at December 31, 20221,2
8,547 18,106 5,397 388 32,440 
Foreign exchange and other(205)(425) (8) (638)
Acquisition4
 46    46 
Balance at December 31, 20231,2
8,342 17,727 5,397 380 2 31,848 
1Gross goodwill as at December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $35.9 billion and $36.5 billion, respectively.
2Accumulated impairment as at December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $4.1 billion.
3In 2022, we recorded $392 million of goodwill related to the acquisition of TGE. Refer to Note 8 - Acquisitions and Dispositions.
4In 2023, we recorded $46 million of goodwill related to the acquisition of Aitken Creek. Refer to Note 8 - Acquisitions and Dispositions.
IMPAIRMENT
Gas Transmission
During the year ended December 31, 2022, we recorded goodwill impairment of $2.5 billion related to our Gas Transmission reporting unit. The fair value of the reporting unit, determined using a combination of discounted cash flow and earnings multiples techniques, was impacted by a rise in cost of capital and lower projected long term growth rates for our existing assets. No impairment was recorded for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2023Feb 9, 2024Showing above
2022Feb 10, 2023
2021Feb 11, 2022
2020Feb 12, 2021
2019Feb 14, 2020
2018Feb 15, 2019
2017Feb 16, 2018

About Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosures

Goodwill and intangible asset disclosures reveal the premium paid in acquisitions and how management assesses whether that premium retains its value. Since goodwill is no longer amortized under US GAAP, the annual impairment test is the only mechanism that adjusts carrying values downward — making the assumptions behind that test critically important for investors.

Key signals: a history of goodwill impairments suggests management consistently overpays for acquisitions. Watch the gap between reporting unit fair value and carrying amount — when fair value exceeds carrying amount by less than 10-20%, a small decline in business performance could trigger a write-down. For finite-lived intangibles, examine useful life assumptions across customer relationships, technology, and trade names; aggressive estimates inflate near-term earnings. Compare total intangibles-to-total-assets ratios against peers to assess acquisition dependency. Rising goodwill as a percentage of equity can signal balance sheet fragility.