REGULATORY MATTERS

MISO Funding Policy for Generator Interconnections

On June 18, 2015, FERC issued an order initiating a proceeding, pursuant to Section 206 of the Federal Power Act (“FPA”), to examine MISO’s funding policy for generator interconnections, which allows a transmission owner to unilaterally elect to fund network upgrades and recover such costs from the interconnection customer. In this order, FERC suggested the MISO funding policy be revised to require mutual agreement between the interconnection customer and transmission owner to utilize the election to fund network upgrades. On July 20, 2015, MISO and its transmission owners (“TOs”) filed a request for a rehearing of the FERC order to examine MISO’s funding policy for generator interconnections, which was subsequently denied by FERC on December 29, 2015. On January 8, 2016, MISO made a compliance filing to revise its funding policy to adopt the FERC suggestion to require mutual agreement between the customer and TO, with an effective date of June 24, 2015. On January 28, 2016, our MISO Regulated Operating Subsidiaries, together with several other utilities, filed a request with FERC for rehearing of certain aspects of the December 29, 2015 order. Additionally, on February 26, 2016, our MISO Regulated Operating Subsidiaries, along with Ameren Services Company, filed an appeal of certain aspects of the December 29, 2015 order. We do not expect the resolution of this proceeding to have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.

MISO Formula Rate Template Modifications Filing

On October 30, 2015, our MISO Regulated Operating Subsidiaries requested modifications, pursuant to Section 205 of the FPA, to certain aspects of their respective formula rate templates which included, among other things, changes to ensure that various income tax items are computed correctly for purposes of determining their revenue requirements. Our MISO Regulated Operating Subsidiaries requested an effective date of January 1, 2016 for the proposed template changes. On December 30, 2015, the FERC conditionally accepted the formula rate template modifications and required a further compliance filing, which was made on February 8, 2016. On April 14, 2016, the FERC issued an order accepting the February 8, 2016 compliance filing, effective January 1, 2016. The formula rate templates, prior to any proposed modifications, include certain deferred income taxes on contributions in aid of construction in rate base that resulted in the joint applicants recovering excess amounts from customers. As of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, our MISO Regulated Operating Subsidiaries had recorded an aggregate refund liability of $8.4 million and $10.4 million, respectively.

Challenges Regarding Bonus Depreciation

On December 18, 2015, Interstate Power and Light Company (“IP&L”) filed a formal challenge (“IP&L challenge”) with the FERC against ITC Midwest on certain inputs to ITC Midwest’s formula rates. The IP&L challenge alleged that ITC Midwest has unreasonably and imprudently opted out of using bonus depreciation in the calculation of its federal income tax expense and thereby unduly increased the transmission charges for transmission service for customers. On March 11, 2016, the FERC granted the IP&L challenge in part by requiring ITC Midwest to recalculate its revenue requirements, effective January 1, 2015, to simulate the election of bonus depreciation for 2015. FERC denied IP&L’s request that ITC Midwest be required to elect bonus depreciation in any past or future years; however, stakeholders will be able to challenge any decision by ITC Midwest not to take bonus depreciation in future years. ITC Midwest has filed with the FERC for rehearing of the March 11, 2016 order. On April 15, 2016, Consumers Energy Company filed a formal challenge, or in the alternative, a complaint under Section 206 of the FPA, with the FERC against METC also relating to METC’s historical practice of opting out of using bonus depreciation.

These condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the election of bonus depreciation for tax years 2015 and 2016 for our Regulated Operating Subsidiaries. Additionally, as required by the March 11, 2016 FERC order, we have simulated the election of bonus depreciation for ITC Midwest’s 2015 revenue requirement and included the impact of the corresponding refund obligation in these condensed consolidated financial statements. The total impact from reflecting the election of bonus depreciation as described above was lower revenues and net income of approximately $5.4 million and $3.2 million, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2016, as compared to the same period if bonus depreciation was not reflected. These matters also resulted in additional deferred income tax liabilities of approximately $138.7 million and a corresponding income tax receivable as of March 31, 2016. We are unable to predict the outcome of this matter; however, the election of bonus depreciation will result in higher cash flows in the year of the election and reduce our rate base and therefore our revenues and net income over the tax lives of the eligible assets.

Rate of Return on Equity Complaints

See “Rate of Return on Equity Complaints” in Note 10 for a discussion of the complaints.

Cost-Based Formula Rate Templates with True-Up Mechanism

The transmission revenue requirements at our Regulated Operating Subsidiaries are set annually, using FERC-approved formula rate templates (“formula rate templates”), and remain in effect for a one-year period. By completing their formula rate templates on an annual basis, our Regulated Operating Subsidiaries are able to make adjustments to reflect changing operational data and financial performance, including the amount of network load on their transmission systems (for our MISO Regulated Operating Subsidiaries), operating expenses and additions to property, plant and equipment when placed in service, among other items. The formula rate templates do not require further action or FERC filings each year although the template inputs remain subject to legal challenge at the FERC. Our Regulated Operating Subsidiaries will continue to use formula rate templates to calculate their respective annual revenue requirements unless the FERC determines any template to be unjust and unreasonable or another mechanism is determined by the FERC to be just and reasonable. See “Rate of Return on Equity Complaints” in Note 10 for detail on return on equity (“ROE”) matters including incentive adders approved by FERC in 2015.

Our formula rate templates include a true-up mechanism, whereby our Regulated Operating Subsidiaries compare their actual revenue requirements to their billed revenues for each year to determine any over- or under-collection of revenue requirements. Revenue is recognized for services provided during each reporting period based on actual revenue requirements calculated using the formula rate templates. Our Regulated Operating Subsidiaries accrue or defer revenues to the extent that the actual revenue requirement for the reporting period is higher or lower, respectively, than the amounts billed relating to that reporting period. The amount of accrued or deferred revenues is reflected in future revenue requirements and thus flows through to customer bills within two years under the provisions of the formula rate templates.

The net changes in regulatory assets and liabilities associated with our Regulated Operating Subsidiaries’ formula rate revenue accruals and deferrals, including accrued interest, were as follows during the three months ended March 31, 2016:



(in thousands)	Total
Net regulatory liability as of December 31, 2015	$	(2,564	)
Net refund of 2014 revenue deferrals and accruals, including accrued interest	5,594
Net revenue accrual for the three months ended March 31, 2016	11,199
Net accrued interest payable for the three months ended March 31, 2016	(212		)
Net regulatory asset as of March 31, 2016	$	14,017

Regulatory assets and liabilities associated with our Regulated Operating Subsidiaries’ formula rate revenue accruals and deferrals, including accrued interest, are recorded in the condensed consolidated statements of financial position at March 31, 2016 as follows:



(in thousands)	Total
Current assets	$	16,937
Non-current assets	34,943
Current liabilities	(29,218		)
Non-current liabilities	(8,645		)
Net regulatory asset as of March 31, 2016	$	14,017