Organization and Basis of Presentation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Text Block [Abstract]

Organization and Basis of Presentation

ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Chesapeake Utilities, incorporated in 1947 in Delaware, is a diversified energy company engaged in regulated and unregulated energy businesses.

Our regulated energy businesses consist of: (a) regulated natural gas distribution operations in central and southern Delaware, Maryland’s eastern shore and Florida; (b) regulated natural gas transmission operations on the Delmarva Peninsula, in Pennsylvania and in Florida; and (c) regulated electric distribution operations serving customers in northeast and northwest Florida.

Our unregulated energy businesses primarily include: (a) propane operations in the Mid-Atlantic region and Florida; (b) our unregulated natural gas transmission/supply operation in central and eastern Ohio; (c) our CHP plant in Florida that generates electricity and steam; and (d) our subsidiary, based in Florida, that provides CNG, LNG and RNG transportation and pipeline solutions, primarily to utilities and pipelines throughout the eastern United States.

Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Chesapeake Utilities and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. We do not have any ownership interest in investments accounted for using the equity method or any interest in a variable interest entity. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. We have assessed and, if applicable, reported on subsequent events through the date of issuance of these consolidated financial statements. Where necessary to improve comparability, prior period amounts have been changed to conform to current period presentation.

Beginning in the third quarter of 2019, our management began executing a strategy to sell the operating assets of PESCO. In the fourth quarter of 2019, we closed on four separate transactions to sell PESCO's assets and contracts. As a result of these sales, we have fully exited the natural gas marketing business. Accordingly, PESCO’s historical financial results are reflected in our consolidated financial statements as discontinued operations, which required retrospective application to financial information for all periods presented. Refer to Note 4, Acquisitions and Divestitures for further information.

Covid-19 Effects

Effects of COVID-19

On March 13, 2020, the CDC declared a national emergency due to the rapidly growing outbreak of COVID-19. In response to this declaration and the rapid spread of COVID-19 within the United States, federal, state and local governments throughout the country imposed varying degrees of restrictions on social and commercial activity to promote social distancing in an effort to slow the spread of the illness. These restrictions have continued to significantly impact economic conditions in the United States. We are considered an “essential business,” which allows us to continue our operational activities and construction projects while the social distancing restrictions remain in place. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions, we implemented our pandemic response plan, which includes having all employees who can work remotely do so in order to promote social distancing and providing personal protective equipment to field employees to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Impacts from the restrictions imposed in our service territories and the implementation of our pandemic response plan, included reduced consumption of energy largely in the commercial and industrial sectors, higher bad debt expenses and incremental expenses associated with COVID-19, including personal protective equipment and premium pay for field personnel. The additional operating expenses we incurred support the ongoing delivery of our essential services during these unprecedented times. In the fourth quarter of 2020, we established regulatory assets, as currently authorized by the Delaware, Maryland and Florida PSCs, associated with the incremental expenses incurred by our natural gas and electric distribution businesses as a result of the pandemic. We are continuing to provide timely updates, monitor developments affecting our employees, customers, suppliers and stockholders, and take the necessary precautions to operate safely and comply with the CDC, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, state and local requirements. Refer to Note 19, Rates and Other Regulatory Activities, for further information on the regulated assets established as a result of the incremental expenses associated with COVID-19.