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Rates and Other Regulatory Activities
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
Regulated Operations [Abstract]  
Public Utilities Disclosure [Text Block] Rates and Other Regulatory Activities
Our natural gas and electric distribution operations in Delaware, Maryland and Florida are subject to regulation by their respective PSC; Eastern Shore, our natural gas transmission subsidiary, is subject to regulation by the FERC; and Peninsula Pipeline and Aspire Energy Express, our intrastate pipeline subsidiaries, are subject to regulation (excluding cost of service) by the Florida PSC and Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, respectively.

Delaware

There were no material regulatory activities during the first quarter of 2021.

Maryland

Strategic Infrastructure Development and Enhancement (“STRIDE”) plan: In March 2021, Elkton Gas filed with the Maryland PSC a strategic infrastructure development and enhancement plan. The STRIDE plan proposes to increase the speed of Elkton Gas' Aldyl-A pipeline replacement program and to recover the costs of the plan through a
proposed 5-year surcharge. Under Elkton Gas’ proposed STRIDE plan, the Aldyl-A pipelines would be replaced by 2023. The procedural schedule for the case is underway, with hearings scheduled for June 2021.

Florida

Hurricane Michael: In October 2018, Hurricane Michael passed through FPU's electric distribution operation's service territory in Northwest Florida and caused widespread and severe damage to FPU's infrastructure resulting in the loss of electric service to 100 percent of its customers in the Northwest Florida service territory.

In August 2019, FPU filed a limited proceeding requesting recovery of storm-related costs associated with Hurricane Michael (capital and expenses) through a change in base rates. FPU also requested treatment and recovery of certain storm-related costs as regulatory assets for items currently not allowed to be recovered through the storm reserve as well as the recovery of capital replaced as a result of the storm. Recovery of these costs includes a component of an overall return on capital additions and regulatory assets. In March 2020, we filed an update to our original filing to account for actual charges incurred through December 2019, revised the amortization period of the storm-related costs from 30 years as originally requested to 10 years, and included costs related to Hurricane Dorian of approximately $1.2 million in this filing.

In late 2019, the Florida PSC approved an interim rate increase, subject to refund, effective January 1, 2020, associated with the restoration effort following Hurricane Michael. We fully reserved these interim rates, pending a final resolution and settlement of the limited proceeding. In September 2020, the Florida PSC approved a settlement agreement between FPU and the Office of the Public Counsel regarding final cost recovery and rates associated with Hurricane Michael. The settlement agreement allowed us to: (a) refund the over-collection of interim rates through the fuel clause; (b) record regulatory assets for storm costs in the amount of $45.8 million including interest which will be amortized over six years; (c) recover these storm costs through a surcharge for a total of $7.7 million annually; and (d) collect an annual increase in revenue of $3.3 million to recover capital costs associated with new plant and a regulatory asset for cost of removal and undepreciated plant. The new base rates and storm surcharge were effective on November 1, 2020.

Electric Depreciation Study: In September 2019, FPU filed a petition, with the Florida PSC, for approval of its consolidated electric depreciation rates. The petition was joined to the Hurricane Michael docket, and was approved at the Florida PSC Agenda in September 2020. The approved rates were retroactively applied effective January 1, 2020.

West Palm Beach Expansion Project: In June 2019, Peninsula Pipeline filed with the Florida PSC for approval of its Transportation Service Agreement with FPU. Peninsula Pipeline will construct several new interconnection points and pipeline expansions in Palm Beach County, Florida, which will enable FPU to serve an industrial research park and several new residential developments. Peninsula Pipeline will provide transportation service to FPU, increasing reliability, system pressure as well as introducing diversity in fuel source for natural gas to serve the increased demand in these areas. The petition was approved by the Florida PSC at the August 6, 2019 Agenda. Interim services began in the fourth quarter of 2019. We expect to complete the remainder of the project in phases through the third quarter of 2021.

Eastern Shore

Del-Mar Energy Pathway Project: In December 2019, the FERC issued an order approving the construction of the Del-Mar Energy Pathway project. The order approved the construction and operation of new facilities that will provide an additional 14,300 Dts/d of firm service to four customers. Facilities to be constructed include six miles of pipeline looping in Delaware; 13 miles of new mainline extension in Sussex County, Delaware and Wicomico and Somerset Counties in Maryland; and new pressure control and delivery stations in these counties. The benefits of this project include: (i) additional natural gas transmission pipeline infrastructure in eastern Sussex County, Delaware, and (ii) extension of Eastern Shore’s pipeline system, for the first time, into Somerset County, Maryland. Construction on the project began in January 2020, and Eastern Shore anticipates that this project will be fully in-service by the end of 2021.

COVID-19 Impact

We are monitoring the global outbreak of COVID-19 and taking steps to mitigate the potential risks posed by its spread. At this time, we have begun to see some early indications of these restrictions lifting. We provide an “essential
service” to our customers, which means that it is paramount that we keep our employees who operate our business safe and informed. We have taken and are continuously monitoring and updating precautions and protocols to ensure the safety of our employees and customers. As an “essential business” we are allowed to continue operational activity and construction projects with appropriate safety precautions, personal protective equipment and social distancing restrictions in place. We are working with our suppliers to understand the potential impacts to our supply chain; if material negative impacts are identified, we will work to mitigate them. This is a continuously evolving situation, and has led to extended disruption of economic activity in our markets. We will continue to monitor developments affecting our employees, customers, suppliers and shareholders, and will take additional precautions as warranted to comply with the CDC, state and local requirements and recommendations to protect our employees, customers and the communities we serve.

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 April 2020, the Maryland PSC issued an order that authorized utilities to establish a regulatory asset to record prudently incurred incremental costs related to COVID-19, beginning on March 16, 2020. The Maryland PSC found that the creation of a regulatory asset for COVID-19 related expenses will facilitate the recovery of those costs prudently incurred to serve customers during this period, and that the deferral of such costs is appropriate because the current catastrophic health emergency is outside the control of the utility and is a non-recurring event.

In May 2020, the Delaware PSC issued an order that authorized Delaware utilities to establish a regulatory asset to record COVID-19 related incremental costs incurred to ensure customers have essential utility services, for the period beginning on March 24, 2020 and ending 30 days after the state of emergency ends. At the present time, the state of emergency has not ended. The creation of the regulatory asset for COVID-19 related costs offers utilities the ability to seek recovery of those costs.

In October 2020, the Florida PSC approved a joint petition of our natural gas and electric distribution utilities in Florida to establish regulatory asset to record incremental expenses incurred due to COVID-19. This regulatory asset will allow us to seek recovery of these costs in our next base rate proceeding. On November 16, 2020, the Office of Public Counsel filed a protest to the order approving the establishment of this regulatory asset, contending that the order should be a reversed or modified and to request a hearing on the protest. The hearing date has been scheduled for June 16, 2021.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, we began recording regulatory assets based on the net incremental expense resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic for our natural gas distribution and electric businesses as currently authorized by the Delaware and Maryland PSCs and as initially authorized by the Florida PSC.
    Summary TCJA Table
Customer rates for our regulated businesses were adjusted as approved by the regulators, prior to 2020 with the exception of Elkton Gas, which implemented a one-time bill credit in May 2020. The following table summarizes the regulatory liabilities related to accumulated deferred taxes ("ADIT") associated with TCJA for our regulated businesses as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020:

Amount (in thousands)
Operation and Regulatory JurisdictionMarch 31, 2021December 31, 2020Status
Eastern Shore (FERC)$34,190$34,190Will be addressed in Eastern Shore's next rate case filing.
Delaware Division (Delaware PSC)$12,694$12,728PSC approved amortization of ADIT in January 2019.
Maryland Division (Maryland PSC)$3,938$3,970PSC approved amortization of ADIT in May 2018.
Sandpiper Energy (Maryland PSC)$3,699$3,713PSC approved amortization of ADIT in May 2018.
Chesapeake Florida Gas Division/Central Florida Gas (Florida PSC)$8,146$8,184PSC issued order authorizing amortization and retention of net ADIT liability by the Company in February 2019.
FPU Natural Gas (excludes Fort Meade and Indiantown) (Florida PSC)$19,166$19,257Same treatment on a net basis as Chesapeake Florida Gas Division (above).
FPU Fort Meade and Indiantown Divisions$306$309Same treatment on a net basis as Chesapeake Florida Gas Division (above).
FPU Electric (Florida PSC)$6,631$6,694In January 2019, PSC issued order approving amortization of ADIT through purchased power cost recovery, storm reserve and rates.
Elkton Gas (Maryland PSC)$1,124$1,124PSC approved amortization of ADIT in March 2018.