Asset Retirement Obligations (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]

Change in Asset Retirement Obligations

The following table summarizes the change in AROs. Amounts include conditional AROs

(In thousands)		2019		2018
Balance as of January 1,	$	29,980	$	26,738
Liabilities incurred(a)		1,586		1,943
Accretion expense		1,574		1,415
Liabilities settled		(323)		(175)
Revisions in estimated cash flows(b)		(4,462)		59
Balance as of December 31,	$	28,355	$	29,980

(a)In 2019, MGE recorded an obligation of $1.5 million for the fair value of its legal liability for AROs associated with Saratoga. See Footnote 4 for additional information on Saratoga. In 2018, MGE recorded an obligation of $1.6 million for the fair value of its legal liability for AROs associated with Forward Wind. See Footnote 6 for additional information on Forward Wind.

(b)In 2019, MGE revised the AROs associated with certain wind farms based on updated estimated decommissioning costs.