Regulatory assets and liabilities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

The following table summarizes the individual components of unamortized regulatory assets and liabilities as of December 31:



	Estimated Recovery Period	*	2015		2014
			(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefits (a)	(e)		$	185,832	$	182,565
Taxes recoverable from customers (a)	Over plant lives		27,682		22,910
Manufactured gas plant sites remediation (a)	Up to 2 years		18,617		17,548
Plant costs (a)	Up to 1 year		8,000		4,551
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments (b)	Up to 1 year		547		19,575
Long-term debt refinancing costs (a)	Up to 22 years		7,031		7,864
Costs related to identifying generation development (a)	Up to 11 years		3,808		4,165
Other (a) (b)	Largely within 1- 4 years		11,741		10,408
Total regulatory assets			263,258		269,586
Regulatory liabilities:
Plant removal and decommissioning costs (c)			182,981		338,641
Taxes refundable to customers (c)			17,060		17,772
Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments (d)			20,884		13,238
Other (c) (d)			22,193		16,601
Total regulatory liabilities			243,118		386,252
Net regulatory position			$	20,140	$	(116,666	)


*	Estimated recovery period for regulatory assets currently being recovered in rates charged to customers.


(a)	Included in deferred charges and other assets - other on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.


(b)	Included in prepayments and other current assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.


(c)	Included in other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.


(d)	Included in other accrued liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.


(e)	Recovered as expense is incurred or cash contributions are made.

The following table summarizes the individual components of unamortized regulatory assets and liabilities as of December 31:



	Estimated Recovery Period	*	2015		2014
			(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefits (a)	(e)		$	185,832	$	182,565
Taxes recoverable from customers (a)	Over plant lives		27,682		22,910
Manufactured gas plant sites remediation (a)	Up to 2 years		18,617		17,548
Plant costs (a)	Up to 1 year		8,000		4,551
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments (b)	Up to 1 year		547		19,575
Long-term debt refinancing costs (a)	Up to 22 years		7,031		7,864
Costs related to identifying generation development (a)	Up to 11 years		3,808		4,165
Other (a) (b)	Largely within 1- 4 years		11,741		10,408
Total regulatory assets			263,258		269,586
Regulatory liabilities:
Plant removal and decommissioning costs (c)			182,981		338,641
Taxes refundable to customers (c)			17,060		17,772
Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments (d)			20,884		13,238
Other (c) (d)			22,193		16,601
Total regulatory liabilities			243,118		386,252
Net regulatory position			$	20,140	$	(116,666	)


*	Estimated recovery period for regulatory assets currently being recovered in rates charged to customers.


(a)	Included in deferred charges and other assets - other on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.


(b)	Included in prepayments and other current assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.


(c)	Included in other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.


(d)	Included in other accrued liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.


(e)	Recovered as expense is incurred or cash contributions are made.