Regulatory assets and liabilities (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2019

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



	Estimated Recovery Period	*	March 31, 2019			December 31, 2018
			(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefits (a)	(e)		$	165,879		$	165,898
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments (a) (b)	Up to 3 years		91,465			42,652
Asset retirement obligations (a)	Over plant lives		63,633			60,097
Cost recovery mechanisms (a) (b)	Up to 4 years		17,835			17,948
Manufactured gas plant site remediation (a)	-		17,111			17,068
Taxes recoverable from customers (a)	Over plant lives		11,858			11,946
Plant to be retired (a)	-		6,691			—
Conservation programs (b)	Up to 1 year		6,094			7,494
Long-term debt refinancing costs (a)	Up to 19 years		4,746			4,898
Costs related to identifying generation development (a)	Up to 8 years		2,394			2,508
Other (a) (b)	Up to 20 years		5,827			9,608
Total regulatory assets			393,533			340,117
Regulatory liabilities:
Taxes refundable to customers (c) (d)			267,777			277,833
Plant removal and decommissioning costs (c) (d)			173,911			173,143
Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments (d)			29,739			29,995
Pension and postretirement benefits (c)			12,991			15,264
Other (c) (d)			33,976			25,197
Total regulatory liabilities			518,394			521,432
Net regulatory position			$	(124,861	)	$	(181,315	)


*	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 deferred credits and other liabilities - other 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:



	Estimated Recovery Period	*	March 31, 2019			December 31, 2018
			(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefits (a)	(e)		$	165,879		$	165,898
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments (a) (b)	Up to 3 years		91,465			42,652
Asset retirement obligations (a)	Over plant lives		63,633			60,097
Cost recovery mechanisms (a) (b)	Up to 4 years		17,835			17,948
Manufactured gas plant site remediation (a)	-		17,111			17,068
Taxes recoverable from customers (a)	Over plant lives		11,858			11,946
Plant to be retired (a)	-		6,691			—
Conservation programs (b)	Up to 1 year		6,094			7,494
Long-term debt refinancing costs (a)	Up to 19 years		4,746			4,898
Costs related to identifying generation development (a)	Up to 8 years		2,394			2,508
Other (a) (b)	Up to 20 years		5,827			9,608
Total regulatory assets			393,533			340,117
Regulatory liabilities:
Taxes refundable to customers (c) (d)			267,777			277,833
Plant removal and decommissioning costs (c) (d)			173,911			173,143
Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments (d)			29,739			29,995
Pension and postretirement benefits (c)			12,991			15,264
Other (c) (d)			33,976			25,197
Total regulatory liabilities			518,394			521,432
Net regulatory position			$	(124,861	)	$	(181,315	)


*	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 deferred credits and other liabilities - other 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.