Regulatory assets and liabilities (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2019

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



	Estimated Recovery Period	*	June 30, 2019			December 31, 2018
			(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefits (a)	(e)		$	165,861		$	165,898
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments (a) (b)	Up to 3 years		94,543			42,652
Asset retirement obligations (a)	Over plant lives		64,215			60,097
Cost recovery mechanisms (a) (b)	Up to 4 years		18,488			17,948
Manufactured gas plant site remediation (a)	-		15,619			17,068
Taxes recoverable from customers (a)	Over plant lives		11,755			11,946
Plants to be retired (a)	-		16,933			—
Conservation programs (b)	Up to 1 year		7,627			7,494
Long-term debt refinancing costs (a)	Up to 19 years		4,592			4,898
Costs related to identifying generation development (a)	Up to 8 years		2,280			2,508
Other (a) (b)	Up to 20 years		5,761			9,608
Total regulatory assets			$	407,674		$	340,117
Regulatory liabilities:
Taxes refundable to customers (c) (d)			$	264,025		$	277,833
Plant removal and decommissioning costs (c) (d)			175,003			173,143
Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments (d)			25,737			29,995
Pension and postretirement benefits (c)			12,967			15,264
Other (c) (d)			27,955			25,197
Total regulatory liabilities			$	505,687		$	521,432
Net regulatory position			$	(98,013	)	$	(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	*	June 30, 2019			December 31, 2018
			(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefits (a)	(e)		$	165,861		$	165,898
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments (a) (b)	Up to 3 years		94,543			42,652
Asset retirement obligations (a)	Over plant lives		64,215			60,097
Cost recovery mechanisms (a) (b)	Up to 4 years		18,488			17,948
Manufactured gas plant site remediation (a)	-		15,619			17,068
Taxes recoverable from customers (a)	Over plant lives		11,755			11,946
Plants to be retired (a)	-		16,933			—
Conservation programs (b)	Up to 1 year		7,627			7,494
Long-term debt refinancing costs (a)	Up to 19 years		4,592			4,898
Costs related to identifying generation development (a)	Up to 8 years		2,280			2,508
Other (a) (b)	Up to 20 years		5,761			9,608
Total regulatory assets			$	407,674		$	340,117
Regulatory liabilities:
Taxes refundable to customers (c) (d)			$	264,025		$	277,833
Plant removal and decommissioning costs (c) (d)			175,003			173,143
Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments (d)			25,737			29,995
Pension and postretirement benefits (c)			12,967			15,264
Other (c) (d)			27,955			25,197
Total regulatory liabilities			$	505,687		$	521,432
Net regulatory position			$	(98,013	)	$	(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.