Regulatory assets and liabilities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

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


	Estimated Recovery or Refund Period	*	2021		2020
			(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Current:
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		$	86,371	$	42,481
Decoupling	Up to 1 year		9,131		703
Conservation programs	Up to 1 year		8,225		7,117
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 1 year		4,536		10,645
Other	Up to 1 year		10,428		7,581
			118,691		68,527
Noncurrent:
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		142,681		155,942
Plant costs/asset retirement obligations	Over plant lives		63,116		71,740
Plant to be retired	-		50,070		65,919
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 10 years		44,870		16,245
Manufactured gas plant sites remediation	-		26,053		26,429
Taxes recoverable from customers	Over plant lives		12,339		10,785
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 2 years		5,186		21,539
Long-term debt refinancing costs	Up to 39 years		3,794		4,426
Other	Up to 17 years		9,742		6,356
			357,851		379,381
Total regulatory assets			$	476,542	$	447,908
Regulatory liabilities:
Current:
Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		$	6,700	$	18,565
Taxes refundable to customers	Up to 1 year		3,841		3,557
Electric fuel and purchased power deferral	Up to 1 year		—		3,667
Other	Up to 1 year		5,762		5,661
			16,303		31,450
Noncurrent:
Taxes refundable to customers	Over plant lives		215,421		227,850
Plant removal and decommissioning costs	Over plant lives		168,152		167,171
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		20,434		16,989
Other	Up to 20 years		24,783		16,065
			428,790		428,075
Total regulatory liabilities			$	445,093	$	459,525
Net regulatory position			$	31,449	$	(11,617)

*Estimated recovery or refund period for amounts currently being recovered or refunded in rates to customers.

** 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 or Refund Period	*	2021		2020
			(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Current:
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		$	86,371	$	42,481
Decoupling	Up to 1 year		9,131		703
Conservation programs	Up to 1 year		8,225		7,117
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 1 year		4,536		10,645
Other	Up to 1 year		10,428		7,581
			118,691		68,527
Noncurrent:
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		142,681		155,942
Plant costs/asset retirement obligations	Over plant lives		63,116		71,740
Plant to be retired	-		50,070		65,919
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 10 years		44,870		16,245
Manufactured gas plant sites remediation	-		26,053		26,429
Taxes recoverable from customers	Over plant lives		12,339		10,785
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 2 years		5,186		21,539
Long-term debt refinancing costs	Up to 39 years		3,794		4,426
Other	Up to 17 years		9,742		6,356
			357,851		379,381
Total regulatory assets			$	476,542	$	447,908
Regulatory liabilities:
Current:
Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		$	6,700	$	18,565
Taxes refundable to customers	Up to 1 year		3,841		3,557
Electric fuel and purchased power deferral	Up to 1 year		—		3,667
Other	Up to 1 year		5,762		5,661
			16,303		31,450
Noncurrent:
Taxes refundable to customers	Over plant lives		215,421		227,850
Plant removal and decommissioning costs	Over plant lives		168,152		167,171
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		20,434		16,989
Other	Up to 20 years		24,783		16,065
			428,790		428,075
Total regulatory liabilities			$	445,093	$	459,525
Net regulatory position			$	31,449	$	(11,617)

*Estimated recovery or refund period for amounts currently being recovered or refunded in rates to customers.

** Recovered as expense is incurred or cash contributions are made.