Regulatory assets and liabilities (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

Regulatory Assets and Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]

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


	Estimated Recovery or Refund Period as of March 31, 2022	*	March 31, 2022		March 31, 2021		December 31, 2021
			(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Current:
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		$	66,132	$	76,782	$	86,371
Decoupling	Up to 1 year		7,609		4,180		9,131
Conservation programs	Up to 1 year		7,567		6,679		8,225
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 1 year		3,432		7,130		4,536
Other	Up to 1 year		4,338		3,681		10,428
			89,078		98,452		118,691
Noncurrent:
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		142,681		155,924		142,681
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 10 years		67,989		15,508		44,870
Plant costs/asset retirement obligations	Over plant lives		63,325		72,250		63,116
Plant to be retired	-		29,452		73,498		50,070
Manufactured gas plant site remediation	-		26,089		26,002		26,053
Taxes recoverable from customers	Over plant lives		12,492		10,800		12,339
Long-term debt refinancing costs	Up to 38 years		3,636		4,268		3,794
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 2 years		3,246		15,158		5,186
Other	Up to 17 years		10,318		6,509		9,742
			359,228		379,917		357,851
Total regulatory assets			$	448,306	$	478,369	$	476,542
Regulatory liabilities:
Current:
Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		$	13,107	$	16,344	$	6,700
Taxes refundable to customers	Up to 1 year		3,470		3,092		3,841
Electric fuel and purchased power deferral	Up to 1 year		—		2,001		—
Other	Up to 1 year		14,609		12,829		5,762
			31,186		34,266		16,303
Noncurrent:
Taxes refundable to customers	Over plant lives		212,472		224,795		215,421
Plant removal and decommissioning costs	Over plant lives		171,485		169,430		168,152
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		20,434		16,965		20,434
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	Up to 20 years		13,352		11,428		12,696
Other	Up to 20 years		15,885		6,442		12,087
			433,628		429,060		428,790
Total regulatory liabilities			$	464,814	$	463,326	$	445,093
Net regulatory position			$	(16,508)	$	15,043	$	31,449

*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.

Regulatory Liabilities

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


	Estimated Recovery or Refund Period as of March 31, 2022	*	March 31, 2022		March 31, 2021		December 31, 2021
			(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Current:
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		$	66,132	$	76,782	$	86,371
Decoupling	Up to 1 year		7,609		4,180		9,131
Conservation programs	Up to 1 year		7,567		6,679		8,225
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 1 year		3,432		7,130		4,536
Other	Up to 1 year		4,338		3,681		10,428
			89,078		98,452		118,691
Noncurrent:
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		142,681		155,924		142,681
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 10 years		67,989		15,508		44,870
Plant costs/asset retirement obligations	Over plant lives		63,325		72,250		63,116
Plant to be retired	-		29,452		73,498		50,070
Manufactured gas plant site remediation	-		26,089		26,002		26,053
Taxes recoverable from customers	Over plant lives		12,492		10,800		12,339
Long-term debt refinancing costs	Up to 38 years		3,636		4,268		3,794
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 2 years		3,246		15,158		5,186
Other	Up to 17 years		10,318		6,509		9,742
			359,228		379,917		357,851
Total regulatory assets			$	448,306	$	478,369	$	476,542
Regulatory liabilities:
Current:
Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		$	13,107	$	16,344	$	6,700
Taxes refundable to customers	Up to 1 year		3,470		3,092		3,841
Electric fuel and purchased power deferral	Up to 1 year		—		2,001		—
Other	Up to 1 year		14,609		12,829		5,762
			31,186		34,266		16,303
Noncurrent:
Taxes refundable to customers	Over plant lives		212,472		224,795		215,421
Plant removal and decommissioning costs	Over plant lives		171,485		169,430		168,152
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		20,434		16,965		20,434
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	Up to 20 years		13,352		11,428		12,696
Other	Up to 20 years		15,885		6,442		12,087
			433,628		429,060		428,790
Total regulatory liabilities			$	464,814	$	463,326	$	445,093
Net regulatory position			$	(16,508)	$	15,043	$	31,449

*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.