Regulatory assets and liabilities (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 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 June 30, 2022	*	June 30, 2022		June 30, 2021		December 31, 2021
			(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Current:
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		$	83,557	$	85,045	$	86,371
Conservation programs	Up to 1 year		7,883		7,580		8,225
Decoupling	Up to 1 year		4,615		6,750		9,131
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 1 year		3,459		5,692		4,536
Other	Up to 1 year		3,021		4,514		10,428
			102,535		109,581		118,691
Noncurrent:
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		137,582		155,906		142,681
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 10 years		64,096		44,415		44,870
Plant costs/asset retirement obligations	Over plant lives		63,334		72,853		63,116
Plant to be retired	-		27,628		46,061		50,070
Manufactured gas plant site remediation	-		26,031		26,155		26,053
Taxes recoverable from customers	Over plant lives		12,365		10,929		12,339
Long-term debt refinancing costs	Up to 38 years		3,482		4,110		3,794
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 2 years		1,839		8,389		5,186
Other	Up to 17 years		10,704		8,095		9,742
			347,061		376,913		357,851
Total regulatory assets			$	449,596	$	486,494	$	476,542
Regulatory liabilities:
Current:
Electric fuel and purchased power deferral	Up to 1 year		$	4,161	$	5,431	$	—
Taxes refundable to customers	Up to 1 year		3,728		3,434		3,841
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 1 year		3,172		1,388		214
Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		738		8,935		6,700
Other	Up to 1 year		6,085		4,266		5,548
			17,884		23,454		16,303
Noncurrent:
Taxes refundable to customers	Over plant lives		209,022		222,098		215,421
Plant removal and decommissioning costs	Over plant lives		172,755		171,381		168,152
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		19,686		16,940		20,434
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	Up to 20 years		14,009		11,915		12,696
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 20 years		10,898		2,499		7,727
Other	Up to 16 years		6,649		3,634		4,360
			433,019		428,467		428,790
Total regulatory liabilities			$	450,903	$	451,921	$	445,093
Net regulatory position			$	(1,307)	$	34,573	$	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 June 30, 2022	*	June 30, 2022		June 30, 2021		December 31, 2021
			(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Current:
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		$	83,557	$	85,045	$	86,371
Conservation programs	Up to 1 year		7,883		7,580		8,225
Decoupling	Up to 1 year		4,615		6,750		9,131
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 1 year		3,459		5,692		4,536
Other	Up to 1 year		3,021		4,514		10,428
			102,535		109,581		118,691
Noncurrent:
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		137,582		155,906		142,681
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 10 years		64,096		44,415		44,870
Plant costs/asset retirement obligations	Over plant lives		63,334		72,853		63,116
Plant to be retired	-		27,628		46,061		50,070
Manufactured gas plant site remediation	-		26,031		26,155		26,053
Taxes recoverable from customers	Over plant lives		12,365		10,929		12,339
Long-term debt refinancing costs	Up to 38 years		3,482		4,110		3,794
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 2 years		1,839		8,389		5,186
Other	Up to 17 years		10,704		8,095		9,742
			347,061		376,913		357,851
Total regulatory assets			$	449,596	$	486,494	$	476,542
Regulatory liabilities:
Current:
Electric fuel and purchased power deferral	Up to 1 year		$	4,161	$	5,431	$	—
Taxes refundable to customers	Up to 1 year		3,728		3,434		3,841
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 1 year		3,172		1,388		214
Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		738		8,935		6,700
Other	Up to 1 year		6,085		4,266		5,548
			17,884		23,454		16,303
Noncurrent:
Taxes refundable to customers	Over plant lives		209,022		222,098		215,421
Plant removal and decommissioning costs	Over plant lives		172,755		171,381		168,152
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		19,686		16,940		20,434
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	Up to 20 years		14,009		11,915		12,696
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 20 years		10,898		2,499		7,727
Other	Up to 16 years		6,649		3,634		4,360
			433,019		428,467		428,790
Total regulatory liabilities			$	450,903	$	451,921	$	445,093
Net regulatory position			$	(1,307)	$	34,573	$	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.