Regulatory assets and liabilities (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 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 September 30, 2022	*	September 30, 2022		September 30, 2021		December 31, 2021
			(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Current:
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		$	112,079	$	98,211	$	86,371
Conservation programs	Up to 1 year		9,363		8,495		8,225
Decoupling	Up to 1 year		6,549		7,195		9,131
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 1 year		3,354		4,693		4,536
Other	Up to 1 year		16,815		14,541		10,428
			148,160		133,135		118,691
Noncurrent:
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		137,582		155,888		142,681
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 10 years		67,094		43,955		44,870
Plant costs/asset retirement obligations	Over plant lives		61,941		73,528		63,116
Plant to be retired	-		24,740		48,544		50,070
Manufactured gas plant site remediation	-		25,963		26,000		26,053
Taxes recoverable from customers	Over plant lives		12,394		11,438		12,339
Long-term debt refinancing costs	Up to 38 years		3,335		3,952		3,794
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 2 years		462		6,084		5,186
Other	Up to 17 years		10,931		9,856		9,742
			344,442		379,245		357,851
Total regulatory assets			$	492,602	$	512,380	$	476,542
Regulatory liabilities:
Current:
Taxes refundable to customers	Up to 1 year		$	4,264	$	3,867	$	3,841
Electric fuel and purchased power deferral	Up to 1 year		3,763		3,205		—
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 1 year		2,674		2,797		214
Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		873		—		6,700
Other	Up to 1 year		7,025		6,622		5,548
			18,599		16,491		16,303
Noncurrent:
Taxes refundable to customers	Over plant lives		205,517		218,566		215,421
Plant removal and decommissioning costs	Over plant lives		174,481		172,683		168,152
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		19,687		16,915		20,434
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	Up to 20 years		14,665		12,403		12,696
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 20 years		12,535		—		7,727
Other	Up to 16 years		6,327		5,574		4,360
			433,212		426,141		428,790
Total regulatory liabilities			$	451,811	$	442,632	$	445,093
Net regulatory position			$	40,791	$	69,748	$	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 September 30, 2022	*	September 30, 2022		September 30, 2021		December 31, 2021
			(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Current:
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		$	112,079	$	98,211	$	86,371
Conservation programs	Up to 1 year		9,363		8,495		8,225
Decoupling	Up to 1 year		6,549		7,195		9,131
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 1 year		3,354		4,693		4,536
Other	Up to 1 year		16,815		14,541		10,428
			148,160		133,135		118,691
Noncurrent:
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		137,582		155,888		142,681
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 10 years		67,094		43,955		44,870
Plant costs/asset retirement obligations	Over plant lives		61,941		73,528		63,116
Plant to be retired	-		24,740		48,544		50,070
Manufactured gas plant site remediation	-		25,963		26,000		26,053
Taxes recoverable from customers	Over plant lives		12,394		11,438		12,339
Long-term debt refinancing costs	Up to 38 years		3,335		3,952		3,794
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 2 years		462		6,084		5,186
Other	Up to 17 years		10,931		9,856		9,742
			344,442		379,245		357,851
Total regulatory assets			$	492,602	$	512,380	$	476,542
Regulatory liabilities:
Current:
Taxes refundable to customers	Up to 1 year		$	4,264	$	3,867	$	3,841
Electric fuel and purchased power deferral	Up to 1 year		3,763		3,205		—
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 1 year		2,674		2,797		214
Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		873		—		6,700
Other	Up to 1 year		7,025		6,622		5,548
			18,599		16,491		16,303
Noncurrent:
Taxes refundable to customers	Over plant lives		205,517		218,566		215,421
Plant removal and decommissioning costs	Over plant lives		174,481		172,683		168,152
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		19,687		16,915		20,434
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	Up to 20 years		14,665		12,403		12,696
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 20 years		12,535		—		7,727
Other	Up to 16 years		6,327		5,574		4,360
			433,212		426,141		428,790
Total regulatory liabilities			$	451,811	$	442,632	$	445,093
Net regulatory position			$	40,791	$	69,748	$	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.