Regulatory assets and liabilities (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

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, 2023	*	September 30, 2023		September 30, 2022		December 31, 2022
			(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Current:
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		$	107,101	$	112,079	$	141,306
Electric fuel and purchased power deferral	Up to 1 year		17,775		2,328		2,656
Conservation programs	Up to 1 year		14,411		9,363		8,544
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 1 year		9,461		3,354		4,019
Other	Up to 1 year		20,500		21,036		8,567
			169,248		148,160		165,092
Noncurrent:
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		144,448		137,582		143,349
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 10 years		68,539		67,094		67,171
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 2 years		64,914		462		—
Plant costs/asset retirement obligations	Over plant lives		43,520		61,941		44,462
Environmental compliance programs	-		36,605		—		—
Manufactured gas plant site remediation	-		24,577		25,963		26,624
Plant to be retired	-		19,947		24,740		21,525
Taxes recoverable from customers	Over plant lives		12,266		12,394		12,330
Long-term debt refinancing costs	Up to 37 years		2,747		3,335		3,188
Other	Up to 16 years		11,406		10,931		11,010
			428,969		344,442		329,659
Total regulatory assets			$	598,217	$	492,602	$	494,751
Regulatory liabilities:
Current:
Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		20,445		873		955
Electric fuel and purchased power deferral	Up to 1 year		—		3,763		4,929
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 1 year		5,754		2,674		1,977
Conservation programs	Up to 1 year		1,976		325		4,126
Taxes refundable to customers	Up to 1 year		1,513		4,264		3,937
Refundable fuel and electric costs	Up to 1 year		18		1,812		3,253
Other	Up to 1 year		15,307		4,888		7,263
			45,013		18,599		26,440
Noncurrent:
Plant removal and decommissioning costs	Over plant lives		220,499		174,481		208,650
Taxes refundable to customers	Over plant lives		194,804		205,517		203,222
Environmental compliance programs	-		36,126		—		—
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 19 years		20,012		12,535		14,025
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	Up to 19 years		14,800		14,665		13,594
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		7,120		19,687		7,376
Other	Up to 15 years		1,751		6,327		1,587
			495,112		433,212		448,454
Total regulatory liabilities			$	540,125	$	451,811	$	474,894
Net regulatory position			$	58,092	$	40,791	$	19,857

*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, 2023	*	September 30, 2023		September 30, 2022		December 31, 2022
			(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Current:
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		$	107,101	$	112,079	$	141,306
Electric fuel and purchased power deferral	Up to 1 year		17,775		2,328		2,656
Conservation programs	Up to 1 year		14,411		9,363		8,544
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 1 year		9,461		3,354		4,019
Other	Up to 1 year		20,500		21,036		8,567
			169,248		148,160		165,092
Noncurrent:
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		144,448		137,582		143,349
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 10 years		68,539		67,094		67,171
Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments	Up to 2 years		64,914		462		—
Plant costs/asset retirement obligations	Over plant lives		43,520		61,941		44,462
Environmental compliance programs	-		36,605		—		—
Manufactured gas plant site remediation	-		24,577		25,963		26,624
Plant to be retired	-		19,947		24,740		21,525
Taxes recoverable from customers	Over plant lives		12,266		12,394		12,330
Long-term debt refinancing costs	Up to 37 years		2,747		3,335		3,188
Other	Up to 16 years		11,406		10,931		11,010
			428,969		344,442		329,659
Total regulatory assets			$	598,217	$	492,602	$	494,751
Regulatory liabilities:
Current:
Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments	Up to 1 year		20,445		873		955
Electric fuel and purchased power deferral	Up to 1 year		—		3,763		4,929
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 1 year		5,754		2,674		1,977
Conservation programs	Up to 1 year		1,976		325		4,126
Taxes refundable to customers	Up to 1 year		1,513		4,264		3,937
Refundable fuel and electric costs	Up to 1 year		18		1,812		3,253
Other	Up to 1 year		15,307		4,888		7,263
			45,013		18,599		26,440
Noncurrent:
Plant removal and decommissioning costs	Over plant lives		220,499		174,481		208,650
Taxes refundable to customers	Over plant lives		194,804		205,517		203,222
Environmental compliance programs	-		36,126		—		—
Cost recovery mechanisms	Up to 19 years		20,012		12,535		14,025
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	Up to 19 years		14,800		14,665		13,594
Pension and postretirement benefits	**		7,120		19,687		7,376
Other	Up to 15 years		1,751		6,327		1,587
			495,112		433,212		448,454
Total regulatory liabilities			$	540,125	$	451,811	$	474,894
Net regulatory position			$	58,092	$	40,791	$	19,857

*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.