Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Table Text Block]

The following table presents the activity related to the NW Holdings provision for uncollectible accounts by pool, substantially all of which is related to NW Natural's accounts receivable:



	As of							As of
	December 31, 2019		Six Months Ended June 30, 2020					June 30, 2020
In thousands	Beginning Balance		Provision recorded		Write-offs recognized, net of recoveries			Ending Balance
Allowance for uncollectible accounts
related to accounts receivable:
Residential	$	432	$	817	$	(236	)	$	1,013
Commercial	57		349		(69		)	$	337
Industrial	72		34		(6		)	$	100
Accrued unbilled and other	112		32		(2		)	$	142
Total	$	673	$	1,232	$	(313	)	$	1,592

Schedule of Regulatory Assets

Amounts deferred as regulatory assets and liabilities for NW Holdings and NW Natural were as follows:



	Regulatory Assets
	June 30,				December 31,
In thousands	2020		2019		2019
NW Natural:
Current:
Unrealized loss on derivatives⁽¹⁾	$	2,956	$	4,385	$	2,000
Gas costs	6,046		19,195		20,140
Environmental costs⁽²⁾	4,176		5,089		4,762
Decoupling⁽³⁾	85		1,680		1,969
Pension balancing⁽⁴⁾	7,131		5,009		5,939
Income taxes	2,208		2,209		2,209
Other⁽⁵⁾	7,419		9,121		4,910
Total current	$	30,021	$	46,688	$	41,929
Non-current:
Unrealized loss on derivatives⁽¹⁾	$	1,658	$	2,062	$	609
Pension balancing⁽⁴⁾	45,315		50,080		48,251
Income taxes	17,608		17,758		17,173
Pension and other postretirement benefit liabilities	164,091		168,137		173,262
Environmental costs⁽²⁾	81,757		68,240		87,624
Gas costs	94		2,994		2,866
Decoupling⁽³⁾	—		37		—
Other⁽⁵⁾	13,797		9,032		13,361
Total non-current	$	324,320	$	318,340	$	343,146
Other (NW Holdings)	38		—		—
Total non-current - NW Holdings	$	324,358	$	318,340	$	343,146

Schedule of Regulatory Liabilities



	Regulatory Liabilities
	June 30,				December 31,
In thousands	2020		2019		2019
NW Natural:
Current:
Gas costs	$	3,767	$	5,630	$	1,223
Unrealized gain on derivatives⁽¹⁾	5,950		1,944		6,622
Decoupling⁽³⁾	11,498		857		4,831
Income taxes	7,098		7,763		8,435
Other⁽⁵⁾	12,813		16,290		23,546
Total current	$	41,126	$	32,484	$	44,657
Non-current:
Gas costs	$	538	$	226	$	2,013
Unrealized gain on derivatives⁽¹⁾	3,958		670		3,337
Decoupling⁽³⁾	2,108		74		6,378
Income taxes⁽⁶⁾	193,414		202,422		198,219
Accrued asset removal costs⁽⁷⁾	414,719		390,345		401,893
Other⁽⁵⁾	16,794		11,299		13,877
Total non-current - NW Natural	$	631,531	$	605,036	$	625,717
Other (NW Holdings)	869		—		—
Total non-current - NW Holdings	$	632,400	$	605,036	$	625,717


⁽¹⁾	Unrealized gains or losses on derivatives are non-cash items and therefore do not earn a rate of return or a carrying charge. These amounts are recoverable through NGD rates as part of the annual Purchased Gas Adjustment (PGA) mechanism when realized at settlement.


⁽²⁾	Refer to footnote (3) of the Deferred Regulatory Asset table in Note 16 for a description of environmental costs.


⁽³⁾	This deferral represents the margin adjustment resulting from differences between actual and expected volumes.


⁽⁴⁾	Refer to Note 9 for information regarding the deferral of pension expenses.


⁽⁵⁾	Balances consist of deferrals and amortizations under approved regulatory mechanisms and typically earn a rate of return or carrying charge.


⁽⁶⁾	This balance represents estimated amounts associated with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. See Note 10.

⁽⁷⁾

Estimated costs of removal on certain regulated properties are collected through rates.