Regulatory Matters (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Regulated Operations [Abstract]

Schedule Of Capital Structure and Cost Of Capital

the following proposed capital structure and costs of capital:

	Capital Structure		Cost of Capital
Long-term debt	45.3	%	4.10	%
Common stock equity	54.7	%	10.15	%
Weighted-average cost of capital			7.41	%

Schedule of changes in the deferred fuel and purchased power regulatory asset

The following table shows the changes in the deferred fuel and purchased power regulatory asset for 2019 and 2018 (dollars in thousands):

	Twelve Months Ended December 31,
	2019			2018
Beginning balance	$	37,164		$	75,637
Deferred fuel and purchased power costs — current period	82,481			78,277
Amounts charged to customers	(49,508		)	(116,750		)
Ending balance	$	70,137		$	37,164

Schedule of regulatory assets

The detail of regulatory assets is as follows (dollars in thousands):

S		December 31, 2019				December 31, 2018
	Amortization Through	Current		Non-Current		Current		Non-Current
Pension	(a)	$	—	$	660,223	$	—	$	733,351
Retired power plant costs	2033	28,182		142,503		28,182		167,164
Income taxes - AFUDC equity	2049	6,800		154,974		6,457		151,467
Deferred fuel and purchased power (b) (c)	2020	70,137		—		37,164		—
Deferred fuel and purchased power — mark-to-market (Note 17)	2024	36,887		33,185		31,728		23,768
Deferred property taxes	2027	8,569		58,196		8,569		66,356
SCR deferral	N/A	—		52,644		—		23,276
Four Corners cost deferral	2024	8,077		32,152		8,077		40,228
Ocotillo deferral	N/A	—		38,144		—		—
Deferred compensation	2036	—		36,464		—		36,523
Income taxes — investment tax credit basis adjustment	2048	1,098		24,981		1,079		25,522
Lost fixed cost recovery (b)	2020	26,067		—		32,435		—
Palo Verde VIEs (Note 19)	2046	—		20,635		—		20,015
Coal reclamation	2026	1,546		17,688		1,546		15,607
Loss on reacquired debt	2038	1,637		12,031		1,637		13,668
Mead-Phoenix transmission line - contributions in aid of construction	2050	332		9,712		332		10,044
TCA balancing account (b)	2021	6,324		2,885		3,860		772
Tax expense of Medicare subsidy	2024	1,235		4,940		1,235		6,176
AG-1 deferral	2022	2,787		2,716		2,654		5,819
Tax expense adjustor mechanism (b)	2020	1,612		—		—		—
Other	Various	1,917		—		1,947		3,185
Total regulatory assets (d)		$	203,207	$	1,304,073	$	166,902	$	1,342,941

(a) This asset represents the future recovery of pension benefit obligations through retail rates.  If these costs are disallowed by the ACC, this regulatory asset would be charged to OCI and result in lower future revenues.  See Note 8 for further discussion.

(b) See “Cost Recovery Mechanisms” discussion above.

(c) Subject to a carrying charge.

(d)

There are no regulatory assets for which the ACC has allowed recovery of costs, but not allowed a return by exclusion from rate base.  FERC rates are set using a formula rate as described in “Transmission Rates, Transmission Cost Adjustor and Other Transmission Matters.”

Schedule of regulatory liabilities

The detail of regulatory liabilities is as follows (dollars in thousands):

		December 31, 2019				December 31, 2018
	Amortization Through	Current		Non-Current		Current		Non-Current
Excess deferred income taxes - ACC - Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (a)	2046	$	59,918	$	1,054,053	$	—	$	1,272,709
Excess deferred income taxes - FERC - Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (a)	2058	6,302		237,357		6,302		243,691
Asset retirement obligations	2057	—		418,423		—		278,585
Removal costs	(c)	47,356		136,072		39,866		177,533
Other postretirement benefits	(d)	37,575		139,634		37,864		125,903
Income taxes - change in rates	2049	2,797		68,265		2,769		70,069
Spent nuclear fuel	2027	6,676		51,019		6,503		57,002
Four Corners coal reclamation	2038	1,059		51,704		1,858		17,871
Income taxes - deferred investment tax credit	2048	2,202		50,034		2,164		51,120
Renewable energy standard (b)	2021	39,287		10,300		44,966		20
Demand side management (b)	2021	15,024		24,146		14,604		4,123
Sundance maintenance	2031	5,698		11,319		1,278		17,228
Property tax deferral	N/A	—		7,046		—		2,611
Tax expense adjustor mechanism (b)	2020	7,018		—		3,237		—
Deferred gains on utility property	2022	2,423		4,163		4,423		6,581
FERC transmission true up	2021	1,045		2,004		—		—
Other	Various	532		2,296		42		930
Total regulatory liabilities		$	234,912	$	2,267,835	$	165,876	$	2,325,976

(a) For purposes of presentation on the Statement of Cash Flows, amortization of the regulatory liabilities for excess deferred income taxes are reflected as "Deferred income taxes" under Cash Flows From Operating Activities.

(b) See “Cost Recovery Mechanisms” discussion above.

(c) In accordance with regulatory accounting, APS accrues removal costs for its regulated assets, even if there is no legal obligation for removal.

(d) See Note 8.