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Regulatory Rate Filings
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2021
Regulated Operations [Abstract]  
Regulatory Rate Filings Regulatory Rate Filings
California Regulatory Affairs
On March 17, 2020, the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”) ordered its regulated water utilities to halt customer disconnection activities in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 2, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-42-20 suspending customer disconnection activities until further notice. On April 16, 2020, the CPUC issued Resolution M-4842 directing utilities to implement emergency customer protections to assist customers such as waiving reconnection deposits, offering payment arrangements, and suspending disconnections for nonpayment. This resolution was effective for up to one year, or April 15, 2021, with the option to extend. On February 11, 2021, the CPUC approved Resolution M-4849 extending customer protections required in Resolution M-4842 through June 30, 2021. The resolution also requires water utilities to develop a transition plan regarding shutoffs and terminations with customers once the moratorium ends. On April 1, 2021, San Jose Water Company (“SJWC”) filed Advice Letter 560 which includes such plan and the filing was approved on June 16, 2021. On June 11, 2021, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-08-21 which ends the suspension on customer disconnection activities on September 30, 2021. On June 16, 2021, the CPUC directed its regulated water utilities to extend the suspension on customer disconnection activities through September 30, 2021, in response to the Governor’s order. On June 23, 2021, SJWC filed Advice Letter 565 to extend Resolution M-4849’s emergency customer protections through September 30, 2021. This advice was approved on July 1, 2021.
SJWC filed Advice Letter 556 on November 16, 2020, with the CPUC requesting authorization to increase its revenue requirement by 11,750 or 3.04% in 2021 for the final escalation year authorized in our 2018 General Rate Case Decision 18-011-025 which established rates for 2019, 2020, and 2021. This advice letter was approved on December 17, 2020, and new rates became effective January 1, 2021.
On January 4, 2021, SJWC filed General Rate Case Application No. 21-01-003 requesting authority for an increase of revenue of $51,585 or 13.35% in 2022, $16,932 or 3.88% in 2023, and $19,195 or 4.24% in 2024. The application also includes requests to recover $18,499 from balancing and memorandum accounts, authorization for a $435,000 capital budget, further alignment between actual and authorized usage, and a shift to greater revenue collection in the service charge. The application will undergo a year-long review process and new rates, if approved, are expected to be effective in the second quarter of 2022.
On May 3, 2021, SJWC filed Application No. 21-05-004 requesting authority to adjust its cost of capital for the period from January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2024. The request seeks a revenue increase of $6,418 or 1.61% in 2022. The application also proposes a rate of return of 8.11% from the current rate of 7.64%, a decrease in the average cost of debt rate from 6.20% to 5.48%, and a return of equity of 10.30% from the current rate of 8.90%. In addition, the request seeks to adjust SJWC’s currently authorized capital structure of approximately 47% debt and 53% equity to approximately 45% debt and 55% equity. If approved, rates are expected to be effective on January 1, 2022.
On May 27, 2021, SJWC filed Advice Letter No. 561/561A with the CPUC requesting authorization to increase revenue by $17,262 or 4.34% to recover the increases to purchased potable water charges, the groundwater extraction fee, and purchased recycled water charges implemented by Santa Clara Valley Water District (“Valley Water”) and South Bay Water Recycling effective July 1, 2021. This advice letter was approved with an effective date of July 1, 2021.
On June 9, 2021, Valley Water declared a water shortage emergency and asked its retailers to reduce consumption by 15% based on 2019’s volume. On June 18, 2021, SJWC filed Advice Letter 563 with the CPUC to activate Stage 3 of its Rule 14.1, Water Shortage Contingency Plan, in response to Valley Water’s declaration of drought emergency and call for 15% mandatory conservation. Advice Letter 564 was also filed on June 9, 2021, to establish a Water Conservation Memorandum Account to track the revenue impact of authorized vs actual water consumption and the incremental expenses required to implement our mandatory water conservation plan. Similar memorandum accounts were authorized during the previous drought. On July 20, 2021, Advice Letter 564 was approved. Advice Letter 563 is pending with the CPUC.
Connecticut Regulatory Affairs
On October 28, 2020, The Connecticut Water Company (“Connecticut Water”) filed a Water Infrastructure Conservation Adjustment (“WICA”) application representing an additional 1.11% surcharge or approximately $956 increase in revenues, for a cumulative WICA surcharge of 6.94%. The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority of Connecticut (“PURA”) approved the requested increase with an April 1, 2021 effective date. Additionally, on February 1, 2021, Connecticut Water filed its annual WICA reconciliation which called for a 0.09% increase of the WICA surcharge. On March 3, 2021, PURA approved the reconciliation, resulting in a net cumulative 7.03% surcharge for Connecticut Water which became effective on customers’ bills on April 1, 2021. As of June 30, 2021, WICA surcharges for Connecticut Water and its Avon Water division were 7.03% and 8.51%, respectively.  The Heritage Village Water division does not have an approved WICA surcharge. 
On January 15, 2021, Connecticut Water filed an application with PURA to amend rates for its customers, including the divisions of Avon and Heritage Village. The filing requests an increase of $20,206 in annual revenues that includes more than $265,514 in completed infrastructure investments that are not currently in approved rates and surcharges. The filing proposes a new rate that would provide a 15% reduction in water bills for income-eligible customers, which would be the first low-income rate for a Connecticut water utility, if approved. The filing also includes a tiered block rate structure for residential water customers to promote water conservation. The proposed increase will be applied across the company but may differ by rate divisions, meter size and between customer rate categories. The application also reflects the costs of operating and maintaining the utility, including expenditures on power and treatment additives that have increased since the company’s last general rate case decision in 2010. PURA has 200 days from the filing date to review the application, and the approved rates will go into effect soon thereafter. On July 28, 2021, Connecticut Water received the final decision approving an increase of $5,208 in annual revenues, a return on equity of 9.0%, with new rates effective July 28, 2021. The final decision also approved the low-income rate, tiered block rate structure for residential water customers and the cost of debt and equity percentage as requested. The final decision did not include all of the requested proforma plant in service due to the timing of its completion. However, no plant was disallowed. Connecticut Water will seek recovery for the projects in the future, including a portion of plant which is eligible for recovery through WICA. In addition, the final decision reset WICA, which was approaching its statutory cap to zero.
Long-term debt issuances for Connecticut Water require regulatory authorization which is typically obtained for a specified amount of debt to be issued during a specified period of time. On March 16, 2021, Connecticut Water filed for PURA approval for the issuance of up to $100,000 of long-term borrowings in 2021. Connecticut Water anticipates to use the proceeds to pay down line of credit borrowings and payoff maturing debt, as well as general working capital needs. Connecticut Water received approval of the financings from PURA on June 9, 2021.
Texas Regulatory Affairs
On January 29, 2021, SJWTX, Inc., doing business as Canyon Lake Water Service Company (“CLWSC”) submitted its Water Pass-Through Charge (“WPC”) true-up report for the Canyon Lake area water systems’ 2020 purchased water costs. The WPC is the annual filing to change the monthly per thousand gallons charge for changes in purchased water costs since the last annual true-up report. The 2020 WPC true-up report resulted in a reduction of the WPC usage rate from $0.95 dollars to $0.7 dollars per thousand gallons which became effective on March 1, 2021. The Deer Creek Ranch water system has a separate WPC. A WPC filing for Deer Creek Ranch is required only when there is a change in purchased water costs. The WPC true-up report for this system was submitted December 1, 2020, which resulted in a decrease in the usage charge from $2.02 to $1.84
dollars per thousand gallons, and an increase in the monthly base charge of $0.51 dollars per residential account. The Deer Creek Ranch WPC rate changes became effective February 25, 2021.
A disaster declaration was declared on February 12, 2021 by the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (“PUCT”) because of severe winter weather. The PUCT issued orders under Docket No. 51812-6 which prohibited disconnections for non-payment, suspended the rules for late fees and interest, and allowed for estimated billing for the duration of the disaster declaration. On March 5, 2021, the PUCT reinstituted the utilities’ ability to resume charging late fees, and on June 15, 2021, removed the prohibition on disconnections for non-payment.
On June 28, 2021, CLWSC announced that it reached an agreement to acquire the Kendall West and Bandera East utilities in Bandera and Medina counties in Texas and that change in ownership applications had been filed with the PUCT. The acquisition, pending approval by the PUCT, would grow CLWSC by 1,400 service connections that serve an estimated 4,000 county residences. A decision by the PUCT is expected in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Maine Regulatory Affairs
On June 17, 2020, the Maine Public Utilities Commission (“MPUC”) approved a general rate increase for Skowhegan Division customers allowing $198 in additional revenue.  Per the MPUC decision, the increase will be implemented in two steps: an initial 9.80% rate increase effective June 15, 2020, and a 3.51% rate increase effective July 1, 2021. The combined rate increase is 13.31%.
On November 23, 2020, The Maine Water Company (“Maine Water”) filed Water Infrastructure Surcharge (“WISC”) applications with the MPUC in five divisions requesting an increase between 1.1% and 5%, representing approximately $304 in additional revenues. The WISC applications were approved on December 15, 2020, and December 22, 2020 and the surcharges became effective January 1, 2021.
On March 10, 2021, Maine Water filed a general rate increase application for the Biddeford Saco Division seeking approximately $6,659, or 77.5%, in additional revenue. The application has proposed a multi-year rate plan that is designed to ease the transition to higher water bills over the period from July 2021 to July 2023. The primary driver for the increase in rates is the support for a new drinking water treatment facility on the Saco River, a $60,000 project to replace the existing facility that is expected to be in service in the second quarter of 2022. On June 23, 2021, the MPUC approved the first step in the plan adopting the proposed rate smoothing mechanism and implementing a temporary 22.65% surcharge on all customer bills. The surcharge will be in effect for one year while the MPUC reviews and acts on the requested increase in base rates. A decision on the requested revenue increase is expected in the second quarter of 2022, in alignment with the completion of the new water treatment facility.