Derivative Instruments

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments

Derivative Instruments

GSWC's electric division, BVES, purchases power under long-term contracts at a fixed cost depending on the amount of power and the period during which the power is purchased under such contracts.  In August 2019, the CPUC approved an application that allowed BVES to enter into new long-term purchased power contracts with energy providers, which BVES executed in September 2019. BVES began taking power under these long-term contracts during the fourth quarter of 2019 to replace existing expiring contracts. The new contracts provide power at a fixed cost over approximately three- and five-year terms depending on the amount of power and period during which the power is purchased under the contracts.

These purchase power contracts are subject to the accounting guidance for derivatives and require mark-to-market derivative accounting. Among other things, the CPUC also authorized BVES to use a regulatory asset and liability memorandum account to offset the mark-to-market entries required by the accounting guidance.  Accordingly, all unrealized gains and losses generated from the purchased power contracts are deferred on a monthly basis into a non-interest bearing regulatory memorandum account that tracks the changes in fair value of the derivative throughout the terms of the contracts. As a result, these unrealized gains and losses do not impact GSWC’s earnings. As of March 31, 2020, there was a $4.3 million unrealized loss recorded as a regulatory asset in the memorandum account for the purchased power contracts. The notional volume of derivatives remaining under these long-term contracts as of March 31, 2020 was 594,392 megawatt hours.

The accounting guidance for fair value measurements applies to all financial assets and financial liabilities that are measured and reported on a fair value basis. Under the accounting guidance, GSWC makes fair value measurements that are classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:

 Level 1: Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities;

 Level 2: Quoted prices in markets that are not active or inputs which are observable, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; or

Level 3: Prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable (i.e., supported by little or no market activity).

To value the contracts, Registrant utilizes various inputs that include quoted market prices for energy over the duration of the contracts. The market prices used to determine the fair value for this derivative instrument were estimated based on independent sources such as broker quotes and publications that are not observable in or corroborated by the market.  When such inputs have a significant impact on the measurement of fair value, the instruments are categorized as Level 3. Accordingly, the valuation of the derivatives on Registrant’s purchased power contract has been classified as Level 3 for all periods presented.

The following table presents changes in the fair value of GSWC’s Level 3 derivatives for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019:

	For The Three Months Ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands)	2020			2019
Fair value at beginning of the period	$	(3,171	)	$	(311	)
Unrealized loss on purchased power contracts	(1,109		)	(25		)
Fair value at end of the period	$	(4,280	)	$	(336	)