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REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2017
Regulated Operations [Abstract] |
REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT | REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT Wisconsin Electric Power Company, Wisconsin Gas LLC, and Wisconsin Public Service Corporation 2018 and 2019 Rates During April 2017, WE, WG, and WPS filed an application with the PSCW for approval of a settlement agreement they made with several of their commercial and industrial customers regarding 2018 and 2019 base rates. In September 2017, the PSCW issued an order that approved the settlement agreement, which will freeze base rates through 2019 for electric, gas, and steam customers of WE, WG, and WPS. Based on the PSCW order, the authorized ROE for WE, WG, and WPS remains at 10.2%, 10.3%, and 10.0%, respectively, and the current capital cost structure for all of our Wisconsin utilities will remain unchanged through 2019. Various intervenors have filed requests for rehearing. In addition to freezing base rates, the settlement agreement extends and expands the electric real-time market pricing program options for large commercial and industrial customers and mitigates the continued growth of certain escrowed costs at WE during the base rate freeze period by accelerating the recognition of certain tax benefits. In addition, WE, WG, and WPS will defer the revenue requirement impacts of any federal corporate tax reform enacted in 2017 or during the base rate freeze period. Additionally, the agreement allows WPS to extend through 2019, the deferral for the revenue requirement of ReACT™ costs above the authorized $275.0 million level, and other deferrals related to WPS's electric real-time market pricing program and network transmission expenses. The total cost of the ReACT™ project, excluding $51 million of AFUDC, is currently estimated to be $342 million. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, WPS also agreed to adopt, beginning in 2018, the earnings sharing mechanism currently in place for WE and WG, and all three utilities agreed to keep the mechanism in place through 2019. Under this earnings sharing mechanism, if WE, WG, or WPS earns above its authorized ROE, 50% of the first 50 basis points of additional utility earnings must be shared with customers. All utility earnings above the first 50 basis points must also be shared with customers. Natural Gas Storage Facilities in Michigan In January 2017, we signed an agreement for the acquisition of Bluewater. Bluewater owns natural gas storage facilities in Michigan that would provide approximately one-third of the current storage needs for the natural gas distribution service customers of WE, WG, and WPS. As a result of this agreement, WE, WG, and WPS filed a request with the PSCW in February 2017 for a declaratory ruling on various items associated with the storage facilities. In the filing, WE, WG, and WPS requested that the PSCW review and confirm the reasonableness and prudency of their potential long-term storage service agreements and interstate natural gas transportation contracts related to the storage facilities. WE, WG, and WPS also requested approval to amend our Affiliated Interest Agreement to ensure WBS and our other subsidiaries could provide services to the storage facilities. During June 2017, the PSCW granted, subject to various conditions, these declarations and approvals, and we acquired Bluewater on June 30, 2017. In September 2017, WE, WG, and WPS finalized the long-term service agreements for the natural gas storage and filed with the PSCW for approval of these agreements. We expect to receive approval of the service agreements in the fourth quarter of 2017. See Note 2, Acquisitions, for more information. The Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company and North Shore Gas Company Illinois Proceedings In December 2015, the ICC ordered a series of stakeholder workshops to evaluate PGL's SMP. This ICC action did not impact PGL's ongoing work to modernize and maintain the safety of its natural gas distribution system, but it instead provided the ICC with an opportunity to analyze long-term elements of the program through the stakeholder workshops. The workshops commenced in January 2016 and were completed in March 2016. In July 2016, the ICC initiated a proceeding to review, among other things, the planning, reporting, and monitoring of the program, including the target end date for the program. In March 2017, the ICC issued an order directing that additional hearings be held before the ALJ on certain issues to further develop the evidentiary record in the case. This proceeding is expected to result in a final order by the ICC in 2017. We are currently unable to determine what, if any, long-term impact there will be on the SMP. Qualifying Infrastructure Plant Rider In July 2013, Illinois Public Act 98-0057, The Natural Gas Consumer, Safety & Reliability Act, became law. The Act provides PGL with a cost recovery mechanism that allows collection, through a surcharge on customer bills, of prudently incurred costs to upgrade Illinois natural gas infrastructure. In September 2013, PGL filed with the ICC requesting the proposed rider, which was approved in January 2014. PGL's QIP rider is subject to an annual reconciliation whereby costs are reviewed for accuracy and prudency. In March 2017, PGL filed its 2016 reconciliation with the ICC, which, along with the 2015 reconciliation, is still pending. For PGL's 2014 reconciliation, the ICC staff and the Illinois Attorney General's office held an evidentiary hearing in September 2017, and we expect to receive an order related to the 2014 reconciliation in 2017. As of September 30, 2017, there can be no assurance that all costs incurred under PGL's QIP rider during the open reconciliation years will be deemed recoverable by the ICC. Minnesota Energy Resources Corporation 2018 Minnesota Rate Case In October 2017, MERC initiated a rate proceeding with the MPUC to increase retail natural gas rates $12.6 million (5.05%). MERC's request reflects a 10.3% ROE and a common equity component average of 50.9%. The proposed retail natural gas rate increase is primarily driven by increased capital investments as well as general inflation. MERC is also requesting authority from the MPUC to continue the use of its currently authorized decoupling mechanism. 2016 Minnesota Rate Order In September 2015, MERC initiated a rate proceeding with the MPUC. In October 2016, the MPUC issued a final written order for MERC, effective March 1, 2017. The order authorized a retail natural gas rate increase of $6.8 million (3.0%). The rates reflect a 9.11% ROE and a common equity component average of 50.32%. The order approved MERC's request to continue the use of its currently authorized decoupling mechanism for another three years. The final approved rate increase was lower than the interim rates collected from customers during 2016. Therefore, we refunded $4.1 million to MERC's customers during the second quarter of 2017. Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corporation Formation of Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corporation In December 2016, both the MPSC and the PSCW approved the operation of UMERC as a stand-alone utility in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and UMERC became operational effective January 1, 2017. This utility holds the electric and natural gas distribution assets, previously held by WE and WPS, located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In August 2016, we entered into an agreement with the Tilden Mining Company (Tilden), under which Tilden will purchase electric power from UMERC for its iron ore mine for 20 years. The agreement also calls for UMERC to construct and operate approximately 180 MWs of natural gas-fired generation located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In October 2017, the MPSC approved both the agreement with Tilden and UMERC's application for a certificate of necessity to begin construction of the proposed generation. The estimated cost of this project is $265.7 million ($277 million with AFUDC), 50% of which is expected to be recovered from Tilden, with the remaining 50% expected to be recovered from UMERC's other utility customers. The new units are expected to begin commercial operation in 2019 and should allow for the retirement of PIPP no later than 2020. Tilden will remain a customer of WE until this new generation begins commercial operation. 2015 Michigan Rate Order Prior to the formation of UMERC, in October 2014, WPS initiated a rate proceeding with the MPSC. In April 2015, the MPSC issued a final written order for WPS, effective April 24, 2015, approving a settlement agreement. As a result of the formation of UMERC, the terms and conditions of this WPS rate order now apply to UMERC, including the deferrals described below. The order authorized a retail electric rate increase of $4.0 million to be implemented over three years to recover costs for the 2013 acquisition of the Fox Energy Center as well as other capital investments associated with the Crane Creek wind farm and environmental upgrades at generation plants. The rates reflected a 10.2% ROE and a common equity component average of 50.48%. The increase reflected the continued deferral of costs associated with the Fox Energy Center until the second anniversary of the order. The increase also reflected the deferral of Weston Unit 3 ReACT™ environmental project costs. On the second anniversary of the order, the Fox Energy Center costs deferral was discontinued and amortization of this deferral began, along with the amortization of the deferral associated with the termination of the Fox Energy Center tolling agreement. In the order, the MPSC also approved the deferral and amortization of the undepreciated book value of the retired plant associated with Pulliam Units 5 and 6 and Weston Unit 1 starting with the actual retirement date, June 1, 2015, and concluding by 2023. UMERC will not seek an increase to retail electric base rates that would become effective prior to January 1, 2018.

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