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Regulatory Environment | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2021
Regulated Operations [Abstract] |
REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT | REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT Recovery of Natural Gas Costs Due to the cold temperatures, wind, snow, and ice throughout the central part of the country during February 2021, the cost of gas purchased for our natural gas utility customers was temporarily driven significantly higher than our normal winter weather expectations. All of our utilities have regulatory mechanisms in place for recovering all prudently incurred gas costs. On March 23, 2021, WE and WG requested approval from the PSCW to recover approximately $54 million and $24 million, respectively, of natural gas costs in excess of the benchmark set in their GCRMs. On March 30, 2021, the PSCW approved the requests and both WE and WG recovered these excess costs over a period of three months, beginning in April 2021. In March 2021, WPS also filed its revised natural gas rate sheets with the PSCW reflecting approximately $28 million of natural gas costs in excess of the benchmark set in its GCRM. WPS recovered these excess costs over a period of three months, beginning in April 2021. PGL and NSG incurred approximately $131 million and $10 million, respectively, of natural gas costs in February 2021 in excess of the amounts included in their rates. These costs are being recovered over a period of 12 months, which started on April 1, 2021. PGL's and NSG's natural gas costs will be reviewed for prudency by the ICC as part of their annual natural gas cost reconciliation, which we expect to file with the ICC in April 2022. The ICC could order the refund of any costs determined to be imprudent as part of the reconciliation. In February 2021, MERC incurred approximately $75 million of natural gas costs in excess of the benchmark set in its GCRM. In July 2021, MERC and four other Minnesota utilities filed a joint proposal with the MPUC to recover their respective excess natural gas costs. Under the proposal, MERC will recover $10 million of these costs through its annual natural gas true-up process over a period of 12 months, and the remaining $65 million over 27 months, both beginning in September 2021. In August 2021, the MPUC issued a written order approving this proposal; however, recovery of these costs and the issue of prudence has been referred to a contested-case proceeding. As a result of the proceeding, the MPUC could disallow recovery or order the refund of any costs determined to be imprudent. A decision regarding this review is expected in August 2022. Natural gas costs incurred at MGU and UMERC in excess of the amount included in their respective rates were not significant. Coronavirus Disease – 2019 The global outbreak of COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and the CDC. COVID-19 has spread globally, including throughout the United States and, in turn, our service territories. Each of the states in which our regulated utilities operate declared a public health emergency and issued shelter-in-place orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All of the shelter-in-place orders have since expired or been lifted. The PSCW, the ICC, the MPUC, and the MPSC all issued written orders requiring certain actions to ensure that essential utility services were available to customers in their respective jurisdictions. A summary of these orders is included below. Wisconsin In March 2020, the PSCW issued two orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first order required all public utilities in the state of Wisconsin, including WE, WPS, and WG, to temporarily suspend disconnections, the assessment of late fees, and deposit requirements for all customer classes. In addition, it required utilities to reconnect customers that were previously disconnected, offer deferred payment arrangements to all customers, and streamline the application process for customers applying for utility service. In the second order issued in March 2020, the PSCW authorized Wisconsin utilities to defer expenditures and certain foregone revenues resulting from compliance with the first order, and expenditures as otherwise incurred to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable access to utility services during the declared public health emergency. The PSCW affirmed that this authorization for deferral included the incremental increase in uncollectible expense above what was being recovered in rates. As WE, WPS, and WG already have a cost recovery mechanism in place to recover uncollectible expense for residential customers, this deferral only impacted the recovery of uncollectible expense for their commercial and industrial customers. See Note 5, Credit Losses, for information regarding changes to our allowance for credit losses. On December 16, 2021, the PSCW approved a motion to end all COVID-related deferrals as of December 31, 2021. The total amount deferred at our Wisconsin utilities related to the COVID-19 pandemic was not significant as of December 31, 2021. The PSCW will review the recoverability and examine the prudency of any deferred amounts in future rate proceedings. In June 2020, the PSCW issued a written order providing a timeline for the lifting of the temporary provisions required in the first March 2020 order. Utilities were allowed to disconnect commercial and industrial customers and require deposits for new service as of July 25, 2020 and July 31, 2020, respectively. After August 15, 2020, utilities were no longer required to offer deferred payment arrangements to all customers. Additionally, utilities were authorized to reinstate late fees except for the period between the first order and this supplemental order. Our Wisconsin utilities resumed charging late payment fees in late August 2020. Late payment fees were not charged on outstanding balances that were billed between the first order and late August 2020. Subsequent to the June 2020 order, the PSCW extended the moratorium on disconnections of residential customers until November 1, 2020. In accordance with Wisconsin regulations, utilities are generally not allowed to disconnect residential customers for non-payment during the winter moratorium, which began on November 1, 2020 and ended on April 15, 2021. Utilities were allowed to continue assessing late payment fees during the winter moratorium. On April 5, 2021, the PSCW issued a written order indicating that it would not extend the moratorium on disconnections further; therefore, utilities could begin disconnecting residential customers for non-payment after April 15, 2021. Utilities are required to offer a deferred payment arrangement to low-income residential customers prior to disconnecting service. The order also allowed our Wisconsin utilities to resume charging late payment fees on the full balance of all outstanding arrears, regardless of the associated dates the service was provided, after April 15, 2021. Illinois In March 2020, the ICC issued an order to all Illinois utilities, including PGL and NSG, requiring, among other things, a moratorium on disconnections of utility service and a suspension of late fees and penalties during the declared public health emergency. These provisions applied to all utility customer classes. Illinois utilities were also required to temporarily enact more flexible credit and collections procedures. In June 2020, the ICC issued a written order approving a settlement agreement negotiated by Illinois utilities, ICC staff, and certain intervenors. The key terms of the settlement agreement included the following: •The moratorium on disconnections and the suspension of late fees and penalties were extended until July 26, 2020. •Customers disconnected after June 18, 2019 could be reconnected without being assessed a reconnection fee if reconnection was requested prior to August 25, 2020. •Flexible deferred payment arrangements were required to be offered to residential and commercial and industrial customers for an extended period of time and with reduced down payment requirements. •Deposit requirements were waived until August 25, 2020 for all residential customers, and were waived for an additional four months for residential customers that verbally expressed financial hardship. •PGL and NSG were required to establish a bill payment assistance program with approximately $12.0 million and $1.2 million, respectively, available for eligible residential customers to provide relief from high arrearages. In addition to the above, the settlement agreement approved in June 2020 authorized PGL and NSG to implement a SPC rider to recover incremental direct costs resulting from COVID-19, foregone late fees and reconnection charges, and the costs associated with their bill payment assistance programs incurred between March 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021. PGL and NSG began recovering costs under the SPC rider on October 1, 2020. Amounts deferred under the SPC rider are being recovered over 36 months and will be subject to review and reconciliation by the ICC. As of December 31, 2021, PGL's and NSG's regulatory assets related to the COVID-19 pandemic were $22.9 million, collectively. Subsequent to the approval of the June 2020 settlement agreement, and at the request of the ICC, PGL and NSG agreed to extend the moratorium on disconnections for qualified low-income residential customers and residential customers expressing financial hardship through March 31, 2021. The annual winter moratorium in Illinois that generally prohibits PGL and NSG from disconnecting residential customers for non-payment began on December 1, 2020 and ended on March 31, 2021. In March 2021, the ICC issued a written order approving a second settlement agreement negotiated by Illinois utilities, ICC staff, and certain intervenors. The key terms of this new settlement agreement were as follows: •Utilities could start sending disconnection notices, on a staggered basis, as of April 1, 2021. Disconnections were done on a staggered schedule based on customer arrears and income levels (e.g. low income versus non-low income customers). Utilities were not allowed to disconnect customers for non-payment prior to June 30, 2021 if the customer's household income was below 300% of the federal poverty level and the customer was on a deferred payment plan. •Utilities were required to continue offering flexible deferred payment arrangements with reduced down payment requirements to residential customers through June 30, 2021. •Reconnection fees were waived for eligible low income customers through June 30, 2021. In addition, utilities will continue to exempt eligible low income customers from late payment fees and deposits. •Each utility was required to continue, or renew, its bill payment assistance program through 2021. In addition to the $12.0 million PGL initially funded, PGL was required to fund an additional $6.0 million to its bill payment assistance program. No additional funding was required for NSG due to the amount still available for assistance from its initial funding. During April 2021, PGL's bill payment assistance program ended as all $18.0 million of funds were exhausted. NSG's bill payment assistance program ended in August 2021 when its funds were exhausted. •Costs related to the provisions in the settlement agreement, including costs related to the bill payment assistance programs, were recoverable through the SPC rider. Minnesota In May 2020, the MPUC issued a written order authorizing Minnesota utilities, including MERC, to track and defer COVID-19 related expenses and certain foregone revenues. The MPUC will review the recoverability and examine the prudency of any deferred amounts in future rate proceedings. As of December 31, 2021, amounts deferred at MERC related to the COVID-19 pandemic were not significant. In June 2020, the MPUC verbally ordered Minnesota utilities to temporarily suspend disconnections and waive reconnection fees, service deposits, late fees, interest, and penalties for all residential customers. In addition, utilities were required to immediately reconnect residential customers that were previously disconnected. In August 2020, the MPUC issued a written order affirming these temporary provisions. Prior to the June 2020 verbal order issued by the MPUC, MERC had voluntarily taken actions to ensure its customers continued to receive utility services during the pandemic. These actions included, but were not limited to, temporarily suspending disconnections and waiving late payment fees for residential and small commercial and industrial customers that entered into payment plans. In March 2021, the MPUC issued an order requiring Minnesota utilities to file a transition plan to resume collections and disconnections upon the earlier of an Executive Secretary finding the transition plan was complete, or 90 days following the expiration of Minnesota's declared peacetime emergency. MERC filed its transition plan in April 2021, and it was subsequently deemed complete by the Executive Secretary. In accordance with the transition plan, MERC resumed disconnections on August 2, 2021. MERC will not disconnect residential customers with past due balances if the customer has a pending application or has been deemed eligible for a financial assistance program. In addition, MERC will continue to offer flexible deferred payment arrangements to residential customers. For customers who enter, or are complying with, a payment arrangement, MERC will not impose any service deposits, down payments, interest, late payment fees, or reconnections fees through April 30, 2022. Michigan In April 2020, the MPSC issued a written order requiring Michigan utilities, including MGU and UMERC, to put certain minimum protections in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The minimum protections required by the order included the suspension of disconnections, late payment fees, deposits, and reconnection fees for certain vulnerable customers. In addition, utilities were required to extend access to and enhance the flexibility of payment plans to customers financially impacted by COVID-19. As required in the MPSC order, MGU and UMERC filed responses with the MPSC in April 2020 affirming the actions being taken to protect customers. These actions provided protections to more customers than required by the MPSC order, and included suspending disconnections for all residential customers, waiving deposit requirements for new service, suspending the assessment of late fees for customers that entered into payment plans, and enhancing payment plan options for all customers. The April 2020 MPSC order also authorized all Michigan utilities to defer, for potential future recovery, uncollectible expense incurred on or after March 24, 2020 that exceeded the amounts being recovered in rates. In July 2020, the MPSC issued an order denying Michigan utilities' ability to defer additional COVID-19 related expenses and certain foregone revenues. The MPSC indicated that utilities could still seek recovery of these costs and foregone revenues by filing additional information on the specifics of their request. MGU and UMERC filed comments with the MPSC in November 2020 indicating they had not experienced any material additional COVID-19 related expenses or foregone revenues, but will continue to monitor them and will notify the MPSC if they become material. At December 31, 2021, our Michigan utilities had not recorded any deferrals related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2021, MGU and UMERC worked with MPSC staff to develop a transition plan to resume collections and disconnections, while continuing to assist customers in managing their arrears balances. In accordance with the agreed upon transition plan, MGU and UMERC resumed pre-pandemic collection activities and residential service disconnections on August 2, 2021. Flexible deferred payment arrangements will continue to be available to customers. Wisconsin Electric Power Company, Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, and Wisconsin Gas LLC 2022 Rates In March 2021, WE, WPS, and WG filed an application with the PSCW for the approval of certain accounting treatments that will allow them to maintain their current electric, natural gas, and steam base rates through 2022 and forego filing a rate case for one year. In connection with the request, the three utilities also entered into an agreement, dated March 23, 2021, with various stakeholders. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, the stakeholders fully supported the application. In September 2021, the PSCW issued written orders approving the application. The final orders reflect the following: •WE, WPS, and WG will amortize, in 2022, certain previously deferred balances to offset approximately half of their forecasted revenue deficiencies. •WG will defer interest and depreciation expense associated with capital investments since its last rate case that otherwise would have been added to rate base in a 2022 test-year rate case. •WE, WPS, and WG will defer any increases in tax expense due to changes in tax law that occur in 2021 and/or 2022. •WE, WPS, and WG will maintain their earnings sharing mechanisms for 2022, with modification. The earnings sharing mechanisms were modified to authorize the utility to retain 100% of the first 15 basis points of earnings above its currently authorized ROE. This modification expires on December 31, 2022. The earnings sharing mechanisms otherwise remains as previously authorized. •WE, WPS, and WG will file a full 2023-2024 test-year rate case no later than May 1, 2022. 2020 and 2021 Rates In March 2019, WE, WPS, and WG filed applications with the PSCW to increase their retail electric, natural gas, and steam rates, as applicable, effective January 1, 2020. In August 2019, all three utilities filed applications with the PSCW for approval of settlement agreements entered into with certain intervenors to resolve several outstanding issues in each utility's respective rate case. In December 2019, the PSCW issued written orders that approved the settlement agreements without material modification and addressed the remaining outstanding issues that were not included in the settlement agreements. The new rates were effective January 1, 2020. The final orders reflected the following:
|  | WE |  | WPS |  | WG
2020 Effective rate increase (decrease) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Electric (1) (2) |  | $ | 15.3 | million | / | 0.5% |  | $ | 15.8 | million | / | 1.6% |  | N/A
Gas (3) |  | $ | 10.4 | million | / | 2.8% |  | $ | 4.3 | million | / | 1.4% |  | $ | (1.5) | million | / | (0.2)%
Steam |  | $ | 1.9 | million | / | 8.6% |  | N/A |  | N/A
ROE |  | 10.0% |  | 10.0% |  | 10.2%
Common equity component average on a financial basis |  | 52.5% |  | 52.5% |  | 52.5%
(1) Amounts are net of certain deferred tax benefits from the Tax Legislation that were utilized to reduce near-term rate impact. The WE and WPS rate orders reflected the majority of the unprotected deferred tax benefits from the Tax Legislation being amortized over two years. For WE, approximately $65 million of tax benefits were amortized in each of 2020 and 2021. For WPS, approximately $11 million of tax benefits were amortized in 2020 and approximately $39 million were amortized in 2021. The unprotected deferred tax benefits related to the unrecovered balances of certain of WE's retired plants and its SSR regulatory asset were used to reduce the related regulatory asset. Unprotected deferred tax benefits by their nature are eligible to be returned to customers in a manner and timeline determined to be appropriate by our regulators. (2) The WPS rate order was net of $21 million of refunds related to its 2018 earnings sharing mechanism. These refunds were made to customers evenly over two years, with half returned in 2020 and the remainder returned in 2021. (3) The WE amount includes certain deferred tax expense from the Tax Legislation, and the WPS and WG amounts are net of certain deferred tax benefits from the Tax Legislation that were utilized to reduce near-term rate impact. The rate orders for all three gas utilities reflected all of the unprotected deferred tax expense and benefits from the Tax Legislation being amortized evenly over four years. For WE, approximately $5 million of previously deferred tax expense will be amortized each year. For WPS and WG, approximately $5 million and $3 million, respectively, of previously deferred tax benefits will be amortized each year. Unprotected deferred tax expense and benefits by their nature are eligible to be recovered from or returned to customers in a manner and timeline determined to be appropriate by our regulators. In accordance with its rate order, WE filed an application with the PSCW in July 2020 requesting a financing order to securitize $100 million of Pleasant Prairie power plant's book value, plus the carrying costs accrued on the $100 million during the securitization process and the related financing fees. In November 2020, the PSCW issued a written order approving the application. The financing order also authorized WE to form a bankruptcy-remote special purpose entity, WEPCo Environmental Trust, for the sole purpose of issuing ETBs to recover the approved costs. In May 2021, WEPCo Environmental Trust issued $118.8 million of 1.578% ETBs due December 15, 2035. See Note 14, Long-Term Debt, for more information regarding the issuance of the ETBs. See Note 23, Variable Interest Entities, for more information regarding WEPCo Environmental Trust. The WPS rate order allows WPS to collect the previously deferred revenue requirement for ReACT™ costs above the authorized $275.0 million level. The total cost of the ReACT™ project was $342 million. This regulatory asset is being collected from customers over eight years. The PSCW approved all three Wisconsin utilities continuing to have an earnings sharing mechanism through 2021. The earnings sharing mechanism was modified from its previous structure to one that was consistent with other Wisconsin investor-owned utilities. Under this earnings sharing mechanism, if the utility earned above its authorized ROE: (i) the utility retained 100.0% of earnings for the first 25 basis points above the authorized ROE; (ii) 50.0% of the next 50 basis points were required to be refunded to customers; and (iii) 100.0% of any remaining excess earnings were required to be refunded to customers. In addition, the rate orders also required WE, WPS, and WG to maintain residential and small commercial electric and natural gas customer fixed charges at previously authorized rates and to maintain the status quo for WE's and WPS's electric market-based rate programs for large industrial customers through 2021. The Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company and North Shore Gas Company Third-Party Transaction Fee Adjustment Rider In accordance with the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act that was signed into law in Illinois, effective September 15, 2021, utilities are prohibited from charging customers a fee when they elect to pay for service with a credit card. Utilities are now required to incur these expenses. On October 27, 2021, PGL and NSG filed requests with the ICC for approval of a TPTFA rider, which will allow for the recovery of these third-party transaction fee expenses that are now being incurred. The ICC approved the TPTFA rider for PGL on December 16, 2021, and it became effective on December 27, 2021. PGL began recovering costs under the rider on February 1, 2022. Amounts deferred under the rider will be recovered over a period of 12 months and will be subject to an annual reconciliation whereby costs will be reviewed by the ICC for accuracy and prudency. On January 3, 2022, NSG filed a motion with the ICC to withdraw its request for the TPTFA rider, which was subsequently accepted by the ICC. NSG recovers costs related to these third-party transaction fees through its recently established base rates. North Shore Gas Company 2021 Rate Order In October 2020, NSG filed a request with the ICC to increase its natural gas rates. In September 2021, the ICC issued a written order authorizing a rate increase of $4.1 million (4.5%). The rate increase reflects a 9.67% ROE and a common equity component average of 51.58%. The natural gas rate increase is primarily driven by NSG's ongoing significant investment in its distribution system since its last rate review that resulted in revised base rates effective January 28, 2015. The new rates were effective September 15, 2021. Qualifying Infrastructure Plant Rider In July 2013, Illinois Public Act 98-0057, The Natural Gas Consumer, Safety & Reliability Act, became law. This law provides natural gas utilities 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 January 2014, the ICC approved a QIP rider for PGL, which is in effect through 2023. PGL's QIP rider is subject to an annual reconciliation whereby costs are reviewed for accuracy and prudency. In March 2021, PGL filed its 2020 reconciliation with the ICC, which, along with the 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016 reconciliations, are still pending. In July 2019, the ICC approved a settlement of the 2015 reconciliation, which included a rate base reduction of $7.0 million and a $7.3 million refund to ratepayers. As of December 31, 2021, 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 Rate Order In October 2017, MERC initiated a rate proceeding with the MPUC. In December 2018, the MPUC issued a final written order for MERC. The order authorized a retail natural gas rate increase of $3.1 million (1.26%). The rates reflect a 9.7% ROE and a common equity component average of 50.9%. The final rates were implemented on July 1, 2019. The final approved rate increase was lower than the interim rates collected from customers during 2018 and through June 30, 2019. Therefore, MERC refunded $8.2 million to its customers during the second half of 2019. The final order addressed the various impacts of the Tax Legislation, including the remeasurement of deferred tax balances. All of the impacts from the Tax Legislation have been included in base rates. The order also approved MERC's continued use of its decoupling mechanism for residential customers. Effective January 1, 2019, MERC's small commercial and industrial customers are no longer included in the decoupling mechanism. Michigan Gas Utilities Corporation 2021 Rate Order In February 2020, MGU provided notification to the MPSC of its intent to file an application requesting an increase to MGU's natural gas rates to be effective January 1, 2021. However, MGU decided that it would delay its filing of the rate case as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, MGU filed an application with the MPSC requesting approval to defer $5.0 million of depreciation and interest expense during 2021 related to capital investments made by MGU since its last rate case. In July 2020, the MPSC issued a written order approving MGU's request. The deferral of these costs helped to mitigate the impacts from delaying the filing of the rate case. In March 2021, MGU filed its request with the MPSC to increase its natural gas rates. In July 2021, MGU filed with the MPSC, a settlement agreement it reached with certain intervenors, which the MPSC approved in a written order in September 2021. The order authorizes a rate increase of $9.3 million (6.35%) and reflects a 9.85% ROE and a common equity component average of 51.5%. The natural gas rate increase was primarily driven by MGU's significant investment in capital infrastructure since its last rate review that resulted in revised base rates effective January 1, 2016. The order also allows MGU to implement a rider for its Main Replacement Program that will support recovery of planned capital investment related to pipeline replacements to maintain system safety and reliability between 2023 and 2027, without having to file a rate case. We expect approximately $31.7 million of costs to be recovered through this rider. All costs recovered through the rider are subject to a prudence review by the MPSC. The new rates became effective January 1, 2022.

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