Regulatory Matters

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

8.	Regulatory Matters

Gas Distribution Operations Regulatory Matters

Significant Rate Developments. On June 1, 2011, Columbia of Virginia filed an application for approval of an infrastructure tracking mechanism pursuant to the Steps to Advance Virginia's Energy ("SAVE") Plan Act. Columbia of Virginia's SAVE Plan provides for recovery of costs associated with the accelerated replacement of certain facilities designed to improve system safety or reliability through a rate rider that would commence on January 1, 2012. The proposed replacement program would result in investments of $20 million per year from 2012 through 2016, as well as covering $2.9 million in investment occurring in 2011. The VSCC issued a procedural order on June 17, 2011 providing for the filing of responsive testimony and scheduling a public hearing for September 7, 2011.

On March 8, 2011, Columbia of Kentucky made its annual filing with the Kentucky PSC related to the AMRP Rider and requested an increase of $0.5 million in the rates related to the Rider. This filing was approved by the Kentucky PSC on April 29, 2011.

On January 14, 2011, Columbia of Pennsylvania filed a base rate case with the Pennsylvania PUC, seeking a revenue increase of approximately $37.8 million annually, and seeking to implement a levelized distribution charge for its residential class that would mitigate revenue volatility associated with volumetric rates. The parties jointly filed a petition for approval of a partial settlement on July 1, 2011. The partial settlement resolves all issues except Columbia of Pennsylvania's proposed residential rate design and a challenge to the structure of one of the Company's customer programs. Resolution of the residential rate design issue, as stated above, will impact revenue volatility, while resolution of the other contested issue will be revenue neutral. The proposed settlement provides for an annual revenue increase of $17 million. Columbia of Pennsylvania expects that the Pennsylvania PUC will issue an order in October 2011 with rates also going into effect in October 2011.

On November 30, 2010, Columbia of Ohio filed a notice of intent to file an application to adjust rates associated with Rider IRP and Rider DSM. On February 28, 2011, Columbia of Ohio filed its application to adjust rates associated with IRP and DSM Riders. The DSM Rider tracks and recovers costs associated with Columbia of Ohio's energy efficiency and conservation programs. The application sought to increase the annual revenue from the riders by approximately $24 million. On April 7, 2011, the parties filed a stipulation that settled this case, which was approved as filed by the PUCO on April 27, 2011. The Order allows Columbia of Ohio to increase its annual revenues by approximately $24 million effective May 1, 2011.

On November 12, 2010, Columbia of Pennsylvania filed a petition for an order authorizing the company to revise its accounting methodology for the gas it holds in storage. Columbia of Pennsylvania had historically used Last-In First-Out (LIFO) accounting but sought permission to move to a Weighted Average Cost of Gas (WACOG) accounting methodology as a means of simplifying regulatory accounting and to realize the value of low-cost gas injected into storage decades ago. On February 4, 2011, Columbia of Pennsylvania filed a settlement agreement with the Pennsylvania PUC in which regulatory stakeholders agreed that Columbia of Pennsylvania should adopt the WACOG accounting methodology and provide the benefit of the low-cost gas supplies to its customers. On March 31, 2011, the Pennsylvania PUC approved the settlement and Columbia of Pennsylvania began to provide the benefit of $35.7 million as a credit to its customers as a reduction of the GCR rate.

On September 29, 2010, Columbia of Pennsylvania filed tariff modifications with the Pennsylvania PUC, seeking permission to apply a BTU content billing adjustment to customers' metered volumetric consumption. The filing seeks to account for high BTU content gas that is produced from Marcellus Shale, which burns hotter than gas from other sources, resulting in lower volumes than assumed in the design of the company's rates. The proposed billing adjustment is designed to produce revenues reflective of the BTU content underlying the demand forecast in the design of Columbia of Pennsylvania's most recently approved base rates. If the billing adjustment had been in place for the twelve months ended June 30, 2010, it would have produced additional revenues of approximately $3.7 million. By an order entered on January 26, 2011, the Pennsylvania PUC consolidated this matter with Columbia of Pennsylvania's base rate case filed on January 14, 2011. As described above, the parties to Columbia of Pennsylvania's current base rate case have filed a joint petition for approval of a partial settlement. The partial settlement resolves the issue of BTU content whereby Columbia of Pennsylvania will convert from volumetric billing to heat content billing by no later than the June 2012 billing cycle. The Pennsylvania PUC will rule on this matter in conjunction with the base rate case, as described above.

On September 1, 2010 Northern Indiana, Northern Indiana Fuel and Light and Kokomo Gas filed a petition for merger into one company (Northern Indiana). Northern Indiana Fuel and Light and Kokomo Gas also filed rate proceedings on September 1, 2010. On February 23, 2011, a stipulation and settlement agreement was filed with the IURC that provides for the merger and settlement of the rate proceedings. The settlement stipulates that all of Northern Indiana's existing services, rates and charges will be applicable in the former Northern Indiana Fuel and Light and Kokomo Gas territories, including one unified Gas Cost Adjustment mechanism. The application of Northern Indiana's rates in the former Northern Indiana Fuel and Light and Kokomo Gas territories will result in a decrease in revenue of approximately $0.8 million, when compared to a normalized test year ended March 31, 2010. This is primarily offset by reductions in depreciation expense. An uncontested settlement hearing was held on March 23, 2011. The IURC issued their Final Order on May 31, 2011, approving without change the earlier stipulation and settlement agreement agreed to by the parties. Rates and services provided by the merger agreement became effective July 1, 2011.

On May 3, 2010, Northern Indiana filed a natural gas rate case with the IURC. Northern Indiana entered into a comprehensive settlement with all parties on August 24, 2010. The Settlement Agreement was approved in entirety by Order issued on November 4, 2010 and new rates were placed into effect November 5, 2010. The order resulted in a decrease in revenue of approximately $14.9 million when compared to a normalized test year ended December 31, 2009. The IURC authorized Northern Indiana to increase the monthly fixed charge for residential customers from $6.36 to $11.00. The IURC also approved revised depreciation accrual rates for gas plant and authorized Northern Indiana to reduce current period gas plant depreciation expense by up to $25.7 million annually for the next four years or until further order of the IURC, whichever occurs first.

On May 3, 2010, Columbia of Virginia filed a base rate case with the VSCC seeking an annual revenue increase of $13.0 million to recover an updated level of costs upon the expiration of its Performance Based Regulation Plan on December 31, 2010. Columbia of Virginia also sought a Weather Normalization Adjustment ("WNA"), cost recovery of certain gas-related items through its Purchased Gas Adjustment ("PGA") mechanism rather than base rates, and forward looking adjustments predicted to occur during the rate year ending December 31, 2011. On November 16, 2010, Columbia of Virginia, the VSCC Staff and the other parties filed a Proposed Stipulation and Recommendation ("Stipulation") that would result in an annual revenue increase of $4.9 million, including authorization of the WNA and recovery of certain gas-related items through the PGA mechanism. The Chief Hearing Examiner issued a Report on December 2, 2010 recommending approval of the Stipulation. The VSCC issued a Final Order on December 17, 2010 adopting the Stipulation. New rates became effective January 1, 2011.

On October 21, 2009, the IURC issued an Order in the proceeding concerning Northern Indiana's annual gas recovery, rejecting the use of a four-year average to compute unaccounted for gas. This Order required Northern Indiana to refund an estimated $5.8 million to customers based on a calculation utilizing a one-year average of unaccounted for gas for the twelve month periods ended July 31, 2008 and July 31, 2009. A reserve provided for the full amount of the refund, which Northern Indiana began returning to customers in March 2010, and was completed in May 2011.

Columbia of Massachusetts filed an application to implement its Targeted Infrastructure Reinvestment Factor ("TIRF") on April 30, 2010. On October 29, 2010, the Massachusetts DPU approved Columbia of Massachusetts' proposed adjustment factor, to take effect November 1, 2010, subject to further investigation and reconciliation. On April 29, 2011, Columbia of Massachusetts filed its second annual application of its TIRF tracker for DPU approval for new rates to go into effect November 1, 2011, and is currently awaiting review and approval by the DPU. On September 16, 2010, Columbia of Massachusetts filed a petition for approval to implement its first semi-annual revenue decoupling adjustment factor ("RDAF") for the Peak Period. That adjustment, which took effect on November 1, 2010, subject to further review and reconciliation, was approved by the DPU on March 23, 2011. Columbia of Massachusetts filed its application for approval of its Off-peak Period RDAF on March 15, 2011. The rate took effect on May 1, 2011, subject to further review and reconciliation by the DPU.

In March 2009, Indiana Governor Daniels signed Senate Bill 423 into law giving the Indiana Finance Authority the ability to contract, on behalf of gas customers in the state of Indiana, with developers capable of building facilities that manufacture Substitute Natural Gas from coal. The Indiana Finance Authority ("IFA") received one bid, from Indiana Gasification, by the April 9, 2009 deadline to initiate a Substitute Natural Gas plant in Southern Indiana under a 30 year contract. In March 2010, Governor Daniels signed into law House Enrolled Act 1086, which allows the IFA to enter into contracts for the sale of Substitute Natural Gas with third parties, with proceeds from and costs of those sales being reflected on customers' bills. The IURC must approve the final purchase contract between the IFA and Indiana Gasification as well as the management agreement between IFA and the utilities for collection of funds or pass through of credits to customers related to the purchase contracts. On December 16, 2010, the IFA filed a Petition seeking approval of the purchase contract and the management agreement. The IURC held a Prehearing Conference on January 27, 2011, in which a procedural schedule was established. All hearings in this proceeding occurred during two weeks in May 2011 and based upon the schedule it is anticipated that an order will be issued in 2011.

On January 30, 2009, Columbia of Ohio filed an application with the PUCO to implement a gas supply auction. The auction replaced Columbia of Ohio's current GCR mechanism for providing commodity gas supplies to its sales customers. By order dated December 2, 2009, the PUCO approved a stipulation that resolved all issues in the case. Pursuant to the stipulation, Columbia of Ohio will conduct two consecutive one-year long standard service offer auction periods starting April 1, 2010 and April 1, 2011. On February 23, 2010, Columbia of Ohio held the first standard service offer auction which resulted in a final retail price adjustment of $1.93 per Mcf. On February 24, 2010 the PUCO issued an entry that approved the results of the auction and directed Columbia of Ohio to proceed with the implementation of the standard service offer process. On February 8, 2011, Columbia of Ohio held its second standard service offer auction which resulted in a retail price adjustment of $1.88 per Mcf. On February 9, 2011, the PUCO issued an entry that approved the results of the auction with the new retail price adjustment to become effective April 1, 2011. Columbia of Ohio is scheduled to conduct its first standard choice offer auction in February 2012. Several parties have challenged the transition from a standard service offer auction to a standard choice offer auction and the PUCO conducted hearings on the matter on July 14 and July 17, 2011. Columbia of Ohio anticipates an order to be issued by the Commission in this case during the third quarter of this year.

Cost Recovery and Trackers. A significant portion of the distribution companies' revenue is related to the recovery of gas costs, the review and recovery of which occurs via standard regulatory proceedings. All states require periodic review of actual gas procurement activity to determine prudence and to permit the recovery of prudently incurred costs related to the supply of gas for customers. NiSource distribution companies have historically been found prudent in the procurement of gas supplies to serve customers.

Certain operating costs of the NiSource distribution companies are significant, recurring in nature, and generally outside the control of the distribution companies. Some states allow the recovery of such costs via cost tracking mechanisms. Such tracking mechanisms allow for abbreviated regulatory proceedings in order for the distribution companies to implement charges and recover appropriate costs. Tracking mechanisms allow for more timely recovery of such costs as compared with more traditional cost recovery mechanisms. Examples of such mechanisms include GCR adjustment mechanisms, tax riders, and bad debt recovery mechanisms.

Comparability of Gas Distribution Operations line item operating results is impacted by regulatory trackers that allow for the recovery in rates of certain costs such as bad debt expenses. Increases in the expenses that are the subject of trackers, result in a corresponding increase in net revenues and therefore have essentially no impact on total operating income results.

Certain of the NiSource distribution companies have completed rate proceedings involving infrastructure replacement or are embarking upon regulatory initiatives to replace significant portions of their operating systems that are nearing the end of their useful lives. Each LDC's approach to cost recovery may be unique, given the different laws, regulations and precedent that exist in each jurisdiction.

Gas Transmission and Storage Operations Regulatory Matters

Columbia Gulf Rate Case. On October 28, 2010, Columbia Gulf filed a rate case with the FERC, proposing a rate increase and tariff changes. Among other things, the filing proposes a revenue increase of approximately $50 million to cover increases in the cost of services, which includes adjustments for operation and maintenance expenses, capital investments, adjustments to depreciation rates and expense, rate of return, and increased federal, state and local taxes. On November 30, 2010, the FERC issued an order allowing new rates to become effective by May 2011, subject to refund. Columbia Gulf placed new rates into effect, subject to refund, on May 1, 2011. Columbia Gulf and the parties to the case are actively engaged in settlement discussions to resolve the case.

Electric Operations Regulatory Matters

Significant Rate Developments. On June 27, 2008, Northern Indiana filed a petition with the IURC for new electric base rates and charges. The filing requested an increase in base rates calculated to produce additional gross margin of $85.7 million when compared to a normalized test year ended December 31, 2007. On August 25, 2010, the IURC issued an order authorizing electric rates to reflect investments in reliability, environmental technology and other infrastructure improvements.

Upon review of the order, NiSource concluded that the overall impact is in line with the company's expected outcome for the case and its financial outlook. The IURC approved a rate base of $2,639.0 million and an overall rate of return of 7.29%, which results in an allowed net operating income of $192.4 million. In conjunction with approved expenses, the rate order approves rates designed to produce a margin of $899.0 million based on 2007 test year volumes. The approved rate base includes the Sugar Creek Generating Station. Among other findings, the IURC also approved revised depreciation accrual rates for electric and common plant, amortization of deferrals, and two new tracking mechanisms, a Resource Adequacy Tracker and RTO Tracker. The IURC also found that Northern Indiana, before declaring or paying any dividends to NiSource must provide the IURC notice at least 20 business days prior. Northern Indiana provided such notice prior to making any dividend declaration subsequent to the receipt of the August 25, 2010 rate order.

Consistent with Northern Indiana's proposal, the IURC also approved a rate base that excludes Dean H. Mitchell Generating Station and Michigan City Generating Station Units 2 and 3. In accordance with ASC 980, Northern Indiana retired the Dean H. Mitchell Generating Station and Michigan City Generating Station Units 2 and 3 during the third quarter of 2010 as the stations are no longer used and useful. As a result of the order, construction work in progress, materials and supplies and base coal of $0.6 million, $2.9 million and $0.8 million, respectively were expensed during the third quarter of 2010 as there were no remaining future economic benefits associated with these assets.

Some parties sought reconsideration or rehearing of specific aspects of the case. On April 25, 2011, the IURC issued a docket entry to extend the deemed denied date for reconsideration or rehearing to be 30 days following the IURC's Order on Northern Indiana's November 19, 2010 petition for new electric base rates and charges. Several parties have also filed an appeal of the IURC order to the Indiana Court of Appeals. The appeals are still pending.

As part of the order, the IURC required Northern Indiana to file a compliance filing with updated tariffs and Northern Indiana made such filing on September 14, 2010. New rates cannot be implemented until the IURC approves the filed tariff. As part of the April 25, 2011 docket entry, the IURC also suspended the compliance filing schedule. Based on this docket entry, Northern Indiana does not believe that rates from the August 25, 2010 IURC order will be implemented.

Northern Indiana filed a petition for reconsideration with the IURC on September 14, 2010 to clarify that the effective date of certain aspects of the 2008 case including the new depreciation rates, commencement of amortization of deferred balances and discontinuance of further regulatory deferrals and the $55.0 million bill credit should coincide with the IURC's approval of new customer rates. On October 22, 2010, the IURC issued a docket entry clarifying that this interpretation is correct.

On November 19, 2010, Northern Indiana filed a petition with the IURC for new electric base rates and charges. The filing requests an increase in base rates calculated to produce additional gross revenue of $75.7 million when compared to a normalized test year ended June 30, 2010. This is calculated to provide the opportunity to earn a return of 7.70% on net original cost rate base of $2,706 million. If approved, the rates from this new petition would replace any other existing rates, including those that may be approved by effect of the August 25, 2010 rate order. The proposed rates would ease bill impacts on residential customers, while still allowing Northern Indiana to continue investing in service, reliability and infrastructure improvements. Northern Indiana filed the proceeding under the IURC's minimum standard filing requirements prescribing timeframes for issuance of an order if required information is supplied as part of the rate case filing. The IURC held its prehearing conference on December 17, 2010 and issued a prehearing conference order on January 5, 2011. The parties agreed to and the IURC ordered a procedural schedule that includes a bifurcated hearing. The evidentiary hearing on the revenue requirement portion of Northern Indiana's case-in-chief was held on February 28 – March 4, 2011, and the evidentiary hearing on the cost allocation portion of the case was held the week of May 16, 2011.

On July 18, 2011, Northern Indiana filed with the IURC a collaborative settlement in its 2010 Electric Rate Case with the OUCC, Northern Indiana Industrial Group, NLMK Indiana and Indiana Municipal Utilities Group. The provisions of the stipulation and settlement agreement are subject to the review and approval of the IURC. The provisions of the settlement include a revenue requirement of $1,401 million including other revenue of $46 million for a net revenue requirement of $1,355 million from base rates. The margin, embedded in the $1,401 million revenue requirement, is $926.5 million, as compared to test year margin of $817 million. If the settlement is approved, it would terminate the current customer credit ($59 million reduction in margins during the test year) and lead to the expiration of certain industrial special contracts ($32.8 million reduction in margins during the test year). The settlement agreement will limit the proposed base rate impact to residential customers to 4.5% while also providing a solid foundation from which Northern Indiana can invest in energy infrastructure to help fuel job creation and economic growth. The parties have also agreed to a rate of return of 6.98% based upon a 10.2% return on equity. The settlement, if approved, would also resolve all pending issues related to compliance with the August 25, 2010 order in the 2008 Electric Rate Case. The settlement includes a request by the parties for the IURC to issue an order approving the settlement by December 31, 2011. A final hearing has been scheduled for September 12, 2011, through September 14, 2011.

Northern Indiana received a favorable regulatory order on February 18, 2009 related to its actions to increase its electric generating capacity and advance its electric rate case. Acting on a settlement reached among Northern Indiana and its regulatory stakeholders, the IURC ruled that Northern Indiana's Sugar Creek electric generating plant was in service for ratemaking purposes as of December 1, 2008. The IURC also approved the deferral of depreciation expenses and debt-based carrying costs associated with the $330.0 million Sugar Creek investment. Northern Indiana purchased Sugar Creek on May 30, 2008 and effective December 1, 2008, Sugar Creek was accepted as an internal designated network resource within the MISO. The Sugar Creek investment was included in the rate base as part of the IURC's August 25, 2010 rate order. Northern Indiana will continue to defer depreciation expenses and debt-based carrying costs associated with the $330.0 million Sugar Creek investment until the IURC's approval and implementation of new customer rates. The annual deferral for Sugar Creek is reduced by the annual depreciation on the Mitchell plant of $4.5 million, pursuant to the FAC-71 settlement. The IURC also approved a five year amortization of balances that were deferred as of December 31, 2009 and such amortization will commence with the IURC's approval and implementation of new customer rates. The same treatment was requested in the 2010 Electric rate case filing.

During 2002, Northern Indiana settled certain regulatory matters related to an electric rate review. On September 23, 2002, the IURC issued an Order adopting most aspects of the settlement. The Order approving the settlement provides that certain electric customers of Northern Indiana will receive bill credits of approximately $55.1 million each year. The credits will continue at approximately the same annual level and per the same methodology, until the IURC approval and implementation of new customer rates. Credits amounting to $25.1 million and $29.0 million were recognized for electric customers for the first six months of 2011 and 2010, respectively.

On December 9, 2009, the IURC issued an order in its generic DSM investigation proceeding establishing an overall annual energy savings goal of 2% to be achieved by Indiana jurisdictional electric utilities in 10 years, with interim savings goals established in years one through nine. Under the order, Northern Indiana and other jurisdictional electric utilities must file DSM plans on July 1, 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019, with annual updates in the interim periods. The IURC requires that certain core programs be established and administered by an independent third party. The IURC did not make any specific findings with respect to cost recovery issues. In compliance with the December 9, 2009 Order, on March 16, 2010 Northern Indiana filed a proposal for a mechanism to recover the costs associated with these energy efficiency programs, including lost revenue. On June 17, 2010, Northern Indiana filed for approval of its energy efficiency programs, recovery of program costs and lost revenue, and its proposed performance incentive level and methodology. On May 25, 2011, the IURC issued an order approving the mechanism to recover the costs associated with these energy efficiency programs. On July 27, 2011, the IURC issued an order approving the energy efficiency programs and recovery of program costs. However, the IURC denied lost revenue recovery at this time, and Northern Indiana may consider filing with the IURC a request for the recovery of lost revenue once rates and charges became effective in the 2010 Electric Rate Case. The IURC also approved Northern Indiana's proposal to seek performance incentives after program results can be evaluated based upon evaluation, measurement, and verification data.

On July 13, 2011, the company received approval from the IURC to significantly improve Northern Indiana's ability to purchase customer-generated electricity from renewable energy projects. The program, supported by consumer and environmental groups, also allows customers to generate more of their own electricity using renewable energy to reduce their utility costs.

MISO. As part of Northern Indiana's participation in the MISO transmission service, wholesale energy and ancillary service markets, certain administrative fees and non-fuel costs have been incurred. IURC orders have been issued authorizing the deferral for consideration in a future rate case proceeding of certain non-fuel related costs incurred after Northern Indiana's rate moratorium, which expired on July 31, 2006. Northern Indiana proposed recovery of the cumulative amount of net non-fuel charges that were deferred as of December 31, 2008, and to recover, through a tracker, charges deferred between December 31, 2008 and the IURC's approval of new customer rates. During the first six months of 2011 and 2010, MISO costs of $5.7 million and $4.8 million were deferred, respectively. As of June 30, 2011, Northern Indiana had deferred a total of $42.3 million of MISO costs. In the rate order issued on August 25, 2010, the IURC approved an RTO tracker for recovery of MISO non-fuel costs and revenues and off-system sales sharing and ordered that purchased power costs and fuel-related MISO charge types be recovered in the FAC. The IURC also approved a purchase capacity tracker referred to as the Resource Adequacy Tracker. The implementation of such trackers coincides with the IURC's approval and implementation of new customer rates.

MISO and PJM Interconnection undertook a joint effort in April and May 2009 to identify a source of unaccounted flows on several coordinated flowgates. The analysis found that certain PJM Interconnection generating units that were once associated with unit-specific capacity sales were erroneously excluded from PJM Interconnection's market flows, which significantly affected the congestion price on reciprocally coordinated flowgates on Northern Indiana systems. Higher PJM Interconnection market flows on congested flowgates would have resulted in higher payments to MISO by PJM Interconnection during market to market coordination since April 1, 2005. The model was fixed on June 18, 2009. On January 4, 2011, the Midwest ISO and PJM Interconnection jointly filed a settlement agreement, which FERC approved on June 16, 2011, to resolve the disputed market-to market transactions that occurred prior to June, 2009. The settlement agreement provides for a review of existing procedures for implementing the joint operating agreement, a process for reviewing future changes to implementation procedures, and enhanced access to each party's data. In addition, there was a release and discharge of all claims by any market participant related to the joint operating agreement for all events that occurred prior to the filing of the January 4, 2011 settlement agreement.

Cost Recovery and Trackers. A significant portion of Northern Indiana's revenue is related to the recovery of fuel costs to generate power and the fuel costs related to purchased power. These costs are recovered through a FAC, a standard, quarterly, "summary" regulatory proceeding in Indiana. Various interveners, including the OUCC, had taken issue with the allocation of costs included in Northern Indiana's FAC-80, FAC-81 and FAC-82, which cover the reconciliation of April – December 2008. The IURC granted a sub-docket to consider such issues in those filings. The intervening parties and Northern Indiana discussed procedures to eliminate these concerns and to resolve them for the historical periods. On November 4, 2009 the IURC approved a settlement agreement which called for a credit of $8.2 million to be provided to FAC customers beginning in November 2009, less any amount for attorney's fees and expenses. This credit was completed in January 2011.

As part of the August 25, 2010 rate order, a new "purchase power benchmark" became effective. This purchase power benchmark superseded the one made effective by a settlement in October 2007. The benchmark is based upon the costs of power generated by a hypothetical natural gas fired unit using gas purchased and delivered to Northern Indiana. During the first six months of 2011 and 2010, the amount of purchased power costs exceeding the benchmark amounted to zero and $0.2 million, respectively, which was recognized as a net reduction of revenues.

Northern Indiana has approval from the IURC to recover certain environmental related costs through an ECT. Under the ECT, Northern Indiana is permitted to recover (1) AFUDC and a return on the capital investment expended by Northern Indiana to implement IDEM's NOx SIP and CAIR and CAMR compliance plan projects through an ECRM and (2) related operation and maintenance and depreciation expenses once the environmental facilities become operational through an EERM. The IURC approved the continued use of the ECRM and the EERM trackers in the August 25, 2010 rate order and Northern Indiana has requested similar treatment in the November 19, 2010 filing. When the IURC approves new customer rates, the cost relating to environmental projects that were in service as of the filed test year will be recovered through base rates and will no longer be tracked through the ECRM and EERM.

The IURC has authorized Northern Indiana to recover costs relating to qualified pollution control projects estimated to cost $514 million, which includes new projects at the R.M. Schahfer Generating Station approved by the IURC's December 29, 2010 Order. On February 4, 2011 Northern Indiana filed ECR-17 and EER-8, which included $281 million (capital expenditure net of accumulated depreciation) of such capital costs and operating and maintenance expenses of $27 million for the year ended December 31, 2010. On March 22, 2011, Northern Indiana filed a petition with the IURC for a certificate of public convenience and necessity and associated relief for the construction of additional environmental projects required to comply with the NOV consent decree lodged in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana on January 13, 2011. Refer to Note 19-C, "Environmental Matters," in the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited) for additional information.