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Utility Regulatory Assets and Liabilities and Regulatory Matters | 6 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2016
Regulated Operations [Abstract] |
Utility Regulatory Assets and Liabilities and Regulatory Matters | Note 6 — Utility Regulatory Assets and Liabilities and Regulatory Matters For a description of the Company’s regulatory assets and liabilities other than those described below, see Note 9 in the Company’s 2015 Annual Report. UGI Utilities currently does not recover a rate of return on its regulatory assets. The following regulatory assets and liabilities associated with Gas Utility and Electric Utility are included in our accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets:
|  | March 31, 2016 |  | September 30, 2015 |  | March 31, 2015
Regulatory assets: |  |  |  |  |  |
Income taxes recoverable |  | $ | 118.2 |  |  | $ | 115.9 |  |  | $ | 111.5 |
Underfunded pension and postretirement plans |  | 135.8 |  |  | 140.8 |  |  | 105.5 |
Environmental costs (a) |  | 60.5 |  |  | 20.0 |  |  | 14.1 |
Removal costs, net |  | 25.0 |  |  | 21.2 |  |  | 18.4 |
Other |  | 8.7 |  |  | 6.3 |  |  | 3.1 |
Total regulatory assets |  | $ | 348.2 |  |  | $ | 304.2 |  |  | $ | 252.6 |
Regulatory liabilities (b): |  |  |  |  |  |
Postretirement benefits |  | $ | 19.3 |  |  | $ | 20.0 |  |  | $ | 19.3 |
Deferred fuel and power refunds |  | 30.8 |  |  | 36.6 |  |  | 40.6 |
State tax benefits—distribution system repairs |  | 14.2 |  |  | 13.3 |  |  | 10.6 |
Other |  | 2.5 |  |  | 1.1 |  |  | 2.1 |
Total regulatory liabilities |  | $ | 66.8 |  |  | $ | 71.0 |  |  | $ | 72.6 |
(a) | Environmental costs at March 31, 2016, include amounts probable of recovery recorded in conjunction with UGI Gas’ Consent Order and Agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (see Note 9).
(b) | Regulatory liabilities are recorded in other current and other noncurrent liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Deferred fuel and power—costs and refunds. Gas Utility’s and Electric Utility’s tariffs contain clauses that permit recovery of all prudently incurred purchased gas and power costs through the application of purchased gas cost (“PGC”) rates in the case of Gas Utility and default service (“DS”) tariffs in the case of Electric Utility. The clauses provide for periodic adjustments to PGC and DS rates for differences between the total amount of purchased gas and electric generation supply costs collected from customers and recoverable costs incurred. Net undercollected costs are classified as a regulatory asset and net overcollections are classified as a regulatory liability. Gas Utility uses derivative instruments to reduce volatility in the cost of gas it purchases for firm- residential, commercial and industrial (“retail core-market”) customers. Realized and unrealized gains or losses on natural gas derivative instruments are included in deferred fuel costs or refunds. Net unrealized (losses) on such contracts at March 31, 2016, September 30, 2015 and March 31, 2015 were $(1.9), $(3.3) and $(3.4), respectively. Electric Utility enters into forward electricity purchase contracts to meet a substantial portion of its electricity supply needs. Prior to March 1, 2015, we did not elect the NPNS exception under GAAP for these contracts. Therefore, we recognized the fair value of these contracts on the balance sheet with an associated adjustment to regulatory assets or liabilities because Electric Utility is entitled to fully recover its DS costs. At March 31, 2016, September 30, 2015, and March 31, 2015, the fair values of Electric Utility’s electricity supply contracts were (losses) of $(0.2), $(0.5) and $(1.2), respectively. These amounts are reflected in current and noncurrent derivative liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets with equal and offsetting amounts reflected in deferred fuel and power costs and refunds in the table above. Effective with Electric Utility forward contracts entered into beginning March 1, 2015, Electric Utility has elected the NPNS exception under GAAP and, as a result, the fair values of such contracts are not recognized on the balance sheet (see Note 12). In order to reduce volatility associated with a substantial portion of its electric transmission congestion costs, Electric Utility obtains financial transmission rights (“FTRs”). FTRs are derivative instruments that entitle the holder to receive compensation for electricity transmission congestion charges when there is insufficient electricity transmission capacity on the electric transmission grid. Because Electric Utility is entitled to fully recover its DS costs, realized and unrealized gains or losses on FTRs are included in deferred fuel and power costs or deferred fuel and power refunds. Unrealized gains or losses on FTRs at March 31, 2016, September 30, 2015, and March 31, 2015, were not material. Preliminary Stage Information Technology Costs. During the three months ended March 31, 2016, it was determined that certain preliminary project stage costs associated with an ongoing information technology project at UGI Utilities were probable of future recovery in rates in accordance with GAAP related to regulated entities. As a result, during the three months ended March 31, 2016, we capitalized $5.8 of such project costs ($5.7 of which had been expensed in prior periods) and recorded associated increases to utility property, plant and equipment ($2.7) and regulatory assets ($3.1). UGI Gas Base Rate Filing. On January 19, 2016, UGI Utilities filed a request with the PUC to increase UGI Gas base operating revenues for residential, commercial and industrial customers by $58.6 annually. The increased revenues would fund ongoing system improvements and operations necessary to maintain safe and reliable natural gas service and fund new programs designed to promote and reward customers’ efforts to increase efficient use of natural gas. UGI Utilities requested that the new gas rates become effective March 19, 2016. The PUC entered an Order dated February 11, 2016, suspending the effective date for the rate increase to allow for investigation and public hearings. Unless a settlement is reached sooner, this review process is expected to last approximately nine months from the date of filing; however, the Company cannot predict the timing or the ultimate outcome of the rate case review process. Distribution System Improvement Charge. On April 14, 2012, legislation became effective enabling gas and electric utilities in Pennsylvania, under certain circumstances, to recover the cost of eligible capital investment in distribution system infrastructure improvement projects between base rate cases. The charge enabled by the legislation is known as a distribution system improvement charge (“DSIC”). The primary benefit to a company from a DSIC charge is the elimination of regulatory lag, or delayed rate recognition, that occurs under traditional ratemaking relating to qualifying capital expenditures. To be eligible for a DSIC, a utility must have filed a general rate filing within five years of its petition seeking permission to include a DSIC in its tariff, and not exceed certain earnings tests. Absent PUC permission, the DSIC is capped at five percent of the amount billed to customers. PNG and CPG received PUC approval on a DSIC tariff, initially set at zero, in 2014, while UGI Gas has not had a general rate filing within the required time period to be eligible. PNG and CPG began charging a DSIC at a rate other than zero beginning on April 1, 2015 and April 1, 2016, respectively. In March 2016, PNG and CPG filed petitions, seeking approval to increase the maximum allowable DSIC from five percent to ten percent of billed distribution revenues. Also in March 2016, UGI Gas sought PUC approval to initiate a DSIC effective November 2017 after rates from the pending rate case become effective, along with a petition, seeking approval to increase the maximum allowable DSIC from five percent to ten percent of billed distribution revenues. To date, no action has been taken by the PUC on any of these petitions. The Company cannot predict the timing or outcome of these petitions. The impact of the DSIC charge at PNG and CPG did not have a material effect on Gas Utility results of operations.

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