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Regulatory Matters (Consumers Energy Company [Member]) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2011
Consumers Energy Company [Member] |
Regulatory Matters | 6: REGULATORY MATTERS RATE MATTERS Rate matters are critical to Consumers. Depending upon the specific issues, the outcomes of rate cases and proceedings could have a material adverse effect on CMS Energy's and Consumers' liquidity, financial condition, and results of operations. Consumers cannot predict the outcome of these proceedings. CONSUMERS' ELECTRIC UTILITY Electric Rate Case: The MPSC, in its 2010 electric rate case order, authorized Consumers to increase its rates by $146 million annually, $4 million less than the rate increase self-implemented by Consumers in July 2010. In June 2011, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement, finding that no refund of self-implemented rates to customers is required. Power Supply Cost Recovery: The PSCR process is designed to allow Consumers to recover all of its power supply costs if incurred under reasonable and prudent policies and practices. The MPSC reviews these costs, policies, and practices in annual plan and reconciliation proceedings. Consumers adjusts its PSCR billing factor monthly in order to minimize the overrecovery or underrecovery amount in the annual PSCR reconciliation. PSCR Plan: Consumers submitted its 2011 PSCR plan to the MPSC in September 2010. In accordance with its proposed plan, Consumers self-implemented the 2011 PSCR charge beginning in January 2011. In October 2011, the administrative law judge recommended that the MPSC approve Consumers' 2011 PSCR plan with minor modifications. PSCR Reconciliations: Presented in the following table is the PSCR reconciliation filing pending with the MPSC:
PSCR Year |  | Date Filed |  |  | Net Underrecovery |  |  | PSCR Cost of Power Sold |
2010 |  |  | March 2011 |  |  | $ | 15 million |  |  | $ | 1.7 billion |
In June 2011, the MPSC issued an order approving Consumers' 2009 PSCR reconciliation, as modified by the order, and authorized Consumers to include an underrecovery of $31 million in its 2010 PSCR reconciliation. Electric Depreciation: In November 2011, the MPSC issued an order approving a settlement agreement in the electric depreciation case for Ludington, which was filed jointly by Consumers and Detroit Edison. The settlement agreement resulted in a minor decrease to annual depreciation expense effective November 2011. CONSUMERS' GAS UTILITY Gas Rate Case: In August 2010, Consumers filed an application with the MPSC seeking an annual rate increase of $55 million based on an 11 percent authorized return on equity. The filing requested recovery for investments made to enhance safety, system reliability, and operational efficiencies that improve service to customers. In May 2011, the MPSC approved a partial settlement agreement authorizing Consumers to increase its rates by $31 million annually, based on a 10.5 percent authorized return on equity. Matters not addressed in the settlement agreement included the decoupling mechanism, the Smart Grid program, and contributions to the low-income and energy efficiency fund. Presented in the following table are the components of the rate increase authorized by the MPSC and the rate increase originally requested by Consumers:
Components of the Rate Increase |  | Increase Authorized by the MPSC |  |  | Increase Originally Requested by Consumers |  |  | Difference |
|  | In Millions |
Investment in rate base |  | $ | 29 |  |  | $ | 30 |  |  | $ | (1 | )
Impact of sales declines |  |  | 15 |  |  |  | 4 |  |  |  | 11 |
Operating and maintenance costs |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | 16 |  |  |  | (14 | )
Cost of capital |  |  | (15 | ) |  |  | 5 |  |  |  | (20 | )
Total |  | $ | 31 |  |  | $ | 55 |  |  | $ | (24 | )
In August 2011, the MPSC authorized the continuation of the decoupling mechanism and the collection of low-income and energy efficiency funds, but denied recovery of costs associated with the Smart Grid program related to Consumers' gas utility. Consumers filed a petition for rehearing in this case to address the disallowance of Smart Grid costs and stated that it would remove all costs associated with the gas Smart Grid program from its next general rate case application. In October 2011, the MPSC granted Consumers' petition for rehearing, allowing Consumers to recover costs that the gas utility has incurred associated with the Smart Grid program. Gas Cost Recovery: The GCR process is designed to allow Consumers to recover all of its purchased natural gas costs if incurred under reasonable and prudent policies and practices. The MPSC reviews these costs, policies, and practices in annual plan and reconciliation proceedings. Consumers adjusts its GCR billing factor monthly in order to minimize the overrecovery or underrecovery amount in the annual GCR reconciliation. GCR Plan: Consumers submitted its 2011-2012 GCR plan to the MPSC in December 2010. In accordance with its proposed plan, Consumers self-implemented the 2011-2012 GCR charge beginning in April 2011. In September 2011, the administrative law judge recommended that the MPSC approve Consumers' 2011-2012 GCR plan, with certain adjustments to its fixed-price purchase guidelines. GCR Reconciliations: Presented in the following table are the GCR reconciliation filings pending with the MPSC:
GCR Year |  | Date Filed |  | Net Overrecovery |  |  | GCR Cost of Gas Sold |
2009-2010 |  | June 2010 |  |  | $1 million |  |  |  | $1.3 billion |
2010-2011 |  | June 2011 |  |  | 6 million |  |  |  | 1.2 billion |
In November 2011, the administrative law judge recommended that the MPSC approve Consumers' 2009-2010 GCR reconciliation and authorize Consumers to include the overrecovery of $1 million in its 2010-2011 GCR plan. REGULATORY ASSETS AND LIABILITIES Consumers is subject to the actions of the MPSC and FERC and prepares its consolidated financial statements in accordance with the provisions of regulatory accounting. A utility must apply regulatory accounting when its rates are designed to recover specific costs of providing regulated services. Under regulatory accounting, Consumers records regulatory assets or liabilities for certain transactions that would have been treated as expense or revenue by non-regulated businesses. Consumers reflected the following regulatory assets and liabilities on its consolidated balance sheets:
December 31 |  | End of Recovery or Refund Period |  | 2011 |  |  | 2010 |
|  |  |  | In Millions |
Regulatory assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Postretirement benefits (Note 12)1 |  | 2011 |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 19 |
Other 2 |  | 2012 |  |  | 1 |  |  |  | — |
Total current regulatory assets |  |  |  | $ | 1 |  |  | $ | 19 |
Non-current |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Postretirement benefits (Note 12)1 |  | various |  | $ | 1,665 |  |  | $ | 1,364 |
Securitized costs (Note 7)3 |  | 2015 |  |  | 252 |  |  |  | 310 |
MGP sites (Note 5)3 |  | various |  |  | 156 |  |  |  | 58 |
ARO (Note 17)3 |  | various |  |  | 114 |  |  |  | 107 |
Big Rock nuclear decommissioning and related costs 3 |  | n/a |  |  | 85 |  |  |  | 85 |
Electric revenue decoupling mechanism |  | n/a |  |  | 59 |  |  |  | 28 |
Unamortized debt costs 3 |  | various |  |  | 44 |  |  |  | 52 |
Energy optimization plan incentive |  | various |  |  | 26 |  |  |  | 14 |
Stranded costs 2 |  | 2013 |  |  | 23 |  |  |  | 46 |
Gas revenue decoupling mechanism |  | n/a |  |  | 21 |  |  |  | 11 |
Uncollectible expense tracking mechanism 2 |  | 2012 |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | 3 |
Other 2 |  | various |  |  | 19 |  |  |  | 15 |
Total non-current regulatory assets |  |  |  | $ | 2,466 |  |  | $ | 2,093 |
Total regulatory assets |  |  |  | $ | 2,467 |  |  | $ | 2,112 |
Regulatory liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
DOE settlement |  | 2012 |  | $ | 120 |  |  | $ | — |
Self-implemented rate refunds |  | 2011 |  |  | — |  |  |  | 14 |
Refund of revenue in excess of nuclear decommissioning costs |  | 2011 |  |  | — |  |  |  | 7 |
Other |  | 2012 |  |  | 5 |  |  |  | 1 |
Total current regulatory liabilities |  |  |  | $ | 125 |  |  | $ | 22 |
Non-current |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cost of removal |  | various |  | $ | 1,364 |  |  | $ | 1,311 |
Income taxes, net (Note 13) |  | various |  |  | 181 |  |  |  | 410 |
Renewable energy plan |  | n/a |  |  | 161 |  |  |  | 101 |
ARO (Note 17) |  | various |  |  | 113 |  |  |  | 122 |
Energy optimization plan |  | n/a |  |  | 45 |  |  |  | 34 |
Other |  | various |  |  | 11 |  |  |  | 10 |
Total non-current regulatory liabilities |  |  |  | $ | 1,875 |  |  | $ | 1,988 |
Total regulatory liabilities |  |  |  | $ | 2,000 |  |  | $ | 2,010 |
1 | The regulatory asset associated with postretirement benefits is offset partially by liabilities. The net amount is included in rate base, thereby providing a return.
2 | These regulatory assets either are included in rate base (or are expected to be included, for costs incurred subsequent to the most recently approved rate case), thereby providing a return on expenditures, or provide a specific return on investment authorized by the MPSC.
3 | These regulatory assets represent expenditures for which the MPSC has provided, or Consumers expects, recovery without a return on investment.
Big Rock Nuclear Decommissioning and Related Costs and DOE Settlement: Consumers has an $85 million regulatory asset recorded for $30 million it paid to Entergy to assume ownership responsibility for the Big Rock ISFSI and for $55 million of nuclear fuel storage costs it incurred as a result of the DOE's failure to accept nuclear fuel. Consumers had filed a complaint against the DOE in 2002 for this failure. In July 2011, Consumers entered into an agreement with the DOE to settle its claims for $120 million; Consumers recorded a $120 million regulatory liability related to this settlement. In September 2011, Consumers filed an application with the MPSC requesting authority to utilize $85 million of the settlement amount as recovery of its regulatory asset, and to refund to customers $23 million previously collected through rates for spent nuclear fuel costs. If the MPSC concludes that Consumers may retain any portion of the remaining $12 million of the settlement amount, Consumers will recognize that amount in earnings. For further information, see Note 5, Contingencies and Commitments, "Consumers' Electric Utility Contingencies – Nuclear Matters." Electric and Gas Revenue Decoupling Mechanisms: The MPSC's 2009 electric rate case order authorized Consumers to implement an electric revenue decoupling mechanism, subject to certain conditions. This decoupling mechanism, which was extended through November 2011 in the 2010 electric rate case order, allowed Consumers to adjust future electric rates to compensate for changes in sales volumes resulting from the difference between the level of average sales per customer adopted in the order and actual average sales per customer. Various parties have filed appeals concerning the electric revenue decoupling mechanism. In March 2011, Consumers filed its first reconciliation of the electric revenue decoupling mechanism with the MPSC, requesting recovery of $27 million from customers for the period December 2009 through November 2010. In February 2012, the administrative law judge recommended that the MPSC approve Consumers' reconciliation of the electric revenue decoupling mechanism for the full amount of its request for the first year of operation of the decoupling mechanism. The matter remains pending before the MPSC. The MPSC Staff and intervenors oppose this recovery. The MPSC's 2009 gas rate case order authorized Consumers to implement a gas revenue decoupling mechanism, subject to certain conditions. This decoupling mechanism, which was extended in the 2010 gas rate case order, allows Consumers to adjust future gas rates to compensate for changes in sales volumes resulting from the difference between the level of average sales per customer adopted in the order and actual average weather-adjusted sales per customer. In September 2011, Consumers filed its first reconciliation of the gas revenue decoupling mechanism with the MPSC, requesting recovery of $16 million from customers for the period June 2010 through May 2011. If the MPSC were to reject all or a major portion of Consumers' requested recovery from its electric and gas revenue decoupling mechanisms or if the recovery period were to be substantially delayed, Consumers could be required to write off all or portions of the related regulatory assets. An unfavorable outcome in these reconciliations also could impair Consumers' ability to continue recording decoupling revenue as volume deficiencies occur, rather than waiting until the recovery period. Energy Optimization Plan: In May 2011, the MPSC issued an order approving Consumers' reconciliation of energy optimization plan costs for 2009. The MPSC also authorized Consumers to collect $6 million from customers as an incentive payment for exceeding savings targets under both its gas and electric energy optimization plans during 2009. In December 2011, the MPSC issued an order approving Consumers' reconciliation of energy optimization plan costs for 2010. The MPSC also authorized Consumers to collect $8 million from customers as an incentive payment for exceeding savings targets under both its gas and electric energy optimization plans during 2010. During 2011, Consumers achieved 138 percent of its electric savings target and 129 percent of its gas savings target. For achieving these savings levels, Consumers will request the MPSC's approval to collect $15 million, the maximum incentive, in the energy optimization reconciliation to be filed in April 2012. As one of the conditions to the continuation of the electric and gas revenue decoupling mechanisms, Consumers must exceed the statutory savings targets for 2012 through 2015 specified in the 2008 Energy Law. In August 2011, Consumers filed an amended energy optimization plan with the MPSC, requesting approval of the additional spending necessary to exceed these savings targets. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, surcharges collected from customers to fund Consumers' energy optimization plan exceeded Consumers' spending. These excess amounts are reported in the non-current portion of regulatory liabilities, as the period in which Consumers will spend the surcharges collected is beyond one year. Uncollectible Expense Tracking Mechanism: In March 2011, Consumers filed its reconciliation of the uncollectible expense tracking mechanism with the MPSC, requesting recovery of $3 million from customers for November 2009 through November 2010, the entire period of the tracker. The uncollectible expense tracking mechanism, authorized by the MPSC in its 2009 electric rate case order, allowed future rates to be adjusted to collect or refund 80 percent of the difference between the level of electric uncollectible expense included in rates and actual uncollectible expense. In November 2011, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement in Consumers' uncollectible expense tracking mechanism reconciliation, authorizing the recovery of $3 million from customers in December 2011. Refund of Revenue in Excess of Nuclear Decommissioning Costs: The MPSC and FERC regulate the recovery of Consumers' costs to decommission Big Rock. Subsequent to 2000, Consumers stopped funding a Big Rock trust fund because the collection period for an MPSC-authorized decommissioning surcharge expired. The level of funds provided by the trust fell short of the amount needed to complete decommissioning and Consumers provided $44 million of corporate contributions for decommissioning costs. In an order issued in February 2010, the MPSC concluded that certain revenues collected during a statutory rate freeze from 2001 through 2003 should have been deposited in a decommissioning trust fund. The MPSC agreed that Consumers was entitled to recover $44 million of decommissioning costs, but concluded that Consumers had collected this amount previously through the rates in effect during the rate freeze. In April 2010, the MPSC ordered Consumers to refund $85 million of revenue collected in excess of decommissioning costs plus interest. Consumers completed this refund in January 2011. Consumers filed an appeal with the Michigan Court of Appeals in March 2010 to dispute the MPSC's conclusion that the collections received during the rate freeze should be subject to refund. In January 2012, the Michigan Court of Appeals rejected Consumers' appeal. Consumers plans to file an appeal with the Michigan Supreme Court to dispute this decision. Renewable Energy Plan: In 2010, Consumers filed with the MPSC its first annual report and reconciliation for its renewable energy plan, requesting approval of its plan costs for 2009. In December 2011, the MPSC approved Consumers' renewable energy plan reconciliation with minor modifications. Consumers filed with the MPSC its second annual report and reconciliation for its renewable energy plan in June 2011, requesting approval of its plan costs for 2010. In May 2011, the MPSC issued an order approving Consumers' amended renewable energy plan with minor modifications. The amended plan reduces the renewable energy surcharge by an annual amount of $54 million, to $23 million. The reduction is a result of lower-than-expected costs to comply with the 2008 Energy Law. In October 2011, Consumers filed an application for the biennial review and approval of its renewable energy plan. This filing proposes to reduce further the renewable energy surcharge by an annual amount of $3 million, to $20 million. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, surcharges collected from customers to fund Consumers' renewable energy plan exceeded Consumers' spending. These excess amounts are reported in the non-current portion of regulatory liabilities, as the period in which Consumers will spend the surcharges collected is beyond one year. This regulatory liability will be amortized as costs are incurred to operate and depreciate Consumers' planned wind farms and as Consumers purchases RECs under renewable energy purchase agreements. Consumers expects its first wind farm, Lake Winds Energy Park, to be operational in late 2012. Delivery of RECs under the majority of Consumers' renewable energy purchase agreements is also expected to begin during 2012. POWER SUPPLY COST RECOVERY AND GAS COST RECOVERY Consumers' PSCR and GCR mechanisms also represent probable future revenues that will be recovered from customers or previously collected revenues that will be refunded to customers through the ratemaking process. Underrecoveries are included in accrued power supply and overrecoveries are included in accrued rate refunds on Consumers' consolidated balance sheets. Consumers reflected the following assets and liabilities for PSCR and GCR underrecoveries and overrecoveries on its consolidated balance sheets:
December 31 |  | 2011 |  |  | 2010 |
|  | In Millions |
Accrued power supply revenue |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 15 |
Accrued rate refunds |  |  | 30 |  |  |  | 19 |

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