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REGULATION | 12 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2018
Regulated Operations [Abstract] |
REGULATION | 3. REGULATION The EDECA is the legal framework for New Jersey’s public utility and wholesale energy landscape. NJNG is required, pursuant to a written order by the BPU under EDECA, to open its residential markets to competition from third-party natural gas suppliers. Customers can choose the supplier of their natural gas commodity in NJNG’s service territory. As required by EDECA, NJNG’s rates are segregated into two primary components: the commodity portion, which represents the wholesale cost of natural gas, including the cost for interstate pipeline capacity to transport the gas to NJNG’s service territory; and the delivery portion, which represents the transportation of the commodity portion through NJNG’s gas distribution system to the end-use customer. NJNG does not earn utility gross margin on the commodity portion of its natural gas sales. NJNG earns utility gross margin through the delivery of natural gas to its customers, regardless of whether it or a third-party supplier provides the wholesale natural gas commodity. Under EDECA, the BPU is required to audit the state’s energy utilities every two years. The primary purpose of the audit is to ensure that utilities and their affiliates offering unregulated retail services do not have an unfair competitive advantage over nonaffiliated providers of similar retail services. A combined competitive services and management audit of NJNG commenced in August 2013. A draft management audit report was accepted by the BPU on July 23, 2014, for public comment. To date, NJNG has implemented all audit recommendations with the approval of BPU staff and is waiting for final BPU approval. NJNG is subject to cost-based regulation; therefore, it is permitted to recover authorized operating expenses and earn a reasonable return on its utility capital investments based on the BPU’s approval. The impact of the ratemaking process and decisions authorized by the BPU allows NJNG to capitalize or defer certain costs that are expected to be recovered from its customers as regulatory assets, and to recognize certain obligations representing amounts that are probable future expenditures as regulatory liabilities in accordance with accounting guidance applicable to regulated operations. NJNG’s recovery of costs is facilitated through its base rates, BGSS and other regulatory tariff riders. NJNG is required to make an annual filing to the BPU by June 1 of each year for review of its BGSS, CIP and other programs and related rates. Annual rate changes are requested to be effective at the beginning of the following fiscal year. The current base rate includes a weighted average cost of capital of 6.9 percent and a return on common equity of 9.75 percent. In addition, NJNG is permitted to request approval of certain rate or program changes on an interim basis. All rate and program changes are subject to proper notification and BPU review and approval. Regulatory assets and liabilities included on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, are composed of the following:
(Thousands) | 2018 | 2017
Regulatory assets-current |  |
New Jersey Clean Energy Program | $ | 14,052 |  | $ | 14,202 |
Underrecovered gas costs | 4,137 |  | 9,910 |
Derivatives at fair value, net | 108 |  | 9,010 |
Conservation Incentive Program | — |  | 17,669 |
Total current regulatory assets | $ | 18,297 |  | $ | 50,791 |
Regulatory assets-noncurrent |  |
Environmental remediation costs: |  |
Expended, net of recoveries | $ | 33,017 |  | $ | 28,547 |
Liability for future expenditures | 130,800 |  | 149,000 |
Deferred income taxes | 17,225 |  | 21,795 |
SAVEGREEN | 8,636 |  | 16,302 |
Postemployment and other benefit costs | 136,716 |  | 141,433 |
Deferred storm damage costs | 10,858 |  | 13,030 |
Cost of removal | 22,339 |  | — |
Other noncurrent regulatory assets | 9,001 |  | 5,812 |
Total noncurrent regulatory assets | $ | 368,592 |  | $ | 375,919 |
Regulatory liability-current |  |
Conservation Incentive Program | $ | 6,994 |  | $ | — |
Derivatives at fair value, net | 1,191 |  | 78 |
Total current regulatory liabilities | $ | 8,185 |  | $ | 78 |
Regulatory liabilities-noncurrent |  |
Tax Act impact (1) | $ | 205,410 |  | $ | — |
Cost of removal | — |  | 7,902 |
New Jersey Clean Energy Program | 1,902 |  | 5,795 |
Other noncurrent regulatory liabilities | 1,827 |  | 810 |
Total noncurrent regulatory liabilities | $ | 209,139 |  | $ | 14,507 |
(1) | Includes an adjustment related to the re-measurement of NJNG's net deferred tax liabilities to reflect the change in federal tax rates enacted in the Tax Act, which is net of sales tax collected from customers. For a more detailed discussion, s ee Note 12. Income Taxes.
Recovery of regulatory assets is subject to BPU approval, and therefore, if there are any changes in regulatory positions that indicate recovery is not probable, the related cost would be charged to income in the period of such determination. New Jersey Clean Energy Program The NJCEP is a statewide program that encourages energy efficiency and renewable energy. Funding amounts are determined by the BPU’s Office of Clean Energy and all New Jersey utilities are required to share in the annual funding obligation. The current NJCEP program is for the State of New Jersey’s fiscal year ending June 2019. NJNG recovers the costs associated with its portion of the NJCEP obligation through its NJCEP rider, with interest. Over and Underrecovered Gas Costs NJNG recovers its cost of gas through the BGSS rate component of its customers’ bills. NJNG’s cost of gas includes the purchased cost of the natural gas commodity, fees paid to pipelines and storage facilities, adjustments as a result of BGSS incentive programs and hedging transactions. Overrecovered gas costs represent a regulatory liability that generally occurs when NJNG’s BGSS rates are higher than actual costs and requests approval to be returned to customers including interest, when applicable, in accordance with NJNG’s approved BGSS tariff. Conversely, underrecovered gas costs generally occur during periods when NJNG’s BGSS rates are lower than actual costs, in which case NJNG records a regulatory asset and requests amounts to be recovered from customers in the future. Derivatives Derivatives are utilized by NJNG to manage the price risk associated with its natural gas purchasing activities and to participate in certain BGSS incentive programs. The gains and losses associated with NJNG’s derivatives are recoverable through its BGSS, as noted above, without interest. See Note 4. Derivative Instruments. Conservation Incentive Program The CIP permits NJNG to recover utility gross margin variations related to customer usage resulting from customer conservation efforts and mitigates the impact of weather on its margin. Such utility gross margin variations are recovered in the year following the end of the CIP usage year, without interest, and are subject to additional conditions, including an earnings test, a revenue test and an evaluation of BGSS related savings. This program has no expiration date. Environmental Remediation Costs NJNG is responsible for the cleanup of certain former gas manufacturing facilities. Actual expenditures are recovered from customers, with interest, over seven-year rolling periods, through a RAC rate rider. Recovery for NJNG’s estimated future liability will be requested and/or recovered when actual expenditures are incurred. See Note 13. Commitments and Contingent Liabilities. Deferred Income Taxes Upon adoption of a 1993 provision of ASC 740, Income Taxes, NJNG recognized a transition adjustment and corresponding regulatory asset representing the difference between NJNG’s existing deferred tax amounts compared with the deferred tax amounts calculated in accordance with the change in method prescribed by ASC 740. NJNG recovers the regulatory asset associated with these tax impacts through future base rates, without interest. SAVEGREEN NJNG administers certain programs that supplement the state’s NJCEP and that allow NJNG to promote clean energy to its residential and commercial customers, as described further below. NJNG will recover related expenditures and a weighted average cost of capital on the unamortized balance through a tariff rider, without interest, as approved by the BPU, over a two- to 10-year period depending upon the specific program incentive. Postemployment and Other Benefit Costs Postemployment and Other Benefit Costs represents NJNG’s underfunded postemployment benefit obligations, as well as a fiscal 2010 tax charge resulting from a change in the deductibility of federal subsidies associated with Medicare Part D, both of which are deferred as regulatory assets and are recoverable, without interest, in base rates. The BPU approved the recovery of the tax charge through NJNG’s base rates effective October 2016 over a seven-year amortization period. See Note 10. Employee Benefit Plans. Deferred Storm Damage Costs Portions of NJNG’s distribution system incurred significant damage as a result of Superstorm Sandy in October 2012. NJNG deferred the uninsured incremental O&M costs associated with its restoration efforts, which were approved for recovery by the BPU through NJNG’s base rates, without interest, effective October 2016 over a seven-year amortization period. Cost of Removal NJNG accrues and collects for cost of removal in base rates on its utility property, without interest. These costs are recorded in accumulated depreciation for regulatory reporting purposes, and actual costs of removal, without interest, will be recovered in subsequent rates, pursuant to the BPU order in docket number GR15111304 dated September 23, 2016. Consistent with GAAP, amounts recorded within accumulated depreciation for regulatory accounting purposes are reclassified out of accumulated depreciation to either a regulatory asset or a regulatory liability depending on whether actual cost of removal is still subject to collection or amounts overcollected will be refunded back to customers. NJNG’s prior regulatory liability represented customer collections in excess of actual expenditures, which the Company returned to customers as a reduction to depreciation expense. Other Regulatory Assets Other regulatory assets consist primarily of deferred costs associated with certain components of NJNG’s SBC, as discussed further in the regulatory proceedings section, and NJNG’s compliance with federal- and state-mandated PIM provisions. NJNG’s related costs to maintain the operational integrity of its distribution and transmission main are recoverable, without interest, subject to BPU review and approval. As of September 30, 2018, NJNG recorded $3.2 million of PIM in other regulatory assets, which is being recovered through base rates over a seven-year amortization period effective October 2016. The Tax Act On December 22, 2017, the Tax Act was signed into law, which resulted in a reduction in the federal corporate tax rate. As a result, NJNG recorded a regulatory liability, which included the revaluation of its deferred income taxes and the accounting of the income tax effects on the revaluation. The revaluation was based on certain assumptions and estimations NJNG made with respect to its deferred taxes, as well as the effects from the Tax Act, and as such is subject to change if and when assumptions are updated. See Note 12. Income Taxes for a more detailed discussion on the Tax Act. On January 31, 2018, the BPU issued an Order which directed New Jersey utilities to submit filings to the BPU by March 2, 2018, to propose the prospective change in base rates as a result of the Tax Act to be effective April 1, 2018, the method to return to customers the overcollection of taxes in base rates from January 1, 2018, through March 31, 2018 and an outline of the method by which the excess deferred taxes would be returned to customers. The excess deferred taxes are primarily related to timing differences associated with utility plant depreciation and are subject to IRS normalization rules, which require amortization over the remaining life of the utility plant. On March 1, 2018, NJNG submitted its required filing to the BPU proposing a $19.7 million base rate reduction and customer refunds of approximately $31 million, which is inclusive of state sales tax and interest at the Company’s short-term debt rate as specified in the Company’s last base rate case. On March 26, 2018, the BPU approved, on an interim basis, the $19.7 million rate reduction, effective April 1, 2018. On May 22, 2018, the BPU approved final rates and also customer refunds of the $31 million. These credits were returned to customer accounts in June 2018. The following is a description of certain regulatory proceedings during fiscal 2017 and 2018: BGSS and CIP BGSS rates are normally revised on an annual basis. In addition, to manage the fluctuations in wholesale natural gas costs, NJNG has the ability to make two interim filings during each fiscal year to increase residential and small commercial customer BGSS rates on a self-implementing and provisional basis. NJNG is also permitted to refund or credit back a portion of the commodity costs to customers at any time given five days’ notice when the natural gas commodity costs decrease in comparison to amounts projected or to amounts previously collected from customers. Concurrent with the annual BGSS filing, NJNG files for an annual review of its CIP. NJNG’s annual BGSS and CIP filings are summarized as follows:
• | June 2016 BGSS/CIP filing — In September 2016, the BPU approved NJNG’s filing to increase its CIP rates resulting in a $43.9 million annual recovery increase and to decrease its annual BGSS rate for residential and small commercial customers resulting in a $22.6 million annual recovery decrease effective October 2016. This petition also included bill credits to residential and small commercial customers during the months of November 2016 through February 2017, as a result of a decline in the wholesale price of natural gas. A total of $42 million in bill credits were issued during fiscal 2017.
• | June 2017 BGSS/CIP filing — In March 2018, the BPU approved NJNG’s petition on a final basis to maintain its BGSS rate for residential and small commercial customers, increase its balancing charge rate, which resulted in a $3.7 million increase to the annual revenues credited to BGSS, and decrease its CIP rates, which resulted in a $16.2 million annual recovery decrease that was effective October 2017.
• | May 2018 BGSS/CIP filing — On September 17, 2018, the BPU provisionally approved NJNG’s annual petition to maintain its BGSS rate for residential and small commercial customers and increase its balancing charge rate, resulting in a $10.3 million increase to the annual revenues credited to BGSS, as well as changes to the CIP rates, which will result in a $30.9 million annual recovery decrease effective October 2018.
BGSS Incentive Programs NJNG is eligible to receive financial incentives for reducing BGSS costs through a series of utility gross margin-sharing programs that include off-system sales, capacity release and storage incentive programs. The Company is permitted to annually propose a process to evaluate and discuss alternative incentive programs, should performance of the existing incentives or market conditions warrant re-evaluation. Energy Efficiency Programs SAVEGREEN conducts home energy audits and provides various grants, incentives and financing alternatives, which are designed to encourage the installation of high efficiency heating and cooling equipment and other energy efficiency upgrades to promote energy efficiency incentives to its residential and commercial customers while stimulating state and local economies through the creation of jobs. Depending on the specific initiative or approval, NJNG recovers costs associated with the programs over a three- to 10-year period through a tariff rider mechanism. As of September 30, 2018, the BPU has approved total SAVEGREEN investments of approximately $354.3 million, including $135 million that was approved on September 17, 2018, for a continuation of existing EE programs and the implementation of new programs through December 2021. SAVEGREEN investments and costs are filed with the BPU on an annual basis. Since inception, $162 million in grants, rebates and loans have been provided to customers, with a total annual recovery of approximately $16.1 million. The recovery includes a weighted average cost of capital that ranges from 6.69 percent to 7.76 percent, with a return on equity of 9.75 percent to 10.3 percent, respectively. On October 16, 2018, NJNG requested a decrease in its EE recovery rate reflecting costs incurred through September 30, 2018, which will result in an annual decrease of $8.8 million, anticipated to be effective January 1, 2019. Societal Benefits Clause The SBC is comprised of three primary riders that allow NJNG to recover costs associated with USF, which is a permanent statewide program for all natural gas and electric utilities for the benefit of income-eligible customers, MGP remediation and the NJCEP. NJNG has submitted the following filings to the BPU, which include a report of program expenditures incurred each program year:
• | 2017 SBC filing — In September 2017, the BPU approved NJNG’s annual USF compliance filing to decrease the statewide USF rate, which will result in a $2.6 million annual decrease, effective October 1, 2017. On July 25, 2018, the BPU approved NJNG's annual SBC filing requesting to recover remediation expenses incurred through June 30, 2017, a reduction in the RAC, which resulted in an annual decrease of $2.4 million, and to increase the NJCEP factor, which will result in an annual increase of $1.8 million, effective September 1, 2018.
• | 2018 SBC filing — On September 17, 2018, the BPU approved NJNG’s annual USF compliance filing to increase the statewide USF rate, which will result in a $1 million annual increase, effective October 1, 2018. On September 21, 2018, NJNG filed its annual SBC application requesting to recover remediation expenses incurred through June 30, 2018, an increase in the RAC, which will result in an annual increase of $1.4 million, and an increase to the NJCEP factor, which will result in an annual increase of approximately $1.9 million, effective April 1, 2019.
Infrastructure Programs NJNG has significant annual capital expenditures associated with the management of its natural gas distribution and transmission system, including new utility plant for customer growth and its associated PIM and infrastructure programs. NJNG continues to implement BPU-approved infrastructure projects that are designed to enhance the reliability of NJNG’s gas distribution system, including SAFE and NJ RISE. SAFE/NJ RISE The SAFE program replaces portions of NJNG’s gas distribution unprotected steel, cast iron infrastructure and associated services to improve the safety and reliability of the gas distribution system. SAFE I was approved to invest up to $130 million, exclusive of AFUDC, over a four-year period. The recovery of SAFE I capital investments and the corresponding rate mechanism were approved through NJNG’s base rate case effective October 2016. SAFE II was approved to invest up to $200 million, excluding AFUDC, over a five-year period. NJNG will recover approximately $157.5 million through annual rate filings, with the remainder recovered through subsequent rate cases. As a condition of approval of the program, NJNG is required to file a base rate case no later than November 2019. NJ RISE consists of six capital investment projects estimated to cost $102.5 million over a five-year period, excluding AFUDC, for gas distribution storm-hardening and mitigation projects, along with incremental depreciation expense. NJ RISE includes a weighted average cost of capital that ranges from 6.74 percent to 6.9 percent and a return on equity of 9.75 percent. NJ RISE investments through June 30, 2016, were approved for recovery through NJNG’s new base rates effective October 2016. Requests for recovery of future NJ RISE capital costs will occur in conjunction with SAFE II. In September 2017, the BPU approved NJNG’s annual petition requesting a base rate increase for the recovery of NJ RISE and SAFE II capital investment costs with an annual increase of $4.1 million effective October 1, 2017. On September 17, 2018, the BPU approved NJNG’s petition requesting a base rate increase of $6.8 million annually for the recovery of SAFE II and NJ RISE capital investment costs related to the 12 months ending June 30, 2018 effective October 1, 2018. SRL The SRL is an approximately 30-mile, 30-inch transmission main designed to support improved system integrity and reliability in the southern portion of NJNG’s service territory, estimated to cost between $180 million and $215 million. In March 2016, the BPU issued an order designating the SRL route and exempting the SRL from municipal land use ordinances, regulations, permits and license requirements. In February 2017, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued a permit authorizing construction of the SRL within the jurisdiction of the Coastal Area Facility Review Act as well as a Freshwater Wetlands permit. In September 2017, the NJ Pinelands Commission approved construction of NJNG’s SRL. All approvals and permits have been appealed by third parties. Other Regulatory Initiatives In May 2016, NJNG included a proposal in its base rate case to recover certain capital costs and incremental operation and maintenance costs related to a March 2016 BPU Order regarding new cyber security requirements. Costs associated with this initiative were approved for recovery through NJNG’s base rates effective October 2016. In June 2016, NJNG’s liquefaction project became operational, allowing NJNG to convert natural gas into LNG and to fill NJNG’s existing LNG storage tanks. Costs for this project along with other plant upgrades were approximately $36.5 million. Costs associated with this initiative were approved for recovery through NJNG’s base rates effective October 2016.

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