Regulatory Matters (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Regulatory Assets and Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities

We had the following regulatory assets and liabilities (in thousands):


	As of		As of
	September 30, 2021		December 31, 2020
Regulatory assets
Winter Storm Uri (a)	$	532,766	$	—
Deferred energy and fuel cost adjustments (b)	59,741		39,035
Deferred gas cost adjustments (b)	6,076		3,200
Gas price derivatives (b)	—		2,226
Deferred taxes on AFUDC (c)	7,537		7,491
Employee benefit plans and related deferred taxes (d)	114,234		116,598
Environmental (b)	1,395		1,413

Loss on reacquired debt (b)	21,460		22,864

Deferred taxes on flow through accounting (d)	54,199		47,515
Decommissioning costs (b)	6,583		8,988
Gas supply contract termination (b)	—		2,524
Other regulatory assets (b)	26,064		26,404
Total regulatory assets	830,055		278,258
Less current regulatory assets	(213,031)		(51,676)
Regulatory assets, non-current	$	617,024	$	226,582

Regulatory liabilities
Deferred energy and gas costs (b)	$	9,408	$	13,253
Gas price derivatives (b)	13,234		—
Employee benefit plan costs and related deferred taxes (d)	39,203		40,256
Cost of removal (b)	181,180		172,902

Excess deferred income taxes (d)	266,477		285,259

Other regulatory liabilities (d)	16,915		21,050
Total regulatory liabilities	526,417		532,720
Less current regulatory liabilities	(30,156)		(25,061)
Regulatory liabilities, non-current	$	496,261	$	507,659

__________

(a) Timing of Winter Storm Uri incremental cost recovery and associated carrying costs are subject to pending applications with our utility commissions. See further information below.

(b) Recovery of costs, but we are not allowed a rate of return.

(d) In addition to recovery or repayment of costs, we are allowed a return on a portion of this amount or a reduction in rate base.