Regulatory Matters (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities

We had the following regulatory assets and liabilities as of December 31 (in thousands):




	2021		2020
Regulatory assets
Winter Storm Uri (a)	$	509,025	$	—
Deferred energy and fuel cost adjustments (b)	59,973		39,035
Deferred gas cost adjustments (b)	9,488		3,200
Gas price derivatives (b)	2,584		2,226
Deferred taxes on AFUDC (b)	7,457		7,491
Employee benefit plans and related deferred taxes (c)	88,923		116,598
Environmental (b)	1,385		1,413

Loss on reacquired debt (b)	21,011		22,864

Deferred taxes on flow-through accounting (b)	63,243		47,515
Decommissioning costs (b)	5,961		8,988
Gas supply contract termination (b)	—		2,524
Other regulatory assets (b)	27,549		26,404
Total regulatory assets	796,599		278,258
Less current regulatory assets	(270,290)		(51,676)
Regulatory assets, non-current	$	526,309	$	226,582

Regulatory liabilities
Deferred energy and gas costs (b)	$	6,113	$	13,253
Employee benefit plan costs and related deferred taxes (c)	32,241		40,256
Cost of removal (b)	179,976		172,902
Excess deferred income taxes (c)	264,042		285,259
Other regulatory liabilities (c)	20,579		21,050
Total regulatory liabilities	502,951		532,720
Less current regulatory liabilities	(17,574)		(25,061)
Regulatory liabilities, non-current	$	485,377	$	507,659

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(a) Timing of Winter Storm Uri incremental cost recovery and associated carrying costs vary by jurisdiction and some jurisdictions are still subject to pending applications with the respective utility commission. See further information below.

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

(c) 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.