XML 42 R29.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.5.0.2

Regulatory Matters (Tables) | 9 Months Ended
--- | ---
Sep. 30, 2016
Regulated Operations [Abstract] |
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block] |
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities | September 30, 2016 |  |  | December 31, 2015 |
Millions |  |  |
Current Regulatory Assets (a) |  |  |
Deferred Fuel Adjustment Clause |  | $16.8 |  |  |  | $10.6 |
Total Current Regulatory Assets | 16.8 |  |  | 10.6 |
Non-Current Regulatory Assets |  |  |
Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans (b) | 213.9 |  |  | 219.3 |
Income Taxes (c) | 65.1 |  |  | 64.2 |
Cost Recovery Riders (d) | 39.9 |  |  | 58.0 |
Asset Retirement Obligations (e) | 24.8 |  |  | 21.6 |
PPACA Income Tax Deferral | 5.0 |  |  | 5.0 |
Other | 10.2 |  |  | 3.9 |
Total Non-Current Regulatory Assets | 358.9 |  |  | 372.0 |
Total Regulatory Assets |  | $375.7 |  |  |  | $382.6 |
Non-Current Regulatory Liabilities |  |  |
Wholesale and Retail Contra AFUDC (f) |  | $56.9 |  |  |  | $58.0 |
North Dakota Investment Tax Credits (g) | 27.9 |  |  | 12.8 |
Income Taxes (c) | 20.0 |  |  | 6.1 |
Plant Removal Obligations | 15.6 |  |  | 22.1 |
Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans (b) | — |  |  | 0.9 |
Other | 2.5 |  |  | 5.1 |
Total Non-Current Regulatory Liabilities |  | $122.9 |  |  |  | $105.0 |
(a) | Current regulatory assets are included in Prepayments and Other on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.
(b) | Defined benefit pension and other postretirement items included in our Regulated Operations, which are otherwise required to be recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income as actuarial gains and losses as well as prior service costs and credits, are recognized as regulatory assets or regulatory liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The asset or liability will decrease as the deferred items are amortized and recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost. (See Note 12. Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans.)
(c) | These assets and liabilities are offsets to deferred income taxes recognized on certain regulatory temporary differences, which will reverse over the remaining lives of those temporary differences.
(d) | The cost recovery rider regulatory assets are revenues not yet collected from our customers primarily due to capital expenditures related to the Bison Wind Energy Center, investment in CapX2020 projects, and the Boswell Unit 4 environmental upgrade and are recognized in accordance with the accounting standards for alternative revenue programs. The cost recovery rider regulatory assets as of September 30, 2016, will be recovered over the next two years.
(e) | Asset retirement obligations will accrete and be amortized over the lives of the related property with asset retirement obligations.
(f) | Wholesale and Retail Contra AFUDC represents the regulatory offset to AFUDC Equity and Debt recorded during the construction period of our cost recovery rider projects prior to placing the projects in service. The regulatory liability will decrease over the remaining depreciable lives of the related assets.
(g) | North Dakota investment tax credits expected to be realized from the Bison Wind Energy Center that will be credited to Minnesota Power’s regulated retail customers over the remaining life of the Bison Wind Energy Center through future renewable cost recovery rider filings.

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_RegulatedOperationsAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The entire disclosure for detailed information about regulatory assets and liabilities, including current and noncurrent assets created when regulatory agencies permit the deferral of costs to the balance sheet that would otherwise be required to appear on the company's income statement and would be charged against current expenses or revenues, as well as current and noncurrent liabilities created when regulatory agencies permit. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ScheduleOfRegulatoryAssetsAndLiabilitiesTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration