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Income Taxes Income Taxes (Notes)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block] INCOME TAXES
The following table summarizes the significant factors impacting the difference between our effective tax rate and the federal statutory rate for the three and nine months ended September 30 (dollars in thousands):
 
Three months ended September 30,
 
Nine months ended September 30,
 
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
Federal income taxes at statutory rates
$
1,041

21.0
 %
 
$
2,452

21.0
 %
 
$
36,554

21.0
 %
 
$
22,721

21.0
 %
Increase (decrease) in tax resulting from:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tax effect of regulatory treatment of utility plant differences
(2,139
)
(43.1
)
 
(1,521
)
(13.0
)
 
(6,358
)
(3.7
)
 
(4,519
)
(4.2
)
State income tax expense
(800
)
(16.1
)
 
(319
)
(2.7
)
 
851

0.5

 
694

0.6

Settlement of prior year tax returns and adjustment of tax reserves
(604
)
(12.2
)
 
(136
)
(1.1
)
 
1,995

1.1

 
(136
)
(0.1
)
Acquisition costs
—

—

 
122

1.0

 
(1,712
)
(1.0
)
 
241

0.2

Non-plant excess deferred turnaround (1)
(20
)
(0.4
)
 
—

—

 
(5,621
)
(3.2
)
 
—

—

Tax loss on sale of METALfx
(13
)
(0.2
)
 
—

—

 
(1,272
)
(0.7
)
 
—

—

Valuation allowance
—

—

 
—

—

 
1,245

0.7

 
—

—

Settlement of equity awards
—

—

 
—

—

 
612

0.4

 
(990
)
(0.9
)
Other
2,404

48.4

 
950

8.1

 
1,851

1.1

 
(544
)
(0.5
)
Total income tax expense (benefit)
$
(131
)
(2.6
)%
 
$
1,548

13.3
 %
 
$
28,145

16.2
 %
 
$
17,467

16.1
 %
(1)
In March 2019, the IPUC approved an all-party settlement agreement related to electric tax benefits that were set aside for Colstrip in the 2017 general rate case order. In the approved settlement agreement, the parties agreed to utilize approximately $6.4 million ($5.1 million when tax-effected) of the electric tax benefits to offset costs associated with accelerating the depreciation of Colstrip Units 3 & 4, to reflect a remaining useful life of those units through December 31,
2027. In the second quarter 2019, the Company recorded a one-time charge to depreciation expense with an offsetting amount included in income tax expense.