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Revenue
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
Revenue From Contract With Customer [Abstract]  
Revenue

NOTE 4. REVENUE

ASC 606 defines the core principle of the revenue recognition model is that an entity should identify the various performance obligations in a contract, allocate the transaction price among the performance obligations and recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies each performance obligation.

Utility Revenues

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

General

The majority of Avista Corp.’s revenue is from rate-regulated sales of electricity and natural gas to retail customers, which has two performance obligations, (1) having service available for a specified period (typically a month at a time) and (2) the delivery of energy to customers. The total energy price generally has a fixed component (basic charge) related to having service available and a usage-based component, related to the delivery and consumption of energy. The commodity is sold and/or delivered to and consumed by the customer simultaneously, and the provisions of the relevant utility commission authorization determine the charges the Company may bill the customer. Given that all revenue recognition criteria are met upon the delivery of energy to customers, revenue is recognized immediately at that time.

Revenues from contracts with customers are presented in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income in the line item "Utility revenues, exclusive of alternative revenue programs."

Non-Derivative Wholesale Contracts

The Company has certain wholesale contracts which are not accounted for as derivatives and, accordingly, are within the scope of ASC 606 and considered revenue from contracts with customers. Revenue is recognized as energy is delivered to the customer or the service is available for a specified period of time, consistent with the discussion of rate-regulated sales above.

Alternative Revenue Programs (Decoupling)

ASC 606 retained existing GAAP associated with alternative revenue programs, which specified that alternative revenue programs are contracts between an entity and a regulator of utilities, not a contract between an entity and a customer. GAAP requires that an entity present revenue arising from alternative revenue programs separately from revenues arising from contracts with customers on the face of the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company's decoupling mechanisms (also known as a FCA in Idaho) qualify as alternative revenue programs. Decoupling revenue deferrals are recognized in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income during the period they occur (i.e. during the period of revenue shortfall or excess due to fluctuations in customer usage), subject to certain limitations, and a regulatory asset or liability is established that will be surcharged or rebated to customers in future periods. GAAP requires that for any alternative revenue program, like decoupling, the revenue must be expected to be collected from customers within 24 months of the deferral to qualify for recognition in the current period Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income. Any amounts included in the Company's decoupling program that are not expected to be collected from customers within 24 months are not recorded in the financial statements until the period in which revenue recognition criteria are met. The amounts expected to be collected from customers within 24 months represents an estimate that must be made by the Company on an ongoing basis due to it being based on the volumes of electric and natural gas sold to customers on a go-forward basis.

Derivative Revenue

Most wholesale electric and natural gas transactions (including both physical and financial transactions), and the sale of fuel are considered derivatives, which are specifically scoped out of ASC 606. As such, these revenues are disclosed separately from revenue from contracts with customers. Revenue is recognized for these items upon the settlement/expiration of the derivative contract. Derivative revenue includes those transactions that are entered into and settled within the same month.

Other Utility Revenue

Other utility revenue includes rent, sales of materials, late fees and other charges that do not represent contracts with customers. Other utility revenue also includes the provision for earnings sharing and the deferral and amortization of refunds to customers associated with the TCJA. This revenue is scoped out of ASC 606, as this revenue does not represent items where a customer is a party that has contracted with the Company to obtain goods or services that are an output of the Company’s ordinary activities in exchange for consideration. As such, these revenues are presented separately from revenue from contracts with customers.

Other Considerations for Utility Revenues

Gross Versus Net Presentation

Revenues and resource costs from Avista Utilities’ settled energy contracts that are “booked out” (not physically delivered) are reported on a net basis as part of derivative revenues.

Utility-related taxes collected from customers (primarily state excise taxes and city utility taxes) are taxes that are imposed on Avista Utilities as opposed to being imposed on its customers; therefore, Avista Utilities is the taxpayer and records these transactions on a gross basis in revenue from contracts with customers and operating expense (taxes other than income taxes). The utility-related taxes collected from customers at AEL&P are imposed on the customers rather than AEL&P; therefore, the customers are the taxpayers and AEL&P is acting as their agent. As such, these transactions at AEL&P are presented on a net basis within revenue from contracts with customers.

Utility-related taxes that were included in revenue from contracts with customers were as follows for the three months ended March 31 (dollars in thousands):

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Utility-related taxes

$

19,696

 

 

$

18,700

 

Significant Judgments and Unsatisfied Performance Obligations

The only significant judgments involving revenue recognition are estimates surrounding unbilled revenue and receivables from contracts with customers and estimates surrounding the amount of decoupling revenues that will be collected from customers within 24 months (discussed above).

The Company has certain capacity arrangements, where the Company has a contractual obligation to provide either electric or natural gas capacity to its customers for a fixed fee. Most of these arrangements are paid for in arrears by the customers and do not result in deferred revenue and only result in receivables from the customers. The Company does have one capacity agreement where the customer makes payments throughout the year and, depending on the timing of the customer payments, it can result in an immaterial amount of deferred revenue or a receivable from the customer. As of March 31, 2021, the Company estimates it had unsatisfied capacity performance obligations of $21.2 million, which will be recognized as revenue in future periods as the capacity is provided to the customers. These performance obligations are not reflected in the financial statements, as the Company has not received payment for these services.

Disaggregation of Total Operating Revenue

The following table disaggregates total operating revenue by segment and source for the three months ended March 31 (dollars in thousands):

 

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Avista Utilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue from contracts with customers

 

$

358,613

 

 

$

351,628

 

Derivative revenues

 

 

34,981

 

 

 

31,075

 

Alternative revenue programs

 

 

499

 

 

 

(4,413

)

Deferrals and amortizations for rate refunds to customers

 

 

3,189

 

 

 

(2,606

)

Other utility revenues

 

 

2,578

 

 

 

1,521

 

Total Avista Utilities

 

 

399,860

 

 

 

377,205

 

AEL&P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue from contracts with customers

 

 

12,779

 

 

 

12,126

 

Deferrals and amortizations for rate refunds to customers

 

 

(47

)

 

 

(48

)

Other utility revenues

 

 

89

 

 

 

124

 

Total AEL&P

 

 

12,821

 

 

 

12,202

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other revenues

 

 

189

 

 

 

823

 

Total operating revenues

 

$

412,870

 

 

$

390,230

 

 

 

 

Utility Revenue from Contracts with Customers by Type and Service

The following table disaggregates revenue from contracts with customers associated with the Company's electric operations for the three months ended March 31 (dollars in thousands):

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

 

Avista

Utilities

 

 

AEL&P

 

 

Total Utility

 

 

Avista

Utilities

 

 

AEL&P

 

 

Total Utility

 

Three months ended March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ELECTRIC OPERATIONS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue from contracts with customers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Residential

 

$

113,223

 

 

$

6,048

 

 

$

119,271

 

 

$

107,977

 

 

$

5,866

 

 

$

113,843

 

Commercial and governmental

 

 

76,284

 

 

 

4,772

 

 

 

81,056

 

 

 

78,849

 

 

 

6,199

 

 

 

85,048

 

Industrial

 

 

24,711

 

 

 

1,899

 

 

 

26,610

 

 

 

24,711

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

24,711

 

Public street and highway lighting

 

 

1,852

 

 

 

60

 

 

 

1,912

 

 

 

1,783

 

 

 

61

 

 

 

1,844

 

Total retail revenue

 

 

216,070

 

 

 

12,779

 

 

 

228,849

 

 

 

213,320

 

 

 

12,126

 

 

 

225,446

 

Transmission

 

 

3,495

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

3,495

 

 

 

3,774

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

3,774

 

Other revenue from contracts with

   customers

 

 

6,140

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

6,140

 

 

 

5,289

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

5,289

 

Total electric revenue from contracts

with customers

 

$

225,705

 

 

$

12,779

 

 

$

238,484

 

 

$

222,383

 

 

$

12,126

 

 

$

234,509

 

 

The following table disaggregates revenue from contracts with customers associated with the Company's natural gas operations for the three months ended March 31 (dollars in thousands):

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

 

Avista Utilities

 

 

Avista Utilities

 

Three months ended March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NATURAL GAS OPERATIONS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue from contracts with customers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Residential

 

$

87,501

 

 

$

84,173

 

Commercial and governmental

 

 

39,775

 

 

 

39,401

 

Industrial and interruptible

 

 

2,224

 

 

 

2,194

 

Total retail revenue

 

 

129,500

 

 

 

125,768

 

Transportation

 

 

2,283

 

 

 

2,352

 

Other revenue from contracts with

   customers

 

 

1,125

 

 

 

1,125

 

Total natural gas revenue from

   contracts with customers

 

$

132,908

 

 

$

129,245