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Regulatory Matters | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2020
Regulated Operations [Abstract] |
Regulatory Matters | Regulatory Matters In accordance with accounting principles for rate-regulated enterprises, Registrant records regulatory assets, which represent probable future recovery of costs from customers through the ratemaking process, and regulatory liabilities, which represent probable future refunds that are to be credited to customers through the ratemaking process. At March 31, 2020, Registrant had approximately $42.7 million of regulatory liabilities, net of regulatory assets, not accruing carrying costs. Of this amount, (i) $79.5 million of regulatory liabilities are excess deferred income taxes arising from the lower federal income tax rate due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ("Tax Act") enacted in December 2017 that are expected to be refunded to customers, (ii) $12.2 million of regulatory liabilities are from flowed-through deferred income taxes, (iii) $42.9 million of net regulatory assets relates to the underfunded position in Registrant's pension and other retirement obligations (not including the two-way pension balancing accounts), and (iv) $4.3 million of regulatory assets relates to a memorandum account authorized by the CPUC to track unrealized gains and losses on BVES's purchase power contracts over the term of the contracts. The remainder of regulatory assets relates to other items that do not provide for or incur carrying costs. Regulatory assets represent costs incurred by GSWC for which it has received or expects to receive rate recovery in the future. In determining the probability of costs being recognized in other periods, GSWC considers regulatory rules and decisions, past practices, and other facts or circumstances that would indicate if recovery is probable. If the CPUC determines that a portion of GSWC’s assets are not recoverable in customer rates, GSWC must determine if it has suffered an asset impairment that requires it to write down the asset's value. Regulatory assets are offset against regulatory liabilities within each ratemaking area. Amounts expected to be collected or refunded in the next twelve months have been classified as current assets and current liabilities by ratemaking area. Regulatory assets, less regulatory liabilities, included in the consolidated balance sheets are as follows:
(dollars in thousands) |  | March 31, 2020 |  | December 31, 2019
GSWC |  |  |  |
Water Revenue Adjustment Mechanism and Modified Cost Balancing Account |  | $ | 25,011 |  |  | $ | 22,535 |
Costs deferred for future recovery on Aerojet case |  | 8,097 |  |  | 8,292 |
Pensions and other post-retirement obligations (Note 8) |  | 40,170 |  |  | 40,693 |
Derivative unrealized loss (Note 5) |  | 4,280 |  |  | 3,171 |
General rate case memorandum accounts |  | 3,551 |  |  | 4,820 |
Excess deferred income taxes |  | (79,522 | ) |  | (79,886 | )
Flow-through taxes, net |  | (12,246 | ) |  | (12,439 | )
Other regulatory assets |  | 19,845 |  |  | 18,842 |
Various refunds to customers |  | (7,319 | ) |  | (8,478 | )
Total |  | $ | 1,867 |  |  | $ | (2,450 | )
Regulatory matters are discussed in the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the SEC. The discussion below focuses on significant matters and developments since December 31, 2019. Alternative-Revenue Programs: GSWC records the difference between what it bills its water customers and that which is authorized by the CPUC using the Water Revenue Adjustment Mechanism ("WRAM") and Modified Cost Balancing Account (“MCBA”) accounts approved by the CPUC. The over- or under-collection of the WRAM is aggregated with the MCBA over- or under-collection for the corresponding ratemaking area and bears interest at the current 90-day commercial paper rate. As required by the accounting guidance for alternative revenue programs, GSWC is required to collect its WRAM balances, net of its MCBA, within 24 months following the year in which an under-collection is recorded in order to recognize such amounts as revenue. The recovery periods for the majority of GSWC's WRAM/MCBA balances are primarily within 12 to 24 months. GSWC has implemented surcharges to recover its WRAM/MCBA balances as of December 31, 2019. For the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, surcharges (net of surcredits) of approximately $2.2 million and $2.8 million, respectively, were billed to customers to recover previously incurred under-collections in the WRAM/MCBA accounts. During the three months ended March 31, 2020, GSWC recorded additional net under-collections in the WRAM/MCBA accounts of approximately $4.7 million due to lower-than-adopted water usage, as well as higher-than-adopted supply costs currently in billed customer rates. As of March 31, 2020, GSWC had an aggregated regulatory asset of $25.0 million, which is comprised of an $11.2 million under-collection in the WRAM accounts and a $13.8 million under-collection in the MCBA accounts. In February 2020, GSWC filed with the CPUC for recovery of the 2019 WRAM/MCBA balances. Catastrophic Event Memorandum Account ("CEMA") On April 3, 2020 the CPUC approved GSWC's request to activate a Catastrophic Event Memorandum Account ("CEMA") for COVID-19. GSWC's response to the pandemic has included suspending service disconnections for nonpayment, waiving reconnection or facilities fees for affected customers, and suspending deposit requirements for affected customers who must reconnect to the system. Costs incurred by GSWC in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including bad debt expense in excess of what is included in GSWC's revenue requirement, are being included in the CEMA account for future recovery. As of March 31, 2020, costs recorded in the CEMA account have not been material, but are expected to increase in future periods to the extent that the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Cost of Capital Proceeding In March 2018, the CPUC issued a final decision in the cost of capital proceeding for GSWC and three other water utilities serving California for the years 2018 - 2020. Among other things, the final decision adopted for GSWC's water segment a return on equity of 8.90%, with a return on rate base of 7.91%. Investor-owned water utilities serving California are required to file their cost of capital applications on a triennial basis, with the next scheduled filing required to have taken place on May 1, 2020 and to be effective for the years 2021 - 2023. In January 2020, GSWC, along with the three other water utilities, requested an extension of the date by which each of them must file its 2020 cost of capital application. In March 2020, the CPUC approved the request, postponing the filing date by one year until May 1, 2021, with a corresponding effective date of January 1, 2022. GSWC’s current authorized rate of return on rate base of 7.91%, based on its weighted cost of capital, will continue in effect through December 31, 2021.

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- 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
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