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Balancing and Memorandum Account Recovery Procedures
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
Regulated Operations [Abstract]  
BALANCING AND MEMORANDUM ACCOUNT RECOVERY PROCEDURES
Balancing and Memorandum Account Recovery Procedures
San Jose Water Company established balancing accounts for the purpose of tracking the under-collection or over-collection associated with expense changes and the revenue authorized by the CPUC to offset those expense changes. San Jose Water Company also maintains memorandum accounts to track revenue impacts due to catastrophic events, certain unforeseen water quality expenses related to new federal and state water quality standards, energy efficiency, WCMA, drought surcharges, Monterey Water Revenue Adjustment Mechanism, and other approved activities or as directed by the CPUC. Balancing and memorandum accounts are recognized by San Jose Water Company when it is probable that future recovery of previously incurred costs or future refunds that are to be credited to customers will occur through the ratemaking process.
In addition, in the case of special revenue programs such as the WCMA, San Jose Water Company follows the requirements of ASC Topic 980-605-25—“Alternative Revenue Programs” in determining revenue recognition, including the requirement that such revenues will be collected within 24 months of the year-end in which the revenue is recorded. A reserve is recorded for amounts SJW Group estimates will not be collected within the 24-month period. This reserve is based on an estimate of actual usage over the recovery period, offset by applicable drought surcharges. In assessing the probability criteria for balancing and memorandum accounts between general rate cases, San Jose Water Company considers evidence that may exist prior to CPUC authorization that would satisfy ASC Topic 980 subtopic 340-25 recognition criteria. Such evidence may include regulatory rules and decisions, past practices, and other facts and circumstances that would indicate that recovery or refund is probable. When such evidence provides sufficient support, the balances are recorded in SJW Group’s financial statements.
Based on ASC Topic 980-605-25, San Jose Water Company recognized regulatory assets of $4,989 and $7,049 due to lost revenues accumulated in the 2017 WCMA account for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively. These regulatory assets were offset by a regulatory liability in the amount of $3,988 and $6,048 for three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively, created by Tariff Rule 14.1 drought surcharges collected as allowed for in Advice Letter 473A. As of June 30, 2017, there was no longer a balance of drought surcharges collected to fully offset the 2017 WCMA account. The remaining balance at June 30, 2017 related to drought surcharges collected outside of the California regulated entity. Of the $4,989 and $7,049 recognized in the 2017 WCMA account for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively, $1,277 was not covered by drought surcharges and was recognized as revenue for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 less a $276 reserve for the estimated amount that may not be collected within the 24-month period defined in the guidance. These amounts have been recorded in the 2017 WCMA row shown in the table below.
On June 1, 2017, the CPUC approved Advice Letter No. 508 to reinstate surcharges to recover the remaining balances from the 2014 WCMA and 2015 WCMA accounts which are expected to be recovered in full within a 12-month period. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, in accordance with ASC Topic 980-605-25 San Jose Water Company recognized in revenue the reserve balances of $978 and $2,219 for the 2014 WCMA and 2015 WCMA, respectively, which are recorded in their respective rows in the table below.
 
Three months ended June 30, 2017
 
Three months ended June 30, 2016
Beginning Balance
 
Revenue Increase (Reduction)
 
Refunds (Collections)
 
Surcharge Offset
 
Ending Balance
 
Beginning Balance
 
Revenue Increase (Reduction)
 
Refunds (Collections)
 
Surcharge Offset
 
Ending Balance
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Memorandum accounts:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2014 WCMA*
$

 
978

 
(70
)
 

 
908

 
$
2,427

 
(152
)
 
(712
)
 

 
1,563

2015 WCMA*
398

 
2,183

 
(486
)
 

 
2,095

 
5,352

 
(77
)
 
(528
)
 

 
4,747

2016 WCMA

 
45

 

 
(45
)
 

 

 
3,747

 

 
(3,747
)
 

2017 WCMA*

 
4,989

 

 
(3,988
)
 
1,001

 

 

 

 

 

All others
3,680

 
658

 
212

 

 
4,550

 
1,110

 
551

 

 

 
1,661

Total memorandum accounts
4,078

 
8,853

 
(344
)
 
(4,033
)
 
8,554

 
8,889

 
4,069

 
(1,240
)
 
(3,747
)
 
7,971

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Balancing accounts, net assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Water supply costs
5,684

 
1,358

 
272

 

 
7,314

 
2,436

 
257

 
(52
)
 

 
2,641

Drought surcharges
(5,054
)
 

 
60

 
4,033

 
(961
)
 
(512
)
 

 
(4,951
)
 
3,747

 
(1,716
)
Pension
(2,539
)
 
273

 
(641
)
 

 
(2,907
)
 
(427
)
 
280

 
(373
)
 

 
(520
)
2012 General Rate Case true-up
18,424

 

 
(2,659
)
 

 
15,765

 
30,572

 

 
(2,832
)
 

 
27,740

2015 General Rate Case true-up
4,097

 

 
(1,686
)
 

 
2,411

 

 
8,767

 

 

 
8,767

All others
(623
)
 
(232
)
 
(305
)
 

 
(1,160
)
 
1,225

 
(97
)
 
(27
)
 

 
1,101

Total balancing accounts
$
19,989

 
1,399

 
(4,959
)
 
4,033

 
20,462

 
$
33,294

 
9,207

 
(8,235
)
 
3,747

 
38,013

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total
$
24,067

 
10,252

 
(5,303
)
 

 
29,016

 
$
42,183

 
13,276

 
(9,475
)
 

 
45,984

 
Six months ended June 30, 2017
 
Six months ended June 30, 2016
Beginning Balance
 
Revenue Increase (Reduction)
 
Refunds (Collections)
 
Surcharge Offset
 
Ending Balance
 
Beginning Balance
 
Revenue Increase (Reduction)
 
Refunds (Collections)
 
Surcharge Offset
 
Ending Balance
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Memorandum accounts:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2014 WCMA*
$

 
1,089

 
(181
)
 

 
908

 
$
2,944

 
(152
)
 
(1,229
)
 

 
1,563

2015 WCMA*
1,589

 
2,113

 
(1,607
)
 

 
2,095

 
5,372

 
(97
)
 
(528
)
 

 
4,747

2016 WCMA

 
1,452

 

 
(1,452
)
 

 

 
6,761

 

 
(6,761
)
 

2017 WCMA*

 
7,049

 

 
(6,048
)
 
1,001

 

 

 

 

 

All others
2,768

 
1,329

 
453

 

 
4,550

 
594

 
1,068

 
(1
)
 

 
1,661

Total memorandum accounts
4,357

 
13,032

 
(1,335
)
 
(7,500
)

8,554

 
8,910

 
7,580

 
(1,758
)
 
(6,761
)
 
7,971

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Balancing accounts, net assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Water supply costs
5,190

 
1,555

 
569

 

 
7,314

 
2,771

 
(56
)
 
(74
)
 

 
2,641

Drought surcharges
(7,688
)
 

 
(773
)
 
7,500

 
(961
)
 
(359
)
 

 
(8,118
)
 
6,761

 
(1,716
)
Pension
(2,009
)
 
446

 
(1,344
)
 

 
(2,907
)
 
(552
)
 
560

 
(528
)
 

 
(520
)
2012 General Rate Case true-up
20,682

 

 
(4,917
)
 

 
15,765

 
33,070

 

 
(5,330
)
 

 
27,740

2015 General Rate Case true-up
5,528

 

 
(3,117
)
 

 
2,411

 

 
8,767

 

 

 
8,767

All others
(151
)
 
(446
)
 
(639
)
 
76

 
(1,160
)
 
1,366

 
(227
)
 
(38
)
 

 
1,101

Total balancing accounts
$
21,552

 
1,555

 
(10,221
)
 
7,576


20,462

 
$
36,296

 
9,044

 
(14,088
)
 
6,761

 
38,013

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total
$
25,909


14,587


(11,556
)

76


29,016

 
$
45,206

 
16,624

 
(15,846
)
 

 
45,984

* As of June 30, 2017, the reserve balance for the 2017 WCMA was $276 which has been netted from the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 balance above. As of June 30, 2016, the reserve balance for the 2014 WCMA and 2015 WCMA was $1,431 and $2,420, respectively, which has been netted from the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 balances above.
As of June 30, 2017, the total balance in San Jose Water Company’s balancing and memorandum accounts combined, including interest, that has not been recorded into the financial statements was a net under-collection of $3,635. All balancing accounts and memorandum-type accounts not included for recovery or refund in the current general rate case will be reviewed by the CPUC in San Jose Water Company’s next general rate case or at the time an individual account reaches a threshold of 2% of authorized revenue, whichever occurs first.