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Organization, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Developments | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2012
Organization Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies And Recent Developments |
Organization, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Developments | Note 1 – Organization, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Developments (a) Organization - Middlesex Water Company (Middlesex) is the parent company and sole shareholder of Tidewater Utilities, Inc. (Tidewater), Tidewater Environmental Services, Inc. (TESI), Pinelands Water Company (Pinelands Water) and Pinelands Wastewater Company (Pinelands Wastewater) (collectively, Pinelands), Utility Service Affiliates, Inc. (USA), Utility Service Affiliates (Perth Amboy) Inc. (USA-PA) and Twin Lakes Utilities, Inc. (Twin Lakes). Southern Shores Water Company, LLC (Southern Shores) and White Marsh Environmental Systems, Inc. (White Marsh) are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Tidewater. Middlesex Water Company has operated as a water utility in New Jersey since 1897, in Delaware, through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Tidewater, since 1992 and in Pennsylvania, through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Twin Lakes, since 2009. We are in the business of collecting, treating, distributing and selling water for domestic, commercial, municipal, industrial and fire protection purposes. We also operate New Jersey municipal water, wastewater and storm water systems under contract and provide wastewater services in New Jersey and Delaware through our subsidiaries. We also have an investment in a joint venture, Ridgewood Green RME, LLC, that is constructing, and will own and operate facilities, to optimize the production of electricity at the Village of Ridgewood, New Jersey wastewater treatment plant and other municipal facilities (full operation of the facilities is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2013). Our rates charged to customers for water and wastewater services, the quality of services we provide and certain other matters are regulated in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), Delaware Public Service Commission (DEPSC) and Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission (PAPUC), respectively. Our USA, USA-PA and White Marsh subsidiaries are not regulated utilities. Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year financial statements to conform with current period presentation. (b) Principles of Consolidation – The financial statements for Middlesex and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (the Company) are reported on a consolidated basis. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Other financial investments in which the Company holds a 50% or less voting interest and cannot exercise control over the operation and policies of the investments are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. Under the equity method of accounting, the Company records its investment interests in Non Utility Assets and its percentage share of the earnings or losses of the investees in Other Income (Expense). (c) System of Accounts – Middlesex, Pinelands Water and Pinelands Wastewater maintain their accounts in accordance with the Uniform System of Accounts prescribed by the NJBPU. Tidewater, TESI and Southern Shores maintain their accounts in accordance with DEPSC requirements. Twin Lakes maintains its accounts in accordance with PAPUC requirements. (d) Regulatory Accounting - We maintain our books and records in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Middlesex and certain of its subsidiaries, which account for 89% of Operating Revenues and 98% of Total Assets, are subject to regulation in the state in which they operate. Those companies are required to maintain their accounts in accordance with regulatory authorities’ rules and guidelines, which may differ from other authoritative accounting pronouncements. In those instances, the Company follows the guidance provided in Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 980, Regulated Operations. In accordance with ASC 980, Regulated Operations, costs and obligations are deferred if it is probable that these items will be recognized for rate-making purposes in future rates. Accordingly, we have recorded costs and obligations, which will be amortized over various future periods. Any change in the assessment of the probability of rate-making treatment will require us to change the accounting treatment of the deferred item. We have no reason to believe any of the deferred items that are recorded will be treated differently by the regulators in the future. For additional information, see Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters. (e) Postretirement Benefit Plans - We maintain a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan (Pension Plan) which covers substantially all active employees who were hired prior to March 31, 2007. In addition, the Company maintains an unfunded supplemental plan for its executive officers. The Company has a postretirement benefit plan other than pensions (Other Benefits Plan) for substantially all of its retired employees. Employees hired after March 31, 2007 are not eligible to participate in this plan. Coverage includes healthcare and life insurance. The Company’s costs for providing postretirement benefits are dependent upon numerous factors, including actual plan experience and assumptions of future experience. Postretirement benefit plan obligations and expense are determined based on investment performance, discount rates and various other demographic factors related to the population participating in the Company’s postretirement benefit plans, all of which can change significantly in future years. For more information on the Company’s Postretirement Benefit Plans, see Note 7 – Employee Benefit Plans. (f) Utility Plant – Utility Plant is stated at original cost as defined for regulatory purposes. Property accounts are charged with the cost of betterments and major replacements of property. Cost includes direct material, labor and indirect charges for pension benefits and payroll taxes. The cost of labor, materials, supervision and other expenses incurred in making repairs and minor replacements and in maintaining the properties is charged to the appropriate expense accounts. At December 31, 2012, there was no event or change in circumstance that would indicate that the carrying amount of any long-lived asset was not recoverable. (g) Depreciation – Depreciation is computed by each regulated member of the Company utilizing a rate approved by the applicable regulatory authority. The Accumulated Provision for Depreciation is charged with the cost of property retired, less salvage. The following table sets forth the range of depreciation rates for the major utility plant categories used to calculate depreciation for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010. These rates have been approved by the NJBPU, DEPSC or PAPUC:
Source of Supply | 1.15% - 3.44% | Transmission and Distribution (T&D):
Pumping | 2.87% - 5.39% | T&D – Mains | 1.10% - 3.13%
Water Treatment | 1.65% - 7.09% | T&D – Services | 2.12% - 3.16%
General Plant | 2.08% - 17.84% | T&D – Other | 1.61% - 4.63%
Non-regulated fixed assets consist primarily of office buildings, furniture and fixtures, and transportation equipment. These assets are recorded at original cost and depreciation is calculated based on the estimated useful lives, ranging from 3 to 40 years. (h) Preliminary Survey and Investigation (PS&I) Costs – In the design of water and wastewater systems that the Company ultimately intends to construct, own and operate certain expenditures are incurred to advance those project activities. These PS&I costs are recorded as deferred charges on the balance sheet because these costs are expected to be recovered through future rates charged to customers as the underlying projects are placed into service as utility plant. If it is subsequently determined that costs for a project recorded as PS&I are not recoverable through rates charged to our customers, the applicable PS&I costs are recorded as a charge to the income statement at that time. (i) Customers’ Advances for Construction (CAC) – Water utility plant and/or cash advances are contributed to the Company by customers, real estate developers and builders in order to extend water service to their properties. These contributions are recorded as CAC. Refunds on these advances are made by the Company in accordance with agreements with the contributing party and are based on either additional operating revenues related to the utility plant or as new customers are connected to and take service from the utility plant. After all refunds are made and/or contract terms have expired, any remaining balance is transferred to Contributions in Aid of Construction. Contributions in Aid of Construction (CIAC) – CIAC include direct non-refundable contributions of water utility plant and/or cash and the portion of CAC that becomes non-refundable. CAC and CIAC are not depreciated in accordance with regulatory requirements. In addition, these amounts reduce the investment base for purposes of setting rates. (j) Allowance for Funds Used During Construction (AFUDC) - Middlesex and its regulated subsidiaries capitalize AFUDC, which represents the cost of financing projects during construction. AFUDC is added to the construction costs of individual projects exceeding specific cost and construction period thresholds established for each company and then depreciated along with the rest of the utility plant’s costs over its estimated useful life. AFUDC is calculated using each company’s weighted cost of debt and equity as approved in their most recent respective regulatory rate order. The AFUDC rates for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 for Middlesex and Tidewater are as follows:
| 2012 | 2011 | 2010
Middlesex | 7.34% | 7.54% | 7.54%
Tidewater | 7.91% | 8.24% | 8.24%
(k) Accounts Receivable – We record bad debt expense based on historical write-offs combined with an evaluation of current conditions. The allowance for doubtful accounts was $0.8 million and $0.6 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Bad debt expense for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 was $0.7 million, $0.7 million, $0.6 million, respectively. Receivables not expected to be received in 2013 are included as non-current assets in Operations Contracts, Developer and Other Receivables. (l) Revenues - General metered customer’s bills for regulated water service are typically comprised of two components; a fixed service charge and a volumetric or consumption charge. Revenues from general metered service water customers, except Tidewater fixed service charges, include amounts billed in arrears on a cycle basis and unbilled amounts estimated from the last meter reading date to the end of the accounting period. The estimated unbilled amounts are determined by utilizing factors which include historical consumption usage and current climate and economic conditions. Actual billings may differ from our estimates. Tidewater customers are billed in advance for their fixed service charge and these revenues are recognized as the service is provided to the customer. Southern Shores is an unmetered system. Customers are billed a fixed service charge in advance at the beginning of each month and revenues are recognized as earned. Revenues from the City of Perth Amboy management contract are comprised of fixed and variable fees. Fixed fees, which have been set for the life of the contract, are billed monthly and recorded as earned. Variable fees, which are not significant, are recorded upon approval of the amount by the City of Perth Amboy. (m) Deferred Charges and Other Assets - Unamortized Debt Expense is amortized over the lives of the related issues. Restricted Cash represents proceeds from loans entered into through state financing programs and is held in trusts. The proceeds are restricted for specific capital expenditures and debt service requirements. (n) Income Taxes - Middlesex files a consolidated federal income tax return for the Company and income taxes are allocated based on the separate return method. Investment tax credits have been deferred and are amortized over the estimated useful life of the related property. For more information on income taxes, see Note 3 – Income Taxes. (o) Statements of Cash Flows - For purposes of reporting cash flows, the Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturity dates of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents represent bank balances and money market funds with investments maturing in less than 90 days. (p) Use of Estimates - Conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates. (q) Recent Accounting Pronouncements Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures – In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2011-04, which amends ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (ASC 820), to update guidance related to fair value measurements and disclosures as a step towards achieving convergence between generally accepted accounting principles and international financial reporting standards. ASU 2011-04 clarifies intent about application of existing fair value measurements and disclosures, changes certain requirements for fair value measurements and requires expanded disclosures. ASU 2011-04 was effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company’s adoption of ASU 2011-04 resulted in expanded fair value disclosures and did not have any impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows or financial position. In January 2010, the FASB issued ASU 2010-06, which amends ASC 820, to add new requirements for disclosures about transfers into and out of Levels 1 and 2 and separate disclosures about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements relating to Level 3 measurements. ASU 2010-06 also clarifies existing fair value disclosures about the level of disaggregation and about inputs and valuation techniques used to measure fair value. Further, ASU 2010-06 amends guidance on employers’ disclosures about postretirement benefit plan assets under ASC 715, Compensation – Retirement Benefits to require that disclosures be provided by classes of assets instead of by major categories of assets. Adoption of ASU 2010-06 had no impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows or financial position. (r) Recent Developments Superstorm Sandy - During the last week of October 2012, our businesses, primarily in New Jersey, were impacted by Superstorm Sandy. The most significant impact was widespread power outages caused by the storm’s heavy winds and rain. Because all of our critical water and wastewater facilities are equipped with emergency power generators, we were able to maintain service to our customers during the storm, as well as in its aftermath. The storm did not have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows. Claims for damages and any associated losses have been submitted to our insurance carriers. We anticipate that claims which may not be covered by insurance are recoverable through the regulatory rate setting process. Borough of Sayreville, New Jersey and Hess Corporation - Middlesex has received notification from the Borough of Sayreville, New Jersey (Sayreville), one of Middlesex's wholesale contract customers, that Sayreville will not be renewing its contract for the purchase of water from Middlesex. In accordance with the terms, this contract will remain in effect through August 12, 2013. Middlesex is exploring options with Sayreville for its ongoing emergency water supply requirements. Gross operating revenues from water sales to Sayreville amounted to $1.9 million in 2012. In addition, Hess Corporation (Hess), Middlesex's largest retail water customer, has announced it intends to cease its oil refining operations at its Port Reading, New Jersey facility as early as of the end of February 2013. Revenues from Hess amounted to $2.6 million in 2012. Revenue reductions from either of these customers may accelerate the need for Middlesex to file a base rate increase Petition with the NJBPU.

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