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Rate and Regulatory Matters | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2018
Regulated Operations [Abstract] |
Rate and Regulatory Matters | Note 2 - Rate and Regulatory Matters Rate Matters Middlesex - In March 2018, Middlesex’s petition to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (the NJBPU) seeking permission to increase its base water rates was concluded, based on a negotiated settlement, resulting in an increase in annual operating revenues of $5.5 million. In its initial October 2017 filing with the NJBPU, Middlesex had sought an increase of $15.3 million to recover costs for capital infrastructure investments Middlesex has made, or has committed to make, to drinking water infrastructure since the prior filing in New Jersey in 2015 as well as increased operations and maintenance costs. During the pendency of this rate matter, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the Tax Act) was signed into law. Under the Tax Act the maximum corporate income tax rate was reduced from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018. Because income tax is one of the cost components used to determine a regulated utility’s revenue requirement, Middlesex was able to reduce its original rate increase request by $4.9 million to $10.4 million. The approved base water rates were designed to recover increased operating costs as well as a return on invested capital in rate base of $245.5 million, based on an authorized return on common equity of 9.6%. As part of the settlement, Middlesex received approval for regulatory accounting treatment of accumulated deferred income tax benefits associated with required adoption of tangible property regulations issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The settlement agreement allowed for a four-year amortization period for $28.7 million of deferred income tax benefits as well as immediate and prospective recognition of the tangible property regulations’ tax benefits in future years. The rate increase became effective April 1, 2018. In December 2018, the NJBPU approved Middlesex’s petition to establish its Purchased Water Adjustment Clause (PWAC) tariff rate to recover additional annual costs of less than $0.1 million, primarily for the purchase of treated water from a non-affiliated water utility regulated by the NJBPU. A PWAC is a rate mechanism that allows for recovery of increased purchased water costs between base rate case filings. The PWAC is reset to zero once those increased costs are included in base rates. The PWAC tariff rate became effective on January 1, 2019. Tidewater - Effective January 1, 2019, Tidewater increased its Delaware Public Service Commission (DEPSC) approved Distribution System Improvement Charge rate, which is expected to generate revenues of approximately $0.2 million annually. In February 2019, Tidewater received approval from the DEPSC to reduce its rates, effective March 1, 2019, to reflect the lower corporate income tax rate enacted by the Tax Act, resulting in a 3.35% rate decrease for certain customer classes. Pinelands - In 2016, the NJBPU approved $0.2 million and $0.1 million of increases, respectively, in Pinelands Water and Pinelands Wastewater’s annual base rates. The rate increases were necessitated by capital infrastructure investments by the companies, increased operations and maintenance costs and lower non-fixed fee revenues. The Pinelands Water base water rate increase was phased-in between 2016 and 2017. Southern Shores - Under the terms of a multi-year DEPSC-approved agreement expiring in 2020, customer rates will increase on January 1st of each year to generate additional annual revenue of $0.1 million with each increase. Twin Lakes - In 2016, the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission approved a $0.1 million increase in Twin Lakes’ base water rates. The rate increase was necessitated by capital infrastructure investments Twin Lakes has made, or committed to make, and increased operations and maintenance costs. The rate increase is being phased in with the final phases implemented subsequent to completion of specific utility plant projects. Regulatory Matters We have recorded certain costs as regulatory assets because we expect full recovery of, or are currently recovering, these costs in the rates we charge customers. These deferred costs have been excluded from rate base and, therefore, we are not earning a return on the unamortized balances. These items are detailed as follows:
|  | (Thousands of Dollars) |  |
|  | December 31, |  | Remaining
Regulatory Assets |  | 2018 |  | 2017 |  | Recovery Periods
Retirement Benefits |  | $ | 39,158 |  |  | $ | 43,070 |  |  | Various
Income Taxes |  |  | 55,232 |  |  |  | 9,876 |  |  | Various
Rate Cases, Tank Painting, and Other |  |  | 4,846 |  |  |  | 5,477 |  |  | 2-10 years
Total |  | $ | 99,236 |  |  | $ | 58,423 |  |  |
Retirement benefits include pension and other retirement benefits that have been recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheet in accordance with the guidance provided in ASC 715, Compensation – Retirement Benefits. These amounts represent obligations in excess of current funding, which the Company believes will be fully recovered in rates set by the regulatory authorities. The recovery period for income taxes is dependent upon when the temporary differences between the tax and book treatment of various items reverse. In December 2017, the Tax Act was signed into law making significant changes to the Internal Revenue Code, including a corporate tax rate decrease from 35% to 21% effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017. The tariff rates charged to customers in the Company’s regulated companies include recovery of income taxes at the statutory rate at the time those rates are approved by the respective state public utility commissions that regulate each of our regulated subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company has recorded regulatory liabilities of $31.7 million and $31.6 million, respectively for excess income taxes collected through rates due to the lower income tax rate under the Tax Act. These regulatory liabilities are overwhelmingly related to utility plant depreciation deduction timing differences, which are subject to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) normalization rules. The IRS rules limit how quickly the excess taxes attributable to accelerated taxes can be returned to customers. The conclusion of Middlesex’s base rate case and the resulting rates implemented April 1, 2018 reflect the impact of the Tax Act on its revenue requirements. In February 2019, Tidewater received approval from the DEPSC to reduce its rates to reflect the lower corporate income tax rate enacted by the Tax Act (see Rate Matters-Tidewater above). As part of Middlesex’s March 2018 base water rate settlement with the NJBPU, Middlesex received approval for regulatory accounting treatment of accumulated deferred income tax benefits associated with the adoption of tangible property regulations issued by the IRS (see Rate Matters-Middlesex above), and, as of December 31, 2018, the Company has recorded $34.6 million of related regulatory liabilities. The Company uses composite depreciation rates for its regulated utility assets, which is currently an acceptable method under generally accepted accounting principles and is widely used in the utility industry. Historically, under the composite depreciation method, the anticipated costs of removing assets upon retirement are provided for over the life of those assets as a component of depreciation expense. The Company recovers certain asset retirement costs through rates charged to customers as an approved component of depreciation expense. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company has approximately $12.8 million and $12.2 million, respectively, of expected costs of removal recovered currently in rates in excess of actual costs incurred as regulatory liabilities.

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