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Rate and Regulatory Matters | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2024
Rate and Regulatory Matters [Abstract] |
Rate and Regulatory Matters | Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters Middlesex – The approval by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) in February 2024 of the negotiated settlement of the Middlesex 2023 base rate case is expected to increase annual operating revenues by $15.4 million, effective March 1, 2024. The approved tariff rates were designed to recover increased operating costs as well as a return on invested capital of $563.1 million, based on an authorized return on common equity of 9.6%. Middlesex has made capital infrastructure investments to ensure prudent upgrade and replacement of its utility assets to support continued regulatory compliance, resilience and overall quality of service. In August 2023, Middlesex and 3M Company (3M) executed a settlement agreement (Settlement Agreement) to resolve a lawsuit Middlesex previously initiated claiming 3M introduced PFAS, which includes Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), into the Company’s water supply for its Park Avenue Wellfield Treatment Plant (Park Avenue Plant). The rate case settlement provides that the net proceeds from the 3M Settlement Agreement were to be used to mitigate the increase in customer rates and reimburse Middlesex for previously incurred costs for the construction of the Park Avenue Plant PFAS treatment upgrades, including depreciation and carrying costs. This resulted in the reclassification of $48.3 million from Regulatory Liabilities to Contributions in Aid of Construction from the December 31, 2023 balance sheet. In 2024, the Company also recognized the recovery of $0.9 million for depreciation and $4.1 million for carrying costs associated with the Park Avenue Plant PFAS treatment upgrades, as well as the recovery of $1.8 million of previously incurred operating treatment costs while the Park Avenue Plant PFAS treatment upgrades were in process. The Middlesex Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) Plan, which was approved by the NJBPU in January 2024, has commenced and Middlesex submitted a customer surcharge filing with the NJBPU in July 2024 to recover costs incurred replacing Middlesex customer-owned lead service lines. The surcharge is for $1.4 million of costs incurred through June 2024, which are expected to be recovered between September 2024 and February 2025. The surcharge is required to be reset every six months over the life of the LSLR Plan. Cost recovery for replacing Company-owned lead service lines are recoverable through traditional rate making in connection with general rate case filings. In October 2024, Middlesex filed a second Distribution System Improvement Charge (DSIC) rate application that is expected to result in $1.1 million of annual revenues. A DSIC is a rate-mechanism that allows water utilities to recover investments in, and generate a return on, qualifying capital improvements made between general rate case proceedings. In October 2024, Middlesex filed a petition with the NJBPU seeking approval to set a Purchased Water Adjustment Clause tariff rate to recover additional costs of $0.6 million for the purchase of treated water from a non-affiliated water utility regulated by the NJBPU. Tidewater - In September 2024, the Delaware Public Service Commission (DEPSC) approved Tidewater’s petition to recover up to $2.1 million of costs associated with Tidewater’s obligation to identify and inventory lead service lines throughout Tidewater’s service area, as required by federal law and Delaware regulations. Through September 30, 2024, Tidewater has spent $1.7 million, which is included in Regulatory Assets and will be recovered through a surcharge mechanism. In August 2024, Tidewater filed an application with the DEPSC to increase its general rates for water service. In the application, Tidewater seeks an overall increase in annual operating revenue of $10.3 million or 25.66% over current revenue. The request for rate increases will allow Tidewater to recover prudently incurred investments made in the last ten years to support continued regulatory compliance, enhance water quality, service reliability, security and resiliency of the water utility infrastructure assets. Effective October 30, 2024, Tidewater received approval of the DEPSC to suspend its DSIC rate and implement an interim rate increase, which is expected to result in approximately $2.5 million of annual revenues, subject to refund pending the outcome of the rate case application. Twin Lakes Utilities, Inc. (Twin Lakes) – Twin Lakes provides water services to approximately 115 residential customers in Shohola, Pennsylvania. Pursuant to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Code, Twin Lakes filed a petition requesting the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission (PAPUC) to order the acquisition of Twin Lakes by a capable public utility. The PAPUC assigned an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) to adjudicate the matter and submit a recommended decision (Recommended Decision) to the PAPUC. As part of this legal proceeding the PAPUC also issued an Order in January 2021 appointing a large Pennsylvania based investor-owned water utility as the receiver (the Receiver Utility) of the Twin Lakes system until the petition is fully adjudicated by the PAPUC. In November 2021, the PAPUC issued an Order affirming the ALJ’s Recommended Decision, ordering the Receiver Utility to acquire the Twin Lakes water system and for Middlesex, the parent company of Twin Lakes, to submit $1.7 million into an escrow account within 30 days. Twin Lakes immediately filed a Petition For Review (PFR) with the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania (the Commonwealth Court) seeking reversal and vacation of the escrow requirement on the grounds that it violates the Pennsylvania Public Utility Code as well as the United States Constitution. In addition, Twin Lakes filed an emergency petition for stay of the PAPUC Order pending the Commonwealth Court’s review of the merits arguments contained in Twin Lakes’ PFR. In December 2021, the Commonwealth Court granted Twin Lakes’ emergency petition, pending its review. In August 2022, the Commonwealth Court issued an opinion upholding PAPUC’s November 2021 Order in its entirety. In September 2022, Twin Lakes filed a Petition For Allowance of Appeal (Appeal Petition) to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania seeking reversal of the Commonwealth Court’s decision to uphold the escrow requirement on the grounds that the Commonwealth Court erred in failing to address Twin Lakes’ claims that because the $1.7 million escrow requirement placed on Middlesex violated Middlesex’s constitutional rights, Middlesex’s refusal to submit this escrow payment would jeopardize the relief Twin Lakes was otherwise entitled to in the appointment of the Receiver Utility. In March 2023, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania issued a decision denying Twin Lakes’ Appeal Petition without addressing this claim on the merits. As a result of the Pennsylvania Courts’ failure to address Twin Lakes’ claim, Middlesex subsequently filed a Complaint with the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (US District Court) to address the issue of whether the PAPUC’s Order violated Middlesex’s rights under the United States Constitution. On January 18, 2024, the US District Court issued a decision dismissing Middlesex’s complaint without addressing Middlesex’s claims on the merits. On January 31, 2024, Middlesex filed a Notice of Appeal of the US District Court’s decision with the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (Third Circuit Court). Briefing before the Third Circuit Court is complete and a three-judge panel will issue a written decision based on the briefs without scheduling any oral arguments. The decision is expected to be issued in the first half of 2025. The estimated loss recorded by the Company related to this matter, the financial results, total assets and financial obligations of Twin Lakes are not material to Middlesex.

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