XML 30 R12.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT

Organization, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Developments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2024

Organization, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Developments [Abstract]

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 or the Company) is the parent company and sole shareholder of Tidewater Utilities, Inc. (Tidewater), 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. The terms “we,” “our,” and “us” collectively refer to Middlesex and its subsidiaries,

Middlesex has operated as a water utility in New Jersey since 1897 and in Delaware, through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Tidewater, since 1992. We are in the business of providing an essential water utility service 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 unregulated water and wastewater services in New Jersey and Delaware through our subsidiaries. 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 and Delaware by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) and the Delaware Public Service Commission (DEPSC), respectively. Our USA, USA-PA and White Marsh subsidiaries are not regulated utilities.

(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.

(c) System of Accounts – The Company’s regulated utilities maintain their accounts in accordance with the Uniform System of Accounts prescribed by the NJBPU and DEPSC.

(d) Regulatory Accounting - We maintain our books and records in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). Middlesex and certain of its subsidiaries, which account for 93% of Operating Revenues and 99% 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) Retirement Benefit Plans - We maintain a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan (Pension Plan), which covers all active employees who were hired prior to April 1, 2007, as well as a defined contribution plan in which all employees are eligible to participate. In addition, the Company maintains an unfunded supplemental plan for certain of its executive officers. The Company has a retirement 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 retirement benefits are dependent upon numerous factors, including actual plan experience and assumptions of future experience. Retirement 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 retirement benefit plans, all of which can change significantly in future years. For more information on the Company’s Retirement 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 maintenance of the properties is charged to the appropriate expense accounts. At December 31, 2024, 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, 2024, 2023, and 2022. These rates have been approved by the NJBPU or DEPSC:

Source of Supply	1.15% - 3.44%	Transmission and Distribution (T&D):
Pumping	2.00% - 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%
Wastewater Collection	1.42% - 1.81%

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 42 years.

(i) Advances for Construction– Cash advances are provided to the Company by customers, real estate developers and builders in order to extend utility service to their properties. These transactions are recorded as Advances for Construction. Contractual Refunds of Advances for Construction in the form of cash are made by the Company and are based on either additional operating revenues generated from new customers or, as new customers are connected to the respective system. After all refunds are made and/or contract terms have expired, any remaining balance is transferred to Contributions in Aid of Construction (CIAC).

CIAC – CIAC include direct non-refundable contributions of utility plant and/or cash and the portion of Advances for Construction that becomes non-refundable.

In accordance with regulatory requirements, Advances for Construction and CIAC are not depreciated. 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 with the utility plant direct costs over the underlying assets’ 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, 2024, 2023 and 2022 for Middlesex and Tidewater are as follows:

		2024				2023				2022
Middlesex			6.64%				6.35%				6.35%
Tidewater			7.92%				7.92%				7.92%

(k) Accounts Receivable – We record bad debt expense based on a variety of factors such as our customers’ payment history, current economic conditions and trending reasonable and supportable forecasts on expected collectability of accounts receivable. The allowance for credit losses was $2.7 million and $2.1 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, bad debt expense was $1.6 million, $1.0 million and $0.5 million, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, write-offs were $1.0 million, $1.2 million and $0.7 million, respectively.

(l) Revenues - The Company’s revenues are primarily generated from regulated tariff-based water and wastewater utility services and non-regulated operation and maintenance contracts for services on water and wastewater systems owned by others. Revenue from contracts with customers is recognized when control of a promised good or service is transferred to customers at an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services.

The Company’s regulated revenue results from tariff-based water and wastewater utility services to residential, industrial, commercial, fire-protection and wholesale customers. Residential customers are billed quarterly while most industrial, commercial, fire-protection and wholesale customers are billed monthly. Payments by customers are due between 15 to 30 days after the invoice date. Revenue is recognized as the water and wastewater services are delivered to customers which includes an accrual of unbilled revenues estimated from the last meter reading date to the end of the accounting period utilizing factors such as historical customer data and regional weather indicators. Unearned Revenues and Advance Service Fees include fixed service charge billings in advance to Tidewater customers recognized as service is provided to the customer.

Non-regulated service contract revenues consist of base service fees as well as fees for additional billable services provided to customers. Fees are billed monthly and are due within 30 days after the invoice date. The Company considers the amounts billed to represent the value of these services provided to customers. These contracts expire at various times through 2032 and contain remaining performance obligations for which the Company expects to recognize revenue in the future. These contracts also contain customary termination provisions.

Substantially all of the amounts included in operating revenues and accounts receivable are from contracts with customers.

The Company’s contracts do not contain any significant financing components.

The Company’s operating revenues are comprised of the following:

		(In Thousands)
		Years Ended December 31,
		2024				2023				2022
Regulated Tariff Sales
Residential		$	97,802			$	86,581			$	84,950
Commercial			31,833				23,945				22,689
Industrial			13,842				11,586				11,152
Fire Protection			14,188				12,582				12,726
Wholesale			21,003				19,117				18,769
Non-Regulated Contract Operations			13,085				12,320				12,006
Total Revenue from Contracts with Customers		$	191,753			$	166,131			$	162,292
Other Regulated Revenues			691				806				831
Other Non-Regulated Revenues			467				453				440
Inter-segment Elimination			(1,034	)			(1,116	)			(1,129	)
Total Revenue		$	191,877			$	166,274			$	162,434

(m) Unamortized Debt Expense and Premiums on Long-Term Debt - Unamortized Debt Expense and Premiums on Long-Term Debt, included on the consolidated balance sheet in long-term debt, are amortized over the lives of the related debt.

(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. Certain income and expense items are accounted for in different time periods for financial reporting than for income tax reporting purposes. Deferred income taxes are provided on differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and the amounts at which they are carried in the consolidated financial statements. Investment tax credits have been deferred and are amortized over the estimated useful life of the related property. In the event there are interest and penalties associated with income tax adjustments from income tax authority examinations, these amounts will be reported under interest charges and other expense, respectively. For more information on income taxes, see Note 3 – Income Taxes.

(o) Cash and Cash Equivalents - 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 GAAP 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 - The recently issued accounting standards and their impact on the Company as of December 31, 2024 are as follows:

Standard		Description		Date of Adoption		Application		Effect on the Consolidated Financial Statements
Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2023-07 “Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures”		The ASU requires disclosure of significant segment expenses, extends certain annual disclosures to interim periods, and additional qualitative disclosures regarding the chief operating decision maker.		The ASU is effective for the Company beginning with its annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024.		Retrospective		The Company adopted ASU 2023-07, including a recast of 2023 and 2022 information, by including additional required disclosures within the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements -see Note 8- Reportable Segments.
ASU 2023-09 “Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures”		The ASU amends certain income tax disclosure requirements, including adding requirements to present the reconciliation of income tax expense computed at the statutory rate to actual income tax expense using both percentages and amounts and providing a disaggregation of income taxes paid. Further, certain disclosures are eliminated, including the current requirement to disclose information on changes in unrecognized tax benefits in the next 12 months.		The ASU is effective for the Company beginning with its annual financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2025. Early adoption is permitted.		Prospective, with retrospective application also permitted.		The Company is currently evaluating the requirements of ASU 2023-09.
ASU 2024-03 “Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses”		The ASU enhances disclosures related to income statement expenses to further disaggregate expenses in the footnotes to the financial statements. The standard requires disaggregation of any relevant expense caption presented on the face of the income statement that contains the following expense categories: purchases of inventory, employee compensation, depreciation, intangible asset amortization, and depletion. Further, the standard requires disclosure of the total amount and the entity’s definition of selling expenses.		The ASU is effective for the Company beginning with its annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2027.		Prospective, with retrospective application also permitted.		The Company is currently evaluating the requirements of ASU 2024-03.

(r) Reclassifications – Certain reclassifications have been made to prior periods in the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to conform to the current presentation.