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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2019
Nature of Operations | Nature of Operations – Unitil Corporation (Unitil or the Company) is a public utility holding company. Unitil and its subsidiaries are subject to regulation as a holding company system by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The following companies are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Unitil: Unitil Energy Systems, Inc. (Unitil Energy), Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company (Fitchburg), Northern Utilities, Inc. (Northern Utilities), Granite State Gas Transmission, Inc. (Granite State), Unitil Power Corp. (Unitil Power), Unitil Realty Corp. (Unitil Realty), Unitil Service Corp. (Unitil Service) and its non-regulated business unit Unitil Resources, Inc. (Unitil Resources). Usource Inc. and Usource L.L.C., which the Company sold in the first quarter of 2019, were wholly-owned subsidiaries of Unitil Resources. The Company’s earnings are seasonal and are typically higher in the first and fourth quarters when customers use natural gas for heating purposes. Unitil’s principal business is the local distribution of electricity in the southeastern seacoast and state capital regions of New Hampshire and the greater Fitchburg area of north central Massachusetts, and the local distribution of natural gas in southeastern New Hampshire, portions of southern and central Maine and in the greater Fitchburg area of north central Massachusetts. Unitil has three distribution utility subsidiaries, Unitil Energy, which operates in New Hampshire, Fitchburg, which operates in Massachusetts and Northern Utilities, which operates in New Hampshire and Maine (collectively referred to as the distribution utilities). Granite State is a natural gas transportation pipeline, operating 86 miles of underground gas transmission pipeline primarily located in Maine and New Hampshire. Granite State provides Northern Utilities with interconnection to three major natural gas pipelines and access to domestic natural gas supplies in the south and Canadian natural gas supplies in the north. Granite State derives its revenues principally from the transportation services provided to Northern Utilities and, to a lesser extent, third-party marketers. A fifth utility subsidiary, Unitil Power, formerly functioned as the full requirements wholesale power supply provider for Unitil Energy. In connection with the implementation of electric industry restructuring in New Hampshire, Unitil Power ceased being the wholesale supplier of Unitil Energy on May 1, 2003 and divested of its long-term power supply contracts through the sale of the entitlements to the electricity associated with various electric power supply contracts it had acquired to serve Unitil Energy’s customers. Unitil also has three other wholly-owned subsidiaries: Unitil Service; Unitil Realty; and Unitil Resources. Unitil Service provides, at cost, a variety of administrative and professional services, including regulatory, financial, accounting, human resources, engineering, operations, technology, energy management and management services on a centralized basis to its affiliated Unitil companies. Unitil Realty owns and manages the Company’s corporate office in Hampton, New Hampshire and leases this facility to Unitil Service under a long-term lease arrangement. Unitil Resources is the Company’s wholly-owned non-regulated subsidiary. Usource, Inc. and Usource L.L.C. (collectively, Usource), which the Company divested of in the first quarter of 2019, were wholly-owned subsidiaries of Unitil Resources. Usource provided brokering and advisory services to large commercial and industrial customers in the northeastern United States. See additional discussion of the divestiture of Usource below.
Basis of Presentation | Basis of Presentation – The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Unitil have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2019. For further information, please refer to Note 1 of Part II to the Consolidated Financial Statements – “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” of the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on January 31, 2019, for a description of the Company’s Basis of Presentation.
Divestiture of Non-Regulated Business Subsidiary | Divestiture of Non-Regulated Business Subsidiary – On March 1, 2019, the Company divested of its non-regulated energy brokering and advisory business subsidiary, Usource. The Company recognized an after-tax net gain of approximately $9.8 million on this divestiture in the first quarter of 2019. The pre-tax net gain of approximately $13.4 million on this divestiture is included in Other Income (Expense), Net on the Consolidated Statements of Earnings for the three months ended March 31, 2019, while the income taxes associated with this transaction of $3.6 million are included in the Provision For Income Taxes.
Utility Revenue Recognition | Utility Revenue Recognition – Gas Operating Revenues and Electric Operating Revenues consist of billed and unbilled revenue and revenue from rate adjustment mechanisms. Billed and unbilled revenue includes delivery revenue and pass-through revenue, recognized according to tariffs approved by federal and state regulatory commissions which determine the amount of revenue the Company will record for these items. Revenue from rate adjustment mechanisms is accrued revenue, recognized in connection with rate adjustment mechanisms, and authorized by regulators for recognition in the current period for future cash recoveries from, or credits to, customers. Billed and unbilled revenue is recorded when service is rendered or energy is delivered to customers. However, the determination of energy sales to individual customers is based on the reading of their meters, which occurs on a systematic basis throughout the month. At the end of each calendar month, amounts of energy delivered to customers since the date of the last meter reading are estimated and the corresponding unbilled revenues are calculated. These unbilled revenues are calculated each month based on estimated customer usage by class and applicable customer rates and are then reversed in the following month when billed to customers. A majority of the Company’s revenue from contracts with customers continues to be recognized on a monthly basis based on applicable tariffs and customer monthly consumption. Such revenue is recognized using the invoice practical expedient which allows an entity to recognize revenue in the amount that directly corresponds to the value transferred to the customer. The Company’s billed and unbilled revenue meets the definition of “revenues from contracts with customers” as defined in ASU 2014-09. Revenue recognized in connection with rate adjustment mechanisms is consistent with the definition of alternative revenue programs in Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 980-605-25-3, as the Company has the ability to adjust rates in the future as a result of past activities or completed events. ASU 2014-09 requires the Company to disclose separately the amount of revenues from contracts with customers and alternative revenue program revenues. In the following tables, revenue is classified by the types of goods/services rendered and market/customer type.
|  | Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 |
Gas and Electric Operating Revenues ($ millions): |  | Gas |  |  | Electric |  |  | Total |
Billed and Unbilled Revenue: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Residential |  | $ | 38.7 |  |  | $ | 35.7 |  |  | $ | 74.4 |
C&I |  |  | 54.0 |  |  |  | 24.7 |  |  |  | 78.7 |
Other |  |  | 6.5 |  |  |  | 2.3 |  |  |  | 8.8 |
Total Billed and Unbilled Revenue |  |  | 99.2 |  |  |  | 62.7 |  |  |  | 161.9 |
Rate Adjustment Mechanism Revenue |  |  | (12.8 | ) |  |  | 2.1 |  |  |  | (10.7 | )
Total Gas and Electric Operating Revenues |  | $ | 86.4 |  |  | $ | 64.8 |  |  | $ | 151.2 |
|  | Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 |
Gas and Electric Operating Revenues ($ millions): |  | Gas |  |  | Electric |  |  | Total |
Billed and Unbilled Revenue: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Residential |  | $ | 35.8 |  |  | $ | 34.4 |  |  | $ | 70.2 |
C&I |  |  | 50.6 |  |  |  | 24.1 |  |  |  | 74.7 |
Other |  |  | 5.0 |  |  |  | 3.1 |  |  |  | 8.1 |
Total Billed and Unbilled Revenue |  |  | 91.4 |  |  |  | 61.6 |  |  |  | 153.0 |
Rate Adjustment Mechanism Revenue |  |  | (4.4 | ) |  |  | (4.1 | ) |  |  | (8.5 | )
Total Gas and Electric Operating Revenues |  | $ | 87.0 |  |  | $ | 57.5 |  |  | $ | 144.5 |
Fitchburg is subject to revenue decoupling. Revenue decoupling is the term given to the elimination of the dependency of a utility’s distribution revenue on the volume of electricity or natural gas sales. The difference between distribution revenue amounts billed to customers and the targeted revenue decoupling amounts is recorded as an increase or a decrease in Accrued Revenue, which forms the basis for resetting rates for future cash recoveries from, or credits to, customers. These revenue decoupling targets may be adjusted as a result of rate cases that the Company files with the MDPU.
Other Operating Revenue - Non-regulated | Other Operating Revenue – Non-regulated – Other Operating Revenue consists solely ofrevenue from Usource, Unitil’s non-regulated subsidiary, which, as discussed previously, the Company divested of on March 1, 2019. Usource conducted its business activities as a broker of competitive energy services. Usource did not take title to the electric and gas commodities which were the subject of the brokerage contracts. The Company recorded energy brokering revenues based upon the amount of electricity and gas delivered to customers through the end of the accounting period. Usource partnered with certain entities to facilitate these brokerage services and paid these entities a fee under revenue sharing agreements.
Income Taxes | Income Taxes – The Company is subject to Federal and State income taxes as well as various other business taxes. This process involves estimating the Company’s current tax liabilities as well as assessing temporary and permanent differences resulting from the timing of the deductions of expenses and recognition of taxable income for tax and book accounting purposes. These temporary differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities, which are included in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company accounts for income tax assets, liabilities and expenses in accordance with the FASB Codification guidance on Income Taxes. The Company classifies penalty and interest expense related to income tax liabilities as income tax expense and interest expense, respectively, in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings. Provisions for income taxes are calculated in each of the jurisdictions in which the Company operates for each period for which a statement of earnings is presented. The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with the FASB Codification guidance on Income Taxes, which requires an asset and liability approach for the financial accounting and reporting of income taxes. Significant judgments and estimates are required in determining the current and deferred tax assets and liabilities. The Company’s current and deferred tax assets and liabilities reflect its best assessment of estimated future taxes to be paid. In accordance with the FASB Codification, the Company periodically assesses the realization of its deferred tax assets and liabilities and adjusts the income tax provision, the current tax liability and deferred taxes in the period in which the facts and circumstances which gave rise to the revision become known.
Cash and Cash Equivalents | Cash and Cash Equivalents – Cash and Cash Equivalents includes all cash and cash equivalents to which the Company has legal title. Cash equivalents include short-term investments with original maturities of three months or less and interest bearing deposits. The Company’s cash and cash equivalents are held at financial institutions and at times may exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts. Under the Independent System Operator – New England (ISO-NE) Financial Assurance Policy (Policy), Unitil’s subsidiaries Unitil Energy, Fitchburg and Unitil Power are required to provide assurance of their ability to satisfy their obligations to ISO-NE. Under this Policy, Unitil’s subsidiaries provide cash deposits covering approximately 2-1/2 months of outstanding obligations, less credit amounts that are based on the Company’s credit rating. As of March 31, 2019, March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2018, the Unitil subsidiaries had deposited $3.0 million, $3.3 million and $3.5 million, respectively to satisfy their ISO-NE obligations.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts | Allowance for Doubtful Accounts – The Company recognizes a provision for doubtful accounts each month based upon the Company’s experience in collecting electric and gas utility service accounts receivable in prior years. At the end of each month, an analysis of the delinquent receivables is performed which takes into account an assumption about the cash recovery of delinquent receivables. The analysis also calculates the amount of written-off receivables that are recoverable through regulatory rate reconciling mechanisms. The Company’s distribution utilities are authorized by regulators to recover the costs of their energy commodity portion of bad debts through rate mechanisms. Also, the electric and gas divisions of Fitchburg are authorized to recover through rates past due amounts associated with hardship accounts that are protected from shut-off. Evaluating the adequacy of the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts requires judgment about the assumptions used in the analysis. It has been the Company’s experience that the assumptions it has used in evaluating the adequacy of the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts have proven to be reasonably accurate. The Allowance for Doubtful Accounts as of March 31, 2019, March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2018, which are included in Accounts Receivable, Net on the accompanying unaudited consolidated balance sheets, was as follows:
($ millions) |  |  |
|  | March 31, |  |  | December 31, |
|  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |  |  | 2018 |
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts |  | $ | 1.7 |  |  | $ | 1.6 |  |  | $ | 1.3 |
Accrued Revenue | Accrued Revenue – Accrued Revenue includes the current portion of Regulatory Assets and unbilled revenues. The following table shows the components of Accrued Revenue as of March 31, 2019, March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2018.
|  | March 31, |  |  | December 31, |
Accrued Revenue ($ millions) |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |  |  | 2018 |
Regulatory Assets – Current |  | $ | 29.4 |  |  | $ | 34.6 |  |  | $ | 41.3 |
Unbilled Revenues |  |  | 10.8 |  |  |  | 10.5 |  |  |  | 13.4 |
Total Accrued Revenue |  | $ | 40.2 |  |  | $ | 45.1 |  |  | $ | 54.7 |
Exchange Gas Receivable | Exchange Gas Receivable – Northern Utilities and Fitchburg have gas exchange and storage agreements whereby natural gas purchases during the months of April through October are delivered to a third party. The third party delivers natural gas back to the Company during the months of November through March. The exchange and storage gas volumes are recorded at weighted average cost. The following table shows the components of Exchange Gas Receivable as of March 31, 2019, March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2018.
|  | March 31, |  |  | December 31, |
Exchange Gas Receivable ($ millions) |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |  |  | 2018 |
Northern Utilities |  | $ | 0.2 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 7.5 |
Fitchburg |  |  | 0.2 |  |  |  | 0.2 |  |  |  | 0.6 |
Total Exchange Gas Receivable |  | $ | 0.4 |  |  | $ | 0.2 |  |  | $ | 8.1 |
Gas Inventory | Gas Inventory – The Company uses the weighted average cost methodology to value natural gas inventory. The following table shows the components of Gas Inventory as of March 31, 2019, March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2018.
|  | March 31, |  |  | December 31, |
Gas Inventory ($ millions) |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |  |  | 2018 |
Natural Gas |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 0.3 |
Propane |  |  | 0.4 |  |  |  | 0.3 |  |  |  | 0.4 |
Liquefied Natural Gas & Other |  |  | 0.1 |  |  |  | 0.1 |  |  |  | 0.1 |
Total Gas Inventory |  | $ | 0.5 |  |  | $ | 0.4 |  |  | $ | 0.8 |
Utility Plant | Utility Plant – The cost of additions to Utility Plant and the cost of renewals and betterments are capitalized. Cost consists of labor, materials, services and certain indirect construction costs, including an allowance for funds used during construction (AFUDC). The costs of current repairs and minor replacements are charged to appropriate operating expense accounts. The original cost of utility plant retired or otherwise disposed of is charged to the accumulated provision for depreciation. The Company includes in its mass asset depreciation rates, which are periodically reviewed as part of its ratemaking proceedings, cost of removal amounts to provide for future negative salvage value. At March 31, 2019, March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2018, the Company estimates that the cost of removal amounts, which are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets in Cost of Removal Obligations are $93.7 million, $86.6 million, and $90.7 million, respectively.
Leases | Leases – On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)”. The new standard requires lessees to record assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the income statement. The Company elected the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within the new standard, which among other things, allows the Company to carryforward the historical lease classification. The Company also elected the practical expedient related to land easements, allowing the Company to carry forward its current accounting treatment for land easements on existing agreements. The Company made an accounting policy election to keep leases with an initial term of 12 months or less off of the balance sheet. The Company recognizes those lease payments in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The adoption of the standard resulted in recognition of approximately $4.2 million of lease assets and lease liabilities as of January 1, 2019 on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company’s adoption of the standard did not have a material effect on its Consolidated Statements of Earnings and Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. See additional discussion below in the “Leases” section of Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Regulatory Accounting | Regulatory Accounting – The Company’s principal business is the distribution of electricity and natural gas by the three distribution utilities: Unitil Energy, Fitchburg and Northern Utilities. Unitil Energy and Fitchburg are subject to regulation by the FERC. Fitchburg is also regulated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (MDPU), Unitil Energy is regulated by the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (NHPUC) and Northern Utilities is regulated by the Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) and NHPUC. Granite State, the Company’s natural gas transmission pipeline, is regulated by the FERC. Accordingly, the Company uses the Regulated Operations guidance as set forth in the FASB Codification. The Company has recorded Regulatory Assets and Regulatory Liabilities which will be recovered from customers, or applied for customer benefit, in accordance with rate provisions approved by the applicable public utility regulatory commission.
|  | March 31, |  |  | December 31, |
Regulatory Assets consist of the following ($ millions) |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |  |  | 2018 |
Retirement Benefits |  | $ | 72.4 |  |  | $ | 85.4 |  |  | $ | 72.0 |
Energy Supply & Other Rate Adjustment Mechanisms |  |  | 25.1 |  |  |  | 31.9 |  |  |  | 38.4 |
Deferred Storm Charges |  |  | 5.9 |  |  |  | 8.0 |  |  |  | 6.3 |
Environmental |  |  | 7.6 |  |  |  | 9.0 |  |  |  | 7.9 |
Income Taxes |  |  | 4.7 |  |  |  | 6.3 |  |  |  | 5.7 |
Other Deferred Charges |  |  | 11.6 |  |  |  | 5.2 |  |  |  | 10.0 |
Total Regulatory Assets |  |  | 127.3 |  |  |  | 145.8 |  |  |  | 140.3 |
Less: Current Portion of Regulatory Assets(1) |  |  | 29.4 |  |  |  | 34.6 |  |  |  | 41.3 |
Regulatory Assets – noncurrent |  | $ | 97.9 |  |  | $ | 111.2 |  |  | $ | 99.0 |
Reflects amounts included in Accrued Revenue, discussed above, on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.
|  | March 31, |  |  | December 31, |
Regulatory Liabilities consist of the following ($ millions) |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |  |  | 2018 |
Income Taxes (Note 8) |  | $ | 48.2 |  |  | $ | 49.1 |  |  | $ | 47.0 |
Energy Supply & Other Rate Adjustment Mechanisms |  |  | 13.6 |  |  |  | 10.3 |  |  |  | 11.5 |
Gas Pipeline Refund (Note 6) |  |  | — |  |  |  | 0.6 |  |  |  | — |
Other |  |  | 0.6 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Total Regulatory Liabilities |  |  | 62.4 |  |  |  | 60.0 |  |  |  | 58.5 |
Less: Current Portion of Regulatory Liabilities |  |  | 15.0 |  |  |  | 10.9 |  |  |  | 11.5 |
Regulatory Liabilities – noncurrent |  | $ | 47.4 |  |  | $ | 49.1 |  |  | $ | 47.0 |
Generally, the Company receives a return on investment on its regulated assets for which a cash outflow has been made. Included in Regulatory Assets as of March 31, 2019 are $5.9 million of environmental costs, rate case costs and other expenditures to be recovered over varying periods in the next seven years. Regulators have authorized recovery of these expenditures, but without a return. Regulatory commissions can reach different conclusions about the recovery of costs, which can have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company believes it is probable that its regulated distribution and transmission utilities will recover their investments in long-lived assets, including regulatory assets. If the Company, or a portion of its assets or operations, were to cease meeting the criteria for application of these accounting rules, accounting standards for businesses in general would become applicable and immediate recognition of any previously deferred costs, or a portion of deferred costs, would be required in the year in which the criteria are no longer met, if such deferred costs were not recoverable in the portion of the business that continues to meet the criteria for application of the FASB Codification topic on Regulated Operations. If unable to continue to apply the FASB Codification provisions for Regulated Operations, the Company would be required to apply the provisions for the Discontinuation of Rate-Regulated Accounting included in the FASB Codification. In the Company’s opinion, its regulated operations will be subject to the FASB Codification provisions for Regulated Operations for the foreseeable future.
Derivatives | Derivatives – The Company’s regulated energy subsidiaries enter into energy supply contracts to serve their electric and gas customers. The Company follows a procedure for determining whether each contract qualifies as a derivative instrument under the guidance provided by the FASB Codification on Derivatives and Hedging. For each contract, the Company reviews and documents the key terms of the contract. Based on those terms and any additional relevant components of the contract, the Company determines and documents whether the contract qualifies as a derivative instrument as defined in the FASB Codification. The Company has determined that none of its energy supply contracts qualify as a derivative instrument under the guidance set forth in the FASB Codification.
Investments in Marketable Securities | Investments in Marketable Securities – The Company has a trust through which it invests in a variety of equity and fixed income mutual funds. These funds are intended to satisfy obligations under the Company’s Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (SERP) (See further discussion of the SERP in Note 9. At March 31, 2019, March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2018, the fair value of the Company’s investments in these trading securities, which are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets in Other Assets, were $5.1 million, $5.1 and $4.8 million, respectively, as shown in the table below. These investments are valued based on quoted prices from active markets and are categorized in Level 1 as they are actively traded and no valuation adjustments have been applied. Changes in the fair value of these investments are recorded in Other Expense, Net.
|  | March 31, |  |  | December 31, |
Fair Value of Marketable Securities ($ millions) |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |  |  | 2018 |
Equity Funds |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 1.9 |  |  | $ | — |
Fixed Income Funds |  |  | — |  |  |  | 1.6 |  |  |  | — |
Money Market Funds |  |  | 5.1 |  |  |  | 1.6 |  |  |  | 4.8 |
Total Marketable Securities |  | $ | 5.1 |  |  | $ | 5.1 |  |  | $ | 4.8 |
The Company also sponsors the Unitil Corporation Deferred Compensation Plan (the “DC Plan”). The DC Plan is a non-qualified deferred compensation plan that provides a vehicle for participants to accumulate tax-deferred savings to supplement retirement income. The DC Plan, which was effective January 1, 2019, is open to senior management or other highly compensated employees as determined by the Company’s Board of Directors, and may also be used for recruitment and retention purposes for newly hired senior executives. The DC Plan design mirrors the Company’s Tax Deferred Savings and Investment Plan formula, but provides for contributions on compensation above the IRS limit, which will allow participants to defer up to 85% of base salary, and up to 85% of any cash incentive for retirement. The Company may also elect to make discretionary contributions on behalf of any participant in an amount determined by the Company’s Board of Directors. A trust has been established to invest the funds associated with the DC Plan. At March 31, 2019, March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2018, the fair value of the Company’s investments in these trading securities related to the DC Plan, which are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets in Other Assets, were $0.1 million, $0 and $0, respectively, as shown in the table below. These investments are valued based on quoted prices from active markets and are categorized in Level 1 as they are actively traded and no valuation adjustments have been applied. Changes in the fair value of these investments are recorded in Other Expense, Net.
|  | March 31, |  |  | December 31, |
Fair Value of Marketable Securities ($ millions) |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |  |  | 2018 |
Equity Funds |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |
Money Market Funds |  |  | 0.1 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Total Marketable Securities |  | $ | 0.1 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |
Energy Supply Obligations | Energy Supply Obligations – The following discussion and table summarize the nature and amounts of the items recorded as Energy Supply Obligations (current portion) and Other Noncurrent Liabilities (noncurrent portion) on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.
|  | March 31, |  |  | December 31, |
Energy Supply Obligations ($ millions) |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |  |  | 2018 |
Current: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Exchange Gas Obligation |  | $ | 0.2 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 7.5 |
Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards |  |  | 4.1 |  |  |  | 7.5 |  |  |  | 5.6 |
Power Supply Contract Divestitures |  |  | 0.3 |  |  |  | 0.3 |  |  |  | 0.3 |
Total Energy Supply Obligations – Current |  |  | 4.6 |  |  |  | 7.8 |  |  |  | 13.4 |
Long-Term: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Power Supply Contract Divestitures |  |  | 0.5 |  |  |  | 0.8 |  |  |  | 0.6 |
Total Energy Supply Obligations |  | $ | 5.1 |  |  | $ | 8.6 |  |  | $ | 14.0 |
Exchange Gas Obligation – As discussed above, Northern Utilities enters into gas exchange agreements under which Northern Utilities releases certain natural gas pipeline and storage assets, resells the natural gas storage inventory to an asset manager and subsequently repurchases the inventory over the course of the natural gas heating season at the same price at which it sold the natural gas inventory to the asset manager. The gas inventory related to these agreements is recorded in Exchange Gas Receivable on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets while the corresponding obligations are recorded in Energy Supply Obligations. Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards – Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards (RPS) require retail electricity suppliers, including public utilities, to demonstrate that required percentages of their sales are met with power generated from certain types of resources or technologies. Compliance is demonstrated by purchasing and retiring Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) generated by facilities approved by the state as qualifying for REC treatment. Unitil Energy and Fitchburg purchase RECs in compliance with RPS legislation in New Hampshire and Massachusetts for supply provided to default service customers. RPS compliance costs are a supply cost that is recovered in customer default service rates. Unitil Energy and Fitchburg collect RPS compliance costs from customers throughout the year and demonstrate compliance for each calendar year on the following July 1. Due to timing differences between collection of revenue from customers and payment of REC costs to suppliers, Unitil Energy and Fitchburg typically maintain accrued revenue for RPS compliance which is recorded in Accrued Revenue with a corresponding liability in Energy Supply Obligations on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. Fitchburg has entered into long-term renewable contracts for the purchase of clean energy and/or renewable energy certificates (RECs) pursuant to Massachusetts legislation, specifically, An Act Relative to Green Communities (“Green Communities Act”, 2008), An Act Relative to Competitively Priced Electricity in the Commonwealth (2012) and An Act to Promote Energy Diversity (“Energy Diversity Act”, 2016). The generating facilities associated with four of these contracts have been constructed and are now operating. Since 2017, the Company has participated in two major statewide procurements which resulted in contracts for imported hydroelectric power and associated transmission and for offshore wind generation. The contracts were filed with MDPU in 2018 and approvals remain pending. Additional long-term clean energy contracts are expected in compliance with the Energy Diversity Act and An Act to Promote a Clean Energy Future (2018). Fitchburg recovers the costs associated with long-term renewable contracts on a fully reconciling basis through a MDPU-approved cost recovery mechanism. Power Supply Contract Divestitures – Unitil Energy’s and Fitchburg’s customers are entitled to purchase their electric or natural gas supplies from third-party suppliers. In connection with the implementation of retail choice, Unitil Power, which formerly functioned as the wholesale power supply provider for Unitil Energy, and Fitchburg divested their long-term power supply contracts through the sale of the entitlements to the electricity sold under those contracts. Unitil Energy and Fitchburg recover in their rates all the costs associated with the divestiture of their power supply portfolios and have secured regulatory approval from the NHPUC and MDPU, respectively, for the recovery of power supply-related stranded costs. The obligations related to these divestitures are recorded in Energy Supply Obligations (current portion) and Other Noncurrent Liabilities (noncurrent portion) on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets with corresponding regulatory assets recorded in Accrued Revenue (current portion) and Regulatory Assets (noncurrent portion).
Recently Issued Pronouncements | Recently Issued Pronouncements – In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)”. The new standard requires lessees to record assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. The Company adopted the standard as of January 1, 2019. See “Leases” above in Note 1. Other than the pronouncement discussed above, there are no recently issued pronouncements that the Company has not already adopted or that have a material impact on the Company.
Subsequent Events | Subsequent Events – The Company evaluates all events or transactions through the date of the related filing. During the period through the date of this filing, the Company did not have any material subsequent events that would result in adjustment to or disclosure in its Consolidated Financial Statements.

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