REGULATORY ASSETS, LIABILITIES, AND BALANCING ACCOUNTS |
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Regulated Operations [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
REGULATORY ASSETS, LIABILITIES, AND BALANCING ACCOUNTS | REGULATORY ASSETS, LIABILITIES, AND BALANCING ACCOUNTS Regulatory Assets Long-term regulatory assets are comprised of the following:
(1) Payments into the pension and other benefits plans are based on annual contribution requirements. As these annual requirements continue indefinitely into the future, the Utility expects to continuously recover pension benefits. (2) In connection with the settlement agreement entered into among PG&E Corporation, the Utility, and the CPUC in 2003 to resolve the Utility’s 2001 proceeding under Chapter 11, the CPUC authorized the Utility to recover $1.2 billion of costs related to the Utility’s retained generation assets. The individual components of these regulatory assets are being amortized over the respective lives of the underlying generation facilities, consistent with the period over which the related revenues are recognized. (3) Includes costs of responding to catastrophic events that have been declared a disaster or state of emergency by competent federal or state authorities. Recovery of CEMA costs are subject to CPUC review and approval. (4) Includes specific incremental wildfire-related liability costs the CPUC approved for tracking in June 2018. Recovery of WEMA costs are subject to CPUC review and approval. (5) Includes costs associated with the implementation of regulations and requirements adopted to protect the public from potential fire hazards associated with overhead power line facilities and nearby aerial communication facilities that have not been previously authorized in another proceeding. Recovery of FHPMA costs are subject to CPUC review and approval. (6) Includes costs associated with the 2019 Wildfire Mitigation Plan for the period January 1, 2019 through June 4, 2019. Recovery of FRMMA costs are subject to CPUC review and approval. (7) Includes costs associated with the 2019 Wildfire Mitigation Plan for the period June 5, 2019 through December 31, 2019. Recovery of WMPMA costs are subject to CPUC review and approval. (8) Represents cumulative differences between amounts recognized for ratemaking purposes and expense recognized in accordance with GAAP. (See Note 9 below.) (9) December 31, 2019 balance includes $178 million of unamortized debt issuance costs and debt discount that was written off to present the debt subject to compromise at the outstanding face value. In general, regulatory assets represent the cumulative differences between amounts recognized for ratemaking purposes and expense or accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) recognized in accordance with GAAP. Additionally, the Utility does not earn a return on regulatory assets if the related costs do not accrue interest. Accordingly, the Utility earns a return on its regulatory assets for retained generation, and regulatory assets for unamortized loss, net of gain, on reacquired debt. Regulatory Liabilities Long-term regulatory liabilities are comprised of the following:
(1) Represents the cumulative differences between asset removal costs recorded and amounts collected in rates for expected asset removal costs. (2) Represents the cumulative differences between amounts recognized for ratemaking purposes and expense recognized in accordance with GAAP. (See Note 9 below.) (3) Represents the cumulative differences between ARO expenses and amounts collected in rates. Decommissioning costs related to the Utility’s nuclear facilities are recovered through rates and are placed in nuclear decommissioning trusts. This regulatory liability also represents the deferral of realized and unrealized gains and losses on these nuclear decommissioning trust investments. (See Note 11 below.) (4) Represents amounts received from customers designated for public purpose program costs expected to be incurred beyond the next 12 months, primarily related to energy efficiency programs. (5) Represents cumulative differences between incurred costs and amounts collected in rates for Post-Retirement Medical, Post-Retirement Life and Long-Term Disability Plans. Regulatory Balancing Accounts The Utility tracks (1) differences between the Utility’s authorized revenue requirement and customer billings, and (2) differences between incurred costs and customer billings. To the extent these differences are probable of recovery or refund over the next 12 months, the Utility records a current regulatory balancing account receivable or payable. Regulatory balancing accounts that the Utility expects to collect or refund over a period exceeding 12 months are recorded as other noncurrent assets – regulatory assets or noncurrent liabilities – regulatory liabilities, respectively, in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. These differences do not have an impact on net income. Balancing accounts will fluctuate during the year based on seasonal electric and gas usage and the timing of when costs are incurred and customer revenues are collected. Current regulatory balancing accounts receivable and payable are comprised of the following:
The electric distribution and utility generation accounts track the collection of revenue requirements approved in the GRC. The electric transmission accounts track recovery of costs related to the transmission of electricity approved in the FERC TO rate cases. The gas distribution and transmission accounts track the collection of revenue requirements approved in the GRC and the GT&S rate case. Energy procurement balancing accounts track recovery of costs related to the procurement of electricity, including any environmental compliance-related activities. Public purpose programs balancing accounts are primarily used to record and recover authorized revenue requirements for commission-mandated programs such as energy efficiency.
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