
REGULATORY ASSETS (LIABILITIES)
(Dollars in millions)
	September 30, 2021		December 31, 2020

SDG&E:
Fixed-price contracts and other derivatives	$	(88)	$	(53)
Deferred income taxes recoverable in rates	72		22
Pension and other postretirement benefit plan obligations	19		50
Removal obligations	(2,228)		(2,121)
Environmental costs	55		56
Sunrise Powerlink fire mitigation	121		121
Regulatory balancing accounts(1)(2)
Commodity – electric	85		72
Gas transportation	23		35
Safety and reliability	60		67
Public purpose programs	(138)		(158)
2019 GRC retroactive impacts	14		56
Other balancing accounts	535		233
Other regulatory assets, net(2)	110		72
Total SDG&E	(1,360)		(1,548)
SoCalGas:
Deferred income taxes recoverable (refundable) in rates	9		(82)
Pension and other postretirement benefit plan obligations	342		417
Employee benefit costs	37		37
Removal obligations	(649)		(685)
Environmental costs	35		36
Regulatory balancing accounts(1)(2)
Commodity – gas, including transportation	(138)		(56)
Safety and reliability	299		335
Public purpose programs	(274)		(253)
2019 GRC retroactive impacts	51		202
Other balancing accounts	85		(58)
Other regulatory assets, net(2)	160		75
Total SoCalGas	(43)		(32)
Sempra Mexico:
Deferred income taxes recoverable in rates	80		80

Total Sempra	$	(1,323)	$	(1,500)

In connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, the California Utilities implemented certain measures to assist customers, including suspending service disconnections due to nonpayment for all customers (except for SoCalGas’ noncore customers), waiving late payment fees, and offering flexible payment plans. Such measures ended on June 30, 2021, except for the suspension of service disconnections that ended on September 30, 2021. At the CPUC’s direction, the California Utilities have started to automatically enroll residential and small business customers with past-due balances in long-term repayment plans. The CPUC is continuing to consider the impacts of any state or federal relief programs on customer arrearages and if further debt relief is warranted.

with suspending service disconnections and uncollectible expenses that arise from customers’ failure to pay. The California Utilities expect to pursue recovery of small and medium-large commercial and industrial customers’ tracked costs in rates in a future CPUC proceeding, which recovery is not assured. Uncollectible expenses related to residential customers are recorded in a two-way balancing account as we discuss below.

In June 2020, the CPUC issued a decision to adopt certain customer protections to reduce residential customer disconnections and improve reconnection processes, including, among other things, imposing limitations on service disconnections, elimination of deposit requirements and reconnection fees, establishment of the AMP that provides successfully participating, income-qualified residential customers with relief from outstanding utility bill amounts, and increased outreach and marketing efforts. As permitted by the decision, each of the California Utilities has established a two-way balancing account to record the uncollectible expenses associated with residential customers’ inability to pay their electric or gas bills, including as a result of the relief from outstanding utility bill amounts provided under the AMP.

In January 2020, the CPUC issued a final decision implementing a four-year GRC cycle for California IOUs and the California Utilities were directed to file a petition for modification to revise their 2019 GRC to add two additional attrition years, resulting in a transitional five-year GRC period (2019-2023). The California Utilities filed the petition in April 2020.

In May 2021, the CPUC issued a final decision approving the California Utilities’ request to continue their authorized post-test year mechanisms for 2022 and 2023. For SDG&E, the decision authorizes revenue requirement increases of $87 million (3.92%) for 2022 and $86 million (3.70%) for 2023. For SoCalGas, the decision authorizes revenue requirement increases of $142 million (4.53%) for 2022 and $130 million (3.97%) for 2023.

The 2019 GRC FD clarified that differences between incurred and forecasted income tax expense due to forecasting differences are not subject to tracking in the income tax expense memorandum account beginning in 2019. SDG&E and SoCalGas previously recorded regulatory liabilities, inclusive of interest, associated with the 2016 through 2018 tracked forecasting differences of $86 million and $89 million, respectively. In April 2020, the CPUC confirmed treatment of the two-way income tax expense memorandum account for these 2016 through 2018 balances, at which time the California Utilities released these regulatory liability balances to revenues and regulatory interest.

A CPUC cost of capital proceeding determines a utility’s authorized capital structure and authorized return on rate base. In December 2019, the CPUC approved the cost of capital and rate structures for SDG&E and SoCalGas that became effective on January 1, 2020 and will remain in effect through December 31, 2022, subject to the CCM. The CCM considers changes in interest rates based on the applicable utility bond index published by Moody’s (the CCM benchmark rate) for each 12-month period ending September 30 (the measurement period). The CCM benchmark rate is the basis of comparison to determine if the CCM is triggered, which occurs if the change in the applicable Moody’s utility bond index relative to the CCM benchmark rate is larger than plus or minus 1.000% at the end of the measurement period. The index applicable to SDG&E and SoCalGas is based on each utility’s credit rating. SDG&E’s CCM benchmark rate is 4.498% based on Moody’s Baa- utility bond index, and SoCalGas’ CCM benchmark rate is 4.029% based on Moody’s A- utility bond index.

Alternatively, under the CCM, each of the California Utilities is permitted to file a cost of capital application in an interim year in which an extraordinary or catastrophic event materially impacts its cost of capital. In August 2021, SDG&E filed an application with the CPUC to update its cost of capital effective January 1, 2022 due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this application, SDG&E proposed to adjust its authorized capital structure by increasing its common equity ratio from 52% to 54%. SDG&E also proposed to increase its authorized ROE from 10.20% to 10.55% and decrease its authorized cost of debt from 4.59% to 3.84%. As a result, SDG&E’s proposed return on rate base would decrease from 7.55% to 7.46% if such application is approved by the CPUC as filed. SDG&E filed a joint motion with PG&E and Edison to consolidate all three utilities’ cost of capital applications given the overlapping issues of law and fact, which joint motion was granted in October 2021.

4.498%. However, SDG&E’s application to update its cost of capital effective January 1, 2022, if accepted by the CPUC, would supersede the CCM from applying. If such application is not accepted, the CCM would be effective January 1, 2022 and would automatically adjust SDG&E’s authorized ROE from 10.20% to 9.62% and adjust its authorized cost of debt to reflect the then current embedded cost and projected interest rate. SDG&E has requested that a final CPUC decision on its interim cost of capital application be issued in the first half of 2022.

SDG&E’s TO4 ROE of 10.05% was the basis of SDG&E’s FERC-related revenue recognition until March 2020, when the FERC approved the settlement terms that SDG&E and all settling parties reached in October 2019 on SDG&E’s TO5 filing. The settlement agreement provided for a ROE of 10.60%, consisting of a base ROE of 10.10% plus an additional 50 bps for participation in the California ISO (the California ISO adder). If the FERC issues an order ruling that California IOUs are no longer eligible for the California ISO adder, SDG&E would refund the California ISO adder as of the refund effective date (June 1, 2019) if such a refund is determined to be required by the terms of the TO5 settlement. The TO5 term is effective June 1, 2019 and shall remain in effect each calendar year until terminated by a notice at least six months before the end of a calendar year. In the first quarter of 2020, SDG&E recorded retroactive revenues of $12 million related to 2019, and additional FERC revenues of $17 million to conclude a rate base matter, net of certain refunds to be paid to CPUC-jurisdictional customers.

In January 2020, the CPUC issued a ruling seeking comments on a report prepared by its consultant regarding SDG&E’s Upstream Lighting Program for the program year 2017. The CPUC subsequently expanded the scope of the comments to cover the program year 2018. The Upstream Lighting Program was one of SDG&E’s Energy Efficiency Programs designed to produce energy efficiency savings for which SDG&E could earn a performance-based incentive.

Pursuant to the CPUC ruling, intervenors representing ratepayers questioned SDG&E’s management of the program and alleged that certain program expenditures did not benefit the purpose of the program. As a result of the inquiry, SDG&E voluntarily expanded its review to include the program year 2019. Based on this review, SDG&E concluded some concessions were appropriate, which included refunding certain costs to customers and reducing certain performance-based incentives. Accordingly, in the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2020, SDG&E reduced revenues by $36 million and $51 million, respectively, and recorded a fine of $6 million in Other (Expense) Income, Net, on the SDG&E and Sempra Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. The after-tax impact for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2020 was $29 million and $44 million, respectively. In October 2020, SDG&E executed a settlement agreement with intervenors consistent with these concessions. In September 2021, the CPUC approved the settlement agreement.

In October 2019, the CPUC issued an OSC to determine whether SoCalGas should be sanctioned for violation of certain CPUC code sections and orders. The OSC stemmed from a short period of transitional energy efficiency (EE) codes and standards advocacy activities undertaken by SoCalGas in 2018, following a CPUC decision disallowing SoCalGas’ future engagement in EE statewide codes and standards advocacy. We are awaiting a CPUC decision.

In December 2019, the CPUC issued a second OSC to determine whether SoCalGas is entitled to the EE program’s shareholder incentives for codes and standards advocacy in 2016 and 2017, whether its shareholders should bear the costs of those advocacy activities, and to address whether any other remedies are appropriate. The scope of this OSC was later expanded to include EE program years 2014 and 2015, and SoCalGas’ engagement with local governments on proposed reach codes. In April 2021, the assigned Administrative Law Judge issued a Presiding Officer’s Decision (POD) on the second OSC. The POD finds no violations and assesses no fines or penalties but finds that SoCalGas spent ratepayer funds on activities that were not aligned with the CPUC’s intent for EE codes and standards advocacy. The POD, which is currently under appeal by intervenors, orders customer refunds that SoCalGas expects will be negligible (subject to a CPUC audit). Additionally, the POD precludes SoCalGas

We provide below updates to ongoing matters related to SONGS, a nuclear generating facility near San Clemente, California that permanently ceased operations in June 2013, and in which SDG&E has a 20% ownership interest. We discuss SONGS further in Note 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the Annual Report.

As a result of Edison’s decision to permanently retire SONGS Units 2 and 3, Edison began the decommissioning phase of the plant. Major decommissioning work began in 2020. We expect the majority of the decommissioning work to take approximately 10 years. Decommissioning of Unit 1, removed from service in 1992, is largely complete. The remaining work for Unit 1 will be completed once Units 2 and 3 are dismantled and the spent fuel is removed from the site. The spent fuel is currently being stored on-site, until the DOE identifies a spent fuel storage facility and puts in place a program for the fuel’s disposal, as we discuss below. SDG&E is responsible for approximately 20% of the total decommissioning cost.

The Samuel Lawrence Foundation filed a writ petition under the California Coastal Act in LA Superior Court in December 2019 seeking to invalidate the coastal development permit and to obtain injunctive relief to stop decommissioning work. The petition was denied in September 2021. In September 2020, the foundation filed another writ petition under the California Coastal Act in LA Superior Court seeking to set aside the California Coastal Commission’s July 2020 approval of the inspection and maintenance plan for the SONGS’ canisters and to obtain injunctive relief to stop decommissioning work. A trial date for this petition has been set for April 2022. To date, decommissioning work has not been interrupted as a result of these writ petitions.

In accordance with state and federal requirements and regulations, SDG&E has assets held in the NDT to fund its share of decommissioning costs for SONGS Units 1, 2 and 3. The amounts collected in rates for SONGS’ decommissioning are invested in the NDT, which is comprised of externally managed trust funds. Amounts held by the NDT are invested in accordance with CPUC regulations. SDG&E classifies debt and equity securities held in the NDT as available-for-sale. The NDT assets are presented on the Sempra and SDG&E Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value with the offsetting credits recorded in noncurrent Regulatory Liabilities.

Except for the use of funds for the planning of decommissioning activities or NDT administrative costs, CPUC approval is required for SDG&E to access the NDT assets to fund SONGS decommissioning costs for Units 2 and 3. In December 2020, SDG&E received authorization from the CPUC to access NDT funds of up to $89 million for forecasted 2021 costs.


NUCLEAR DECOMMISSIONING TRUSTS
(Dollars in millions)
	Cost		Gross unrealized gains		Gross unrealized losses		Estimated fair value
At September 30, 2021:
Debt securities:
Debt securities issued by the U.S. Treasury and other U.S. government corporations and agencies(1)	$	52	$	—	$	—	$	52
Municipal bonds(2)	307		14		(1)		320
Other securities(3)	261		10		(1)		270
Total debt securities	620		24		(2)		642
Equity securities	103		255		(2)		356
Cash and cash equivalents	7		—		—		7
Payables, net	(2)		—		—		(2)
Total	$	728	$	279	$	(4)	$	1,003
At December 31, 2020:
Debt securities:
Debt securities issued by the U.S. Treasury and other U.S. government corporations and agencies	$	64	$	1	$	—	$	65
Municipal bonds	308		18		—		326
Other securities	253		17		—		270
Total debt securities	625		36		—		661
Equity securities	112		254		(2)		364
Cash and cash equivalents	3		—		—		3
Payables, net	(9)		—		—		(9)
Total	$	731	$	290	$	(2)	$	1,019

Net unrealized gains and losses, as well as realized gains and losses that are reinvested in the NDT, are included in noncurrent Regulatory Liabilities on Sempra’s and SDG&E’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. We determine the cost of securities in the trusts on the basis of specific identification.

The present value of SDG&E’s ARO related to decommissioning costs for the SONGS units was $551 million at September 30, 2021. That amount includes the cost to decommission Units 2 and 3, and the remaining cost to complete the decommissioning of Unit 1, which is substantially complete. The ARO for all three units is based on a cost study prepared in 2017 that is pending CPUC approval. The ARO for Units 2 and 3 reflects the acceleration of the start of decommissioning of these units as a result of the early closure of the plant. SDG&E’s share of total decommissioning costs in 2021 dollars is approximately $886 million.

SDG&E and the other owners of SONGS have insurance to cover claims from nuclear liability incidents arising at SONGS. Currently, this insurance provides $450 million in coverage limits, the maximum amount available, including coverage for acts of terrorism. In addition, the Price-Anderson Act provides an additional $110 million of coverage. If a nuclear liability loss occurs at SONGS and exceeds the $450 million insurance limit, this additional coverage would be available to provide a total of $560 million in coverage limits per incident.

The SONGS co-owners have nuclear property damage insurance of $130 million, which exceeds the minimum federal requirements of $50 million. This insurance coverage is provided through NEIL. The NEIL policies have specific exclusions and limitations that can result in reduced coverage. Insured members as a group are subject to retrospective premium assessments to cover losses sustained by NEIL under all issued policies. SDG&E could be assessed up to $4.3 million of retrospective premiums based on overall member claims.

The nuclear property insurance program includes an industry aggregate loss limit for non-certified acts of terrorism (as defined by the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act) of $3.24 billion. This is the maximum amount that will be paid to insured members who suffer losses or damages from these non-certified terrorist acts.