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REGULATORY ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]  
REGULATORY ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
REGULATORY ASSETS AND LIABILITIES:

There have been no significant changes to the nature of SJG’s regulatory assets and liabilities since December 31, 2012, which are described in Notes 3 and 4 to the Financial Statements in Item 8 of SJG’s Form 10-K as of December 31, 2012.

Regulatory Assets consisted of the following items (in thousands):
 
September 30, 2013
 
December 31, 2012
Environmental Remediation Costs:
 
 
 
Expended - Net
$
30,189

 
$
37,892

Liability for Future Expenditures
108,236

 
107,410

Deferred Asset Retirement Obligation Costs
30,607

 
30,199

Deferred Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Costs
95,897

 
95,897

Conservation Incentive Program Receivable
12,573

 
31,686

Societal Benefit Costs Receivable
12,816

 
12,801

Premium for Early Retirement of Debt
976

 
1,075

Deferred Interest Rate Contracts (Note 11)
4,569

 
7,761

Energy Efficiency Tracker
12,263

 
12,306

Pipeline Supplier Service Charges
7,522

 
8,771

Other Regulatory Assets
11,079

 
6,858

 
 
 
 
Total Regulatory Assets
$
326,727

 
$
352,656


CONSERVATION INCENTIVE PROGRAM (CIP) RECEIVABLE – The decrease in this receivable is primarily the result of colder weather experienced in the region during the first half of 2013. The CIP tracking mechanism adjusts earnings when actual usage per customer experienced during the period varies from an established baseline usage per customer. 



Regulatory Liabilities consisted of the following items (in thousands):

 
September 30, 2013
 
December 31, 2012
Excess Plant Removal Costs
$
41,128

 
$
45,593

Deferred Revenues-Net
8,352

 
10,924

Other Regulatory Liabilities
2,739

 

 


 


Total Regulatory Liabilities
$
52,219

 
$
56,517



DEFERED REVENUES - NET - Over/under collections of gas costs are monitored through SJG's BGSS mechanism. Net undercollected gas costs are classified as a regulatory asset and net overcollected gas costs are classified as a regulatory liability. Derivative contracts used to hedge natural gas purchases are also included in the BGSS, subject to BPU approval.