COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES:

STANDBY LETTER OF CREDIT - SJG provided a $0.8 million letter of credit under its revolving credit facility to support the remediation of environmental conditions at certain locations in our service territory. SJG also provided a $25.2 million letter of credit under a separate facility outside of its revolving credit facility to support variable-rate demand bonds issued through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) to finance the expansion of SJG’s natural gas distribution system. 

ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION COSTS - SJG incurred and recorded costs for environmental cleanup of 12 sites where SJG or its predecessors operated gas manufacturing plants. SJG stopped manufacturing gas in the 1950s. Other than the changes discussed in Note 4 to the condensed financial statements, there have been no significant changes to the status of SJG’s environmental remediation efforts since December 31, 2015, as described in Note 12 to the Financial Statements in Item 8 of SJG’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

GAS SUPPLY RELATED CONTRACTS - In the normal course of conducting business, we have entered into long-term contracts for natural gas supplies, firm transportation and gas storage service. The earliest date at which any of the primary terms of these contracts expire is October 2017. The transportation and storage agreements entered into between us and each of our interstate pipeline service providers were done in accordance with their respective FERC-approved tariffs. Our cumulative obligation for gas supply-related demand charges and reservation fees paid for these services averages approximately $5.8 million per month and is recovered on a current basis through the BGSS.

PENDING LITIGATION - SJG is subject to claims arising in the ordinary course of business and other legal proceedings. SJG accrues liabilities related to these claims when SJG can reasonably estimate the amount or range of amounts of probable settlement costs or other charges for these claims. SJG has accrued approximately $0.7 million and $0.8 million related to all claims in the aggregate as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. SJG is currently involved in a pricing dispute related to a long-term gas supply contract whereby SJG has sued the supplier to recover amounts that were improperly invoiced. Subsequently, the supplier counter-sued SJG claiming it is owed an additional $14.3 million through September 30, 2016 under the same contract, which would be recoverable in rates. Liabilities related to these claims are accrued when the amount or range of amounts of probable settlement costs or other charges for these claims can be reasonably estimated.

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS - Unionized personnel represent approximately 61% of our workforce at September 30, 2016. The Company has collective bargaining agreements with two unions who represent these employees: the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) operates under a collective bargaining agreement that runs through February 2017; and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) operates under a collective bargaining agreement that expires in August 2017.