Risk Management Activities

We are exposed to certain risks relating to our ongoing business operations, namely commodity price risk and interest rate risk. We recognize that the prudent and selective use of derivatives may help to lower our cost of debt capital, manage our interest rate exposure and limit volatility in the price of natural gas.

Risk management assets and liabilities on our derivatives are presented on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited) as shown below:



(in millions)	March 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Risk Management Assets - Current⁽¹⁾
Interest rate risk programs	$	9.4	$	14.0
Commodity price risk programs	0.4		0.5
Total	$	9.8	$	14.5
Risk Management Assets - Noncurrent⁽²⁾
Interest rate risk programs	$	18.6	$	5.6
Commodity price risk programs	2.8		1.0
Total	$	21.4	$	6.6
Risk Management Liabilities - Current
Interest rate risk programs	$	—	$	38.6
Commodity price risk programs	4.6		4.6
Total	$	4.6	$	43.2
Risk Management Liabilities - Noncurrent
Interest rate risk programs	$	—	$	—
Commodity price risk programs	32.8		28.5
Total	$	32.8	$	28.5

⁽¹⁾Presented in "Prepayments and other" on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited).

⁽²⁾Presented in "Deferred charges and other" on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited).

Commodity Price Risk Management

We, along with our utility customers, are exposed to variability in cash flows associated with natural gas purchases and volatility in natural gas prices. We purchase natural gas for sale and delivery to our retail, commercial and industrial customers, and for most customers the variability in the market price of gas is passed through in their rates. Some of our utility subsidiaries offer programs whereby variability in the market price of gas is assumed by the respective utility. The objective of our commodity price risk programs is to mitigate the gas cost variability, for us or on behalf of our customers, associated with natural gas purchases or sales by economically hedging the various gas cost components using a combination of futures, options, forwards or other derivative contracts.

NIPSCO received IURC approval to lock in a fixed price for its natural gas customers using long-term forward purchase instruments. The term of these instruments may range from five to ten years and is limited to twenty percent of NIPSCO’s average annual GCA purchase volume. Gains and losses on these derivative contracts are deferred as regulatory liabilities or assets and are remitted to or collected from customers through NIPSCO’s quarterly GCA mechanism. These instruments are not designated as accounting hedges.

Interest Rate Risk Management

As of March 31, 2018, we have forward-starting interest rate swaps with an aggregate notional value totaling $750.0 million to hedge the variability in cash flows attributable to changes in the benchmark interest rate during the periods from the effective dates of the swaps to the anticipated dates of forecasted debt issuances, which are expected to take place by the end of 2019. These interest rate swaps are designated as cash flow hedges. The effective portions of the gains and losses related to these swaps are recorded to AOCI and are recognized in "Interest expense, net" concurrently with the recognition of interest expense on the associated debt, once issued. If it becomes probable that a hedged forecasted transaction will no longer occur, the accumulated gains or losses on the derivative will be recognized currently in "Other, net."

During the three months ended March 31, 2018, we initiated settlement of forward-starting interest rate swaps with a notional value of $250.0 million. These derivative contracts were accounted for as cash flow hedges. As part of the transaction, the associated net unrealized gain position of $21.2 million was recognized immediately in "Other, net" on the Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income (unaudited) due to the probability associated with the forecasted borrowing transaction no longer occurring.

There were no amounts excluded from effectiveness testing for derivatives in cash flow hedging relationships at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

Our derivative instruments measured at fair value as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 do not contain any credit-risk-related contingent features.