Regulatory Matters

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Public Utilities, General Disclosures [Line Items]

Regulatory Matters

Regulatory Matters

Regulatory matters are critical to Consumers. The Michigan Attorney General, ABATE, the MPSC Staff, and certain other parties typically participate in MPSC proceedings concerning Consumers, such as Consumers’ rate cases and PSCR and GCR processes. These parties often challenge various aspects of those proceedings, including the prudence of Consumers’ policies and practices, and seek cost disallowances and other relief. The parties also have appealed significant MPSC orders. Depending upon the specific issues, the outcomes of rate cases and proceedings, including judicial proceedings challenging MPSC orders or other actions, could negatively affect CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ liquidity, financial condition, and results of operations. Consumers cannot predict the outcome of these proceedings.

There are multiple appeals pending that involve various issues concerning cost recovery from customers, the adequacy of the record of evidence supporting the recovery of Smart Energy investments, and other matters. Consumers is unable to predict the outcome of these appeals.

Regulatory Assets and Liabilities

Consumers is subject to the actions of the MPSC and FERC and therefore prepares its consolidated financial statements in accordance with the provisions of regulatory accounting. A utility must apply regulatory accounting when its rates are designed to recover specific costs of providing regulated services. Under regulatory accounting, Consumers records regulatory assets or liabilities for certain transactions that would have been treated as expense or revenue by non‑regulated businesses.

Presented in the following table are the regulatory assets and liabilities on Consumers’ consolidated balance sheets:

In Millions
December 31	End of Recovery or Refund Period		2020			2019
Regulatory assets
Current
Energy waste reduction plan incentive1		2021		$	34		$	33
Deferred capital spending2		2021		6			—
Other		2021		2			—
Total current regulatory assets				$	42		$	33
Non-current
Postretirement benefits3		various		$	1,231		$	1,130
Costs of coal-fueled electric generating units to be retired2		various		678			667
Securitized costs2		2029		221			247
ARO4		various		216			191
MGP sites4		various		120			130
Unamortized loss on reacquired debt4		various		108			70
Energy waste reduction plan incentive1		2022		42			34
Energy waste reduction plan4		various		16			10
Demand response program4		various		10			1
COVID-19 costs accounting deferral4		various		4			—
Other		various		7			9
Total non-current regulatory assets				$	2,653		$	2,489
Total regulatory assets				$	2,695		$	2,522
Regulatory liabilities
Current
Income taxes, net		2021		$	105		$	65
Reserve for customer refunds		2021		28			2
Voluntary transmission asset sale gain share		2021		14			17
Other		2021		4			3
Total current regulatory liabilities				$	151		$	87
Non-current
Cost of removal		various		$	2,245		$	2,126
Income taxes, net		various		1,419			1,510
Renewable energy grant		2043		49			52
ARO		various		11			26
Renewable energy plan		2028		9			17
Other		various		11			11
Total non-current regulatory liabilities				$	3,744		$	3,742
Total regulatory liabilities				$	3,895		$	3,829

1These regulatory assets have arisen from an alternative revenue program and are not associated with incurred costs or capital investments. Therefore, the MPSC has provided for recovery without a return.

2The MPSC has historically authorized and Consumers expects the MPSC to authorize a specific return on these regulatory assets.

3This regulatory asset is included in rate base, thereby providing a return.

4These regulatory assets represent incurred costs for which the MPSC has provided, or Consumers expects, recovery without a return on investment.

Regulatory Assets

Energy Waste Reduction Plan Incentive: The energy waste reduction incentive mechanism provides a financial incentive if the energy savings of Consumers’ customers exceed annual targets established by the MPSC. Consumers accounts for this program as an alternative-revenue program that meets the criteria for recognizing revenue related to the incentive as soon as energy savings exceed the annual targets established by the MPSC.

In November 2020, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement authorizing Consumers to collect $34 million during 2021 as an incentive for exceeding its statutory savings targets in 2019. Consumers recognized incentive revenue under this program of $34 million in 2019.

Consumers also exceeded its statutory savings targets in 2020, achieved certain other goals, and will request the MPSC’s approval to collect $42 million, the maximum performance incentive, in the energy waste reduction reconciliation to be filed in 2021. Consumers recognized incentive revenue under this program of $42 million in 2020.

Deferred Capital Spending: In January 2019, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement in Consumers’ 2018 electric rate case, which provided deferred accounting treatment for distribution-related capital investments exceeding certain threshold amounts. Thus, for actual capital spending above the threshold amounts detailed in the settlement agreement, Consumers has deferred as a regulatory asset the associated depreciation and property tax expense as well as the debt component of the overall rate of return on such spending.

Postretirement Benefits: As part of the ratemaking process, the MPSC allows Consumers to recover the costs of postretirement benefits. Accordingly, Consumers defers the net impact of actuarial losses and gains, prior service costs and credits, and settlements associated with postretirement benefits as a regulatory asset or liability. The asset or liability will decrease as the deferred items are amortized and recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost. For details about settlements and the amortization periods, see Note 12, Retirement Benefits.

Costs of Coal-fueled Electric Generating Units to be Retired: In June 2019, the MPSC approved the settlement agreement reached in Consumers’ IRP, under which Consumers plans to retire the D.E. Karn 1 & 2 coal-fueled electric generating units in 2023. Under Michigan law, electric utilities have been permitted to use highly rated, low-cost securitization bonds to finance the recovery of qualified costs. In 2019, Consumers removed from total plant, property, and equipment an amount representing the projected remaining book value of the two coal-fueled electric generating units upon their retirement, and recorded it as a regulatory asset. Until securitization, the book value of the generating units will remain in rate base and receive full regulatory returns in general rate cases.

In December 2020, the MPSC issued a securitization financing order authorizing Consumers to issue securitization bonds in order to finance the recovery of the remaining book value of the two coal-fueled electric generating units upon their retirement. An intervenor has appealed the order, contending that it should not have to pay the securitization surcharge.

Securitized Costs: In 2013, the MPSC issued a securitization financing order authorizing Consumers to issue securitization bonds in order to finance the recovery of the remaining book value of seven smaller

coal-fueled electric generating units that Consumers retired in 2016 and three smaller natural gas-fueled electric generating units that Consumers retired in 2015. Upon receipt of the MPSC’s order, Consumers removed the book value of the ten units from plant, property, and equipment and recorded this amount as a regulatory asset. Consumers is amortizing the regulatory asset over the life of the related securitization bonds, which it issued through a subsidiary in 2014. For additional details regarding the securitization bonds, see Note 5, Financings and Capitalization.

ARO: The recovery of the underlying asset investments and related removal and monitoring costs of recorded AROs is approved by the MPSC in depreciation rate cases. Consumers records a regulatory asset and a regulatory liability for timing differences between the recognition of AROs for financial reporting purposes and the recovery of these costs from customers. The recovery period approximates the useful life of the assets to be removed.

MGP Sites: Consumers is incurring environmental remediation and other response activity costs at 23 former MGP facilities. The MPSC allows Consumers to recover from its natural gas customers over a ten-year period the costs incurred to remediate the MGP sites.

Unamortized Loss on Reacquired Debt: Under regulatory accounting, any unamortized discount, premium, or expense related to debt redeemed with the proceeds of new debt is capitalized and amortized over the life of the new debt.

Energy Waste Reduction Plan: The MPSC allows Consumers to collect surcharges from customers to fund its energy waste reduction plan. The amount of spending incurred in excess of surcharges collected is recorded as a regulatory asset and amortized as surcharges are collected from customers over the plan period. The amount of surcharges collected in excess of spending incurred is recorded as a regulatory liability and amortized as costs are incurred.

Demand Response Program: In the IRP and in general electric rate cases, the MPSC has approved the recovery of demand response costs. Consumers annually files a reconciliation with the MPSC to review actual demand response costs against amounts approved. The method of recovery of demand response costs will be determined in a future rate case.

COVID‑19 Costs Accounting Deferral: In April 2020, the MPSC issued an order authorizing Consumers to defer uncollectible accounts expense incurred beginning March 24, 2020 that are in excess of the amount used to set existing rates.

Regulatory Liabilities

Income Taxes, Net: Consumers records regulatory assets and liabilities to reflect the difference between deferred income taxes recognized for financial reporting purposes and amounts previously reflected in Consumers’ rates. This net balance will decrease over the remaining life of the related temporary differences and flow through income tax expense. The majority of the net regulatory liability recorded related to income taxes is associated with plant assets that are subject to normalization, which is governed by the Internal Revenue Code, and will be returned to customers over the remaining book life of the related plant assets, the average of which is 44 years for gas plant assets and 27 years for electric plant assets. For additional details on deferred income taxes, see Note 14, Income Taxes.

Reserve for Customer Refunds: In December 2020, the MPSC issued an order authorizing Consumers to refund $28 million voluntarily to utility customers. Consumers is required to submit another filing by the end of February 2021 proposing an appropriate method for making this refund.

Voluntary Transmission Asset Sale Gain Share: In October 2020, Consumers completed a sale of the electric utility’s remaining transmission equipment to METC. In December 2020, Consumers filed an application with the MPSC requesting approval to share voluntarily half of the gain from the sale with electric utility customers; this application was approved by the MPSC in February 2021. Consumers will share the gain through an offset to additional spending in 2021 or through a bill credit to electric utility customers in 2022. As a result, Consumers deferred $14 million of the gain in December 2020.

In September 2019, Consumers completed a sale of a portion of its electric utility’s substation transmission equipment to METC. In December 2019, Consumers filed an application with the MPSC requesting approval to share voluntarily half of the gain from the sale with customers; this application was approved by the MPSC in April 2020. As a result, Consumers deferred $17 million of the gain in December 2019 and shared that gain with customers in 2020.

Cost of Removal: The MPSC allows Consumers to collect amounts from customers to fund future asset removal activities. This regulatory liability is reduced as costs of removal are incurred. The refund period of this regulatory liability approximates the useful life of the assets to be removed.

Renewable Energy Grant: In 2013, Consumers received a $69 million renewable energy grant for Lake Winds® Energy Park, which began operations in 2012. This grant reduces Consumers’ cost of complying with Michigan’s renewable portfolio standard and, accordingly, reduces the overall renewable energy surcharge to be collected from customers. The regulatory liability recorded for the grant will be amortized over the life of Lake Winds® Energy Park.

Renewable Energy Plan: Consumers has collected surcharges to fund its renewable energy plan. Amounts not yet spent under the plan are recorded as a regulatory liability, which is amortized as incremental costs are incurred to operate and depreciate Consumers’ renewable generation facilities and to purchase RECs under renewable energy purchase agreements. Incremental costs represent costs incurred in excess of amounts recovered through the PSCR process.

Consumers Electric Utility

2020 Electric Rate Case: In February 2020, Consumers filed an application with the MPSC seeking an annual rate increase of $244 million, based on a 10.5 percent authorized return on equity and a projected twelve-month period ending December 31, 2021. In July 2020, Consumers reduced its requested annual rate increase to $230 million. In December 2020, the MPSC approved an annual rate increase of $90 million, based on a 9.9 percent authorized return on equity. This increase reflects a $36 million refund to customers of regulatory tax liabilities associated with the remeasurement of Consumers’ deferred income taxes as a result of the TCJA; excluding the impacts of this refund, the order resulted in a $126 million increase in annual rates.

The order also approved the recovery of $13 million associated with Consumers’ deferral of depreciation and property tax expense and the overall rate of return on distribution-related capital investments exceeding certain threshold amounts.

Additionally, the order approved the method of recovering amounts earned under the financial compensation mechanism approved by the MPSC in Consumers’ IRP. This mechanism allows Consumers to earn a return equal to Consumer’s weighted-average cost of capital on payments made under PPAs approved by the MPSC after January 1, 2019. The order authorizes Consumers to recover $3 million, beginning in January 2021, for incentives earned and to be earned on PPA payments during 2019 through 2021. Consumers accounts for this program as an alternative-revenue program that meets the criteria for recognizing revenue related to the mechanism as payments are made on MPSC-approved PPAs. Consumers recognized revenue under this mechanism of $1 million in 2020.

Consumers is also authorized in the order to replace the current net metering tariff with a new distributed generation tariff, pursuant to the 2016 Energy Law. The new distributed generation tariff is consistent with other distributed generation tariffs already approved by the MPSC and will reduce the subsidies paid by non-distributed generation customers under the current net metering program.

Consumers Gas Utility

2019 Gas Rate Case: In December 2019, Consumers filed an application with the MPSC seeking an annual rate increase of $245 million, based on a 10.5 percent authorized return on equity and a projected twelve-month period ending September 30, 2021. In May 2020, Consumers reduced its requested annual rate increase to $229 million. In September 2020, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement authorizing an annual rate increase of $144 million, based on a 9.9 percent authorized return on equity, effective October 1, 2020. As part of that agreement, Consumers agreed not to file a new gas rate case prior to December 2021. The MPSC also approved the continuation of a revenue decoupling mechanism, which annually reconciles Consumers’ actual weather-normalized non-fuel revenues with the revenues approved by the MPSC. This reconciliation would start in October 2021 and continue until the MPSC resets rates in a subsequent rate case.

Additionally, the MPSC authorized Consumers to accelerate:

•the refund of a regulatory liability associated with the unprotected, non‑property-related excess deferred income taxes resulting from the TCJA; Consumers was previously authorized to refund this through 2029

•the flow-through of certain income tax benefits associated primarily with the cost of removal of gas plant assets placed in service before 1993; Consumers was previously authorized to refund this through 2025

Under the settlement agreement approved by the MPSC, these benefits, which total $84 million, will now be passed through to customers by September 2022. For additional details, see Note 14, Income Taxes.

Power Supply Cost Recovery and Gas Cost Recovery

The PSCR and GCR ratemaking processes are designed to allow Consumers to recover all of its power supply and purchased natural gas costs if incurred under reasonable and prudent policies and practices. The MPSC reviews these costs, policies, and practices in annual plan and reconciliation proceedings. Consumers adjusts its PSCR and GCR billing charges monthly in order to minimize the underrecovery or overrecovery amount in the annual reconciliations. Underrecoveries represent probable future revenues that will be recovered from customers; overrecoveries represent previously collected revenues that will be refunded to customers.

Presented in the following table are the liabilities for PSCR and GCR overrecoveries reflected on Consumers’ consolidated balance sheets:

In Millions
December 31	2020			2019
Liabilities
PSCR overrecoveries		$	5		$	33
GCR overrecoveries		15			2
Accrued rate refunds		$	20		$	35

PSCR Plans and Reconciliations: In October 2020, the MPSC issued an order in Consumers’ 2018 PSCR reconciliation, authorizing recovery of $2.0 billion of power costs and authorizing Consumers to reflect in its 2019 PSCR reconciliation the underrecovery of $28 million.

In April 2020, the MPSC issued an order in Consumers’ 2019 PSCR plan authorizing the 2019 PSCR charge that Consumers self-implemented beginning in January 2019. In March 2020, Consumers filed its 2019 PSCR reconciliation, requesting full recovery of $1.9 billion of power costs and authorization to reflect in its 2020 PSCR reconciliation the overrecovery of $21 million.

Consumers submitted its 2020 PSCR plan to the MPSC in September 2019 and, in accordance with its proposed plan, self-implemented the 2020 PSCR charge beginning in January 2020.

GCR Plans and Reconciliations: In September 2020, the MPSC issued an order in Consumers’ 2018-2019 GCR reconciliation, authorizing recovery of $0.6 billion of gas costs and authorizing Consumers to reflect in its 2019-2020 GCR reconciliation the underrecovery of $11 million. The MPSC disallowed the recovery of $7 million in incremental gas purchases related to the Ray Compressor Station fire. For additional details, see Note 4, Contingencies and Commitments—Consumers Gas Utility Contingencies.

In June 2020, Consumers filed its 2019-2020 GCR reconciliation, requesting full recovery of $0.5 billion of gas costs and authorization to reflect in its 2020-2021 GCR reconciliation the underrecovery of $1 million.

In September 2020, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement in Consumers’ 2020-2021 GCR plan authorizing the 2020-2021 GCR charge that Consumers self-implemented beginning in April 2020.

Consumers Energy Company

Public Utilities, General Disclosures [Line Items]

Regulatory Matters

Regulatory Matters

Regulatory matters are critical to Consumers. The Michigan Attorney General, ABATE, the MPSC Staff, and certain other parties typically participate in MPSC proceedings concerning Consumers, such as Consumers’ rate cases and PSCR and GCR processes. These parties often challenge various aspects of those proceedings, including the prudence of Consumers’ policies and practices, and seek cost disallowances and other relief. The parties also have appealed significant MPSC orders. Depending upon the specific issues, the outcomes of rate cases and proceedings, including judicial proceedings challenging MPSC orders or other actions, could negatively affect CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ liquidity, financial condition, and results of operations. Consumers cannot predict the outcome of these proceedings.

There are multiple appeals pending that involve various issues concerning cost recovery from customers, the adequacy of the record of evidence supporting the recovery of Smart Energy investments, and other matters. Consumers is unable to predict the outcome of these appeals.

Regulatory Assets and Liabilities

Consumers is subject to the actions of the MPSC and FERC and therefore prepares its consolidated financial statements in accordance with the provisions of regulatory accounting. A utility must apply regulatory accounting when its rates are designed to recover specific costs of providing regulated services. Under regulatory accounting, Consumers records regulatory assets or liabilities for certain transactions that would have been treated as expense or revenue by non‑regulated businesses.

Presented in the following table are the regulatory assets and liabilities on Consumers’ consolidated balance sheets:

In Millions
December 31	End of Recovery or Refund Period		2020			2019
Regulatory assets
Current
Energy waste reduction plan incentive1		2021		$	34		$	33
Deferred capital spending2		2021		6			—
Other		2021		2			—
Total current regulatory assets				$	42		$	33
Non-current
Postretirement benefits3		various		$	1,231		$	1,130
Costs of coal-fueled electric generating units to be retired2		various		678			667
Securitized costs2		2029		221			247
ARO4		various		216			191
MGP sites4		various		120			130
Unamortized loss on reacquired debt4		various		108			70
Energy waste reduction plan incentive1		2022		42			34
Energy waste reduction plan4		various		16			10
Demand response program4		various		10			1
COVID-19 costs accounting deferral4		various		4			—
Other		various		7			9
Total non-current regulatory assets				$	2,653		$	2,489
Total regulatory assets				$	2,695		$	2,522
Regulatory liabilities
Current
Income taxes, net		2021		$	105		$	65
Reserve for customer refunds		2021		28			2
Voluntary transmission asset sale gain share		2021		14			17
Other		2021		4			3
Total current regulatory liabilities				$	151		$	87
Non-current
Cost of removal		various		$	2,245		$	2,126
Income taxes, net		various		1,419			1,510
Renewable energy grant		2043		49			52
ARO		various		11			26
Renewable energy plan		2028		9			17
Other		various		11			11
Total non-current regulatory liabilities				$	3,744		$	3,742
Total regulatory liabilities				$	3,895		$	3,829

1These regulatory assets have arisen from an alternative revenue program and are not associated with incurred costs or capital investments. Therefore, the MPSC has provided for recovery without a return.

2The MPSC has historically authorized and Consumers expects the MPSC to authorize a specific return on these regulatory assets.

3This regulatory asset is included in rate base, thereby providing a return.

4These regulatory assets represent incurred costs for which the MPSC has provided, or Consumers expects, recovery without a return on investment.

Regulatory Assets

Energy Waste Reduction Plan Incentive: The energy waste reduction incentive mechanism provides a financial incentive if the energy savings of Consumers’ customers exceed annual targets established by the MPSC. Consumers accounts for this program as an alternative-revenue program that meets the criteria for recognizing revenue related to the incentive as soon as energy savings exceed the annual targets established by the MPSC.

In November 2020, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement authorizing Consumers to collect $34 million during 2021 as an incentive for exceeding its statutory savings targets in 2019. Consumers recognized incentive revenue under this program of $34 million in 2019.

Consumers also exceeded its statutory savings targets in 2020, achieved certain other goals, and will request the MPSC’s approval to collect $42 million, the maximum performance incentive, in the energy waste reduction reconciliation to be filed in 2021. Consumers recognized incentive revenue under this program of $42 million in 2020.

Deferred Capital Spending: In January 2019, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement in Consumers’ 2018 electric rate case, which provided deferred accounting treatment for distribution-related capital investments exceeding certain threshold amounts. Thus, for actual capital spending above the threshold amounts detailed in the settlement agreement, Consumers has deferred as a regulatory asset the associated depreciation and property tax expense as well as the debt component of the overall rate of return on such spending.

Postretirement Benefits: As part of the ratemaking process, the MPSC allows Consumers to recover the costs of postretirement benefits. Accordingly, Consumers defers the net impact of actuarial losses and gains, prior service costs and credits, and settlements associated with postretirement benefits as a regulatory asset or liability. The asset or liability will decrease as the deferred items are amortized and recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost. For details about settlements and the amortization periods, see Note 12, Retirement Benefits.

Costs of Coal-fueled Electric Generating Units to be Retired: In June 2019, the MPSC approved the settlement agreement reached in Consumers’ IRP, under which Consumers plans to retire the D.E. Karn 1 & 2 coal-fueled electric generating units in 2023. Under Michigan law, electric utilities have been permitted to use highly rated, low-cost securitization bonds to finance the recovery of qualified costs. In 2019, Consumers removed from total plant, property, and equipment an amount representing the projected remaining book value of the two coal-fueled electric generating units upon their retirement, and recorded it as a regulatory asset. Until securitization, the book value of the generating units will remain in rate base and receive full regulatory returns in general rate cases.

In December 2020, the MPSC issued a securitization financing order authorizing Consumers to issue securitization bonds in order to finance the recovery of the remaining book value of the two coal-fueled electric generating units upon their retirement. An intervenor has appealed the order, contending that it should not have to pay the securitization surcharge.

Securitized Costs: In 2013, the MPSC issued a securitization financing order authorizing Consumers to issue securitization bonds in order to finance the recovery of the remaining book value of seven smaller

coal-fueled electric generating units that Consumers retired in 2016 and three smaller natural gas-fueled electric generating units that Consumers retired in 2015. Upon receipt of the MPSC’s order, Consumers removed the book value of the ten units from plant, property, and equipment and recorded this amount as a regulatory asset. Consumers is amortizing the regulatory asset over the life of the related securitization bonds, which it issued through a subsidiary in 2014. For additional details regarding the securitization bonds, see Note 5, Financings and Capitalization.

ARO: The recovery of the underlying asset investments and related removal and monitoring costs of recorded AROs is approved by the MPSC in depreciation rate cases. Consumers records a regulatory asset and a regulatory liability for timing differences between the recognition of AROs for financial reporting purposes and the recovery of these costs from customers. The recovery period approximates the useful life of the assets to be removed.

MGP Sites: Consumers is incurring environmental remediation and other response activity costs at 23 former MGP facilities. The MPSC allows Consumers to recover from its natural gas customers over a ten-year period the costs incurred to remediate the MGP sites.

Unamortized Loss on Reacquired Debt: Under regulatory accounting, any unamortized discount, premium, or expense related to debt redeemed with the proceeds of new debt is capitalized and amortized over the life of the new debt.

Energy Waste Reduction Plan: The MPSC allows Consumers to collect surcharges from customers to fund its energy waste reduction plan. The amount of spending incurred in excess of surcharges collected is recorded as a regulatory asset and amortized as surcharges are collected from customers over the plan period. The amount of surcharges collected in excess of spending incurred is recorded as a regulatory liability and amortized as costs are incurred.

Demand Response Program: In the IRP and in general electric rate cases, the MPSC has approved the recovery of demand response costs. Consumers annually files a reconciliation with the MPSC to review actual demand response costs against amounts approved. The method of recovery of demand response costs will be determined in a future rate case.

COVID‑19 Costs Accounting Deferral: In April 2020, the MPSC issued an order authorizing Consumers to defer uncollectible accounts expense incurred beginning March 24, 2020 that are in excess of the amount used to set existing rates.

Regulatory Liabilities

Income Taxes, Net: Consumers records regulatory assets and liabilities to reflect the difference between deferred income taxes recognized for financial reporting purposes and amounts previously reflected in Consumers’ rates. This net balance will decrease over the remaining life of the related temporary differences and flow through income tax expense. The majority of the net regulatory liability recorded related to income taxes is associated with plant assets that are subject to normalization, which is governed by the Internal Revenue Code, and will be returned to customers over the remaining book life of the related plant assets, the average of which is 44 years for gas plant assets and 27 years for electric plant assets. For additional details on deferred income taxes, see Note 14, Income Taxes.

Reserve for Customer Refunds: In December 2020, the MPSC issued an order authorizing Consumers to refund $28 million voluntarily to utility customers. Consumers is required to submit another filing by the end of February 2021 proposing an appropriate method for making this refund.

Voluntary Transmission Asset Sale Gain Share: In October 2020, Consumers completed a sale of the electric utility’s remaining transmission equipment to METC. In December 2020, Consumers filed an application with the MPSC requesting approval to share voluntarily half of the gain from the sale with electric utility customers; this application was approved by the MPSC in February 2021. Consumers will share the gain through an offset to additional spending in 2021 or through a bill credit to electric utility customers in 2022. As a result, Consumers deferred $14 million of the gain in December 2020.

In September 2019, Consumers completed a sale of a portion of its electric utility’s substation transmission equipment to METC. In December 2019, Consumers filed an application with the MPSC requesting approval to share voluntarily half of the gain from the sale with customers; this application was approved by the MPSC in April 2020. As a result, Consumers deferred $17 million of the gain in December 2019 and shared that gain with customers in 2020.

Cost of Removal: The MPSC allows Consumers to collect amounts from customers to fund future asset removal activities. This regulatory liability is reduced as costs of removal are incurred. The refund period of this regulatory liability approximates the useful life of the assets to be removed.

Renewable Energy Grant: In 2013, Consumers received a $69 million renewable energy grant for Lake Winds® Energy Park, which began operations in 2012. This grant reduces Consumers’ cost of complying with Michigan’s renewable portfolio standard and, accordingly, reduces the overall renewable energy surcharge to be collected from customers. The regulatory liability recorded for the grant will be amortized over the life of Lake Winds® Energy Park.

Renewable Energy Plan: Consumers has collected surcharges to fund its renewable energy plan. Amounts not yet spent under the plan are recorded as a regulatory liability, which is amortized as incremental costs are incurred to operate and depreciate Consumers’ renewable generation facilities and to purchase RECs under renewable energy purchase agreements. Incremental costs represent costs incurred in excess of amounts recovered through the PSCR process.

Consumers Electric Utility

2020 Electric Rate Case: In February 2020, Consumers filed an application with the MPSC seeking an annual rate increase of $244 million, based on a 10.5 percent authorized return on equity and a projected twelve-month period ending December 31, 2021. In July 2020, Consumers reduced its requested annual rate increase to $230 million. In December 2020, the MPSC approved an annual rate increase of $90 million, based on a 9.9 percent authorized return on equity. This increase reflects a $36 million refund to customers of regulatory tax liabilities associated with the remeasurement of Consumers’ deferred income taxes as a result of the TCJA; excluding the impacts of this refund, the order resulted in a $126 million increase in annual rates.

The order also approved the recovery of $13 million associated with Consumers’ deferral of depreciation and property tax expense and the overall rate of return on distribution-related capital investments exceeding certain threshold amounts.

Additionally, the order approved the method of recovering amounts earned under the financial compensation mechanism approved by the MPSC in Consumers’ IRP. This mechanism allows Consumers to earn a return equal to Consumer’s weighted-average cost of capital on payments made under PPAs approved by the MPSC after January 1, 2019. The order authorizes Consumers to recover $3 million, beginning in January 2021, for incentives earned and to be earned on PPA payments during 2019 through 2021. Consumers accounts for this program as an alternative-revenue program that meets the criteria for recognizing revenue related to the mechanism as payments are made on MPSC-approved PPAs. Consumers recognized revenue under this mechanism of $1 million in 2020.

Consumers is also authorized in the order to replace the current net metering tariff with a new distributed generation tariff, pursuant to the 2016 Energy Law. The new distributed generation tariff is consistent with other distributed generation tariffs already approved by the MPSC and will reduce the subsidies paid by non-distributed generation customers under the current net metering program.

Consumers Gas Utility

2019 Gas Rate Case: In December 2019, Consumers filed an application with the MPSC seeking an annual rate increase of $245 million, based on a 10.5 percent authorized return on equity and a projected twelve-month period ending September 30, 2021. In May 2020, Consumers reduced its requested annual rate increase to $229 million. In September 2020, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement authorizing an annual rate increase of $144 million, based on a 9.9 percent authorized return on equity, effective October 1, 2020. As part of that agreement, Consumers agreed not to file a new gas rate case prior to December 2021. The MPSC also approved the continuation of a revenue decoupling mechanism, which annually reconciles Consumers’ actual weather-normalized non-fuel revenues with the revenues approved by the MPSC. This reconciliation would start in October 2021 and continue until the MPSC resets rates in a subsequent rate case.

Additionally, the MPSC authorized Consumers to accelerate:

•the refund of a regulatory liability associated with the unprotected, non‑property-related excess deferred income taxes resulting from the TCJA; Consumers was previously authorized to refund this through 2029

•the flow-through of certain income tax benefits associated primarily with the cost of removal of gas plant assets placed in service before 1993; Consumers was previously authorized to refund this through 2025

Under the settlement agreement approved by the MPSC, these benefits, which total $84 million, will now be passed through to customers by September 2022. For additional details, see Note 14, Income Taxes.

Power Supply Cost Recovery and Gas Cost Recovery

The PSCR and GCR ratemaking processes are designed to allow Consumers to recover all of its power supply and purchased natural gas costs if incurred under reasonable and prudent policies and practices. The MPSC reviews these costs, policies, and practices in annual plan and reconciliation proceedings. Consumers adjusts its PSCR and GCR billing charges monthly in order to minimize the underrecovery or overrecovery amount in the annual reconciliations. Underrecoveries represent probable future revenues that will be recovered from customers; overrecoveries represent previously collected revenues that will be refunded to customers.

Presented in the following table are the liabilities for PSCR and GCR overrecoveries reflected on Consumers’ consolidated balance sheets:

In Millions
December 31	2020			2019
Liabilities
PSCR overrecoveries		$	5		$	33
GCR overrecoveries		15			2
Accrued rate refunds		$	20		$	35

PSCR Plans and Reconciliations: In October 2020, the MPSC issued an order in Consumers’ 2018 PSCR reconciliation, authorizing recovery of $2.0 billion of power costs and authorizing Consumers to reflect in its 2019 PSCR reconciliation the underrecovery of $28 million.

In April 2020, the MPSC issued an order in Consumers’ 2019 PSCR plan authorizing the 2019 PSCR charge that Consumers self-implemented beginning in January 2019. In March 2020, Consumers filed its 2019 PSCR reconciliation, requesting full recovery of $1.9 billion of power costs and authorization to reflect in its 2020 PSCR reconciliation the overrecovery of $21 million.

Consumers submitted its 2020 PSCR plan to the MPSC in September 2019 and, in accordance with its proposed plan, self-implemented the 2020 PSCR charge beginning in January 2020.

GCR Plans and Reconciliations: In September 2020, the MPSC issued an order in Consumers’ 2018-2019 GCR reconciliation, authorizing recovery of $0.6 billion of gas costs and authorizing Consumers to reflect in its 2019-2020 GCR reconciliation the underrecovery of $11 million. The MPSC disallowed the recovery of $7 million in incremental gas purchases related to the Ray Compressor Station fire. For additional details, see Note 4, Contingencies and Commitments—Consumers Gas Utility Contingencies.

In June 2020, Consumers filed its 2019-2020 GCR reconciliation, requesting full recovery of $0.5 billion of gas costs and authorization to reflect in its 2020-2021 GCR reconciliation the underrecovery of $1 million.

In September 2020, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement in Consumers’ 2020-2021 GCR plan authorizing the 2020-2021 GCR charge that Consumers self-implemented beginning in April 2020.