Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Variable Interest Entities

MGE Power Elm Road and MGE Power West Campus own electric generating assets and lease those assets to MGE. Both entities are variable interest entities under applicable authoritative accounting guidance. MGE is considered the primary beneficiary of these entities as a result of contractual agreements. As a result, MGE has consolidated MGE Power Elm Road and MGE Power West Campus.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash Equivalents

All highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Restricted Cash

Restricted Cash

MGE has certain cash accounts that are restricted to uses other than current operations and designated for a specific purpose. MGE's restricted cash accounts include cash held by trustees for certain employee benefits and cash deposits held by third parties. These are included in "Other current assets" on the consolidated balance sheets.

Receivable Margin Account

Receivable – Margin Account

Cash amounts held by counterparties as margin collateral for certain financial transactions are recorded as Receivable – margin account in "Other current assets" on the consolidated balance sheets. The costs being hedged are fuel for electric generation, purchased power, and cost of gas sold.

New Accounting Pronouncements Disclosure

New Accounting Standards - MGE Energy and MGE.

MGE Energy and MGE reviewed FASB authoritative guidance recently issued, none of which are expected to have a material impact on the consolidated results of operations, financial condition, or cash flows.

Investments - ATC and ATC Holdco

MGE Transco and MGEE Transco have accounted for their investments in ATC and ATC Holdco, respectively, under the equity method of accounting.

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plan Assets

MGE maintains qualified and nonqualified pension plans, health care, and life insurance benefits and defined contribution 401(k) benefit plans for its employees and retirees.

The components of net periodic benefit cost, other than the service cost component, are recorded in "Other income, net" on the consolidated statements of income. The service cost component is recorded in "Other operations and maintenance" on the consolidated statements of income. MGE has regulatory treatment and recognizes regulatory assets or liabilities for timing differences between when net periodic benefit costs are recovered and when costs are recognized.

Common Stock

MGE Energy sells shares of its common stock through its Direct Stock Purchase and Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the Stock Plan). Those shares may be newly issued shares or shares that are purchased in the open market by an independent agent for participants in the Stock Plan. All sales under the Stock Plan are covered by a shelf registration statement that MGE Energy filed with the SEC.

Wisconsin Fuel Rules

Fuel rules require Wisconsin utilities to defer electric fuel-related costs that fall outside a symmetrical cost tolerance band around the amount approved for a utility in its annual fuel proceedings. Any over- or under-recovery of the actual costs is determined in the following year and is then reflected in future billings to electric retail customers. The fuel rules bandwidth is set at plus or minus 1% in 2021. Under fuel rules, MGE defers costs, less any excess revenues, if its actual electric fuel costs exceed 101% of the electric fuel costs allowed in its latest rate order. Excess revenues are defined as revenues in the year in question that provide MGE with a greater return on common equity than authorized by the PSCW in MGE's latest rate order. Conversely, MGE is required to defer the benefit of lower costs if actual electric fuel costs were less than 99% of the electric fuel costs allowed in that order. In 2020 the fuel rules bandwidth was set at plus or minus 2%. These costs are subject to the PSCW's annual review of fuel costs completed in the year following the deferral.

Derivative Hedging

As part of its regular operations, MGE enters into contracts, including options, swaps, futures, forwards, and other contractual commitments, to manage its exposure to commodity prices. To the extent that these contracts are derivatives, MGE assesses whether or not the normal purchases or normal sales exclusion applies. For contracts to which this exclusion cannot be applied, the derivatives are recognized in the consolidated balance sheets at fair value. MGE's financial commodity derivative activities are conducted in accordance with its electric and gas risk management program, which is approved by the PSCW and limits the volume MGE can hedge with specific risk management strategies. The maximum length of time over which cash flows related to energy commodities can be hedged is four years. If the derivative qualifies for regulatory deferral, the derivatives are marked to fair value and are offset with a corresponding regulatory asset or liability depending on whether the derivative is in a net loss or net gain position, respectively. The deferred gain or loss is recognized in earnings in the delivery month applicable to the instrument. Gains and losses related to hedges qualifying for regulatory treatment are recoverable in gas rates through the PGA or in electric rates as a component of the fuel rules mechanism.

Derivative Netting

All derivative instruments in this table are presented on a gross basis and are calculated prior to the netting of instruments with the same counterparty under a master netting agreement as well as the netting of collateral. For financial statement purposes, instruments are netted with the same counterparty under a master netting agreement as well as the netting of collateral.

Recurring Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or would be paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly

transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The accounting standard clarifies that fair value should be based on the assumptions market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability including assumptions about risk. The standard also establishes a three-level fair value hierarchy based upon the observability of the assumptions used and requires the use of observable market data when available. The levels are:

Level 1 - Pricing inputs are quoted prices within active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 - Pricing inputs are quoted prices within active markets for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations that are correlated with or otherwise verifiable by observable market data.

Level 3 - Pricing inputs are unobservable and reflect management's best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.

The carrying amount of cash, cash equivalents, and outstanding commercial paper approximates fair market value due to the short maturity of those investments and obligations. The estimated fair market value of long-term debt is based on quoted market prices for similar financial instruments. Since long-term debt is not traded in an active market, it is classified as Level 2.

Investments include exchange-traded investment securities valued using quoted prices on active exchanges and are therefore classified as Level 1.

The deferred compensation plan allows participants to defer certain cash compensation into a notional investment account. These amounts are included within other deferred liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. The notional investments earn interest based upon the semiannual rate of U.S. Treasury Bills having a 26-week maturity increased by 1% compounded monthly with a minimum annual rate of 7%, compounded monthly. The notional investments are based upon observable market

data, however, since the deferred compensation obligations themselves are not exchanged in an active market, they are classified as Level 2.

Derivatives include exchange-traded derivative contracts, over-the-counter transactions, a purchased power agreement, and FTRs. Most exchange-traded derivative contracts are valued based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets and are therefore classified as Level 1. A small number of exchange-traded derivative contracts are valued using quoted market pricing in markets with insufficient volumes and are therefore considered unobservable and classified as Level 3. Transactions done with an over-the-counter party are on inactive markets and are therefore classified as Level 3. These transactions are valued based on quoted prices from markets with similar exchange-traded transactions. FTRs are priced based upon monthly auction results for identical or similar instruments in a closed market with limited data available and are therefore classified as Level 3.

The purchased power agreement (see Footnote 10) was valued using an internal pricing model and therefore is classified as Level 3. The model projects future market energy prices and compares those prices to the projected power costs to be incurred under the contract. Inputs to the model require significant management judgment and estimation. Future energy prices are based on a forward power pricing curve using exchange-traded contracts in the electric futures market. A basis adjustment is applied to the market energy price to reflect the price differential between the market price delivery point and the counterparty delivery point. The historical relationship between the delivery points is reviewed and a discount (below 100%) or premium (above 100%) is derived. This comparison is done for both peak times when demand is high and off-peak times when demand is low. If the basis adjustment is lowered, the fair value measurement will decrease, and if the basis adjustment is increased, the fair value measurement will increase.

The projected power costs anticipated to be incurred under the purchased power agreement are determined using many factors, including historical generating costs, future prices, and expected fuel mix of the counterparty. An increase in the projected fuel costs would result in a decrease in the fair value measurement of the purchased power agreement. A significant input that MGE estimates is the counterparty's fuel mix in determining the projected power cost. MGE also considers the assumptions that market participants would use in valuing the asset or liability. This consideration includes assumptions about market risk such as liquidity, volatility, and contract duration. The fair value model uses a discount rate that incorporates discounting, credit, and model risks.

The following table presents the significant unobservable inputs used in the pricing model.

	Model Input
Significant Unobservable Inputs	March 31, 2021		December 31, 2020
Basis adjustment:
On peak	94.4	%	94.2	%
Off peak	95.0	%	94.5	%
Counterparty fuel mix:
Internal generation - range	41.0% - 66.0	%	46.0% - 65.0	%
Internal generation - weighted average	56.9	%	56.5	%
Purchased power - range	59.0% - 34.0	%	54.0% - 35.0	%
Purchased power - weighted average	43.1	%	43.5	%

Revenue Recognition

Performance Obligations

A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer and is the unit of account. A contract's transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied. The majority of contracts have a single performance obligation.

Retail Revenue (Residential, Commercial, Industrial, and Other Retail/Municipal)

Providing electric and gas utility service to retail customers represents MGE's core business activity. Tariffs are approved by the PSCW through a rate order and provide MGE's customers with the standard terms and conditions, including pricing terms. The performance obligation to deliver electricity or gas is satisfied over time as the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the commodities provided by MGE. MGE recognizes revenues as the commodity is delivered to customers. Meters are read on a systematic basis throughout the month based on established meter-reading schedules and customers are subsequently billed for services received. At the end of the month, MGE accrues an estimate for unbilled commodities delivered to customers. The unbilled revenue estimate is based on daily system demand volumes, weather factors, estimated line losses, estimated customer usage by class, and applicable customer rates.

Utility Cost Recovery Mechanisms

MGE's tariff rates include a provision for fuel cost recovery. The PSCW allows Wisconsin utilities to defer electric fuel-related costs, less excess revenues, that fall outside a symmetrical cost tolerance band. Any over- or under-recovery of the actual costs in a given year is determined in the following year and is then reflected in future billings to electric retail customers. Over-collection of fuel-related costs that are outside the approved range will be recognized as a reduction of revenue. Under-collection of these costs will be recognized in "Purchased power" expense in the consolidated statements of income. The cumulative effects of these deferred amounts will be recorded in "Regulatory assets" or "Regulatory liabilities" on the consolidated balance sheets until they are reflected in future billings to customers. See Footnote 9.b. for further information.

MGE also has other cost recovery mechanisms. For example, any over-collection of the difference between actual costs incurred and the amount of costs collected from customers is recorded as a reduction of revenue in the period incurred.

Sales to the Market

Sales to the market include energy charges, capacity or demand charges, and ancillary charges represented by wholesale sales of electricity made to third parties who are not ultimate users of the electricity. Most of these sales are spot market transactions on the markets operated by MISO. Each transaction is considered a performance obligation and revenue is recognized in the period in which energy charges, capacity or demand charges, and ancillary services are sold into MISO. MGE reports, on a net basis, transactions on the MISO markets in which it buys and sells power within the same hour to meet electric energy delivery requirements.

Transportation of Gas

MGE has contracts under which it provides gas transportation services to customers who have elected to purchase gas from a third party MGE delivers this gas via pipelines within its service territory. Revenue is recognized as service is rendered or gas is delivered to customers. Tariffs are approved by the PSCW through a rate order and provide gas transportation customers with standard terms and conditions, including pricing terms.