XML 70 R18.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.0.6
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities
Regulatory assets and liabilities include the following:
 
March 31, 2013

December 31, 2012

(millions)
 
 
Dominion
 
 
Regulatory assets:
 
 
Deferred rate adjustment clause costs(1)
$
59

$
55

Unrecovered gas cost(2)
27

59

Deferred cost of fuel used in electric generation(3)
17


Other
74

89

Regulatory assets-current(4)
177

203

Unrecognized pension and other postretirement benefit costs(5)
1,192

1,210

Deferred rate adjustment clause costs(1)
181

173

Income taxes recoverable through future rates(6)
149

140

Derivatives(7)
85

105

Other
89

89

Regulatory assets-non-current
1,696

1,717

Total regulatory assets
$
1,873

$
1,920

Regulatory liabilities:
 

 

PIPP(8)
$
118

$
100

Other
29

36

Regulatory liabilities-current(9)
147

136

Provision for future cost of removal and AROs(10)
1,005

985

Decommissioning trust(11)
575

501

Other
66

28

Regulatory liabilities-non-current
1,646

1,514

Total regulatory liabilities
$
1,793

$
1,650

Virginia Power
 

 

Regulatory assets:
 

 

Deferred rate adjustment clause costs(1)
$
58

$
51

Deferred cost of fuel used in electric generation(3)
17


Other
70

68

Regulatory assets-current(4)
145

119

Deferred rate adjustment clause costs(1)
130

127

Income taxes recoverable through future rates(6)
118

110

Derivatives(7)
85

105

Other
55

54

Regulatory assets-non-current
388

396

Total regulatory assets
$
533

$
515

Regulatory liabilities:
 

 

Other
$
19

$
32

Regulatory liabilities-current(9)
19

32

Provision for future cost of removal(10)
780

763

Decommissioning trust(11)
575

501

Other
59

21

Regulatory liabilities-non-current
1,414

1,285

Total regulatory liabilities
$
1,433

$
1,317

(1)
Reflects deferrals under the electric transmission FERC formula rate and the deferral of costs associated with certain current and prospective rider projects. See Note 12 for more information.
(2)
Reflects unrecovered gas costs at Dominion's regulated gas operations, which are recovered through quarterly or annual filings with the applicable regulatory authority.
(3)
Primarily reflects deferred fuel expenses for the Virginia jurisdiction of Virginia Power's generation operations. 
(4)
Current regulatory assets are presented in other current assets in Dominion's and Virginia Power's Consolidated Balance Sheets.
(5)
Represents unrecognized pension and other postretirement employee benefit costs expected to be recovered through future rates generally over the expected remaining service period of plan participants by certain of Dominion's rate-regulated subsidiaries.
(6)
Amounts to be recovered through future rates to pay income taxes that become payable when rate revenue is provided to recover AFUDC-equity and depreciation of property, plant and equipment for which deferred income taxes were not recognized for ratemaking purposes, including amounts attributable to tax rate changes.
(7)
For jurisdictions subject to cost-based rate regulation, changes in the fair value of derivative instruments result in the recognition of regulatory assets or regulatory liabilities as they are expected to be recovered from or refunded to customers.
(8)
Under PIPP, eligible customers can receive energy assistance based on their ability to pay. The difference between the customer's total bill and the PIPP plan amount is deferred and collected or returned annually under the PIPP rider according to East Ohio tariff provisions.
(9)
Current regulatory liabilities are presented in other current liabilities in Dominion's and Virginia Power's Consolidated Balance Sheets.
(10)
Rates charged to customers by the Companies' regulated businesses include a provision for the cost of future activities to remove assets that are expected to be incurred at the time of retirement.
(11)
Primarily reflects a regulatory liability representing amounts collected from Virginia jurisdictional customers and placed in external trusts (including income, losses and changes in fair value thereon) for the future decommissioning of Virginia Power's utility nuclear generation stations, in excess of the related AROs.

At March 31, 2013, approximately $128 million of Dominion's and $84 million of Virginia Power's regulatory assets represented past expenditures on which they do not currently earn a return. These expenditures are expected to be recovered within the next two years.