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Regulatory Assets and Liabilities
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities
Regulatory assets and liabilities include the following:
 
September 30, 2013

December 31, 2012

(millions)
 
 
Dominion
 
 
Regulatory assets:
 
 
Deferred rate adjustment clause costs(1)
$
72

$
55

Derivatives(2)
18


Unrecovered gas cost(3)
21

59

Plant retirement(4)
6

25

Other
67

64

Regulatory assets-current(5)
184

203

Unrecognized pension and other postretirement benefit costs(6)
934

1,210

Deferred rate adjustment clause costs(1)
257

173

Income taxes recoverable through future rates(7)
164

140

Derivatives(2)
34

105

Other
89

89

Regulatory assets-non-current
1,478

1,717

Total regulatory assets
$
1,662

$
1,920

Regulatory liabilities:
 

 

PIPP(8)
$
143

$
100

Other
45

36

Regulatory liabilities-current(9)
188

136

Provision for future cost of removal and AROs(10)
1,031

985

Decommissioning trust(11)
617

501

Other
70

28

Regulatory liabilities-non-current
1,718

1,514

Total regulatory liabilities
$
1,906

$
1,650

Virginia Power
 

 

Regulatory assets:
 

 

Deferred rate adjustment clause costs(1)
$
72

$
51

Derivatives(2)
18


Plant retirement(4)
6

25

Other
50

43

Regulatory assets-current(5)
146

119

Deferred rate adjustment clause costs(1)
204

127

Income taxes recoverable through future rates(7)
132

110

Derivatives(2)
34

105

Other
50

54

Regulatory assets-non-current
420

396

Total regulatory assets
$
566

$
515

Regulatory liabilities:
 

 

Other
$
37

$
32

Regulatory liabilities-current(9)
37

32

Provision for future cost of removal(10)
799

763

Decommissioning trust(11)
617

501

Other
55

21

Regulatory liabilities-non-current
1,471

1,285

Total regulatory liabilities
$
1,508

$
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)
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.
(3)
Reflects unrecovered gas costs at Dominion's regulated gas operations, which are recovered through annual filings with the applicable regulatory authority.
(4)
Reflects costs anticipated to be recovered in base rates for certain coal units expected to be retired.
(5)
Current regulatory assets are presented in other current assets in Dominion's and Virginia Power's Consolidated Balance Sheets.
(6)
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.
(7)
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.
(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 September 30, 2013, approximately $102 million of Dominion's and $65 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.