RATE AND OTHER REGULATORY MATTERS

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Public Utilities Disclosure [Text Block]

RATE AND OTHER REGULATORY MATTERS

Rate Matters

Electric - Cost of Fuel

SCE&G's retail electric rates include a cost of fuel component approved by the SCPSC which may be adjusted periodically to reflect changes in the price of fuel purchased by SCE&G.

Pursuant to an April 2014 SCPSC order, SCE&G increased its base fuel cost component by approximately $10.3 million for the 12-month period beginning with the first billing cycle of May 2014. The base fuel cost increase was offset by a reduction in SCE&G's rate rider related to pension costs approved by the SCPSC in March 2014. In addition, pursuant to the April 2014 order, electric revenue for 2014 was reduced by approximately $46 million for adjustments to the fuel cost component and related under-collected fuel balance. Such adjustments are fully offset by the recognition within other income of gains realized from the late 2013 settlement of certain interest rate derivatives which had been entered into in anticipation of the issuance of long-term debt, which gains had been deferred as a regulatory liability. The order also provided for the accrual of certain debt-related carrying costs on its under-collected balance of base fuel costs during the period May 1, 2014 through April 30, 2015.

The cost of fuel includes amounts paid by SCE&G pursuant to the Nuclear Waste Act for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel. As a result of a November 2013 decision by the Court of Appeals, the DOE set the Nuclear Waste Act fee to zero effective May 16, 2014. The impact of changes to the Nuclear Waste Act fee is considered during annual fuel rate proceedings.

By order dated April 30, 2015, the SCPSC approved a settlement agreement among SCE&G and certain other parties in which SCE&G agreed to decrease the total fuel cost component of retail electric rates. Under this order, SCE&G is to recover an amount equal to its under-collected balance of base fuel and variable environmental costs as of April 30, 2015, over the subsequent 12-month period beginning with the first billing cycle of May 2015.

By order dated July 15, 2015, the SCPSC approved a settlement agreement among SCE&G and certain other parties concerning SCE&G's petition for approval to participate in a DER program and to recover DER program costs as a separate component of SCE&G's overall fuel factor. Under this order, SCE&G will, among other things, develop renewable energy facilities with a nameplate capacity of at least 84.5 MW by the end of 2020 and have at least 30 MW of utility-scale solar capacity in service by the end of 2016. The order also requires SCE&G to develop incentives for solar energy generated by residential and commercial customers. SCE&G will also make incentives available for residential customers receiving solar power from community solar-programs.

By order dated September 16, 2015, the SCPSC approved SCE&G's request to adopt lower depreciation rates for electric and common plant effective January 1, 2015 resulting in $29 million (or $.12 cents per share) in lower depreciation expense annually. These rates were based on the results of a depreciation study conducted by SCE&G using utility plant balances as of December 31, 2014. In connection with the adoption of the revised depreciation rates, SCE&G recorded lower depreciation expense of approximately $22 million (or $.09 cents per share) in the third quarter of 2015, and pursuant to the SCPSC order, SCE&G reduced its electric operating revenues by approximately $14.5 million (or $.06 cents per share) with an offset to under-collected fuel included within Receivables in the balance sheet. Accordingly, the Company's net income for each of the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, increased approximately $4.5 million as a result of this change in estimate.

Electric - Base Rates

Pursuant to an SCPSC order, SCE&G removes from rate base deferred income tax assets arising from capital expenditures related to the New Units and accrues carrying costs on those amounts during periods in which they are not included in rate base. Such carrying costs are determined at SCE&G’s weighted average long-term debt borrowing rate and are recorded as a regulatory asset and other income. Carrying costs during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 totaled $2.4 million and $6.5 million, respectively, and during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 totaled $1.6 million and $4.1 million, respectively. SCE&G anticipates that when the New Units are placed in service and accelerated tax depreciation is recognized on them, these deferred income tax assets will decline. When these assets are fully offset by related deferred income tax liabilities, the carrying cost accruals will cease, and the regulatory asset will begin to be amortized.

The SCPSC has approved a suite of DSM Programs for development and implementation. SCE&G offers to its retail electric customers several distinct programs designed to assist customers in reducing their demand for electricity and improving their energy efficiency. SCE&G submits annual filings to the SCPSC related to these programs which include actual program costs, net lost revenues (both forecasted and actual), customer incentives, and net program benefits, among other things. As actual DSM Program costs are incurred, they are deferred as regulatory assets (see Regulatory Assets and Regulatory Liabilities below) and recovered through a rate rider approved by the SCPSC. The rate rider also provides for recovery of net lost revenues and for a shared savings incentive. The SCPSC approved the following rate riders pursuant to the annual DSM Programs filings, which went into effect as indicated below:



Year	Effective	Amount
2015	First billing cycle of May	$	32.0	million
2014	First billing cycle of May	$	15.4	million
2013	First billing cycle of May	$	16.9	million

In April 2014, the SCPSC issued an order approving, among other things, SCE&G’s request to utilize approximately $17.8 million of the gains from the late 2013 settlement of certain interest rate derivative instruments, previously deferred as regulatory liabilities, to offset a portion of SCE&G’s DSM Programs rate rider. This order also allowed SCE&G to apply $5.0 million of its storm damage reserve and $5.0 million of the gains from the settlement of certain interest rate derivative instruments to offset previously deferred amounts.

Electric – BLRA

Under the BLRA, SCE&G may file revised rates with the SCPSC each year to incorporate the financing cost of any incremental construction work in progress incurred for new nuclear generation. Through 2015, requested rate adjustments have been based on SCE&G's updated cost of debt and capital structure and on an allowed return on common equity of 11.0%. The SCPSC has approved recovery of the following amounts under the BLRA effective for bills rendered on and after October 30 in the following years:



Year	Action			Amount
2015	2.6	%	Increase	$	64.5	million
2014	2.8	%	Increase	$	66.2	million
2013	2.9	%	Increase	$	67.2	million

In September 2015 the SCPSC approved a revision to the allowed return on equity for new nuclear construction from 11.0% to 10.5%. This revised return on equity will be applied prospectively for the purpose of calculating revised rates sought by SCE&G under the BLRA on and after January 1, 2016, until such time as the New Units are completed. See Note 9.

Gas - SCE&G

The RSA is designed to reduce the volatility of costs charged to customers by allowing for more timely recovery of the costs that regulated utilities incur related to natural gas infrastructure. The SCPSC has approved the following rate changes pursuant to annual RSA filings effective with the first billing cycle of November in the following years:



Year	Action			Amount
2015	No change			-
2014	0.6	%	Decrease	$	2.6	million
2013	No change			-

SCE&G's natural gas tariffs include a PGA that provides for the recovery of actual gas costs incurred, including transportation costs. SCE&G's gas rates are calculated using a methodology which may adjust the cost of gas monthly based on a 12-month rolling average, and its gas purchasing policies and practices are reviewed annually by the SCPSC. The annual review conducted for the 12-month period ended July 31, 2014 resulted in the SCPSC issuing an order finding that SCE&G's gas purchasing policies and practices during the review period were reasonable and prudent. SCE&G's 2015 annual PGA hearing was held on November 5, 2015 and the SCPSC's decision is pending.

Gas - PSNC Energy

PSNC Energy's Rider D rate mechanism allows it to recover from customers all prudently incurred gas costs and certain related uncollectible expenses as well as losses on negotiated gas and transportation sales.

PSNC Energy establishes rates using a benchmark cost of gas approved by the NCUC, which may be periodically adjusted to reflect changes in the market price of natural gas. PSNC Energy revises its tariffs as necessary to track these changes and accounts for any over- or under-collection of the delivered cost of gas in its deferred accounts for subsequent rate consideration. The NCUC reviews PSNC Energy’s gas purchasing practices annually. In addition, PSNC Energy utilizes a CUT which allows it to adjust its base rates semi-annually for residential and commercial customers based on average per customer consumption.

In October 2015, in connection with PSNC Energy's 2015 Annual Prudence Review, the NCUC determined that PSNC Energy's gas costs, including all hedging transactions, were reasonable and prudently incurred during the 12 months ended March 31, 2015.

In May 2014, the NCUC issued an order requiring utilities to adjust rates to reflect changes in the state corporate income tax rate that had been enacted by the North Carolina legislature and to file a proposal to refund amounts previously collected on a provisional basis. Pursuant to the order, PSNC Energy lowered its rates effective July 1, 2014, and refunded the amounts previously collected through the normal operation of its Rider D rate mechanism. These amounts were not significant for any period presented.

Regulatory Assets and Regulatory Liabilities

The Company’s cost-based, rate-regulated utilities recognize in their financial statements certain revenues and expenses in different periods than do other enterprises. As a result, the Company has recorded regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities which are summarized in the following tables. Other than unrecovered plant, substantially all regulatory assets are either explicitly excluded from rate base or are effectively excluded from rate base due to their being offset by related liabilities.



Millions of dollars	September 30, 2015		December 31, 2014
Regulatory Assets:
Accumulated deferred income taxes	$	284	$	284
Under-collections - electric fuel adjustment clause	—		20
Environmental remediation costs	39		40
AROs and related funding	376		366
Franchise agreements	23		26
Deferred employee benefit plan costs	328		350
Planned major maintenance	—		2
Deferred losses on interest rate derivatives	538		453
Deferred pollution control costs	35		36
Unrecovered plant	128		137
DSM Programs	59		56
Carrying costs on deferred tax assets related to nuclear construction	15		9
Pipeline integrity management costs	16		9
Other	43		35
Total Regulatory Assets	$	1,884	$	1,823



Regulatory Liabilities:
Accumulated deferred income taxes	$	22	$	22
Asset removal costs	729		703
Storm damage reserve	6		6
Deferred gains on interest rate derivatives	87		82
Planned major maintenance	12		—
Other	3		1
Total Regulatory Liabilities	$	859	$	814

Accumulated deferred income tax liabilities that arose from utility operations that have not been included in customer rates are recorded as a regulatory asset. Substantially all of these regulatory assets relate to depreciation and are expected to be recovered over the remaining lives of the related property which may range up to approximately 85 years. Similarly, accumulated deferred income tax assets arising from deferred investment tax credits are recorded as a regulatory liability.

Under-collections - electric fuel adjustment clause represent amounts due from customers pursuant to the fuel adjustment clause as approved by the SCPSC which are expected to be recovered in retail electric rates over periods exceeding 12 months.

Environmental remediation costs represent costs associated with the assessment and clean-up of sites currently or formerly owned by the Company, and are expected to be recovered over periods of up to approximately 24 years.

ARO and related funding represents the regulatory asset associated with the legal obligation to decommission and dismantle Summer Station and conditional AROs related to generation, transmission and distribution properties, including gas pipelines. These regulatory assets are expected to be recovered over the related property lives and periods of decommissioning which may range up to approximately 110 years.

Franchise agreements represent costs associated with electric and gas franchise agreements with the cities of Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina. Based on an SCPSC order, SCE&G is recovering these amounts through cost of service rates through approximately 2021.

Employee benefit plan costs of the regulated utilities have historically been recovered as they have been recorded under GAAP. Deferred employee benefit plan costs represent amounts of pension and other postretirement benefit costs which were accrued as liabilities and treated as regulatory assets pursuant to FERC guidance, and costs deferred pursuant to specific SCPSC regulatory orders. Accordingly, in 2013 SCE&G began recovering through utility rates approximately $63 million of deferred pension costs for electric operations over approximately 30 years and approximately $14 million of deferred pension costs for gas operations over approximately 14 years. The remainder of the deferred benefit costs are expected to be recovered through utility rates, primarily over average service periods of participating employees, or up to approximately 12 years.

Planned major maintenance related to certain fossil fueled turbine/generation equipment and nuclear refueling outages is accrued in periods other than when incurred, pursuant to specific SCPSC orders. SCE&G collects and accrues $18.4 million annually for fossil fueled turbine/generation equipment maintenance, and collects and accrues $17.2 million annually for nuclear-related refueling charges.

Deferred losses or gains on interest rate derivatives represent (i) the effective portions of changes in fair value and payments made or received upon settlement of certain interest rate derivatives designated as cash flow hedges and (ii) the changes in fair value and payments made or received upon settlement of certain other interest rate derivatives not so designated. The amounts recorded with respect to (i) are expected to be amortized to interest expense over the lives of the underlying debt through 2043. The amounts recorded with respect to (ii) are expected to be similarly amortized to interest expense through 2065 except when, in the case of deferred gains, such amounts are applied otherwise at the direction of the SCPSC.

Deferred pollution control costs represent deferred depreciation and operating and maintenance costs associated with the scrubbers installed at certain coal-fired generating plants pursuant to specific regulatory orders. Such costs are being recovered through utility rates through 2045.

Unrecovered plant represents the carrying value of coal-fired generating units, including related materials and supplies inventory, retired from service prior to being fully depreciated. Pursuant to SCPSC approval, SCE&G will amortize these amounts through cost of service rates over the units' previous estimated remaining useful lives through approximately 2025. Unamortized amounts are included in rate base and are earning a current return.

DSM Programs represent deferred costs associated with such programs. As a result of an April 2015 SCPSC order, deferred costs are currently being recovered over approximately five years through an approved rate rider.

Carrying costs on deferred tax assets related to nuclear construction are calculated on accumulated deferred income tax assets associated with the New Units which are not part of electric rate base using the weighted average long-term debt cost of capital. These carrying costs will be amortized over ten years beginning in approximately 2021.

Pipeline integrity management costs represent costs incurred to comply with regulatory requirements related to certain natural gas pipelines located near moderate to high density populations. Such costs at SCE&G will be amortized at $1.9 million annually beginning in November 2015. Such costs at PSNC Energy will be considered for recovery through rates in its next general rate proceeding.

Various other regulatory assets are expected to be recovered in rates over periods of up to approximately 30 years.

Asset removal costs represent estimated net collections through depreciation rates of amounts to be incurred for the removal of assets in the future.

The storm damage reserve represents an SCPSC-approved collection through SCE&G electric rates, capped at $100 million, which can be applied to offset incremental storm damage costs in excess of $2.5 million in a calendar year. Pursuant to specific regulatory orders, SCE&G has suspended storm damage reserve collection through rates indefinitely. During the nine months ended September 30, 2015, no amounts were applied to offset incremental storm damage costs.

The SCPSC, the NCUC or the FERC has reviewed and approved through specific orders most of the items shown as regulatory assets. Other regulatory assets include, but are not limited to, certain costs which have not been specifically approved for recovery by the SCPSC, the NCUC or by the FERC. In recording such costs as regulatory assets, management believes the costs will be allowable under existing rate-making concepts that are embodied in rate orders received by the Company. The costs are currently not being recovered, but are expected to be recovered through rates in future periods. In the future, as a result of deregulation or other changes in the regulatory environment or changes in accounting requirements, the Company could be required to write off its regulatory assets and liabilities. Such an event could have a material effect on the Company's results of operations, liquidity or financial position in the period the write-off would be recorded.

SCEG

Rate Matters [Line Items]

Public Utilities Disclosure [Text Block]

RATE AND OTHER REGULATORY MATTERS

Rate Matters

Electric - Cost of Fuel

SCE&G's retail electric rates include a cost of fuel component approved by the SCPSC which may be adjusted periodically to reflect changes in the price of fuel purchased.

By order dated April 30, 2015, the SCPSC approved a settlement agreement among SCE&G and certain other parties in which SCE&G agreed to decrease the total fuel cost component of its retail electric rates. Under this order, SCE&G is to recover an amount equal to its under-collected balance of base fuel and variable environmental costs as of April 30, 2015, over the subsequent 12-month period beginning with the first billing cycle of May 2015.

By order dated September 16, 2015, the SCPSC approved SCE&G's request to adopt lower depreciation rates for electric and common plant effective January 1, 2015 resulting in $29 million in lower depreciation expense annually. These rates were based on the results of a depreciation study conducted by SCE&G using utility plant balances as of December 31, 2014. In connection with the adoption of the revised depreciation rates, SCE&G recorded lower depreciation expense of approximately $22 million in the third quarter of 2015, and pursuant to the SCPSC order, SCE&G reduced its electric operating revenues by approximately $14.5 million with an offset to under-collected fuel included within Receivables in the balance sheet. Accordingly, Consolidated SCE&G's net income for each of the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, increased approximately $4.5 million as a result of this change in estimate.

Electric - Base Rates

The SCPSC has approved a suite of DSM Programs for development and implementation. SCE&G offers to its retail electric customers several distinct programs designed to assist customers in reducing their demand for electricity and improving their energy efficiency. SCE&G submits annual filings to the SCPSC related to these programs which include actual program costs, net lost revenues both forecasted and actual), customer incentives, and net program benefits, among other things. As actual DSM Program costs are incurred, they are deferred as regulatory assets (see Regulatory Assets and Regulatory Liabilities below) and recovered through a rate rider approved by the SCPSC. The rate rider also provides for recovery of net lost revenues and for a shared savings incentive. The SCPSC approved the following rate riders pursuant to the annual DSM Programs filings, which went into effect as indicated below:



Year	Effective	Amount
2015	First billing cycle of May	$	32.0	million
2014	First billing cycle of May	$	15.4	million
2013	First billing cycle of May	$	16.9	million

Electric – BLRA



Year	Action			Amount
2015	2.6	%	Increase	$	64.5	million
2014	2.8	%	Increase	$	66.2	million
2013	2.9	%	Increase	$	67.2	million

Gas



Year	Action			Amount
2015	No change			-
2014	0.6	%	Decrease	$	2.6	million
2013	No change			-

Regulatory Assets and Regulatory Liabilities

Consolidated SCE&G has significant cost-based, rate-regulated operations and recognizes in its financial statements certain revenues and expenses in different periods than do other enterprises. As a result, Consolidated SCE&G has recorded regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities, which are summarized in the following tables. Other than unrecovered plant, substantially all regulatory assets are either explicitly excluded from rate base or are effectively excluded from rate base due to their being offset by related liabilities.



Millions of dollars	September 30, 2015		December 31, 2014
Regulatory Assets:
Accumulated deferred income taxes	$	278	$	278
Under collections – electric fuel adjustment clause	—		20
Environmental remediation costs	35		36
AROs and related funding	356		347
Franchise agreements	23		26
Deferred employee benefit plan costs	296		310
Planned major maintenance	—		2
Deferred losses on interest rate derivatives	538		453
Deferred pollution control costs	35		36
Unrecovered plant	128		137
DSM Programs	59		56
Carrying costs on deferred tax assets related to nuclear construction	15		9
Other	45		35
Total Regulatory Assets	$	1,808	$	1,745



Regulatory Liabilities:
Accumulated deferred income taxes	$	16	$	17
Asset removal costs	520		505
Storm damage reserve	6		6
Deferred gains on interest rate derivatives	87		82
Planned major maintenance	12		—
Total Regulatory Liabilities	$	641	$	610

Environmental remediation costs represent costs associated with the assessment and clean-up of sites currently or formerly owned by SCE&G and are expected to be recovered over periods of up to approximately 24 years.

Employee benefit plan costs of the regulated utilities have historically been recovered as they have been recorded under GAAP. Deferred employee benefit plan costs represent pension and other postretirement benefit costs which were accrued as liabilities and treated as regulatory assets pursuant to FERC guidance, and costs deferred pursuant to specific SCPSC regulatory orders. Accordingly, in 2013 SCE&G began recovering through utility rates approximately $63 million of deferred pension costs for electric operations over approximately 30 years and approximately $14 million of deferred pension costs for gas operations over approximately 14 years. The remainder of the deferred benefit costs are expected to be recovered through utility rates, primarily over average service periods of participating employees, or up to approximately 12 years.

Planned major maintenance related to certain fossil fueled turbine/generation equipment and nuclear refueling outages is accrued in periods other than when incurred, pursuant to specific SCPSC orders. SCE&G collects and accrues $18.4 million annually for fossil fueled turbine/generation equipment maintenance and collects and accrues $17.2 million annually for nuclear-related refueling charges.

Unrecovered plant represents the carrying value of coal-fired generating units, including related materials and supplies inventory, retired from service prior to being fully depreciated. Pursuant to SCPSC approval, SCE&G will amortize these amounts through cost of service rates over the units' previous estimated remaining useful lives through 2025. Unamortized amounts are included in rate base and are earning a current return.

Various other regulatory assets are expected to be recovered in rates over periods of up to approximately 30 years.

Asset removal costs represent estimated net collections through depreciation rates of amounts to be incurred for the removal of assets in the future.

The SCPSC or the FERC has reviewed and approved through specific orders most of the items shown as regulatory assets. Other regulatory assets include, but are not limited to, certain costs which have not been specifically approved for recovery by the SCPSC or by the FERC. In recording such costs as regulatory assets, management believes the costs will be allowable under existing rate-making concepts that are embodied in rate orders received by SCE&G. The costs are currently not being recovered, but are expected to be recovered through rates in future periods. In the future, as a result of deregulation or other changes in the regulatory environment or changes in accounting requirements, Consolidated SCE&G could be required to write off its regulatory assets and liabilities. Such an event could have a material effect on Consolidated SCE&G's results of operations, liquidity or financial position in the period the write-off would be recorded.