Energy Supply

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Energy Supply [Abstract]

Energy Supply

Note 7: Energy Supply

NATURAL GAS SUPPLY

Unitil purchases and manages gas supply for customers served by Northern Utilities in Maine and New Hampshire, and by Fitchburg in Massachusetts.

Northern Utilities’ C&I customers are entitled to purchase their natural gas supply from third-party gas suppliers. Many of Northern Utilities’ large, and some of its medium, C&I customers purchase their gas supply from third-party suppliers. Most small C&I customers, and all residential customers, purchase their gas supply from Northern Utilities under regulated rates and tariffs. As of December 2020, 80% of Unitil’s largest New Hampshire gas customers, representing 39% of Unitil’s New Hampshire gas therm sales, and 67% of Unitil’s largest Maine customers, representing 25% of Unitil’s Maine gas therm sales, purchased their gas supply from a third-party supplier.

Fitchburg’s residential and C&I business customers are entitled to purchase their natural gas supply from third-party gas suppliers. Many of Fitchburg’s large, and some of its medium, C&I customers, purchase their gas supply from third-party suppliers. Most of Fitchburg’s residential and small C&I customers continue to purchase their supplies at regulated rates from Fitchburg. As of December 2020, 78% of Unitil’s largest Massachusetts gas customers, representing 30% of Unitil’s Massachusetts gas therm sales, purchased their gas supply from third-party suppliers. The approved costs associated with natural gas supplied to customers who do not contract with third-party suppliers are recovered on a pass-through basis through periodically adjusted rates, and are included in Cost of Gas Sales in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings.

Regulated Natural Gas Supply

Northern Utilities purchases the majority of its natural gas from U.S. domestic and Canadian suppliers largely under contracts of one year or less, and on occasion from producers and marketers on the spot market. Northern Utilities arranges for gas transportation and delivery to its system through its own long-term contracts with various interstate pipeline and storage facilities, through peaking supply contracts delivered to its system, or in the case of liquefied natural gas (LNG), via trucking of supplies to storage facilities within Northern Utilities’ service territory.

Northern Utilities has available under firm contract 122,000 million British Thermal Units (MMbtu) per day of year-round and seasonal transportation capacity to its distribution facilities, and 4.3 billion cubic feet (BCF) of underground storage. As a supplement to pipeline natural gas, Northern Utilities owns an LNG storage and vaporization facility. This plant is used principally during peak load periods to augment the supply of pipeline natural gas.

Fitchburg purchases natural gas under contracts from producers and marketers largely under contracts of one year or less, and occasionally on the spot market. Fitchburg arranges for gas transportation and delivery to its system through its own long-term contracts with Tennessee Gas Pipeline, through peaking supply contracts delivered to its system, or in the case of LNG or liquefied propane gas (LPG), via trucking of supplies to storage facilities within Fitchburg’s service territory.

Fitchburg has available under firm contract 14,439 MMbtu per day of year-round transportation and 0.4 BCF of underground storage capacity to its distribution facilities. As a supplement to pipeline natural gas, Fitchburg owns a propane air gas plant and an LNG storage and vaporization facility. These plants are used principally during peak load periods to augment the supply of pipeline natural gas.

ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY

Fitchburg, Unitil Energy, and Unitil Power each are members of the New England Power Pool (NEPOOL) and participate in the Independent System Operator—New England (ISO-NE) markets for the purpose of facilitating wholesale electric power supply transactions, which are necessary to serve Unitil’s electric customers with their supply of electricity.

In New Hampshire, the percentage of residential customers purchasing electricity from a third-party supplier as of December 2020 is 8.3%, down 0.6% from 2019 and reflecting a downward trend from a high of 13% in 2015. Most residential and small commercial customers continue to purchase their electric supply through Unitil’s electric distribution utilities under regulated energy rates and tariffs. 

Regulated Electric Power Supply

To provide regulated electric supply service to their customers, Unitil’s electric distribution utilities enter into load-following wholesale electric power supply contracts to purchase electric supply from various wholesale suppliers.

Unitil Energy currently has power supply contracts with various wholesale suppliers for the provision of Default Service to its customers. Currently, with approval of the NHPUC, Unitil Energy purchases Default Service power supply contracts for small, medium and large customers every six months for 100% of the supply requirements.

Fitchburg has power supply contracts with various wholesale suppliers for the provision of Basic Service electric supply. MDPU policy establishes the pricing structure and duration of each of these contracts. Basic Service power supply contracts for residential and for small and medium general service customers are acquired every six months, are 12 months in duration and provide 50% of the supply requirements. On June 13, 2012, the MDPU approved Fitchburg’s request to discontinue the procurement process for Fitchburg’s large customers and become the load-serving entity for these customers. Currently, all Basic Service power supply requirements for large accounts are assigned to Fitchburg’s ISO-NE settlement account, where Fitchburg procures electric supply through ISO-NE’s real-time market.

The NHPUC and MDPU regularly review alternatives to their procurement policy, which may lead to future changes in this regulated power supply procurement structure.

Regional Electric Transmission and Power Markets

Fitchburg, Unitil Energy and Unitil Power, as well as virtually all New England electric utilities, are participants in the ISO-NE markets. ISO-NE is the Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) in New England. The purpose of ISO-NE is to assure reliable operation of the bulk power system in the most economical manner for the region. Substantially all operation and dispatching of electric generation and bulk transmission capacity in New England are performed on a regional basis. The ISO-NE tariff imposes generating capacity and reserve obligations, and provides for the use of major transmission facilities and associated support payments. The most notable benefits of the ISO-NE are coordinated, reliable power system operation and a supportive business environment for the development of competitive electric markets.

Electric Power Supply Divestiture

In connection with the implementation of retail choice, Unitil Power, which formerly functioned as the wholesale power supply provider for Unitil Energy, and Fitchburg divested their long-term power supply contracts through the sale of the entitlements to the electricity sold under those contracts. Unitil Energy and Fitchburg recover in their rates all the costs associated with the divestiture of their power supply portfolios and have secured regulatory approval from the NHPUC and MDPU, respectively, for the recovery of power supply-related stranded costs and other restructuring-related regulatory assets. The companies have a continuing obligation to submit regulatory filings that demonstrate their compliance with regulatory mandates and provide for timely recovery of costs in accordance with their approved restructuring plans.