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Regulatory Matters

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Public Utilities, General Disclosures [Line Items]

Regulatory matters are critical to Consumers. The Michigan Attorney General, ABATE, the MPSC Staff, and certain other parties typically participate in MPSC proceedings concerning Consumers, such as Consumers’ rate cases and PSCR and GCR processes. These parties often challenge various aspects of those proceedings, including the prudence of Consumers’ policies and practices, and seek cost disallowances and other relief. The parties also have appealed significant MPSC orders. Depending upon the specific issues, the outcomes of rate cases and proceedings, including judicial proceedings challenging MPSC orders or other actions, could negatively affect CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ liquidity, financial condition, and results of operations. Consumers cannot predict the outcome of these proceedings.

There are multiple appeals pending that involve various issues concerning cost recovery from customers, the adequacy of the record of evidence supporting the recovery of Smart Energy investments, and other matters. Consumers is unable to predict the outcome of these appeals.

Regulatory Assets and Liabilities

Consumers is subject to the actions of the MPSC and FERC and therefore prepares its consolidated financial statements in accordance with the provisions of regulatory accounting. A utility must apply regulatory accounting when its rates are designed to recover specific costs of providing regulated services. Under regulatory accounting, Consumers records regulatory assets or liabilities for certain transactions that would have been treated as expense or revenue by non‑regulated businesses.

Presented in the following table are the regulatory assets and liabilities on Consumers’ consolidated balance sheets:



In Millions
December 31	End of Recovery or Refund Period		2019			2018
Regulatory assets
Current
Energy waste reduction plan incentive¹		2020		$	33		$	32
Other		2019		—			5
Total current regulatory assets				$	33		$	37
Non-current
Postretirement benefits²		various		$	1,130		$	1,028
Costs of coal-fueled electric generating units to be retired³		various		667			—
Securitized costs³		2029		247			273
ARO⁴		various		191			175
MGP sites⁴		various		130			133
Unamortized loss on reacquired debt⁴		various		70			68
Energy waste reduction plan incentive¹		2021		34			34
Energy waste reduction plan⁴		various		10			26
Deferred capital spending⁴		various		3			—
Gas storage inventory adjustments⁴		various		3			4
Other		various		4			2
Total non-current regulatory assets				$	2,489		$	1,743
Total regulatory assets				$	2,522		$	1,780
Regulatory liabilities
Current
Income taxes, net		2020		$	65		$	18
Gain to be shared with customers		2020		17			—
Reserve for customer refunds		2019		2			36
TCJA reserve for refund		2019		—			98
Other		2020		3			3
Total current regulatory liabilities				$	87		$	155
Non-current
Cost of removal		various		$	2,126		$	1,966
Income taxes, net		various		1,510			1,537
Renewable energy grant		2043		52			54
ARO		various		26			38
Renewable energy plan		2028		17			42
TCJA reserve for refund		various		—			35
Other		various		11			9
Total non-current regulatory liabilities				$	3,742		$	3,681
Total regulatory liabilities				$	3,829		$	3,836


¹	These regulatory assets have arisen from an alternative revenue program and are not associated with incurred costs or capital investments. Therefore, the MPSC has provided for recovery without a return.


²	This regulatory asset is included in rate base, thereby providing a return.


³	The MPSC has historically authorized and Consumers expects the MPSC to authorize a specific return on these regulatory assets.


⁴	These regulatory assets represent incurred costs for which the MPSC has provided, or Consumers expects, recovery without a return on investment.

Regulatory Assets

Energy Waste Reduction Plan Incentive: In December 2019, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement authorizing Consumers to collect $34 million during 2020 as an incentive for exceeding its statutory savings targets in 2018. Consumers recognized incentive revenue under this program of $34 million in 2018.

Consumers also exceeded its statutory savings targets in 2019, achieved certain other goals, and will request the MPSC’s approval to collect $34 million, the maximum performance incentive, in the energy waste reduction reconciliation to be filed in 2020. Consumers recognized incentive revenue under this program of $34 million in 2019.

Postretirement Benefits: As part of the ratemaking process, the MPSC allows Consumers to recover the costs of postretirement benefits. Accordingly, Consumers defers the net impact of actuarial losses and gains as well as prior service costs and credits associated with postretirement benefits as a regulatory asset or liability. The asset or liability will decrease as the deferred items are amortized and recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost. For details about the amortization periods, see Note 12, Retirement Benefits.

Costs of Coal-fueled Electric Generating Units to be Retired: In June 2019, the MPSC approved the settlement agreement reached in Consumers’ IRP, under which Consumers plans to retire the D.E. Karn 1 & 2 coal-fueled electric generating units in 2023. Under Michigan law, electric utilities have been permitted to use highly rated, low-cost securitization bonds to finance the recovery of qualified costs. Consumers will file for securitization financing by May 2023, requesting the MPSC’s approval to securitize the remaining book value of the two coal-fueled electric generating units upon their retirement.

In 2019, Consumers removed from total plant, property, and equipment an amount representing the remaining book value of the two coal-fueled electric generating units upon their retirement, and recorded it as a regulatory asset. Until securitization, the book value of the generating units will remain in rate base and receive full regulatory returns in general rate cases.

Securitized Costs: In 2013, the MPSC issued a securitization financing order authorizing Consumers to issue securitization bonds in order to finance the recovery of the remaining book value of seven smaller coal-fueled electric generating units that Consumers retired in 2016 and three smaller natural gas-fueled electric generating units that Consumers retired in 2015. Upon receipt of the MPSC’s order, Consumers removed the book value of the ten units from plant, property, and equipment and recorded this amount as a regulatory asset. Consumers is amortizing the regulatory asset over the life of the related securitization bonds, which it issued through a subsidiary in 2014. For additional details regarding the securitization bonds, see Note 5, Financings and Capitalization.

ARO: The recovery of the underlying asset investments and related removal and monitoring costs of recorded AROs is approved by the MPSC in depreciation rate cases. Consumers records a regulatory asset and a regulatory liability for timing differences between the recognition of AROs for financial reporting purposes and the recovery of these costs from customers. The recovery period approximates the useful life of the assets to be removed.

MGP Sites: Consumers is incurring environmental remediation and other response activity costs at 23 former MGP facilities. The MPSC allows Consumers to recover from its natural gas customers over a ten-year period the costs incurred to remediate the MGP sites.

Unamortized Loss on Reacquired Debt: Under regulatory accounting, any unamortized discount, premium, or expense related to debt redeemed with the proceeds of new debt is capitalized and amortized over the life of the new debt.

Energy Waste Reduction Plan: The MPSC allows Consumers to collect surcharges from customers to fund its energy waste reduction plan. The amount of spending incurred in excess of surcharges collected is recorded as a regulatory asset and amortized as surcharges are collected from customers over the plan period. The amount of surcharges collected in excess of spending incurred is recorded as a regulatory liability and amortized as costs are incurred.

Deferred Capital Spending: In January 2019, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement in Consumers’ 2018 electric rate case, which provided deferred accounting treatment for distribution-related capital investments exceeding certain threshold amounts. Thus, for actual capital spending above the threshold amounts detailed in the settlement agreement, Consumers has deferred as a regulatory asset the associated depreciation and property tax expense as well as the debt component of the overall rate of return on such spending.

Gas Storage Inventory Adjustments: Consumers incurs inventory expenses related to the loss of gas from its natural gas storage fields. The MPSC allows Consumers to recover these costs from its natural gas customers over a five-year period.

Regulatory Liabilities

Income Taxes, Net: Consumers records regulatory assets and liabilities to reflect the difference between deferred income taxes recognized for financial reporting purposes and amounts previously reflected in Consumers’ rates. This net balance will decrease over the remaining life of the related temporary differences and flow through current income tax benefit. For additional details on deferred income taxes, see the Consumers Electric Utility and Gas Utility—Tax Cuts and Jobs Act section below and Note 14, Income Taxes.

Gain to be Shared with Customers: In December 2019, Consumers filed an application with the MPSC requesting approval to share voluntarily with electric utility customers half of the gain recognized on a sale of a portion of its substation transmission equipment to METC. Consumers proposed the gain sharing take place through an offset to additional spending in 2020 or through a bill credit to customers in 2021.

Reserve for Customer Refunds: At December 31, 2018, Consumers had recorded a provision for revenue subject to refund associated with electric rates it self-implemented in 2017. In August 2019, the MPSC approved Consumers’ reconciliation of total revenues collected from rates it self-implemented to those that would have been collected under the final rates approved in June 2018 and Consumers refunded the resulting amount in September 2019. The 2016 Energy Law eliminated utilities’ self-implementation of rates under general rate cases, but provided for more timely processing of general rate cases.

TCJA Reserve for Refund: In early 2018, the MPSC ordered Consumers to file various proceedings to determine the reduction in its electric and gas revenue requirements as a result of the TCJA. For further information on the various TCJA proceedings, see the Consumers Electric Utility and Gas Utility—Tax Cuts and Jobs Act section below.

Cost of Removal: The MPSC allows Consumers to collect amounts from customers to fund future asset removal activities. This regulatory liability is reduced as costs of removal are incurred. The refund period of this regulatory liability approximates the useful life of the assets to be removed.

Renewable Energy Grant: In 2013, Consumers received a $69 million renewable energy grant for Lake Winds^® Energy Park, which began operations in 2012. This grant reduces Consumers’ cost of complying with Michigan’s renewable portfolio standard and, accordingly, reduces the overall renewable energy surcharge to be collected from customers. The regulatory liability recorded for the grant will be amortized over the life of Lake Winds^®Energy Park.

Renewable Energy Plan: Consumers has collected surcharges to fund its renewable energy plan. Amounts not yet spent under the plan are recorded as a regulatory liability, which is amortized as incremental costs are incurred to operate and depreciate Consumers’ renewable generation facilities and to purchase RECs under renewable energy purchase agreements. Incremental costs represent costs incurred in excess of amounts recovered through the PSCR process.

Consumers Electric Utility and Gas Utility

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: The TCJA, which changed existing federal tax law and included numerous provisions that affect businesses, was signed into law in December 2017.

In early 2018, the MPSC ordered Consumers to file various proceedings to determine the reduction in its electric and gas revenue requirements as a result of the reduction in the corporate income tax rate, and to implement bill credits to reflect that reduction until customer rates could be adjusted through Consumers’ general rate cases. Consumers filed, and the MPSC approved, such proceedings throughout 2018, resulting in credits to customer bills during 2018 to reflect reductions in Consumers’ electric and gas revenue requirements.

Consumers filed additional proceedings to address amounts collected from customers during 2018 prior to the implementation of bill credits. In late 2018, the MPSC approved the refund of $31 million to gas customers over six months beginning in December 2018 and the refund of $70 million to electric customers over six months beginning in January 2019.

In October 2018, Consumers filed an application to address the December 31, 2017 remeasurement of its deferred income taxes and other base rate impacts of the TCJA on customers. In September 2019, the MPSC authorized Consumers to begin returning net regulatory tax liabilities of $0.4 billion to gas customers through rates approved in the 2018 gas rate case and $1.2 billion to electric customers through rates to be determined in Consumers’ next electric rate case. Until then, the MPSC authorized Consumers to refund $32 million to electric customers through a temporary bill credit. Consumers’ total $1.6 billion of net regulatory tax liabilities comprises:


•	A regulatory tax liability of $1.7 billion associated with plant assets that are subject to normalization, which is governed by the Internal Revenue Code; this regulatory tax liability will be returned over the remaining book life of the related plant assets, the average of which is 44 years for gas plant assets and 27 years for electric plant assets.


•	A regulatory tax asset of $0.3 billion associated with plant assets that are not subject to normalization; this regulatory tax asset will be collected over 44 years from gas customers and over 27 years from electric customers.


•	A regulatory tax liability of $0.2 billion, which is primarily related to employee benefits; this regulatory tax liability will be refunded to customers over ten years.

In January 2018, Consumers began to reduce the regulatory liability subject to normalization by crediting income tax expense. Consumers fully reserved for the eventual refund of these excess deferred taxes that it credited to income tax expense in a separate non‑current regulatory liability established by reducing revenue. As a result of an order received in September 2019, Consumers began refunding these excess deferred taxes to customers and will no longer reserve for their refund. At the date of the order, this reserve for refund of these excess deferred taxes totaled $62 million. For additional details on the remeasurement, see Note 14, Income Taxes.

Consumers Electric Utility

2018 Electric Rate Case: In May 2018, Consumers filed an application with the MPSC seeking an annual rate increase of $58 million, based on a 10.75 percent authorized return on equity. In October 2018, Consumers reduced its requested annual rate increase to $44 million. In January 2019, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement authorizing an annual rate decrease of $24 million, based on a 10.0 percent authorized return on equity. With the elimination of the $113 million TCJA credit to customer bills, the approved settlement agreement resulted in an $89 million net increase in annual rates. The settlement agreement also provided for deferred accounting treatment for distribution-related capital investments exceeding certain amounts. Consumers also agreed to not file a new electric rate case prior to January 2020.

Consumers Gas Utility

2018 Gas Rate Case: In November 2018, Consumers filed an application with the MPSC seeking an annual rate increase of $229 million, based on a 10.75 percent authorized return on equity. In April 2019, Consumers reduced its requested annual rate increase to $204 million. In September 2019, the MPSC approved an annual rate increase of $144 million, based on a 9.90 percent authorized return on equity. This increase includes a $13 million adjustment to begin returning net regulatory tax liabilities associated with the TCJA to customers. The MPSC also approved the continuation of a revenue decoupling mechanism, which annually reconciles Consumers’ actual weather-normalized, non‑fuel revenues with the revenues approved by the MPSC.

Power Supply Cost Recovery and Gas Cost Recovery

The PSCR and GCR ratemaking processes are designed to allow Consumers to recover all of its power supply and purchased natural gas costs if incurred under reasonable and prudent policies and practices. The MPSC reviews these costs, policies, and practices in annual plan and reconciliation proceedings. Consumers adjusts its PSCR and GCR billing charges monthly in order to minimize the underrecovery or overrecovery amount in the annual reconciliations. Underrecoveries represent probable future revenues that will be recovered from customers; overrecoveries represent previously collected revenues that will be refunded to customers.

Presented in the following table are the assets and liabilities for PSCR and GCR underrecoveries and overrecoveries reflected on Consumers’ consolidated balance sheets:



In Millions
December 31	2019			2018
Assets
GCR underrecoveries		$	—		$	16
Accrued gas revenue		$	—		$	16
Liabilities
PSCR overrecoveries		$	33		$	4
GCR overrecoveries		2			—
Accrued rate refunds		$	35		$	4

PSCR Plans and Reconciliations: In October 2019, the MPSC issued an order in Consumers’ 2017 PSCR reconciliation, authorizing recovery of $1.9 billion of power costs and authorizing Consumers to reflect in its 2018 PSCR reconciliation the overrecovery of $32 million.

In November 2019, the MPSC issued an order in Consumers’ 2018 PSCR plan authorizing the 2018 PSCR charge that Consumers self-implemented beginning in January 2018. In March 2019, Consumers filed its 2018 PSCR reconciliation, requesting full recovery of $2.0 billion of power costs and authorization to reflect in its 2019 PSCR reconciliation the underrecovery of $31 million.

Consumers submitted its 2019 PSCR plan to the MPSC in September 2018 and, in accordance with its proposed plan, self-implemented the 2019 PSCR charge beginning in January 2019.

GCR Plans and Reconciliations: In September 2019, the MPSC issued an order in Consumers’ 2017-2018 GCR reconciliation, authorizing full recovery of $0.6 billion of gas costs and authorizing Consumers to reflect in its 2018-2019 GCR reconciliation the overrecovery of $1 million.

In June 2019, Consumers filed its 2018-2019 GCR reconciliation, requesting full recovery of $0.6 billion of gas costs and authorization to reflect in its 2019-2020 GCR reconciliation the underrecovery of $18 million.

In January 2020, the MPSC issued an order in Consumers’ 2019-2020 GCR plan authorizing the 2019-2020 GCR charge that Consumers self-implemented beginning in April 2019.

Consumers Energy Company