Regulatory Matters

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Public Utilities, General Disclosures [Line Items]

Regulatory Matters

Regulatory Matters

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 MPSC’s authority to approve voluntary revenue refunds, 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		2021			2020
Regulatory assets
Current
Energy waste reduction plan incentive1		2022		$	42		$	34
Deferred capital spending2		2021		—			6
Other		2022		4			2
Total current regulatory assets				$	46		$	42
Non-current
Postretirement benefits3		various		$	837		$	1,231
Costs of coal-fueled electric generating units to be retired2		various		678			678
ARO4		various		247			216
Securitized costs2		2029		193			221
MGP sites4		various		112			120
Unamortized loss on reacquired debt4		various		104			108
Energy waste reduction plan incentive1		2023		46			42
Energy waste reduction plan4		various		13			16
Demand response program4		various		10			10
Other		various		19			11
Total non-current regulatory assets				$	2,259		$	2,653
Total regulatory assets				$	2,305		$	2,695
Regulatory liabilities
Current
Income taxes, net		2022		$	138		$	105
Reserve for customer refunds		2022		2			28
Voluntary transmission asset sale gain share		2021		—			14
Other		2022		6			4
Total current regulatory liabilities				$	146		$	151
Non-current
Cost of removal		various		$	2,375		$	2,245
Income taxes, net		various		1,297			1,419
Postretirement benefits		various		54			—
Renewable energy grant		2043		47			49
Renewable energy plan		2028		13			9
ARO		various		—			11
Other		various		16			11
Total non-current regulatory liabilities				$	3,802		$	3,744
Total regulatory liabilities				$	3,948		$	3,895

1These 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.

2The MPSC has provided, or Consumers expects, a specific return on these regulatory assets.

3This regulatory asset is included in rate base, thereby providing a return.

4These 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: The energy waste reduction incentive mechanism provides a financial incentive if the energy savings of Consumers’ customers exceed annual targets established by the MPSC. Consumers accounts for this program as an alternative-revenue program that meets the criteria for recognizing revenue related to the incentive as soon as energy savings exceed the annual targets established by the MPSC.

In October 2021, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement authorizing Consumers to collect $42 million during 2022 as an incentive for exceeding its statutory savings targets in 2020. Consumers recognized incentive revenue under this program of $42 million in 2020.

Consumers also exceeded its statutory savings targets in 2021, achieved certain other goals, and will request the MPSC’s approval to collect $46 million, the maximum performance incentive, in the energy waste reduction reconciliation to be filed in May 2022. Consumers recognized incentive revenue under this program of $46 million in 2021.

Deferred Capital Spending: In 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 had 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.

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, prior service costs and credits, and settlements 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 settlements and the amortization periods, see Note 10, Retirement Benefits.

Costs of Coal-fueled Electric Generating Units to be Retired: In 2019, the MPSC approved the settlement agreement reached in Consumers’ 2018 IRP, under which Consumers plans to retire the D.E. Karn 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. In 2019, Consumers removed from total plant, property, and equipment an amount representing the projected 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.

In December 2020, 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 the two coal-fueled electric generating units upon their retirement. An intervenor appealed the order, contending that it should not have to pay the securitization surcharge. In November 2021, the Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed the MPSC’s determination that the intervenor must pay the securitization charge.

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.

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 4, Financings and Capitalization.

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.

Demand Response Program: In Consumers’ 2018 IRP and general rate cases, the MPSC has approved the recovery of demand response costs. Consumers annually files a reconciliation with the MPSC to review actual demand response costs against amounts approved.

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 income tax expense. The majority of the net regulatory liability recorded related to income taxes is associated with plant assets that are subject to normalization, which is governed by the Internal Revenue Code, and will be returned to customers 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. For additional details on deferred income taxes, see Note 12, Income Taxes.

Reserve for Customer Refunds: In December 2020, the MPSC issued an order authorizing Consumers to refund $28 million voluntarily to utility customers. In May 2021, the MPSC approved a filing submitted by Consumers that proposed the refund take the form of incremental spending in 2021 and 2022 above amounts included in rates on various programs, including electric service restoration and gas and electric technology expenses. If Consumers does not achieve the incremental spending, the remaining balance will be provided to electric or gas utility customers through a bill credit.

Voluntary Transmission Asset Sale Gain Share: In October 2020, Consumers completed a sale of the electric utility’s remaining transmission equipment to METC. In December 2020, Consumers filed an application with the MPSC requesting approval to share voluntarily half of the gain from the sale with electric utility customers through incremental service restoration spending in 2021; this application was approved by the MPSC in February 2021. As a result, the $14 million gain was recorded on Consumers’ consolidated balance sheets as a current regulatory liability at December 31, 2020 and was shared with customers in 2021.

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

2021 Electric Rate Case: In March 2021, Consumers filed an application with the MPSC seeking an annual rate increase of $225 million, based on a 10.5 percent authorized return on equity and a projected twelve-month period ending December 31, 2022. In July 2021, Consumers reduced its requested annual rate increase to $201 million. In December 2021, the MPSC approved an annual rate increase of $27 million, based on a 9.9 percent authorized return on equity. This increase reflects the net impact of the approved settlement agreement in Consumers’ electric depreciation rate case, which reduced annual depreciation expense by $27 million.

In its final order, the MPSC disallowed cost recovery for fleet assets and certain other categories of recently completed capital expenditures incurred by Consumers. As a result of this disallowance, Consumers recorded an impairment charge of $41 million within maintenance and other operating expenses on its consolidated statements of income for the year ended December 31, 2021. This charge includes an assessment of probable loss of $11 million on similar categories of gas utility capital expenditures that are pending recovery in Consumers’ 2021 gas rate case. Though Consumers plans to pursue full recovery of certain of these electric and gas capital expenditures, the position taken by the MPSC in this electric rate case provides significant uncertainty around whether Consumers will ultimately succeed.

In January 2022, Consumers filed a petition for rehearing requesting the MPSC reconsider its disallowance of $11 million in capital expenditures for which the MPSC had already approved recovery in a previous electric rate order; this amount was not included in the impairment charge based on Consumers’ assessment of the merits of the petition for rehearing. The order disallowed recovery of other categories of capital expenditures, requiring that Consumers provide additional cost/benefit analysis and other information in its next electric rate case to support cost recovery. Consumers has incurred approximately $23 million related to these programs as of December 31, 2021 and, for certain ongoing projects, expects to incur additional capital expenditures in 2022 and beyond. While Consumers intends to

support fully the prudency of such capital expenditures, it is reasonably possible that the MPSC will disallow some or all of these capital expenditures. An additional material disallowance of incurred capital costs could negatively affect CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ future results of operations. Consumers cannot predict the outcome of these proceedings.

Finally, the order disallowed various other categories of capital expenditures in the projected test year, primarily challenging the accuracy of Consumers’ projection of these expenditures through 2022. While these are presently excluded from rate base, Consumers believes it will be successful in recovering the actual capital expenditures incurred for these programs in future rate cases.

As a result of the order, in December 2021, Consumers committed to a plan to sell fleet assets with a fair value of $15 million. To reflect these held-for-sale assets at their fair value, less expected selling costs, Consumers recorded an additional impairment charge of $4 million within maintenance and other operating expenses on its consolidated statements of income for the year ended December 31, 2021.

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	2021			2020
Assets
GCR underrecoveries		$	25		$	—
Accounts receivable and accrued revenue		$	25		$	—
Liabilities
PSCR overrecoveries		$	12		$	5
GCR overrecoveries		—			15
Accrued rate refunds		$	12		$	20

PSCR Plans and Reconciliations: In October 2021, the MPSC issued an order in Consumers’ 2019 PSCR reconciliation, authorizing recovery of $1.9 billion of power costs and authorizing Consumers to reflect in its 2020 PSCR reconciliation the overrecovery of $18 million.

In April 2021, the MPSC issued an order in Consumers’ 2020 PSCR plan authorizing the 2020 PSCR charge that Consumers self-implemented beginning in January 2020. In March 2021, Consumers filed its 2020 PSCR reconciliation, requesting full recovery of $1.8 billion of power costs and authorization to reflect in its 2021 PSCR reconciliation the underrecovery of $4 million.

In January 2022, the MPSC issued an order in Consumers’ amended 2021 PSCR plan authorizing the 2021 PSCR charge that Consumers self-implemented beginning in January 2021.

GCR Plans and Reconciliations: In May 2021, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement in Consumers’ 2019-2020 GCR reconciliation, authorizing recovery of $0.5 billion of gas costs and authorizing Consumers to reflect in its 2020-2021 GCR reconciliation the overrecovery of $6 million.

In June 2021, Consumers filed its 2020-2021 GCR reconciliation, requesting full recovery of $0.4 billion of gas costs and authorization to reflect in its 2021-2022 GCR reconciliation the overrecovery of $1 million.

Consumers submitted its 2021-2022 GCR plan to the MPSC in December 2020 and self-implemented its proposed 2021-2022 GCR charge in April 2021. The MPSC approved a settlement agreement in this proceeding in September 2021, authorizing the GCR charge that Consumers had self-implemented.

Consumers Energy Company

Public Utilities, General Disclosures [Line Items]

Regulatory Matters

Regulatory Matters

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 MPSC’s authority to approve voluntary revenue refunds, 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		2021			2020
Regulatory assets
Current
Energy waste reduction plan incentive1		2022		$	42		$	34
Deferred capital spending2		2021		—			6
Other		2022		4			2
Total current regulatory assets				$	46		$	42
Non-current
Postretirement benefits3		various		$	837		$	1,231
Costs of coal-fueled electric generating units to be retired2		various		678			678
ARO4		various		247			216
Securitized costs2		2029		193			221
MGP sites4		various		112			120
Unamortized loss on reacquired debt4		various		104			108
Energy waste reduction plan incentive1		2023		46			42
Energy waste reduction plan4		various		13			16
Demand response program4		various		10			10
Other		various		19			11
Total non-current regulatory assets				$	2,259		$	2,653
Total regulatory assets				$	2,305		$	2,695
Regulatory liabilities
Current
Income taxes, net		2022		$	138		$	105
Reserve for customer refunds		2022		2			28
Voluntary transmission asset sale gain share		2021		—			14
Other		2022		6			4
Total current regulatory liabilities				$	146		$	151
Non-current
Cost of removal		various		$	2,375		$	2,245
Income taxes, net		various		1,297			1,419
Postretirement benefits		various		54			—
Renewable energy grant		2043		47			49
Renewable energy plan		2028		13			9
ARO		various		—			11
Other		various		16			11
Total non-current regulatory liabilities				$	3,802		$	3,744
Total regulatory liabilities				$	3,948		$	3,895

1These 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.

2The MPSC has provided, or Consumers expects, a specific return on these regulatory assets.

3This regulatory asset is included in rate base, thereby providing a return.

4These 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: The energy waste reduction incentive mechanism provides a financial incentive if the energy savings of Consumers’ customers exceed annual targets established by the MPSC. Consumers accounts for this program as an alternative-revenue program that meets the criteria for recognizing revenue related to the incentive as soon as energy savings exceed the annual targets established by the MPSC.

In October 2021, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement authorizing Consumers to collect $42 million during 2022 as an incentive for exceeding its statutory savings targets in 2020. Consumers recognized incentive revenue under this program of $42 million in 2020.

Consumers also exceeded its statutory savings targets in 2021, achieved certain other goals, and will request the MPSC’s approval to collect $46 million, the maximum performance incentive, in the energy waste reduction reconciliation to be filed in May 2022. Consumers recognized incentive revenue under this program of $46 million in 2021.

Deferred Capital Spending: In 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 had 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.

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, prior service costs and credits, and settlements 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 settlements and the amortization periods, see Note 10, Retirement Benefits.

Costs of Coal-fueled Electric Generating Units to be Retired: In 2019, the MPSC approved the settlement agreement reached in Consumers’ 2018 IRP, under which Consumers plans to retire the D.E. Karn 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. In 2019, Consumers removed from total plant, property, and equipment an amount representing the projected 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.

In December 2020, 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 the two coal-fueled electric generating units upon their retirement. An intervenor appealed the order, contending that it should not have to pay the securitization surcharge. In November 2021, the Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed the MPSC’s determination that the intervenor must pay the securitization charge.

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.

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 4, Financings and Capitalization.

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.

Demand Response Program: In Consumers’ 2018 IRP and general rate cases, the MPSC has approved the recovery of demand response costs. Consumers annually files a reconciliation with the MPSC to review actual demand response costs against amounts approved.

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 income tax expense. The majority of the net regulatory liability recorded related to income taxes is associated with plant assets that are subject to normalization, which is governed by the Internal Revenue Code, and will be returned to customers 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. For additional details on deferred income taxes, see Note 12, Income Taxes.

Reserve for Customer Refunds: In December 2020, the MPSC issued an order authorizing Consumers to refund $28 million voluntarily to utility customers. In May 2021, the MPSC approved a filing submitted by Consumers that proposed the refund take the form of incremental spending in 2021 and 2022 above amounts included in rates on various programs, including electric service restoration and gas and electric technology expenses. If Consumers does not achieve the incremental spending, the remaining balance will be provided to electric or gas utility customers through a bill credit.

Voluntary Transmission Asset Sale Gain Share: In October 2020, Consumers completed a sale of the electric utility’s remaining transmission equipment to METC. In December 2020, Consumers filed an application with the MPSC requesting approval to share voluntarily half of the gain from the sale with electric utility customers through incremental service restoration spending in 2021; this application was approved by the MPSC in February 2021. As a result, the $14 million gain was recorded on Consumers’ consolidated balance sheets as a current regulatory liability at December 31, 2020 and was shared with customers in 2021.

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

2021 Electric Rate Case: In March 2021, Consumers filed an application with the MPSC seeking an annual rate increase of $225 million, based on a 10.5 percent authorized return on equity and a projected twelve-month period ending December 31, 2022. In July 2021, Consumers reduced its requested annual rate increase to $201 million. In December 2021, the MPSC approved an annual rate increase of $27 million, based on a 9.9 percent authorized return on equity. This increase reflects the net impact of the approved settlement agreement in Consumers’ electric depreciation rate case, which reduced annual depreciation expense by $27 million.

In its final order, the MPSC disallowed cost recovery for fleet assets and certain other categories of recently completed capital expenditures incurred by Consumers. As a result of this disallowance, Consumers recorded an impairment charge of $41 million within maintenance and other operating expenses on its consolidated statements of income for the year ended December 31, 2021. This charge includes an assessment of probable loss of $11 million on similar categories of gas utility capital expenditures that are pending recovery in Consumers’ 2021 gas rate case. Though Consumers plans to pursue full recovery of certain of these electric and gas capital expenditures, the position taken by the MPSC in this electric rate case provides significant uncertainty around whether Consumers will ultimately succeed.

In January 2022, Consumers filed a petition for rehearing requesting the MPSC reconsider its disallowance of $11 million in capital expenditures for which the MPSC had already approved recovery in a previous electric rate order; this amount was not included in the impairment charge based on Consumers’ assessment of the merits of the petition for rehearing. The order disallowed recovery of other categories of capital expenditures, requiring that Consumers provide additional cost/benefit analysis and other information in its next electric rate case to support cost recovery. Consumers has incurred approximately $23 million related to these programs as of December 31, 2021 and, for certain ongoing projects, expects to incur additional capital expenditures in 2022 and beyond. While Consumers intends to

support fully the prudency of such capital expenditures, it is reasonably possible that the MPSC will disallow some or all of these capital expenditures. An additional material disallowance of incurred capital costs could negatively affect CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ future results of operations. Consumers cannot predict the outcome of these proceedings.

Finally, the order disallowed various other categories of capital expenditures in the projected test year, primarily challenging the accuracy of Consumers’ projection of these expenditures through 2022. While these are presently excluded from rate base, Consumers believes it will be successful in recovering the actual capital expenditures incurred for these programs in future rate cases.

As a result of the order, in December 2021, Consumers committed to a plan to sell fleet assets with a fair value of $15 million. To reflect these held-for-sale assets at their fair value, less expected selling costs, Consumers recorded an additional impairment charge of $4 million within maintenance and other operating expenses on its consolidated statements of income for the year ended December 31, 2021.

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	2021			2020
Assets
GCR underrecoveries		$	25		$	—
Accounts receivable and accrued revenue		$	25		$	—
Liabilities
PSCR overrecoveries		$	12		$	5
GCR overrecoveries		—			15
Accrued rate refunds		$	12		$	20

PSCR Plans and Reconciliations: In October 2021, the MPSC issued an order in Consumers’ 2019 PSCR reconciliation, authorizing recovery of $1.9 billion of power costs and authorizing Consumers to reflect in its 2020 PSCR reconciliation the overrecovery of $18 million.

In April 2021, the MPSC issued an order in Consumers’ 2020 PSCR plan authorizing the 2020 PSCR charge that Consumers self-implemented beginning in January 2020. In March 2021, Consumers filed its 2020 PSCR reconciliation, requesting full recovery of $1.8 billion of power costs and authorization to reflect in its 2021 PSCR reconciliation the underrecovery of $4 million.

In January 2022, the MPSC issued an order in Consumers’ amended 2021 PSCR plan authorizing the 2021 PSCR charge that Consumers self-implemented beginning in January 2021.

GCR Plans and Reconciliations: In May 2021, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement in Consumers’ 2019-2020 GCR reconciliation, authorizing recovery of $0.5 billion of gas costs and authorizing Consumers to reflect in its 2020-2021 GCR reconciliation the overrecovery of $6 million.

In June 2021, Consumers filed its 2020-2021 GCR reconciliation, requesting full recovery of $0.4 billion of gas costs and authorization to reflect in its 2021-2022 GCR reconciliation the overrecovery of $1 million.

Consumers submitted its 2021-2022 GCR plan to the MPSC in December 2020 and self-implemented its proposed 2021-2022 GCR charge in April 2021. The MPSC approved a settlement agreement in this proceeding in September 2021, authorizing the GCR charge that Consumers had self-implemented.