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Regulatory Assets and Liabilities
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Regulated Operations [Abstract]  
REGULATORY ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
REGULATORY ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
The Company has recorded regulatory assets and liabilities (in millions) that it expects to pass through to its customers in accordance with, and subject to, regulatory provisions as follows:
December 31,
2016
 
2015
 
Recovery/Refund Period
REGULATORY ASSETS
 
 
 
Current regulatory assets:
 
 
 
 
 
Brazil tariff recoveries: (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Energy purchases/sales
$
319

 
$
349

 
Annually as part of the tariff adjustment
Transmission costs, regulatory fees and other
139

 
212

 
Annually as part of the tariff adjustment
El Salvador tariff recoveries (1)
54

 
43

 
Quarterly as part of the tariff adjustment
Other
34

 
23

 
Various
Total current regulatory assets
546

 
627

 
 
Noncurrent regulatory assets:
 
 
 
 
 
IPL and DPL defined benefit pension obligations
316

 
227

 
Various
DPL and IPL income taxes recoverable from customers
87

 
36

 
Various
Brazil tariff recoveries: (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Energy purchases/sales
63

 
132

 
Annually as part of the tariff adjustment
Transmission costs, regulatory fees and other
18

 
124

 
Annually as part of the tariff adjustment
IPL deferred Midwest ISO costs (1)
114

 
129

 
10 years
Other
143

 
239

 
Various
Total noncurrent regulatory assets
741

 
887

 
 
TOTAL REGULATORY ASSETS
$
1,287

 
$
1,514

 
 
REGULATORY LIABILITIES
 
 
 
 
 
Current regulatory liabilities:
 
 
 
 
 
Brazil efficiency program costs
$
36

 
$
9

 
Annually as part of the tariff adjustment
Brazil tariff refunds:
 
 
 
 
 
Energy purchases/sales
211

 
105

 
Annually as part of the tariff adjustment
Transmission costs, regulatory fees and other
249

 
235

 
Annually as part of the tariff adjustment
Other
42

 
59

 
Various
Total current regulatory liabilities
538

 
408

 
 
Noncurrent regulatory liabilities:
 
 
 
 
 
IPL and DPL asset retirement obligations
795

 
759

 
Over life of assets
Brazil special obligations
362

 
313

 
To be determined
Brazil efficiency program costs
24

 
14

 
Annually as part of the tariff adjustment
Brazil tariff refunds:
 
 
 
 
 
Energy purchases/sales
7

 
30

 
Annually as part of the tariff adjustment
Transmission costs, regulatory fees and other
170

 
86

 
Annually as part of the tariff adjustment
Other
5

 
7

 
Various
Total noncurrent regulatory liabilities
1,363

 
1,209

 
 
TOTAL REGULATORY LIABILITIES
$
1,901

 
$
1,617

 
 
_____________________________
(1) 
Past expenditures on which the Company does not earn a rate of return.
Our regulatory assets primarily consist of costs that are generally non-controllable, such as purchased electricity, energy transmission, the difference between actual fuel costs and the fuel costs recovered in the tariffs, and other sector costs. These costs are recoverable or refundable as defined by the laws and regulations in our various markets. Our regulatory assets also include defined pension and postretirement benefit obligations equal to the previously unrecognized actuarial gains and losses and prior services costs that are expected to be recovered through future rates. Other current and noncurrent regulatory assets primarily consist of:
Unamortized carrying charges, certain environmental costs, and demand charges at IPL and DPL.
Unamortized premiums reacquired or redeemed on long term debt at IPL and DPL, which are amortized over the lives of the original issuances.
Unrecovered fuel and purchased power costs at IPL and DPL.
Other current regulatory assets that did not earn a rate of return were $34 million and $8 million, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Other noncurrent regulatory assets that did not earn a rate of return were $138 million and $237 million, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
Our regulatory liabilities primarily consist of obligations for removal costs which do not have an associated legal retirement obligation, as well as obligations established by ANEEL in Brazil associated with electric utility concessions and represent amounts received from customers or donations not subject to return. These donations are allocated to support energy network expansion and to improve utility operations to meet customers' needs. The term of the obligation is established by ANEEL and settlement will occur when the electric utility concessions end.
Other current and noncurrent regulatory liabilities primarily consist of amounts related to rider over collection at DPL and liabilities owed to electricity generators due to variance in energy prices during rationing periods known as "Free Energy" at Eletropaulo. Our Brazilian subsidiaries are authorized to refund this cost associated with monthly energy price variances between the wholesale energy market prices owed to the power generation plants producing Free Energy and the capped price reimbursed by the local distribution companies which are passed through to the final customers through energy tariffs.
In the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets the current regulatory assets and liabilities are recorded in Other current assets and Accrued and other liabilities, respectively, and the noncurrent regulatory assets and liabilities are recorded in Other noncurrent assets and Other noncurrent liabilities, respectively. The following table summarizes regulatory assets and liabilities by reportable segment in millions as of the periods indicated:
 
December 31, 2016
 
December 31, 2015
 
Regulatory Assets
 
Regulatory Liabilities
 
Regulatory Assets
 
Regulatory Liabilities
Brazil SBU
$
544

 
$
1,059

 
$
821

 
$
798

US SBU
689

 
842

 
650

 
819

MCAC SBU
54

 

 
43

 

Total
$
1,287

 
$
1,901

 
$
1,514

 
$
1,617