Equity Method Investments

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]

Equity Method Investments

Note 22 — Equity Method Investments

Our equity method investments, which are included within “Other assets” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, primarily comprises PennEast, Pennant and Pine Run.

PennEast. UGI PennEast, LLC and four other members comprising wholly owned subsidiaries of Southern Company, New Jersey Resources, South Jersey Industries, and Enbridge, Inc., each hold a 20% membership interest in PennEast. PennEast was formed to construct an approximate 120-mile natural gas pipeline from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania to the Trenton-Woodbury interconnection in New Jersey. PennEast is accounted for as an equity method investment as we have the ability to exercise significant influence, but not control, over PennEast. In September 2019, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that New Jersey’s Eleventh Amendment immunity barred PennEast from bringing an eminent domain lawsuit in federal court, under the Natural Gas Act, against New Jersey or its agencies. On February 3, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an order granting PennEast’s petition for a writ of certiorari and the case was argued on April 28, 2021. On June 29, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of PennEast, overturning the Third Circuit’s decision that blocked PennEast from exercising federal eminent domain authority over lands in which a state has property rights interests.

Following the favorable Supreme Court decision, the partners of the PennEast project re-assessed the remaining legal and regulatory contingencies which needed to be resolved before construction could commence. Based on the significant remaining legal challenges and the expected further delays in obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals, which were preventing the commencement of construction and commercial operation of the project, the Company concluded that its investment in PennEast was impaired at June 30, 2021, and that such impairment was other-than-temporary. The estimated fair value of the Company’s investment in PennEast was measured using probability-weighted cash flows under an expected present value technique based on management's estimates and assumptions regarding the likelihood of certain outcomes (and the related timing) that would be used by market participants at the time. Based upon this analysis, the Company recognized an other-than-temporary pre-tax impairment charge of $93 in June 2021, which is recorded in “(Loss) income from equity investees” in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

On September 27, 2021, PennEast ceased further development of the proposed pipeline project. Following this announcement, the estimated fair value was assessed using the liquidation value of equipment held by PennEast and did not result in a significant change compared to June 30, 2021 and no further impairment loss was recognized. The estimated fair value of the Company’s investment in PennEast was determined to be a Level 2 measurement within the fair value hierarchy. The carrying value of our investment in PennEast at September 30, 2021 was not material.

Pennant. Energy Services holds a 47% membership interest in Pennant, a natural gas gathering system located in northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Pennant is accounted for as an equity method investment as we have the ability to exercise significant influence, but not control, over Pennant. The carrying value of our investment in Pennant at September 30, 2021 and 2020 was $93 and $94, respectively.

Pine Run. In February 2021, Pine Run, a company jointly owned by Stonehenge and UGI Pine Run, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Services, completed the acquisition of Pine Run Midstream, LLC from an affiliate of PennEnergy and minority partners for a preliminary purchase price of $205. Pine Run Midstream, LLC operates 43 miles of dry gas gathering pipeline and compression assets in Butler and Armstrong counties in western Pennsylvania. Pine Run is accounted for as an equity method investment as we have the ability to exercise significant influence, but not control, over the entity. The carrying value of our investment in Pine Run at September 30, 2021 was $60.