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Rate and Other Regulatory Matters (Schedule of Regulatory Assets) (Detail) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
Sep. 30, 2022
Dec. 31, 2021
Regulatory Assets    
Regulatory assets, current $ 619 $ 361
Regulatory assets, noncurrent 3,283 3,323
Total regulatory assets 3,902 3,684
NND Project Costs [Member]    
Regulatory Assets    
Regulatory assets, current [1] 138 138
Regulatory assets, noncurrent [1] 2,122 2,226
Deferred Employee Benefit Plan Costs [Member]    
Regulatory Assets    
Regulatory assets, current [2] 4 8
Regulatory assets, noncurrent [2] 108 106
Other Unrecovered Plant [Member]    
Regulatory Assets    
Regulatory assets, current [3] 17 16
Regulatory assets, noncurrent [4] 60 57
Demand Side Management Programs [Member]    
Regulatory Assets    
Regulatory assets, current [5] 21 23
Regulatory assets, noncurrent [5] 40 45
Other Regulatory Assets [Member]    
Regulatory Assets    
Regulatory assets, current 50 50
Regulatory assets, noncurrent [6] 133 138
Cost of Fuel and Purchased Gas Under-Collections [Member]    
Regulatory Assets    
Regulatory assets, current [7] 389 126
Asset Retirement Obligation Costs [Member]    
Regulatory Assets    
Regulatory assets, noncurrent [8] 391 311
Deferred Losses On Interest Rate Derivatives [Member]    
Regulatory Assets    
Regulatory assets, noncurrent [9] 277 295
Environmental Remediation Costs [Member]    
Regulatory Assets    
Regulatory assets, noncurrent [10] 37 30
Deferred Storm Damage Costs [Member]    
Regulatory Assets    
Regulatory assets, noncurrent [11] 39 38
Deferred Transmission Operating Costs [Member]    
Regulatory Assets    
Regulatory assets, noncurrent [12] $ 76 $ 77
[1] Reflects expenditures associated with the NND Project, which pursuant to the SCANA Merger Approval Order, will be recovered from electric service customers over a 20-year period ending in 2039. See Note 12 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in DESC’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 for additional information.
[2] Employee benefit plan costs have historically been recovered as they have been recorded under GAAP. Deferred employee benefit plan costs represent amounts of pension and other postretirement benefit costs which were accrued as liabilities and treated as regulatory assets pursuant to FERC guidance, and costs deferred pursuant to specific South Carolina Commission regulatory orders. DESC expects to recover deferred pension costs through utility rates over periods through 2044. DESC expects to recover other deferred benefit costs through utility rates, primarily over average service periods of participating employees up to 11 years.
[3] Represents the carrying value of coal-fired generating units, including related materials and supplies inventory, retired from service prior to being fully depreciated. DESC is amortizing these amounts through cost of service rates following deprecation amounts that were designed to recover the retired units’ cost over their previous estimated remaining useful lives, which has been estimated to be through 2025. Based on current projections of remaining decommissioning costs, projected recovery is expected to extend to 2029. In addition, amounts include unrecovered costs of existing meters and equipment retired from service prior to being fully depreciated as part of the Advance Metering Infrastructure project, which are being recovered through rates through 2028.
[4] Represents the carrying value of coal-fired generating units, including related materials and supplies inventory, retired from service prior to being fully depreciated. DESC is amortizing these amounts through cost of service rates following deprecation amounts that were designed to recover the retired units’ cost over their previous estimated remaining useful lives, which has been estimated to be through 2025. Based on current projections of remaining decommissioning costs, projected recovery is expected to extend to 2029. In addition, amounts include unrecovered costs of existing meters and equipment retired from service prior to being fully depreciated as part of the Advance Metering Infrastructure project, which are being recovered through rates through 2028. This amount also includes certain inventory and preliminary survey and investigation charges being amortized over five years related to the transition or conversion from coal to gas fired generation at facilities, such amounts having been reclassified from property, plant and equipment to noncurrent other unrecovered plant. Unamortized amounts are included in rate base and are earning a current return.  
[5] Represents deferred costs associated with electric demand reduction programs, and such deferred costs are currently being recovered over three years through an approved rate rider.
[6] Various other regulatory assets are expected to be recovered through rates over varying periods through 2047.
[7] Represents amounts under- or over-collected from customers pursuant to the cost of fuel and purchased gas components approved by the South Carolina Commission. Reflects a $66 million reduction recorded in the first quarter of 2022 from the application of a portion of the monetization of guarantee settlement previously reflected as regulatory liabilities associated with the approval of DESC’s cost of fuel proceedings.
[8] Represents deferred depreciation and accretion expense related to legal obligations associated with the future retirement of generation, transmission and distribution properties. The AROs primarily relate to DESC’s electric generating facilities, including Summer, and are expected to be recovered over the related property lives and periods of decommissioning which may range up to approximately 105 years
[9] Represents (i) the changes in fair value and payments made or received upon settlement of certain interest rate derivatives designated as cash flow hedges and (ii) the changes in fair value and payments made or received upon settlement of certain other interest rate derivatives not so designated. The amounts recorded with respect to (i) are expected to be amortized to interest expense over the lives of the underlying debt through 2043.The amounts recorded with respect to (ii) are expected to be similarly amortized to interest expense through 2065.
[10] Reflects amounts associated with the assessment and clean-up of sites currently or formerly owned by DESC. Such remediation costs are expected to be recovered over periods of up to 26 years. See Note 10 for additional information.
[11] Represents storm restoration costs which DESC expects to recover through customer rates over approximately 10 years pursuant to the settlement agreement approved in DESC’s retail electric base rate case. Unamortized amounts are included in rate base and are earning a current return.
[12] Includes deferred depreciation and property taxes associated with certain transmission assets which DESC expects to recover from customers through 2063, pursuant to the settlement agreement approved in DESC’s retail electric base rate case. Unamortized amounts are included in rate base and are earning a current return.