SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

GENERAL

GENERAL - SJI provides a variety of energy-related products and services primarily through the following wholly-owned subsidiaries:

▪SJIU is a holding company that owns SJG and ETG and, until its sale, owned ELK.

•SJG is a regulated natural gas utility which distributes natural gas in the seven southernmost counties of New Jersey.

•ETG is a regulated natural gas utility which distributes natural gas in seven counties in northern and central New Jersey.

•ELK is a regulated natural gas utility which distributes natural gas in northern Maryland. On July 31, 2020, SJI sold ELK to a third-party buyer (see "Sale of ELK" below).

▪SJE acquires and markets electricity to retail end users.

▪SJRG markets natural gas storage, commodity and transportation assets along with fuel management services on a wholesale basis in the mid-Atlantic, Appalachian and southern states.

▪SJEX owns oil, gas and mineral rights in the Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania.

▪Marina, which makes up SJI's Renewables operating segment, develops and operates on-site energy-related projects. Marina includes the Catamaran joint venture that was entered into in August 2020, which owns Annadale, an operator of fuel cell projects in New York. Marina owns 93% of Annadale, and we record the remaining ownership percentage as noncontrolling interest in the condensed consolidated financial statements. Previously, Marina also included MTF and ACB, which were sold to a third-party buyer in February 2020 (see "Sale of MTF & ACB" below), and a solar project that was sold in March 2020 (see "Sale of Solar Assets" below). The principal wholly-owned subsidiaries of Marina are:

•ACLE, BCLE, SCLE and SXLE, which own and operate landfill gas-to-energy production facilities in Atlantic, Burlington, Salem and Sussex Counties, respectively, located in New Jersey. On June 1, 2020, the BCLE, SCLE, and SXLE landfill gas-to-energy production facilities ceased operations after receiving approval from their respective local governmental authorities to do so.

•Entities which own and operate rooftop solar generation sites acquired in the second half of 2020, located in New Jersey.

▪SJESP receives commissions on appliance service contracts from a third party.

▪Midstream invests in infrastructure and other midstream projects, including PennEast. See Note 3.

▪SJEI provides energy procurement and cost reduction services. The significant wholly-owned subsidiaries of SJEI include:

•AEP, an aggregator, broker and consultant in the retail energy markets that matches end users with suppliers for the procurement of natural gas and electricity.

•EnerConnex, an aggregator, broker and consultant in the retail and wholesale energy markets that matches end users with suppliers for the procurement of natural gas and electricity. On August 7, 2020, SJEI acquired the remaining 75% of EnerConnex, of which SJEI previously held a 25% interest.

•SJI Renewable Energy Ventures, LLC and SJI RNG Devco, LLC, which hold our equity interest in REV and our renewable natural gas development rights in certain dairy farms, respectively.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

BASIS OF PRESENTATION - SJI's condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of SJI, its direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries (including SJG) and subsidiaries in which SJI has a controlling interest. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. In management’s opinion, the condensed consolidated financial statements of SJI and SJG reflect all normal recurring adjustments needed to fairly present their respective financial positions, operating results and cash flows at the dates and for the periods presented. SJI’s and SJG's businesses are subject to seasonal fluctuations and, accordingly, this interim financial information should not be the basis for estimating the full year’s operating results.

As permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of SJI and SJG contain certain condensed financial information and exclude certain footnote disclosures normally included in annual audited consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with SJI’s and SJG's Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. There were no significant changes in or changes in the application of the Company’s significant or critical accounting policies or estimation procedures for the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared with the significant accounting policies described in the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020, except for the identification of our segments as discussed in Note 6.

Certain prior years' data presented in the financial statements and footnotes have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications had no impact on the Company's results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

ESTIMATES AND ASSUMPTIONS

ESTIMATES AND ASSUMPTIONS - The condensed consolidated financial statements were prepared to conform with GAAP, which requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. Therefore, actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant estimates include amounts related to regulatory accounting, energy derivatives, environmental remediation costs, legal contingencies, pension and other postretirement benefit costs, revenue recognition, goodwill, evaluation of equity method investments for other-than-temporary impairment, and allowance for credit losses. Estimates may be subject to future uncertainties, including the continued evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our operations and economic conditions, which could affect the fair value of the ETG reporting unit and its goodwill balance (see Note 17), as well as the allowance for credit losses and the total impact and potential recovery of incremental costs associated with COVID-19 (see Notes 5 and 8).

IMPAIRMENT OF LONG LIVED ASSETS

IMPAIRMENT OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS - See Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements under "Impairment of Long-Lived Assets" in Item 8 of the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 for additional information regarding the Company's policy on impairments of long-lived assets.

REGULATION

REGULATION - The Utilities are subject to the rules and regulations of the BPU. See Note 7 for a discussion of the Utilities' rate structure and regulatory actions. The Utilities maintain their accounts according to the BPU's prescribed Uniform System of Accounts. The Utilities follow the accounting for regulated enterprises prescribed by ASC 980, Regulated Operations, which allows for the deferral of certain costs (regulatory assets) and creation of certain obligations (regulatory liabilities) when it is probable that such items will be recovered from or refunded to customers in future periods.

OPERATING REVENUES

OPERATING REVENUES - Gas and electric revenues are recognized in the period the commodity is delivered to customers. For retail customers (including SJG) that are not billed at the end of the month, we record an estimate to recognize unbilled revenues for gas and electricity delivered from the date of the last meter reading to the end of the month. The Utilities also have revenues that arise from alternative revenue programs, which are discussed in Note 15. For ETG and SJG, unrealized gains and losses on energy-related derivative instruments are recorded in Regulatory Assets or Regulatory Liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheets of SJI and SJG (see Note 12) until they become realized, in which case they are recognized in operating revenues. SJRG's gas revenues are recognized in the period the commodity is delivered, and operating revenues for SJRG include realized and unrealized gains and losses on energy-related derivative instruments. SJRG presents revenues and expenses related to its energy trading activities on a net basis in operating revenues. This net presentation has no effect on operating income or net income. The Company recognizes revenues on commissions received related to SJESP appliance service contracts from a third party, along with AEP and EnerConnex energy procurement service contracts from a third party, on a monthly basis as the commissions are earned. Marina recognizes revenue for renewable energy projects when output is generated and delivered to the customer, and when renewable energy credits have been transferred to the third party at an agreed upon price.

SJI and SJG have not seen a significant reduction in revenues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is due to the delivery of gas and electricity being considered an essential service, with delivery to customers continuing in a timely manner with no delays or operational shutdowns taking place to date. To the extent that the pandemic does impact our ability to deliver in the future, operating revenues could be impacted. Currently, the impact of the pandemic on the collectability of our accounts receivable continues to be monitored, but such receivables have traditionally been included in rate recovery (see Note 8).

INCOME TAXES

INCOME TAXES - Deferred income taxes are provided for all significant temporary differences between the book and taxable bases of assets and liabilities in accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes. Certain deferred income taxes are recorded with offsetting regulatory assets or liabilities by the Company to recognize that income taxes will be recovered or refunded through future rates. A valuation allowance is recorded when it is more likely than not that any of SJI's or SJG's deferred tax assets will not be realized.

NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS - Other than as described below, no new accounting pronouncement had, or is expected to have, a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements of SJI, or the condensed financial statements of SJG.

Recently Adopted Standards:

Standard	Description	Date of Adoption	Application	Effect on the Financial Statements of SJI and SJG
ASU 2019-12: Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes	This ASU removes exceptions related to the incremental approach for intraperiod tax allocation, the requirement to recognize a deferred tax liability for changes in ownership of a foreign subsidiary or equity method investment, and the general methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period when the year-to-date loss exceeds the anticipated loss. The guidance also adds requirements to reflect changes to tax laws or rates in the annual effective tax rate computation in the interim period in which the changes were enacted, to recognize franchise or other similar taxes that are partially based on income as an income-based tax and any incremental amounts as non-income-based tax, and to evaluate when a step up in the tax basis of goodwill should be considered part of the business combination in which the book goodwill was originally recognized and when it should be considered a separate transaction.	January 1, 2021	Modified retrospective for amendments related to changes in ownership of a foreign subsidiary or equity method investment; Modified retrospective or retrospective for amendments related to taxes partially based on income; Prospective for all other amendments	Adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the financial statement results of SJI or SJG.
ASU 2020-01: Clarifying the Interactions between Topic 321 (Investments - Equity Securities), Topic 323 (Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures), and Topic 815 (Derivatives and Hedging)	The amendments in this ASU clarify that an entity should consider observable transactions that require it to either apply or discontinue the equity method of accounting for the purposes of applying the measurement alternative in accordance with Topic 321 immediately before applying or upon discontinuing the equity method. The amendments in this ASU also clarify that for the purposes of applying Topic 815, an entity should not consider whether, upon the settlement of a forward contract or exercise of a purchased option, individually or with existing investments, the underlying securities would be accounted for under the equity method in Topic 323 or the fair value option in accordance with the financial instruments guidance in Topic 825.	January 1, 2021	Prospective	Adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the financial statement results of SJI or SJG.

Standards Not Yet Effective:

Standard	Description	Date of Adoption	Application	Effect on the Financial Statements of SJI and SJG
ASU 2020-04: Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) - Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting ASU 2021-01: Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848)	The amendments in ASU 2020-04 provide various optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions affected by reference rate reform if certain criteria are met. The amendments apply only to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform. The expedients and exceptions provided by the amendments do not apply to contract modifications made and hedging relationships entered into or evaluated after December 31, 2022, except for hedging relationships existing as of December 31, 2022, that an entity has elected certain optional expedients for and that are retained through the end of the hedging relationship. The amendments in ASU 2021-01 clarify that certain optional expedients and exceptions in Topic 848 for contract modifications and hedge accounting apply to changes in the interest rates used for margining, discounting, or contract price alignment for derivative instruments that are being implemented as part of the market-wide transition to new reference rates (commonly referred to as the "discounting transition").	March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022 An entity may elect to apply the amendments for contract modifications by Topic or Industry Subtopic as of any date from the beginning of an interim period that includes or is subsequent to March 12, 2020, or prospectively from a date within an interim period that includes or is subsequent to March 12, 2020, up to the date that the financial statements are available to be issued.	Prospective for contract modifications and hedging relationships. Once elected for a Topic or an Industry Subtopic, the amendments in this Update must be applied prospectively for all eligible contract modifications for that Topic or Industry Subtopic.	Management is currently determining the impact that adoption of this guidance will have on the financial statements of SJI and SJG, including forming an implementation team that is evaluating the impact of the guidance on our current contracts. Management is also evaluating timing of adoption.

ASU 2020-06: Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity's Own Equity The amendments in this ASU simplify the accounting for convertible instruments by removing certain separation models in Subtopic 470-20. Under the amendments, embedded conversion features are no longer separated from the host contract for convertible instruments with conversion features that are not required to be accounted for as derivatives under Topic 815, or that do not result in substantial premiums accounted for as paid-in capital. Consequently, a convertible debt instrument will be accounted for as a single liability measured at its amortized cost and a convertible preferred stock will be accounted for as a single equity instrument measured at its historical cost, as long as no other features require bifurcation and recognition as derivatives. The amendments also add new convertible instrument disclosure requirements. Additionally, the amendments in this ASU remove certain conditions from the settlement guidance within the derivative scope exception guidance contained in Subtopic 815-40 and further clarify the derivative scope exception guidance. Finally, the amendments in this ASU align the diluted EPS calculation for convertible instruments by requiring that an entity use the if-converted method instead of the treasury stock method when calculated diluted EPS for convertible instruments. January 1, 2022; early adoption permitted, but not before January 1, 2021. Retrospective or Modified Retrospective Management is currently determining the impact that adoption of this guidance will have on the financial statements of SJI and SJG

FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL ASSETS AND FINANCIAL LIABILITIES

GAAP establishes a hierarchy that prioritizes fair value measurements based on the types of inputs used for the various valuation techniques. The levels of the hierarchy are described below:

•Level 1:  Observable inputs, such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

•Level 2:  Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly; these include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets and quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active.

•Level 3:  Unobservable inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions.

Assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment and may affect the valuation of financial assets and financial liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy.