XML 118 R44.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.24.1.u1
Regulatory Matters (All Registrants)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Regulated Operations [Abstract]  
Regulatory Matters (All Registrants) Regulatory Matters (All Registrants)
As discussed in Note 3 — Regulatory Matters of the 2023 Form 10-K, the Registrants are involved in rate and regulatory proceedings at FERC and their state commissions. The following discusses developments in 2024 and updates to the 2023 Form 10-K.
Distribution Base Rate Case Proceedings
The following tables show the completed and pending distribution base rate case proceedings in 2024.
Completed Distribution Base Rate Case Proceedings
Registrant/JurisdictionFiling DateServiceRequested Revenue Requirement IncreaseApproved Revenue Requirement IncreaseApproved ROEApproval DateRate Effective Date
ComEd - IllinoisJanuary 17, 2023Electric$1,487 $501 8.905%
December 14, 2023(a)
January 1, 2024
$838 $810 8.905%
April 18, 2024(b)
May 1, 2024
April 21, 2023(c)
Electric$247 $259 8.91%November 30, 2023January 1, 2024
BGE - Maryland(d)
February 17, 2023Electric$313 $179 9.50%December 14, 2023January 1, 2024
Natural Gas$289 $229 9.45%
Pepco - Maryland(e)
October 26, 2020 (amended March 31, 2021)Electric$104 $52 9.55%June 28, 2021June 28, 2021
DPL - Maryland(f)
May 19, 2022Electric$38 $29 9.60%December 14, 2022January 1, 2023
DPL - DelawareDecember 15, 2022 (amended September 29, 2023)Electric$39 $28 9.60%April 18, 2024July 15, 2023
ACE - New Jersey(g)
February 15, 2023 (amended August 21, 2023)Electric$92 $45 9.60%November 17, 2023December 1, 2023
__________
(a)Reflects a four-year cumulative multi-year rate plan for January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2027. On December 14, 2023, the ICC approved year-over-year distribution revenue requirement increases in 2024-2027, with an amendatory order on January 10, 2024, of approximately $451 million effective January 1, 2024, $14 million effective January 1, 2025, $6 million effective January 1, 2026, and $30 million effective January 1, 2027, based on an ROE of 8.905%, an equity ratio of 50%, and year end 2022 rate base. The ICC rejected ComEd’s Grid Plan, requiring ComEd to file a revised Grid Plan by March 13, 2024, 90 days after the issuance of the December final order. The ICC also directed that the revised Grid Plan would be reviewed through further formal proceedings in that docket. On January 10, 2024, the ICC granted one portion of ComEd’s application for rehearing of the December 14, 2023 final order, and directed that a rehearing process extending no more than 150 days reconsider certain components of the revenue requirements for the test years (2024-2027), absent an approved Grid Plan. On January 10, 2024, ComEd also filed with the Illinois appellate court an appeal of various aspects of the ICC’s final order on which rehearing was denied, including the 8.905% ROE and 50% equity ratio and denial of any return on ComEd’s pension asset. On March 13, 2024, ComEd filed its revised Grid Plan (Refiled Grid Plan) with supporting testimony and schedules with the ICC. On March 15, 2024, ComEd filed a petition to adjust its MRP to authorize increased rates consistent with the Refiled Grid Plan.
(b)Reflects four-year cumulative increase to the revenue requirement approved on December 14, 2023 and amended on January 10, 2024 of $810 million for January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2027 resulting from the rehearing on certain components of the rate plan. On February 16, 2024, ComEd filed a revised revenue request for an $838 million increase in its 2024-2027 revenue requirements based on the ICC’s limited scope for rehearing which included the value of the 2023 forecasted year-end rate base. On April 18, 2024, the ICC issued an order on the rehearing filing which increased the revenue requirements previously approved by the ICC in its January 10, 2024, amendatory order by $150 million in 2024, $186 million in 2025, $221 million in 2026 and $253 million in 2027. ComEd anticipates that the revenue requirements determined during the rehearing process will be further adjusted upon approval of the Refiled Grid Plan and the pending petition to adjust rates.
(c)On November 30, 2023, the Delivery Reconciliation Amount for 2022 defined in Rider Delivery Service Pricing Reconciliation (Rider DSPR) was approved. The delivery reconciliation amount allows for the reconciliation of the revenue requirement in effect in the final years in which formula rates are determined and until such time as new rates are established under ComEd’s approved MRP. The 2023 filing reconciled the delivery service rates in effect in 2022 with the actual delivery service costs incurred in 2022. The reconciliation revenue requirement provides for a weighted average debt and equity return on distribution rate base of 6.48%, inclusive of an allowed ROE of 8.91%, reflecting the monthly yields on 30-year treasury bonds plus 580 basis points.
(d)Reflects a three-year cumulative multi-year plan for January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2026. The MDPSC awarded BGE electric revenue requirement increases of $41 million, $113 million, and $25 million in 2024, 2025, and 2026,
respectively, and natural gas revenue requirement increases of $126 million, $62 million, and $41 million in 2024, 2025, and 2026, respectively. Requested revenue requirement increases will be used to recover capital investments designed to increase the resilience of the electric and gas distribution systems and support Maryland's climate and regulatory initiatives. The MDPSC also approved a portion of the requested 2021 and 2022 reconciliation amounts, which will be recovered through separate electric and gas riders between March 2024 through February 2025. As such, the reconciliation amounts are not included in the approved revenue requirement increases. The 2021 reconciliation amounts are $13 million and $7 million for electric and gas, respectively, and the 2022 reconciliation amounts are $39 million and $15 million for electric and gas, respectively. In April 2024, BGE filed with the MDPSC its request for recovery of the 2023 reconciliation amounts of $79 million and $73 million for electric and gas, respectively, with supporting testimony and schedules.
(e)Reflects a three-year cumulative multi-year plan for April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2024. The MDPSC awarded Pepco electric incremental revenue requirement increases of $21 million, $16 million, and $15 million, before offsets, for the 12-month periods ending March 31, 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively. Pepco proposed to utilize certain tax benefits to fully offset the increase through 2023 and partially offset customer rate increases in 2024. However, the MDPSC only utilized the acceleration of refunds for certain tax benefits to fully offset the increases such that customer rates remain unchanged through March 31, 2022. On February 23, 2022, the MDPSC chose to offset 25% of the cumulative revenue requirement increase for the 12-month period ending March 31, 2023. In 2021, the MDPSC deferred a decision on whether to use certain tax benefits to offset the revenue requirement increases for the 12-month period ending March 31, 2024. In December 2022 Pepco proposed that tax benefits not be used to offset the revenue requirement increases for this period. On January 25, 2023, the MDPSC accepted Pepco’s recommendations not to use tax benefits to offset revenue requirement increases for the 12-month period ending March 31, 2024.
(f)Reflects a three-year cumulative multi-year plan for January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2025. The MDPSC awarded DPL electric incremental revenue requirement increases of $17 million, $6 million, and $6 million for 2023, 2024, and 2025, respectively.
(g)Requested and approved increases are before New Jersey sales and use tax. The NJBPU awarded ACE electric revenue requirement increases of $36 million and $9 million effective December 1, 2023 and February 1, 2024, respectively.
Pending Distribution Base Rate Case Proceedings
Registrant/JurisdictionFiling DateServiceRequested Revenue Requirement IncreaseRequested ROEExpected Approval Timing
ComEd - IllinoisMarch 15, 2024
Electric(a)
$670 8.905%December 2024
April 26, 2024
Electric(b)
$627 9.89%December 2024
PECO - PennsylvaniaMarch 28, 2024
Electric(c)
$464 10.95%Fourth quarter of 2024
Natural Gas$111 11.15%
Pepco - District of Columbia(d)
April 13, 2023 (amended February 27, 2024)Electric$186 10.50%Third quarter of 2024
Pepco - Maryland(e)
May 16, 2023 (amended February 23, 2024)Electric$186 10.50%Second quarter of 2024
__________
(a)On March 13, 2024, ComEd filed its Refiled Grid Plan with the ICC and on March 15, 2024, ComEd filed a petition to adjust its multi-year rate plan to be aligned with ComEd’s Refiled Grid Plan. The adjusted rate plan incorporates changes in the Refiled Grid Plan, which seeks a $670 million increase in revenue requirements over four years above those granted in the ICC’s January 10, 2024, amendatory order. The requested year-over-year increases are $302 million in 2024, $89 million in 2025, $136 million in 2026 and $143 million in 2027. A final order on both the Refiled Grid Plan and the adjusted rate plan petition is expected by December 2024 with new rates effective January 1, 2025.
(b)On April 26, 2024, ComEd filed its proposed Delivery Reconciliation Amount of $627 million under Rider DSPR which allows for the reconciliation of the revenue requirement in effect. The 2024 filing reconciles those rates with the actual delivery service costs incurred in 2023. Final order is expected by December 2024 and the reconciliation amount will adjust customer rates in 2025.
(c)PECO requested an annual electric revenue requirement increase of $464 million, which is partially offset by a one-time credit of $64 million in 2025.
(d)Reflects a three-year cumulative multi-year plan for January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2026 submitted to the DCPSC. Pepco requested total electric revenue requirement increases of $116 million, $35 million, and $35 million in 2024, 2025, and 2026, respectively. Requested revenue requirement increases will be used to recover capital investments designed to advance system-readiness and support the District of Columbia’s climate and clean energy goals.
(e)Reflects a three-year cumulative multi-year plan for April 1, 2024 through March 31, 2027 submitted to the MDPSC. Pepco requested total electric revenue requirement increases of $68 million, $53 million, and $51 million effective April 1, 2024, April 1, 2025, and April 1, 2026, respectively through its surrebuttal filing made on February 23, 2024. The plan contains a proposed nine-month extension period with a requested revenue requirement increase of $14 million effective April 1, 2027 through December 31, 2027. Requested revenue requirement increases will be used to recover capital investments designed to advance system-readiness and support Maryland's climate and clean energy goals. On August 7, 2023, the MDPSC issued an order approving a settlement agreement which allows Pepco to establish a revenue deferral mechanism to recover its full Commission-authorized year 1 increase between July 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025 and extend the procedural schedule to address intervenor resource constraints.
Transmission Formula Rates
The Utility Registrants' transmission rates are each established based on a FERC-approved formula. ComEd, BGE, Pepco, DPL, and ACE are required to file an annual update to the FERC-approved formula on or before May 15, and PECO is required to file on or before May 31, with the resulting rates effective on June 1 of the same year. The annual update for ComEd is based on prior year actual costs and current year projected capital additions (initial year revenue requirement). The update for ComEd also reconciles any differences between the revenue requirement in effect beginning June 1 of the prior year and actual costs incurred for that year (annual reconciliation). The annual update for BGE is based on prior year actual costs and current year projected capital additions, accumulated depreciation, depreciation and amortization expense, and accumulated deferred income taxes. The update for BGE also reconciles any differences between the actual costs and actual revenues for the calendar year (annual reconciliation).
For 2024, the following increases/(decreases) were included in ComEd's and BGE's electric transmission formula rate updates:
Registrant(a)
Initial Revenue Requirement IncreaseAnnual Reconciliation (Decrease)
Increase
Total Revenue Requirement Increase
Allowed Return on Rate Base(b)
Allowed ROE(c)
ComEd$32 $(12)$20 8.14 %11.50 %
BGE$42 $13 $53 (d)7.47 %10.50 %
__________
(a)All rates are effective June 1, 2024 - May 31, 2025, subject to review by interested parties pursuant to review protocols of ComEd's and BGE's tariffs.
(b)Represents the weighted average debt and equity return on transmission rate bases.
(c)The rate of return on common equity for ComEd and BGE includes a 50-basis-point incentive adder for being a member of a RTO.
(d)The increase in BGE's transmission revenue requirement includes a $2 million reduction related to a FERC-approved dedicated facilities charge to recover the costs of providing transmission service to specifically designated load by BGE.
Other State Regulatory Matters
Illinois Regulatory Matters
CEJA (Exelon and ComEd). On September 15, 2021, the Governor of Illinois signed into law CEJA. CEJA includes, among other features, (1) procurement of CMCs from qualifying nuclear-powered generating facilities, (2) a requirement to file a general rate case or a new four-year MRP no later than January 20, 2023 to establish rates effective after ComEd’s existing performance-based distribution formula rate sunsets, (3) requirements that ComEd and the ICC initiate and conduct various regulatory proceedings on subjects including ethics, spending, grid investments, and performance metrics.
ComEd Electric Distribution Rates
ComEd filed, and received approval for, its last performance-based electric distribution formula rate update under EIMA in 2022; those rates were in effect throughout 2023.
On February 3, 2022, the ICC approved a tariff that establishes the process under which ComEd reconciled its 2022 and will reconcile its 2023 rate year revenue requirements with actual costs. Those reconciliation amounts are determined using the same process used for prior reconciliations under the performance-based electric distribution formula rate. Using that process, for the rate years 2022 and 2023 ComEd will ultimately collect revenues from customers reflecting each year’s actual recoverable costs, year-end rate base, and a weighted average debt and equity return on distribution rate base, with the ROE component based on the annual average of the monthly yields of the 30-year U.S. Treasury bonds plus 580 basis points. In April 2023, ComEd filed its first petition with the ICC to reconcile its 2022 actual costs with the approved revenue requirement that was in effect in 2022; the final order was issued on November 30, 2023, for rates beginning January 2024. On April 26, 2024, ComEd filed with the ICC its 2023 actual costs with the approved revenue requirement that was in effect in 2023; the final order is expected by December 2024, for rates beginning January 2025.
Beginning in 2024, ComEd will recover from retail customers, subject to certain exceptions, the costs it incurs to provide electric delivery services either through its electric distribution rate or other recovery mechanisms authorized by CEJA. On January 17, 2023, ComEd filed a petition with the ICC seeking approval of a MRP for 2024-2027. The MRP supports a multi-year grid plan (Grid Plan), also filed on January 17, covering planned investments on the electric distribution system within ComEd’s service area through 2027. Costs incurred during each year of the MRP are subject to ICC review and the plan’s revenue requirement for each year will be reconciled with the actual costs that the ICC determines are prudently and reasonably incurred for that year. The reconciliation is subject to adjustment for certain costs, including a limitation on recovery of costs that are more than 105% of certain costs in the previously approved MRP revenue requirement, absent a modification of the rate plan itself. Thus, for example, the rate adjustments necessary to reconcile 2024 revenues to ComEd’s actual 2024 costs incurred would take effect in January 2026 after the ICC’s review during 2025. On May 22, 2023, direct testimony was filed by ICC staff and more than a dozen intervenors and intervenor groups. The testimonies addressed a wide variety of topics, including rate of return on equity, capital structure, grid planning, various distribution grid and information technology investments, and affordability and customer service. ComEd filed rebuttal testimony in June, which provided, among other things, defense of ComEd’s planned 2024-2027 capital investment and proposed cost of equity. ComEd also made voluntary adjustments and, per the ICC’s final beneficial electrification order requiring ComEd to recover beneficial electrification costs through the MRP, increased its total revenue requirement request from $1.472 billion to $1.545 billion. ComEd filed its reply brief on September 27, 2023, to adjust its total requested revenue requirement increase to $1.487 billion.
On December 14, 2023, the ICC issued a final order. The ICC rejected ComEd’s Grid Plan as non-compliant with certain requirements of CEJA, and required ComEd to file a revised Grid Plan by March 13, 2024, 90 days after the issuance of the final order. In the absence of an approved Grid Plan, the ICC set ComEd’s forecast revenue requirements for 2024-2027 based on ComEd's approved year-end 2022 rate base. This results in a total cumulative revenue requirement increase of $501 million, a $986 million total revenue reduction from the requested cumulative revenue requirement increase but remains subject to annual reconciliation in accordance with CEJA. The final order approved the process and formulas associated with the MRP reconciliation mechanisms. The ICC did not approve a previously proposed phase-in of the ICC's approved year-over-year revenue increases, and it also denied ComEd's ability to earn a return on its pension asset.
On December 22, 2023, ComEd filed an application for rehearing on several findings in the final order including the use of the 2022 year-end rate base to establish forecast revenue requirements for 2024-2027, ROE, pension asset return, and capital structure. On January 10, 2024, ComEd’s application for rehearing was denied on all issues except for the order’s use of the 2022 year-end rate base. On January 31, 2024, the ICC granted ComEd's motion seeking additional clarification on the scope on rehearing, generally accepting ComEd's proposal and confirming that the rehearing will determine if the forecasted year-end 2023 rate base should be used to set rates for 2024 through 2027 until a refiled Grid Plan is approved. A final rehearing order on that topic is statutorily required by early June 2024. On April 18, 2024, the ICC issued its final order on rehearing and approved increased revenue requirements for 2024-2027.

On January 10, 2024, ComEd also filed an appeal in the Illinois Appellate Court of the issues on which rehearing was denied, including but not limited to the allowed ROE and denial of a return on ComEd’s pension asset. There is no deadline by when the appellate court must rule. On March 7, 2024, the ICC adopted an interim order on scheduling, which confirmed that it intends to issue a final order on ComEd’s Refiled Grid Plan by the end of 2024 and that it will implement rates that will go into effect January 1, 2025, inclusive of a Grid Plan. On March 13, 2024, ComEd filed its Refiled Grid Plan with supporting testimony and schedules with the ICC. The Refiled Grid Plan is designed to meet or exceed every requirement identified by the ICC in its December order that
rejected ComEd’s initial Grid Plan. On March 15, 2024, ComEd filed a petition to adjust its MRP to authorize increased rates consistent with the Refiled Grid Plan. ComEd has completed and placed in service additional utility plant assets in 2023 and 2024 and will continue to complete and place in service additional utility plant assets prior to the approval of the new Grid Plan. There are still significant unknowns, but ComEd does not currently believe that it is probable that the initially uncollected depreciation or return on the recently completed plant will ultimately be disallowed.
In January 2022, ComEd filed a request with the ICC proposing performance metrics that would be used in determining ROE incentives and penalties in the event ComEd filed a MRP in January 2023. On September 27, 2022, the ICC issued a final order approving seven performance metrics that provide symmetrical performance adjustments of 32 total basis points to ComEd’s rate of return on common equity based on the extent to which ComEd achieves the annual performance goals. On November 10, 2022, the ICC granted ComEd's application for rehearing, in part. On April 5, 2023, the ICC issued its final order on rehearing for the performance and tracking metrics proceeding, in which the ICC declined to adopt ComEd's proposed modifications to the reliability and peak load reduction performance metrics. Efforts are underway to implement the performance metrics, which took effect on January 1, 2024. ComEd will make its initial filing in 2025 to assess performance achieved under the metrics in 2024, and to determine any ROE adjustment, which would take effect in 2026.
Carbon Mitigation Credit
CEJA establishes decarbonization requirements for Illinois as well as programs to support the retention and development of emissions-free sources of electricity. ComEd is required to purchase CMCs from participating nuclear-powered generating facilities between June 1, 2022 and May 31, 2027. The price to be paid for each CMC was established through a competitive bidding process that included consumer-protection measures that capped the maximum acceptable bid amount and a formula that reduces CMC prices by an energy price index, the base residual auction capacity price in the ComEd zone of PJM, and the monetized value of any federal tax credit or other subsidy if applicable. The consumer protection measures contained in CEJA will result in net payments to ComEd ratepayers if the energy index, the capacity price and applicable federal tax credits or subsidy exceed the CMC contract price. In the June 2022 billing period, ComEd began issuing credits to its retail customers under its new CMC rider. A regulatory asset is recorded for the difference between customer credits issued and the credit to be received from the participating nuclear-powered generating facilities. The balance as of March 31, 2024 is $405 million.
Under CEJA, the costs of procuring CMCs, including carrying costs, are recovered through a rider, the Rider Carbon-Free Resource Adjustment (Rider CFRA). As originally approved by the ICC, Rider CFRA provides for an annual reconciliation and true-up to actual costs incurred or credits received by ComEd to purchase CMCs, with any difference to be credited to or collected from ComEd’s retail customers in subsequent periods. The difference between the net payments to (or receivables from) ComEd ratepayers and the credits received by ComEd to purchase CMCs is recorded to Purchased power expense with an offset to the regulatory asset (or regulatory liability). On December 21, 2022, ComEd filed an amendment to Rider CFRA proposing that it recover costs or provide credits faster than the tariff allows, implement monthly reconciliations, and allow ComEd to adjust Rider CFRA rates based not only on anticipated differences but also past payments or credits, and implement monthly reconciliations beginning the June 2023 delivery period. The ICC approved the proposal on January 19, 2023. In addition, on March 24, 2023, ComEd submitted revisions to Rider CFRA which clarified the methodology for calculating interest to be included in the annual reconciliation associated with the June 2022 through May 2023 delivery year. The ICC approved the proposal on April 20, 2023. On February 2, 2024, ComEd filed a petition with the ICC to initiate the reconciliation proceeding for the costs incurred in connection with the procurement of CMCs during the delivery year beginning June 1, 2022 and extending through May 31, 2023.
Beneficial Electrification Plan
On March 23, 2023, the ICC issued its final order approving the beneficial electrification plan for ComEd. The ICC rejected ComEd’s request to treat a large portion of beneficial electrification costs as a regulatory asset and ordered ComEd to seek cost recovery through the multi-year rate plan filing for 2024 and 2025, and the final formula rate reconciliation docket for 2023, rather than through a separate charge. The order also authorized an overall annual budget of $77 million per year for the three-year plan period (2023 through 2025), with flexibility to roll forward unused funds to future years within the same plan period. On April 18, 2023, ComEd filed an application for rehearing in the beneficial electrification plan docket. The Chicago Transit Authority and City of Chicago, jointly, and the Office of the Illinois Attorney General (ILAG) also filed applications for rehearing. On
April 27, 2023, ICC staff filed a motion for clarification, seeking clarification from the ICC on the precise budget described in the final order. On May 8, 2023, the ICC denied all applications for rehearing, and entered an amendatory order regarding the annual beneficial electrification plan budgets. ComEd has been directed to use good faith efforts to spend $77 million annually. ComEd subsequently filed its compliance filing in May 2023, detailing project related spending, clarifying the procedure that will be used to seek stakeholder feedback related to beneficial electrification pilot programs, and including the timeline for tariff changes required to implement the programs. ComEd and the ILAG both filed appeals of the ICC’s interim order that addressed the permissible scope of utility beneficial electrification programs outside of transportation and the rate impact cap. The ILAG also filed an appeal seeking reversal of portions of the ICC’s final decision. The final order partly mooted ComEd’s appeal of the interim order and ComEd has decided not to pursue the other issues. As such, ComEd moved to voluntarily dismiss its appeal and the appellate court granted that request. The ILAG consolidated their appeals and filed their opening brief on April 16, 2024. Any ruling on the appeals, even a negative ruling removing programs from the BE Plan or lowering the overall budget of the BE Plan, will only impact forward-looking costs.
Energy Efficiency
CEJA extends ComEd’s current cumulative annual energy efficiency MWh savings goals through 2040, adds expanded electrification measures to those goals, increases low-income commitments and adds a new performance adjustment to the energy efficiency formula rate. ComEd expects its annual spend to increase in 2023 through 2040 to achieve these energy efficiency MWh savings goals, which will be deferred as a separate regulatory asset that will be recovered through the energy efficiency formula rate over the weighted average useful life, as approved by the ICC, of the related energy efficiency measures.
New Jersey Regulatory Matters
Termination of Energy Procurement Provisions of PPAs (Exelon, PHI, and ACE). On December 22, 2021, ACE filed with the NJBPU a petition to terminate the provisions in the PPAs to purchase electricity from two coal-powered generation facilities located in the state of New Jersey. The petition was approved by the NJBPU on March 23, 2022. Upon closing of the transaction on March 31, 2022, ACE recognized a liability of $203 million for the contract termination fee, which is to be paid by the end of 2024, and recognized a corresponding regulatory asset of $203 million.
As of March 31, 2024, the $31 million liability for the contract termination fee is included in Other current liabilities in Exelon's Consolidated Balance Sheet and PPA termination obligation in PHI's and ACE's Consolidated Balance Sheets. For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, ACE has respectively paid $18 million and $19 million of the liability, which is recorded in Changes in Other assets and liabilities in Exelon's, PHI's, and ACE's Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
Other Federal Regulatory Matters
FERC Audit (Exelon and ComEd). The Utility Registrants are subject to periodic audits and investigations by FERC. FERC’s Division of Audits and Accounting initiated a nonpublic audit of ComEd in April 2021 evaluating ComEd’s compliance with (1) approved terms, rates and conditions of its federally regulated service; (2) accounting requirements of the Uniform System of Accounts; (3) reporting requirements of the FERC Form 1; and (4) the requirements for record retention. The audit period extends back to January 1, 2017.
On July 27, 2023, FERC issued a final audit report which included, among other things, findings and recommendations related to ComEd's methodology regarding the allocation of certain overhead costs to capitalized construction costs under FERC regulations, including a suggestion that refunds may be due to customers for amounts collected in previous years. On August 28, 2023, ComEd filed a formal notice of the issues it will contest. On December 14, 2023, FERC appointed a settlement judge for the contested overhead allocation findings and set the matter for a trial-type hearing. That hearing process has been held in abeyance while a formal settlement process, which began in February 2024, takes place. Based on the preliminary findings and the ongoing settlement process, ComEd determined that a loss was probable and recorded its regulatory liability to reflect its best estimate of that loss. The final outcome and resolution of any contested audit issues as well as a reasonable estimate of potential future losses cannot be accurately estimated at this stage; however, the final resolution of these matters could result in recognition of future losses, above the amounts currently accrued, that could be material to the Exelon and ComEd financial statements.
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities
The Utility Registrants' regulatory assets and liabilities have not changed materially since December 31, 2023, unless noted below. See Note 3 — Regulatory Matters of the 2023 Form 10-K for additional information on the specific regulatory assets and liabilities.
ComEd. Regulatory assets decreased $286 million primarily due to a decrease of $268 million in the CMC regulatory asset.
PECO. Regulatory liabilities increased $17 million primarily due to an increase of $26 million in the Decommissioning the regulatory agreement units regulatory liability.
BGE. Regulatory liabilities decreased $75 million primarily due to a decrease of $75 million in the Deferred income taxes regulatory liability.
ACE. Regulatory assets increased $34 million primarily due to an increase of $13 million in the Under-recovered revenue decoupling regulatory asset, an increase of $8 million in the Energy efficiency and demand response programs regulatory asset, and an increase of $8 million in the Deferred storm costs regulatory asset.
Capitalized Ratemaking Amounts Not Recognized
The following table presents authorized amounts capitalized for ratemaking purposes related to earnings on shareholders' investment that are not recognized for financial reporting purposes in the Registrants' Consolidated Balance Sheets. These amounts will be recognized as revenues in the related Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income in the periods they are billable to the Utility Registrants' customers. PECO had no related amounts at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.
Exelon
ComEd(a)
BGE(b)
PHI
Pepco(c)
DPL(c)
ACE(d)
March 31, 2024$106 $36 $30 $40 $27 $$12 
December 31, 2023110 32 33 45 34 10 
__________
(a)Reflects ComEd's unrecognized equity returns earned for ratemaking purposes on its energy efficiency and electric distribution formula rate regulatory assets.
(b)BGE's amount capitalized for ratemaking purposes primarily relates to earnings on shareholders' investment on their AMI programs and on investments in rate base included in the multi-year plan reconciliations.
(c)Pepco's and DPL's authorized amounts capitalized for ratemaking purposes relate to earnings on shareholders' investment on their respective AMI programs and Energy efficiency and demand response programs, and for Pepco District of Columbia revenue decoupling program. The earnings on energy efficiency are on Pepco District of Columbia and DPL Delaware programs only.
(d)ACE's authorized amounts capitalized for ratemaking purposes primarily relate to earnings on shareholders' investment on AMI programs.