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Regulatory

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2021

3. Regulatory

Tampa Electric Base Rates

On September 27, 2017, Tampa Electric filed with the FPSC an amended and restated settlement agreement that replaced the existing 2013 base rate settlement agreement and extended it another four years through December 31, 2021. The FPSC approved the agreement on November 6, 2017.

The amended agreement provides for SoBRAs for TEC’s investments in up to 600 MW of cost-effective solar generation. Tampa Electric has invested approximately $850 million during 2017 through 2021 related to 600 MW of solar projects recoverable under the SoBRAs, and AFUDC was accrued during construction.

On December 12, 2017, TEC filed its first petition regarding the SoBRAs along with supporting tariffs demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of the September 1, 2018 tranche representing 145 MW and $24 million annually in estimated revenue requirements. The FPSC approved the tariffs on the first SoBRA filing on May 8, 2018 and TEC began receiving these revenues in September 2018. On June 29, 2018, TEC filed its second SoBRA petition along with supporting tariffs demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of the January 1, 2019 tranche representing 260 MW and $46 million annually in estimated revenue requirements. The FPSC approved the tariffs on the second SoBRA filing on October 29, 2018 and TEC began receiving these revenues in January 2019. On June 28, 2019, TEC filed its third SoBRA petition along with supporting tariffs demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of the January 1, 2020 tranche representing 149 MW and $26 million annually in estimated revenue requirements. The FPSC approved the tariffs on this SoBRA filing, including an adjustment to reflect the reduction in the state corporate income tax discussed below, on December 10, 2019 and TEC began receiving these revenues in January 2020. On July 31, 2020, TEC filed its fourth and final SoBRA petition along with supporting tariffs demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of the January 1, 2021 tranche representing 46 MW and $8 million annually in estimated revenues. The FPSC approved the tariffs on this SoBRA filing on November 3, 2020 and TEC began receiving these revenues in January 2021.

The true-up filing for SoBRA tranche 1 and 2 revenue requirement estimates that were included in base rates as of September 2018 and January 2019, respectively, was submitted on April 30, 2020, and the FPSC approved the amount on August 18, 2020. The $5 million true-up was returned to customers in 2020. The true-up filing for SoBRA tranche 3, included in base rates as of January 2020, was submitted to the FPSC on May 27, 2021. An estimated $4 million true-up is being returned to customers during 2021. The true-up for SoBRA tranche 4 will be filed in 2022.

On August 6, 2021, TEC filed with the FPSC a joint motion for approval of a settlement agreement dated as of August 6, 2021 (the Settlement Agreement) by and among TEC and the intervenors in TEC’s rate case filed with the FPSC in April 2021. The Settlement Agreement agrees to an increase in base rates annually effective with January 2022 bills, to generate a $191 million increase in revenue consisting of $123 million of traditional base rate charges and $68 million in a new charge to recover the costs of retiring assets. The Settlement Agreement further includes two subsequent year adjustments of $90 million and $21 million, effective January 2023 and January 2024, respectively. Under the agreement, the allowed equity in the capital structure will continue to be 54% from investor sources of capital. The Settlement Agreement includes an allowed regulatory ROE range of 9.0% to 11.0% with a 9.95% midpoint. The Settlement Agreement allows a 25 basis point increase in the allowed ROE range and mid-point, and $10 million of additional revenue, if the average 30-year United States Treasury Bond yield rate for any period of six consecutive months is at least 50 basis points greater than the yield rate on the date the FPSC votes to approve the agreement. Under the agreement, base rates will not change from January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2024, unless TEC’s earned ROE was to fall below the bottom of the range during that time. The Settlement Agreement contains a provision whereby TEC agrees to quantify the future impact of a decrease or increase in corporate income tax rates on net operating income through a reduction or increase in base revenues within 180 days of when such tax change becomes law or its effective date. The Settlement Agreement further creates a mechanism to recover the costs of retiring coal generation units and meter assets over a period of 15 years which survives the term of this agreement. The Settlement Agreement would not become effective unless and until approved by the FPSC, which is expected to consider the matter by October 2021.

Tampa Electric Big Bend Modernization Project

Tampa Electric expects to invest approximately $850 million during 2018 through 2023 to modernize the Big Bend Power Station, of which approximately $611 million has been invested through June 30, 2021. The Big Bend modernization project will repower Big Bend Unit 1 with natural gas combined-cycle technology and eliminate coal as this unit’s fuel. As part of the Big Bend modernization project, on June 1, 2020, Tampa Electric retired the Unit 1 components that will not be used in the modernized plant. At June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, Tampa Electric’s balance sheet included $200 million in electric utility plant and $91 million and $88 million, respectively, in accumulated depreciation related to Unit 1 components. In accordance with Tampa Electric’s 2017 settlement agreement approved by the FPSC, Tampa Electric will continue to account for its existing investment in Unit 1 in electric utility plant and depreciate the assets using the current depreciation rates until December 31, 2021. In addition, Tampa Electric plans to retire Big Bend Unit 2 in 2021 as part of the Big Bend modernization project.

Tampa Electric plans to retire Big Bend Unit 3 in 2023 as it is in the best interest of customers from economic, environmental risk and operational perspectives. Similar to the retirement plan for Unit 1 and Unit 2, Tampa Electric will continue to account for its existing investment in Unit 3 in electric utility plant and depreciate the assets using the current depreciation rates until December 31, 2021.

On December 30, 2020, Tampa Electric filed a depreciation and dismantlement study and request for capital recovery schedule for all three units with the FPSC.

Tampa Electric’s Settlement Agreement provides recovery for the Big Bend Modernization project in two phases. The first phase is a revenue increase to cover the costs of the assets in service during 2022, among other items. The remainder of the project costs will be recovered as part of the 2023 subsequent year adjustment. The Settlement Agreement also includes a new charge to recover the remaining costs of the retiring Big Bend coal generation assets, Units 1 through 3, which will be spread over 15 years and will survive the termination of the Settlement Agreement. The special capital recovery schedule for all three units will be applied beginning January 1, 2022.

Tampa Electric Mid-Course Adjustment to Fuel Recovery

In July 2021, Tampa Electric requested a mid-course adjustment to its fuel and capacity charges, effective with September 2021 customer bills, due to an increase in fuel commodity and capacity costs in 2021. On August 3, 2021, the FPSC approved the request to recover $83 million of additional costs during the months of September through December 2021.

Tampa Electric Storm Protection Cost Recovery Clause and Settlement Agreement

On October 3, 2019, the FPSC issued a rule to implement a Storm Protection Plan (SPP) Cost Recovery Clause. This new clause provides a process for Florida investor-owned utilities, including Tampa Electric, to recover transmission and distribution storm hardening costs for incremental activities not already included in base rates. Tampa Electric submitted its storm protection plan with the FPSC on April 10, 2020. On April 27, 2020, Tampa Electric submitted a settlement agreement with the FPSC which specified a $15 million base rate reduction for SPP program costs previously recovered in base rates beginning January 1, 2021. On June 9, 2020, the FPSC approved this settlement agreement. On August 3, 2020, Tampa Electric submitted another settlement agreement to the FPSC for approval, including cost recovery of approximately $39 million in proposed storm protection project costs for 2020 and 2021. This cost recovery includes the $15 million of costs removed from base rates. This settlement agreement was approved on August 10, 2020, and Tampa Electric’s cost recovery began in January 2021. The current approved plan will apply for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022, and Tampa Electric will file a new plan in 2022 to determine cost recovery in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

The June 9, 2020 settlement agreement approved by the FPSC described above also included approval of Tampa Electric’s petition to eliminate its $16 million accumulated amortization reserve surplus for intangible software assets through a credit to amortization expense in 2020.

PGS Base Rates

On June 8, 2020, PGS filed a petition for an increase in rates and service charges effective January 2021. On November 19, 2020, the FPSC approved a settlement agreement filed by PGS. The settlement agreement provides for an increase in base rates by $58 million annually effective January 2021, which is a $34 million increase in revenue and $24 million increase of revenues previously recovered through the cast iron and bare steel replacement rider. This settlement agreement includes an allowed regulatory ROE range of 8.90% to 11.00% with a 9.90% midpoint. It provides PGS the ability to reverse a total of $34 million of accumulated depreciation through 2023 and sets new depreciation rates effective January 1, 2021 that are consistent with PGS’s current overall average depreciation rate. Under the agreement, base rates are frozen from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2023, unless its earned ROE were to fall below 8.90% before that time with an allowed equity in the capital structure of 54.7% from investor sources of capital. The settlement agreement further addresses tax rate changes. The agreement contains a provision whereby PGS agrees to quantify the future impact of a decrease in tax rates on net operating income through a reduction in base revenues within 120 days of when such tax change becomes law. If on the contrary, tax legislation results in a tax rate increase, PGS can establish a regulatory asset to neutralize the impact of the increase in income tax rate to be addressed in a future proceeding and with recovery beginning no sooner than January 2024.

Regulatory Assets and Liabilities

Details of the regulatory assets and liabilities are presented in the following table:

Regulatory Assets and Liabilities
(millions)	June 30, 2021		December 31, 2020
Regulatory assets:
Regulatory tax asset ⁽¹⁾	$	98	$	90
Cost-recovery clauses ⁽²⁾		43		38
Environmental remediation⁽³⁾		25		22
Postretirement benefits ⁽⁴⁾		298		309
Asset retirement obligation ⁽⁵⁾		9		13
Other		8		13
Total regulatory assets		481		485
Less: Current portion		68		79
Long-term regulatory assets	$	413	$	406
Regulatory liabilities:
Regulatory tax liability⁽⁶⁾	$	678	$	691
Cost-recovery clauses ⁽²⁾		18		23
Accumulated reserve - cost of removal⁽⁷⁾		469		498
Storm reserve ⁽⁸⁾		48		48
Other		0		1
Total regulatory liabilities		1,213		1,261
Less: Current portion		57		67
Long-term regulatory liabilities	$	1,156	$	1,194

(1)

The regulatory tax asset is primarily associated with the depreciation and recovery of AFUDC-equity. This asset does not earn a return but rather is included in the capital structure, which is used in the calculation of the weighted cost of capital used to determine revenue requirements. It will be recovered over the expected life of the related assets. The regulatory tax asset balance reflects the impact of the federal tax rate reduction.

(2)	These assets and liabilities are related to FPSC clauses and riders. They are recovered or refunded through cost-recovery mechanisms approved by the FPSC on a dollar-for-dollar basis in a subsequent period.

(3)

This asset is related to costs associated with environmental remediation primarily at MGP sites. The balance is included in rate base, partially offsetting the related liability, and earns a rate of return as permitted by the FPSC. The timing of recovery is based on a settlement agreement approved by the FPSC.

(4)

This asset is related to the deferred costs of postretirement benefits and it is amortized over the remaining service life of plan participants. Deferred costs of postretirement benefits that are included in expense are recognized as cost of service for rate-making purposes as permitted by the FPSC.

(5)

This asset is related to costs associated with an asset retirement obligation, which is a legal obligation for the future retirement of certain tangible, long-lived assets. This regulatory asset does not earn a return because it is offset with related assets and liabilities within rate base. It is recovered and removed as the obligation is settled and removed as the activities for the retirement of the related assets have been completed.

(6)

The regulatory tax liability is primarily related to the revaluation of TEC’s deferred income tax balances recorded on December 31, 2017 at the lower income tax rate due to U.S. tax reform. The liability related to the revaluation of the deferred income tax balances is amortized and returned to customers through rate reductions or other revenue offsets based on IRS regulations and the settlement agreement for tax reform benefits approved by the FPSC.

(7)

This item represents the non-ARO cost of removal in the accumulated reserve for depreciation. AROs are costs for legally required removal of property, plant and equipment. Non-ARO cost of removal represents estimated funds received from customers through depreciation rates to cover future non-legally required cost of removal of property, plant and equipment, net of salvage value upon retirement, which reduces rate base for ratemaking purposes. This liability is reduced as costs of removal are incurred.

(8)

As a result of Tampa Electric’s 2013 rate case settlement, in the event of a named storm that results in damage to its system, Tampa Electric can petition the FPSC to seek recovery of those costs over a 12-month period or longer as determined by the FPSC, as well as replenish its reserve to $56 million, the level of the reserve as of October 31, 2013. In 2019, Tampa Electric incurred storm restoration preparation costs for Hurricane Dorian of approximately $8 million, which was charged to the storm reserve regulatory liability.