3. REGULATORY All of Alagasco's utility operations are conducted in the state of Alabama. Alagasco is subject to regulation by the Alabama Public Service Commission (APSC) which established the Rate Stabilization and Equalization (RSE) rate-setting process in 1983. RSE was extended with modifications in 2002, 1996, 1990, 1987 and 1985. On June 10, 2002, the APSC extended Alagasco's rate-setting methodology, RSE, without change, for a six-year period through January 1, 2008. Alagasco's allowed range of return on equity remains 13.15 percent to 13.65 percent throughout the term of the order, subject to change in the event that the Commission, following a generic rate of return hearing, adjusts the equity returns of all major energy utilities operating under a similar methodology. Under RSE as extended, the APSC conducts quarterly reviews to determine, based on Alagasco's projections and year-to-date performance, whether Alagasco's return on average equity at the end of the rate year will be within the allowed range of 13.15 percent to 13.65 percent. Reductions in rates can be made quarterly to bring the projected return within the allowed range; increases, however, are allowed only once each rate year, effective December 1, and cannot exceed 4 percent of prior-year revenues. RSE limits the utility's equity upon which a return is permitted to 60 percent of total capitalization and provides for certain cost control measures designed to monitor Alagasco's operations and maintenance (O&M) expense. Under the inflation-based cost control measurement established by the APSC, if the percentage change in O&M expense per customer falls within a range of 1.25 points above or below the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index For All Urban Consumers (index range), no adjustment is required. If the change in O&M expense per customer exceeds the index range, three-quarters of the difference is returned to customers. To the extent the change is less than the index range, the utility benefits by one-hal f of the difference through future rate adjustments. The increase in O&M expense per customer was above the index range for the rate year ended September 30, 2002; as a result, the utility returned to customers $0.3 million pre-tax through rate adjustments under the provisions of RSE. A $12.4 million and $16.3 million annual increase in revenues became effective December 1, 2002 and 2001, respectively, under RSE as extended. Alagasco calculates a temperature adjustment to customers' monthly bills to substantially remove the effect of departures from normal temperatures on Alagasco's earnings. Adjustments to customers' bills are made in the same billing cycle in which the weather variation occurs. The temperature adjustment applies to residential, small commercial and small industrial customers. Alagasco's rate schedules for natural gas distribution charges contain a GSA rider, established in 1993, which permits the pass-through to customers of changes in the cost of gas supply. The APSC approved an Enhanced Stability Reserve (ESR) beginning fiscal year 1998 with an approved maximum funding level of $4 million, to which Alagasco may charge the full amount of: (1) extraordinary O&M expenses resulting fromforce majeure events such as storms, severe weather, and outages, when one or a combination of two such events results in more than $200,000 of additional O&M expense during a rate year; or (2) individual industrial and commercial customer revenue losses that exceed $250,000 during the rate year, if such losses cause Alagasco's return on average equity to fall below 13.15 percent. Following a year in which a charge against the ESR is made, the APSC provides for accretions to the ESR of no more than $40,000 monthly until the maximum funding level is achieved. At March 31, 2003, and December 31, 2002, the ESR balances of $3.2 million and $3 million, respectively, were included in regulatory liability on the consolidated financial statements. At March 31, 2003 and December 31, 2002, Alagasco had an $18.7 million accrued obligation related to its salaried and union pension plans. In accordance with SFAS No. 71, "Accounting for the Effects of Certain Types of Regulation," Alagasco has established a regulatory asset of $14.7 million at March 31, 2003, and December 31, 2002, recorded in deferred charges and other, for the portion of the accrued obligation to be recovered through rates in future periods.
4. DERIVATIVE COMMODITY INSTRUMENTS
The Company applies SFAS No. 133 (subsequently amended by SFAS Nos. 137 and 138), "Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities," which requires all derivatives to be recognized on the balance sheet and measured at fair value. If a derivative is designated as a cash flow hedge, the Company is required to measure the effectiveness of the hedge, or the degree that the gain (loss) for the hedging instrument offsets the loss (gain) on the hedged item, at each reporting period. The effective portion of the gain or loss on the derivative instrument is recognized in other comprehensive income (OCI) as a component of equity and subsequently reclassified into earnings when the forecasted transaction affects earnings. The ineffective portion of a derivative's change in fair value is required to be recognized in earnings immediately. Derivatives that do not qualify for hedge treatment under SFAS No. 133 must be recorded at fair value with gains or losses recognized in earnings in the period of change. Energen Resources Corporation, Energen's oil and gas subsidiary, periodically enters into derivative commodity instruments that qualify as cash flow hedges under SFAS No. 133 to hedge its exposure to price fluctuations on oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids production. In addition, Alagasco periodically enters into cash flow derivative commodity instruments to hedge its exposure to price fluctuations on its gas supply. Such instruments include regulated natural gas and crude oil futures contracts traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and over-the-counter swaps, collars and basis hedges with major energy derivative product specialists. The counterparties to the commodity instruments are investment banks and energy-trading firms. In some contracts, the amount of credit allowed before Energen Resources or Alagasco must post collateral for out-of-the-money hedges varies depending on the credit rating of the Company's debt. In cases where this arrangement exists, generally the Company's credit ratings must be maintained at investment grade status to have available counterparty credit. Energen Resources had certain agreements with Enron North America Corp. (Enron) as the counterparty as of October 1, 2001. As prescribed by SFAS No. 133, the value of the outstanding Enron contracts which qualified for cash flow hedge accounting treatment was reflected on the balance sheet as an asset and the effective portion of the derivative was reported as OCI. These outstanding contracts ceased to qualify as cash flow hedges during October 2001 as a result of Enron's credit issues. The Company recorded an expense to O&M for the write-down to fair value of the asset related to the effected derivative contracts. The deferred revenues related to the non-performing hedges were recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income until such time as they were reclassified to earnings as originally forecasted to occur. As a result, Energen's net income in the three-month transition period ended December 31, 2001, reflected a one-time, non-cash expense of $5.5 million, net of tax. Energen's net income reflected a non-cash benefit of $2.1 million, net of tax, for the three-month period ended March 31, 2002. Net income in the year ended December 31, 2002, reflected a total non-cash benefit of $5.7 million, net of tax, related to the Enron hedge position. As of March 31, 2003, $18 million, net of tax, of deferred net losses on derivative instruments recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income are expected to be reclassified to earnings during the next twelve-month period. Gains and losses on derivative instruments that are not accounted for as cash flow hedges as well as the ineffective portion of the change in fair value of derivatives accounted for as cash flow hedges, are included in operating revenues in the consolidated financial statements. The Company recorded an after-tax loss of $1.1 million for the three-months ended March 31, 2003, for the ineffective portion of the change in fair value of derivatives accounted for as cash flow hedges. Also, Energen Resources recorded an after-tax loss of $334,000 for the quarter on contracts which did not meet the definition of cash flow hedges under SFAS No. 133. As of March 31, 2003, the Company had 1.0 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of gas hedges which expire by year-end that did not meet th e definition of a cash flow hedge, however, the Company considers these hedges to be viable economic hedges. As of March 31, 2003, and December 31, 2002, the Company had an $11.2 million asset and a $6.7 million asset, respectively, included in current and noncurrent deferred income taxes on the consolidated balance sheets related to OCI. |