Regulatory Assets and Liabilities | . REGULATORY MATTERS General AES Indiana is subject to regulation by the IURC as to its services and facilities, the valuation of property, the construction, purchase, or lease of electric generating facilities, the classification of accounts, rates of depreciation, retail rates and charges, the issuance of securities (other than evidences of indebtedness payable less than twelve months after the date of issue), the acquisition and sale of some public utility properties or securities and certain other matters. In addition, AES Indiana is subject to the jurisdiction of the FERC with respect to, among other things, short-term borrowings not regulated by the IURC, the sale of electricity at wholesale, the transmission of electric energy in interstate commerce, the classification of accounts, reliability standards, and the acquisition and sale of utility property in certain circumstances as provided by the Federal Power Act. As a regulated entity, AES Indiana is required to use certain accounting methods prescribed by regulatory bodies which may differ from those accounting methods required to be used by unregulated entities. AES Indiana is also affected by the regulatory jurisdiction of the EPA at the federal level, and the IDEM at the state level. Other significant regulatory agencies affecting AES Indiana include, but are not limited to, the NERC, the U.S. Department of Labor and the IOSHA. Basic Rates and Charges AES Indiana’s basic rates and charges represent the largest component of its annual revenues. AES Indiana’s basic rates and charges are determined after giving consideration, on a pro-forma basis, to all allowable costs for ratemaking purposes including a fair return on the fair value of the utility property used and useful in providing service to customers. These basic rates and charges are set and approved by the IURC after public hearings. Such proceedings, which have occurred at irregular intervals, involve AES Indiana, the IURC, the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor, and other interested stakeholders. Pursuant to statute, the IURC is to conduct a periodic review of the basic rates and charges of all Indiana utilities at least once every four years, but the IURC has the authority to review the rates of any Indiana utility at any time. Once set, the basic rates and charges authorized do not assure the realization of a fair return on the fair value of property. AES Indiana’s declining block rate structure generally provides for residential and commercial customers to be charged a lower per kWh rate at higher consumption levels. Therefore, as volumes increase, the weighted average price per kWh decreases. Numerous factors including, but not limited to, weather, inflation, customer growth and usage, the level of actual operating and maintenance expenditures, fuel costs, generating unit availability, and capital expenditures including those required by environmental regulations can affect the return realized. Base Rate Orders On October 31, 2018, the IURC issued an order approving an uncontested settlement agreement previously filed with the IURC by AES Indiana for a $43.9 million, or 3.2%, increase to annual revenues (the "2018 Base Rate Order"). The 2018 Base Rate Order includes recovery through rates of the CCGT at Eagle Valley completed in the first half of 2018, as well as other construction projects and changes to operating income since the 2016 Base Rate Order. New basic rates and charges became effective on December 5, 2018. The 2018 Base Rate Order also provides customers approximately $50 million in benefits, which flowed to customers over the two-year period that began March 2019, via the ECCRA rate adjustment mechanism. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, these credits have been fully returned to customers. In addition, the 2018 Base Rate Order provides that annual wholesale margins earned above (or below) the benchmark of $16.3 million shall be passed back (or charged) to customer rates through a rate adjustment mechanism. Prior to the 2018 Base Rate Order, wholesale sales margins were shared with customers 50% above and below an established benchmark of $6.3 million. Similarly, the 2018 Base Rate Order provides that all capacity sales above (or below) a benchmark of $11.3 million shall be passed back (or charged) to customer rates through a rate adjustment mechanism. The 2018 Base Rate Order also approved changes to AES Indiana's depreciation and amortization rates (including no longer deferring depreciation on the CCGT at Eagle Valley) which altogether represent a net expense increase of approximately $28.7 million annually. FAC and Authorized Annual Jurisdictional Net Operating Income AES Indiana may apply to the IURC for a change in AES Indiana’s fuel charge every three months to recover AES Indiana’s estimated fuel costs, including the energy portion of purchased power costs, which may be above or below the levels included in AES Indiana’s basic rates and charges. AES Indiana must present evidence in each FAC proceeding that it has made every reasonable effort to acquire fuel and generate or purchase power or both so as to provide electricity to its retail customers at the lowest fuel cost reasonably possible. Independent of the IURC’s ability to review basic rates and charges, Indiana law requires electric utilities under the jurisdiction of the IURC to meet operating expense and income test requirements as a condition for approval of requested changes in the FAC. A utility may be unable to recover all of its fuel costs if its rolling twelve-month operating income, determined at quarterly measurement dates, exceeds its authorized annual jurisdictional net operating income and there are not sufficient applicable cumulative net operating income deficiencies (“Cumulative Deficiencies”) to offset it. The Cumulative Deficiencies calculation provides that only five years’ worth of historical earnings deficiencies or surpluses are included, unless it has been greater than five years since the most recent rate case. In each of the last three calendar years, AES Indiana has reported earnings in excess of the authorized level for each of the four quarterly reporting periods in those years. AES Indiana was not required to reduce its fuel cost recovery in 2019 because of its Cumulative Deficiencies. During 2020, AES Indiana's Cumulative Deficiencies dropped to zero and thus AES Indiana recorded a reduction to revenues of $0.3 million, $5.5 million and $10.0 million in 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. AES Indiana's regulatory liability attributed to the Cumulative Deficiencies calculation was $0.0 million and $0.5 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, which is recorded within " Regulatory liabilities, current " on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. ECCRA AES Indiana may apply to the IURC for approval of a rate adjustment known as the ECCRA periodically to recover costs (including a return) to comply with certain environmental regulations applicable to AES Indiana’s generating stations. The total amount of AES Indiana’s environmental equipment approved for ECCRA recovery as of December 31, 2022 was $22.8 million. The jurisdictional revenue requirement approved by the IURC to be included in AES Indiana’s rates for the twelve-month period ending February 2023 is a net cost to customers of $1.6 million. The only environmental equipment still remaining in the ECCRA as of December 31, 2022 are certain projects associated with NAAQS compliance. DSM Through various rate orders from the IURC, AES Indiana has been able to recover its costs of implementing various DSM programs throughout the periods covered by this report. In 2022, 2021 and 2020, AES Indiana also had the ability to receive performance incentives, dependent upon the level of success of the programs. Performance incentives included in rates for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 were $8.3 million, $7.2 million and $6.0 million, respectively. On December 29, 2020, the IURC approved a settlement agreement establishing a new three year DSM plan for AES Indiana through 2023. The approval included cost recovery of programs as well as performance incentives, depending on the level of success of the programs. The order also approved recovery of lost revenues, consistent with the provisions of the settlement agreement. Wind and Solar Power Purchase Agreements AES Indiana is committed under a power purchase agreement to purchase all wind-generated electricity through 2029 from a wind project in Indiana. AES Indiana is also committed under another agreement to purchase all wind-generated electricity through 2031 from a project in Minnesota. The Indiana project has a maximum output capacity of approximately 100 MW and the Minnesota project has a maximum output capacity of approximately 200 MW. In addition, AES Indiana has 94.5 MW of solar-generated electricity in its service territory under long-term contracts (these long-term contracts have expiration dates ranging from 2026 to 2033), of which 94.0 MW was in operation as of December 31, 2022. AES Indiana has authority from the IURC to recover the costs for all of these agreements through an adjustment mechanism administered within the FAC. If and when AES Indiana sells the renewable energy attributes (in the form of renewable energy credits) generated from these facilities, the proceeds would pass back to benefit AES Indiana’s retail customers through the FAC. TDSIC In 2013, Senate Enrolled Act 560, the Transmission, Distribution, and Storage System Improvement Charge ("TDSIC") statute, was signed into law. The TDSIC statute was revised in 2019. Among other provisions, this legislation provides for cost recovery outside of a base rate proceeding for new or replacement electric and gas transmission, distribution, and storage projects that a public utility undertakes for the purposes of safety, reliability, system modernization, or economic development. Provisions of the TDSIC statute require that, among other things, requests for recovery include a plan of at least five years and not more than seven for eligible investments. The first eighty percent of eligible costs can be recovered using a periodic rate adjustment mechanism. The cost recovery mechanism is referred to as a TDSIC mechanism. Recoverable costs include a return on, and of, the investment, including AFUDC, post-in-service carrying charges, operation and maintenance expenses, depreciation and property taxes. The remaining twenty percent of recoverable costs are to be deferred for future recovery in the public utility’s next base rate case. The periodic rate adjustment mechanism is capped at an annual increase of no more than two percent of total retail revenues. On March 4, 2020, the IURC issued an order approving the projects in a seven-year TDSIC Plan for eligible transmission, distribution and storage system improvements totaling $1.2 billion from 2020 through 2026. Beginning in June 2020, AES Indiana files an annual TDSIC rate adjustment for a return on and of investments through March 31 with rates requested to be effective each November. Annual TDSIC plan update filings are required to be staggered by six months as ordered by the IURC and are filed each December. The total amount of AES Indiana’s equipment approved for TDSIC recovery as of December 31, 2022 was $324.0 million, The jurisdictional revenues requirement approved by the IURC to be included in AES Indiana’s rates for the twelve-month period ending October 2023 is a net cost to customers of $34.3 million. IRP Filings and Replacement Generation Electric utilities in Indiana are required to submit Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs) every three years. The IRPs are subject to a rigorous stakeholder process. IRPs describe how the utility plans to deliver safe, reliable, and efficient electricity at just and reasonable rates. 2022 IRP AES Indiana held public advisory meetings for the 2022 IRP in January, April, June, September and October of 2022. Changes to our generation portfolio are evaluated and decided through the IRP. AES Indiana issued an all-source Request for Proposal on April 14, 2022, in order to competitively procure energy and capacity in the near term; such need was evaluated in AES Indiana's 2022 IRP. In December 2022, AES Indiana filed its 2022 IRP with the IURC, which describes AES Indiana's Preferred Resource Portfolio for meeting generation capacity needs for serving AES Indiana's retail customers over the next several years. The Preferred Resource Portfolio is AES Indiana's reasonable least cost option and provides a cleaner and more diverse generation mix for customers. The 2022 IRP short-term action plan includes converting the two remaining coal units at Petersburg to natural gas by the end of 2025. AES Indiana has not yet filed for the necessary regulatory approvals from the IURC to convert Petersburg units 3 and 4; however, AES Indiana expects to do so at the appropriate time. Additionally, AES Indiana plans to add up to 1,300 MW of wind, solar, and battery energy storage by 2027. As new technologies, such as green hydrogen, small modular reactors and carbon capture are developed and cost effective, AES Indiana will evaluate them in the future planning processes. As a result of the plan to convert Petersburg units 3 and 4 to natural gas, AES Indiana recorded a $1.5 million write off of capital projects during the period ended December 31, 2022 to " Operating expenses - Operation and maintenance " on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations. 2019 IRP In December 2019, AES Indiana filed its 2019 IRP, which included the retirement of approximately 630 MW of coal-fired generation at Petersburg Units 1 and 2 in 2021 and 2023, respectively. Based on extensive modeling, AES Indiana has determined that the cost of operating Petersburg Units 1 and 2 exceeds the value customers receive compared to alternative resources. Retirement of these units allows the company to cost-effectively diversify the portfolio and transition to lower cost and cleaner resources while maintaining a reliable system. AES Indiana issued an all-source Request for Proposal on December 20, 2019, in order to competitively procure replacement capacity by June 1, 2023, which was the first year AES Indiana was expected to have a capacity shortfall. Our modeling indicated that a combination of wind, solar, storage, and energy efficiency would be the lowest reasonable cost option for the replacement capacity. As a result of the plans to retire Petersburg Units 1 and 2, AES Indiana recorded $2.1 million, $0.8 million, and $0.0 million of obsolescence losses, during the periods ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively, for materials and supplies inventory AES Indiana does not believe will be utilized by the planned retirement dates, which is recorded in " Operating expenses - Operation and maintenance " on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations. As a result of the plans to retire Petersburg Units 1 and 2, AES Indiana filed a petition with the IURC on February 26, 2021 for approvals and cost recovery associated with these retirements. On August 6, 2021, AES Indiana filed an uncontested Stipulation and Settlement Agreement with the other parties in the case which includes: (1) AES Indiana's creation of regulatory assets for the net book value of Petersburg units 1 and 2 upon retirement; (2) a method for amortization of the regulatory assets; and (3) recovery of the regulatory assets through ongoing amortization in AES Indiana’s future rate cases. The Settlement Agreement also reserves all rights of all the parties with respect to the ratemaking treatment related to the regulatory assets, including the proper rate of return and mechanisms for recovery. On November 17, 2021, the IURC approved the Settlement Agreement without modification. AES Indiana retired 230 MW Petersburg Unit 1 on May 31, 2021 and expects to retire Unit 2 in 2023. AES Indiana had $47.6 million and $239.9 million of Petersburg Units 1 and 2 retirement costs, respectively, net of accumulated amortization, recorded as long-term regulatory assets as of December 31, 2022. AES Indiana had $60.1 million and $239.9 million of Petersburg Units 1 and 2 retirement costs, respectively, net of accumulated amortization, recorded as long-term regulatory assets as of December 31, 2021. Hardy Hills Solar Project In January 2021, AES Indiana, through its wholly-owned subsidiary AES Indiana Devco Holdings 1, LLC, executed an agreement for the acquisition and construction of the 195 MW Hardy Hills Solar Project to be developed in Clinton County, Indiana. As amended in December 2022 and subject to IURC approval, the Hardy Hills Solar Project is now expected to be completed in 2024. On June 16, 2021, AES Indiana received an order from the IURC approving a petition and case-in-chief seeking a CPCN for this solar project, including a joint venture structure between an AES Indiana subsidiary and one or more tax equity partners upon completion and approval for recovery of project development costs and carrying costs on AES Indiana's investment in the project. The transaction closed in December 2021 and was accounted for as an asset acquisition of a variable interest entity that did not meet the definition of a business; therefore, the individual assets and liabilities were recorded at their fair values. Total net assets of $51.6 million were recorded in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets associated with the transaction, primarily consisting of a development project intangible asset (see Note 1, "Overview and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Intangible Assets" ). A gain for the difference between the consideration transferred and the assets and liabilities recognized was recorded in “ Operating costs and expenses - Other, net” on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations. Total consideration included a future payment contingent on certain future costs incurred by the project. As such, a $3.2 million contingent liability was recorded in " Other Non-Current Liabilities" on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2021. During 2022, this liability was remeasured due to updated cost estimates and was reduced to $0.0 million. Petersburg Solar Project In July 2021, AES Indiana, through its wholly-owned subsidiary AES Indiana Devco Holdings 2, LLC, executed an agreement for the acquisition and construction of a 250 MW solar and 180 MWh energy storage facility to be developed in Pike County, Indiana. As amended in October 2022 and subject to IURC approval, the Petersburg Solar Project is now expected to be completed in 2025. On July 30, 2021, AES Indiana filed a petition and case-in-chief with the IURC seeking a CPCN for this solar project and on November 24, 2021, AES Indiana received an order from the IURC approving the project, including a joint venture structure between an AES Indiana subsidiary and one or more tax equity partners upon completion and approval for recovery of project development costs and carrying costs on AES Indiana's investment in the project. Incentives for Clean Energy Projects Indiana Code 8-1-8 (the "clean energy statute") offers certain incentives for clean energy projects. Primarily, it allows for the timely recovery of costs and expenses incurred during construction and operation of eligible projects outside of a base rate proceeding. Additionally, the clean energy statute provides for a 120-day procedural schedule for the IURC to issue a determination of a project's eligibility. Clean energy projects eligible for incentives under this statute include renewable energy resources such as wind, photovoltaic cells and panels, solar energy, and energy storage systems or technologies, among others. AES Indiana filed for and received IURC approval of Hardy Hills and Petersburg Energy Center under this statute (and other applicable statutes) and currently has a related request for IURC approval of contract amendments pending before the IURC. AES Indiana continues to evaluate projects which may also be filed under this statute. IURC COVID-19 Orders Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a disconnection moratorium in 2020 for IURC-jurisdictional utilities through August 14, 2020, which has lapsed. Additionally, the IURC authorized Indiana utilities to use regulatory accounting for any impacts associated with prohibiting utility disconnections, waiver or exclusion of certain utility fees (i.e., late fees, convenience fees, deposits, and reconnection fees), and also required utilities to use expanded payment arrangements to aid customers. The IURC also authorized regulatory accounting treatment for COVID-19 related uncollectible and incremental bad debt expense. On August 12, 2020, the IURC required all jurisdictional utilities to continue offering extended payment arrangements for a minimum of six months to all customers for an additional 60 days, until October 12, 2020, which the IURC again extended through December 31, 2020 for residential customers on October 27, 2020. The IURC also continued to suspend the collection of certain utility fees (late fees, deposits, and disconnection/reconnection fees) from residential customers for an additional 60 days, until October 12, 2020, after which utilities were allowed to resume charging convenience fees as set forth in the rate and charges established in their Commission-approved tariffs. As a result of the IURC's COVID-19 related orders issued in 2020, AES Indiana has recorded a regulatory asset of $5.4 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021. On August 25, 2021, the IURC closed the investigation to consider and address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. For further discussion on the COVID-19 pandemic, see Note 15, " Risks and Uncertainties - COVID-19 Pandemic. " Excess Distributed Generation Rates On March 1, 2021, AES Indiana filed a petition with the IURC for approval of its proposed rate for the procurement of excess distributed generation ("EDG") and related consumer EDG credit issues. The EDG rate replaced the net metering program beginning in July 2022, when net metering was no longer available to new customers. The IURC approved the EDG rate by order dated January 26, 2022, On March 16, 2022, the IURC denied the petition for reconsideration filed by the other parties on February 15, 2022. The matter remains subject to the pending appeal filed by the other parties on February 22, 2022, which is currently being held in abeyance by the Indiana Court of Appeals pending resolution of a petition to transfer to the Indiana Supreme Court filed in a similar case involving a different and unaffiliated utility. The stay was extended by the Indiana Court of Appeals on July 11, 2022 and currently remains in effect. On January 4, 2023, the Indiana Supreme Court issued a final decision in favor of the utility in the similar case that served as the basis of the stay in the AES Indiana case. On February 3, 2023, the OUCC moved to dismiss the appeal, which motion was granted on February 13, 2023. Electric Vehicle Portfolio Program On January 27, 2023, AES Indiana filed with the IURC a request to approve its Electric Vehicle (EV) Portfolio and associated accounting and ratemaking treatment. The EV Portfolio includes two separate parts: (1) a set of EV specific rates, tariffs, and alternative pricing structures, and (2) a set of Public Use EV Pilot Programs. The EV portfolio is designed to produce net benefits for all customers through new retail margins and grid optimization. The projected costs to successfully implement the services proposed in the EV Portfolio are estimated at $16.2 million over the three year period. AES Indiana requested approval to defer as a regulatory asset and recover in future base rates the cost necessary to implement the EV Portfolio, including carrying charges. House Bill 1002 In the first quarter of 2022, the 2022 Indiana General Assembly passed House Enrolled Act 1002, which includes language regarding the repeal of the Utility Receipts Tax ("URT"). AES Indiana filed a rate adjustment with the IURC on April 29, 2022, which was approved by the IURC on June 28, 2022. AES Indiana began charging the new rates excluding URT in July 2022. Prior to the repeal, the URT was recoverable through a current charge to customer rates. After the repeal, the new rates approved by the IURC adjusted both revenues and tax expense. As a result, the repeal of the URT had no impact on AES Indiana's net income. Regulatory Assets and Liabilities Regulatory assets represent deferred costs or credits that have been included as allowable costs or credits for ratemaking purposes. AES Indiana has recorded regulatory assets or liabilities relating to certain costs or credits as authorized by the IURC or established regulatory practices in accordance with ASC 980. AES Indiana is amortizing non tax-related regulatory assets to expense over periods ranging from 1 to 43 years. Tax-related regulatory assets represent the net income tax costs to be considered in future regulatory proceedings generally as the tax-related amounts are paid. The amounts of regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities at December 31 are as follows: 2022 2021 Recovery Period (In Thousands) Regulatory Assets Current: Undercollections of rate riders $ 26,047 $ 41,108 Approximately 1 year (1) Fuel costs 79,861 8,890 Approximately 1 year (1) Costs being recovered through basic rates and charges 13,815 13,815 Approximately 1 year (1) Total current regulatory assets 119,723 63,813 Long-term: Unrecognized pension and other postretirement benefit plan costs 131,907 114,887 Various (2) Deferred MISO costs 34,483 47,875 Through 2026 (1) Unamortized Petersburg Unit 4 carrying charges and certain other costs 3,866 4,921 Through 2026 (1)(3) Unamortized reacquisition premium on debt 14,429 15,703 Over remaining life of debt Environmental costs 68,947 71,201 Through 2046 (1)(3) COVID-19 costs 5,426 5,426 To be determined TDSIC costs 18,547 8,540 36.3 years (1)(3) Petersburg Unit 1 and 2 retirement costs 287,463 300,067 Through 2034 (1)(3) Hardy Hills Solar Project costs 5,744 2,907 To be determined (3) Petersburg Solar Project costs 1,582 881 To be determined Fuel costs 20,518 83,513 Through 2025 (1) Other miscellaneous 1,027 1,056 Various (4) Total long-term regulatory assets 593,939 656,977 Total regulatory assets $ 713,662 $ 720,790 Regulatory Liabilities Current: Overcollections and other credits being passed to customers through rate riders $ 15,803 $ 3,006 Approximately 1 year (1) FTRs 7,545 1,235 Approximately 1 year (1) Total current regulatory liabilities 23,348 4,241 Long-term: ARO and accrued asset removal costs 518,797 722,774 Not applicable Deferred income taxes payable to customers through rates 88,662 100,171 Various Major storm damage 5,126 3,764 To be determined Total long-term regulatory liabilities 612,585 826,709 Total regulatory liabilities $ 635,933 $ 830,950 (1) Recovered (credited) per specific rate orders (2) AES Indiana receives a return on its discretionary funding (3) Recovered with a current return (4) The majority of these costs are being recovered in basic rates and charges through 2026. For the remainder, recovery is probable, but the timing is not yet determined. Current Regulatory Assets and Liabilities Current regulatory assets and liabilities primarily represent costs that are being recovered per specific rate orders; recovery for the remaining costs is probable, but not certain. As current assets, this includes undercollection of adjustment mechanisms for: (i) DSM, (ii) Green Power, (iii) Deferred Fuel Costs and (iv) TDSIC. It also includes the current portion of deferred MISO costs and environmental costs collected through base rates which are described in greater detail below. With the exception of environmental costs, these costs do not earn a return on investment. As current liabilities, this includes (i) overcollection of MISO rider costs, (ii) ECCRA costs, (iii) Off System Sales Margin Sharing, (iv) Capacity rider costs, (v) FAC 133 sub-docket costs and (vi) the NOI liability that is credited to customers in the FAC filing. Deferred Fuel Deferred fuel costs are a component of current and long-term regulatory assets or liabilities (which is a result of AES Indiana charging either more or less for fuel than our actual costs to our jurisdictional customers) and are expected to be recovered through future FAC proceedings. AES Indiana records deferred fuel in accordance with standards prescribed by the FERC. The deferred fuel adjustment is the result of variances between estimated fuel and purchased power costs in AES Indiana’s FAC and actual fuel and purchased power costs. AES Indiana is generally permitted to recover underestimated fuel and purchased power costs in future rates through the FAC proceedings and therefore the costs are deferred when incurred and amortized into fuel expense in the same period that AES Indiana’s rates are adjusted to reflect these costs. The Eagle Valley CCGT was on unplanned outage from late April 2021 until mid-March 2022, impacting several FAC periods. The FAC 133 IURC Order issued on November 24, 2021 approved the FAC 133 fuel cost factor on an interim basis subject to refund pending the outcome of a sub-docket created to examine the Eagle Valley CCGT extended outage. A procedural schedule for the sub-docket was established by the IURC. AES Indiana filed testimony in the FAC sub-docket in May 2022. AES Indiana's subsequent FAC filings have included a reduced FAC factor requested by AES Indiana in order to mitigate the rate impact on customers, primarily caused by rising commodity pricing and the Eagle Valley extended outage, that deferred the collection of certain variances estimated to be due to the Eagle Valley unplanned outage until a future FAC filing or the resolution in the FAC sub-docket for the Eagle Valley outage. Such FAC deferrals are recorded in long-term regulatory assets until the timing of collection is known. This treatment ceased with the FAC 138 filing in December 2022. On October 25, 2022, AES Indiana and various intervening parties reached a unanimous settlement regarding the Eagle Valley CCGT unplanned outage. This settlement resolves all issues related to the FAC sub-docket and all outage related costs including energy purchases, Off-System Sales margins, Capacity trackers and base rate proceedings. As part of this comprehensive settlement, AES Indiana agreed not to recover $21.0 million of previously deferred costs and to credit an additional $6.8 million to customers in future rates. As such, AES Indiana recorded a $27.8 million charge to " Power purchased " in the Consolidated Statements of Operations during the third quarter of 2022. On January 18, 2023, AES Indiana received an order from the IURC approving the settlement. Unrecognized Pension and Postretirement Benefit Plan Costs In accordance with ASC 715 “Compensation – Retirement Benefits” and ASC 980, we recognize a regulatory asset equal to the unrecognized actuarial gains and losses and prior service costs. Pension expenses or income are recorded based on the benefit plan’s actuarially determined pension liability or asset and associated level of annual expenses or income to be recognized. The other postretirement benefit plan’s deferred benefit cost is the excess of the other postretirement benefit liability over the amount previously recognized. Deferred MISO Costs These consist of administrative costs for transmission services, transmission expansion cost sharing, and certain other operational and administrative costs from the MISO market. These costs are being recovered per specific rate order. Unamortized Petersburg Unit 4 Carrying Charges and Certain Other Costs These consist of deferred debt carrying costs, depreciation, and post-in-service Allowance for Funds Used During Construction ("AFUDC") on Petersburg Unit 4. These costs are being recovered per specific rate order. Unamortized Reacquisition Premium on Debt This regulatory asset represents losses on long-term debt reacquired or redeemed in prior periods that have been deferred. These deferred losses are being amortized over the lives of the original issues in accordance with the rules of the FERC and the IURC. Environmental Costs These consist of various costs incurred to comply with environmental regulations. These costs were approved for recovery either through AES Indiana's ECCRA proceedings or in the 2018 Base Rate Order. Amortization periods vary, ranging from 3 to 43 years. COVID-19 Costs These cons |