Item 1. Financial Statements
Item 1. Financial Statements
Chesapeake Utilities Corporation and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(in thousands, except shares and per share data)
Operating Revenues
Regulated Energy $ 102,411 $ 90,980 $ 345,822 $ 311,064
Unregulated Energy and other 29,136 40,073 139,447 182,339
Total Operating Revenues 131,547 131,053 485,269 493,403
Operating Expenses
Natural gas and electric costs 26,518 21,248 105,692 88,264
Propane and natural gas costs 10,576 22,958 55,786 100,236
Operations 41,217 40,182 128,147 120,981
Transaction-related expenses 3,899 — 3,899 —
Maintenance 5,125 4,501 15,487 13,273
Depreciation and amortization 17,610 17,339 52,096 51,532
Other taxes 6,374 6,177 20,674 19,136
Total Operating Expenses 111,319 112,405 381,781 393,422
Operating Income 20,228 18,648 103,488 99,981
Other income (expense), net ( 72 ) 957 1,036 4,454
Interest charges 7,076 6,240 21,272 17,404
Income Before Income Taxes 13,080 13,365 83,252 87,031
Income Taxes 3,673 3,703 21,368 23,385
Net Income $ 9,407 $ 9,662 $ 61,884 $ 63,646
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding:
Basic 17,796,741 17,737,984 17,783,787 17,715,845
Diluted 17,857,784 17,819,373 17,847,288 17,797,001
Earnings Per Share of Common Stock:
Basic $ 0.53 $ 0.54 $ 3.48 $ 3.59
Diluted $ 0.53 $ 0.54 $ 3.47 $ 3.58
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
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Chesapeake Utilities Corporation and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited)
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(in thousands)
Net Income $ 9,407 $ 9,662 $ 61,884 $ 63,646
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), net of tax:
Employee Benefits, net of tax:
Reclassifications of amortization of prior service credit and actuarial loss, net of tax of $3, $6, $10 and $19, respectively 11 18 32 53
Cash Flow Hedges, net of tax:
Net (loss) gain on commodity contract cash flow hedges, net of tax of $525, $(1,083), $(250) and $(246), respectively 1,385 ( 2,865 ) ( 660 ) ( 613 )
Reclassifications of net loss (gain) on commodity contract cash flow hedges, net of tax $124, $(28), $76 and $(869), respectively 328 ( 74 ) 202 ( 2,294 )
Net gain on interest rate swap cash flow hedges, net of tax of $112, $54, $325 and $54, respectively 316 153 928 153
Reclassifications of net (gain) on interest rate swap cash flow hedges, net of tax of $(42), $0, $(92) and $0, respectively ( 118 ) — ( 260 ) —
Total Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), net of tax 1,922 ( 2,768 ) 242 ( 2,701 )
Comprehensive Income $ 11,329 $ 6,894 $ 62,126 $ 60,945
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
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Chesapeake Utilities Corporation and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)
Assets September 30,
2023 December 31,
2022
(in thousands, except shares and per share data)
Property, Plant and Equipment
Regulated Energy $ 1,916,585 $ 1,802,999
Unregulated Energy 404,924 393,215
Other businesses and eliminations 28,802 29,890
Total property, plant and equipment 2,350,311 2,226,104
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization ( 503,897 ) ( 462,926 )
Plus: Construction work in progress 61,843 47,295
Net property, plant and equipment 1,908,257 1,810,473
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents 1,793 6,204
Trade and other receivables 47,397 65,758
Less: Allowance for credit losses ( 2,405 ) ( 2,877 )
Trade and other receivables, net 44,992 62,881
Accrued revenue 15,229 29,206
Propane inventory, at average cost 7,001 9,365
Other inventory, at average cost 17,593 16,896
Regulatory assets 19,111 41,439
Storage gas prepayments 5,063 6,364
Income taxes receivable 5,340 2,541
Prepaid expenses 17,179 15,865
Derivative assets, at fair value 2,328 2,787
Other current assets 1,837 428
Total current assets 137,466 193,976
Deferred Charges and Other Assets
Goodwill 46,213 46,213
Other intangible assets, net 16,518 17,859
Investments, at fair value 11,084 10,576
Derivative assets, at fair value 425 982
Operating lease right-of-use assets 12,842 14,421
Regulatory assets 91,678 108,214
Receivables and other deferred charges 16,263 12,323
Total deferred charges and other assets 195,023 210,588
Total Assets $ 2,240,746 $ 2,215,037
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
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Chesapeake Utilities Corporation and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)
Capitalization and Liabilities September 30,
2023 December 31,
2022
(in thousands, except shares and per share data)
Capitalization
Stockholders’ equity
Preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (authorized 2,000,000 shares), no shares issued and outstanding $ — $ —
Common stock, par value $0.4867 per share (authorized 50,000,000 shares) 8,662 8,635
Additional paid-in capital 382,551 380,036
Retained earnings 476,601 445,509
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) ( 1,137 ) ( 1,379 )
Deferred compensation obligation 8,987 7,060
Treasury stock ( 8,987 ) ( 7,060 )
Total stockholders’ equity 866,677 832,801
Long-term debt, net of current maturities 643,801 578,388
Total capitalization 1,510,478 1,411,189
Current Liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt 20,000 21,483
Short-term borrowing 118,570 202,157
Accounts payable 53,729 61,496
Customer deposits and refunds 40,228 37,152
Accrued interest 4,985 3,349
Dividends payable 10,500 9,492
Accrued compensation 9,831 14,660
Regulatory liabilities 9,092 5,031
Derivative liabilities, at fair value 828 585
Other accrued liabilities 20,647 13,618
Total current liabilities 288,410 369,023
Deferred Credits and Other Liabilities
Deferred income taxes 264,541 256,167
Regulatory liabilities 145,092 142,989
Environmental liabilities 2,562 3,272
Other pension and benefit costs 17,133 16,965
Derivative liabilities, at fair value 101 1,630
Operating lease - liabilities 11,040 12,392
Deferred investment tax credits and other liabilities 1,389 1,410
Total deferred credits and other liabilities 441,858 434,825
Environmental and other commitments and contingencies (Notes 6 and 7)
Total Capitalization and Liabilities $ 2,240,746 $ 2,215,037
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
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Chesapeake Utilities Corporation and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
2023 2022
(in thousands)
Operating Activities
Net income $ 61,884 $ 63,646
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization 52,096 51,532
Depreciation and accretion included in other costs 8,562 8,280
Deferred income taxes 8,297 16,216
Realized gain on commodity contracts and sale of assets ( 883 ) ( 7,247 )
Unrealized (gain) loss on investments/commodity contracts ( 821 ) 2,358
Employee benefits and compensation 315 ( 780 )
Share-based compensation 4,857 4,705
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable and accrued revenue 31,866 30,692
Propane inventory, storage gas and other inventory 2,968 ( 3,338 )
Regulatory assets/liabilities, net 33,492 ( 27,454 )
Prepaid expenses and other current assets ( 2,765 ) 5,528
Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities ( 11,128 ) ( 809 )
Income taxes receivable/payable ( 2,799 ) ( 1,399 )
Customer deposits and refunds 3,076 1,337
Accrued compensation ( 5,103 ) ( 5,445 )
Other assets and liabilities, net ( 567 ) ( 1,812 )
Net cash provided by operating activities 183,347 136,010
Investing Activities
Property, plant and equipment expenditures ( 137,684 ) ( 98,028 )
Proceeds from sale of assets 2,651 3,544
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired — ( 2,006 )
Environmental expenditures ( 710 ) ( 637 )
Net cash used in investing activities ( 135,743 ) ( 97,127 )
Financing Activities
Common stock dividends ( 29,509 ) ( 25,867 )
Issuance of stock under the Dividend Reinvestment Plan, net of offering fees ( 28 ) 4,438
Tax withholding payments related to net settled stock compensation ( 2,455 ) ( 2,838 )
Change in cash overdrafts due to outstanding checks ( 2,157 ) ( 189 )
Net repayments under line of credit agreements ( 81,697 ) ( 54,289 )
Proceeds from long-term debt, net of offering fees 79,840 49,859
Repayment of long-term debt ( 16,009 ) ( 12,493 )
Net cash used in financing activities ( 52,015 ) ( 41,379 )
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents ( 4,411 ) ( 2,496 )
Cash and Cash Equivalents—Beginning of Period 6,204 4,976
Cash and Cash Equivalents—End of Period $ 1,793 $ 2,480
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
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Chesapeake Utilities Corporation and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity (Unaudited)
Common Stock (1)
(in thousands, except shares and per share data)
Number of
Shares (2)
Par
Value Additional Paid-In
Capital Retained
Earnings Accumulated
Other Comprehensive
Income (Loss) Deferred
Compensation Treasury
Stock Total
Balance at June 30, 2022 17,734,794 $ 8,632 $ 376,866 $ 428,833 $ 1,370 $ 7,018 $ ( 7,018 ) $ 815,701
Net income — — — 9,662 — — — 9,662
Other comprehensive loss — — — — ( 2,768 ) — — ( 2,768 )
Dividend declared ($0.535 per share) — — — ( 9,554 ) — — — ( 9,554 )
Issuance under various plans (3)
2,939 1 364 — — — — 365
Share-based compensation and tax benefit (4) (5)
1,052 1 1,031 — — — — 1,032
Treasury stock activities — — — — — ( 15 ) 15 —
Balance at September 30, 2022 17,738,785 $ 8,634 $ 378,261 $ 428,941 $ ( 1,398 ) $ 7,003 $ ( 7,003 ) $ 814,438
Balance at December 31, 2021 17,655,410 $ 8,593 $ 371,162 $ 393,072 $ 1,303 $ 7,240 $ ( 7,240 ) $ 774,130
Net income — — — 63,646 — — — 63,646
Other comprehensive loss — — — — ( 2,701 ) — — ( 2,701 )
Dividends declared ($1.550 per share) — — — ( 27,777 ) — — — ( 27,777 )
Issuance under various plans (3)
36,785 18 4,977 — — — — 4,995
Share-based compensation and tax benefit (4) (5)
46,590 23 2,122 — — — — 2,145
Treasury stock activities — — — — — ( 237 ) 237 —
Balance at September 30, 2022 17,738,785 $ 8,634 $ 378,261 $ 428,941 $ ( 1,398 ) $ 7,003 $ ( 7,003 ) $ 814,438
Balance at June 30, 2023 17,796,741 $ 8,662 $ 380,830 $ 477,795 $ ( 3,059 ) $ 9,001 $ ( 9,001 ) $ 864,228
Net income — — — 9,407 — — — 9,407
Other comprehensive loss — — — — 1,922 — — 1,922
Dividend declared ($0.590 per share) — — — ( 10,601 ) — — — ( 10,601 )
Issuance under various plans (3)
— — ( 2 ) — — — — ( 2 )
Share-based compensation and tax benefit (4) (5)
— — 1,723 — — — — 1,723
Treasury stock activities — — — — — ( 14 ) 14 —
Balance at September 30, 2023 17,796,741 $ 8,662 $ 382,551 $ 476,601 $ ( 1,137 ) $ 8,987 $ ( 8,987 ) $ 866,677
Balance at December 31, 2022 17,741,418 $ 8,635 $ 380,036 $ 445,509 $ ( 1,379 ) $ 7,060 $ ( 7,060 ) $ 832,801
Net income — — — 61,884 — — — 61,884
Other comprehensive loss — — — — 242 — — 242
Dividends declared ($1.715 per share) — — — ( 30,792 ) — — — ( 30,792 )
Issuance under various plans (3)
— — ( 21 ) — — — — ( 21 )
Share-based compensation and tax benefit (4) (5)
55,323 27 2,536 — — — — 2,563
Treasury stock activities — — — — — 1,927 ( 1,927 ) —
Balance at September 30, 2023 17,796,741 $ 8,662 $ 382,551 $ 476,601 $ ( 1,137 ) $ 8,987 $ ( 8,987 ) $ 866,677
(1) 2,000,000 shares of preferred stock at $ 0.01 par value have been authorized. No shares have been issued or are outstanding; accordingly, no information has been included in the statements of stockholders’ equity.
(2) Includes 106,960 , 108,143 , 107,659 , and 116,238 shares at September 30, 2023, December 31, 2022, September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively, held in a Rabbi Trust related to our Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan.
(3) Can include shares issued under the Retirement Savings Plan, DRIP and ATM equity issuances.
(4) Includes amounts for shares issued for directors’ compensation.
(5) The shares issued under the SICP are net of shares withheld for employee taxes. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, we withheld 19,859 and 21,832 shares, respectively, for employee taxes.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
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N OTES TO C ONDENSED C ONSOLIDATED F INANCIAL S TATEMENTS (U NAUDITED)
1. Summary of Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
References in this document to the “Company,” “Chesapeake Utilities,” “we,” “us” and “our” are intended to mean Chesapeake Utilities Corporation, its divisions and/or its subsidiaries, as appropriate in the context of the disclosure.
The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in compliance with the rules and regulations of the SEC and GAAP. In accordance with these rules and regulations, certain information and disclosures normally required for audited financial statements have been condensed or omitted. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, included in our latest Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. In the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all adjustments that are necessary for a fair presentation of our results of operations, financial position and cash flows for the interim periods presented.
Where necessary to improve comparability, prior period amounts have been changed to conform to current period presentation.
Due to the seasonality of our business, results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire fiscal year. Revenue and earnings are typically greater during the first and fourth quarters, when consumption of energy is highest due to colder temperatures.
FASB Statements and Other Authoritative Pronouncements
There are no pending or recently effective accounting standards which have had, or are expected to have, a material impact to our consolidated financial statements or disclosures.
2. Calculation of Earnings Per Share
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(in thousands, except shares and per share data)
Calculation of Basic Earnings Per Share:
Net Income $ 9,407 $ 9,662 $ 61,884 $ 63,646
Weighted average shares outstanding 17,796,741 17,737,984 17,783,787 17,715,845
Basic Earnings Per Share $ 0.53 $ 0.54 $ 3.48 $ 3.59
Calculation of Diluted Earnings Per Share:
Net Income $ 9,407 $ 9,662 $ 61,884 $ 63,646
Reconciliation of Denominator:
Weighted shares outstanding—Basic 17,796,741 17,737,984 17,783,787 17,715,845
Effect of dilutive securities—Share-based compensation 61,043 81,389 63,501 81,156
Adjusted denominator—Diluted 17,857,784 17,819,373 17,847,288 17,797,001
Diluted Earnings Per Share $ 0.53 $ 0.54 $ 3.47 $ 3.58
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3. Acquisitions
Acquisition of Florida City Gas
In September 2023, we entered into a definitive stock purchase agreement with NextEra Energy, Inc. to acquire FCG for approximately $ 923.0 million in cash, subject to certain working capital adjustments. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, subject to customary closing conditions and certain regulatory approvals, at which time FCG will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. FCG is a regulated utility that is expected to be included within our Regulated Energy segment.
FCG serves approximately 120,000 residential and commercial natural gas customers across eight counties in Florida, including Miami-Dade, Broward, Brevard, Palm Beach, Hendry, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River. Its natural gas system includes approximately 3,800 miles of distribution main and 80 miles of transmission pipe.
Simultaneous with execution of the definitive purchase agreement, we obtained a commitment for a 364-day bridge loan facility (the “Bridge Facility”) for up to $ 965.0 million to fund the acquisition. In October 2023, the Bridge Facility commitment was extended to include additional lending parties. The Bridge Facility may be utilized to finance the acquisition in whole or part, largely based upon the proceeds from any related debt and/or equity financings we undertake. For additional details related to the Bridge Facility see Note 15, Short-Term Borrowings.
Acquisition of Planet Found Energy Development
In October 2022, we acquired Planet Found Energy Development, LLC ("Planet Found") for $ 9.5 million. In connection with this acquisition, we recorded a $ 0.9 million liability which was subject to the seller's adherence to various provisions contained in the purchase agreement and was released after the first anniversary of the transaction closing. We accounted for this acquisition as a business combination within our Unregulated Energy segment beginning in the fourth quarter of 2022. Planet Found's farm scale anaerobic digestion pilot system and technology produces biogas from 1,200 tons of poultry litter annually, which can be used to create renewable energy in the form of electricity or upgraded to renewable natural gas. The transaction accelerated our efforts in converting poultry waste to renewable, sustainable energy while simultaneously improving the local environments in our service territories. The operating revenues and operating income of Planet Found were not material to our consolidated results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023.
In connection with this acquisition, we recorded $ 4.4 million in intangible assets associated primarily with intellectual property and non-compete agreements, $ 4.0 million in property plant and equipment, $ 1.1 million in goodwill, and less than $ 0.1 million in working capital, all of which are deductible for income tax purposes.
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4. Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue when our performance obligations under contracts with customers have been satisfied, which generally occurs when our businesses have delivered or transported natural gas, electricity or propane to customers. We exclude sales taxes and other similar taxes from the transaction price. Typically, our customers pay for the goods and/or services we provide in the month following the satisfaction of our performance obligation. The following tables display our revenue by major source based on product and service type for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022:
Three Months Ended September 30, 2023 Three Months Ended September 30, 2022
(in thousands) Regulated Energy Unregulated Energy Other and Eliminations Total Regulated Energy Unregulated Energy Other and Eliminations Total
Energy distribution
Delaware natural gas division $ 9,793 $ — $ — $ 9,793 $ 8,741 $ — $ — $ 8,741
Florida natural gas distribution (1)
38,323 — — 38,323 35,834 — — 35,834
FPU electric distribution 32,683 — — 32,683 25,199 — — 25,199
Maryland natural gas division 3,447 — — 3,447 2,881 — — 2,881
Sandpiper natural gas/propane operations 3,748 — — 3,748 3,893 — — 3,893
Elkton Gas 1,011 — — 1,011 1,168 — — 1,168
Total energy distribution 89,005 — — 89,005 77,716 — — 77,716
Energy transmission
Aspire Energy — 4,798 — 4,798 — 10,022 — 10,022
Aspire Energy Express 373 — — 373 373 — — 373
Eastern Shore 19,228 — — 19,228 18,804 — — 18,804
Peninsula Pipeline 7,904 — — 7,904 6,813 — — 6,813
Total energy transmission 27,505 4,798 — 32,303 25,990 10,022 — 36,012
Energy generation
Eight Flags — 4,437 — 4,437 — 7,414 — 7,414
Propane operations
Propane delivery operations — 23,197 — 23,197 — 27,923 — 27,923
Compressed Natural Gas Services
Marlin Gas Services — 2,595 — 2,595 — 2,642 — 2,642
Other and eliminations
Eliminations ( 14,099 ) ( 57 ) ( 5,879 ) ( 20,035 ) ( 12,726 ) ( 87 ) ( 7,886 ) ( 20,699 )
Other — — 45 45 — — 45 45
Total other and eliminations ( 14,099 ) ( 57 ) ( 5,834 ) ( 19,990 ) ( 12,726 ) ( 87 ) ( 7,841 ) ( 20,654 )
Total operating revenues (2)
$ 102,411 $ 34,970 $ ( 5,834 ) $ 131,547 $ 90,980 $ 47,914 $ ( 7,841 ) $ 131,053
(1) In accordance with the Florida PSC approval of our natural gas base rate proceeding, effective March 1, 2023, our natural gas distribution businesses in Florida (FPU, FPU-Indiantown division, FPU-Fort Meade division and Chesapeake Utilities' CFG division, collectively, “Florida natural gas distribution businesses”) have been consolidated for rate-making purposes and amounts above are now being presented on a consolidated basis consistent with the final rate order.
( 2) Total operating revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2023 include other revenue (revenues from sources other than contracts with customers) of $ 0.1 million and $ 0.1 million for our Regulated and Unregulated Energy segments, respectively, and $ 0.1 million for both our Regulated and Unregulated Energy segments for the three months ended September 30, 2022. The sources of other revenues include revenue from alternative revenue programs related to revenue normalization for the Maryland division and Sandpiper Energy and late fees.
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Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022
(in thousands) Regulated Energy Unregulated Energy Other and Eliminations Total Regulated Energy Unregulated Energy Other and Eliminations Total
Energy distribution
Delaware natural gas division $ 60,809 $ — $ — $ 60,809 $ 56,308 $ — $ — $ 56,308
Florida natural gas distribution (1)
125,446 — — 125,446 111,556 — — 111,556
FPU electric distribution 78,455 — — 78,455 64,593 — — 64,593
Maryland natural gas division 20,331 — — 20,331 17,717 — — 17,717
Sandpiper natural gas/propane operations 14,909 — — 14,909 15,777 — — 15,777
Elkton Gas 6,454 — — 6,454 6,239 — — 6,239
Total energy distribution 306,404 — — 306,404 272,190 — — 272,190
Energy transmission
Aspire Energy — 24,478 — 24,478 — 38,866 — 38,866
Aspire Energy Express 1,106 — — 1,106 1,004 — — 1,004
Eastern Shore 59,530 — — 59,530 58,000 — — 58,000
Peninsula Pipeline 22,408 — — 22,408 20,361 — — 20,361
Total energy transmission 83,044 24,478 — 107,522 79,365 38,866 — 118,231
Energy generation
Eight Flags — 14,269 — 14,269 — 18,868 — 18,868
Propane operations
Propane delivery operations — 110,492 — 110,492 — 137,997 — 137,997
Compressed Natural Gas Services
Marlin Gas Services — 9,834 — 9,834 — 7,231 — 7,231
Other and eliminations
Eliminations ( 43,626 ) ( 186 ) ( 19,576 ) ( 63,388 ) ( 40,491 ) ( 293 ) ( 20,592 ) ( 61,376 )
Other — — 136 136 — — 262 262
Total other and eliminations ( 43,626 ) ( 186 ) ( 19,440 ) ( 63,252 ) ( 40,491 ) ( 293 ) ( 20,330 ) ( 61,114 )
Total operating revenues (2)
$ 345,822 $ 158,887 $ ( 19,440 ) $ 485,269 $ 311,064 $ 202,669 $ ( 20,330 ) $ 493,403
(1) In accordance with the Florida PSC approval of our natural gas base rate proceeding, effective March 1, 2023, our natural gas distribution businesses in Florida (FPU, FPU-Indiantown division, FPU-Fort Meade division and Chesapeake Utilities' CFG division, collectively, “Florida natural gas distribution businesses”) have been consolidated for rate-making purposes and amounts above are now being presented on a consolidated basis consistent with the final rate order.
(2) Total operating revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 include other revenue (revenues from sources other than contracts with customers) of $ 0.9 million and $ 0.3 million for our Regulated and Unregulated Energy segments, respectively, and $ 0.2 million and $ 0.3 million for our Regulated and Unregulated Energy segments, respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The sources of other revenues include revenue from alternative revenue programs related to revenue normalization for the Maryland division and Sandpiper Energy and late fees.
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Contract Balances
The timing of revenue recognition, customer billings and cash collections results in trade receivables, unbilled receivables (contract assets), and customer advances (contract liabilities) in our condensed consolidated balance sheets. The balances of our trade receivables, contract assets, and contract liabilities as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 were as follows:
Trade Receivables Contract Assets (Current) Contract Assets (Non-current) Contract Liabilities (Current)
(in thousands)
Balance at 12/31/2022 $ 61,687 $ 18 $ 4,321 $ 983
Balance at 9/30/2023
42,988 18 3,589 1,207
Increase (Decrease) $ ( 18,699 ) $ — $ ( 732 ) $ 224
Our trade receivables are included in trade and other receivables in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Our current contract assets are included in other current assets in the condensed consolidated balance sheet. Our non-current contract assets are included in other assets in the condensed consolidated balance sheet and primarily relate to operations and maintenance costs incurred by Eight Flags that have not yet been recovered through rates for the sale of electricity to our electric distribution operation pursuant to a long-term service agreement.
At times, we receive advances or deposits from our customers before we satisfy our performance obligation, resulting in contract liabilities. Contract liabilities are included in other accrued liabilities in the condensed consolidated balance sheets and relate to non-refundable prepaid fixed fees for our Mid-Atlantic and North Carolina propane delivery operation's retail offerings. Our performance obligation is satisfied over the term of the respective customer retail program on a ratable basis. For the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, we recognized revenue of $ 0.1 million and $ 0.3 million, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, we recognized revenue of $ 0.5 million and $ 1.0 million, respectively.
Remaining Performance Obligations
Our businesses have long-term fixed fee contracts with customers in which revenues are recognized when performance obligations are satisfied over the contract term. Revenue for these businesses for the remaining performance obligations, at September 30, 2023, are expected to be recognized as follows:
(in thousands) 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 and thereafter
Eastern Shore and Peninsula Pipeline $ 9,776 $ 37,523 $ 30,894 $ 27,138 $ 24,163 $ 23,398 $ 188,498
Natural gas distribution operations 1,989 7,884 7,480 7,278 6,701 5,480 28,775
FPU electric distribution 163 652 275 275 275 275 —
Total revenue contracts with remaining performance obligations $ 11,928 $ 46,059 $ 38,649 $ 34,691 $ 31,139 $ 29,153 $ 217,273
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5. Rates and Other Regulatory Activities
Our natural gas and electric distribution operations in Delaware, Maryland and Florida are subject to regulation by their respective PSC; Eastern Shore, our natural gas transmission subsidiary, is subject to regulation by the FERC; and Peninsula Pipeline and Aspire Energy Express, our intrastate pipeline subsidiaries, are subject to regulation (excluding cost of service) by the Florida PSC and Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, respectively.
Refer to the additional details below pertaining to the Customer Information System Regulatory Asset Petition and COVID-19 impact.
Delaware
In September 2023, the Delaware Division submitted the first-in-the-state Energy Efficiency Rider application for natural gas with the Delaware PSC after obtaining an affirmative recommendation from the Delaware Energy Efficiency Advisory Council (“EEAC”). The application applies to a portfolio of four programs including, Home Energy Counseling, Home Performance with Energy Star, Assisted Home Performance with Energy Star, and standard Offer Program in which customers can participate and allow for recovery. In October 2023, the opening order in the docket was issued with comments due in December 2023.
Maryland
Ocean City Maryland Reinforcement: During the second quarter of 2022, we began construction of an extension of service into North Ocean City, Maryland. Our Delaware natural gas division and Sandpiper installed approximately 5.7 miles of pipeline across southern Sussex County, Delaware to Fenwick Island, Delaware and Worcester County, Maryland. The project reinforces our existing system in Ocean City, Maryland and enables incremental growth along the pipeline. Construction of this project was completed in the second quarter of 2023.
Florida
Wildlight Expansion: In August 2022, Peninsula Pipeline and FPU filed a joint petition with the Florida PSC for approval of its Transportation Service Agreement associated with the Wildlight planned community located in Nassau County, Florida. The project enables us to meet the significant growing demand for service in Yulee, Florida. The agreement will enable us to construct the project during the build-out of the community, and charge the reservation rate as each phase of the project goes into service. Construction of the pipeline facilities will occur in two separate phases. Phase one consists of three extensions with associated facilities, and a gas injection interconnect with associated facilities. Phase two will consist of two additional pipeline extensions. The various phases of the project commenced in the first quarter of 2023, with construction on the overall project continuing through 2025. The petition was approved by the Florida PSC in November 2022.
Natural Gas Rate Case: In May 2022, our natural gas distribution businesses in Florida filed a consolidated natural gas rate case with the Florida PSC. The application included a request for the following: (i) permanent rate relief of approximately $ 24.1 million, effective January 1, 2023, (ii) a depreciation study also submitted with filing; (iii) authorization to make certain changes to tariffs to include the consolidation of rates and rate structure across the businesses and to unify the Florida natural gas distribution businesses under FPU; (iv) authorization to retain the acquisition adjustment recorded at the time of the FPU merger in our revenue requirement; and (v) authorization to establish an environmental remediation surcharge for the purposes of addressing future expected remediation costs for FPU MGP sites. In August 2022, interim rates were approved by the Florida PSC in the amount of approximately $ 7.7 million on an annualized basis, effective for all meter readings in September 2022. The discovery process and subsequent hearings were concluded during the fourth quarter of 2022 and briefs were submitted during the same quarter of 2022. In January 2023, the Florida PSC approved the application for consolidation and permanent rate relief of approximately $ 17.2 million on an annual basis. Actual rates in connection with the rate relief were approved by the Florida PSC in February 2023 with an effective date of March 1, 2023.
Beachside Pipeline Extension: In June 2021, Peninsula Pipeline and, at that time, an unrelated party, Florida City Gas entered into a Transportation Service Agreement for an incremental 10,176 Dts/d of firm service in Indian River County, Florida, to support Florida City Gas’ growth along the Indian River's barrier island. As part of this agreement, Peninsula Pipeline constructed 11.3 miles of pipeline from its existing pipeline in the Sebastian, Florida area, traveling east under the Intercoastal Waterway and southward on the barrier island. The project was placed in-service during April 2023.
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St. Cloud / Twin Lakes Expansion: In July 2022, Peninsula Pipeline filed a petition with the Florida PSC for approval of its Transportation Service Agreement with FPU, for an additional 2,400 Dt/d of firm service in the St. Cloud, Florida area. As part of this agreement, Peninsula Pipeline will construct a pipeline extension and regulator station for FPU. The extension supports new incremental load due to growth in the area, including providing service, most immediately, to the residential development, Twin Lakes. The expansion also improves reliability and provides operational benefits to FPU's existing distribution system in the area, supporting future growth. The petition was approved by the Florida PSC in October 2022. The expansion was placed into service during the third quarter of 2023.
Storm Protection Plan: In 2020, the Florida PSC implemented the Storm Protection Plan ("SPP") and Storm Protection Plan Cost Recovery Clause ("SPPCRC") rules, which require electric utilities to petition the Florida PSC for approval of a Transmission and Distribution Storm Protection Plan that covers the utility’s immediate 10-year planning period with updates to the plan at least every 3 years. The SPPCRC rules allow the utility to file for recovery of associated costs for the SPP. Our Florida electric distribution operation’s SPP plan was filed during the first quarter of 2022 and approved in the fourth quarter of 2022 with modifications, by the Florida PSC. Rates associated with this initiative were effective in January 2023.
Lake Wales Pipeline Acquisition : In February 2023, Peninsula Pipeline filed a petition with the Florida PSC for approval of its Transportation Service Agreement with FPU for an additional 9,000 Dt/d of firm service in the Lake Wales, Florida area. The Commission approved the petition in April 2023. Approval of the agreement allowed Peninsula Pipeline to complete the acquisition of the existing pipeline in May 2023 which is being utilized to serve both current and new natural gas customers.
GUARD : In February 2023, FPU filed a petition with the Florida PSC for approval of the GUARD program. GUARD is a ten-year program to enhance the safety, reliability, and accessibility of portions of our natural gas distribution system. We identified various categories of projects to be included in GUARD, which include the relocation of mains and service lines located in rear easements and other difficult to access areas to the front of the street, the replacement of problematic distribution mains, service lines, and maintenance and repair equipment and system reliability projects. In August 2023, the Florida PSC approved the GUARD program, which included $ 205.0 million of capital expenditures projected to be spent over a 10-year period.
Newberry Expansion : In April 2023, Peninsula Pipeline filed a petition with the Florida PSC for approval of its Transportation Service Agreement with FPU for an additional 8,000 Dt/d of firm service in the Newberry, Florida area. Peninsula Pipeline will construct a pipeline extension, which will be used by FPU to support the development of a natural gas distribution system to provide gas service to the City of Newberry. The petition was approved by the Florida PSC in the third quarter of 2023.
Amendment to Escambia County Agreement : In April of 2023, Peninsula Pipeline filed a petition with the Florida PSC for approval of an amendment to an existing contract with FPU. This amendment will allow Peninsula Pipeline to construct an additional delivery point on a pipeline located in Escambia County. The additional delivery point comes at the request of an FPU customer and will be used to enhance natural gas service in the area. The amendment was approved by the Florida PSC in the third quarter of 2023.
Florida Electric Depreciation Study : The Florida PSC requires electric utilities to file a depreciation study every four years to reevaluate and set depreciation rates for the utility's plant assets. In June 2023, FPU filed a petition with the Florida PSC for approval of its proposed depreciation rates. If approved, new rates would become effective retroactively as of January 1, 2023.
Eastern Shore
Southern Expansion Project: In January 2022, Eastern Shore submitted a prior notice filing with the FERC pursuant to blanket certificate procedures, regarding its proposal to install an additional compressor unit and related facilities at Eastern Shore's compressor station in Bridgeville, Sussex County, Delaware. The project enables Eastern Shore to provide additional firm natural gas transportation service to an existing shipper on its pipeline system. The project obtained FERC approval in December 2022 and went into service in October 2023.
Capital Cost Surcharge : In December 2022, Eastern Shore submitted a filing with the FERC regarding a capital cost surcharge to recover capital costs associated with the replacement of existing Eastern Shore facilities as a result of mandated highway relocation projects as well as compliance with a Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
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Administration ("PHMSA") regulation. The capital cost surcharge mechanism was approved in Eastern Shore’s last rate case. In conjunction with the filing of this surcharge, a cumulative adjustment to the existing surcharge to reflect additional depreciation was included. The FERC issued an order approving the surcharge as filed on December 19, 2022. The combined revised surcharge became effective January 1, 2023.
Worcester Resiliency Upgrade: In August 2023, Eastern Shore filed an application with the FERC requesting authorization to construct the Worcester Resiliency Upgrade, which consists of a mixture of storage and transmission facilities in Sussex County, DE and Wicomico, Worcester, and Somerset Counties in Maryland. The project will provide long-term incremental supply necessary to support the growing demand of the participating shippers. Eastern Shore has requested certificate authorization by December 2024, with a target in-service date by the third quarter of 2025.
Various Jurisdictional Activity Related to the Joint Customer Information System Project
In July 2022, we filed a joint petition for our natural gas divisions in Maryland (Maryland Division, Sandpiper, and Elkton Gas) for the approval to establish a regulatory asset for non-capitalizable expenses related to the initial development and implementation of our new Customer Information System ("CIS") system. The petition was approved by the Maryland PSC in August 2022. A similar petition for our Florida Regulated Energy businesses was filed during the same time frame, however, the Florida PSC approved capitalization of these expenses in lieu of establishment of regulatory assets. Additionally, our Delaware Division has the ability to defer these costs as a regulatory asset. We have completed the system selection process and the CIS implementation began during the first quarter of 2023.
COVID-19 Impact
In March 2020, the CDC declared a national emergency due to the rapidly growing outbreak of COVID-19. In response to this declaration and the rapid spread of COVID-19 within the United States, federal, state and local governments throughout the country imposed varying degrees of restrictions on social and commercial activity to promote social distancing in an effort to slow the spread of the illness. These restrictions significantly impacted economic conditions in the United States in 2020 and continued to impact economic conditions, to a lesser extent, through 2021 and 2022. Chesapeake Utilities is considered an “essential business,” which allowed us to continue operational activities and construction projects with appropriate safety precautions and personal protective equipment, while being mindful of the social distancing restrictions that were in place.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions, we experienced reduced consumption of energy largely in the commercial and industrial sectors, higher bad debt expenses and incremental expenses associated with COVID-19, including expenditures associated with personal protective equipment and premium pay for field personnel. The additional operating expenses we incurred supported the ongoing delivery of our essential services during the height of the pandemic. In April and May 2020, we were authorized by the Maryland and Delaware PSCs, respectively, to record regulatory assets for COVID-19 related costs which offered us the ability to seek recovery of those costs. In July 2021, the Florida PSC issued an order that approved incremental expenses we incurred due to COVID-19. The order allowed us to establish a regulatory asset in a total amount of $ 2.1 million as of June 30, 2021 for natural gas and electric distribution operations. The regulatory asset is being amortized over two years and is recovered through the Purchased Gas Adjustment and Swing Service mechanisms for our natural gas distribution businesses and through the Fuel Purchased Power Cost Recovery clause for our electric division. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, our total COVID-19 regulatory asset balance was $ 0.5 million and $ 1.2 million, respectively.
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Summary TCJA Table
Customer rates for our regulated businesses were adjusted, as approved by the regulators, prior to 2020 with the exception of Elkton Gas, which implemented a one-time bill credit in May 2020. The following table summarizes the regulatory liabilities related to accumulated deferred taxes ("ADIT") associated with TCJA for our regulated businesses as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022:
Amount (in thousands)
Operation and Regulatory Jurisdiction September 30, 2023 December 31, 2022 Status
Eastern Shore (FERC) $ 34,190 $ 34,190 Will be addressed in Eastern Shore's next rate case filing.
Chesapeake Delaware natural gas division (Delaware PSC) $ 12,086 $ 12,230 PSC approved amortization of ADIT in January 2019.
Chesapeake Maryland natural gas division (Maryland PSC) $ 3,614 $ 3,703 PSC approved amortization of ADIT in May 2018.
Sandpiper Energy (Maryland PSC) $ 3,515 $ 3,597 PSC approved amortization of ADIT in May 2018.
Florida natural gas distribution (Florida PSC) (1)
$ 26,788 $ 27,179 PSC issued order authorizing amortization and retention of net ADIT liability by the Company in February 2019.
FPU electric division (Florida PSC) $ 4,818 $ 4,993 In January 2019, PSC issued order approving amortization of ADIT through purchased power cost recovery, storm reserve and rates.
Elkton Gas (Maryland PSC) $ 1,035 $ 1,059 PSC approved amortization of ADIT in March 2018.
(1) In accordance with the Florida PSC approval of our natural gas base rate proceeding, effective March 1, 2023, our natural gas distribution businesses in Florida have been consolidated for rate-making purposes and amounts above are now being presented on a consolidated basis consistent with the final rate order.
6. Environmental Commitments and Contingencies
We are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations governing environmental quality and pollution control. These laws and regulations require us to remove or remediate, at current and former operating sites, the effect on the environment of the disposal or release of specified substances.
MGP Sites
We have participated in the investigation, assessment or remediation of, and have exposures at, seven former MGP sites. We have received approval for recovery of clean-up costs in rates for sites located in Salisbury, Maryland; Seaford, Delaware; and Winter Haven, Key West, Pensacola, Sanford and West Palm Beach, Florida.
As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, we had approximately $ 3.5 million and $ 4.3 million, respectively, in environmental liabilities related to the former MGP sites. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, we have cumulative regulatory assets of $ 0.5 million and $ 0.8 million, respectively, for future recovery of environmental costs from customers. Specific to FPU’s four MGP sites in Key West, Pensacola, Sanford and West Palm Beach, FPU has approval for and has recovered, through a combination of insurance and customer rates, $ 14.0 million of its environmental costs related to its MGP sites as of September 30, 2023.
Environmental liabilities for our MGP sites are recorded on an undiscounted basis based on the estimate of future costs provided by independent consultants. We continue to expect that all costs related to environmental remediation and related activities, including any potential future remediation costs for which we do not currently have approval for regulatory recovery, will be recoverable from customers through rates.
Remediation is ongoing for the MGPs in Winter Haven and Key West in Florida and in Seaford, Delaware and the remaining clean-up costs are estimated to be between $ 0.3 million to $ 0.9 million for these three sites. The Environmental Protection Agency has approved a "site-wide ready for anticipated use" status for the Sanford, Florida MGP site, which is the final step before delisting a site. The remaining remediation expenses for the Sanford MGP site are immaterial.
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The remedial actions approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection have been implemented on the east parcel of our West Palm Beach Florida site. Similar remedial actions have been initiated on the site's west parcel, and construction of active remedial systems are expected to be completed in 2024.
7. Other Commitments and Contingencies
Natural Gas, Electric and Propane Supply
In March 2023, our Delmarva Peninsula natural gas distribution operations entered into asset management agreements with a third party to manage their natural gas transportation and storage capacity. The agreements were effective as of April 1, 2023 and expire in March 2026.
Our Florida natural gas distribution operations and Eight Flags generation facility have separate asset management agreements with Emera Energy Services, Inc. to manage their natural gas transportation capacity. These agreements are for a 10 -year term that commenced in November 2020 and expire in October 2030.
Additionally, our Florida natural gas distribution operations have firm transportation service contracts with FGT and Gulfstream. Pursuant to a capacity release program approved by the Florida PSC, all of the capacity under these agreements has been released to various third parties. Under the terms of these capacity release agreements, Chesapeake Utilities is contingently liable to FGT and Gulfstream should any party, that acquired the capacity through release, fail to pay the capacity charge. To date, Chesapeake Utilities has not been required to make a payment resulting from this contingency.
FPU’s electric supply contracts require FPU to maintain an acceptable standard of creditworthiness based on specific financial ratios. FPU’s agreement with Florida Power & Light Company requires FPU to meet or exceed a debt service coverage ratio of 1.25 times based on the results of the prior 12 months. If FPU fails to meet this ratio, it must provide an irrevocable letter of credit or pay all amounts outstanding under the agreement within five business days. FPU’s electric supply agreement with Gulf Power requires FPU to meet the following ratios based on the average of the prior six quarters: (a) funds from operations interest coverage ratio (minimum of two times), and (b) total debt to total capital (maximum of 65 percent). If FPU fails to meet the requirements, it has to provide the supplier a written explanation of actions taken, or proposed to be taken, to become compliant. Failure to comply with the ratios specified in the Gulf Power agreement could also result in FPU having to provide an irrevocable letter of credit. As of September 30, 2023, FPU was in compliance with all of the requirements of its fuel supply contracts.
Eight Flags provides electricity and steam generation services through its CHP plant located on Amelia Island, Florida. In June 2016, Eight Flags began selling power generated from the CHP plant to FPU pursuant to a 20 -year power purchase agreement for distribution to our electric customers. In July 2016, Eight Flags also started selling steam, pursuant to a separate 20 -year contract, to the landowner on which the CHP plant is located. The CHP plant is powered by natural gas transported by FPU through its distribution system and Peninsula Pipeline through its intrastate pipeline.
Corporate Guarantees
The Board of Directors has authorized us to issue corporate guarantees securing obligations of our subsidiaries and to obtain letters of credit securing our subsidiaries' obligations. The maximum authorized liability under such guarantees and letters of credit as of September 30, 2023 was $ 20.0 million. The aggregate amount guaranteed related to our subsidiaries at September 30, 2023 was approximately $ 14.2 million with the guarantees expiring on various dates through August 2024. In addition, the Board has authorized us to issue specific purpose corporate guarantees. The amount of specific purpose guarantees outstanding at September 30, 2023 was $ 4.0 million.
As of September 30, 2023, we have issued letters of credit totaling approximately $ 5.9 million related to the electric transmission services for FPU's electric division, the firm transportation service agreement between TETLP and our Delaware and Maryland divisions, the capacity agreement between NEXUS and Aspire, and our current and previous primary insurance carriers. These letters of credit have various expiration dates through September 2024 and to date, none have been used. We do not anticipate that the counterparties will draw upon these letters of credit, and we expect that they will be renewed to the extent necessary in the future.
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8. Segment Information
We use the management approach to identify operating segments. We organize our business around differences in regulatory environment and the operating results of each segment are regularly reviewed by the chief operating decision maker, our President and Chief Executive Officer, in order to make decisions about resources and to assess performance.
Our operations are entirely domestic and are comprised of two reportable segments:
• Regulated Energy . Includes energy distribution and transmission services (natural gas distribution, natural gas transmission and electric distribution operations). All operations in this segment are regulated, as to their rates and services, by the PSC having jurisdiction in each operating territory or by the FERC in the case of Eastern Shore.
• Unregulated Energy. Includes energy transmission, energy generation (the operations of our Eight Flags' CHP plant), propane distribution operations, mobile compressed natural gas distribution and pipeline solutions operations, and project development activities related to our sustainable energy initiatives. Also included in this segment are other unregulated energy services, such as energy-related merchandise sales and heating, ventilation and air conditioning, plumbing and electrical services. These operations are unregulated as to their rates and services.
The remainder of our operations are presented as “Other businesses and eliminations,” which consists of unregulated subsidiaries that own real estate leased to Chesapeake Utilities, as well as certain corporate costs not allocated to other operations.
The following table presents financial information about our reportable segments:
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(in thousands)
Operating Revenues, Unaffiliated Customers
Regulated Energy $ 101,911 $ 90,270 $ 344,190 $ 306,159
Unregulated Energy 29,636 40,783 141,079 187,244
Total operating revenues, unaffiliated customers $ 131,547 $ 131,053 $ 485,269 $ 493,403
Intersegment Revenues (1)
Regulated Energy $ 500 $ 710 $ 1,632 $ 4,905
Unregulated Energy 5,333 7,131 17,807 14,950
Other businesses 45 45 136 737
Total intersegment revenues $ 5,878 $ 7,886 $ 19,575 $ 20,592
Operating Income (Loss)
Regulated Energy $ 24,912 $ 23,663 $ 91,828 $ 84,202
Unregulated Energy ( 4,723 ) ( 5,056 ) 11,529 15,557
Other businesses and eliminations 39 41 131 222
Operating income 20,228 18,648 103,488 99,981
Other income (expense), net ( 72 ) 957 1,036 4,454
Interest charges 7,076 6,240 21,272 17,404
Income Before Income Taxes 13,080 13,365 83,252 87,031
Income Taxes 3,673 3,703 21,368 23,385
Net Income $ 9,407 $ 9,662 $ 61,884 $ 63,646
(1) All significant intersegment revenues are billed at market rates and have been eliminated from consolidated operating revenues.
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(in thousands) September 30, 2023 December 31, 2022
Identifiable Assets
Regulated Energy segment $ 1,737,163 $ 1,716,255
Unregulated Energy segment 451,064 463,239
Other businesses and eliminations 52,519 35,543
Total Identifiable Assets $ 2,240,746 $ 2,215,037
9. Stockholders' Equity
Common Stock Issuances
We maintain an effective shelf registration statement with the SEC for the issuance of shares under our DRIP and our previous ATM programs. Depending on our capital needs and subject to market conditions, in addition to other possible debt and equity offerings, we may issue additional shares under the direct stock purchase component of the DRIP. In 2022, we issued less than 0.1 million shares at an average price per share of $ 136.26 and received net proceeds of $ 4.5 million under the DRIP. In the first nine months of 2023, there were no issuances under the DRIP. Our most recent ATM equity program, which allowed us to issue and sell shares of our common stock up to an aggregate offering price of $ 75.0 million, expired in June 2023.
We use the net proceeds from our share issuances, after fees, for general corporate purposes, including, but not limited to, financing of capital expenditures, repayment of short-term debt, financing acquisitions, investing in subsidiaries, and general working capital purposes.
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Defined benefit pension and postretirement plan items, unrealized gains (losses) of our propane swap agreements designated as commodity contract cash flow hedges, and the unrealized gains (losses) of our interest rate swap agreements designated as cash flow hedges are the components of our accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). The following tables present the changes in the balances of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) components as of September 30, 2023 and 2022. All amounts in the following tables are presented net of tax.
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Defined Benefit Commodity Interest Rate
Pension and Contract Swap
Postretirement Cash Flow Cash Flow
Plan Items Hedges Hedges Total
(in thousands)
As of December 31, 2022 $ ( 2,506 ) $ 1,092 $ 35 $ ( 1,379 )
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications — ( 660 ) 928 268
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) 32 202 ( 260 ) ( 26 )
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss) 32 ( 458 ) 668 242
As of September 30, 2023 $ ( 2,474 ) $ 634 $ 703 $ ( 1,137 )
As of December 31, 2021 $ ( 3,268 ) $ 4,571 $ — $ 1,303
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications — ( 613 ) 153 ( 460 )
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) 53 ( 2,294 ) — ( 2,241 )
Net prior-period other comprehensive income (loss) 53 ( 2,907 ) 153 ( 2,701 )
As of September 30, 2022 $ ( 3,215 ) $ 1,664 $ 153 $ ( 1,398 )
Deferred gains or losses for our commodity contract and interest rate swap cash flow hedges are recognized in earnings upon settlement. Amortization of the net loss related to the defined benefit pension plan and postretirement plans is included in the computation of net periodic costs (benefits). See Note 10, Employee Benefit Plans , for additional details. Gains on commodity contracts classified as cash flow hedges related to our propane swaps are included in the effects of gains and losses from derivative instruments. See Note 12, Derivative Instruments , for additional details.
Amortization of defined benefit pension and postretirement plan items are included in other expense, net, gains and losses on commodity contracts are included in revenue and unregulated propane and natural gas costs, and the realized gain or loss on interest rate swap agreements is recognized as a component of interest charges in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income. The income tax effects of these items are included in income tax expense in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income.
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10. Employee Benefit Plans
Net periodic cost (benefit) for the FPU Pension Plan for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 is set forth in the following table:
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(in thousands)
Interest cost $ 633 $ 449 $ 1,899 $ 1,347
Expected return on plan assets ( 668 ) ( 857 ) ( 2,004 ) ( 2,571 )
Amortization of net loss 110 124 330 372
Total periodic cost (benefit) $ 75 $ ( 284 ) $ 225 $ ( 852 )
The following table presents the amounts included in the regulatory asset and accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) that were recognized as components of the FPU Pension Plan's net periodic cost (benefit) during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022:
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(in thousands)
Recognized from accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss (1)
$ 21 $ 24 $ 63 $ 72
Recognized from regulatory asset 89 100 267 300
Total net loss in net periodic cost (benefit) $ 110 $ 124 $ 330 $ 372
(1) See Note 9 , Stockholders' Equity .
Net periodic benefit costs for our other pension and postretirement benefit plans were not material for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022.
The components of our net periodic costs have been recorded or reclassified to other expense, net in the condensed consolidated statements of income. Pursuant to their respective regulatory orders, FPU and Chesapeake Utilities continue to record, as a regulatory asset, a portion of their unrecognized postretirement benefit costs related to their regulated operations. The portion of the unrecognized pension and postretirement benefit costs related to FPU’s unregulated operations and Chesapeake Utilities' operations is recorded to accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).
During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, there were no contributions to the FPU Pension Plan and we do not expect to contribute to the FPU Pension Plan during 2023. The Chesapeake SERP, the Chesapeake Postretirement Plan and the FPU Medical Plan are unfunded and are expected to be paid out of our general funds. Cash benefits paid under these other postretirement benefit plans for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 were approximately $ 0.2 million and $ 0.5 million, respectively. We expect to pay total cash benefits of less than $ 1.0 million for these other postretirement benefit plans in 2023.
Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan
Members of our Board of Directors and officers of the Company are eligible to participate in the Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan. Directors can elect to defer any portion of their cash or stock compensation and officers can defer up to 80 percent of their base compensation, cash bonuses or any amount of their stock bonuses (net of required withholdings). Officers may receive a matching contribution on their cash compensation deferrals up to 6 percent of their compensation, provided it does not duplicate a match they receive in the Retirement Savings Plan.
All obligations arising under the Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan are payable from our general assets, although we have established a Rabbi Trust to informally fund the plan. Deferrals of cash compensation may be
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invested by the participants in various mutual funds (the same options that are available in the Retirement Savings Plan). The participants are credited with gains or losses on those investments. Assets held in the Rabbi Trust, recorded as Investments on the condensed consolidated balance sheet, had a fair value of $ 11.1 million at September 30, 2023 and $ 10.6 million at December 31, 2022. The assets of the Rabbi Trust are at all times subject to the claims of our general creditors.
11. Share-Based Compensation
Our key employees and non-employee directors have been granted share-based awards through our SICP. We record these share-based awards as compensation costs over the respective service period for which services are received in exchange for an award of equity or equity-based compensation. The compensation cost is based primarily on the fair value of the shares awarded, using the estimated fair value of each share on the date it was granted, and the number of shares to be issued at the end of the service period.
The table below presents the amounts included in net income related to share-based compensation expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022:
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(in thousands)
Awards to key employees $ 1,724 $ 898 $ 4,164 $ 3,999
Awards to non-employee directors 214 252 693 706
Total compensation expense 1,938 1,150 4,857 4,705
Less: tax benefit ( 501 ) ( 297 ) ( 1,255 ) ( 1,214 )
Share-based compensation amounts included in net income $ 1,437 $ 853 $ 3,602 $ 3,491
Officers and Key Employees
Our Compensation Committee is authorized to grant our key employees the right to receive awards of shares of our common stock, contingent upon the achievement of established performance goals and subject to SEC transfer restrictions once awarded. Our President and CEO has the right to issue awards of shares of our common stock, to other officers and key employees of the Company, contingent upon various performance goals and subject to SEC transfer restrictions.
We currently have several outstanding multi-year performance plans, which are based upon the successful achievement of long-term goals, growth and financial results and comprise both market-based and performance-based conditions and targets. The fair value per share, tied to a performance-based condition or target, is equal to the market price per share on the grant date. For the market-based conditions, we used the Monte Carlo valuation to estimate the fair value of each share granted.
The table below presents the summary of the stock activity for awards to key employees for the nine months ended September 30, 2023:
Number of Shares Weighted Average
Fair Value
Outstanding—December 31, 2022 204,149 $ 103.17
Granted 80,752 $ 127.05
Vested ( 68,302 ) $ 91.59
Expired ( 2,053 ) $ 94.64
Forfeited ( 1,364 ) $ 114.90
Outstanding—September 30, 2023 213,182 $ 116.56
During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, we granted awards of 80,752 shares of common stock to officers and key employees under the SICP, including awards granted in February 2023 to key employees appointed to officer positions. The shares granted are multi-year awards that will vest no later than the three-year service period ending December 31, 2025. All of these stock awards are earned based upon the successful achievement of long-term financial results, which are comprised of market-based and performance-based conditions or targets. The fair value of
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each performance-based condition or target is equal to the market price of our common stock on the grant date of each award. For the market-based conditions, we used the Monte Carlo valuation to estimate the fair value of each market-based award granted.
In March 2023, upon the election by certain of our executive officers, we withheld shares with a value at least equivalent to each such executive officer’s minimum statutory obligation for applicable income and other employment taxes related to shares that vested and were paid in March 2023 for the performance period ended December 31, 2022. We paid the balance of such awarded shares to each such executive officer and remitted cash equivalent to the withheld shares to the appropriate taxing authorities. We withheld 19,859 shares, based on the value of the shares on their award date. Total combined payments for the employees’ tax obligations to the taxing authorities were approximately $ 2.5 million.
At September 30, 2023, the aggregate intrinsic value of the SICP awards granted to key employees was approximately $ 20.8 million. At September 30, 2023, there was approximately $ 8.6 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to these awards, which will be recognized through 2025.
Non-employee Directors
Shares granted to non-employee directors are issued in advance of the directors’ service periods and are fully vested as of the grant date. We record a deferred expense equal to the fair value of the shares issued and amortize the expense equally over a service period of one year or less.
Our directors receive an annual retainer of shares of common stock under the SICP for services rendered through the subsequent Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Accordingly, our directors that served on the Board as of May 2023 each received 765 shares of common stock, respectively, with a weighted average fair value of $ 124.12 per share.
At September 30, 2023, there was approximately $ 0.6 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to shares granted to non-employee directors. This expense will be recognized over the remaining service period ending in May 2024.
12. Derivative Instruments
We use derivative and non-derivative contracts to manage risks related to obtaining adequate supplies and the price fluctuations of natural gas, electricity and propane and to mitigate interest rate risk. Our natural gas, electric and propane distribution operations have entered into agreements with suppliers to purchase natural gas, electricity and propane for resale to our customers. Our natural gas gathering and transmission company has entered into contracts with producers to secure natural gas to meet its obligations. Purchases under these contracts typically either do not meet the definition of derivatives or are considered “normal purchases and normal sales” and are accounted for on an accrual basis. Our propane distribution operations may also enter into fair value hedges of their inventory or cash flow hedges of their future purchase commitments in order to mitigate the impact of wholesale price fluctuations. Occasionally, we may enter into interest rate swap agreements to mitigate risk associated with changes in short-term borrowing rates. As of September 30, 2023, our natural gas and electric distribution operations did not have any outstanding derivative contracts.
Volume of Derivative Activity
As of September 30, 2023, the volume of our commodity derivative contracts were as follows:
Business unit Commodity Contract Type Quantity hedged (in millions) Designation Longest Expiration date of hedge
Sharp Propane (gallons) Purchases 22.1 Cash flow hedges June 2026
Sharp Propane (gallons) Sales 6.3 Cash flow hedges March 2024
Sharp entered into futures and swap agreements to mitigate the risk of fluctuations in wholesale propane index prices associated with the propane volumes that are expected to be purchased and/or sold during the heating season. Under the futures and swap agreements, Sharp will receive the difference between (i) the index prices (Mont Belvieu prices in September 2023 through June 2026) and (ii) the per gallon propane swap prices, to the extent the index prices exceed the contracted prices. If the index prices are lower than the contract prices, Sharp will pay the difference. We
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designated and accounted for the propane swaps as cash flow hedges. The change in the fair value of the swap agreements is recorded as unrealized gain (loss) in other comprehensive income (loss) and later recognized in the statement of income in the same period and in the same line item as the hedged transaction. We expect to reclassify unrealized losses of approximately $ 0.8 million from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) related to our commodity cash flow hedges to earnings during the 12 -month period ended September 30, 2024.
Interest Rate Swap Activities
We manage interest rate risk by entering into derivative contracts to hedge the variability in cash flows attributable to changes in the short-term borrowing rates. In September 2022, we entered into an interest rate swap with a notional amount of $ 50.0 million through September 2025, with pricing of 3.98 percent.
Prior to August 2022, our short-term borrowing was based on the 30-day LIBOR rate. In August 2022, we amended and restated our revolver and transitioned the benchmark interest rate to the 30-day SOFR as a result of the expiration of LIBOR. Our prior interest rate swaps were cash settled monthly as the counter-party paid us the 30-day LIBOR rate less the fixed rate. Our interest rate swap is cash settled monthly as the counter-party pays us the 30-day SOFR rate less the fixed rate.
We designate and account for interest rate swaps as cash flow hedges. Accordingly, unrealized gains and losses associated with the interest rate swap are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). When the interest rate swap settles, the realized gain or loss is recorded in the income statement and is recognized as a component of interest charges.
Broker Margin
Futures exchanges have contract specific margin requirements that require the posting of cash or cash equivalents relating to traded contracts. Margin requirements consist of initial margin that is posted upon the initiation of a position, maintenance margin that is usually expressed as a percent of initial margin, and variation margin that fluctuates based on the daily mark-to-market relative to maintenance margin requirements. We currently maintain a broker margin account for Sharp which was classified within our Other Current Assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheet with a balance of $ 1.4 million as of September 30, 2023. At December 31, 2022, $ 0.1 million was classified in Other Current Liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet.
Financial Statements Presentation
The following tables present information about the fair value and related gains and losses of our derivative contracts. We did not have any derivative contracts with a credit-risk related contingency. Fair values of the derivative contracts recorded in the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, are as follows:
Derivative Assets
Fair Value As Of
(in thousands) Balance Sheet Location September 30, 2023 December 31, 2022
Derivatives designated as cash flow hedges
Propane swap agreements Derivative assets, at fair value $ 1,804 $ 3,317
Interest rate swap agreements Derivative assets, at fair value 949 452
Total Derivative Assets (1)
$ 2,753 $ 3,769
(1) Derivative assets, at fair value include $ 2.3 million and $ 2.8 million in current assets in the condensed consolidated balance sheet at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, with the remainder of the balance classified as long-term.
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Derivative Liabilities
Fair Value As Of
(in thousands) Balance Sheet Location September 30, 2023 December 31, 2022
Derivatives designated as cash flow hedges
Propane swap agreements Derivative liabilities, at fair value $ 929 $ 1,810
Interest rate swap agreements Derivative liabilities, at fair value — 405
Total Derivative Liabilities (1)
$ 929 $ 2,215
(1) Derivative liabilities, at fair value include $ 0.8 million and $ 0.6 million in current liabilities in the condensed consolidated balance sheet at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, with the remainder of the balance classified as long-term.
The effects of gains and losses from derivative instruments on the condensed consolidated financial statements are as follows:
Amount of Gain (Loss) on Derivatives
Location of Gain For the Three Months Ended September 30, For the Nine Months Ended September 30,
(in thousands) (Loss) on Derivatives 2023 2022 2023 2022
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Propane swap agreements Unregulated propane and natural gas costs $ — $ — $ — $ 56
Derivatives designated as cash flow hedges
Propane swap agreements Revenues — — 733 ( 826 )
Propane swap agreements Unregulated propane and natural gas costs ( 452 ) 102 ( 1,011 ) 3,932
Propane swap agreements Other comprehensive income (loss) 2,362 ( 4,050 ) ( 632 ) ( 4,022 )
Interest rate swap agreements
Interest expense 160 — 352 —
Interest rate swap agreements Other comprehensive income (loss) 268 207 901 207
Total $ 2,338 $ ( 3,741 ) $ 343 $ ( 653 )
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13. Fair Value of Financial Instruments
GAAP establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation methods used to measure fair value. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are the following:
Fair Value Hierarchy Description of Fair Value Level Fair Value Technique Utilized
Level 1 Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities. Investments - equity securities - The fair values of these trading securities are recorded at fair value based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical securities.
Investments - mutual funds and other - The fair values of these investments, comprised of money market and mutual funds, are recorded at fair value based on quoted net asset values of the shares.
Level 2 Quoted prices in markets that are not active, or inputs which are observable, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability. Derivative assets and liabilities - The fair value of the propane put/call options, propane and interest rate swap agreements are measured using market transactions for similar assets and liabilities in either the listed or over-the-counter markets.
Level 3 Prices or valuation techniques requiring inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable (i.e. supported by little or no market activity). Investments - guaranteed income fund - The fair values of these investments are recorded at the contract value, which approximates their fair value.
Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value
The following tables summarize our financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis and the fair value measurements, by level, within the fair value hierarchy as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022:
Fair Value Measurements Using:
As of September 30, 2023 Fair Value Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
(Level 1) Significant Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2) Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
(in thousands)
Assets:
Investments—equity securities $ 20 $ 20 $ — $ —
Investments—guaranteed income fund 1,481 — — 1,481
Investments—mutual funds and other 9,583 9,583 — —
Total investments 11,084 9,603 — 1,481
Derivative assets 2,753 — 2,753 —
Total assets $ 13,837 $ 9,603 $ 2,753 $ 1,481
Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities $ 929 $ — $ 929 $ —
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Fair Value Measurements Using:
As of December 31, 2022 Fair Value Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
(Level 1) Significant Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2) Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
(in thousands)
Assets:
Investments—equity securities $ 24 $ 24 $ — $ —
Investments—guaranteed income fund 1,853 — — 1,853
Investments—mutual funds and other 8,699 8,699 — —
Total investments 10,576 8,723 — 1,853
Derivative assets 3,769 — 3,769 —
Total assets $ 14,345 $ 8,723 $ 3,769 $ 1,853
Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities $ 2,215 $ — $ 2,215 $ —
The following table sets forth the summary of the changes in the fair value of Level 3 investments for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022:
Nine months ended September 30,
2023 2022
(in thousands)
Beginning Balance $ 1,853 $ 2,036
Purchases and adjustments — 133
Transfers — —
Distribution ( 397 ) ( 347 )
Investment income 25 24
Ending Balance $ 1,481 $ 1,846
Investment income from the Level 3 investments is reflected in other income, net in the condensed consolidated statements of income.
At September 30, 2023, there were no non-financial assets or liabilities required to be reported at fair value. We review our non-financial assets for impairment at least on an annual basis, as required.
Other Financial Assets and Liabilities
Financial assets with carrying values approximating fair value include cash and cash equivalents and accounts receivable. Financial liabilities with carrying values approximating fair value include accounts payable and other accrued liabilities and short-term debt. The fair value of cash and cash equivalents is measured using the comparable value in the active market and approximates its carrying value (Level 1 measurement). The fair value of short-term debt approximates the carrying value due to its near-term maturities and because interest rates approximate current market rates (Level 2 measurement).
At September 30, 2023, long-term debt, which includes current maturities but excludes debt issuance costs, had a carrying value of approximately $ 664.8 million, compared to the estimated fair value of $ 548.6 million. At December 31, 2022, long-term debt, which includes the current maturities but excludes debt issuance costs, had a carrying value of approximately $ 600.8 million, compared to a fair value of approximately $ 505.0 million. The fair value was calculated using a discounted cash flow methodology that incorporates a market interest rate based on published corporate borrowing rates for debt instruments with similar terms and average maturities, and with adjustments for duration, optionality, and risk profile. The valuation technique used to estimate the fair value of long-term debt would be considered a Level 2 measurement.
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14. Long-Term Debt
Our outstanding long-term debt is shown below:
September 30, December 31,
(in thousands) 2023 2022
Uncollateralized senior notes:
5.93% note, due October 31, 2023 $ 1,500 $ 3,000
5.68% note, due June 30, 2026 8,700 11,600
6.43% note, due May 2, 2028 3,500 4,200
3.73% note, due December 16, 2028 12,000 12,000
3.88% note, due May 15, 2029 30,000 35,000
3.25% note, due April 30, 2032 61,250 66,500
3.48% note, due May 31, 2038 50,000 50,000
3.58% note, due November 30, 2038 50,000 50,000
3.98% note, due August 20, 2039 100,000 100,000
2.98% note, due December 20, 2034 70,000 70,000
3.00% note, due July 15, 2035 50,000 50,000
2.96% note, due August 15, 2035 40,000 40,000
2.49% notes Due January 25, 2037 50,000 50,000
2.95% notes Due March 15, 2042 50,000 50,000
5.43% notes Due March 14, 2038 80,000 —
Equipment security note
2.46% note, due September 24, 2031 7,856 8,517
Less: debt issuance costs ( 1,005 ) ( 946 )
Total long-term debt 663,801 599,871
Less: current maturities ( 20,000 ) ( 21,483 )
Total long-term debt, net of current maturities $ 643,801 $ 578,388
Note Purchase Agreements
On March 14, 2023 we issued 5.43 percent Senior Notes due March 14, 2038 in the aggregate principal amount of $ 80.0 million and used the proceeds received from the issuances of the Senior Notes to reduce short-term borrowings under our Revolver credit facility and to fund capital expenditures. These Senior Notes have similar covenants and default provisions as our other Senior Notes, and have an annual principal payment beginning in the sixth year after the issuance.
Shelf Agreements
We have entered into Shelf Agreements with Prudential and MetLife, whom are under no obligation to purchase any unsecured debt. In February 2023, we amended our Shelf Agreements with Prudential and MetLife. The amended agreements expand the total borrowing capacity and extend the term of the agreements for an additional three years from the effective dates. The following table summarizes the current available capacity under our Shelf Agreements at September 30, 2023:
(in thousands) Total Borrowing Capacity Less: Amount of Debt Issued Less: Unfunded Commitments Remaining Borrowing Capacity
Shelf Agreements (1)
Prudential Shelf Agreement $ 405,000 $ ( 300,000 ) $ — $ 105,000
MetLife Shelf Agreement 200,000 ( 50,000 ) — 150,000
Total Shelf Agreements as of September 30, 2023
$ 605,000 $ ( 350,000 ) $ — $ 255,000
(1) The Prudential and MetLife Shelf Agreements both expire in February 2026.
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The Uncollateralized Senior Notes set forth certain business covenants to which we are subject when any note is outstanding, including covenants that limit or restrict our ability, and the ability of our subsidiaries, to incur indebtedness, or place or permit liens and encumbrances on any of our property or the property of our subsidiaries.
15. Short-Term Borrowings
We are authorized by our Board of Directors to borrow up to $ 375.0 million of short-term debt, as required. At September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, we had $ 118.6 million and $ 202.2 million, respectively, of short-term borrowings outstanding at a weighted average interest rate of 5.61 percent and 5.04 percent, respectively. Borrowings outstanding under the sustainable investment sublimit of the 364-day tranche amounted to $ 9.4 million at September 30, 2023.
In October 2023, August 2023 and August 2022, we entered into amendments to our Revolver which resulted in modifications to both tranches of the facility. The amendment in October 2023, allowed for a change in our funded indebtedness ratio from 65 percent to 70 percent during the quarter in which the acquisition of FCG is consummated and the quarter subsequent to the closing of the acquisition. The amendment in August 2023 served to renew the 364-day tranche of the Revolver, providing for $ 175.0 million of short-term debt capacity. Additionally, the amendment provided for the following: borrowings under the 364 days facility shall now bear interest (i) based upon the SOFR, plus a 10 -basis point credit spread adjustment, and an applicable margin of 1.05 percent or less, with such margin based on total indebtedness as a percentage of total capitalization or (ii) the base rate, as selected by our discretion. Further, the amendment provided that borrowings under the 364 days green loan shall now bear interest at (i) the SOFR rate plus a 10 -basis point credit spread adjustment and an applicable margin of 1.00 percent or less, with such margin based on total indebtedness as a percentage of total capitalization or (ii) the base rate plus 0.05 percent or less, as selected by our discretion. The amendment entered into in 2022 served to reset the benchmark interest rate to SOFR and to eliminate a previous covenant which capped our investment limit to $ 150.0 million for investments where we maintain less than 50 percent ownership.
The 364-day tranche of the Revolver expires in August 2024 and the five-year tranche expires in August 2026, both of which are available to fund our short-term cash needs to meet seasonal working capital requirements and to temporarily fund portions of our capital expenditures. Borrowings under both tranches of the Revolver are subject to a pricing grid, including the commitment fee and the interest rate charged based upon our total indebtedness to total capitalization ratio for the prior quarter. As of September 30, 2023, the pricing under the 364-day tranche of the Revolver included an unused commitment fee of 9 basis points and maintains an interest rate of 75 basis points over SOFR plus a 10 basis point SOFR adjustment. As of September 30, 2023, the pricing under the five-year tranche of the Revolver included an unused commitment fee of 9 basis points and an interest rate of 95 basis points over SOFR plus a 10 basis point SOFR adjustment.
The availability of funds under the Revolver is subject to conditions specified in the credit agreement, all of which we currently satisfy. These conditions include our compliance with financial covenants and the continued accuracy of representations and warranties contained in the Revolver's loan documents. We are required by the financial covenants in the Revolver to maintain, at the end of each fiscal year, a funded indebtedness ratio of no greater than 65 percent. As of September 30, 2023, we were in compliance with this covenant.
Our total available credit under the Revolver at September 30, 2023 was $ 250.5 million. As of September 30, 2023, we had issued $ 5.9 million in letters of credit to various counterparties under the Revolver. These letters of credit are not included in the outstanding short-term borrowings and we do not anticipate that they will be drawn upon by the counterparties. The letters of credit reduce the available borrowings under the Revolver.
In connection with our acquisition of FCG, we entered into a 364-day Bridge Facility commitment with Barclays Bank PLC for up to $ 965.0 million. In October 2023, the Bridge Facility commitment was extended to include additional lending parties.
For additional information on interest rate swaps related to our short-term borrowings, see Note 12, Derivative Instruments .
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16. Leases
We have entered into lease arrangements for office space, land, equipment, pipeline facilities and warehouses. These lease arrangements enable us to better conduct business operations in the regions in which we operate. Office space is leased to provide adequate workspace for our employees in several locations throughout our service territories. We lease land at various locations throughout our service territories to enable us to inject natural gas into underground storage and distribution systems, for bulk storage capacity, for our propane operations and for storage of equipment used in repairs and maintenance of our infrastructure. We lease natural gas compressors to ensure timely and reliable transportation of natural gas to our customers. We also lease warehouses to store equipment and materials used in repairs and maintenance for our businesses.
Some of our leases are subject to annual changes in the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”). While lease liabilities are not re-measured as a result of changes to the CPI, changes to the CPI are treated as variable lease payments and recognized in the period in which the obligation for those payments was incurred. A 100-basis-point increase in CPI would not have resulted in material additional annual lease costs. Most of our leases include options to renew, with renewal terms that can extend the lease term from one to 25 years or more. The exercise of lease renewal options is at our sole discretion. The amounts disclosed in our consolidated balance sheet at September 30, 2023, pertaining to the right-of-use assets and lease liabilities, are measured based on our current expectations of exercising our available renewal options. Our existing leases are not subject to any restrictions or covenants that would preclude our ability to pay dividends, obtain financing or enter into additional leases. As of September 30, 2023, we have not entered into any leases, which have not yet commenced, that would entitle us to significant rights or create additional obligations. The following table presents information related to our total lease cost included in our condensed consolidated statements of income:
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
(in thousands) Classification 2023 2022 2023 2022
Operating lease cost (1)
Operations expense $ 750 $ 743 $ 2,318 $ 2,121
(1) Includes short-term leases and variable lease costs, which are immaterial .
The following table presents the balance and classifications of our right of use assets and lease liabilities included in our condensed consolidated balance sheet at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022:
(in thousands) Balance sheet classification September 30, 2023 December 31, 2022
Assets
Operating lease assets Operating lease right-of-use assets $ 12,842 $ 14,421
Liabilities
Current
Operating lease liabilities Other accrued liabilities $ 2,359 $ 2,552
Noncurrent
Operating lease liabilities Operating lease - liabilities 11,040 12,392
Total lease liabilities $ 13,399 $ 14,944
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The following table presents our weighted-average remaining lease terms and weighted-average discount rates for our operating leases at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022:
September 30, 2023 December 31, 2022
Weighted-average remaining lease term ( in years )
Operating leases 8.29 8.54
Weighted-average discount rate
Operating leases 3.5 % 3.4 %
The following table presents additional information related to cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities included in our condensed consolidated statements of cash flows as of September 30, 2023 and 2022:
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
(in thousands) 2023 2022
Operating cash flows from operating leases $ 2,196 $ 2,124
The following table presents the future undiscounted maturities of our operating and financing leases at September 30, 2023 and for each of the next five years and thereafter:
(in thousands) Operating Leases (1)
Remainder of 2023 $ 699
2024 2,647
2025 2,265
2026 1,753
2027 1,571
2028 1,192
Thereafter 5,243
Total lease payments 15,370
Less: Interest ( 1,971 )
Present value of lease liabilities $ 13,399
(1) Operating lease payments include $ 2.1 million related to options to extend lease terms that are reasonably certain of being exercised.
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