NEW JERSEY RESOURCES CORP

Natural Gas Distribution

Natural Gas Distribution is comprised of NJNG, a natural gas utility that provides regulated natural gas service throughout Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, and Sussex counties in New Jersey to approximately 581,600 residential and commercial customers in its service territory and also participates in the off-system sales and capacity release markets. The business is subject to various risks, which may include but are not limited to impacts to customer growth and customer usage, customer collections, the timing and costs of capital expenditures and construction of infrastructure projects, operating and financing costs, fluctuations in commodity prices and customer conservation efforts. In addition, NJNG may be subject to adverse economic conditions such as inflation and rising natural gas costs, certain regulatory actions, environmental remediation and severe weather conditions. It is often difficult to predict the impact of events or trends associated with these risks.

NJNG’s business is seasonal by nature, as weather conditions directly influence the volume of natural gas delivered to customers on an annual basis. Specifically, customer demand substantially increases during the winter months when natural gas is used for heating purposes. As a result, NJNG generates most of its natural gas distribution revenues during the first and second fiscal quarters and is subject to variations in earnings and working capital during the fiscal year.

As a regulated company, NJNG is required to recognize the impact of regulatory decisions on its financial statements. See Note 4. Regulation in the accompanying Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for a more detailed discussion of regulatory actions, including filings related to programs and associated expenditures, as well as rate requests related to recovery of capital investments and operating costs.

Part I

NJNG’s operations are managed with the goal of providing safe and reliable service, growing its customer base, diversifying its Utility Gross Margin, promoting clean energy programs and mitigating the risks discussed above.

Base Rate Case

On January 31, 2024, NJNG filed a base rate case with the BPU requesting a natural gas revenue increase of $222.6M including a recovery of infrastructure investments, a change in the Company’s overall rate of return on rate base to 7.57% and a change in the return on common equity to 10.42%.

Infrastructure Projects

NJNG has significant annual capital expenditures associated with the management of its natural gas distribution and transmission system, including new utility plant expenditures associated with customer growth and its associated pipeline integrity management and infrastructure programs. Below is a summary of NJNG’s capital expenditures, including accruals, for the six months ended March 31, 2024, and estimates of expected investments for fiscal 2024 and 2025:

Estimated capital expenditures are reviewed on a regular basis and may vary based on the ongoing effects of regulatory oversight, environmental regulations, unforeseen events and the ability to access capital.

NJNG continues to implement BPU-approved infrastructure projects that are designed to enhance the reliability and integrity of NJNG’s natural gas distribution system.

Infrastructure Investment Program

In October 2020, the BPU approved NJNG’s five-year IIP filing for $150.0M of transmission and distribution investments, effective November 1, 2020, which will be recovered through annual filings to adjust base rates.

In September 2023, the BPU approved NJNG's annual IIP filing, which requested a rate increase for capital expenditures of $28.2M through June 30, 2023, which resulted in a $3.2M revenue increase, effective October 1, 2023.

On March 28, 2024, NJNG submitted its annual IIP filing to the BPU requesting a rate increase for capital expenditures of $43.5M through June 30, 2024, which will result in a $5.6M revenue increase, with a proposed effective date of October 1, 2024.

Part I

Customer Growth

In conducting NJNG's business, management focuses on factors it believes may have significant influence on its future financial results. NJNG's policy is to work with all stakeholders, including customers, regulators and policymakers, to achieve favorable results. These factors include the rate of NJNG's customer growth in its service territory, which can be influenced by political and regulatory policies, the delivered cost of natural gas compared with competing fuels, interest rates and general economic and business conditions.

NJNG's total customers include the following:

During the six months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, NJNG added 4,058 and 4,064 new customers, respectively. NJNG expects new customer additions, and those customers who added additional natural gas services to their premises to contribute approximately $3.4M of incremental Utility Gross Margin on an annualized basis.

Energy Efficiency Programs

SAVEGREEN conducts home energy audits and provides various grants, incentives and financing alternatives designed to encourage the installation of high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment and other energy efficiency upgrades. Depending on the specific incentive or approval, NJNG recovers costs associated with the programs over a three- to 10-year period through a tariff rider mechanism. In March 2021, the BPU approved a three-year SAVEGREEN program consisting of approximately $126.1M of direct investment, $109.4M in financing options, and approximately $23.4M in O&M.

In September 2023, the BPU approved an increase to the energy efficiency rate for the SAVEGREEN programs established from 2010 through the present, which increased annual recoveries by $9.0M, effective October 1, 2023.

On November 9, 2023, NJNG filed a letter of petition seeking BPU approval to extend NJNG’s current SAVEGREEN program through December 31, 2024, with an additional $76.9M in order to meet customer demand for this program, which was approved by the BPU on April 30, 2024.

On December 1, 2023, NJNG filed a petition seeking BPU approval of its 2024 SAVEGREEN program, which would support new energy efficiency, demand response and building decarbonization start-up programs for two and a half-years starting January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027. The 2024 SAVEGREEN program filing, which totals $482.4M, includes $245.1M of direct investment, $217.2M in financing options and $20.1M in O&M.

Program recoveries from customers during the six months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, were $15.1M and $8.5M, respectively. The recovery includes a weighted average cost of capital that ranges from 6.84% to 6.9%, with a return on equity of 9.6% to 9.75%.

Part I

Conservation Incentive Program/BGSS

The CIP facilitates normalizing NJNG’s Utility Gross Margin for variances not only due to weather but also for other factors affecting customer usage, such as conservation and energy efficiency. Recovery of Utility Gross Margin for the non-weather variance through the CIP is limited to the amount of certain natural gas supply cost savings achieved and is subject to a variable margin revenue test. Additionally, recovery of the CIP Utility Gross Margin is subject to an annual earnings test. An annual review of the CIP must be filed by June 1, coincident with NJNG’s annual BGSS filing, during which NJNG can request rate changes to the CIP.

NJNG's total utility firm gross margin includes the following adjustments related to the CIP mechanism:

(1)Compared with the 20-year average, weather was 12.4% and 10.8% warmer-than-normal during the three and six months ended March 31, 2024 and 21.2% and 13.1% warmer-than-normal during the three and six months ended March 31, 2023.

Recovery of Natural Gas Costs

NJNG’s cost of natural gas is passed through to our customers, without markup, by applying NJNG’s authorized BGSS rate to actual therms delivered. There is no Utility Gross Margin associated with BGSS costs; therefore, changes in such costs do not impact NJNG’s earnings. NJNG monitors its actual natural gas costs in comparison to its BGSS rates to manage its cash flows associated with its allowed recovery of natural gas costs, which is facilitated through BPU-approved deferred accounting and the BGSS pricing mechanism. Accordingly, NJNG occasionally adjusts its periodic BGSS rates or can issue credits or refunds, as appropriate, for its residential and small commercial customers when the commodity cost varies from the existing BGSS rate. BGSS rates for its large commercial customers are adjusted monthly based on NYMEX prices.

NJNG’s residential and commercial markets are currently open to competition, and its rates are segregated between BGSS (i.e., natural gas commodity) and delivery (i.e., transportation) components. NJNG earns Utility Gross Margin through the delivery of natural gas to its customers and, therefore, is not negatively affected by customers who use its transportation service and purchase natural gas from another supplier. Under an existing order from the BPU, BGSS can be provided by suppliers other than the state’s natural gas utilities; however, customers who purchase natural gas from another supplier continue to use NJNG for transportation service.

In April 2023, the BPU approved on a final basis, NJNG’s February 2023 filing for a reduction to the BGSS rate, which reduced annual recoveries by approximately $29.9M, effective March 1, 2023. NJNG’s February 2023 filing also advised the BPU of a bill credit for residential and small commercial customers. Total bill credits given back to customers from March 2023 through May 2023, totaled approximately $32.4M.

In September 2023, the BPU approved, on a provisional basis, NJNG's annual BGSS filing to decrease the annual revenues credited to BGSS by approximately $38.6M, a $7.4M annual decrease related to its balancing charge, and a $27.0M increase to CIP rates, effective October 1, 2023, which was approved on a final basis by the BPU on April 30, 2024. The balancing charge rate includes the cost of balancing natural gas deliveries with customer usage for sales and transportation customers, and balancing charge revenues are credited to BGSS.

BGSS Incentive Programs

NJNG is eligible to receive financial incentives for reducing BGSS costs through a series of Utility Gross Margin-sharing programs that include off-system sales, capacity release and storage incentive programs. These programs are designed to encourage better utilization and hedging of NJNG’s natural gas supply, transportation and storage assets. Depending on the program, NJNG shares 80 or 85% of Utility Gross Margin generated by these programs with firm customers. Utility Gross Margin from incentive programs was approximately $7.9M and $5.8M during the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and $13.3M and $14.5M during the six months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Part I

Hedging

In order to provide relative price stability to its natural gas supply portfolio, NJNG employs a hedging strategy with the goal of having at least 75% of the Company's projected winter periodic BGSS natural gas sales volumes hedged by each November 1 and at least 25% of the projected periodic BGSS natural gas sales hedged for the following April through March period. The hedging goal is typically achieved with gas in storage and the use of financial instruments to hedge storage injections. NJNG may also use various financial instruments including futures, swaps, options and weather related products to hedge its future delivery obligations.

Commodity Prices

NJNG is affected by the price of natural gas, which can have a significant impact on our cash flows, short-term financing costs, the price of natural gas charged to our customers through the BGSS clause, our ability to collect accounts receivable, which impacts our bad debt expense, and our ability to maintain a competitive advantage over other energy sources. Natural gas commodity prices are shown in the graph below, which illustrates the daily natural gas prices(1) in the Northeast market region, also known as TETCO M-3.

(1) Data sourced from Standard & Poor's Financial Services, LLC Global Platts.

The maximum price per MMBtu was $20.98 and $32.46 and the minimum price was $0.89 and $0.67 for the six months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. A more detailed discussion of the impacts of the price of natural gas on operating revenues, natural gas purchases and cash flows can be found in the Operating Resultsand Cash Flow sections of Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Societal Benefits Charge

NJNG’s qualifying customers are eligible for the USF program, which is administered by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, to help make energy bills more affordable.

In April 2023, the BPU approved, NJNG's annual SBC filing, which included an increase to the RAC annual recoveries of approximately $3.7M and a decrease to the NJCEP annual recoveries of approximately $0.9M, effective May 1, 2023.

In September 2023, the BPU approved NJNG's annual USF filing, which included an increase to the statewide USF rate, of approximately $0.7M, effective October 1, 2023.

Part I

On March 20, 2024, the BPU approved NJNG's annual SBC filing of RAC expenditures through June 30, 2023, which included an increase to the RAC annual recoveries of approximately $2.4M and an increase to the NJCEP annual recoveries of approximately $5.5M, effective April 1, 2024.

Environmental Remediation

NJNG is responsible for the environmental remediation of former MGP sites, which contain contaminated residues from former gas manufacturing operations that ceased operating at these sites by the mid-1950s and, in some cases, had been discontinued many years earlier. Actual MGP remediation costs may vary from management’s estimates due to the developing nature of remediation requirements, regulatory decisions by the NJDEP and related litigation. NJNG reviews these costs at the end of each fiscal year and adjusts its liability and corresponding regulatory asset as necessary to reflect its expected future remediation obligation. Accordingly, NJNG recognized a regulatory asset and an obligation of $157.8M as of March 31, 2024, a decrease of $11.6M compared with the prior fiscal period. See Note 13. Commitments and Contingent Liabilities for more details.

Other regulatory filings and a more detailed discussion of the filings in this section can be found in Note 4. Regulation in the accompanying Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

NJNG's operating results are as follows:

(1)Includes nonutility revenue of approximately $0.3M and $0.7M for both the three and six months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, for lease agreements with various NJR subsidiaries leasing office space from NJNG at the Company’s headquarters, which are eliminated in consolidation.

(2)Includes the purchased cost of the natural gas, fees paid to pipelines and storage facilities, adjustments as a result of BGSS incentive programs and hedging transactions. These expenses are passed through to customers and are offset by corresponding revenues.

(3)Includes related party transactions of approximately $2.3M for both the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, and $4.7M and $4.6M for the six months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, a portion of which is eliminated in consolidation.

(4)Consists of expenses associated with state-mandated programs, the RAC and energy efficiency programs, and are calculated on a per-therm basis. These expenses are passed through to customers and are offset by corresponding revenues.

Operating Revenues and Natural Gas Purchases

Operating revenues increased 15.6% and natural gas purchases increased 30.2% during the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared with the three months ended March 31, 2023. Operating revenues decreased 0.3% and natural gas purchases decreased 5.3% during the six months ended March 31, 2024, compared with the six months ended March 31, 2023.

Part I

The factors contributing to the increases and decreases in operating revenues and natural gas purchases are as follows:

(1)Rider and other includes changes in rider rates, including those related to Energy Efficiency, NJCEP and other programs, which is offset in regulatory rider expense.

Management uses Utility Gross Margin, a non-GAAP financial measure, when evaluating the operating results of NJNG. NJNG's Utility Gross Margin is defined as operating revenues less natural gas purchases, sales tax, and regulatory rider expenses. This measure differs from gross margin as presented on a GAAP basis as it excludes certain operations and maintenance expense and depreciation and amortization. Utility Gross Margin may also not be comparable to the definition of gross margin used by others in the natural gas distribution business and other industries. Management believes that Utility Gross margin provides a meaningful basis for evaluating utility operations since natural gas costs, sales tax and regulatory rider expenses are included in operating revenues and passed through to customers and, therefore, have no effect on Utility Gross Margin. Non-GAAP financial measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative to, GAAP and should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, the comparable GAAP measure.

Utility Gross Margin

A reconciliation of gross margin, the closest GAAP financial measure to NJNG's Utility Gross Margin, is as follows:

(1)Excludes SG&A of approximately $30.0M and $27.8M for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and $58.9M and $51.2M for the six months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Part I

Utility Gross Margin consists of three components:

•Utility firm gross margin generated from only the delivery component of either a sales tariff or a transportation tariff from residential and commercial customers who receive natural gas service from NJNG;

•BGSS incentive programs, where revenues generated or savings achieved from BPU-approved off-system sales, capacity release or storage incentive programs are shared between customers and NJNG; and

•Utility Gross Margin generated from off-tariff customers, as well as interruptible customers.

The following provides more information on the components of Utility Gross Margin and associated throughput (Bcf) of natural gas delivered to customers:

Utility Firm Gross Margin

Utility firm gross margin increased approximately $6.1M and $10.5M during the three and six months ended March 31, 2024, compared with the three and six months ended March 31, 2023, due primarily to increased residential customers.

The factors contributing to the change in Utility Gross Margin generated by BGSS incentive programs are as follows:

BGSS incentive programs increased during the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared with the three months ended March 31, 2023, due primarily to increased margins from off-system sales due to increased market volatility during periods of cold weather during January 2024. BGSS incentive programs decreased during the six months ended March 31, 2024, compared with the six months ended March 31, 2023, due primarily to decreased margins from storage due to reduced market volatility and off-system sales due to less volatile natural gas prices related to Winter Storm Elliott in December 2022 that did not reoccur.

Net Income

Net income increased approximately $6.4M during the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared with the three months ended March 31, 2023, due primarily to the following factors:

•$8.3M increase in Utility Gross Margin, as previously discussed; and

•$2.8M increase in other income, net due primarily to the remeasurement of the Company's other postretirement benefits along with increased AFUDC equity; partially offset by

•$2.1M increase in depreciation expense as a result of additional utility plant being placed into service; and

•$1.1M increase in O&M due to higher employee related expenses and information technology costs.

Part I

Net income increased approximately $3.2M during the six months ended March 31, 2024, compared with the six months ended March 31, 2023, due primarily to the following factors:

•$9.4M increase in Utility Gross Margin; and

•$2.9M increase in other income, net; partially offset by

•$6.1M increase in O&M; and

•$4.2M increase in depreciation expense, as previously discussed.