MGE ENERGY INC

y Assets and Liabilities - MGE Energy and MGE.

The following regulatory assets and liabilities are reflected in MGE's consolidated balance sheets as of December 31:

MGE expects to recover its regulatory assets and return its regulatory liabilities through rates charged to customers based on PSCW decisions made during the ratemaking process or based on PSCW long-standing policies and guidelines. The adjustments to rates for these regulatory assets and liabilities will occur over the periods either specified by the PSCW or over the corresponding period related to the asset or liability. Management believes it is probable that MGE will continue to recover from customers the regulatory assets described above based on prior and current ratemaking treatment for such costs. All regulatory assets for which a cash outflow had been made are earning a return.

Asset Retirement Obligation (ARO)

The recovery of the underlying asset investments and related removal and monitoring costs of recorded AROs is approved by the PSCW in depreciation rates. MGE records a regulatory asset and a regulatory liability for timing differences between the recognition of AROs for financial reporting purposes and the recovery of these costs from customers. The recovery period approximates the useful life of the assets to be removed. See Footnote 17 for a discussion of asset retirement obligations.

Bad debt expense

In March 2020, the PSCW issued an order authorizing deferral of expenditures incurred to ensure the provision of safe, reliable, and affordable access to utility services during the COVID-19 pandemic and late payment charges. Expenditures include items such as bad debt expense. Recovery of these expenditures is occurring during 2024 and 2025. Beginning in 2021, the PSCW approved MGE to defer any differential between bad debt expense reflected in rates and actual costs incurred in its next rate filing.

Debt Related Costs

This balance includes debt issuance costs of extinguished debt and other debt related expenses, including make-whole premiums paid on redemptions of long-term debt. The PSCW has allowed rate recovery on unamortized issuance costs for extinguished debt facilities. When the facility replacing the old facility is deemed by the PSCW to be more favorable for the ratepayers, the PSCW will allow rate recovery of any unamortized issuance costs related to the old facility.

Derivatives

MGE has physical and financial contracts that are accounted for as derivatives. The amounts recorded for the net mark-to-market value of the commodity based contracts is offset with a corresponding regulatory asset or liability because these transactions are part of the PGA or fuel rules clause authorized by the PSCW. See Footnote 18 for further discussion.

Fuel Costs/Savings

See Footnote 9.b. for discussion regarding the rules affecting our fuel-related costs.

Leases

For ratemaking all leases are treated as operating leases. MGE has regulatory treatment and recognizes regulatory assets or liabilities for timing differences between net lease costs recognized and lease cash payments made. See Footnote 5 for further information.

Pension and Other Postretirement Costs

The current accounting treatment for Pension and Other Postretirement costs allows MGE to reflect any differential between pension and other postretirement costs reflected in rates and actual costs incurred in its next rate filing.

Tax Recovery Related to AFUDC Equity

AFUDC equity represents the after-tax equity cost associated with utility plant construction and results in a temporary difference between the book and tax basis of such plant. Tax recovery related to AFUDC equity represents the revenue requirement related to recovery of these future taxes payable, calculated at current statutory tax rates.

Transmission Costs

The current accounting treatment for transmission costs allows MGE to reflect any differential between transmission costs reflected in rates and actual costs incurred in its next rate filing.

Unfunded or funded Pension and Other Postretirement Asset or Liability

MGE records unrecognized net actuarial gains and losses as a net regulatory asset or liability in lieu of accumulated other comprehensive gain or loss on the balance sheet, as these amounts are expected to be recovered or refunded in future rates. See Footnote 11 for further discussion.

Cost of Removal

The PSCW allows MGE to collect amounts from customers through depreciation rates to fund future asset removal activities. This regulatory liability is reduced as costs are incurred to remove the assets at the end of their useful lives.

Elm Road

Costs associated with Elm Road for lease payments, management fees, community impact mitigation, and operating costs.

Income Taxes

Excess deferred income taxes result from a decrease in tax rates subsequent to ratemaking settlements. The settlements were reached using tax rates that are higher than the currently applicable rates, and MGE is required to return these tax benefits to customers. The regulatory liability and deferred investment tax credit reflects the revenue requirement associated with the return of these tax benefits to customers.

Changes in income taxes are generally passed through in customer rates for the regulated utility. The one-time 2017 impact on timing differences related to income taxes passed through to customer rates of the 2017 Tax Act was recorded as a regulatory liability. The amount and timing of the cash impacts will depend on the period over which certain income tax benefits are provided to customers, which will be subject to review by the PSCW. A portion of the regulatory liability will be returned to customers based on a mandated timeframe dictated by applicable tax laws.

Pension and Other Postretirement Non-Service Costs

These Pension and Other Postretirement non-service costs represents the non-service components of net periodic benefit cost capitalized in rates. The FASB issued authoritative guidance within the codification's Compensation-Retirement Benefits topic that only allows the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost to be eligible for capitalization within the consolidated balance sheets, all non-service costs are expensed. Under the current rate structure non-service cost is eligible for capitalization. The portion of net periodic benefit costs that are capitalized are being recovered as a component of depreciation expense. The non-service capitalized costs will be recovered in rates over the depreciable life of the asset for which net periodic benefit costs was applied. See Footnote 11 for further discussion.

Purchased Gas Adjustment

MGE's natural gas rates are subject to a fuel adjustment clause designed to recover or refund the difference between the actual cost of purchased gas and the amount included in rates. Differences between the amounts billed to customers and the actual costs recoverable are deferred and recovered or refunded in future periods by means of prospective monthly adjustments to rates.

Renewable Project Savings

The PSCW requires MGE to defer the revenue requirement impact for the change of the in-service date for Paris to a future rate proceeding.

Rate Mat

ters - MGE Energy and MGE.

a.

Rate Proceedings.

(a)

The electric rate increase was driven by generation assets including MGE's investments in Badger Hollow II (solar), Paris (solar and battery), Red Barn Wind Farm (wind), and West Riverside (natural gas). In addition, the reopener request included an increase in fuel costs and the recovery of deferred 2021 fuel costs. The reopener also revised the depreciation schedule for Columbia Unit 2 and shared equipment to 2029 to align with the depreciation schedule for Unit 1.

(b)

The electric increase was driven by an increase in rate base including MGE's investments made in West Riverside, local solar, continued investment in grid modernization, as well as higher costs for transmission, pension and OPEB, and uncollectible costs (including costs previously deferred from prior years). This increase in electric costs is offset by a decrease in fuel costs and benefit from lower tax expense (including impacts from the Inflation Reduction Act). In addition, the PSCW authorized MGE to defer a recovery of and a return on costs associated for any change in the in service date for Paris and force majeure costs for Badger Hollow II and Paris that were not reflected in this rate filing. The PSCW also approved deferral of any differential in PTC tax credits reflected in rates and actual credits produced. These deferrals will be reflected in MGE's next rate case filing. The gas rate increases were also driven by MGE'sinvestment made in grid modernization and higher pension and OPEB and uncollectible costs (including costs previously deferred from prior years). This increase in gas costs is offset by a tax benefit related to excess deferred taxes. Included in the gas residential rate is a reduction in the customer fixed charge.

(c)

The 2024/2025 rate order includes an earnings sharing mechanism, under which, if MGE earns above the authorized Return on Equity (ROE) in the rate order: (i) the utility will retain 100.0% of earnings for the first 15 basis points above the authorized ROE; (ii) 50.0% of the next 60 basis points will be required to be deferred and returned to customers; and (iii) 100.0% of any remaining excess earnings will be required to be refunded to customers. The earnings calculation excludes fuel rules adjustments. See "Fuel Rules" below.

(d)

The PSCW approved a 2025 Fuel Cost Plan in December 2024. The plan lowered the 2025 increase in electric rates to 2.63% to reflect lower expected fuel costs.

Sierra Club and Vote Solar filed petitions with the Dane County Circuit Court seeking review of the PSCW decisions approving MGE's electric and gas 2022/2023 rate settlement, 2023 electric limited reopener, and 2024/2025 rate order. The PSCW was named as the responding party; MGE was not named as a party. The Petitions challenged the amount of customer fixed charge that does not vary with usage. The requested relief was unclear. The revenue requirement approved by the PSCW in the settlement, limited reopener, and 2024/2025 rate order had been challenged. The PSCW is expected to vigorously defend its approval of the rate case settlement, limited reopener, and the 2024/2025 rate order. MGE intervened in the proceedings to help defend the PSCW's decision. The Dane County Circuit Court affirmed the PSCW's decision to approve the 2022/2023 rate settlement, and Sierra Club and Vote Solar appealed that decision to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. On August 6, 2024, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals denied Sierra Club and Vote Solar's appeal and affirmed the PSCW's approval of the 2022/2023 rate settlement. Sierra Club and Vote Solar petitioned the Wisconsin Supreme Court for review of the Court of Appeals decision, and the PSCW and MGE both filed responses asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to deny the petition. The petitions challenging the 2023 electric limited reopener and the 2024/2025 rate order were stayed pending further proceedings. On January 16, 2025, the Wisconsin Supreme Court denied the petition for review. As a result, all cases concerning these matters pending in the Dane County Circuit Court have been dismissed.

b.