NISOURCE INC

10. Regulatory Matters

Renewable generation filings

In March 2024, NIPSCO filed a petition with the IURC to, after notice and hearing, issue an order modifying its November 22, 2023 order to approve direct ownership of the Gibson Project. The hearing is scheduled for June 2024 with a final order expected August 2024. In March 2024, NIPSCO also filed a petition with the IURC to, after notice and hearing, issue an order modifying its June 29, 2021 order to approve direct ownership of the Fairbanks Project. The hearing is scheduled for July 2024 with a final order expected September of 2024.

WAM system filing

In March 2024, NIPSCO filed a petition with the IURC for authority to defer, as a regulatory asset, certain costs, including depreciation and amortization incurred in connection with improvements to its information technology systems through the design, development, and implementation of a new WAM program for the scheduling, dispatch, and execution of work and the management of underlying assets. These improvements are part of our enterprise-wide transformation roadmap which seeks to optimize our field work. The petition also included the confirmation that the WAM program assets, including the requested regulatory assets, will be included in NIPSCO's rate base for ratemaking purposes in rate cases after the WAM assets have been placed in service. The hearing is scheduled for July 2024 with a final order expected in August 2024.

Regulatory deferral related to renewable energy investments

In accordance with the accounting principles of ASC 980, we recognize a regulatory liability or asset for amounts representing the timing difference between the profit earned from the JVs and the amount included in regulated rates to recover our approved investments in consolidated JVs. The amounts recorded in income will ultimately reflect the amount allowed in regulated rates to recover our investments over the useful life of the projects. The offset to the regulatory liability or asset associated with our renewable investments included in regulated rates is recorded in "Depreciation and amortization" on the Condensed Statements of Consolidated Income (unaudited). NiSource recorded an increase to depreciation expense of $3.5 million and a decrease to depreciation expense of $4.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Following the implementation of the electric base rate case, we began recognizing amounts to recover our investments of projects that have been placed in service. Refer to Note 4, "Noncontrolling Interests," for additional information.