Public Utility Transmission Rate Changes To Address Accumulated Deferred Income Taxes

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is proposing to require all public utility transmission providers with transmission rates under an Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT), a transmission owner tariff, or a rate schedule to revise those rates to account for changes caused by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act). Specifically, for transmission formula rates, the Commission is proposing to require that public utilities deduct excess accumulated deferred income taxes (ADIT) from or add deficient ADIT to their rate bases and adjust their income tax allowances by amortized excess or deficient ADIT. The Commission is also proposing to require all public utilities with transmission formula rates to incorporate a new permanent worksheet into their transmission formula rates that will annually track ADIT information. Additionally, the Commission is proposing to require all public utilities with transmission stated rates to determine the amount of excess and deferred income tax caused by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's reduction to the federal corporate income tax rate and return or recover this amount to or from customers.