American States Water Co: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2023

This annual report on Form 10-K is a combined report being filed by two separate Registrants, American States Water Company (“AWR”) and Golden State Water Company (“GSWC”). References in this report to “Registrant” are to AWR and GSWC, collectively, unless otherwise specified. GSWC makes no representations as to the information contained in this report relating to AWR and its subsidiaries, other than GSWC.

AWR makes its periodic reports, Form 10-Q and Form 10-K, and current reports, Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports, available free of charge through its website, www.aswater.com (http://www.aswater.com), as soon as those reports are electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Such reports are also available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov). AWR also makes available free of charge its code of business conduct and ethics, its corporate governance guidelines, its policy for the recoupment of performance-based compensation, its insider trading policy and the charters of its Nominating and Governance Committee, Compensation Committee and Audit and Finance Committee through its website or by calling (877) 463-6297.

Overview

AWR is the parent company of GSWC, Bear Valley Electric Service, Inc. (“BVES”) and American States Utility Services, Inc. (“ASUS”) (and its wholly-owned subsidiaries: Fort Bliss Water Services Company (“FBWS”), Old Dominion Utility Services, Inc. (“ODUS”), Terrapin Utility Services, Inc. (“TUS”), Palmetto State Utility Services, Inc. (“PSUS”), Old North Utility Services, Inc. (“ONUS”), Emerald Coast Utility Services, Inc. (“ECUS”), Fort Riley Utility Services, Inc. (“FRUS”), Bay State Utility Services LLC (“BSUS”), and Patuxent River Utility Services LLC (“PRUS”)).

AWR has three reportable segments: water, electric and contracted services. Within the segments, AWR has three principal business units, water and electric service utility operations conducted through its regulated utilities GSWC and BVES, respectively, and contracted services conducted through ASUS and its subsidiaries.

GSWC is a public water utility engaged in the purchase, production, distribution and sale of water in 10 counties in the state of California. GSWC is regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”). BVES is a public electric utility that distributes electricity in several San Bernardino County mountain communities in California and is also regulated by the CPUC. Additional information regarding public utility regulation is discussed in Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” under the section titled “Regulatory Matters.”

AWR’s regulated utilities served 264,093 water customers and 24,777 electric customers at December 31, 2023, or a total of 288,870 customers, compared with 263,265 water customers and 24,705 electric customers at December 31, 2022, or a total of 287,970 customers. Both GSWC’s and BVES’s operations exhibit seasonal trends. Although both have diversified customer bases, residential and commercial customers account for the majority of water and electric sales and revenues. Revenues derived from commercial and residential customers accounted for approximately 90% of total water and electric revenues for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.

ASUS, through its subsidiaries, has contracted with the U.S. government to provide water and/or wastewater services at various military installations. ASUS operates, maintains and performs construction activities (including renewal and replacement capital work) on water and/or wastewater systems at various U.S. military bases pursuant to an initial 50-year, firm-fixed-price contract and additional firm-fixed-price contracts, task order agreements and contracts with third party prime contractors. ASUS has one subsidiary that has entered into a task order agreement with the U.S. government that has a term of 15 years. Each of the contracts with the U.S. government is subject to termination, in whole or in part, prior to the end of its term for convenience of the U.S. government or as a result of default or nonperformance by the ASUS subsidiary performing the contract. The price for each of these contracts is subject to annual economic price adjustments or task order adjustments. The contracts are also subject to modifications for changes in circumstances, changes in laws and regulations, and additions to the contract value for new construction of facilities at the military bases. AWR generally guarantees performance of all of the contracts of ASUS’s subsidiaries.

Pursuant to the terms of the 50-year contracts with the U.S. government, the subsidiaries of ASUS operate the following water and wastewater systems:

*BSUS is the only subsidiary that has entered into a task order agreement serving Joint Base Cape Cod that has a term of 15 years.

Certain financial information for each of AWR’s business segments - water distribution, electric distribution, and contracted services - is set forth in Note 17 to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements of American States Water Company and its subsidiaries. While AWR’s water and electric utility segments are not dependent upon a single or only a few customers, the U.S. government is the primary customer for ASUS’s contracted services. ASUS, from time to time, performs work at military bases for other prime contractors of the U.S. government.

Seasonality

The demand for water and electricity varies by season. For instance, there can be a higher level of water consumption during the third quarter of each year when weather in California has been hot and dry. During unusually wet weather, our customers generally use less water. The CPUC has adopted regulatory mechanisms at GSWC that help mitigate fluctuations in revenues due to changes in water consumption by our customers in California, which currently remain in effect.

The demand for electricity in our electric customer service area is greatly affected by winter snow levels. An increase in winter snow levels reduces the use of snow-making machines at ski resorts in the Big Bear area and, as a result, reduces our electric revenues. Likewise, unseasonably warm weather during a skiing season may result in temperatures too high for snow making conditions, which also reduces our electric revenues. The CPUC has adopted regulatory mechanisms for our electric business, which helps mitigate fluctuations in the revenues of our electric business due to changes in the amount of electricity used by BVES’s customers.

Environmental Regulations

AWR’s subsidiaries are subject to extensive environmental regulations. GSWC is required to comply with safe drinking water requirements, including testing to determine constituents in its water supply and customer notification requirements if certain contaminants exceed maximum levels or advisory levels, and requirements to address issues relating to known contamination. The subsidiaries of ASUS are subject to similar requirements in connection with their water and wastewater operations on military bases. GSWC is also responsible for clean-up and remediation at a plant site that contained an underground storage tank. As mandated by legislation enacted in California, BVES is required to submit wildfire mitigation plans to the CPUC and the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety (“OEIS”) for approvals. California requires electric utilities to prepare plans on constructing, maintaining, and operating their electrical lines and equipment to minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire.

ASUS’s subsidiaries are responsible for ensuring compliance with the reduction and/or removal of all constituents required under its wastewater treatment plant operating permits. ASUS works with state regulators and industry associations for the purpose of staying current with emergent issues and proactively addressing any change in wastewater treatment regulation.

The regulated utilities spent approximately $29.0 million in 2023 and expect to spend approximately $23.5 million in 2024 for capital expenditures on environmental control facilities. During 2023, ASUS performed construction activities (for the benefit of the U.S. government) related to environmental control facilities with a contract value of $4.5 million. ASUS expects to perform construction activities related to environmental control facilities with a contract value of $9.2 million in 2024. In addition, various other capital expenditures at the regulated utilities and construction projects at ASUS are incurred for purposes other than environmental control facilities but may also have some environmental benefits. An environmental control facility is any facility that is reasonably expected to abate, reduce or aid in the prevention, measurement, control of monitoring of noise, air or water pollutants, solid waste, thermal pollution, radiation or other pollutants.

Environmental matters and compliance with such laws and regulations are discussed further in Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” under the section titled “Environmental Matters.”

Climate Change Planning, Risks and Opportunities

Climate change is one area that we focus on as we develop and execute our business strategy and financial planning, both in the short- and long-term and is subject to the oversight of the Board of Directors and senior management. First and foremost, designing and implementing efficient and resilient infrastructure and operational processes not only addresses climate change, but also reduces costs. Our capital investment programs are critical to ensure we can continue delivering reliable, high-quality water, wastewater and electric services without interruption. As a utility company, our operating strategy is dependent on having a reliable infrastructure in place.

The risks posed by climate variability increase the need for us to plan for and address supply resiliency. We address these risks by planning, assessing, mitigating, and investing in our infrastructure for the long-term benefit of our communities. As a provider of an essential product and service, our primary goal is to ensure service is uninterrupted.

GSWC considers the potential impacts of climate change in its water supply portfolio planning and its overall infrastructure replacement plans. We evaluate how water supplies, water quality and water demands may change, and consider mitigation strategies to assist us in being able to deliver water to our customers.

We seek to minimize our greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions to assist in reducing the effects of climate change. We have studied our GHG emissions levels, set a 2020 baseline, and developed a GHG emissions reduction target of 60% by 2035 from the 2020 baseline. To accomplish this, GSWC and BVES have developed a phased approach, which includes short-, medium- and long-term actions. Our priorities include reductions in energy use and increasing purchases of green energy for our water operations, increasing purchases of green energy for distribution to our electric customers, and reviewing our vehicle fleet needs and electrification. Achievement of this reduction target is contingent on certain external factors, which include the ongoing development of technology.

Water Utility

There are risks to maintaining adequate water quality and/or supply, either from climate variability or other events. They include droughts, changes in weather patterns, natural disasters, wildfires, decisions or actions restricting the use of water from our sources, and/or pumping of groundwater, and contamination or acts of terrorism or vandalism. We consider these potential events in our strategic planning process as we aim to avoid service interruptions and compromised water quality.

Our goal is to maintain adequate and high-quality water supplies. We strive to reach this goal in a number of ways, including monitoring water levels, short- and long-term water supply planning, having a diverse water supply portfolio, developing contingency plans, water efficiency and conservation efforts, and maintaining a strong infrastructure. Additional information on GSWC’s water supplies is discussed further in Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation” under the section titled “Water Supplies.”

Electric Utility

Climate change has also impacted electric utilities in California due to an increase in wildfires. BVES’s compliance with its wildfire mitigation plans have resulted in an increase in capital expenditures for wildfire mitigation projects. BVES will not be able to recover the costs incurred to make capital improvements included in BVES’s current wildfire mitigation plans from customers until the CPUC approves recovery of these costs in its next general rate case filing. BVES filed a general rate case application in August 2022, which will determine new electric rates for the years 2023-2026. Power supplies may also become more constrained and more expensive due to regulation of power plants using fossil fuels.

California has established a cap-and-trade program applicable to greenhouse gas emissions. While BVES’s power-plant emissions are below the reporting threshold, as a “Covered Entity,” BVES has an obligation to file a report with the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) in June of each year under the Greenhouse Gas Mandatory Reporting Regulation. The report will become available publicly in the third quarter of 2024.

The State of California and the CPUC have established renewable energy procurement targets. BVES has entered into a CPUC-approved eleven-year contract for renewable energy credits. Because of this agreement, BVES believes it will comply through at least 2024 with California’s renewable energy statutes that address this issue. BVES is pursuing short- and long-term renewable energy contracts to satisfy its requirements related to its resource portfolio for the compliance period covering the years 2021-2024 and beyond.

In 2023, BVES’s renewable power represented 41.3% of total retail sales. Renewable energy procurement requirements continue to escalate, reaching 50% by 2026 and 100% carbon free by 2045. BVES has entered into a contract to construct a solar energy project in Big Bear Lake, subject to obtaining CPUC approval and necessary permits. If approved and constructed, the project will provide a source of clean, local energy for BVES’s customers.

BVES offers a distributed generation program, which benefits customers who install a solar or wind-generating facility that produces renewable energy. Those customers can receive a bill credit if their monthly renewable energy production exceeds their on-site use. BVES also has a number of customers on its Net Energy Metering Program (NEM), which was the previous renewable energy program. NEM customers can receive a bill credit if their annual renewable energy production exceeds their on-site use. Approximately 5% of the energy consumed by our BVES customers is now generated by customer-owned renewable sources (solar).

BVES is also required to comply with the CPUC’s greenhouse gas emission performance standards. Under these standards, BVES must file an annual attestation with the CPUC stating that BVES has no new ownership investment in generation facilities exceeding the emission performance standards and no long-term commitments for generation exceeding the standards. In January 2024, BVES filed an attestation that BVES complied with the standards for 2023. At this time, management cannot estimate the impact, if any, that these regulations may have on future costs over BVES’s power plant operations or the cost of BVES’s purchased power from third party providers.

Competition

The businesses of GSWC and BVES are substantially free from direct and indirect competition with other public utilities, municipalities and other public agencies within their existing service territories. However, GSWC and BVES may be subject to eminent domain proceedings in which governmental agencies, under state law, may acquire GSWC’s water systems or BVES’s electric system if doing so is necessary and in the public’s interest. GSWC competes with governmental agencies and other investor-owned utilities in connection with offering service to new real estate developments on the basis of financial terms, availability of water and ability to commence providing service on a timely basis. ASUS actively competes for business with other investor-owned utilities, other third-party providers of water and/or wastewater services, and governmental entities primarily on the basis of quality of service and price.

AWR Workforce

AWR and its subsidiaries had a total of 815 employees as of December 31, 2023. GSWC had 506 employees as of December 31, 2023. BVES had 50 employees, of which 18 employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which expires in December 2025. At times, GSWC and BVES use temporary and contract workers for a finite period of time and in a limited capacity to continue a project or workflow until they can hire a regular employee. It is also common for those temporary workers to be hired as a regular, full-time employee.

ASUS and its subsidiaries had a total of 259 employees as of December 31, 2023. FBWS, a subsidiary of ASUS, has 14 employees that are covered by a collective bargaining agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers. This agreement expires in September 2024.

Our businesses require a combination of complex infrastructure, regulatory expertise and customer service. Ongoing development of our talent across the organization to meet critical business needs is a continual focus, and includes (i) building a culture such that high-potential talent is identified and further developed, (ii) creating career paths that not only move up a specialized ladder, but across the organization, and (iii) offering opportunities for employees to accept new challenges through stretch assignments.

Attracting Diverse Qualified Candidates

We understand that strength comes from having a diverse employee population. We strive to hire from our local communities and to have a workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the communities we serve and from which we recruit. This begins with the recruitment process. We strive to have all aspects of employment, including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. It is our policy not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local laws.

Compensation and Benefits

We believe that we pay employees a competitive and fair wage, as benchmarked with other leading companies and the market. Consistent with our principle of valuing personal mastery, we reward employees for improving their skills and capabilities. Our benefits include a defined benefit pension plan for employees hired prior to January 1, 2011, a defined contribution plan for hires or rehires after December 31, 2010, a 401(k) plan, healthcare and insurance benefits, health savings and flexible spending accounts.

Safety and Training

Strong occupational health and safety practices reduce injuries, keep our workforce healthy, and reduce operating costs. A safe workforce translates into better performance company-wide. We work to create a safety-focused culture in which each individual feels personally responsible for their own safety, the safety of their co-workers, as well as the safety of the communities they serve. Safety performance is included as a metric in the officer and manager compensation programs. Employees attend training in various mandated safety programs that are applicable to their area of operations, including training to meet regulatory safety training requirements and requirements of the Department of Transportation. We also provide training to assist in compliance with local, state, and federal environmental laws.

To reinforce our safety efforts and protocols, company-wide safety inspections at GSWC and BVES are conducted with supervisors. The inspection reports are forwarded to management for review, allocation of resources are made (if needed), and corrective actions are taken. ASUS has a dedicated Safety Coordinator located at each military base installation served. The onsite Safety Coordinator is responsible for regulatory compliance, as well as beneficial health and safety monitoring functions.

Learning and Development

Compliance training is required each year, for each employee. Other types of training are offered on an optional basis. Examples of optional programs include ongoing water operations competencies and education, supervisor development, knowledge capture and management, feedback and measurements to show the value of learning solutions, and administrative oversight for various business competencies relative to mandated training and compliance requirements. We pay for approved external business-related seminars and workshops. Certain positions require employees to maintain all of their job-specific certifications, licenses and continuing education credits.

On a regular and ongoing basis, we require all employees to certify that they have reviewed and understand our Code of Conduct as well as our Employee Handbook. We provide harassment and prevention awareness training for all employees.

Succession Planning

On an annual basis, our senior management team completes a roadmap for improving human capital management by developing succession plans with the goal of achieving the most efficient alignment of resources and talent to meet business needs. This includes identifying key succession positions and potential successors for top-level positions, such as Vice Presidents, for the next ten years.

Recruiting, developing and retaining the right talent is key to our long-term success. With approximately 30% of our employees eligible for retirement in the next five years, we are focused on transferring institutional knowledge, continuing succession planning and pursuing recruitment and development strategies to attract qualified talent.

You should carefully read the risks described below and other information in this Form 10-K in order to understand certain of the risks of our business.

Overview of Risk Factors

We have three business segments, water utility, electric utility and contracted services, each of which are subject to different risks as further discussed below. We are also subject to risks frequently encountered by businesses of our size.

Regulated Water and Electric Utility Operations

GSWC’s and BVES’s revenues depend substantially on the rates and charges we are permitted to recover from our customers and the timing of that recovery as authorized by the CPUC. Decisions of the CPUC could result in impairment charges and customer refunds, and delays in recovering costs in rates. Some of the factors impacting our ability to obtain rate recovery on a timely basis include opposition to rate increases arising out of increased costs for replacing aging infrastructure and increased costs associated with addressing climate change and weather event risks, such as drought, storms and wildfires in California, costs incurred in connection with complying with water quality regulations, costs incurred in connection with obtaining and complying with franchise agreements with local governmental agencies and costs of obtaining permits from local, state and federal governmental agencies. There may also be increased customer opposition to rate increases due to customer dissatisfaction with conservation rate structures and public safety power shutdowns.

Our water and electric utility services are provided in California. As a result, our financial results are largely subject to political, water supply, labor, utility cost and regulatory risks, economic conditions, natural disasters (which may increase as a result of climate change), and other risks affecting California businesses. Our assets are also subject to condemnation in California.

Contract Services Operations

All of our utility privatization contract services are provided to the U.S. government pursuant to the terms of firm-fixed-price contracts subject to annual economic price adjustments. ASUS may also, from time to time, perform construction services on military bases as a subcontractor or pursuant to task order agreements. These contracts may be terminated or services suspended at any time for convenience of the government. We are subject to penalties for failure to conform or comply with U.S. government regulations and the terms of our contracts, and may be suspended or debarred for such failure to comply. The fees that we may charge are adjusted annually and in response to our requests for equitable adjustments. We have experienced delays in obtaining price and equitable adjustments, as well as delays in being paid by the U.S. government.

We are also responsible for complying with water quality and wastewater quality regulations on military bases.

We compete with other companies in bidding on providing utility services on military bases. We submit bids on new U.S. government contracts for military bases based on estimates of cost and potential profit. Our estimates and judgment are important, for in the event we overpay to obtain a contract, we could incur losses on it.

Other Business Risks

We may be subject to financial losses, penalties and other liabilities if we fail to operate and maintain safe work sites, equipment and facilities, including losses, damages, penalties and other liabilities arising from wildfires, other natural disasters and terrorist activities. We may not be able to recover all these losses from insurance or from ratepayers or may experience delays in obtaining recovery for these losses.

We are also subject to other business risks typical of our business, including:

• Cybersecurity incidents and physical security risks of our infrastructure and data could disrupt our operations and critical systems, increase our expenses, result in liabilities to third parties and damage to our reputation;
• Failure to attract, train, develop and transition key employees with the necessary skills to replace employees who are retiring or otherwise terminate employment or to fill new positions needed to respond to the increase in public utility and environmental regulations;
• Failure to make accurate estimates about financing and accounting matters, and in filing requests for rate increases with the CPUC or requests for price adjustments with the U.S. government or in bids on military base contracts or obtain new task orders from the U.S. government;
• Our ability to finance significant capital expenditures required by our businesses, which could be adversely impacted by general economic and market conditions, delays in receiving decisions from the CPUC on our general rate cases or delays in receiving payment from the U.S. government;
• Volatility in economic conditions such as changes to inflation, short-term interest rate volatility, and other market conditions may adversely impact our financial performance;
• Changes in accounting, public utility, environmental and tax laws and regulations impacting our business;
• Our inability to comply with debt covenants in our debt agreements; and
• Final determination of our income tax liability by the federal and applicable state governments.

As a holding company, AWR is dependent upon dividends from its subsidiaries to pay dividends to its shareholders. The ability of its subsidiaries to pay dividends is dependent upon compliance with state laws governing the payment of dividends and the terms of the debt agreements with the applicable subsidiary.

Climate Change

Climate change has resulted in increased frequency and duration of droughts, potential degradation of water quality, and changes in demand for services. More frequent and extended California drought conditions may cause increased stress on surface water supplies and groundwater basins, as well as allocations of water from the State Water Project and the Colorado River. Wholesale water suppliers may not have adequate supply during extended periods of drought, which may result in increases in prices for water delivered to us. In addition, GSWC could experience an increased use of reclaimed or recycled water by GSWC customers, in lieu of GSWC supplying potable water to these customers. Reclaimed water generally has lower tariff rates than potable water and may be provided by other companies or government entities in GSWC’s service territory. Prolonged droughts may also result in state-ordered mandatory or voluntary conservation efforts by customers, changes in customer conservation patterns and imposition of new regulations impacting such things as landscaping and irrigation patterns.

California has established long-term indoor and outdoor water use standards to address the impact of climate change on California water resources. These standards will require all urban water retailers to meet certain water use standards on a system-by-system basis. The extended drought in the Colorado River watershed has resulted in a short-term agreement between Arizona, California and Nevada and the Bureau of Reclamation to reduce the amount of water taken from the Colorado River by 10% over the next three years (through the end of 2026). The impact to GSWC as a result of the short-term agreement is not known at this time.

Drought conditions have contributed to increases in wildfires, which has resulted in new California legislation requiring electric utilities to adopt and implement wildfire mitigation plans. BVES is incurring increased capital expenditures related to the creation and implementation of these plans. We anticipate that the costs of capital improvements necessary to implement this program will continue to increase. BVES is also required to implement a public safety power shut-off program during high wildfire threat conditions. Shut-offs can reduce BVES’s liquidity and decrease customer satisfaction. Abnormal weather patterns created by climate change can also impact electricity demand at BVES. The demand for electricity at our electric segment is greatly affected by winter snow levels. An increase in winter snow levels reduces the use of snow-making machines at ski resorts in the Big Bear area and, as a result, also reduces BVES’s liquidity. Likewise, unseasonably warm weather during a skiing season may result in temperatures too high for snow making conditions, which also reduces our liquidity.

More extreme weather events which may result in flash flooding, mudslides and high winds which could damage our infrastructure and our customers’ and/or suppliers’ property as a result of climate change may increase our cost of maintaining our infrastructure, our ability to provide water or electric service and the demand of our services from customers whose property has been damaged. The cost of damage to our infrastructure may be somewhat mitigated if the CPUC permits us to establish a catastrophic emergency memorandum account enabling us to recover the costs incurred. Furthermore, potential future legislative efforts to ban gas powered power plants as a response to climate change may require us to replace our current 8.4 MW natural gas-powered generator before its useful life is completed.

Risks Associated with Regulated Public Utility and Contracted Services Operations

Our businesses are heavily regulated and, as a result, decisions by regulatory agencies or the U.S. government can significantly affect our businesses

GSWC’s and BVES’s revenues depend substantially on the rates and fees they charge their customers and their ability to recover costs on a timely basis as authorized by the CPUC, including the ability to recover the costs of purchased water, groundwater assessments, electricity, natural gas, chemicals, water treatment, security at water facilities and preventative maintenance and emergency repairs. Any delays by the CPUC in granting rate relief to cover increased operating and capital costs at our public utilities or delays in obtaining approval of our requests at ASUS for economic price or equitable adjustments for contracted services from the U.S. government may adversely affect our year-over-year financial performance, liquidity and cash flows. We may file for interim rates in California in situations where there may be delays in granting final rate relief during a general rate case proceeding. If the CPUC approves lower rates than the interim rates we were permitted to adopt, the

CPUC will require us to refund to customers the difference between the interim rates and the rates approved by the CPUC. Similarly, if the CPUC approves rates that are higher than the interim rates, the CPUC may authorize us to recover the difference between the interim rates and the final rates.

Regulatory decisions affecting GSWC and/or BVES may also impact prospective revenues and earnings, affect the timing of the recognition of revenues and expenses, may overturn past decisions used in determining our revenues and expenses, and could result in impairment charges and customer refunds. Negative decisions made by the CPUC may have an adverse effect on GSWC’s or BVES’s results of operations, financial position or cash flows and affect the ability of the regulated utilities to recover costs and an appropriate return on the capital investments being made.

On August 27, 2020, the CPUC issued a final decision in the first phase of the CPUC’s Order Instituting Rulemaking evaluating the low income ratepayer assistance and affordability objectives contained in the CPUC’s 2010 Water Action Plan, addressing the continued use of the Water Revenue Adjustment Mechanism (“WRAM”) and the Modified Cost Balancing Account (“MCBA”) by California water utilities. These mechanisms implemented in 2008 for the purpose of recovering the costs of water would be discontinued for years after 2024. However, on September 30, 2022, the governor of California signed Senate Bill (“SB”) 1469. Effective January 1, 2023, SB 1469 allows Class A water utilities, including GSWC, to continue requesting the use of the WRAM in their next general rate case. With the passage of SB 1469, GSWC has requested the continued use of a full revenue decoupling mechanism, similar to the WRAM, in its next general rate case application filed in August 2023 that will establish new rates for the years 2025 – 2027. GSWC’s request to continue using a full revenue decoupling mechanism in its next general rate case will be subject to CPUC approval.

Our regulated utilities' ongoing financial results depend on their ability to recover costs from its customers, including costs such as water or electricity purchased for its customers, through rates charged and billed to its customers as approved by the CPUC. Both GSWC's and BVES's financial results depend on its ability to earn a reasonable return on capital, from its credit facilities, long-term debt and equity as well as the recovery of costs such as operations and maintenance expense that are incurred. Our ability to recover costs and earn a reasonable rate of return can be affected by time lags or delays in receiving approvals on general rate case decisions from the CPUC to authorize recovery of customers' rates and differences between authorized rates and the actual costs incurred, due to increased levels of inflation, which each could adversely impact our financial condition and cash flows.

Management continually evaluates the anticipated recovery of regulatory assets, settlement of liabilities and revenues subject to refund and provides for allowances and reserves as deemed necessary. In the event that our assessment of the probability of recovery or settlement through the ratemaking process is incorrect, we will adjust the associated regulatory asset or liability to reflect the change in our assessment or any regulatory disallowances. A change in our evaluation of the probability over the recovery of regulatory assets including a future disallowance of previously granted regulatory mechanisms, or a regulatory disallowance of all or a portion of our costs could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

We are also, in some cases, required to estimate future expenses and, in others, we are required to incur the expense before receiving approval to recover the costs. As a result, our revenues and earnings may fluctuate depending on the accuracy of our estimates, the timing of our investments or expenses or other factors. If expenses increase significantly over a short period, we may experience delays in recovery of these expenses and the inability to recover the carrying costs for the expenses, which increases risks of regulatory disallowances or write-offs.

Delays in obtaining approval of general rate cases could adversely impact our liquidity

We have been experiencing increasing delays in obtaining CPUC approval of our general rate cases. As a result, we have previously needed, and may need in the future, to undertake capital improvements described in our rate case filings before we receive CPUC approval to recover these costs in rates. BVES is required to file wildfire mitigation plans with OEIS for regulatory approval by the OEIS and the CPUC and, once approved, for BVES to make the capital improvements described in the wildfire mitigation plan. However, the CPUC does not approve recovery of any of the costs of implementing approved wildfire mitigation plans until it approves the next general rate case filed by BVES after the approval of the wildfire mitigation plans. As a result, there may be a delay in recovering costs associated with capital improvements required to be made by wildfire mitigation plans, and the CPUC may not approve all costs incurred in connection with the implementation of these plans that are incurred prior to obtaining CPUC approval of these costs in a general rate case.

Changes in laws, regulations and policies of regulatory agencies can significantly affect our business

Regulatory agencies may also change their rules and policies, which may adversely affect our profitability and cash flows. We are subject to regulations under U.S. federal and state regulations and policies including from the CPUC, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and other regulatory agencies. Regulations and laws affect almost all aspects of our businesses and changes to such regulations are continuous and ongoing. There can be no assurance that laws, regulations and policies of regulatory agencies will not be changed in ways that will not materially impact our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

Changes in policies of the U.S. government may adversely affect one or more of ASUS’s subsidiaries. In certain circumstances, the U.S. government may be unwilling or unable to appropriate funds to pay costs mandated by changes in rules and policies of federal or state regulatory agencies. The U.S. government may disagree with the increases that we request and may delay approval of requests for equitable adjustment or economic price adjustments, which could adversely affect our anticipated rates of return at our contracted services business.

We may also be subject to fines or penalties if a regulatory agency or the U.S. government determine that we have failed to comply with laws, regulations or orders applicable to our businesses, unless we successfully appeal such an adverse determination. Regulatory agencies may disallow recovery of certain costs if they determine they may no longer be recovered in rates, or if audit findings determine that we have failed to comply with our policies and procedures for procurement or other practices.

Our assets at our regulated utilities are subject to condemnation

Municipalities and other governmental subdivisions may, in certain circumstances, seek to acquire certain of our assets through eminent domain proceedings. It is generally our practice to contest these proceedings, which may be costly and may temporarily divert the attention of management from the operation of our business. If a municipality or other governmental subdivision succeeds in acquiring our assets, there is a risk that we will not receive adequate compensation for the assets taken or be able to recover all charges associated with the condemnation of such assets. In addition, we would no longer be entitled to any portion of the revenues generated from the use of such assets.

Our costs of obtaining and complying with the terms of franchise agreements are increasing

Cities and counties in which GSWC and BVES operate have granted them franchises to construct, maintain and use pipes, wires and appurtenances in or along public streets and rights of way. The costs of obtaining, renewing and complying with the terms of these franchise agreements have been increasing as cities and counties attempt to regulate our operations within the boundaries of the city or unincorporated areas of the counties in which we operate. Our regulated utilities may also be required from time to time to relocate existing infrastructure in order to accommodate local infrastructure improvement projects. Cities and counties have also been imposing new fees on our operations, including pipeline abandonment fees and road-cut or other types of capital improvement fees. At the same time, there is increasing opposition from consumer groups to rate increases that may be necessary to compensate GSWC and BVES for the increased costs of regulation by local governments. These trends may adversely affect our ability to recover in rates the costs of providing water and electric services and to efficiently manage capital expenditures and operating and maintenance expenses within CPUC-authorized levels.

We have also experienced instances of increased costs and delays in obtaining permits that we need in order to install, maintain, repair, and replace some of our aging water and electric utility infrastructure and upgrades needed to comply with changes in laws and regulations or otherwise necessary to harden our infrastructure as a result of drought, wildfires and increases in the frequency and duration of more extreme weather events due to climate change.

Our liquidity and earnings may be adversely affected by maintenance costs at our regulated utilities

Some of our infrastructure in California is aging. We have experienced leaks and mechanical problems in some of these older systems. In addition, infrastructure maintenance expenses are affected by labor and material costs, inflationary changes impacting such costs, supply chain disruptions and more stringent environmental regulations. Our electrical systems have also required upgrades due to aging and new wildfire safety and other compliance requirements. While we spend significant amounts on maintenance each year, these costs can increase substantially and unexpectedly. There could be an increase in infrastructure damage if California experiences more extreme weather events resulting in damage to our property.

We include estimated increases in maintenance costs for future years in each water and electric general rate case filed by GSWC and BVES, respectively, for possible recovery. To the extent that these estimates understate our actual costs, we may be unable to recover all maintenance costs in rates.

Adverse publicity and reputational risks can lead to increased regulatory oversight or sanctions

As a utility company, we have a large customer base and are therefore, subject to public criticism regarding, among other things, the quality and reliability of our water and electricity services, and the accuracy, timeliness and format of bills that are provided to our customers for such services. Adverse publicity and negative customer sentiment may cause regulatory authorities, including the CPUC, and other governing bodies to view us unfavorably and cause us to be susceptible to increased oversight and more stringent regulations and economic requirements.

Risks Associated with Health, Safety and Liability Matters

Our liquidity and earnings may be adversely affected by wildfires

It is possible that wildfires may occur more frequently, be of longer duration or impact larger areas as a result of drought-damaged plants and trees, lower humidity or higher winds that may occur as result of changing weather patterns. Our liquidity, earnings and operations may be materially adversely affected by wildfires. We may be required to (i) incur greater costs to relocate lines or increase our trimming of trees and other plants near our electric facilities to avoid wildfires, (ii) make significant additional capital expenditures to fund the projects in BVES’s wildfire and safety mitigation plans, and (iii) bear the costs of damages to property or injuries to the public if it is determined that our power lines or other electrical equipment was a cause of such damages or injuries. In addition, wildfires may result in reduced demand if structures are destroyed or unusable following a wildfire and may adversely affect our ability to provide water or electric service in our service areas due to public safety power shutdowns or any of our water or electric utility infrastructure is damaged by a wildfire.

Losses by insurance companies resulting from wildfires in California have caused insurance coverage for wildfire risks to become more expensive and coverage could become unavailable on reasonable terms, and our insurance may be inadequate to recover all our losses incurred in a wildfire. We might not be allowed to recover in our rates any increased costs of wildfire insurance or the costs of any uninsured wildfire losses.

Electric utilities in California are authorized to shut off power for public safety reasons, such as during periods of extreme fire hazard, if the utility reasonably believes that there is an imminent and significant risk that strong winds may topple power lines or cause vegetation to come into contact with power lines leading to increased risk of fire. Shut-offs can reduce BVES’s liquidity and decrease customer satisfaction.

These shut-offs can also adversely affect GSWC’s water utility operations if the electric utilities that provide electric service to GSWC’s water operations shut off power lines that deliver electricity to GSWC’s water plant and equipment, thereby adversely affecting its ability to provide water service to its customers.

We may, in certain circumstances, be held strictly liable for damages to property caused by our equipment even if we are not negligent

Utilities in California may be held strictly liable, in certain circumstances, for damages caused by their property, such as mains, fire hydrants, power lines and other equipment, even though they were not negligent in the operation and maintenance of that property, under a doctrine known as inverse condemnation. Our liquidity, earnings and operations may be adversely affected if we are unable to recover the costs of paying claims for damages caused by the non-negligent operation and maintenance of our property from customers or through insurance.

We may be subject to financial losses, penalties and other liabilities if we fail to maintain safe work sites, equipment or facilities

Our safety record is critical to our reputation. We maintain health and safety standards to protect our employees, customers, vendors and the public. Although we aim to comply with such health and safety standards, it is unlikely that we will be able to avoid all accidents or other events resulting in damage to property or the public.

Our business sites, including construction and maintenance sites, often put our employees and others in close proximity with large pieces of equipment, moving vehicles, pressurized water, chemicals and other regulated materials. On many sites, we are responsible for safety and, accordingly, must implement safety procedures. If we fail in any respect to implement such procedures or if the procedures we implement are ineffective or are not followed by our employees or others, our employees and others may be injured or die. Unsafe work sites also have the potential to increase our operating costs. Any of the foregoing could result in financial losses, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our operations involve the handling and storage of hazardous chemicals that, if improperly handled, stored or disposed of, could subject us to penalties or other liabilities. We are also subject to regulations dealing with occupational health and safety. Although we maintain functional employee groups whose primary purpose is to ensure that we implement effective health, safety, and environmental work procedures throughout our organization, including construction sites and maintenance sites, a failure to comply with such regulations in any respect could subject us to liability.

The generation, transmission and distribution of electricity are dangerous and involve inherent risks of damage to private property and injury to employees and the general public

Electricity is dangerous for employees and the general public should they come in contact with electrical current or equipment, including through downed power lines, sparking during high-wind events or equipment malfunctions. Injuries and property damage caused by such events may subject BVES to significant liabilities that may not be covered or fully covered by insurance. Additionally, the CPUC has delegated to its staff the authority to issue citations, which carry a fine of $50,000 per-violation per day, to electric utilities subject to its jurisdiction for violations of safety rules found in statutes, regulations, and the General Orders of the CPUC.

We may sustain losses that exceed or are excluded from our insurance coverage or for which we are not insured

We are, from time to time, parties to legal or regulatory proceedings. These proceedings may pertain to regulatory investigations, employment matters or other disputes. Management periodically reviews its assessment of the probable outcome of these proceedings, the costs and expenses reasonably expected to be incurred, and the availability and extent of insurance coverage. On the basis of this review, management establishes reserves for such matters. We may, however, from time to time be required to pay fines, penalties or damages that exceed our insurance coverage and/or reserves if our estimate of the probable outcome of such proceedings proves to be inaccurate.

We maintain insurance coverage as part of our overall legal and risk management strategy to minimize our potential liabilities. Generally, our insurance policies cover property, workers’ compensation, general liability, automobile liability, and other risks. Insurance coverage may not cover certain claims involving punitive damages. Each policy includes deductibles or self-insured retentions and policy limits for covered claims. Our insurance policies also contain exclusions and other limitations that may not cover our potential liabilities. Furthermore, due to insurance market conditions resulting in tighter underwriting and increased premiums along with reductions in capacity, we have experienced increased costs and difficulties in obtaining certain insurance coverages, particularly along the general liability, umbrella and cyber insurance lines. We may experience further increased insurance costs and/or coverage reductions in future years. As a result, we may sustain losses that exceed or that are excluded from our insurance coverage or for which we are not insured.

Uninsured losses and increases in the cost of insurance may not be recoverable or fully recoverable in customer rates. A loss which is not insured or not fully insured or cannot be recovered in customer rates could materially affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We operate in areas subject to natural disasters

We operate in areas that are prone to earthquakes, fires, mudslides, hurricanes, tornadoes, high winds, storms, flooding or other natural disasters. While we maintain insurance policies to help reduce our financial exposure, a significant seismic event in southern California, where our regulated water and electric operations are concentrated, wildfires or other natural disasters in any of the areas that we serve could adversely impact our ability to deliver water and electricity or provide wastewater service, and adversely affect our costs of operations. Any losses not covered by insurance could have an adverse effect on the results of operations, financial position, cash flows and reputation of our regulated utilities. In addition, such events may cause increases to the cost of the applicable insurance. With respect to GSWC and BVES, the CPUC has historically allowed utilities to establish a catastrophic emergency memorandum account (“CEMA”) to potentially recover incremental costs not covered in rates caused by catastrophic emergency events. With respect to ASUS’s subsidiaries, costs associated with responding to natural disasters have been recoverable through requests for equitable adjustment.

Our operations may be the target of terrorist activities

Terrorists could seek to disrupt service to our customers by targeting our assets through physical or cyber events. We also may be prevented from providing water and/or wastewater services at the military bases we serve in times of military crisis affecting these bases. We have invested in additional security for facilities throughout our regulated service areas to mitigate the risks of terrorist activities. In addition, we continue to increase our investment in information technology to monitor and address cyber threats and attempted cyber-attacks, and to improve our posture in addressing security vulnerabilities.

Water Quality Regulatory Risks

Our costs involved in maintaining water quality and complying with environmental regulation have increased and are expected to continue to increase

Capital and operating costs at GSWC may increase substantially as a result of increases in environmental regulation arising from increases in the cost of upgrading and building new water treatment plants, disposing of residuals from our water treatment plants, handling and storing hazardous chemicals, compliance-monitoring activities and securing alternative supplies when necessary. GSWC may be able to recover these costs from customers through the ratemaking process. We may also be able to recover a portion of these costs from certain third parties under settlement and contractual arrangements. Our capital and operating costs may also increase as a result of changes in laboratory detection capabilities and drinking water notification levels, response levels, and maximum contaminant levels for certain substances, such as perfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) used to make certain fabrics and other materials, certain fire suppression agents and used in various industrial processes. Additional information regarding the regulation of PFAS in drinking water is provided in Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” under the heading “Environmental Matters.”

Our operating costs may increase as a result of groundwater contamination

Our operations can be impacted by groundwater contamination in certain service territories. Historically, we have taken a number of steps to address contamination, including the removal of wells from service, decreasing the amount of groundwater pumped from wells in order to facilitate remediation of plumes of contaminated water, constructing water treatment facilities and securing alternative sources of supply from other areas not affected by the contamination. In emergency situations, we have supplied our customers with bottled water until the emergency situation has been resolved.

Our ability to recover these types of costs depends upon a variety of factors, including approval of rate increases, the willingness of potentially responsible parties to settle litigation and otherwise address the contamination, and the extent and magnitude of the contamination. We may recover costs from certain third parties that may be responsible, or potentially responsible, for groundwater contamination. However, we often experience delays in obtaining recovery of these costs and incur additional costs associated with seeking recovery from responsible or potentially responsible parties, which may adversely impact our liquidity. In some events, we may be unable to recover all of these costs from third parties due to the inability to identify the potentially responsible parties, the lack of financial resources of responsible parties or the high litigation costs associated with obtaining recovery from responsible or potentially responsible parties.

We can give no assurance regarding the adequacy of any such recovery to offset the costs associated with contamination or the cost of recovery of any legal costs. To date, the CPUC has permitted us to establish memorandum accounts for potential recovery of these types of costs when they have arisen.

Management believes that rate recovery, proper insurance coverage and reserves are in place to appropriately manage these types of contamination issues. However, such issues, if ultimately resolved unfavorably to us, could, in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Water Supply Risks

The adequacy of our water supplies depends upon weather and a variety of other uncontrollable factors

The adequacy of our water supplies varies from year to year depending upon a variety of factors, including:

• rainfall, basin replenishment, flood control, snowpack levels in California and the West, reservoir levels and availability of reservoir storage;
• availability of Colorado River water and imported water from the State Water Project;
• the amount of usable water stored in reservoirs and groundwater basins;
• the amount of water used by our customers and others;
• water quality;
• legal limitations on production, diversion, storage, conveyance and use; and
• climate change.

California drought conditions in recent years and historically and changes in weather patterns have caused an increased stress on surface water supplies and groundwater basins. In addition, low or no allocations of water from the State Water Project and court-ordered pumping restrictions on water obtained from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta decrease or eliminate the amount of water that the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (“MWD”) and other state water contractors are able to import from northern California.

We have implemented tiered rates and other practices, as appropriate, in order to encourage water conservation. We have also implemented programs to assist customers in complying with water usage reductions. Over the long term, we are acting to secure additional supplies, which may include supplies from desalination and increased use of reclaimed water, where appropriate and feasible. We cannot predict the extent to which these efforts to reduce stress on our water supplies will be successful or sustainable, or the extent to which these efforts will enable us to continue to satisfy all of the water needs of our customers. Water shortages at GSWC may:

• adversely affect our supply mix, for instance, by causing increased reliance upon more expensive water sources;
• adversely affect our operating costs, for instance, by increasing the cost of producing water from more highly contaminated aquifers or requiring us to transport water over longer distances, truck water to water systems or adopt other emergency measures to enable us to continue to provide water service to our customers;
• result in an increase in our capital expenditures over the long term, for example, by requiring future construction of pipelines to connect to alternative sources of supply, new wells to replace those that are no longer in service or are otherwise inadequate to meet the needs of our customers, and other facilities to conserve or reclaim water;
• adversely affect the volume of water sold as a result of such factors as mandatory or voluntary conservation efforts by customers, changes in customer conservation patterns, recycling of water by customers and imposition of new regulations impacting such things as landscaping and irrigation patterns;
• adversely affect aesthetic water quality if we are unable to flush our water systems as frequently due to water shortages or drought restrictions; and
• result in customer dissatisfaction and harm to our reputation if water service is reduced, interrupted or otherwise adversely affected as a result of drought, water contamination or other causes.

Our liquidity may be adversely affected by changes in water supply costs

We obtain our water supplies for GSWC from a variety of sources, which vary among our water systems. Certain systems obtain all of their supply from water that is pumped from aquifers within our service areas; some systems purchase all of their supply from wholesale suppliers; some systems obtain their supply from treating surface water sources; and other systems obtain their supply from a combination of wells, surface water sources and/or wholesale suppliers. The cost of obtaining these supplies varies, and overall costs can be impacted as use within a system varies from time to time. As a result, our cost of providing, distributing and treating water for our customers’ use can vary significantly.

Furthermore, imported water wholesalers, such as MWD, may not always have an adequate supply of water to sell to us. Wholesale water suppliers may increase their prices for water delivered to us based on factors that affect their operating costs. Purchased water rate increases are beyond our control.

Since 2008, GSWC has implemented a modified supply cost balancing account, the MCBA, to track and recover costs from supply mix changes and rate changes by wholesale suppliers, as authorized by the CPUC. However, cash flows from operations can be significantly affected since much of the balance we recognize in the MCBA is collected from or refunded to customers primarily through surcharges or surcredits, respectively, generally over twelve- to twenty-four-months. Beginning 2025, the MCBA will be discontinued and no longer be available to recover costs from supply mix changes and rate changes by wholesale suppliers. However, as SB 1469 was passed in 2022, GSWC and other Class A water utilities are allowed to continue to request the MCBA in future general rate case applications. GSWC has requested for the continued use of a full supply cost balancing account, similar to the MCBA, in its next general rate case application filed in August 2023. GSWC’s request to continue using a full supply cost balancing account in its next general rate case will be subject to CPUC approval.

Our liquidity and earnings may be adversely affected by our conservation efforts

Our water utility business is heavily dependent upon revenue generated from rates charged to our customers based on the volume of water used. The rates we charge for water are regulated by the CPUC and may not be adequately adjusted to reflect changes in demand. Declining usage also negatively impacts our long-term operating revenues if we are unable to secure rate increases or if growth in the customer base does not occur to the extent necessary to offset per-customer usage decline.

Conservation by all customer classes at GSWC is a top priority. However, customer conservation will result in lower volumes of water sold. We may experience a decline in per-customer water usage due to factors such as:

• conservation efforts to reduce costs;
• drought conditions resulting in additional water conservation;
• the use of more efficient household fixtures and appliances by customers to save water;
• voluntary or mandatory changes in landscaping and irrigation patterns;
• recycling of water by our customers; and
• mandated water-use restrictions.

These types of changes may result in permanent decreases in demand even if our water supplies are sufficient to meet higher levels of demand after a drought ends. In addition, governmental restrictions on water usage during drought conditions may result in a decreased demand for water, even if our sources of supply are sufficient to serve our customers during such drought conditions. California has established long-term indoor and outdoor water use standards to address the impact of climate change on California water resources and mandate water conservation requirements on all Californians. These standards will require all urban water retailers to meet certain water use standards on a system-by-system basis.

Since 2008, we have implemented the CPUC-approved WRAM at GSWC, which has the effect of stabilizing revenues at the adopted level thereby reducing the potential adverse earnings impact of our customers’ conservation efforts. However, cash flows from operations can be significantly affected since much of the balance we recognize in the WRAM account is collected from or refunded to customers generally over twelve-, eighteen- or twenty-four-month periods.

Electric Segment Operations Risks

Our electric segment operates in a high wildfire risk area

Drought conditions in recent years and historically as well as shifting weather patterns in California as a result of climate change have created dry vegetation and higher risks of wildfire in California. Severe wildfires can pose a material risk for BVES in the event of the occurrence of a wildfire. There is no assurance that losses incurred through a wildfire event will not exceed the coverage limits of BVES’s insurance coverage. Any losses not fully insured by BVES’s insurance coverage may not be approved by the CPUC for future cost recovery.

BVES is required to adopt and implement a wildfire mitigation plan that is submitted periodically to, and subject to the approval of, the CPUC. In December 2023, the CPUC ratified BVES’s 2023-2025 wildfire mitigation plan which was also approved by the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety in the fourth quarter of 2023. The recovery of costs incurred to implement this plan are not approved by the CPUC at the time of its approval of the wildfire mitigation plan but will only be approved by the CPUC in a subsequent general rate case. We anticipate that the costs of capital improvements necessary to implement this program will increase substantially.

BVES is also required to implement a public safety power shut-off program during high wildfire threat conditions. The CPUC may assess penalties if BVES shuts-down power to its customers and the CPUC determines that the shutdown was not reasonably necessary in the circumstances. As a result of shutting-down power to its customers, BVES's cash flows may be negatively affected due to a reduction in electricity sold. However, BVES has implemented a CPUC-approved revenue decoupling mechanism that mitigates the impact of customer usage fluctuations to earnings.

BVES has also obtained a safety certificate, which must be renewed annually by the CPUC. Even with an approved safety certificate, BVES could be found liable for deaths, injuries and property damage if BVES’s electric equipment is found to have caused a catastrophic wildfire and it is determined by the CPUC that BVES did not act reasonably in operating and maintaining its equipment. BVES may not be able to recover the costs of all liabilities from such a wildfire from insurance or from ratepayers.

Our liquidity may be adversely affected by increases in electricity and natural gas prices in California

We purchase most of the electric energy sold to customers in our electric customer service area from others under purchased power contracts. In addition to purchased power contracts, we purchase additional energy from the spot market to meet peak demand and following the expiration of purchased power contracts if there are delays in obtaining CPUC authorization of new purchase power contracts. We may sell surplus power to the spot market during times of reduced energy demand. As a result, our cash flow may be affected by increases in spot market prices of electricity purchased and decreases in spot market prices for electricity sold. However, BVES has implemented a CPUC-approved supply-cost balancing account to mitigate the impact to earnings from fluctuations in supply costs.

Unexpected generator downtime at our 8.4 megawatt natural-gas-fueled generator or a failure to perform by any of the counterparties to our electric and natural gas purchase contracts could further increase our exposure to fluctuating natural gas and electricity prices.

Changes in electricity prices also affect the unrealized gains and losses on our block forward purchased power contracts that qualify as derivative instruments since we adjust the asset or liability on these contracts to reflect the fair market value of the contracts at the end of each month. The CPUC has authorized us to establish a memorandum account to track the changes in the fair market value of our purchased power contracts. As a result, unrealized gains and losses on these types of purchased power contracts do not impact earnings.

We may not be able to procure sufficient renewable energy resources to comply with CPUC rules

We are required to procure a portion of our electricity for BVES from renewable energy resources to meet the CPUC’s renewable procurement requirements. We have agreements with third parties to purchase renewable energy credits, which enables us to meet these requirements through 2024. The next RPS compliance period is years 2025-2027. In the event that the third parties fail to perform in accordance with the terms of the agreement, we may not be able to obtain sufficient resources to meet the renewable procurement requirements. We may be subject to fines and penalties by the CPUC if it determines that we are not in compliance with the renewable resource procurement rules.

Utility Privatization Contract Risks

Our contracts for servicing military bases create certain risks that are different from our public utility operations

We have entered into contracts to provide water and/or wastewater services at military bases primarily pursuant to initial 50-year, firm-fixed-priced contracts, additional firm-fixed-price contracts and task order contracts, subject to termination, in whole or in part, for the convenience of the U.S. government. We also from time to time enter into contracts with third party prime contractors on military bases. The U.S. government may stop work under the terms of one or more of these contracts, not provide additional task orders, delay performance of our obligations under the contracts, or modify the contracts at its convenience.

Our contract pricing is based on a number of assumptions, including assumptions about the condition and amount of infrastructure at the military bases, prices and availability of labor, equipment and materials. We may be unable to recover all costs if any of these assumptions are inaccurate or if all costs incurred in connection with performing the work were not considered. Our contracts are also subject to annual economic price adjustments, adjustments as task orders are issued or other changes permitted by the terms of the contracts. Prices are also subject to equitable adjustment based upon changes in circumstances, laws or regulations and service-requirement changes to the extent provided in each of the contracts.

We are required to record all costs under our military base contracts as they are incurred. As a result, we may record losses associated with unanticipated conditions that result in higher than estimated costs, higher than anticipated infrastructure levels, and required emergency work at the time such expenses occur. We recognize additional revenue for such work as, and to the extent that, our economic price adjustments and/or requests for equitable adjustments are approved. Delays in obtaining approval of economic price adjustments and/or equitable adjustments can negatively impact our results of operations and cash flows.

Certain payments under these contracts are subject to appropriations by Congress. We may experience delays in receiving payment or delays in price adjustments due to canceled or delayed appropriations specific to our projects, reductions in government spending for the military generally or military-base operations specifically or other delays in Congress approving appropriations. Appropriations and the timing of payment may be influenced by, among other things, the state of the economy, competing political priorities, budget constraints, the timing and amount of tax receipts, government shutdowns and the overall level of government expenditures.

We may experience delays in receiving payments for services rendered in military bases due to delays in Congressional appropriation bills or other factors affecting the available funds to pay contractors.

Our contracts for the construction of infrastructure improvements on military bases create risks that are different from those of our public utility operations and maintenance activities

We have entered into contract modifications with the U.S. government and agreements with third parties for the construction of new water and/or wastewater infrastructure at the military bases on which we operate. Most of these contracts are firm-fixed-price contracts. Under firm-fixed-price contracts, we will benefit from cost savings, but are generally unable (except for changes in scope or circumstances approved by the U.S. government or third party) to recover any cost overruns to the approved contract price. Under most circumstances, the U.S. government or third party has approved increased-cost change orders due to changes in scope of work performed.

We generally recognize contract revenues from these types of contracts over time using input methods to measure progress towards satisfying a performance obligation. The measurement of performance over time is based on cost incurred relative to total estimated costs, or the physical completion of the construction projects. The earnings or losses recognized on individual contracts are based on periodic estimates of contract revenues, costs and profitability as these construction projects progress.

We establish prices for these types of firm-fixed-price contracts and the overall contract taken as a whole, based, in part, on cost estimates that are subject to a number of assumptions, including assumptions regarding future economic conditions. If these estimates prove inaccurate or circumstances change, cost overruns could have a material adverse effect on our contracted business operations and results of operations.

We may be adversely affected by disputes with the U.S. government regarding our performance of contracted services on military bases

Entering into contracts with the U.S. government subjects us to a number of operational and compliance risks over our performance of contracted services on military bases. We are periodically audited or reviewed by the Defense Contract Auditing Agency (“DCAA”), the Defense Contract Management Agency (“DCMA”), the Department of Labor, the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, and/or the Department of Justice for compliance with federal acquisition regulations, cost-accounting standards and other laws, regulations and standards that are not applicable to the operations of GSWC or BVES. During the course of these audits/reviews, the U.S. government may question our incurred project costs or the manner in which we have accounted for such costs and recommend to our U.S. government administrative contracting officer that such costs be disallowed. If there is a dispute with the U.S. government regarding performance under these contracts or the amounts owed to us, the U.S. government may delay, reject or withhold payment, delay price adjustments or assert its right to offset damages against amounts owed to us. If we are unable to collect amounts owed to us on a timely basis or the U.S. government asserts its offset rights, profits and cash flows could be adversely affected.

Moreover, we are subject to potential government investigations of our business practices and compliance with government procurement statutes and security regulations. If we are charged with wrongdoing as a result of an investigation, or if we fail to comply with the terms of one or more of our U.S. government contracts, other agreements with the U.S. government or U.S. government statutes and regulations, our existing contracts could be terminated or we could be suspended or barred from future U.S. government contracts for a period of time, and be subject to possible damages, fines and penalties as well as damage to our reputation in the water and wastewater industry, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows.

We depend, to some extent, upon subcontractors to assist us in the performance of contracted services on military bases

We rely, to some extent, on subcontractors to assist us in the operation and maintenance of the water and wastewater systems at military bases. The failure of any of these subcontractors to perform services for us in accordance with the terms of our contracts with the U.S. government could result in the termination of our contract to provide water and/or wastewater services at the affected base(s), and/or a loss of revenues, or increases in costs, to correct a subcontractor’s performance failures.

We are also required to make a good faith effort to achieve our small business subcontracting plan goals pursuant to U.S. government regulations. If we fail to use good faith efforts to meet these goals, the U.S. government may assess damages against us at the end of the contract. The U.S. government has the right to offset claimed damages against any amounts owed to us.

We also rely on third-party manufacturers, as well as third-party subcontractors, to complete our construction projects. To the extent that we cannot engage subcontractors or acquire equipment or materials, our ability to complete a project in a timely fashion or at a profit may be impaired. If the amount of costs we incur for these projects exceeds the amount we have estimated in our bids, we could experience reduced profits or losses in the performance of these contracts. In addition, if a subcontractor or manufacturer is unable to deliver its services, equipment or materials according to the negotiated terms for any reason, including the deterioration of its financial condition, we may be required to purchase the services, equipment or materials from another source at a higher price. This may reduce the profit to be realized or result in a loss on a project for which the services, equipment or materials were needed.

If subcontractors fail to perform services to be provided to us or fail to provide us with the proper equipment or materials, we may be penalized for their failure to perform; however, our contracts with subcontractors include certain protective provisions, which may include the assessment of liquidated damages. We also mitigate these risks by requiring our subcontractors, as appropriate, to obtain performance bonds and to compensate us for any penalties we may be required to pay as a result of their failure to perform.

We may not be fully reimbursed for all of our construction costs or may only receive payment on a delayed basis

Unlike GSWC and BVES, who recover their capital investments from customers over the life of the assets through annual depreciation and earn a return on such investments through the ratemaking process, ASUS is reimbursed for the cost of ongoing renewal and replacement construction projects plus a profit through the collection of a monthly cash stream under each of the 50-year contracts with the U.S. government. ASUS also receives funding from the U.S. government for initial and other new construction projects at the military bases it serves that, in many cases, are outside the scope of contracts with the U.S. government and are granted through firm-fixed contract modifications. ASUS’s subsidiaries expect to continue incurring significant construction costs. Reimbursement by the U.S government for these construction costs may not be fully reimbursable if the costs incurred are greater than the amounts estimated and approved by the U.S. government, or payments may be delayed awaiting government funding and processing, which could significantly affect our cash flows from operations.

Other Contracted Services Segment Risks

Risks associated with wastewater systems are different from those of our water distribution operations

The wastewater-collection-system operations of our ASUS subsidiaries providing wastewater services on military bases are subject to substantial regulation and involve significant environmental risks. If collection, treatment or disposal systems fail, overflow or do not operate properly, untreated wastewater or other contaminants could spill onto nearby properties or into nearby streams and rivers, causing damage to persons or property, injury to aquatic life and economic damages. The cost of addressing such damages may not be recoverable. This risk is most acute during periods of substantial rainfall or flooding, which are common causes of sewer overflows and system failures. These risks may be increased as a result of an increase in the duration and frequency of storms due to climate change. Liabilities resulting from such damage could adversely and materially affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. In the event that we are deemed liable for any damage caused by overflows, our losses may not be recoverable under our contracts with the U.S. government or covered by insurance policies. We may also find it difficult to secure insurance for this business in the future at acceptable rates.

We may have responsibility for water quality at the military bases we serve

While it is the responsibility of the U.S. government to provide the source of water supply to meet ASUS’s subsidiaries water distribution system requirements under their contracts with the U.S. government, the ASUS’s subsidiaries, as the water system permit holders for most of the bases they serve, are responsible for ensuring the continued compliance of the provided source of supply with all federal, state and local regulations. We believe, however, that the terms of the contracts between ASUS’s subsidiaries and the U.S. government provide the opportunity for us to recover costs incurred in the treatment or remediation of any quality issue that arises from the source of water supply.

Our earnings may be affected, to some extent, by weather during different seasons

Seasonal weather conditions, such as hurricanes, heavy rainfall or significant winter storms, occasionally cause temporary office closures and/or result in temporary halts to construction activity at military bases. To the extent that our construction activities are impeded by these events, we will experience a delay in recognizing revenues from these construction projects.

We continue to incur costs associated with the expansion of our military base contract activities

We continue to incur additional costs in connection with the expansion of our contract operations associated with the preparation of bids for new contract operations on prospective and existing military bases. Our ability to recover these costs and to earn a profit on our contract operations will depend upon the extent to which we are successful in obtaining new contracts and recovering these costs and other costs from new contract revenues.

We face intense competition for new military base contracts

An important part of our growth strategy is the expansion of our contracted services business through new contract awards to serve additional military bases for the U.S. government. ASUS competes with other investor-owned utilities, municipalities, and other entities for these contracts.

Additionally, the U.S. government periodically reviews the cost and overall effectiveness of the military privatization program. Should these reviews prompt a decision to curtail or eliminate the issuance of solicitations for future military base contract awards, the potential for growth in this segment could be negatively impacted.

Information Technology Risk Factors

We must successfully maintain and/or upgrade our information technology systems as we are increasingly dependent on the continuous and reliable operation of these systems

We rely on various information technology systems to manage our operations. Such systems require periodic modifications, upgrades and/or replacement, which subject us to inherent costs and risks, including potential disruption of our internal control structure, substantial capital expenditures, additional administrative and operating expenses, retention of sufficiently skilled personnel to implement and operate the new systems, and other risks and costs of delays or difficulties in transitioning to new systems or of integrating new systems into our current systems. In addition, the difficulties with implementing new technology systems may cause disruptions in our business operations and have an adverse effect on our business and operations, if not anticipated and appropriately mitigated.

We rely on our computer, information and communications technology systems in connection with the operation of our business, especially with respect to customer service and billing, accounting and the monitoring and operation of our treatment, storage and pumping facilities. Our computer and communications systems and operations could be damaged or interrupted by weather, natural disasters, telecommunications failures, cyberattacks or acts of war or terrorism or similar events or disruptions. Any of these or other events could cause system interruption, delays and loss of critical data, delay or prevent operations or delay in notification of system failures or emergencies and adversely affect our financial results and could result in liabilities not covered by insurance or recoverable in rates for misappropriation of assets or sensitive information, corruption of data and the impact of operational disruptions on our customers.

Cybersecurity incidents could disrupt our internal operations, and any such disruption could increase our expenses, damage our reputation and adversely affect our stock price

There continues to be an increasing number of cyberattacks on companies around the world, which have caused operational failures or compromised sensitive corporate or customer data. These attacks have occurred over the internet, through malware, viruses or attachments to e-mails, or through persons inside the organization or with access to systems inside the organization and may be heightened with the increased use and prevalence of artificial intelligence. Although we do not believe that our systems are at a materially greater risk of cybersecurity attacks than other similar organizations, our information technology systems remain at risk to damage or interruption from the following among other types of cybersecurity risks:

• Supply Chain Attacks;
• Malicious Software;
• Credential Loss or Theft;
• Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System Takeover;
• Equipment Theft;
• Ransomware;
• Actions of Employees (Intentional or Accidental);
• Phishing Attacks;
• Identity-Based Attacks; and
• Denial-of-Service Attacks.

We believe a breach of customer personally identifiable information is one of the most significant financial risks to us as the costs incurred could exceed the amount of our cybersecurity insurance coverage and these costs may increase if we fail to comply with federal and state privacy regulations such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), a state statute that became effective January 1, 2020, which enhances the privacy rights and consumer protections for California residents. Among other things, the CCPA establishes statutory damages for victims of data security breaches, and provides additional rights for consumers to obtain their data from any business that has their personally identifying information. Any actual or perceived failure to comply with the CCPA could lead to investigations, claims, and proceedings by governmental entities and private parties, damages for breach, and other significant costs, penalties, and other liabilities, as well as harm to our reputation.

We have implemented security measures and will continue to devote significant resources to improve our security posture to address any security vulnerabilities in an effort to prevent cyberattacks. Despite our efforts, due to the evolving nature of cyberattacks and vulnerabilities, we cannot be assured that a cyberattack will not cause water, wastewater or electric system problems, disrupt service to our customers, compromise important data or systems or result in unintended release of customer or employee information. Moreover, if a security breach affects our systems or results in the unauthorized release of sensitive data, our reputation could be materially damaged. We may not discover any security breach and loss of information for a significant period of time after the security breach. We could also be exposed to a risk of loss or litigation and possible liability. Pursuant to U.S. government regulations regarding cybersecurity of government contractors, we might be subject to fines, penalties or other actions, including debarment, with respect to current contracts or with respect to future contract opportunities.

We maintain cybersecurity insurance to provide coverage for a portion of the losses and damages that may result from a security breach, but such insurance is subject to a number of exclusions and may not cover the total loss caused by a breach. Other costs associated with cyber incidents may not be covered by insurance or recoverable in rates. The market for cybersecurity insurance continues to evolve and may affect the future availability of cyber insurance at reasonable rates.

Human Capital Management Risks

Failure to attract, retain, train, motivate, develop and transition key employees could adversely affect our business

In order to be successful, we must attract, retain, train, motivate, and develop key employees, including those in managerial, operational, financial, regulatory, business-development and information-technology support positions. Our regulated business and contracted services operations are complex. Attracting and retaining high quality staff allows us to minimize the cost of providing quality service. In order to attract and retain key employees in a competitive marketplace, we must provide a competitive compensation package and be able to effectively recruit qualified candidates. This is especially challenging for us since approximately 30% of our employees will be eligible to retire in the next five years. The failure to successfully hire key employees or the loss of a material number of key employees could have a significant impact on the quality of our operations in the short term. Further, changes in our management team may be disruptive to our business, and any failure to successfully transition key new hires or promoted employees could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Failure of our employees to maintain required certifications and licenses or to complete required compliance training could adversely impact our ability to operate and maintain our utility systems and provide services to our customers

Many of our employees must have specialized certifications and licenses in order to perform their duties and periodically complete required compliance training. Our business could be adversely affected if our employees do not maintain their certifications and licenses or we are unable to attract employees with the necessary certifications and licenses.

Other Business Risk Factors

The accuracy of our judgments and estimates about financial and accounting matters will impact our operating results and financial condition

The quality and accuracy of estimates and judgments used have an impact on our operating results and financial condition. If our estimates are not accurate, we will be required to make an adjustment in a future period. We make certain estimates and judgments in preparing our financial statements regarding, among others:

• timing of recovering WRAM, MCBA and BRRAM regulatory assets;
• amounts to set aside for uncollectible accounts receivable, inventory obsolescence and uninsured losses;
• our legal exposure and the appropriate accrual for claims, including general liability and workers’ compensation claims;
• future costs and assumptions for pensions and other post-retirement benefits;
• regulatory recovery of deferred items; and
• possible tax uncertainties.

Market conditions and demographic changes may adversely impact the value of our benefit plan assets and liabilities

Market factors can affect assumptions we use in determining funding requirements with respect to our pension and other post-retirement benefit plans. For example, a relatively modest change in our assumptions regarding discount rates can materially affect our calculation of funding requirements. To the extent that market data compels us to reduce the discount rate used in our assumptions, our benefit obligations could materially increase, which could adversely affect our financial position and cash flows. Further, changes in demographics, such as increases in life expectancy assumptions may also increase the funding requirements of our obligations related to our pension and other post-retirement benefit plans.

Market conditions also affect the values of the assets that are held in trusts to satisfy significant future obligations under our pension and other post-retirement benefit plans. These assets are subject to market fluctuations, which may cause investment returns to fall below our projected rates of return. A decline in the market value of our pension and other post-retirement benefit plan assets will increase the funding requirements under these plans if future returns on these assets are insufficient to offset the decline in value. Future increases in pension and other post-retirement costs as a result of the reduced value of plan assets may not be fully recoverable in rates, and our results of operations and financial position could be negatively affected. These risks are mitigated to some extent by the two-way pension balancing accounts authorized by the CPUC, which permits us to track differences between forecasted annual pension expense adopted in water and electric rates and actual pension expenses for future recovery or refund to customers.

Our business requires significant capital expenditures and our inability to access the capital or financial markets could affect our ability to meet our liquidity needs and long-term commitments, which could adversely impact our operations and financial results

The utility business is capital intensive. We spend significant sums of money for additions to, or replacement of, our property, plant and equipment at our water and electric regulated utilities. We obtain funds for these capital projects from operations, contributions by developers and others, and refundable advances from developers (which are repaid over a period of time). We periodically borrow money or issue equity or debt securities for these purposes. In addition, we have revolving credit facilities that are used for capital expenditure programs with our utilities and operations. We cannot provide assurance that these sources will continue to be adequate or that the cost of funds will remain at levels permitting us to earn a reasonable rate of return.

As our capital investment program continues to increase, coupled with the elimination of bonus depreciation for regulated utilities due to tax reform, we will need access to external financing more often, which increases our exposure to market conditions. In addition to cash flow from operations, we rely primarily on our credit facilities and long-term debt to satisfy our liquidity needs. We also may from time to time issue Common Shares to support our capital investment program. Changes in market conditions, including events beyond our control such as recent increases to interest rates, could limit our ability to access capital on terms favorable to us or at all, including obtaining credit facilities with the borrowing capacities needed as well as issuing equity or debt securities. As a result, the amount of capital available may not be sufficient to meet all our liquidity needs at a reasonable cost at all of our subsidiaries.

Payment of our debt may be accelerated if we fail to comply with restrictive covenants in our debt agreements

Our failure to comply with restrictive covenants in our debt agreements could result in an event of default. If the default is not cured or waived, we may be required to repay or refinance the debt before it becomes due. Even if we are able to obtain waivers from our creditors, we may only be able to do so on unfavorable terms. Our ability to comply with the financial covenants in our debt agreements may be adversely affected by delays in obtaining CPUC approval of our general rate case filings.

The price of our Common Shares may be volatile and may be affected by market conditions beyond our control

The trading price of our Common Shares may fluctuate in the future because of the volatility of the stock market and a variety of other factors, many of which are beyond our control. Factors that could cause fluctuations in the trading price of our Common Shares include: changes in interest rates; regulatory developments, decisions and delays; general economic conditions and trends; price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market; actual or anticipated changes or fluctuations in our results of operations; actual or anticipated changes in the expectations of investors or securities analysts; actual or anticipated developments in other utilities’ businesses or the competitive landscape generally; litigation involving us or our industry; major catastrophic events, or sales of large blocks of our stock.

AWR is a holding company that depends on cash flow from its subsidiaries to meet its financial obligations and to pay dividends on its Common Shares

As a holding company, our subsidiaries conduct substantially all operations and our only significant assets are investments in our subsidiaries. This means that we are dependent on distributions of funds from our subsidiaries to meet our debt service obligations and to pay dividends on our Common Shares.

Our subsidiaries are separate and distinct legal entities and generally have no obligation to pay any amounts due on AWR’s credit facility. Our subsidiaries only pay dividends if and when declared by the respective subsidiary board. Moreover, GSWC and BVES are obligated to give first priority to their own capital requirements and to maintain capital structures consistent with those determined to be reasonable by the CPUC in its most recent decisions on capital structure for both GSWC and BVES in order for customers to not be adversely affected by the holding company structure. Furthermore, our right to receive cash or other assets in the unlikely event of liquidation or reorganization of any of our subsidiaries is generally subject to the prior claims of creditors of that subsidiary. If we are unable to obtain funds from a subsidiary in a timely manner, we may be unable to meet our financial obligations, make additional investments or pay dividends.

The final determination of our income tax liability may be materially different from our income tax provision

Significant judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes. Our calculation of the provision for income taxes is subject to our interpretation of applicable tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we file. In addition, our income tax returns are subject to periodic examination by the Internal Revenue Service and other taxing authorities.

Although we believe our income tax estimates are appropriate, there is no assurance that the final determination of our current taxes payable will not be materially different, either higher or lower, from the amounts reflected in our financial statements. In the event we are assessed additional income taxes, our financial condition and cash flows could be adversely affected.

Our operations are geographically concentrated in California

Although we operate water and wastewater facilities in a number of states under our contracted services business, our regulated water and electric operations are concentrated in California, particularly Southern California. As a result, our financial results are largely subject to political, water supply, labor, utility cost and regulatory risks, economic conditions, natural disasters (which may increase as a result of climate change) and other risks affecting California. Our financial results may also be impacted by population growth or decline in our service areas.

Cyberattacks represent a threat to water, wastewater and electric utility systems. There have also been increasing threats to the information that companies maintain that have resulted in unauthorized disclosure of private customer, employee, director and corporate financial information.

Threats can come from many sources, including, but not limited to, ransomware, malicious software, credential loss or theft, supervisory control and data acquisition (“SCADA”) system takeover, equipment theft, supply chain attacks, phishing attacks, identity-based attacks, denial-of-service attacks or the actions of employees either intentional or accidental. Ransomware whereby hackers take control of a company’s systems and/or data has been identified as the most significant threat to Registrant’s critical infrastructure systems and is getting harder to detect and encrypted files are becoming harder to recover. Threat actors using ransomware have also increased their use of data, not only for direct ransom and data destruction, but also to release the data to the public. Registrant believes a breach of customer personally identifiable information is one of the most significant financial risks to it as the costs incurred could exceed the amount of its cybersecurity insurance coverage.

Nevertheless, in order to continue meeting Registrant’s technological business needs and as more vendors build solutions in the cloud, Registrant expects to further expand its use of cloud-computing environments. As such, Registrant expects risks from cyberattacks and data breaches to increase due to the growth of its technological footprint in the cloud environments.

Registrant expects to continue to increase its investment in information technology to monitor and address cyber threats and attempted cyber-attacks, and to improve its posture in addressing security vulnerabilities. In addition, Registrant has dedicated employees with cybersecurity technical expertise and also leverages outside cybersecurity firms. Registrant has adopted multi-layered safeguards and educational measures to protect its operations, assets and digital information. Registrant conducts mandatory quarterly cybersecurity training for all employees. Registrant also conducts specialized training for ASUS employees annually on protecting certain types of information relating to the work ASUS and its subsidiaries do with the U.S. government to comply with U.S. government contracting requirements. In addition, Registrant conducts periodic and unannounced phishing tests with all employees and vulnerability assessment and penetration tests.

Registrant has adopted a cybersecurity incident response policy, plan and set of specific instructions, which are annually reviewed by the IT cybersecurity team members. Registrant is also taking actions intended to strengthen its cybersecurity posture and to improve its cybersecurity incident response plans and operating procedures. Despite the actions Registrant has taken and is taking and the fact that, to its knowledge, it has yet to experience a cybersecurity incident, there can be no assurance that Registrant will not experience a cybersecurity incident.

Risk management, oversight and response

Cyber risk management is an ongoing iterative process that requires continuous identification, assessment and management of possible cyber threats and has become a vital part of Registrant’s overall risk management efforts. Registrant’s cybersecurity team assesses ongoing cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities to prioritize and implement mitigation factors and defense to help contain and combat identified risks.

To ensure threat and vulnerability information is up-to-date, the cybersecurity team subscribes to multiple national and state-level threat and vulnerability information disclosure services, both general-purpose and industry-specific in nature. Updates from these sources include general information delivered on a daily basis and more threat-specific information delivered as required. Tools are in place within Registrant’s environment to monitor for anomalous behavior and provide alerting and, in some cases, automated responses to threats. Registrant’s cybersecurity team meets regularly with product vendors for these tools to ensure optimal configurations are in place to protect its environment.

To determine the risk to Registrant’s systems, it engages in a continuous vulnerability management lifecycle process to identify and remediate vulnerable systems and system configurations. In this regard, Registrant leverages the National Institute of Standards and Technologies cybersecurity framework. To supplement Registrant’s internal process, the cybersecurity team regularly contracts consultants to assess system configurations, both passively through exercises such as configuration review and actively through penetration testing, and response procedures, such as tabletop exercises, to identify areas for improvement. In addition, Registrant supplements its day-to-day operations with around the clock identification, assessment and mitigation of cyber risks with third-party security services as well. Registrant is working on implementing across AWR and its subsidiaries a comprehensive, risk-based approach to identify and oversee cybersecurity risks presented by third parties, including vendors, service providers and other external users of its systems and data, as well as the systems of third parties that could adversely impact Registrant’s business in the event of a cybersecurity incident affecting those third-party systems.

Cybersecurity updates are provided periodically to Registrant’s senior management, including its CEO, CFO and senior vice presidents of Registrant’s operations, and to the senior management of Registrant’s subsidiaries. Cybersecurity risk management extends beyond Registrant’s and its subsidiaries’ senior management teams. Registrant’s Board of Directors (“the Board”) oversees enterprise risk management, or ERM, performed under the direction of Registrant’s senior management team. Cybersecurity updates, including recent findings, changes to processes or personnel changes, are provided to the ERM liaison to the Board, who is a member of the Board, and to the full Board on a quarterly basis or more frequently if needed. Cybersecurity is one component of an overall ERM framework that involves Registrant’s Board. The Board satisfies its oversight responsibility by obtaining information from the ERM liaison and senior management of Registrant, with input from the senior management of Registrant’s subsidiaries as necessary. On a quarterly basis, Registrant’s senior management will discuss the implementation status of plans to mitigate cybersecurity risks with the ERM liaison. The ERM liaison and Registrant’s senior management will then provide a report to the full Board regarding the critical cybersecurity risks discussed, mitigation plans and implementation of the ERM program that addresses cybersecurity risks.

In addition, Registrant’s plans require members of its senior management, such as its CEO and CFO, as well as members of management from its, and its subsidiaries’, Operations, Information Technology, Human Capital Management, Accounting and Legal teams participate in Registrant’s Cybersecurity Incident Response Team (“CIRT”) to be kept current on all aspects related to a cyber-attack, if a cybersecurity incident were to occur.

Responses to cyber-attacks are fast-moving and dynamic and would require an assessment of actual or potential damage performed by Registrant’s cybersecurity team. If a cyber-attack were to occur, continuous engagement, communication and collaboration between Registrant’s cybersecurity team and members of its CIRT as well as third parties would likely be necessary in order to gather accurate and complete information, perform a comprehensive evaluation and assessment of the cyber-attack, manage and contain the cybersecurity threat, and develop and execute a remediation and recovery plan. Members of its CIRT team would work together to determine whether a cybersecurity breach is material and required to be reported to the Board and publicly under applicable law.

To ensure that members of Registrant’s Board are informed of material cyber-attacks, Registrant’s CFO and IT Director have been designated as key members of management that will provide current updates to Registrant’s ERM liaison and the Board. The communication will include but not be limited to, the nature and status of the cyber-attack and Registrant’s plan to contain and mitigate the cyber threat and ultimately the remediation and recovery plan to return to “business as usual” state. Registrant’s CFO has over 15 years overseeing the Company’s risk management area. Registrant’s IT Director has over 25 years in Information Technology designing, implementing and supporting various cybersecurity and technical solutions, along with ensuring compliance with multiple cybersecurity regulations.

Cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, have not materially affected and are not reasonably likely to materially affect Registrant, including its business strategy, results of operations or financial condition. However, the risk of cybersecurity threats could be significant if the cyber-attack disrupts Registrant’s critical operations, service or financial systems. See “Information Technology Risk Factors” under Item 1A. In addition, any unauthorized access to sensitive information or data breaches could be detrimental to Registrant’s operations, critical corporate information and reputation and relationships with its customers, vendors, employees, directors and could negatively affect the future of contract awards at ASUS and could result in a termination of one or more of its existing contracts or the assessment of penalties. The cost of responding to a cyber-attack could be significant depending on the severity of the cyber-attack and could go beyond financial costs as operations and services provided by Registrant could be delayed and coordinated resources in response could be significant. Registrant could also be assessed penalties if it is determined that applicable data privacy laws have been violated.

Water Properties

As of December 31, 2023, GSWC’s physical properties consisted of water transmission and distribution systems, which included 2,878 miles of pipeline together with services, meters and fire hydrants, and approximately 450 parcels of land generally less than 1 acre each, on which are located wells, pumping plants, reservoirs and other water utility facilities, including five surface water treatment plants. GSWC also has franchises, easements and other rights of way for the purpose of accessing wells and tanks and constructing and using pipes and appurtenances for transmitting and distributing water. All of GSWC’s properties are located in California.

As of December 31, 2023, GSWC owned 239 wells, of which 167 are active with an aggregate production capacity of approximately 164 million gallons per day. GSWC has 59 connections to the water distribution facilities of the MWD, and other municipal water agencies. GSWC’s storage reservoirs and tanks have an aggregate capacity of approximately 119 million gallons. GSWC owns no dams. The following table provides, in greater detail, information regarding the water utility plant of GSWC:

* Reservoir capacity is measured in millions of gallons. Mains are in miles.

(1) GSWC has additional capacity in its Bay Point system, through an exclusive capacity right to use 4.4 million gallons per day from a treatment plant owned by Contra Costa Water District. GSWC also has additional reservoir capacity through an exclusive right-to-use all of one 8 million gallon reservoir, one-half of another 8 million gallon reservoir, and one-half of a treatment plant’s capacity, all owned by Three Valleys Municipal Water District.

Electric Properties

BVES’s properties are located in the Big Bear area of San Bernardino County, California. As of December 31, 2023, BVES owned and operated approximately 87.8 miles of overhead 34.5 kilovolt (kv) sub-transmission lines (17.43 circuit miles are insulated), 6.49 miles of underground 34.5 kv sub-transmission lines, 493.41 miles of overhead 4.16 kv or 2.4 kv distribution lines (36.2 circuit miles are insulated), 114.22 miles of underground cable, 13 sub-stations and a natural gas-fueled 8.4 MW peaking generation facility. BVES also has franchises, easements and other rights of way for the purpose of constructing and using poles, wires and other appurtenances for transmitting electricity.

Adjudicated and Other Water Rights

GSWC owns groundwater and surface water rights in California. Groundwater rights are further subject to classification as either adjudicated or unadjudicated rights. Adjudicated rights have been established through comprehensive litigation in the courts, and the annual extraction quantities and use of the adjudicated rights are often subject to the provisions of the judgment for that particular groundwater basin. Additionally, as a result of the adjudication, many of these groundwater basins are managed by a watermaster that is charged with enforcing the provisions of the judgment, which may include determining operating safe yields based on the water supply conditions of the groundwater basin.

GSWC actively manages its adjudicated groundwater rights portfolio with the goal of optimizing and making this source of supply sustainable. Unadjudicated rights are subject to further regulation by the State Water Resources Control Board (“SWRCB”) and the California Department of Water Resources. Surface water rights are quantified and managed by the SWRCB, unless the surface water rights originated prior to 1914. As of December 31, 2023, GSWC had adjudicated groundwater rights and surface water rights of 69,409 and 11,335 acre-feet per year, respectively. GSWC also has a number of unadjudicated groundwater rights, which have not been quantified, but are typically measured by historical usage.

Office Buildings

GSWC owns its general headquarters facility in San Dimas, California. GSWC also owns and leases customer service offices and office space throughout California. BVES owns office space in California. ASUS leases office facilities in Virginia and North Carolina, and owns service centers in Florida, Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina and Kansas.

Mortgage and Other Liens

As of December 31, 2023, neither AWR, GSWC, BVES, ASUS, nor any of its subsidiaries, had any mortgage debt or liens securing indebtedness outstanding. Under the terms of certain debt instruments, AWR, GSWC and BVES are prohibited from issuing any secured debt, without providing equal and ratable security to the holders of this existing debt.

Condemnation of Properties

The laws of the state of California provide for the acquisition of public utility property by governmental agencies through their power of eminent domain, also known as condemnation, where doing so constitutes a more necessary use. In addition, these laws provide that the owner of utility property (i) may contest whether the condemnation is actually necessary, and (ii) is entitled to receive the fair market value of its property if the property is ultimately taken.

Registrant is subject to ordinary routine litigation incidental to its business, some of which may include claims for compensatory and punitive damages. Management believes that rate recovery, proper insurance coverage and reserves are in place to insure against, among other things, property, general liability, employment, and workers’ compensation claims incurred in the ordinary course of business. Insurance coverage may not cover certain claims involving punitive damages.

The following discussion and analysis provides information on AWR’s consolidated operations and assets, and includes specific references to AWR’s individual segments and its subsidiaries (GSWC, BVES, and ASUS and its subsidiaries), and AWR (parent) where applicable.

Included in the following analysis is a discussion of Registrant’s operations in terms of earnings per share by business segment and AWR (parent), which equals each business segment’s earnings divided by AWR’s weighted average number of diluted Common Shares. The gains and losses generated on the investments held to fund one of the Company’s retirement plans during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 have been excluded when communicating the results to help facilitate comparisons of AWR’s performance from period to period. In addition, both the impact of retroactive rates related to the full year 2022 recorded during the year ended December 31, 2023 resulting from the final decision on the water general rate case, and the impact from the estimates of revenues subject to refund recorded in 2022 and changes to estimates recorded in 2023 following the receipt of a final cost of capital decision in June 2023 have been excluded when communicating AWR’s consolidated and water segment results for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 to help facilitate comparisons of the Company’s performance from period to period.

All of the measures discussed above are derived from consolidated financial information of Registrant, but are not presented in our financial statements that are prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States (“GAAP”). These items constitute “non-GAAP financial measures” under Securities and Exchange Commission rules, which supplement our GAAP disclosures but should not be considered as an alternative to the respective GAAP measures. Furthermore, the non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures of other registrants.

AWR uses earnings per share by business segment, a non-GAAP financial measure, as an important measure in evaluating its operating results and believes it provides investors with clarity surrounding the performance of its segments. AWR reviews this measurement regularly and compares it to historical periods and to its operating budget. A reconciliation to AWR’s consolidated diluted earnings per share prepared in accordance with GAAP is included in the discussion under the section titled “Summary Results by Segment.”

Overview

Factors affecting our financial performance are summarized under the Overview section in Item 1. Business and Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Water and Electric Segments:

GSWC’s and BVES’s revenues, operating income, and cash flows are earned primarily through delivering potable water to homes and businesses in California and electricity in the Big Bear area of San Bernardino County, California, respectively. Rates charged to GSWC and BVES customers are authorized by the CPUC. These rates are intended to allow recovery of operating costs and a reasonable rate of return on invested capital. GSWC and BVES plan to continue seeking additional rate increases in future years from the CPUC to recover operating and supply costs, and receive reasonable returns on invested capital. Capital expenditures in future years at GSWC and BVES are expected to remain at substantially higher levels than depreciation expense. When necessary, GSWC and BVES may obtain funds from external sources in the capital markets and through bank borrowings.

General Rate Case Filings and Other Matters:

Water General Rate Case for the years 2025–2027:

On August 14, 2023, GSWC filed a general rate case application for all its water regions and the general office. This general rate case will determine new water rates for the years 2025 – 2027. Among other things, GSWC requested capital budgets of approximately $611.4 million for the three-year capital cycle. GSWC also requested the continuation of mechanisms to accommodate fully decoupled revenues and sales, and track differences between recorded and CPUC-authorized supply-related expenses. In an August 2020 decision, the CPUC discontinued the use of the WRAM and the MCBA by water utilities, which GSWC implemented in 2008, but would be discontinued for GSWC after 2024. However, on September 30, 2022, the governor of California signed Senate Bill (“SB”) 1469 and effective January 1, 2023, SB 1469 allows Class A water utilities, including GSWC, to continue requesting the use of a revenue decoupling mechanism in their next general rate case. With the passage of SB 1469, GSWC’s request to continue using a revenue decoupling mechanism will be subject to CPUC approval. As of the filing date of this Form 10-K, a proposed decision in the water general rate case is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2024, with new rates to become effective January 1, 2025.

Water General Rate Case for years 2022 - 2024:

On June 29, 2023, the CPUC adopted a final decision in GSWC’s general rate case application for all its water regions and its general office that determined new water rates for the years 2022–2024 retroactive to January 1, 2022. Among other things, the final decision (i) adopted the full settlement agreement between GSWC and the Public Advocates Office at the CPUC (“Public Advocates”) that resolved all issues related to the 2022 annual revenue requirement in the general rate case application and authorized GSWC to invest approximately $404.8 million in capital infrastructure over the three-year capital cycle (excluding advice letter projects), and (ii) allowed for additional increases in adopted revenues for 2023 and 2024 subject to an earnings test and inflationary index values at the time of filing for implementation of the new rates. The impact of retroactive rates for the full year of 2022 as well as second-year rate increases for 2023 have been reflected in the results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023.

As a result of receiving the final decision that approved the settlement agreement in its entirety, the net impact of retroactive new rates for the full year of 2022 was $0.38 per share and has been reflected in the year ended December 31, 2023 results, which consisted primarily of the increase in 2022’s annual revenue requirement (excluding advice letter projects) that, among other things, incorporated an increase in supply costs, and which combined is a net increase of approximately $0.40 per share; partially offset by the approval of new operating expense levels related to 2022 that resulted in an increase in recorded depreciation expense of approximately $790,000, or $0.02 per share, resulting from updated composite depreciation rates adopted in the final decision, and which are reflected in the 2022 adopted revenue requirement.

The second-year rate increases for 2023, which were retroactive to January 1, 2023, have also been reflected in the year ended December 31, 2023 results. Excluding the impact of retroactive rates for 2022 discussed above, there was an increase in recorded water operating revenues of $48.1 million largely as a result of the second-year rate increases for 2023 that, among other things, incorporated the increase in recorded supply costs of $10.0 million, which combined is an increase of $0.74 per share. Upon receiving the final decision, GSWC filed for the implementation of new 2023 rate increases that went into effect on July 31, 2023. Due to the delay in finalizing the water general rate case, water revenues billed to customers for the year ended December 31, 2022 and for the period from January 1, 2023 to July 30, 2023 were based on 2021 adopted rates. In October 2023, GSWC also filed with the CPUC to recover all retroactive rate amounts accumulated in memorandum accounts for the full 2022 year and for 2023 through July 30, 2023. Surcharges were implemented to recover the cumulative retroactive rate differences over 36 months. As of December 31, 2023, there is an aggregate cumulative balance of $52.8 million in CPUC-approved general rate case memorandum accounts that have been recognized as regulatory assets with a corresponding increase in water revenues.

Cost of Capital (“COC”) Proceedings:

2024 COC Application:

Investor-owned water utilities serving California are required to file their cost of capital applications on a triennial basis. GSWC’s next cost of capital application was scheduled to be filed on May 1, 2024 effective for the years 2025 - 2027. However, GSWC, along with three other Class A investor-owned water utilities in California, filed a joint request with the CPUC to defer the filing deadline of the next cost of capital applications by one year, which was approved on February 2, 2024. The joint request asked that the utilities keep the cost of capital currently authorized for 2024 in effect through 2025, and file new cost of capital applications by May 1, 2025 to set the cost of debt, return on equity and capital structure starting January 1, 2026. GSWC’s current authorized rate of return on rate base is 7.93% effective January 1, 2024, which will continue in effect through December 31, 2025. Additionally, GSWC's Water Cost of Capital Adjustment Mechanism (“WCCM”) will remain active through the one year deferral period.

2021 COC Application:

GSWC filed its last cost of capital application with the CPUC in May 2021. On June 29, 2023, the CPUC adopted a final decision that, among other things, (i) adopted GSWC’s requested capital structure of 57% equity and 43% debt; (ii) adopted a cost of debt of 5.1% for GSWC as compared to 6.6% previously authorized; (iii) adopted a return on equity of 8.85% for GSWC as compared to 8.9% previously authorized; (iv) allowed for the continuation of the WCCM through December 31, 2024; and (v) adopted the new cost of capital for the three-year period commencing January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2024. Based on the final decision issued in June 2023, all adjustments to rates are prospective and not retroactive. GSWC filed an advice letter that implemented the new cost of capital effective July 31, 2023.

Following the receipt of the final decision in the cost of capital proceeding, management updated its analysis and reassessed the accounting estimates recorded to date related to GSWC’s lower cost of debt. Accordingly, during the second quarter of 2023, GSWC recorded a change in estimate that resulted in an increase to water revenues in the amount of $6.4 million, or approximately $0.13 per share, as a result of reversing its regulatory liability for revenues subject to refund that it had recorded during 2022.

The WCCM adjusts the return on equity and rate of return on rate base between the three-year cost of capital proceedings only if there is a positive or negative change of more than 100 basis points in the average of the Moody’s Aa utility bond rate as measured over the period October 1 through September 30. If there is a positive or negative change of more than

100 basis points, the return on equity is adjusted by one half of the difference. For the period from October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022, the Moody’s Aa utility bond rate increased by 102.8 basis points from the benchmark, which triggered the WCCM adjustment. GSWC recognized revenues for the period from January 1 through July 30, 2023 and all of 2022 based on the previously authorized return of equity of 8.9% that had also been billed to water customers through the same period. On June 30, 2023, GSWC filed an advice letter to establish the WCCM for 2023, which increased GSWC’s 8.85% adopted return on equity in the decision to 9.36% effective July 31, 2023. Additionally, for the period from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023, the Moody’s Aa utility bond rate increased by 139.7 basis points from the benchmark, which triggered another WCCM adjustment. On October 12, 2023, GSWC filed an advice letter to establish the WCCM for 2024, which has been approved by the CPUC and increased GSWC’s 9.36% adopted return on equity to 10.06% effective January 1, 2024.

Final Decision in the First Phase of the Low-Income Affordability Rulemaking:

In August 2020, the CPUC issued a final decision in the first phase of the CPUC’s Order Instituting Rulemaking evaluating the low income ratepayer assistance and affordability objectives contained in the CPUC’s 2010 Water Action Plan. This decision also addressed other issues, including mandating discontinuance of the WRAM and the MCBA. The MCBA is a full-cost balancing account used to track the difference between adopted and actual water supply costs (including the effects of changes in both rates and volume). Based on the final decision, any general rate case application filed by GSWC and the other California water utilities after August 27, 2020 may not include a proposal to continue the use of the WRAM or MCBA, but may instead include a proposal to use a limited price adjustment mechanism and an incremental supply cost balancing account. The discontinuation of the WRAM and MCBA for GSWC would be effective for years after 2024. However, on September 30, 2022, the governor of California signed Senate Bill (“SB”) 1469. Effective January 1, 2023, SB 1469 allows Class A water utilities, including GSWC, to continue requesting the use of a full revenue decoupling mechanism in their general rate case. With the passage of SB 1469, GSWC was able to request the continued use of a full revenue decoupling mechanism, similar to the WRAM in its general rate case application filed on August 14, 2023 that establishes new rates for the years 2025 – 2027. GSWC’s request to continue using a full revenue decoupling mechanism in its general rate case is subject to CPUC approval. Since its implementation in 2008, the WRAM and MCBA have helped mitigate fluctuations in GSWC’s earnings due to changes in water consumption by its customers or changes in water supply mix. Replacing them with mechanisms recommended in the final decision will likely result in more volatility in GSWC’s future earnings and could result in less than, or more than, full recovery of its authorized revenue and supply costs.

In October 2020, GSWC, three other investor-owned water utilities (“IOWUs”) operating in California, and the California Water Association (“CWA”) filed applications with the CPUC for rehearing on the discontinuation of the WRAM and MCBA, which the CPUC denied in September 2021. GSWC, the three other IOWUs and CWA each separately filed a petition with the California Supreme Court to review the CPUC’s decision revoking prior authorization of the WRAM and MCBA. In May 2022, the Court granted the petition for writ of review. The Court ordered GSWC, along with the other IOWUs and CWA, to file opening briefs, which were filed on September 1, 2022. The CPUC’s answer to the opening briefs was originally due by November 15, 2022 and reply briefs were due by December 15, 2022. However, as a result of SB 1469, in October 2022 the CPUC filed a motion to dismiss the IOWUs and CWA’s petition with the Court, and also requested that the Court suspend the proceeding schedule until it rules on the motion to dismiss. The Court granted the CPUC’s request to suspend the proceeding schedule. In November 2022, the Supreme Court denied the CPUC’s motion to dismiss and established a new proceeding schedule whereby the CPUC filed their answer brief on December 9, 2022 and the IOWUs filed their reply brief on January 13, 2023. At this time, management cannot predict the final outcome of this matter.

Electric General Rate Case for the years 2023–2026:

On August 30, 2022, BVES filed a general rate case application that will determine new electric rates for the years 2023 – 2026. In February 2023, a scoping memo and ruling that set the final schedule and scope of issues in BVES’s general rate case proceeding was issued by the CPUC. Electric revenues billed to customers for 2023 were based on 2022 adopted rates and will remain in effect until finalization of the pending general rate case application. On December 15, 2022, the CPUC approved a decision for BVES to establish a general rate case memorandum account that makes the new 2023 rates effective and retroactive to January 1, 2023. When a decision is issued in the electric general rate case, cumulative adjustments will be recorded at that time.

Among other things, BVES requested (i) capital budgets of approximately $62.0 million for the four-year rate cycle, and another $6.2 million for a large line replacement capital project to be filed for revenue recovery through an advice letter when the project is completed, and (ii) a capital structure for BVES of 61.8% equity and 38.2% debt, a return on equity of 11.25%, an embedded cost of debt of 5.51%, and a return on rate base of 9.05%. Included in the general rate case application is a request for recovery of all capital expenditures and other incremental costs incurred over the last few years in connection with BVES’s wildfire mitigation plans that are currently not included in customer rates. These costs will be subject to review by the CPUC during the general rate case proceeding.

Contracted Services Segment:

ASUS’s revenues, operating income and cash flows are earned by providing water and/or wastewater services, including operation and maintenance services and construction of facilities for the water and/or wastewater systems at various military installations, pursuant to an initial 50-year, firm-fixed-price contract, additional firm-fixed-price contracts, task order agreements and subcontracts with third party prime contractors on military bases. Currently, ASUS has one subsidiary that has entered into a task order agreement with the U.S. government that has a term of 15 years. The contract price for each of the contracts and recurring task order agreements is subject to annual economic price adjustments. Additional revenues generated by contract operations are primarily dependent on annual economic price adjustments, and new construction activities under contract modifications with the U.S. government or agreements with other third-party prime contractors. ASUS’s subsidiaries continue to enter into U.S. government-awarded contract modifications and agreements with third-party prime contractors for new construction projects at the military bases served.

During 2023, excluding the first task order of Joint Base Cape Cod (“JBCC”) and the new contract for Naval Air Station Patuxent River, ASUS was awarded approximately $24.1 million in new construction projects for completion beginning in 2023 through 2026. Earnings and cash flows from modifications to the initial 50-year contracts, additional contracts thereafter with the U.S. government and agreements with third-party prime contractors for additional construction projects may or may not continue in future periods.

On August 15, 2023, ASUS was awarded a new 50-year contract by the U.S. government to operate, maintain, and provide construction management services for the water distribution and wastewater collection and treatment facilities at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, a United States Navy air station located in Maryland. The initial firm-fixed-price value of the contract is estimated at $349 million over a 50-year period and is subject to annual economic price adjustments. This initial value is also subject to adjustment based on the results of a joint inventory of assets to be performed during the transition period and will be finalized during the first year of operations.

On September 29, 2023, ASUS was awarded a new 15-year contract by the U.S. government, that is different than ASUS's other existing 50-year contracts, to operate, maintain, and provide construction management services for the water distribution and wastewater collection and treatment facilities at JBCC located in Massachusetts. Under this contract, ASUS will have the opportunity to perform work at JBCC through the periodic issuance of task orders by the U.S. government for up to a maximum initial firm-fixed-price value of $45.0 million over a 15-year period, subject to adjustments as task orders are issued. In September 2023, the first task order was issued with a value of $2.3 million to perform an evaluation, construction and transition services that are scheduled for completion in 2024.

Entering into contracts with the U.S. government subjects ASUS to potential government audits or investigations of its business practices and compliance with government procurement statutes and regulations. ASUS had been under a civil government investigation over bidding and estimating practices used in certain capital upgrade projects. In July 2023, ASUS and the U.S. government entered into an agreement that settles civil and monetary claims by the U.S. government. This settlement did not have a material impact on Registrant’s financial statements.

Summary Results by Segment

The table below sets forth a comparison of the diluted earnings per share by business segment and for the parent company:

Note: Certain amounts in the table above may not foot or crossfoot due to rounding.

* All adjustments to recorded diluted earnings per share relate to the water segment. The water segment’s adjusted earnings for 2023 exclude the impact of retroactive rates related to the full year of 2022 resulting from the final CPUC decision in the general rate case previously discussed, and for 2023 and 2022 they exclude the impact of changes in estimates resulting from revenues subject to refund related to the cost of capital proceeding, both shown separately in the table above.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, AWR’s recorded consolidated diluted earnings were $3.36 per share, as compared to $2.11 per share for 2022, an increase of $1.25 per share, which includes: (i) the impact of retroactive new rates related to the full 2022 year of $0.38 per share as a result of receiving a final decision in the water general rate case as previously discussed and shown separately in the table above, and (ii) a net favorable variance of $0.26 per share, also shown separately in the table above, related to the impact of the final cost of capital decision that resulted in the reversal during 2023 of revenues subject to refund of $6.4 million, or $0.13 per share, due to a change in estimate from what had been recorded during 2022. Excluding these items from both periods, for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, adjusted consolidated diluted earnings were $2.85 per share and $2.24 per share, respectively, an adjusted increase of $0.61 per share. Also, included in the results for 2023 were gains totaling $5.0 million, or approximately $0.10 per share, on investments held to fund one of the Company’s retirement plans, as compared to losses of $5.2 million, or approximately $0.10 per share, for 2022, both due to financial market conditions.

Excluding the gains and losses on the retirement plan investments from both periods, the impact of retroactive rates recorded in 2023 related to the full year of 2022, and the impact of changes in estimates from the cost of capital proceeding from both periods, adjusted consolidated diluted earnings for the year of 2023 would be $2.75 per share as compared to adjusted diluted earnings of $2.34 per share for 2022, an adjusted increase of $0.41 per share or a 17.5% increase, largely due to new 2023 water rates approved in GSWC’s final decision in its general rate case proceeding.

The following is a computation and reconciliation of diluted earnings per share from the measure of operating income by business segment as disclosed in Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, to AWR’s consolidated fully diluted earnings per common share for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:

In 000's except per share amounts

Note: Certain amounts in the table above may not foot or crossfoot due to rounding.

Water Segment:

For the year ended December 31, 2023, recorded diluted earnings from the water utility segment were $2.77 per share, as compared to $1.45 per share for 2022, an increase of $1.32 per share, which includes: (i) the impact of retroactive new rates related to the full 2022 year of $0.38 per share (shown separately in the Summary Results by Segment table above), (ii) a net favorable variance of $0.26 per share (shown separately in the Summary Results by Segment table above) from the impact of the final cost of capital decision that resulted in the reversal of $6.4 million, or $0.13 per share, due to a change in estimate from what had been recorded during 2022, and (iii) a net favorable variance of $0.20 per share from gains totaling $5.0 million, or $0.10 per share, recorded during 2023 on investments held to fund a retirement plan, as compared to losses of $5.2 million, or $0.10 per share, recorded in 2022.

Excluding the gains and losses on the retirement plan investments from both periods, the impact of retroactive rates recorded in 2023 related to the full year of 2022, and the impact of changes in estimates from the cost of capital proceeding from both periods, adjusted diluted earnings for 2023 at the water segment were $2.16 per share as compared to adjusted diluted earnings of $1.68 per share for 2022, an adjusted net increase at the water segment of $0.48 per share, or a 28.6% increase, due primarily to the following items:

• An increase in the water operating revenues of $48.1 million largely as a result of the second-year rate increases for 2023 that are retroactive to January 1, 2023 and have been reflected in the results for the year ended December 31, 2023, partially offset by the impact of the prospective change in the new cost of capital effective July 31, 2023. GSWC filed for the implementation of new 2023 rates upon receiving the final decisions in June 2023 in both its general rate case and cost of capital proceedings. The increase in water revenues during 2023 represents the difference from the 2023 second-year rate increases and the 2021 adopted rates in place and recorded during 2022.
• An increase in water supply costs of $10.0 million, which consist of purchased water, purchased power for pumping, groundwater production assessments and changes in the water supply cost balancing accounts. Adopted supply costs for the year of 2023 were based on 2023 authorized amounts approved in the final CPUC decision in the water general rate case as compared to 2021 authorized amounts in place during 2022. Actual water supply costs are tracked and passed through to customers on a dollar-for-dollar basis by way of the CPUC-approved water supply cost balancing accounts. The increase in water supply costs results in a corresponding increase in water operating revenues and has no net impact on the water segment’s profitability.
• An overall increase in operating expenses of $3.4 million (excluding supply costs), which negatively impacted earnings and was mainly due to increases in (i) overall labor costs and other employee-related benefits, (ii) administrative and general expenses resulting from higher legal and other outside-services costs, (iii) depreciation and amortization expenses resulting from additions to utility plant and higher composite depreciation rates based on a revised depreciation study approved in the water general rate case, and (iv) franchise fees resulting from higher water revenues. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in water treatment costs, and bad debt expense as a result of additional state relief funds expected to be received for unpaid water bills accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic period.
• An overall increase in interest expense (net of interest and other income) of $4.8 million resulting primarily from an increase in interest rates, as well as an overall increase in total borrowing levels to support, among other things, the capital expenditure programs at GSWC; partially offset by higher interest income earned on regulatory assets bearing interest at the current 90-day commercial-paper rate, which increased compared to 2022’s rates, as well as an increase in the level of regulatory assets recorded resulting, in large part, from the decision on the water general rate case that had been delayed.
• An overall increase in other expense (net of other income) of $4.6 million due largely to a net increase in the non-service cost components related to GSWC’s benefit plans resulting from changes in actuarial assumptions recorded during the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to 2022. However, as a result of GSWC’s two-way pension balancing accounts authorized by the CPUC, changes in total net periodic benefit costs related to the pension plan have no material impact to earnings, which accounts for the majority of the increase in non-service costs.
• Changes in certain flowed-through income taxes and permanent items included in GSWC’s income tax expense for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the same period in 2022 that unfavorably impacted the water segment's earnings. As a regulated utility, GSWC treats certain temporary differences as being flowed-through in computing its income tax expense consistent with the income tax method used in its CPUC-jurisdiction rate making. Changes in the magnitude of flowed-through items either increase or decrease tax expense, thereby affecting diluted earnings per share.

Electric Segment:

Diluted earnings from the electric utility segment decreased $0.04 per share for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to 2022, largely resulting from not having new rates in 2023 while awaiting the processing of the pending electric general rate case that will set new rates for 2023 – 2026, while also experiencing continued increases in overall operating expenses and interest costs, partially offset by favorable changes in certain flowed-through income taxes. When a decision is issued in the electric general rate case, new rates are expected to be retroactive to January 1, 2023 and cumulative adjustments will be recorded at that time.

Contracted Services Segment:

Diluted earnings from the contracted services segment increased $0.04 per share for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to 2022, largely due to an increase in management fee revenues resulting from the resolution of various economic price adjustments and an increase in construction activity, partially offset by higher overall operating expenses (excluding construction expenses) and interest costs as compared to 2022.

AWR (Parent):

For the year ended December 31, 2023, the diluted loss from AWR (parent) increased $0.06 per share compared to 2022 due primarily to an increase in interest expense resulting from higher short-term interest rates and higher borrowings made under AWR’s revolving credit facility, as well as changes in state unitary taxes.

The following discussion and analysis for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 provide information on AWR’s consolidated operations and assets and, where necessary, includes specific references to AWR’s individual segments and subsidiaries: GSWC, BVES and ASUS and its subsidiaries.

Consolidated Results of Operations — Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (amounts in thousands, except per share amounts):

* not meaningful

Operating Revenues

General

GSWC and BVES rely upon approvals by the CPUC of rate increases to recover operating expenses and to provide for a return on invested and borrowed capital used to fund utility plant. ASUS relies on economic price and equitable adjustments by the U.S. government in order to recover operating expenses and provide a profit margin for ASUS. Current operating revenues and earnings may be negatively impacted if ASUS’s subsidiaries do not receive adequate price adjustments in a timely manner. ASUS’s earnings are also impacted by the level of construction projects at its subsidiaries, which may or may not continue at current levels in future periods.

Water

For the year ended December 31, 2023, revenues from water operations increased by $92.9 million to $433.5 million, compared to 2022. The increase in water revenues was largely because of the adoption in June 2023 of a final decision in the water general rate case that included the impact of retroactive rates associated with the increase in 2022’s annual revenue requirement (excluding advice letter projects), as well as the second-year rate increases for 2023, partially offset by the impact of the prospective change in the new cost of capital effective July 31, 2023. In addition, because of receiving a final decision in the cost of capital proceeding in June 2023, in which the CPUC made adjustments to rates prospective, GSWC recorded a change in estimate that resulted in an increase to water revenues in 2023 totaling $6.4 million as a result of reversing its regulatory liability for revenues subject to refund that it had recorded during 2022.

Billed water consumption for the year ended December 31, 2023 was lower by 7.8% compared to 2022 due primarily to overall above average rainfall in California during the year of 2023 compared to 2022. Currently, changes in consumption generally do not have a significant impact on recorded revenues due to the CPUC-approved WRAM that is in place in all but one small rate-making area. GSWC records the difference between what it bills its water customers and that which is authorized by the CPUC in the WRAM accounts as regulatory assets or liabilities.

Electric

Electric revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased $1.8 million to $41.8 million due, in large part, to the final decision adopted in the water general rate case proceeding that updates the costs allocated from the general corporate office to the electric segment. The final decision authorizes an increase in the allocation ratio to the electric segment. The increase in general corporate office expenses allocated to the electric segment also includes a corresponding and offsetting increase in adopted electric revenues as provided in BVES’s last general rate case proceeding, resulting in no impact to earnings. There was also an increase in electric revenues from an advice letter filing related to a completed capital project.

Electric usage for the year ended December 31, 2023 was lower by 2.9% compared to 2022. Due to the CPUC-approved Base Revenue Requirement Adjustment Mechanism, which adjusts certain revenues to adopted levels authorized by the CPUC, changes in usage do not have a significant impact on earnings.

Contracted Services

Revenues from contracted services are composed of construction revenues (including renewal and replacements) and management fees for operating and maintaining the water and/or wastewater systems at various military bases. For the year ended December 31, 2023, revenues from contracted services increased $9.5 million to $120.4 million as compared to $110.9 million for 2022. The increase was largely due to higher construction activity and an increase in management fee revenue from annual economic price adjustments as compared to 2022.

ASUS’s subsidiaries continue to enter into U.S. government-awarded contract modifications and agreements with third-party prime contractors for new construction projects at the military bases served. During 2023, excluding the first task order of JBCC and the new contract for Naval Air Station Patuxent River, ASUS was awarded approximately $24.1 million in new construction projects for completion in 2023 through 2026. Earnings and cash flows from modifications to the initial 50-year contracts and additional contracts with the U.S. government and agreements with third-party prime contractors for additional construction projects may or may not continue in future periods.

Operating Expenses:

Supply Costs

Total supply costs at the regulated utilities comprise the largest segment of total consolidated operating expenses. Supply costs accounted for 33.1% and 30.1% of total operating expenses for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Water segment supply costs

Two of the principal factors affecting water supply costs are the amount of water produced and the source of the water. Generally, the variable cost of producing water from wells is less than the cost of water purchased from wholesale suppliers. The overall actual percentages for purchased water for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were 43% and 45%, as compared to the adopted percentages of 41% and 34% for 2023 and 2022. The higher actual percentage of purchased water as compared to adopted resulted from a higher volume of purchased water costs due to several wells being out of service.

Under the current CPUC-approved MCBA, GSWC tracks adopted and actual expense levels for purchased water, power purchased for pumping and pump taxes. GSWC records the variances (which include the effects of changes in both rate and volume) between adopted and actual purchased water, purchased power and pump tax expenses as a regulatory asset or liability. GSWC recovers from, or refunds to, customers the amount of such variances. GSWC tracks these variances individually for each water ratemaking area.

Supply costs for the water segment consist of purchased water, purchased power for pumping, groundwater production assessments and changes in the water supply cost balancing accounts. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, water supply costs consisted of the following amounts (in thousands):

* The sum of water and electric supply-cost balancing accounts are shown on AWR’s Consolidated Statements of Income and totaled $12.1 million and $(12.0) million for 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Purchased water costs for the year ended December 31, 2023 decreased to $72.9 million as compared to $75.9 million for 2022 primarily due to decreases in water consumption and production that were driven by overall above-average rainfall in 2023 and from overall improvements in drought conditions in 2023 as compared to 2022, partially offset by increases in wholesale water costs. The increase in power purchased for pumping was due to increases in electricity provider rates. Groundwater production assessments increased due to increases in pump tax rates during 2023 as compared to 2022.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, the water supply cost balancing account had a $13.8 million over-collection as compared to an $8.6 million under-collection in 2022. The change in water supply cost balancing accounts was primarily due to updated adopted supply costs from the final decision in the water general rate case proceeding received in June 2023. This increase includes the full year impact of 2022 to reflect newly adopted supply costs retroactive to January 1, 2022, with a corresponding and offsetting increase in adopted water revenues, resulting in no impact to earnings.

Electric segment supply costs

Supply costs for the electric segment consist primarily of purchased power for resale, the cost of natural gas used by BVES’s generating unit, the cost of renewable energy credits and changes in the electric supply cost balancing account. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, electric supply costs consisted of the following amounts (in thousands):

* The sum of water and electric supply-cost balancing accounts are shown on AWR’s Consolidated Statements of Income and totaled $12.1 million and $(12.0) million for 2023 and 2022, respectively.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, the cost of power purchased for resale to BVES’s customers decreased to $13.3 million as compared to $15.0 million for 2022 primarily due to a decrease in customer usage and lower average price per megawatt-hour (“MWh”). The average price per MWh, including fixed costs, decreased to $79.80 per MWh in 2023 from $97.89 per MWh in 2022. The lower customer usage resulted in a lower under-collection of $1.7 million recorded in the electric supply balancing account in 2023 when compared to an under-collection of $3.4 million during 2022.

Other Operation

The primary components of other operation expenses include payroll costs, materials and supplies, chemicals and water treatment costs, and outside service costs of operating the regulated water and electric systems, including the costs associated with transmission and distribution, pumping, water quality, meter reading, billing, and operations of district offices. Registrant’s contracted services operations incur many of the same types of expenses. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, other operation expenses by business segment consisted of the following amounts (in thousands):

For the year ended December 31, 2023, the increase in other operation expenses at the water segment was due primarily to higher operation-related labor, transportation and outside-service costs, partially offset by lower water treatment costs and bad debt expense. As a result of receiving the final decision in the water general rate case, the increase at the water segment also included a cumulative depreciation adjustment for 2022 of $212,000 on GSWC’s transportation equipment, which is recorded in other operation expenses.

The increases at the electric and contracted services segments were due primarily to higher operation-related labor and outside-services costs.

Administrative and General

Administrative and general expenses include payroll related to administrative and general functions, all employee-related benefits, insurance expenses, outside legal and consulting fees, regulatory utility commission expenses, expenses associated with being a public company and general corporate expenses charged to expense accounts. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, administrative and general expenses by business segment, including AWR (parent), consisted of the following amounts (in thousands):

* not meaningful

Administrative and general expenses increased at the water segment due, in large part, to an increase in legal and other outside-service costs, labor and employee-related expenses, partially offset by a decrease in the service cost component of GSWC’s defined-benefit pension plan. Due to GSWC’s two-way pension balancing accounts authorized by the CPUC, changes in total net periodic benefit costs related to the pension plan have no material impact to earnings. In addition, there was a reduction of approximately $447,000 to reflect the final decision in the water general rate case that authorized the one-time recovery of previously incurred administrative and general expenses that were being tracked in CPUC-authorized memorandum accounts.

Administrative and general expenses increased at the electric segment due, in part, to an increase in labor costs and a higher allocation of costs from the general corporate office because of the updated allocation ratio authorized in the final decision on the water general rate case. The increase in general corporate office expenses allocated to the electric segment also includes a corresponding and offsetting increase in adopted electric revenues, resulting in no impact on earnings.

Administrative and general expenses increased at the contracted services segment due to an increase in outside service, labor, and employee-related benefit costs.

Administrative and general expenses at AWR (parent) during the year ended December 31, 2023 reflect the reversal of a previous accrual for a matter that was favorably resolved.

Depreciation and Amortization

For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, depreciation and amortization expense by segment consisted of the following amounts (in thousands):

The water general rate case final decision approved an overall higher composite depreciation rates based on a revised depreciation study. The increase in composite depreciation rates increases the adopted water revenue requirement, with a corresponding increase in adopted depreciation expense, resulting in no impact to net earnings. The overall increase in depreciation and amortization expenses at the water segment included the retroactive impact for the full year of 2022 of $576,000. In addition, the increase to depreciation and amortization expense was also attributed to additions to utility plant and other fixed assets at both regulated utilities.

Maintenance

For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, maintenance expense by segment consisted of the following amounts (in thousands):

Maintenance expense increased at each of the business segments due to higher planned and unplanned maintenance activities as compared to the same period in 2022.

Property and Other Taxes

For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, property and other taxes by segment, consisted of the following amounts (in thousands):

Property and other taxes increased at the water segment primarily due to an increase in franchise fees resulting from higher water revenues, partially offset by favorable property tax adjustments resulting from changes in property tax assessments for certain counties. In addition, there was an increase in property taxes at the electric segment resulting from an increase in capital additions and higher assessed values, and an increase in gross receipts taxes at the contracted services segment from higher construction activity.

ASUS Construction

For the year ended December 31, 2023, construction expenses for contracted services were $57.9 million, increasing by $4.7 million compared to 2022 primarily due to an increase in construction activity as compared to 2022.

Interest Expense

For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, interest expense by segment, including AWR (parent), consisted of the following amounts (in thousands):

AWR’s borrowings consist of bank notes under revolving credit facilities, while GSWC and BVES borrowings consist of revolving credit facilities and long-term debt issuances. Consolidated interest expense increased as compared to 2022 resulting from an overall increase in total borrowing levels to support, among other things, the capital expenditures programs at the regulated utilities, as well as overall increases in average interest rates both short- and long-term. On January 13, 2023, GSWC issued $130.0 million unsecured notes in a private placement consisting of $100.0 million in aggregate notes at a coupon rate of 5.12% due January 31, 2033, and $30.0 million in aggregate notes at a coupon rate of 5.22% due January 31, 2038. Also, in April 2022, BVES issued $35.0 million in unsecured notes in a private placement consisting of 10 and 15 year term notes bearing interest at 4.548% and 4.949%, respectively.

Interest Income

For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, interest income by business segment, including AWR (parent), consisted of the following amounts (in thousands):

* not meaningful

The overall increase in interest income was due primarily to higher interest income earned on regulatory assets at the regulated utilities bearing interest at the current 90-day commercial-paper rates, which have increased since 2022, as well as an overall increase in regulatory assets recorded as a result of the final decision in the water general rate case, partially offset by lower interest income recognized on certain construction projects at the contracted services segment as compared to 2022.

Other Income and (Expense), net

For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, other income and (expense) by business segment, including AWR (parent), consisted of the following amounts (in thousands):

* not meaningful

For the year ended December 31, 2023, other income (net of other expense) increased mostly because of gains of $5.0 million recorded on investments held to fund one of the Company’s retirement plans, as compared to losses of $5.2 million incurred in 2022, both due to financial market conditions. This was partially offset by an increase in the non-service cost components of net periodic benefit costs related to the Company’s defined-benefit pension plan and other retirement benefits. However, as a result of GSWC’s and BVES’s two-way pension balancing accounts authorized by the CPUC, changes in total net periodic benefit costs related to the pension plan have no material impact to earnings.

Income Tax Expense

For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, income tax expense by segment, including AWR (parent), consisted of the following amounts (in thousands):

Consolidated income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by $17.9 million primarily due to an increase in pretax income as compared to 2022. AWR’s ETRs were 25.0% and 23.2% for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. GSWC’s ETR was 25.8% for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to 23.3% for 2022. The increase in GSWC’s ETR was also primarily due to the effect of the increase in its pretax income. The increase in AWR (parent)’s tax benefit was primarily due to an increase in pretax loss resulting from higher interest expense, as well as changes in state unitary taxes.

Information comparing the consolidated results of operations for fiscal years 2022 and 2021 can be found under Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis under the headings “Summary Results by Segment” and “Consolidated Results of Operations-Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021” in AWR’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the SEC.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Critical accounting policies and estimates are those that are important to the portrayal of AWR’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and require the most difficult, subjective or complex judgments of AWR’s management. The need to make estimates about the effect of items that are uncertain is what makes these judgments difficult, subjective and/or complex. Management makes subjective judgments about the accounting and regulatory treatment of many items. The following are accounting policies and estimates that are critical to the financial statements of AWR. For more information regarding the significant accounting policies of Registrant, see Note 1 of “Notes to Financial Statements” included in Part II, Item 8, in Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Accounting for Rate Regulation — Because GSWC and BVES operate extensively in regulated businesses, they are subject to the authoritative guidance for accounting for the effects of certain types of regulation. Application of this guidance requires accounting for certain transactions in accordance with regulations adopted by the regulatory commissions of the states in which rate-regulated operations are conducted. Utility companies defer costs and credits on the balance sheet as regulatory assets and liabilities when it is probable that those costs and credits will be recognized in the ratemaking process in a period different from the period in which they would have been reflected in income by an unregulated company. These deferred regulatory assets and liabilities are then reflected in the income statement in the period in which the same amounts are reflected in the rates charged for service.

Regulation and the effects of regulatory accounting have the most significant impact on the financial statements of GSWC and BVES. When either files for adjustments to rates, the capital assets, operating costs and other matters are subject to review, and disallowances may occur. In the event that a portion of either GSWC’s or BVES’s operations are no longer subject to the accounting guidance for the effects of certain types of regulation, they are required to write-off related regulatory assets that are not specifically recoverable and determine if other assets might be impaired. If the CPUC determines that a portion of either GSWC’s or BVES’s assets are not recoverable in customer rates, management is required to determine if it has suffered an asset impairment that would require a write-down in the asset valuation. Management continually evaluates the anticipated recovery, settlement or refund of regulatory assets, liabilities, and revenues subject to refund and provides for allowances and/or reserves that it believes to be necessary. In the event that management’s assessment as to the probability of the inclusion in the ratemaking process is incorrect, the associated regulatory asset or liability will be adjusted to reflect the change in assessment or the impact of regulatory approval of rates. Reviews by the CPUC may also result in additional regulatory liabilities to refund previously collected revenues to customers if the CPUC disallows costs included in the ratemaking process.

Registrant also reviews its utility plant in-service for possible impairment in accordance with accounting guidance for regulated entities for abandonments and disallowances of plant costs.

Revenue Recognition — GSWC and BVES record water and electric utility operating revenues when the service is provided to customers. Operating revenues include unbilled revenues that are earned (i.e., the service has been provided) but not billed by the end of each accounting period. Unbilled revenues are calculated based on the number of days and total usage from each customer’s most recent billing record that was billed prior to the end of the accounting period and is used to estimate unbilled consumption as of the year-end reporting period. Unbilled revenues are recorded for both monthly and bi-monthly customers.

In 2008, the CPUC granted GSWC the authority to implement revenue decoupling mechanisms through the adoption of the WRAM. With the adoption of this alternative revenue program, GSWC adjusts revenues in the WRAM for the difference between what is billed to its water customers and that which is authorized by the CPUC. GSWC’s request to continue using a revenue decoupling mechanism, similar to the WRAM, in its next general rate case is subject to CPUC approval. The CPUC also granted BVES a revenue decoupling mechanism through the BRRAM. BVES adjusts revenues in the BRRAM for the difference between what is billed to its electric customers and that which is authorized by the CPUC.

As required by the accounting guidance for alternative revenue programs, GSWC and BVES are required to collect their WRAM and BRRAM balances, respectively, within 24 months following the year in which they are recorded. The CPUC has set the recovery period for under-collected balances that are up to 15% of adopted annual revenues at 18 months or less. For net WRAM under-collected balances greater than 15%, the recovery period is 19 to 36 months. As a result of the accounting guidance and CPUC-adopted recovery periods, Registrant must estimate if any WRAM and BRRAM revenues will be collected beyond the 24-month period. This can affect the timing of when such revenues are recognized.

ASUS’s firm-fixed-price contracts with the U.S. government are considered service concession arrangements under ASC 853 Service Concession Arrangements. Accordingly, the services under these contracts are accounted for under Topic 606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers and the water and/or wastewater systems are not recorded as Property, Plant and Equipment on AWR’s consolidated balance sheet. Revenues for ASUS’s operations and maintenance contracts are recognized when services have been rendered to the U.S. government pursuant to the initial 50-year contract and additional contracts thereafter. Revenues from construction activities are recognized as performance obligations are satisfied. Performance obligations related to firm-fixed-price contracts are satisfied over time as the ASUS’s performance typically creates or enhances an asset that the U.S. government controls. ASUS recognizes revenue on its firm-fixed-price contracts as performance obligations are satisfied and control of the promised good and/or service is transferred to the U.S. government by measuring the progress toward complete satisfaction of the performance obligation(s) using an input method. Revenues for construction activities are recognized over time, with progress toward completion measured based on the input method using costs incurred relative to the total estimated costs (cost-to-cost method). Due to the nature of these construction projects, ASUS has determined the cost-to-cost input measurement to be the best method to measure progress towards satisfying its construction contract performance obligations, as compared to using an output measurement such as units produced. Changes in job performance, job conditions, change orders and estimated profitability, including those arising from any contract penalty provisions, and final contract settlements may result in revisions to costs and income, and are recognized in the period in which the revisions are determined. Unbilled receivables from the U.S. government represent amounts to be billed for construction work completed and/or for services rendered pursuant to the initial 50-year contract and additional contracts with the U.S government, which are not presently billable but which will be billed under the terms of the contracts.

Income Taxes — Registrant’s income tax calculations require estimates due principally to the regulated nature of the operations of GSWC and BVES, the multiple states in which Registrant operates, and potential future tax rate changes. Registrant uses the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which these temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. Changes in regulatory treatment, or significant changes in tax-related estimates, assumptions or law, could have a material impact on the financial position and results of operations of Registrant.

As regulated utilities, GSWC and BVES treat certain temporary differences as flowed-through adjustments in computing their income tax expense consistent with the income tax approach approved by the CPUC for ratemaking purposes. Flowed-through adjustments increase or decrease tax expense in one period, with an offsetting decrease or increase occurring in another period. Giving effect to these temporary differences as flowed-through adjustments typically results in a greater variance between the effective tax rate and the statutory federal income tax rate in any given period than would otherwise exist if GSWC or BVES were not required to account for their income taxes as regulated enterprises. As of December 31, 2023, Registrant’s total amount of unrecognized tax benefits was zero.

Pension Benefits — Registrant’s pension benefit obligations and related costs are calculated using actuarial concepts within the framework of accounting guidance for employers’ accounting for pensions and post-retirement benefits other than pensions. Two critical assumptions, the discount rate and the expected return on plan assets, are important elements of expense and/or liability measurement. We evaluate these critical assumptions annually. Other assumptions include employee demographic factors such as retirement patterns, mortality, turnover and rate of compensation increase. The discount rate enables Registrant to state expected future cash payments for benefits as a present value on the measurement date. The guideline for setting this rate is a high-quality, long-term corporate bond rate. Registrant’s discount rates were determined by considering the average of pension yield curves constructed using a large population of high-quality corporate bonds. The resulting discount rates reflect the matching of plan liability cash flows to the yield curves. A lower discount rate increases the present value of benefit obligations and increases periodic pension expense. Conversely, a higher discount rate decreases the present value of benefit obligations and decreases periodic pension expense. To determine the expected long-term rate of return on the plan assets, Registrant considers the current and expected asset allocation, as well as historical and expected returns on each plan asset class. A lower expected rate of return on plan assets will increase pension expense. The long-term expected return on the pension plan’s assets was 5.75% for 2023 and 2022.

For the pension plan obligation, Registrant decreased the discount rate to 5.16% as of December 31, 2023 from 5.41% as of December 31, 2022 to reflect market interest-rate conditions at December 31, 2023. A hypothetical 25-basis point decrease in the assumed discount rate would have decreased total net periodic pension expense for 2023 by approximately $46,000, which includes an increase in service cost that was more than offset by the decrease in interest cost, and would have increased the projected benefit obligation and accumulated benefit obligation at December 31, 2023 by a total of $6.1 million. A 25-basis point decrease in the long-term return on pension-plan-asset assumption would have increased 2023 pension cost by approximately $456,000.

In addition, changes in the fair value of plan assets will impact future pension cost and the Plan’s funded status. Changes in market conditions can affect the value of plan assets held to fund future long-term pension benefits. Any reductions in the value of plan assets will result in increased future expense, an increase in the underfunded position, and increase the required future contributions.

The CPUC has authorized GSWC and BVES to each maintain a two-way balancing account to track differences between their forecasted annual pension expenses adopted in rates and the actual annual expense to be recorded in accordance with the accounting guidance for pension costs. As of December 31, 2023, GSWC has a $1.1 million over-collection in its two- way pension balancing account for the general office and water regions. As of December 31, 2023, BVES has a $277,000 over-collection in its two-way pension balancing account.

Funding requirements for qualified defined benefit pension plans are determined by government regulations. In establishing the contribution amount, Registrant has considered the potential impact of funding-rule changes under the Pension Protection Act of 2006. Registrant contributes the minimum required contribution as determined by government regulations or the forecasted annual pension cost authorized by the CPUC and included in customer rates, whichever is higher. In accordance with this funding policy, for 2024, the pension contribution is expected to be approximately $3.3 million. Any differences between the forecasted annual pension costs in rates and the actual pension costs are included in the two-way pension balancing accounts. Additionally, market factors can affect assumptions we use in determining funding requirements with respect to our pension plan. For example, a relatively modest change in our assumptions regarding discount rates can materially affect our calculation of funding requirements. To the extent that market data compels us to reduce the discount rate used in our assumptions, our benefit obligations could materially increase.

Changes in demographics, including increased numbers of retirees or increases in life expectancy assumptions may also increase the funding requirements of our obligations related to the pension plan. Mortality assumptions are a critical component of benefit obligation amounts and a key factor in determining the expected length of time for annuity payments. Assuming no changes in actuarial assumptions or plan amendments, the costs over the long term are expected to decrease due to the closure of Registrant’s defined benefit pension plan to new employees as of January 1, 2011. Employees hired or rehired after December 31, 2010 are eligible to participate in a defined contribution plan instead of the pension plan.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

AWR

AWR’s regulated business is capital intensive and requires considerable capital resources. A portion of these capital resources is provided by internally generated cash flows from operations. AWR anticipates that interest expense will increase in future periods due to the need for additional external capital to fund construction programs at its regulated utilities and if market interest rates increase. In addition, as the capital investment program continues to increase, AWR and its subsidiaries anticipate they will need to access external financing more often.

AWR funds its operating expenses and pays dividends on its outstanding Common Shares primarily through dividends from its wholly owned subsidiaries. The ability of GSWC and BVES to pay dividends to AWR is restricted by California law. Under these restrictions, approximately $703.8 million was available for GSWC to pay dividends to AWR on December 31, 2023. Approximately $72.3 million was available for BVES to pay dividends to AWR as of December 31, 2023. ASUS’s ability to pay dividends to AWR is dependent upon state laws in which each ASUS Subsidiary operates, as well as ASUS’s ability to pay dividends under California law.

When necessary, AWR obtains funds from external sources through the capital markets and from bank borrowings. Access to external financing on reasonable terms depends on the credit ratings of AWR and GSWC and current business conditions, including that of the water utility industry in general as well as conditions in the debt or equity capital markets.

On June 28, 2023, AWR and GSWC each executed new credit agreements with terms of five years provided by a syndicate of banks and financial institutions for total combined unsecured revolving credit facilities of $350.0 million. These syndicated credit facilities replaced AWR’s previous credit agreement with a sole bank. AWR previously borrowed under a revolving credit facility with a borrowing capacity of $280.0 million and provided funds to both GSWC and ASUS in support of their operations through intercompany borrowing agreements on terms that are similar to that of the credit facility. AWR’s new credit agreement was for a $150.0 million unsecured revolving credit facility to support AWR (parent) and its contracted services subsidiary, while GSWC’s credit agreement is a $200.0 million unsecured revolving credit facility to support its water operations and capital expenditures. AWR (parent) may also from time to time borrow under its credit facility in order to make equity contributions to GSWC and BVES. Both credit facilities may be expanded up to an additional $75.0 million, subject to the lenders’ approval. On November 6, 2023, AWR’s credit facility was amended to increase the borrowing capacity from $150.0 million to $165.0 million to provide additional support to AWR (parent) and its contracted services subsidiary. In connection with the increase in borrowing capacity, the amendment also provides for the addition of a new bank to the existing syndicate group participating in AWR’s credit facility. AWR’s and GSWC’s outstanding borrowings under the new credit facilities were $141.5 million and $150.0 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2023.

BVES has a separate revolving credit facility without a parent guaranty, which was amended on June 16, 2023, to increase BVES’s borrowing capacity from $35.0 million to $50.0 million. The amendment to BVES’s credit agreement also included (i) the extension of the term of the credit facility to July 1, 2026, (ii) conversion of the interest rate on new borrowings to the benchmark rate Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”), and (iii) an option to increase the facility by an additional $25.0 million, subject to lender approval. On February 15, 2024, BVES increased the borrowing capacity from $50.0 million to $65.0 million. The CPUC requires BVES to completely pay off all borrowings under its revolving credit facility within a 24-month period. BVES’s pay-off period for its credit facility ends in August 2024. Accordingly, the $42.0 million outstanding under BVES’s credit facility has been classified as a current liability in AWR’s Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2023.

Our primary sources of liquidity to fund operations continue to be from the recovery of costs charged to customers at our regulated utilities and the collection of payments from the U.S government. We believe that capital investment costs associated with our capital programs at our regulated utilities will continue to be recovered through water and electric rates charged to customers, as well as funds from credit facilities from our regulated utilities. In addition, AWR's credit facility will continue to be used to support ASUS's operations and AWR (parent). The long-term capital-intensive nature of our regulated utilities have required us to continually seek future financing opportunities beyond the short-term. Future long-term financing at GSWC and BVES will consist of both long-term debt and equity issuances in order to manage to the CPUC-authorized capital structure. Under the current financing applications authorized by the CPUC, GSWC and BVES have $105.0 million and $40.0 million, respectively, remaining available that provides for long-term financing and which are expected to be used over the next 6-18 months to pay down portions of the outstanding borrowings under the respective credit facilities. On January 22, 2024, GSWC filed a new financing application with the CPUC, pending approval, that requests the authorization for the issuance and sale of additional long-term debt and equity securities of up to $750.0 million. On June 13, 2023, BVES filed a new financing application with the CPUC that is also pending approval, and that requests the authorization for the issuance and sale of additional long-term debt and equity securities of up to $120.0 million. The CPUC issued a ruling on January 8, 2024 in BVES's pending financing application stating that a proposed decision is expected to be received no later than 90 days from the date of the ruling. In addition, AWR intends to seek $150.0 million to $200.0 million of additional capital over the next three years through equity offerings, which may include an at-the-market program. AWR could use the net proceeds from equity offerings for, but not limited to, equity contributions to its wholly owned subsidiaries.

Management believes that AWR’s and GSWC’s sound capital structures and strong credit ratings, combined with its financial discipline, will enable AWR to access the debt and equity markets. However, unpredictable financial market conditions in the future may limit its access or impact the timing of when to access the market, in which case AWR may choose to temporarily reduce its capital spending.

AWR’s ability to pay cash dividends on its Common Shares outstanding depends primarily upon cash flows from its subsidiaries. AWR intends to continue paying quarterly cash dividends on or about March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1, subject to earnings and financial conditions, regulatory requirements and such other factors as the Board of Directors may deem relevant. On February 6, 2024, AWR’s Board of Directors approved a first quarter dividend of $0.43 per share on AWR’s Common Shares. Dividends on the Common Shares will be paid on March 1, 2024 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 20, 2024. AWR has paid common dividends every year since 1931, and has increased the dividends received by shareholders each calendar year for 69 consecutive years, which places it in an exclusive group of companies on the New York Stock Exchange that have achieved that result. AWR’s quarterly dividend rate has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 9.4% over the last five years. AWR’s current policy is to achieve a compound annual growth rate in the dividend of more than 7% over the long-term.

Cash Flows from Operating Activities:

Cash flows from operating activities have generally provided sufficient cash to fund operating requirements, including a portion of construction expenditures at GSWC and BVES, and construction expenses at ASUS, and to pay dividends. AWR’s future cash flows from operating activities are expected to be affected by a number of factors, including utility regulation; changes in tax law; maintenance expenses; inflation; compliance with environmental, health and safety standards; production costs; customer growth; per-customer usage of water and electricity; weather and seasonality; conservation efforts; compliance with local governmental requirements, including mandatory restrictions on water use; the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on its customers’ ability to pay utility bills; and required cash contributions to pension and post-retirement plans. Future cash flows from contracted services subsidiaries will depend on new business activities, existing operations, the construction of new and/or replacement infrastructure at military bases, timely economic price and equitable adjustment of prices, and timely collection of payments from the U.S. government and other prime contractors operating at the military bases, and any adjustments arising out of an audit or investigation by federal governmental agencies.

ASUS funds its operating expenses primarily through internal operating sources, which include U.S. government funding under long-term contracts with the U.S. government for operations and maintenance costs and construction activities, as well as investments by, or loans from, AWR. ASUS, in turn, provides funding to its subsidiaries. ASUS’s subsidiaries may also from time to time provide funding to ASUS or other subsidiaries of ASUS.

Cash flows from operating activities are primarily generated by net income, adjusted for non-cash expenses such as depreciation and amortization, and deferred income taxes. Cash generated by operations varies during the year. Net cash provided by operating activities of AWR was $67.7 million for 2023 as compared to $117.8 million for the same period in 2022. During 2022, GSWC and BVES received $9.5 million and $473,000, respectively, in COVID-19 relief funds from the state of California to provide assistance to customers for delinquent water and electric customer bills incurred during the pandemic. There were no similar relief funds received during 2023.

The decrease in operating cash flow was also due to a 7.8% decrease in billed water consumption, as well as the delay in receiving the water general rate case final decision as billed water revenues in 2022 and 2023 through July 30, 2023 were based on 2021 adopted rates pending a final CPUC decision, while operating expenses continued to rise primarily due to inflation. A final decision from the CPUC was received on June 29, 2023 on the water general rate case with 2022 and 2023 rates retroactive to January 1, 2022 and 2023, respectively. GSWC filed for the implementation of the CPUC-approved rate increases that went into effect on July 31, 2023. In addition, GSWC filed for the recovery of retroactive rate amounts accumulated through July 30, 2023 related to the CPUC approved rate increases for 2022 and 2023, and surcharges were implemented in October 2023 to recover the cumulative retroactive rate differences over 36-months.

Furthermore, the decrease in operating cash flows was due to differences in the timing of vendor payments and the timing of billing of and cash receipts for construction work at military bases. The billings (and cash receipts) for this construction work generally occur at completion of the work or in accordance with a billing schedule contractually agreed to with the U.S. government and/or other prime contractors. Thus, cash flow from construction-related activities may fluctuate from period to period with such fluctuations representing timing differences of when the work is being performed and when the cash is received for payment of the work.

The timing of cash receipts and disbursements related to other working capital items also affected the change in net cash provided by operating activities.

Cash Flows from Investing Activities:

Net cash used in investing activities was $188.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to $167.1 million for the same period in 2022, which is mostly related to capital expenditures at the regulated utilities. AWR invests capital to provide essential services to its regulated customer base, while working with the CPUC to have the opportunity to earn a fair rate of return on investment. AWR’s infrastructure investment plan consists of both infrastructure renewal programs (to replace infrastructure, including those to mitigate wildfire risk) and major capital investment projects (to construct new water treatment, supply and delivery facilities). The regulated utilities may also be required from time to time to relocate existing infrastructure in order to accommodate local infrastructure improvement projects. Projected capital expenditures and other investments are subject to periodic review and revision.

During 2024, the water and electric segments’ company-funded capital expenditures are estimated to be approximately $160 – $200 million, barring any delays resulting from changes in capital improvement schedules due to unfavorable weather conditions and supply chain issues.

Cash Flows from Financing Activities:

AWR’s financing activities include primarily: (i) the issuance and repayment of long-term debt and notes payable to banks, (ii) the proceeds from unsecured new or existing revolving credit facilities for AWR, GSWC and BVES, and (iii) the payment of dividends on Common Shares. In order to finance new infrastructure, GSWC also receives customer advances (net of refunds) for, and contributions in aid of, construction. Borrowings on AWR's new credit facility is used to support AWR (parent) and its contracted services subsidiary and borrowings on GSWC’s and BVES’s credit facilities are used to fund GSWC and BVES capital expenditures, respectively, until long-term financing is arranged. AWR (parent) may also from time to time make equity contributions to GSWC and BVES. Overall debt levels are expected to increase to fund a portion of the costs of the capital expenditures that will be made by the regulated utilities.

Net cash provided by financing activities was $129.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to cash provided of $50.3 million for 2022. The increase in cash provided by financing activities in 2023 was due primarily to an increase in total borrowing levels necessary to support operations affected by a decrease in cash flows from operating activities and to support, among other things, the capital expenditures program at the regulated utilities. In January 2023, GSWC issued $130.0 million of unsecured notes in a private placement and used the proceeds to pay down the majority of its outstanding intercompany borrowings from AWR, which in turn used the proceeds to pay down outstanding borrowings under the AWR credit facility at that time.

On June 28, 2023, AWR and GSWC each executed new unsecured syndicated credit facilities to replace AWR’s previous credit agreement with a sole bank. During the year ended December 31, 2023, AWR had a net increase in borrowings on its credit facilities of $54.6 million to support operations and capital expenditures. During 2022, AWR had a net increase in borrowings on its credit facilities of $72.0 million.

GSWC

GSWC funds its operating expenses, payments on its debt, dividends to AWR on its outstanding common shares, and a portion of its construction expenditures through internal sources. Internal sources of cash flow are provided primarily by retention of a portion of earnings from operating activities. Internal cash generation is influenced by factors such as weather patterns, conservation efforts, environmental regulation, litigation, changes in tax law and deferred taxes, changes in supply costs and regulatory decisions affecting GSWC’s ability to recover these supply costs, timing of rate relief, increases in maintenance expenses and capital expenditures, surcharges authorized by the CPUC to enable GSWC to recover expenses previously incurred from customers, and CPUC requirements to refund amounts previously charged to customers. Internal cash flows have also been impacted by delays in receiving payments from GSWC customers due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

GSWC may, at times, utilize external sources for long-term financing, as well as obtain funds from equity investments from its parent, AWR, to help fund a portion of its operations and construction expenditures. On June 28, 2023, GSWC executed its own separate credit agreement that provides for a $200.0 million unsecured revolving credit facility to support GSWC’s operations and capital expenditures. GSWC’s borrowing capacity under this credit agreement may be expanded up to an additional $75.0 million, subject to the lenders’ approval. Previously, AWR borrowed under a revolving credit facility and provided funds to GSWC in support of its operations under intercompany borrowing arrangements.

In January 2023, GSWC issued (i) one common share to AWR for $10.0 million, and (ii) $130.0 million in unsecured long-term notes in a private placement. GSWC used the proceeds from both the issuance of equity and long-term debt to pay-off all intercompany borrowings from AWR. On June 28, 2023, GSWC borrowed for the first time under its new syndicated credit facility and used the proceeds to again pay-off its short-term intercompany borrowings due to AWR. The CPUC requires GSWC to pay-off all intercompany borrowings it has from AWR within a 24-month period. GSWC’s borrowings under its new credit facility will also be required to be paid-off in full within a 24-month period. GSWC’s next pay-off period ends in June 2025. Under the current financing application authorized by the CPUC, GSWC has $105.0 million remaining available that provides for long-term financing and which are expected to be used over the next 6-18 months to pay down portions of the outstanding borrowings under GSWC's credit facility. On January 22, 2024, GSWC filed a new financing application with the CPUC, pending approval, that requests the authorization for the issuance and sale of additional long-term debt and equity securities of up to $750.0 million.

In addition, GSWC receives advances and contributions from customers, home builders and real estate developers to fund construction necessary to extend service to new areas. Advances for construction are generally refundable at a rate of 2.5% in equal annual installments over 40 years. Utility plant funded by advances and contributions is excluded from rate base. GSWC amortizes contributions in aid of construction at the same composite rate of depreciation for the related property.

Cash Flows from Operating Activities:

Net cash provided by operating activities was $54.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to $94.5 million for 2022. During the first quarter of 2022, GSWC received $9.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds from the state of California to provide assistance to customers for delinquent water customer bills incurred during the pandemic. There were no similar relief funds received during 2023. The decrease in operating cash flow was also due to a 7.8% decrease in billed water consumption, as well as the delay in receiving the water general rate case final decision as billed water revenues in 2022 and 2023 through July 30, 2023 were based on 2021 adopted rates pending a final CPUC decision, while operating expenses continued to rise primarily due to inflation. A final decision from the CPUC was received on June 29, 2023 on the water general rate case with 2022 and 2023 rates retroactive to January 1, 2022 and 2023, respectively. GSWC filed for the implementation of new 2023 rate increases that went into effect on July 31, 2023. In addition, GSWC filed for the recovery of retroactive rate amounts accumulated through July 30, 2023 related to the new 2022 and 2023 rates, and surcharges were implemented in October 2023 to recover the cumulative retroactive rate differences over 36-months. The decrease in operating cash flow was also due to the timing of vendor payments. The timing of cash receipts and disbursements related to other working capital items also affected the change in net cash provided by operating activities.

Cash Flows from Investing Activities:

Net cash used in investing activities was $162.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to $147.7 million for 2022, which is mostly related to spending under GSWC’s infrastructure investment plans that are consistent with capital budgets authorized in its general rate cases.

Cash Flows from Financing Activities:

Net cash provided by financing activities was $110.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to $53.1 million for 2022. The increase in net cash provided by financing activities in 2023 was due primarily to an increase in total borrowing levels necessary to support water operations affected by a decrease in cash flows from operating activities and to support, among other things, the capital expenditures program at GSWC.

In January 2023, GSWC issued $130.0 million of unsecured notes in a private placement and $10.0 million of equity to AWR. GSWC used the proceeds from both issuances to pay-off all of its outstanding intercompany borrowings from AWR at that time. On June 28, 2023, GSWC entered into an unsecured revolving credit facility. GSWC used the proceeds from the borrowings under the new credit facility to again pay-off all of its intercompany borrowings owed to AWR. The CPUC requires GSWC to fully pay-off all intercompany borrowings from AWR within a 24-month period. GSWC’s borrowings under its new credit facility will also be required to be paid-off in full within a 24-month period.

Contractual Obligations and Commitments

Registrant has various contractual obligations, which are recorded as liabilities in the consolidated financial statements. Other items, such as certain purchase commitments, are not recognized as liabilities in the consolidated financial statements but are required to be disclosed. In addition to contractual maturities, Registrant has certain debt instruments that contain annual sinking funds or other principal payments. Registrant believes that it will be able to refinance debt instruments at their maturity through public issuance or private placement of debt or equity. Annual payments to service debt are generally made from cash flows from operations.

The following table reflects Registrant’s contractual obligations and commitments to make future payments pursuant to contracts as of December 31, 2023. The table reflects only financial obligations and commitments. Therefore, performance obligations associated with our initial 50-year, firm-fixed-price contract and additional firm-fixed-price contracts with the U.S. government at our contracted services segment are not included in the amounts below. Registrant believes that it will be able to refinance debt instruments at their maturity through public issuance or private placement of debt or equity. Annual payments to service debt are generally made from cash flows from operations.

($ in thousands)

(1) Excludes dividends and facility fees.

(2) The notes and debentures have been issued by GSWC under an Indenture dated September 1, 1993, as amended in December 2008. The notes and debentures do not contain any financial covenants that Registrant believes to be material or any cross-default provisions.

(3) Consists of GSWC senior private placement notes of $345.0 million and BVES unsecured private placement notes of $35.0 million, issued in April 2022, totaling $380.0 million issued to various banks, including $160.0 million of unsecured private placement notes issued in July 2020 by GSWC and $130.0 million of unsecured private placement notes in January 2023 by GSWC. Under the terms of each of the senior notes, GSWC may not incur any additional debt or pay any distributions to its shareholders if, after giving effect thereto, it would have a debt to capitalization ratio in excess of 0.6667-to-1 or a debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ratio of more than 8-to-1. GSWC is in compliance with all of its covenant provisions as of December 31, 2023. GSWC does not currently have any outstanding mortgages or other liens on indebtedness on its properties.

(4) Consists of obligations at GSWC related to (i) a loan agreement supporting $7.7 million in outstanding debt issued by the California Pollution Control Financing Authority, and (ii) $1.7 million of obligations with respect to GSWC’s 500 acre-foot entitlement to water from the State Water Project (“SWP”). These obligations do not contain any financial covenants believed to be material to Registrant or any cross-default provisions. In regard to its SWP entitlement, GSWC has entered into agreements with various developers for a portion of its 500 acre-foot entitlement to water from the SWP.

(5) Consists of the outstanding debt portion of funds received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for reimbursements of capital costs related to the installation of meters for conversion of non-metered service to metered service in GSWC’s Arden-Cordova District.

(6) Credit facilities consists of (i) a $165.0 million revolving credit facility under AWR, of which $141.5 million was outstanding as of December 31, 2023; (ii) a $200.0 million revolving credit facility under GSWC, of which $150.0 million was outstanding as of December 31, 2023; and (iii) a $50.0 million revolving credit facility under BVES, of which $42.0 million was outstanding as of December 31, 2023.

(7) Consists of expected interest expense payments based on the assumption that GSWC’s long-term debt remains outstanding until maturity.

(8) Advances for construction represent contract refunds mostly from GSWC to developers for the cost of water systems paid for by the developers. The advances are generally refundable in equal annual installments over 40-year periods.

(9) Consists of an agreement by BVES to purchase renewable energy credits through 2035. These renewable energy credits are used to meet California’s renewables portfolio standard.

(10) Consists of BVES fixed-cost purchased power contracts executed (i) in September 2019 with Morgan Stanley Capital Group Inc., and (ii) in July 2023 with Shell Energy North America (US), L.P.

(11) Consists primarily of capital expenditures estimated to be required under signed contracts at GSWC and BVES as of December 31, 2023.

(12) Water purchase agreements consist of (i) a remaining amount of $1.3 million under an agreement expiring in 2028 to use water rights from a third party, and (ii) an aggregate amount of $1.4 million of other water purchase commitments with other third parties, which expire between 2025 through 2038.

(13) Reflects future minimum payments under noncancelable operating leases for both GSWC and ASUS.

(14) Consists of expected contributions to Registrant’s defined benefit pension plan for the year 2024. Contributions to the pension plan are expected to be the higher of the minimum required contributions under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) or the amounts that are recovered in customer rates and approved by the CPUC. These amounts are estimates and are subject to change based on, among other things, the limits established for federal tax deductibility (pension plan) and the significant impact that returns on plan assets and changes in discount rates have on such amounts.

(15) Other commitments consist primarily of (i) $10.5 million in asset retirement obligations of GSWC that reflect the retirement of wells by GSWC, which by law need to be properly capped at the time of removal; (ii) irrevocable letters of credit in the amount of $874,600 for the deductible in Registrant’s business automobile insurance policies; and (iii) a $15,000 irrevocable letter of credit issued on behalf of GSWC pursuant to a franchise agreement with the City of Rancho Cordova. All of the letters of credit are issued pursuant to AWR’s revolving credit facility.

Information comparing the liquidity and capital resources for fiscal years 2022 and 2021 can be found under Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis under the heading “Liquidity and Capital Resources” in AWR’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the SEC.

BVES Power-Supply Arrangements

BVES purchases power pursuant to purchase power contracts approved by the CPUC. Prior to 2023, BVES had entered into purchase power contracts with three- and five-year terms depending on the amount of power and the period during which the power is purchased under the contracts. These remaining contracts will expire in 2024. In July 2023, the CPUC approved a new power purchase agreement between BVES and a third party to procure renewable portfolio standard eligible energy and renewable energy credits as a bundled product. BVES will begin taking power under this long-term contract during the fourth quarter of 2024 to replace the existing expiring contracts. The new contract provides for the purchase of electricity during a delivery period from November 1, 2024 through December 31, 2035. In addition to the purchased power contracts, BVES buys additional energy to meet peak demand as needed and sells surplus power when necessary. BVES is pursuing short- and long-term renewable energy contracts to replace any power purchase agreements that have expired in addition to satisfying its requirements related to its resource portfolio for the next compliance period (2021-2024) and beyond. The average price per MWh, including fixed costs, decreased to $79.80 per MWh in 2023 from $97.89 per MWh in 2022. BVES has an electric-supply-cost balancing account, as approved by the CPUC, to alleviate any impacts to earnings.

Construction Program

GSWC maintains an ongoing water distribution main replacement program throughout its customer service areas based on the age and type of distribution-system materials, priority of leaks detected, remaining productive life of the distribution system and an underlying replacement schedule. In addition, GSWC and BVES upgrade their facilities in accordance with industry standards, local and CPUC requirements and new legislation. California requires investor-owned electric utilities to submit an annual wildfire mitigation plan to the CPUC for approval, and requires all electric utilities to prepare plans on constructing, maintaining, and operating their electrical lines and equipment to minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfires.

As of December 31, 2023, GSWC and BVES have unconditional purchase obligations for capital projects of approximately $105.2 million. During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, GSWC and BVES had capital expenditures of $182.7 million, $174.3 million and $150.6 million, respectively. A portion of these capital expenditures was funded by developers through contributions in aid of construction, which are not required to be repaid, and refundable advances. During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, capital expenditures funded by developers were $7.0 million, $6.9 million and $8.0 million, respectively. During 2024, the water and electric segments’ company-funded capital expenditures are estimated to be approximately $160 – $200 million, barring any delays resulting from changes in capital improvement schedules due to unfavorable weather conditions and supply chain issues. These amounts include approximately $16.7 million estimated to be spent by BVES on wildfire mitigation projects.

Contracted Services

Under the terms of the contracts with the U.S. government, each contract’s price is subject to an economic price adjustment (“EPA”) on an annual basis. In the event that ASUS (i) is managing more assets at specific military bases than were included in the U.S. government’s request for proposal, (ii) is managing assets that are in substandard condition as compared to what was disclosed in the request for proposal, (iii) prudently incurs costs not contemplated under the terms of the contract, and/or (iv) becomes subject to new regulatory requirements, such as more stringent water-quality standards, ASUS is permitted to file, and has filed, requests for equitable adjustment (“REAs”). The timely filing for and receipt of EPAs and/or REAs continues to be critical in order for ASUS’s subsidiaries to recover increasing costs of operating, maintaining, renewing and replacing the water and/or wastewater systems at the military bases it serves.

During sequestration or automatic spending cuts, the subsidiaries of ASUS did not experience any earnings impact to their existing operations and maintenance and renewal and replacement services, as utility privatization contracts are an “excepted service.” With the expiration of sequestration, similar issues including further sequestration pursuant to the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act may arise as part of the fiscal uncertainty and/or future debt-ceiling limits imposed by Congress. Any future impact on ASUS and its operations through its subsidiaries will likely be limited to (a) the timing of funding to pay for services rendered, (b) delays in the processing of EPAs and/or REAs, (c) the timing of the issuance of contract modifications for new construction work not already funded by the U.S. Government, and/or (d) delays in solicitation for and/or awarding of new contracts under the Department of Defense contracting programs.

At times, the DCAA and/or the DCMA may, at the request of a contracting officer, perform audits/reviews of contractors for compliance with certain government guidance and regulations, such as the Federal Acquisition Regulations and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplements. Certain audit/review findings, such as system deficiencies for government-contract-business-system requirements, may result in delays in the resolution of filings submitted to and/or the ability to file new proposals with the U.S. government.

Below is a summary of current and projected EPA filings for price adjustments to operations and maintenance fees and renewal and replacement fees for ASUS’s subsidiaries in fiscal 2024.

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Regulatory Matters

A discussion on various regulatory matters is included in the section titled “Overview” in this Form 10-K’s “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” The discussion below focuses on other regulatory matters and developments.

Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity

GSWC and BVES hold Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity (“CPCN”) granted by the CPUC in each of the ratemaking areas they serve. ASUS subsidiaries are regulated, if applicable, by the state in which it primarily conducts water and/or wastewater operations. FBWS holds a CPCN from the Public Utilities Commission of Texas. The Virginia State Corporation Commission exercises jurisdiction over ODUS as a public service company. The Maryland Public Service Commission approved the right of TUS to operate as a water and wastewater utility at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, based on certain conditions and is expected to approve the right of PRUS to operate as a water and wastewater utility at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland when operations begin. The South Carolina Public Service Commission exercises jurisdiction over PSUS as a public service company. ONUS is regulated by the North Carolina Public Service Commission. ECUS, FRUS and BSUS are not subject to regulation by their respective states’ utility commissions.

GSWC and BVES are subject to regulation by the CPUC which has broad authority over service and facilities, rates, classification of accounts, valuation of properties, the purchase, disposition and mortgaging of properties necessary or useful in rendering public utility service, the issuance of securities, the granting of certificates of public convenience and necessity as to the extension of services and facilities and various other matters.

Rates that GSWC and BVES are authorized to charge are determined by the CPUC in general rate cases and are derived using rate base, cost of service and cost of capital, as projected for a future test year. Rates charged to customers vary according to customer class and rate jurisdiction and are generally set at levels allowing for recovery of prudently incurred costs, including a fair return on rate base. Rate base generally consists of the original cost of utility plant in service, plus certain other assets, such as working capital and inventory, less accumulated depreciation on utility plant in service, deferred income tax liabilities and certain other deductions.

GSWC is required to file a water general rate case application every three years according to a schedule established by the CPUC. General rate cases typically include an increase in the test year with inflation-rate adjustments for expenses in the second and third years of the rate case cycle. For capital projects, there are two test years. Rates are based on a forecast of expenses and capital costs for each test year. GSWC’s cost of capital is determined in a separate proceeding. Investor-owned water utilities serving California are required to file their cost of capital applications on a triennial basis. BVES’s general rate cases are typically filed every four years, which also includes a determination of BVES's cost of capital. Rates may also be increased by offsets for certain expense increases, including, but not limited to, supply-cost offset and balancing-account amortization, advice letter filings related to certain plant additions and other operating cost increases.

Neither the operations of AWR nor the operations and rates of ASUS are directly regulated by the CPUC. The CPUC does, however, regulate certain transactions between GSWC, BVES and ASUS and between GSWC and BVES and AWR.

General Rate Cases and Other Regulatory Matters

Water Segment

Recent Changes in Rates:

Rates that GSWC is authorized to charge are determined by the CPUC in general rate cases. Water revenues billed to customers for the year ended December 31, 2022 and from January 1, 2023 through July 30, 2023 were based on 2021 adopted rates. On June 29, 2023, GSWC received a final decision on its water general rate case application that determined new rates for 2022 and 2023 and are effective and retroactive to January 1, 2022 and January 1, 2023, respectively. The impact of retroactive rates for the full year of 2022 and the second-year 2023 rate increases have been reflected in the results for 2023. GSWC filed for the implementation of new 2023 rate increases effective on July 31, 2023. In October 2023, GSWC also filed for the recovery of all retroactive amounts for 2022 and 2023 accumulated up to the effective date of the new 2023 rates, July 30, 2023. Surcharges were implemented in October 2023 to recover these cumulative retroactive rate differences over 36 months, which through December 31, 2023 totaled $52.8 million and were included in CPUC-authorized general rate case memorandum accounts recognized as regulatory assets.

Water General Rate Case for the years 2025–2027:

On August 14, 2023, GSWC filed a general rate case application for all its water regions and the general office. This general rate case will determine new water rates for the years 2025 – 2027. Among other things, GSWC requested capital budgets of approximately $611.4 million for the three-year capital cycle. GSWC also requested the continuation of mechanisms to accommodate fully decoupled revenues and sales and track differences between recorded and CPUC-authorized supply-related expenses. GSWC has requested the CPUC to permit it to continue using a revenue decoupling mechanism. As of the filing date of this Form 10-K, a proposed decision in the water general rate case is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2024, with new rates to become effective January 1, 2025.

Cost of Capital Proceeding for the years 2022–2024:

On June 29, 2023, a final decision was adopted by the CPUC in the cost of capital proceeding that, among other things, (i) adopts GSWC’s requested capital structure; (ii) adopts a cost of debt of 5.1% for GSWC as compared to 6.6% previously authorized; (iii) adopts a return on equity of 8.85% for GSWC as compared to 8.9% previously authorized; (iv) allows for the continuation of the WCCM through December 31, 2024; and (v) adopts the new cost of capital for the three-year period commencing January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2024. Based on the final decision issued in June, all adjustments to rates were prospective and not retroactive. GSWC filed an advice letter that implemented the new cost of capital effective July 31, 2023.

On June 30, 2023, GSWC filed an advice letter to establish the WCCM for 2023, which increased the 8.85% adopted return on equity in the decision to 9.36% effective July 31, 2023. Additionally, on October 12, 2023, GSWC filed an advice letter to establish the WCCM for 2024, which has been approved by the CPUC, and increased GSWC’s 9.36% adopted return on equity to 10.06% effective January 1, 2024.

2024 COC Application:

Investor-owned water utilities serving California are required to file their cost of capital applications on a triennial basis. GSWC’s next cost of capital application was scheduled to be filed on May 1, 2024 effective for the years 2025 - 2027. However, GSWC, along with three other Class A investor-owned water utilities in California, filed a joint request with the CPUC to defer the filing deadline of the next cost of capital applications by one year, which was approved on February 2, 2024. The joint request asked that the utilities keep the cost of capital currently authorized for 2024 in effect through 2025, and file new cost of capital applications by May 1, 2025 to set the cost of debt, return on equity and capital structure starting January 1, 2026. GSWC’s current authorized rate of return on rate base is 7.93% effective January 1, 2024, which will continue in effect through December 31, 2025. Additionally, GSWC’s WCCM will remain active through the one year deferral period.

San Juan Oaks Mutual Acquisition:

In August 2023, GSWC entered into an agreement to purchase the water and wastewater system assets from San Juan Oaks Mutual Water Company (“SJO Mutual”) in San Benito County, California. The new master-planned community, known as San Juan Oaks, will serve up to an estimated 1,300 customers once the community is built as planned. The transaction is subject to CPUC approval. In December 2023, GSWC filed an application to establish the new service area and to set water and sewer rates for the San Juan Oaks service area in San Benito County, California.

Electric Segment

Recent Changes in Rates:

On August 30, 2022, BVES filed a new general rate case application with the CPUC to determine new rates for the years 2023–2026. Electric revenues billed to customers for 2023 were based on 2022 adopted rates and will remain in effect until finalization of the pending general rate case application. On December 15, 2022, the CPUC approved a decision for BVES to establish a general rate case memorandum account that makes the new 2023 rates effective and retroactive to January 1, 2023. Because new rates are expected to be retroactive to January 1, 2023, when a decision is issued in the electric general rate case, cumulative adjustments will be recorded at that time.

Vegetation Management, Wildfire Mitigation Plans and Legislation:

The CPUC adopted regulations intended to enhance the fire safety of overhead electric power lines. Those regulations included increased minimum clearances around electric power lines. BVES was authorized to track incremental costs incurred to implement the regulations in a fire hazard prevention memorandum account for the purpose of obtaining cost recovery in a future general rate case. The August 2019 final decision also authorized BVES to record incremental costs related to vegetation management, such as costs for increased minimum clearances around electric power lines, in the CPUC-approved memorandum account for future recovery. As of December 31, 2023, BVES had approximately $11.8 million in incremental vegetation management costs recorded as a regulatory asset. As part of its general rate case application filing with the CPUC in August 2022, BVES requested recovery of the costs accumulated in this memorandum account as of March 31, 2022.

California legislation enacted in September 2018 requires all investor-owned electric utilities to have a wildfire mitigation plan (“WMP”) approved by the OEIS and ratified by the CPUC. The WMP must include a utility’s plans on constructing, maintaining, and operating its electrical lines and equipment to minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire. In May 2023, BVES submitted its WMP covering the three-year period 2023-2025 to OEIS for approval prior to going to the CPUC for ratification. In the fourth quarter of 2023, OEIS issued a final decision of approval and the CPUC ratified BVES’s 2023-2025 WMP. As of December 31, 2023, BVES has approximately $5.9 million related to expenses accumulated in its WMP memorandum accounts that have been recognized as regulatory assets for future recovery. All capital expenditures and other costs incurred through December 31, 2023 as a result of BVES’s WMPs are not currently in rates and have been filed for future recovery in BVES’s general rate case application in August 2022.

Additionally, the governor of California approved AB 1054 in July 2019 that, among other things, changed the burden of proof applicable in CPUC proceedings in which an electric utility with a valid safety certification seeks to recover wildfire costs. Previously, an electric utility seeking to recover costs had the burden to prove that it acted reasonably. Under AB 1054, if an electric utility has a valid safety certification, it will be presumed to have acted reasonably unless a party to the relevant proceeding creates a “serious doubt” as to the reasonableness of the utility’s conduct. In December 2023, OEIS issued a renewal of the safety certification for BVES for 12 months.

For more information regarding significant regulatory matters, see Note 3 of “Notes to Financial Statements” included in Part II, Item 8, in Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Environmental Matters

AWR’s subsidiaries are subject to stringent environmental regulations. GSWC is required to comply with the safe drinking water standards established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“USEPA”) and the Division of Drinking Water (“DDW”), under the SWRCB. The USEPA regulates contaminants that may have adverse health effects that are known or likely to occur at levels of public health concern, and the regulation of which will provide a meaningful opportunity for health risk reduction. The DDW, acting on behalf of the USEPA, administers the USEPA’s program in California. Similar state agencies administer these rules in the other states in which Registrant operates.

GSWC currently tests its water supplies and water systems according to, among other things, requirements listed in the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act (“SDWA”). GSWC works proactively with third parties and governmental agencies to address issues relating to known contamination threatening GSWC water sources. GSWC also incurs operating costs for testing to determine the levels, if any, of the constituents in its sources of supply, and additional expense to treat contaminants in order to meet the federal and state maximum contaminant level standards and consumer demands. GSWC expects to incur additional capital costs as well as increased operating costs to maintain or improve the quality of water delivered to its customers in light of anticipated stress on water resources associated with watershed and aquifer pollution, drought impacts, as well as to meet future water quality standards and consumer expectations. The CPUC ratemaking process provides GSWC with the opportunity to recover prudently incurred capital and operating costs in future filings associated with achieving water quality standards. Management believes that such incurred and expected future costs should be authorized for recovery by the CPUC.

Drinking Water Notification Levels

In July 2018, DDW issued drinking water notification levels for certain fluorinated organic chemicals used to make certain fabrics and other materials, and used in various industrial processes. These chemicals were also present in certain fire suppression agents. These chemicals are referred to as PFAS. Notification levels are health-based advisory levels established for contaminants in drinking water for which maximum contaminant levels have not been established. The USEPA has also established health advisory levels for these compounds. Notification to consumers and stakeholders is required when the advisory levels or notification levels are exceeded. Assembly Bill 756, signed into law in July 2019 and effective in January 2020, requires, among other things, additional notifications by water systems when they detect levels of PFAS above response levels.

GSWC is in the process of collecting and analyzing samples for PFAS. GSWC has removed some wells from service, and expects to incur additional costs to treat impacted wells. GSWC has provided customers with information regarding PFAS detection and provides updated information via its website. In February 2020, DDW established new response levels for two of the PFAS compounds: 10 parts per trillion (“ppt”) for perfluorooctanoic acid (“PFOA”) and 40 ppt for perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (“PFOS”). In March 2021, DDW issued drinking-water notification and response levels of 0.5 parts per billion (“ppb”) and 5 ppb, respectively, for perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (“PFBS”). In June 2022, the USEPA issued interim updated drinking-water health advisories for PFOA and PFOS, and also issued final health advisories for PFBS and other compounds known as GenX chemicals. In October 2022, DDW issued drinking-water notification and response levels of 3 ppt and 20 ppt, respectively, for perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (“PFHxS”). Lower MCL levels are expected to be promulgated in 2024 and depending on how low the levels are set, these new requirements will likely increase GSWC’s water treatment and other operating costs.

Drinking Water Proposed Maximum Contaminant Levels

In March 2023, the USEPA proposed maximum contaminant levels (“MCLs”) for six PFAS compounds in drinking water. When finalized, the proposed regulation will require public water systems to monitor and treat water for these chemicals. It will also require water systems to notify its customers and reduce the levels if it exceeds the regulatory standards. The USEPA anticipates finalizing and adopting this rule in early 2024. Once the rule is finalized, water systems will be required to comply with the MCLs after a specified implementation period, which is currently anticipated to be three years from the rule-adoption date. These proposed MCLs, once finalized, are expected to increase GSWC’s water treatment and other operating costs. The CPUC has authorized GSWC to track incremental costs, including laboratory testing and monitoring costs, customer and public notification costs, and chemical and operating treatment costs, incurred as a result of PFAS contamination in a memorandum account to be filed with the CPUC for future recovery.

Matters Relating to Environmental Cleanup

GSWC has been involved in environmental remediation and cleanup at one of its plant sites that contained an underground storage tank which was used to store gasoline for its vehicles. This tank was removed from the ground in July 1990 along with the dispenser and ancillary piping. Since then, GSWC has been involved in various remediation activities at this site.

As of December 31, 2023, the total amount spent to clean up and remediate GSWC’s plant facility was approximately $6.3 million, of which $1.5 million has been paid by the State of California Underground Storage Tank Fund. Amounts paid by GSWC have been included in rate base and approved by the CPUC for recovery. As of December 31, 2023, GSWC has a regulatory asset and an accrued liability for the estimated remaining cost of $1.3 million to complete the cleanup at the site. The estimate includes costs for continued activities of groundwater cleanup and monitoring, future soil treatment, and site closure related activities. The ultimate cost may vary as there are many unknowns in remediation of underground gasoline spills and this is an estimate based on currently available information. Management also believes it is probable that the estimated additional costs will continue to be approved in rate base by the CPUC.

Lead and Copper Rule Revisions

On December 16, 2021, the USEPA announced the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions under an executive order with a compliance date of October 16, 2024. Additionally, the USEPA announced its intention to develop a new proposed rule, the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (“LCRI”) that will further strengthen the regulatory framework prior to the October 2024 compliance date. There are still many unknowns regarding the implementation of the rule. The details of the requirements will be better understood over the next year once the LCRI is published and a final rule is approved.

Matters Relating to Military Base Contracts

Each of the ASUS’s subsidiaries is responsible for testing the water and wastewater systems on the military bases on which it operates in accordance with applicable law.

Each of the ASUS’s subsidiaries has the right to seek an equitable adjustment to its contract in the event that there are changes in environmental laws, a change in the quality of water used in providing water service or wastewater discharged by the U.S. government, or contamination of the air or soil not caused by the fault or negligence of ASUS’s Subsidiary. These changes can impact operations and maintenance and renewal and replacement costs under the contracts. The U.S. government is responsible for environmental contamination due to its fault or negligence and for environmental contamination that occurred prior to the execution of a contract.

Security Issues

We have physical and information security policies throughout our operations. Training on these matters begins during employee orientation and is ongoing through a series of training courses in addition to periodic, unannounced training exercises. We collaborate with various agencies, associations and third parties regarding information on possible threats and security measures for our operations. Risk assessments are conducted periodically to evaluate the effectiveness of existing security controls. These assessments provide areas for additional security focus, new controls, and policy changes.

Both GSWC and BVES have security systems and infrastructure in place intended to prevent unlawful intrusion, service disruption and cyber-attacks. GSWC and BVES utilize a variety of physical security measures to protect their facilities. These measures consider advances in security and emergency preparedness technology and relevant industry developments in developing their respective capital-improvement plans, and both intend to seek approval of the CPUC to recover any additional costs that either may incur in enhancing the security, reliability and resiliency of their utility systems.

On October 23, 2018, America’s Water Infrastructure Act (“AWIA”) became law. GSWC must now conduct additional risk and resilience assessments and develop emergency response plans for each of its water systems. These assessments and plans include natural hazards as well as malevolent acts. The first such assessments were completed in 2020. They will be reviewed and must be resubmitted every five years.

ASUS’s subsidiaries operate facilities within the boundaries of military bases, which provide limited access to the general public. To further enhance security, in prior years, certain upgrades were completed at various military bases through contract modifications funded by the U.S. government.

Registrant has evaluated its cyber-security systems and continues to address identified areas of improvement with respect to U.S. government regulations regarding cyber-security of government contractors. These improvements include the physical security at all of the office and employee facilities it operates.

Despite its efforts, Registrant cannot guarantee that intrusions, cybersecurity incident or other attacks will not cause water, wastewater or electric system problems, disrupt service to customers, compromise important data or systems or result in unintended release of customer or employee information.

Water Supply

GSWC

During 2023, GSWC delivered approximately 54.3 million hundred cubic feet (“ccf”) of water to its customers, which is an average of about 342 acre-feet per day or 111 million gallons per day (an acre-foot is approximately 435.6 ccf or 326,000 gallons). Approximately 53% of GSWC’s supply came from groundwater produced from wells situated throughout GSWC’s service areas. GSWC supplemented its groundwater production with wholesale purchases from MWD member agencies and regional water suppliers (roughly 43% of total demand) and with authorized diversions from rivers (roughly 4%) under agreements with the United States Bureau of Reclamation and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. GSWC also utilizes recycled water supplies to serve recycled water customers in several service areas. GSWC continually assesses its water rights and groundwater storage assets to maximize use of lower cost groundwater sources where available.

Groundwater

GSWC has a diverse water supply portfolio which includes adjudicated groundwater rights, surface water rights, and a number of unadjudicated water rights to help meet supply requirements. The productivity of GSWC’s groundwater resources varies from year to year depending upon a variety of factors, including natural replenishment from snow-melt or rainfall, the availability of imported replenishment water, the amount of water previously stored in groundwater basins, natural or man-made contamination, legal production limitations, and the amount and seasonality of water use by GSWC’s customers and others. GSWC actively participates in efforts to protect groundwater basins from over-use and from contamination. In some periods, these efforts may require reductions in groundwater pumping and increased reliance on alternative water resources. GSWC also participates in the implementation of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

From time to time, GSWC may purchase or temporarily use water rights from others for delivery to customers. GSWC has contracts to purchase water or water rights for an aggregate amount of $2.7 million as of December 31, 2023. Included in the $2.7 million is a remaining commitment of $1.3 million under an agreement with the City of Claremont to lease water rights that were ascribed to the City as part of the Six Basins adjudication. The initial term of the agreement expires in 2028. GSWC may exercise an option to renew this agreement for ten additional years. The remaining $1.4 million is for commitments for purchased water with other third parties, which expire through 2038.

Imported Water

GSWC also manages a portfolio of water supply arrangements with water wholesalers who may import water from outside the immediate service area. For example, GSWC has contracts with various governmental entities and other parties to purchase water through a total of 59 connections for distribution to customers, in addition to numerous emergency connections. MWD is a public agency organized and managed to provide a supplemental, imported supply to its member public agencies. There are 26 such member agencies, consisting of 14 cities, 11 municipal water districts and one county water authority. GSWC has 45 connections to MWD’s water distribution facilities and those of member agencies. GSWC purchases MWD water through six separate member agencies aggregating 43,810 acre-feet annually. MWD sources its supplies from Northern California via the State Water Project and the Colorado River through the Colorado River Aqueduct, which it owns and operates, and from local programs and transfer arrangements.

MWD currently has supply levels of 1.14 million acre-feet (“MAF”) with annual demands of approximately 1.54 MAF resulting in a supply gap of 399 thousand acre feet. MWD has available access to store more than 1.65 MAF of water in Lake Mead as part of an intentionally created surplus program developed under a 2007 Interim Shortage agreement and is available for use during dry years. In addition, MWD, along with the seven other Basin states which use water from the Colorado River, developed and agreed to the Drought Contingency Plan in 2019 where each lower Basin state which diverts water from the Colorado River below Lees Ferry agrees to store defined amounts of water in Lake Mead to prevent both Lake Mead and Lake Powell from reaching critically low levels. California is a lower Basin state. On December 1, 2023, the Department of Water Resources set the initial allocation for the water year to 10% due to the possibility that 2024 may be a dry year.

Drought Impact

In May 2018, the California Legislature passed two bills that provide a framework for long-term water-use efficiency standards and drought planning and resiliency. The initial steps in implementation of this legislation have been laid out in a summary document by the California Department of Water Resources (“DWR”) and SWRCB. A notable milestone is the establishment of an indoor water use standard of 55 gallons per capita per day (“gpcd”) until 2025. Legislation signed by the Governor into law in September 2022 has set more stringent indoor standard targets than initially set forth in the 2018 legislation. The indoor standard will now be set at 47 gpcd in 2025 and then reduced to 42 gpcd in 2030 (previously had been set at 52.5 gpcd and 50 gpcd, respectively). The SWRCB released a draft of the Conservation Regulation in mid-year 2023.

The SWRCB is expected to consider the adoption of the regulation by October 2024. Water suppliers including GSWC have provided extensive comments to date on the draft regulation and will work with state agencies on the final regulation and its implementation.

California’s recent period of multi-year drought has resulted in reduced recharge to the state’s groundwater basins. GSWC utilizes groundwater from numerous groundwater basins throughout the state. Several of these basins, especially smaller basins, experienced lower groundwater levels because of the drought. Several of GSWC’s service areas rely on groundwater as their only source of supply. Given the critical nature of the groundwater levels in California’s Central Coast area, GSWC implemented mandatory water restrictions in certain service areas in accordance with CPUC procedures. In the event of water supply shortages from the locally available supply, GSWC would need to transport additional water from other areas, increasing the cost of water supply.

After a very wet 2023, California could still potentially be entering into a dry 2024 even with the recent storm events in California in January and February 2024. Since the start of the water year, both the Sierra snowpack and precipitation has been below normal. The southern Sierra snowpack was at 52% of normal and the 5-station precipitation index was at 71% of normal on February 12, 2024. However, a series of atmospheric storm events in late January and early February are providing a promising outlook to the State’s supply conditions. As of February 13, 2024, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported that none of California was in drought with only 7% identified as “abnormally dry” as compared to a year ago when 85% was in “moderate drought.”

Prolonged drought conditions also exist on the Colorado River System, which is experiencing historically low reservoir levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Urgent action to reduce water demand on the lower river by 2 to 4 million acre feet annually has been requested by the US Bureau of Reclamation (the “Bureau”). In December 2023, several California water agencies signed agreements with the Bureau to conserve up to 643,000 Acre-feet of water in Lake Mead through 2025. This includes contracts with the Coachella Valley Water District, the Quechan Indian Tribe and the Imperial Irrigation District. Additional contracts are expected to be signed by Palo Verde Irrigation District in cooperation with MWD in 2024. GSWC will continue to monitor developments related to the Colorado River System and assess its impact on GSWC.

Military Base Operations

The U.S. government is responsible for providing the source of supply for all water on each of the bases served by ASUS’s subsidiaries at no cost to ASUS’s subsidiaries. Once received from the U.S. government, ASUS’s subsidiaries are responsible for ensuring the continued compliance of the provided source of supply with all federal, state and local regulations. Furthermore, ASUS’s subsidiaries are responsible for ensuring compliance with the reduction and/or removal of all constituents required under its wastewater treatment plant operating permits. ASUS works closely with state regulators and industry associations to stay current with emergent issues and proactively addresses any change in wastewater treatment regulation to ensure permit compliance.

New Accounting Pronouncements

Registrant is subject to newly issued accounting requirements as well as changes in existing requirements issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board. See Note 1 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Registrant is exposed to certain market risks, including fluctuations in interest rates, and commodity price risk primarily relating to changes in the market price of electricity. Market risk is the potential loss arising from adverse changes in prevailing market rates and prices.

Interest Rate Risk

A significant portion of Registrant’s capital structure is comprised of fixed-rate debt consisting of notes and debentures. Market risk related to our fixed-rate debt is deemed to be the potential increase in fair value resulting from a decrease in interest rates. At December 31, 2023, the fair value of Registrant’s long-term debt was $556.2 million. A hypothetical ten percent change in market interest rates would result in an increase or decrease of approximately $21.8 million in the fair value of Registrant’s long-term debt.

Registrant is also exposed to risk resulting from changes in interest rates as a result of its issuances of short-term debt through unsecured revolving credit facilities. At December 31, 2023, Registrant had outstanding consolidated borrowings under its credit facilities of $333.5 million that are exposed to variable short-term interest rate risk. The impact of a 100-basis point change in interest rates on pretax income is approximately $3.3 million as of December 31, 2023.

Commodity/Derivative Risk

BVES is exposed to commodity price risk primarily relating to changes in the market price of electricity. To manage its exposure to energy price risk, BVES from time to time executes purchased power contracts that qualify or have elements of the contract that qualify as derivative instruments, requiring mark-to-market derivative accounting under the accounting guidance for derivatives.

BVES has entered into long-term fixed price contracts to purchase power over three and five-year terms. These long-term contracts will expire during the fourth quarter of 2024 and are subject to the accounting guidance for derivatives and require mark-to-market derivative accounting. In July 2023, the CPUC approved a new power purchase agreement between BVES and a third party to procure renewable portfolio standard eligible energy and RECs as a bundled product. BVES will begin taking power under this long-term contract during the fourth quarter of 2024 to replace the existing expiring contracts. The new contract provides for the purchase of electricity during a delivery period from November 1, 2024 through December 31, 2035. Under this contract, there is an embedded derivative that also requires mark-to-market accounting.

The CPUC authorized the use of a regulatory asset and liability memorandum account to offset the mark-to-market entries required by the accounting guidance. Accordingly, all unrealized gains and losses generated from derivative instruments in purchase power contracts are deferred on a monthly basis into a non-interest-bearing regulatory memorandum account that tracks the changes in fair value of the derivative throughout the terms of the contracts. As a result, these unrealized gains and losses do not impact Registrant’s earnings. As of December 31, 2023, there was a $2.4 million derivative liability at fair value for the derivatives in the purchase power contracts, with a corresponding regulatory asset recorded in the derivative instrument memorandum account as a result of overall fixed prices under BVES’s purchase power contracts being higher than future energy prices.

Except as discussed above, Registrant has had no other derivative financial instruments, financial instruments with significant off-balance sheet risks or financial instruments with concentrations of credit risk.

(a) Conclusion Regarding the Effectiveness of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined under Rule 13a-15(e) or 15d-15(e) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures of AWR and GSWC were effective as of the end of the period covered by this annual report.

(b) Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on our evaluation under the framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework, our management concluded that the internal control over financial reporting of AWR and GSWC was effective as of December 31, 2023.

(c) Attestation Report of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting of AWR as of December 31, 2023 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which is included herein.

(d) Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) or 15d(f) under the Exchange Act) of AWR and GSWC that occurred during the fourth quarter of 2023 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.