Overview

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 BVESI, respectively, and contracted services conducted through ASUS and its subsidiaries. FBWS, TUS, ODUS, PSUS, ONUS, ECUS and FRUS may be referred to herein collectively as the “Military Utility Privatization Subsidiaries.”

AWR'sAWR’s regulated utilities served 261,796263,265 water customers and 24,54524,705 electric customers at December 31, 2020,2022, or a total of 286,341287,970 customers, compared with 260,708262,770 water customers and 24,42024,656 electric customers at December 31, 2019,2021, or a total of 285,128287,426 customers. Both GSWC’s and BVESI'sBVESI’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, 2020, 20192022, 2021 and 2018.2020.

ASUS, itself or through the Military Utility Privatization 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.  Each of the contracts with the U.S. government is subject to termination, in whole or in part, prior to the end of its 50-year 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. 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 guarantees performance of ASUS’s military privatization contracts.

Pursuant to the terms of these contracts,the 50-year contract with the U.S. government, the Military Utility Privatization Subsidiaries operate the following water and wastewater systems:

Climate Change Planning, Risks and Opportunities

GSWC considers the potential impacts both GSWC’sof 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.

The State of California and the CPUC have established renewable energy procurement targets. BVESI musthas entered into a CPUC-approved ten-year contract for renewable energy credits. Because of this agreement, BVESI believes it will comply with regulations relating to the emission of greenhouse gases. BVESI must also complythrough at least 2023 with California’s renewable energy requirements.statutes that address this issue. BVESI is pursuing short- and long-term renewable energy contracts to satisfy its requirements related to its resource portfolio for compliance period 4 (2021-2024) and beyond.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also causedand its lingering effects to the economy contributed to significant volatility in financial markets which could continue.throughout the pandemic. The continued economic impact could adversely impact the value of GSWC’s pension and other retirement plan assets due to possible declines in security prices.

Competition

The businesses of GSWC and BVESI 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 BVESI may be subject to eminent domain proceedings in which governmental agencies, under state law, may acquire GSWC’s water systems or BVESI'sBVESI’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 841811 employees as of December 31, 2020.2022.  GSWC had 525501 employees as of December 31, 2020.2022. BVESI had 4346 employees, sixteen of which 17 employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which expires in December 2025. All of the employees of GSWC and BVESI are located in California. At times, GSWC and BVESI 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 on as a regular, full-time employee.

ASUS and its subsidiaries had a total of 273264 employees as of December 31, 2020. Thirteen2022. Fifteen of FBWS'sFBWS’s employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers. This agreement expires in September 2022.2023.

Our businessbusinesses requires a combination of complex infrastructure, regulationregulatory 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

Attracting Diverse Candidates

We understand that strength comes from having a diverse employee population. We strive to hire from our local communities and have a workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the communities we serve. 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 law.laws.

Safety and Training

To reinforce our safety efforts and protocols, company-wide safety inspections at GSWC and BVESI 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 providesis responsible for regulatory compliance, as well as beneficial health and safety monitoring functions.

Learning and Development

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

Recruiting, developing and retaining the right talent is key to our long-term success. With 28%30% of our employees eligible for retirement in the next five years, we are focused on transferring institutional knowledge, continue succession planning and pursue recruitment and development strategies to attract qualified talent.

Forward-Looking Information

This Form 10-K and the documents incorporated herein contain forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the “safe harbor” from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on current estimates, expectations and projections about future events and assumptions regarding these events and include statements regarding management’s goals, beliefs, plans or current expectations, taking into account the information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical facts. For example, when we use words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “plan,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may” and other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes, we are making forward-looking statements. We are not able to predict all the factors that may affect future results. We caution you that any forward-looking statements made by us are not guarantees of future performance and the actual results may differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements. Some of the factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements or from historical results, are described in the following section.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

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.

GSWC’s and BVESI’s revenues depend substantially on the rates and charges we are permitted to recover from our customers and the timing of that recovery.recovery as authorized by the CPUC. Decisions of the CPUC could also 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 risks, such as drought and wildfires in California, costs incurred in connection with complying with water quality regulations, costs incurred in connection with complying with the COVID-19 pandemic, and costs incurred in connection with costs of obtaining and complying with franchise agreements with local governmental agencies and the 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 and the closure of some customer service offices due to COVID-19 governmental shut-down orders.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.

All of our utility privatization contract services are provided to the U.S. government pursuant to the terms of 50-year firm, fixed-price contracts subject to annual economic price adjustments. 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 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:

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.

GSWC'sGSWC’s and BVESI'sBVESI’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 financial performance. 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, 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.

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 recovering 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, the inability to recover carrying costs for these expenses, and increased risks of regulatory disallowances or write-offs.

Regulatory agencies may also change their rules and policies, which may adversely affect our profitability and cash flows. Changes in policies of the U.S. government may also adversely affect one or more of our Military Utility Privatization 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

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 also 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.

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

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 revenuethe revenues generated from the use of such assets.

Cities and counties in which GSWC and BVESI 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 operates.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 BVESI 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 serviceand electric services and to efficiently manage capital expenditures and operating and maintenance expenses within CPUC-authorized levels.

We have also experienced increases ininstances 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.

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.

Although we operate waterOur capital 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.  Asoperating 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 financial results are largely subjectwater treatment plants, handling and storing hazardous chemicals, compliance-monitoring activities and securing alternative supplies when necessary.  GSWC may be able to political,recover these costs from customers through the ratemaking process. We may also be able to recover 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 supply, labor, utility costnotification and regulatory risks, economic conditions, natural disasters (whichresponse 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.

Our financial results may alsooperations can be impacted by population growthgroundwater 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 declinepotentially 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 service areas.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.

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 also periodically borrow money or issue equity for these purposes. In addition, we have revolving credit facilities that are partially used for these purposes. 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 private placement notes to satisfy our liquidity needs. Changes in market conditions, including events beyond our control such as recent increases to interest rates, could also limit our ability to access capital on terms favorable to us or at all, including credit facilities

Our liquidityfailure 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 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 BVESI 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 BVESI in order for customers to not be adversely affected by wildfires

Significant judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes. Our calculation of the costsprovision for income taxes is subject to our interpretation of paying claims for damages causedapplicable tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we file. In addition, our income tax returns are subject to periodic examination by the non-negligent operationInternal Revenue Service and maintenance ofother taxing authorities.

Although we believe our property from customers or through insurance.

Water Quality Regulatory Risks

Our 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 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 and response 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.

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.  

Water Supply Risks

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

More frequent and extended California drought conditions and changes in weather patterns and population growth in California cause 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"(“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 increaseincreased 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.

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.

GSWC has implemented a modified supply cost balancing account, ("MCBA")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

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:

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.

We 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 on revenues.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. In addition, based on a CPUC decision effective August 27, 2020, any general rate case application filed after that date may not include a proposal to use the WRAM or MCBA, but may instead include a proposal to use a limited price adjustment mechanism and an incremental supply cost balancing account. Replacing the WRAM and MCBA could result in increased earnings volatility.

Electric Segment Operations Risks

BVESI is required to adopt and implement a wildfire safety and mitigation plan that is submitted periodically to, and subject to the approval of, the CPUC. 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.

BVESI is also required to implement a public safety power shut-off program during high wildfire threat conditions. The CPUC may assess penalties if BVESI shuts-down power to its customers ifand the CPUC determines that the shutdown was not reasonably necessary in the circumstances.

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

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 flows may be affected by increases in spot market prices of electricity purchased and decreases in spot market prices for electricity sold.  However, BVESI has implemented a CPUC-approved supply-cost balancing accounts, as approved by the CPUC,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 are required to procure a portion of our electricity for BVESI from renewable energy resources to meet the CPUC’s renewable procurement requirements.  We have an agreement with a third party to purchase renewable energy credits, which we believe enables us to meet these requirements through 2023.  In the event that the third party fails 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. 

We have entered into contracts to provide water and/or wastewater services at military bases pursuant to an initial 50-year firm, fixed-priced contract and additional firm, fixed-price contracts, subject to termination, in whole or in part, for the convenience of the U.S. government.  In addition, the U.S. government may stop work under the terms of one or more of the contracts, 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 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 these types of 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, or reductions in government spending for the military generally or military-base operations specifically.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 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

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 50-year contractscontract taken as a whole, based, in part, on cost estimates that are subject to a number of assumptions, including assumptions regarding future economic

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”) and/or, the Defense Contract Management Agency ("DCMA"(“DCMA”), the Department of Labor (“DOL”), the Defense Logistics Agency Energy (“DLAE”), and/or the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) 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 BVESI. During the course of these audits/reviews, the DCAA or DCMAU.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 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

Unlike GSWC and BVESI, 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 50-year contractsU.S. government and are granted through firm-fixed contract modifications. Our Military Utility Privatization Subsidiaries expect to continue incurring significant construction costs. Reimbursement by the U.S government for these construction costs may not

Other Contracted Services Segment Risks

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.

While it is the responsibility of the U.S. government to provide the source of water supply to meet the Military Utility Privatization Subsidiaries’ water distribution system requirements under their 50-year contracts with the U.S. government, the Military Utility Privatization 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 the Military Utility Privatization 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.

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 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.

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.

Information Technology Risk Factors

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, cyber-attackscyberattacks 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, or delay or prevent operations 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.

There have been an increasing number of cyber-attackscyberattacks 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.  Although we do not believe that our systems are at a materially greater risk of cyber security attacks than other similar organizations, our information technology systems remain at risk to damage or interruption from:

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 cyber-attacks.cyberattacks.  Despite our efforts, due to the evolving nature of cyber-attackscyberattacks and vulnerabilities, we cannot be assured that a cyber-attackcyberattack 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. In addition, pursuant to U.S. government regulations regarding cyber-securitycybersecurity 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 events 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.

In addition, we must comply with privacy rights 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.

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 28%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.

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 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:

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 the 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 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.

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'sAWR’s credit facility.  Our subsidiaries only pay dividends if and when declared by the respective subsidiary board.  Moreover, GSWC and BVESI 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 BVESI in order thatfor 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.

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.

None.

As of December 31, 2020,2022, GSWC’s physical properties consisted of water transmission and distribution systems, which included 2,7952,864 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 three 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'sGSWC’s properties are located in California.

As of December 31, 2020,2022, GSWC owned 240242 wells, of which 165170 are active operable wells equipped with pumps with an aggregate production capacity of approximately 174169 million gallons per day. GSWC has 58 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 113.9116.6 million gallons. GSWC owns no dams. The following table provides, in greater detail, information regarding the water utility plant of GSWC: 

Electric Properties

BVESI'sBVESI’s properties are located in the Big Bear area of San Bernardino County, California. As of December 31, 2020,2022, BVESI owned and operated approximately 87.887.80 miles of overhead 34.5 kilovolt (kv) sub-transmission lines (8.96 circuit miles are insulated), 6.49 miles of underground 34.5 kv sub-transmission lines, 491.1492.17 miles of overhead 4.16 kv or 2.4 kv distribution lines 113.3(12.15 circuit miles are insulated), 113.57 miles of underground cable, 13 sub-stations and a natural gas-fueled 8.4 MW peaking generation facility. BVESI 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, 2020,2022, GSWC had adjudicated groundwater rights and surface water rights of 71,67070,176 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. BVESI owns office space in California. ASUS leases office facilities in Georgia, Virginia, Texas 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, 2020,2022, neither AWR, GSWC, BVESI, 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 BVESI are prohibited from issuing any secured debt, without providing equal and ratable security to the holders of this existing debt.

Condemnation of Properties

Not applicable.

The graph below compares the cumulative 5-year5-Year total return onof American States Water Company'sCompany’s Common Shares relative towith the cumulative total returns of the S&P 500 index and a customized peer group of seven publicly traded companies headquartered in the United States. The seven companies included in the Company's customized peer group are:water utilities that includes: American Water Works Company Inc., Essential Utilities Inc., Artesian Resources Corporation, California Water Service Group, Middlesex Water Company,Co, York Water CompanyCo. and SJW Group. In accordance with SEC guidance, the returns of the seven utilities included in the peer group are weighted according to their respective market capitalizations.

An investment of $100 (with reinvestment of all dividends) is assumed to have been made in our Common Shares, and in the common stock in the index and in the peer group on December 31, 2015.2017. Relative performance is tracked through December 31, 2020.2022.

Common Shares of American States Water Company are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “AWR.” The intra-dayintraday high and low NYSE prices on the Common Shares for each quarter during the past two years were:

The closing price of the Common Shares of American States Water Company on the NYSE on February 19, 202128, 2023 was $77.97.$89.30.

Approximate Number of Holders of Common Shares

As of February 19, 2021,28, 2023, there were 2,0811,950 holders of record of the 36,898,21336,969,622 outstanding Common Shares of American States Water Company. AWR owns all of the outstanding Common Shares of GSWC, BVESI and ASUS. ASUS owns all of the outstanding stock of the Military Utility Privatization Subsidiaries.

Frequency and Amount of Any Dividends Declared and Dividend Restrictions

For the last two years, AWR has paid dividends on its Common Shares on or about March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1. The following table lists the amounts of dividends paid on Common Shares of American States Water Company:

Under California law, AWR, GSWC, BVESI and ASUS are each permitted to distribute dividends to its shareholders and repurchase its shares so long as the Board of Directors determines, in good faith, that either: (i) the value of the corporation’s assets equals or exceeds the sum of its total liabilities immediately after the dividend, or (ii) its retained earnings equals or exceeds the amount of the distribution.  

ASUS’s ability to pay dividends to AWR is dependeddependent upon the ability of each of the Military Utility Privatization Subsidiaries to pay dividends to ASUS under applicable state law as well as ASUS'sASUS’s ability to pay dividends under California law.

AWR paid $47.2$56.4 million in dividends to shareholders for the year ended December 31, 2020,2022, as compared to $42.7$51.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019.2021. GSWC paid dividends of $22.5$27.0 million and $20.2$38.3 million to AWR in 20202022 and 2019,2021, respectively. BVESI paid dividends of $12.4$14.7 million during 2022, and did not pay dividends to AWR in 2020.2021. ASUS paid dividends of $12.4$14.7 million in 2022, and $22.5 milliondid not pay dividends to AWR in 2020 and 2019, respectively.2021.

Other Information

The shareholders of AWR have approved the material features of all equity-compensation plans under which AWR directly issues equity securities. AWR did not directly issue any unregistered equity securities during 2020.2022.

The following table provides information about AWR repurchases of its Common Shares during the fourth quarter of 2020:2022:

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of OperationOperations

Water and Electric Segments:

GSWC'sGSWC’s and BVESI'sBVESI’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 BVESI customers are determined by the CPUC. These rates are intended to allow recovery of operating costs and a reasonable rate of return on capital.  GSWC and BVESI 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 BVESI are expected to remain at substantially higher levels than depreciation expense. When necessary, GSWC and BVESI may obtain funds from external sources in the capital markets and through bank borrowings.

Water General Rate Case for years 2022 - 2024:

Investor-owned water utilities serving California are required to file their cost of capital applications on a triennial basis. GSWC filed a cost of capital application with the CPUC in May 2021 currently pending approval, which arerequested a capital structure of 57% equity and 43% debt, a return on equity of 10.5%, an embedded cost of debt of 5.1%, and a return on rate base of 8.18%. Hearings on this proceeding occurred in May 2022 and briefs were filed in June 2022.

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

As a result of the August 2020 decision, 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 gross margin.On or priorutilities, including GSWC, to continue requesting the use of the WRAM in their next general rate case. With the passage of SB 1469, GSWC will be able to request the continued use of the WRAM in its next general rate case to be filed in 2023 that will establish new rates for the years 2025 – 2027. GSWC’s request to continue using the WRAM in its next general rate case will be subject to CPUC approval.

In October 5, 2020, GSWC, three other Californiainvestor-owned water utilities (“IOWUs”) operating in California, and the California Water Association (“CWA”) filed separate applications with the CPUC for rehearing on this matter.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 (“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. The CPUC’s answer to the opening briefs was originally due by November 15 and reply briefs were due by December 15. 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 and the IOWUs filed their reply brief on January 13, 2023. At this time, management cannot predict the final outcome of this matter.

Investor-ownedOn July 15, 2021, the CPUC issued a final decision in the second phase of the Low-Income Affordability Rulemaking. The final decision requires that amounts tracked in GSWC’s COVID-19 Catastrophic Event Memorandum Account (“CEMA”) account for unpaid customer bills be first offset by any (i) federal or state relief for customers’ utility bill debt, and (ii) customer payments through payment-plan arrangements prior to receiving recovery from customers at large. In January 2022, GSWC received $9.5 million of relief funding from the state of California for customers’ unpaid water utilities serving California are requiredbills incurred during the pandemic, which it applied to file their cost of capital applications on a triennial basis. GSWC’s next cost of capital application is scheduledits delinquent customers’ eligible balances.

In August 2021, GSWC, in addition to be filed by May 1, 2021 for the years 2022 - 2024. However, GSWC, along with three other investor-owned water utilitiesparties, filed separate applications to the CPUC for rehearing on certain aspects of this final decision, which the CPUC denied in California,May 2022. In March 2022, CWA filed a joint request withpetition for writ of review to the CPUCCalifornia Supreme Court, urging the Court to review the CPUC’s final decision on January 5, 2021 to postpone the cost of capital applications by another year. Last year the utilities sought a one-year deferralsecond phase of the May 2020 costLow-Income Affordability Rulemaking. CWA amended its petition to reflect the CPUC’s decision denying the requests for rehearing. In September 2022, the Supreme Court denied CWA’s amended petition for writ of capital applications, which was approved in March 2020. Similar to that deferral, this year’s joint request asked that the utilities keep the cost of capital parameters as authorized in 2018 in effect through 2022, and file new cost of capital applications by May 1, 2022 to set the cost of debt, return on equity and capital structure starting January 1, 2023. GSWC’s current authorized rate of return on rate base is 7.91%, based on its weighted cost of capital, which will continue in effect through December 31, 2022 if the additional deferral is approved. At this time, management cannot predict the outcome of this request.review.

Electric Segment:General Rate Cases:

On August 15, 2019, the CPUC issued a final decision on the electric general rate case.case that set new rates for the years 2018 – 2022. Among other things, the decision (i) extended the rate cycle by one year (new rates were effective for 2018 - 2022); (ii) increased the electric gross margin for 2018 by approximately $2.3 million compared to the 2017 adopted electric gross margin, adjusted for tax reform changes; (iii) allows the electric segmentrevenues by $1.0 million in 2022 not subject to an earnings test. The decision also allowed BVESI to construct all the capital projects requested in its application, which are dedicated to improving system safety and reliability and total approximately $44 million over the 5-year rate cycle; and (iv) increased the adopted electric gross margin by $1.2 million for each of the years 2019 and 2020, by $1.1 million in 2021, and by $1.0 million in 2022. The rate increases for 2019 - 2022 are not subject to an earnings test.cycle. The decision authorized a return on equity for the electric segment of 9.6% and included a capital structure and a debt cost that isare consistent with those approved by the CPUC in March 2018 in connection with GSWC'sGSWC’s water segment cost of capital proceeding. The rate case decision continues to apply to BVESI.

Due to the delay in finalizing the electricOn August 30, 2022, BVESI filed a general rate case application that will determine new electric revenues recognizedrates for the years 2023 – 2026. Among other things, BVESI requested (i) capital budgets of approximately $62 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 BVESI of 61.8% equity and 38.2% debt, a return on equity of 11.25%, an embedded cost of debt of 5.1%, and a return on rate base of 9.05%. Furthermore, included in the general rate case application is a request for recovery of all capital expenditures and other costs incurred over the last few years in connection with BVESI’s wildfire mitigation plans that are currently not in customer rates. These costs will be subject to review by the CPUC during the first six monthsgeneral rate case proceeding. On December 16, 2022, a pre-hearing conference was held to discuss the scope of 2019 were based on 2017 adopted rates. Becauseissues and schedule for the August 2019proceeding. On December 15, 2022, the CPUC finalapproved a decision isfor BVESI to establish a general rate case memorandum account that makes the new 2023 rates effective and retroactive to January 1, 2018,2023. In February 2023, a scoping memo and ruling that set the cumulative retroactive earnings impactfinal schedule and scope of issues in BVESI’s general rate case proceeding was recorded as partissued by the CPUC. Based on the schedule, a proposed decision is expected in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019 results, including $0.04 per share for the full year ended December 31, 2018 had the new 2018 and 2019 rates been in place at those times.2023.

Contracted Services Segment:

ASUS'sASUS’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 atfor the water and/or wastewater systems at various military installations, pursuant to an initial 50-year firm fixed-price contract and additional firm fixed-price contracts. The contract price for each of these 50-year contracts 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 2022, ASUS was awarded approximately $34.4 million in new construction projects for completion beginning in 2022 through 2025. Earnings and cash flows from modifications to the initial 50-year contract or 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.

COVID-19:

The COVID-19 pandemic and its lingering effects to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. Among other things, the resolution also extends the COVID-19-related memorandum accounts establishedeconomy has contributed to track incremental costs associated with complying with the resolution, and requires utilities in California to file transition plans to address the eventual discontinuance of the emergency customer protections. The goal of the transition plan is to effectively ease customers through a transition off the emergency customer protections by proactively communicating with customers to enroll them in programs to manage their utility bills and informing them of the changes to programs in which they are already enrolled. GSWC and BVESI are in the process of developing their transition plans, which are required to be finalized and filed with the CPUC by April 1, 2021.

For the yearsyear ended December 31, 20202022, AWR’s recorded consolidated diluted earnings were $2.11 per share, as compared to $2.55 per share for the same period in 2021, a decrease of $0.44 per share. Included in the results for the year ended December 31, 2022 were losses totaling $5.2 million, or approximately $0.10 per share, on investments held to fund one of the Company’s retirement plans, as compared to gains of $4.3 million, or approximately $0.08 per share, for the same period in 2021, both due to financial market conditions. Furthermore, due to the delay in receiving a final decision from the CPUC on GSWC’s pending water general rate case that will set new rates beginning in 2022, water revenues billed and 2019.  recorded for the year of 2022 were based on 2021 adopted rates, pending a final decision. When approved, the new rates will be retroactive to January 1, 2022 and cumulative adjustments will be recorded upon receiving a decision by the CPUC. Had the new 2022 water rates been approved effective January 1, 2022 and consistent with the settlement agreement reached between GSWC and Public Advocates, GSWC would have recorded additional revenues of $30.3 million, or $0.59 per share, and additional water supply costs of $9.6 million, or $0.19 per share, as well as an additional reduction to revenues of $1.1 million, or $0.02 per share, to reflect the incremental impact of revenues subject to refund from the new 2022 rates as a result of the lower cost of debt in the pending cost of capital proceeding, which all combined would have been $0.38 per share higher than what was actually recorded for the year of 2022.