| (p) | Regulated utilities and energy businesses |
Certain domestic energy subsidiaries prepare their financial statements in accordance with authoritative guidance for regulated operations, reflecting the economic effects of regulation from the ability to recover certain costs from customers and the requirement to return revenues to customers in the future through the regulated rate-setting process. Accordingly, certain costs are deferred as regulatory assets and obligations are accrued as regulatory liabilities. These assets and liabilities will be amortized into operating expenses and revenues over various future periods. At December 31, 2013, our Consolidated Balance Sheet includes $3,515 million in regulatory assets and $2,665 million in regulatory liabilities. At December 31, 2012, our Consolidated Balance Sheet includes $2,909 million in regulatory assets and $1,813 million in regulatory liabilities. Regulatory assets and liabilities are components of other assets and other liabilities of utilities and energy businesses.
Regulatory assets and liabilities are continually assessed for probable future inclusion in regulatory rates by considering factors such as applicable regulatory or legislative changes and recent rate orders received by other regulated entities. If future inclusion in regulatory rates ceases to be probable, the amount no longer probable of inclusion in regulatory rates is charged or credited to earnings (or other comprehensive income, if applicable) or returned to customers.