v3.26.1
LEASES
6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2026
Leases [Abstract]  
LEASES
12. LEASES

The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception based on whether the Company has the right to control the use of an identified asset, the right to obtain substantially all of the economic benefits from the use of the asset and the right to direct the use of the asset. After the criteria are satisfied, the Company accounts for these arrangements as leases in accordance with ASC 842, Leases. Right-of-use assets represent the Company’s right to use the underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Company's obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Right-of-use assets and liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term, including payments at commencement that depend on an index or rate. Most leases in which the Company is the lessee do not have a readily determinable implicit rate, so an incremental borrowing rate, based on the information available at the lease commencement date, is utilized to determine the present value of lease payments. When a secured borrowing rate is not readily available, unsecured borrowing rates are adjusted for the effects of collateral to determine the incremental borrowing rate. The Company has not entered into any material agreements as of March 31, 2026, in which it is a lessor.

The Company’s lease agreements primarily consist of commercial solar land leases, storage and capacity leases, equipment and real property, including land and office facilities, office equipment and the sale leaseback of certain natural gas meters.

Certain leases contain escalation provisions for inflation metrics. The storage leases contain a variable payment component that relates to the change in the inflation metrics that are not known past the current payment period. The variable components of these lease payments are excluded from the lease payments that are used to determine the related right-of-use lease asset and liability. The variable portion of these leases are recognized as leasing expenses when they are incurred. The capacity lease payments are fully variable and based on the amount of natural gas stored in the storage caverns.

Generally, the Company’s solar land lease terms are between 20 and 50 years and may include multiple options to extend the terms for an additional five to 20 years. The Company’s office leases vary in duration, ranging from two to 11 years and may or may not include extension or early purchase options. The Company’s meter lease terms are between seven and 10 years with purchase options available prior to the end of the term. Equipment leases, including general office equipment, also vary in duration, with an average term of ten years. The Company's storage and capacity leases have assumed terms of 50 years to coincide with the expected useful lives of the cavern assets with which the leases are associated. The Company's lease terms may include options to extend, purchase the leased asset or terminate a lease and they are included in the lease liability calculation when it is reasonably certain that those options will be exercised. The Company has elected an accounting policy, which applies to all asset classes, that exempts leases with an original term of one year or less from the recognition requirements of ASC 842, Leases.
The Company has lease agreements with lease and non-lease components and has elected the practical expedient not to separate lease components from the associated non-lease components for certain classes of leases, such as office buildings, solar land leases and office equipment. The Company’s lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees, material restrictions or material covenants. In July 2021, NJNG entered into 16-year lease agreements, as Lessor, with various NJR subsidiaries, as Lessees, for office space at the Company’s headquarters in Wall, New Jersey, the effects of which are eliminated in consolidation.

The following table presents the Company's lease costs included in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations:
Three Months EndedSix Months Ended
March 31,March 31,
(Thousands)Income Statement Location2026202520262025
Operating lease costOperation and maintenance$2,922 $2,811 $5,776 $5,520 
Finance lease cost
Amortization of right-of-use assetsDepreciation and amortization344 382 726 922 
Interest on lease liabilitiesInterest expense, net of capitalized interest112 157 239 345 
Total finance lease cost456 539 965 1,267 
Variable lease costOperation and maintenance151 154 463 384 
Total lease cost$3,529 $3,504 $7,204 $7,171 

The following table presents supplemental cash flow information related to leases:
Six Months Ended
March 31,
(Thousands)20262025
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities
Operating cash flows for operating leases$4,425 $4,085 
Operating cash flows for finance leases$239 $345 
Financing cash flows for finance leases$3,155 $4,934 

Operating lease assets obtained in exchange for new or modified operating lease liabilities totaled approximately $0.8M and $5.4M during the three and six months ended March 31, 2026, respectively, and $5.5M during both the three and six months ended March 31, 2025. There were no finance lease assets obtained in exchange for new or modified finance lease liabilities during the three and six months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025.

The following table presents the balance and classifications of the Company's right of use assets and lease liabilities included in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets:
(Thousands)Balance Sheet LocationMarch 31,
2026
September 30,
2025
Noncurrent Assets
Operating lease assetsOperating lease assets$188,223 $185,596 
Finance lease assetsUtility plant23,676 24,402 
Total lease assets$211,899 $209,998 
Current Liabilities
Operating lease liabilitiesOperating lease liabilities$5,168 $4,388 
Finance lease liabilitiesCurrent maturities of long-term debt4,614 5,568 
Noncurrent Liabilities
Operating lease liabilitiesOperating lease liabilities163,048 159,131 
Finance lease liabilitiesLong-term debt8,164 10,366 
Total lease liabilities$180,994 $179,453 

For operating lease assets and liabilities, the weighted average remaining lease term was 28.0 years and 28.4 years and the weighted average discount rate used in the valuation over the remaining lease term was 4.1% and 4.0% as of March 31, 2026 and September 30, 2025, respectively. For finance lease assets and liabilities, the weighted average remaining lease term was 2.1 years and 2.4 years as of March 31, 2026 and September 30, 2025, respectively, and the weighted average discount rate used in the valuation over the remaining lease term was 3.4% as of both March 31, 2026 and September 30, 2025.
LEASES
12. LEASES

The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception based on whether the Company has the right to control the use of an identified asset, the right to obtain substantially all of the economic benefits from the use of the asset and the right to direct the use of the asset. After the criteria are satisfied, the Company accounts for these arrangements as leases in accordance with ASC 842, Leases. Right-of-use assets represent the Company’s right to use the underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Company's obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Right-of-use assets and liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term, including payments at commencement that depend on an index or rate. Most leases in which the Company is the lessee do not have a readily determinable implicit rate, so an incremental borrowing rate, based on the information available at the lease commencement date, is utilized to determine the present value of lease payments. When a secured borrowing rate is not readily available, unsecured borrowing rates are adjusted for the effects of collateral to determine the incremental borrowing rate. The Company has not entered into any material agreements as of March 31, 2026, in which it is a lessor.

The Company’s lease agreements primarily consist of commercial solar land leases, storage and capacity leases, equipment and real property, including land and office facilities, office equipment and the sale leaseback of certain natural gas meters.

Certain leases contain escalation provisions for inflation metrics. The storage leases contain a variable payment component that relates to the change in the inflation metrics that are not known past the current payment period. The variable components of these lease payments are excluded from the lease payments that are used to determine the related right-of-use lease asset and liability. The variable portion of these leases are recognized as leasing expenses when they are incurred. The capacity lease payments are fully variable and based on the amount of natural gas stored in the storage caverns.

Generally, the Company’s solar land lease terms are between 20 and 50 years and may include multiple options to extend the terms for an additional five to 20 years. The Company’s office leases vary in duration, ranging from two to 11 years and may or may not include extension or early purchase options. The Company’s meter lease terms are between seven and 10 years with purchase options available prior to the end of the term. Equipment leases, including general office equipment, also vary in duration, with an average term of ten years. The Company's storage and capacity leases have assumed terms of 50 years to coincide with the expected useful lives of the cavern assets with which the leases are associated. The Company's lease terms may include options to extend, purchase the leased asset or terminate a lease and they are included in the lease liability calculation when it is reasonably certain that those options will be exercised. The Company has elected an accounting policy, which applies to all asset classes, that exempts leases with an original term of one year or less from the recognition requirements of ASC 842, Leases.
The Company has lease agreements with lease and non-lease components and has elected the practical expedient not to separate lease components from the associated non-lease components for certain classes of leases, such as office buildings, solar land leases and office equipment. The Company’s lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees, material restrictions or material covenants. In July 2021, NJNG entered into 16-year lease agreements, as Lessor, with various NJR subsidiaries, as Lessees, for office space at the Company’s headquarters in Wall, New Jersey, the effects of which are eliminated in consolidation.

The following table presents the Company's lease costs included in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations:
Three Months EndedSix Months Ended
March 31,March 31,
(Thousands)Income Statement Location2026202520262025
Operating lease costOperation and maintenance$2,922 $2,811 $5,776 $5,520 
Finance lease cost
Amortization of right-of-use assetsDepreciation and amortization344 382 726 922 
Interest on lease liabilitiesInterest expense, net of capitalized interest112 157 239 345 
Total finance lease cost456 539 965 1,267 
Variable lease costOperation and maintenance151 154 463 384 
Total lease cost$3,529 $3,504 $7,204 $7,171 

The following table presents supplemental cash flow information related to leases:
Six Months Ended
March 31,
(Thousands)20262025
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities
Operating cash flows for operating leases$4,425 $4,085 
Operating cash flows for finance leases$239 $345 
Financing cash flows for finance leases$3,155 $4,934 

Operating lease assets obtained in exchange for new or modified operating lease liabilities totaled approximately $0.8M and $5.4M during the three and six months ended March 31, 2026, respectively, and $5.5M during both the three and six months ended March 31, 2025. There were no finance lease assets obtained in exchange for new or modified finance lease liabilities during the three and six months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025.

The following table presents the balance and classifications of the Company's right of use assets and lease liabilities included in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets:
(Thousands)Balance Sheet LocationMarch 31,
2026
September 30,
2025
Noncurrent Assets
Operating lease assetsOperating lease assets$188,223 $185,596 
Finance lease assetsUtility plant23,676 24,402 
Total lease assets$211,899 $209,998 
Current Liabilities
Operating lease liabilitiesOperating lease liabilities$5,168 $4,388 
Finance lease liabilitiesCurrent maturities of long-term debt4,614 5,568 
Noncurrent Liabilities
Operating lease liabilitiesOperating lease liabilities163,048 159,131 
Finance lease liabilitiesLong-term debt8,164 10,366 
Total lease liabilities$180,994 $179,453 

For operating lease assets and liabilities, the weighted average remaining lease term was 28.0 years and 28.4 years and the weighted average discount rate used in the valuation over the remaining lease term was 4.1% and 4.0% as of March 31, 2026 and September 30, 2025, respectively. For finance lease assets and liabilities, the weighted average remaining lease term was 2.1 years and 2.4 years as of March 31, 2026 and September 30, 2025, respectively, and the weighted average discount rate used in the valuation over the remaining lease term was 3.4% as of both March 31, 2026 and September 30, 2025.