MDU Resources Group
Annual Report 2018

Plain-text annual report

1 MDU Resources Group, Inc.Highlights Years ended December 31, Operating revenues Operating income Earnings on common stock from continuing operations Earnings on common stock, including discontinued operations Earnings per common share from continuing operations Earnings per common share, including discontinued operations Dividends declared per common share Weighted average common shares outstanding — diluted Total assets Total equity Total debt Capitalization ratios: Total equity Total debt Price/earnings from continuing operations ratio (12 months ended) Book value per common share Market value as a percent of book value Employees 2018 2017 (In millions, where applicable) $ 4,531.6 $ 401.7 $ 269.4 $ 272.3 1.38 $ 1.39 $ .795 $ 196.1 $ 6,988 $ 2,567 $ 2,109 54.9% 45.1 100% 17.3x $ 13.09 182.1% 11,797 $4,443.4 $ 424.1 $ 284.2 $ 280.4 1.45 $ 1.43 $ .775 $ 195.7 $ 6,335 $ 2,429 $ 1,715 58.6% 41.4 100% 18.5x $ 12.44 216.1% 10,140 Forward-looking statements: This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are all statements other than statements of historic fact, including without limitation those statements that are identified by the words anticipates, estimates, expects, intends, plans, predicts and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements should be read with, and are subject to, the cautionary statements and important factors included in “Part I, Forward-Looking Statements” and “Item 1A — Risk Factors” of the company’s “2018 Form 10-K.” 2 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Regulated Energy Delivery Electric and Natural Gas Utilities MDU Resources Group’s utility companies serve approximately 1.1 million customers. Cascade Natural Gas Corporation distributes natural gas in Oregon and Washington. Great Plains Natural Gas Co. distributes natural gas in western Minnesota and southeastern North Dakota. Intermountain Gas Company distributes natural gas in southern Idaho. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. generates, transmits and distributes electricity and distributes natural gas in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. These operations also supply related value-added services. 2018 Key Statistics Revenues (millions) Electric Natural gas Earnings (millions) Electric Natural gas Electric retail sales (million kWh) Natural gas distribution (MMdk) Sales Transportation $335.1 $823.2 $47.0 $37.7 3,354.4 112.6 149.5 Electric and natural gas utility areas Electric generating stations States of operations WA OR ID MT ND MN WY SD Our Businesses Regulated Energy Delivery Pipeline and Energy Services WBI Energy provides natural gas transportation, underground storage and gathering services through regulated and nonregulated pipeline systems, primarily in the Rocky Mountain and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. This segment also provides cathodic protection and other energy-related services. 2018 Key Statistics Revenues (millions) Earnings (millions) Pipeline (MMdk) Transportation Gathering $128.9 $28.5 351.5 14.9 Company storage fields Pipeline systems Midstream assets States of operations Interconnecting pipelines ID MT ND MN SD WY Construction Materials and Services Construction Materials and Contracting Knife River Corporation mines aggregates and markets crushed stone, sand, gravel and related construction materials, including ready-mix concrete, cement, asphalt, liquid asphalt and other value-added products. It also performs integrated contracting services. Construction Materials and Services Construction Services MDU Construction Services Group provides inside and outside specialty contracting services, including constructing and maintaining electric and communication lines, gas pipelines, fire suppression systems, and external lighting and traffic signalization. It also provides utility excavation and inside electrical and mechanical services, and manufactures and distributes transmission line construction equipment and supplies. 2018 Key Statistics Revenues (millions) Earnings (millions) $1,371.5 $64.3 AK Construction services offices Authorized states of operations for construction services $1,925.9 $92.6 2018 Key Statistics Revenues (millions) Earnings (millions) Construction materials sales (thousands) Aggregates (tons) Asphalt (tons) Ready-mix concrete (cubic yards) Construction materials aggregate reserves (billion tons) 29,795 6,838 3,518 1.0 AK States of operation Market areas WA OR ID MT ND MN SD NE IA WA OR ID MT WY NV CA UT AZ SD NE CO KS NM OK HI TX ND MN ME WY UT CA WI IA MI OH PA NJ IL IN KY TN VAWV NC SC MS AL GA MO AR LA FL HI TX Note: The revenues and earnings noted on this page exclude discontinued operations, the Other category and intercompany eliminations. 3 MDU Resources Group, Inc.Report to Stockholders Our operations performed very well in 2018, successfully executing on growth projects and managing costs while meeting customers’ needs. We are pleased with our strong results, which continue to reflect the advantage of our two-pillar strategy of growing our regulated energy delivery businesses through organic projects while growing our construction materials and services market share through strong customer relationships and acquisitions. Earnings in 2018 from continuing operations were $269.4 million, or $1.38 per share, compared to 2017 earnings from continuing operations of $284.2 million, or $1.45 per share. Including discontinued operations, MDU Resources reported 2018 earnings of $272.3 million, or $1.39 per share, compared to $280.4 million, or $1.43 cents per share, in 2017. The company recorded a benefit in 2017 of $39.5 million, or 20 cents per share, attributable to the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Absent the benefit from tax reform, our earnings from continuing operations were up 13 cents per share year over year, or approximately 10 percent. Our employees remain dedicated to Building a Strong America,® providing essential products and services to the American people. We provide the natural gas and electricity that power business, industry and our daily lives. We connect homes, factories, offices and stores with the pipes and wires that bring them to life. We build the transportation network of roads, highways and airports that keeps our economy moving. The heart of our American economy is infrastructure, and infrastructure is our business. We expect 2019 to be another strong year, starting off with a record backlog of projects at both our construction businesses, significant growth projects at our natural gas pipeline company and planned capital infrastructure 4 investments at our utility operations. We expect to invest $579 million in capital projects this year, with $2.6 billion in planned investments over the next five years. We are confident our company will continue to provide the long-term returns you expect. Construction services breaks records The construction services business had outstanding results in 2018, with record revenues, earnings and backlog. Earnings were $64.3 million, which is 21 percent higher than earnings of $53.3 million in 2017. This is even more impressive when you consider that 2017 results included a $4.3 million benefit from tax reform. We had record year-end backlog of $939 million, up 33 percent compared to $708 million in 2017. We saw higher workloads and margins in 2018 in our outside specialty electrical contracting work, particularly power line and substation projects and recovery work for utilities that were impacted by weather events and natural disasters. We also continued in 2018 to see strong demand for sales and rentals of the utility construction equipment we manufacture. We have a high volume of inside specialty electrical and mechanical contracting work in our backlog, particularly for customers in the high-tech, manufacturing and hospitality industries. Our strong execution on these types of projects often gives us the opportunity for repeat business from customers who value our top-quality design and build services. We are the 11th largest specialty contractor in the U.S., according to Engineering News Record’s “2018 Top 600 Specialty Contractors” list, and we have more than 5,500 skilled employees working across 43 states for this business. We are exploring acquisition opportunities to further grow our market share in construction services. Construction materials has record backlog Our construction materials business earned $92.6 million in 2018, compared to $123.4 million in 2017. Earnings in 2017 included a $41.9 million benefit from federal tax reform. Like our construction services business, our construction materials business ended the year with record backlog. At December 31, backlog was $706 million, a 45 percent increase from the same time in 2017. The geographic diversity of our operations continues to be a benefit, as we saw strong construction demand in some markets but weaker demand in others, including impacts from the recession in Alaska, above-average precipitation in Texas and weather in the Midwest. Our operations in California are located near the area impacted by a devastating 2018 fire. While our facilities were spared, some of our employees lost everything and we continue assisting those impacted while working with the communities on restoration efforts. We acquired four construction materials operations in 2018. In April, we acquired Teevin & Fischer Quarry LLC, a leading aggregate producer serving customers in the area of Clatsop County, Oregon. In June, we acquired Tri-City Paving Inc., a general contractor and aggregate, asphalt and ready-mix concrete supplier headquartered in Little Falls, Minnesota. In July, we added Molalla Redi-Mix and Rock Products Inc., a ready-mix concrete producer in Molalla, Oregon, near Portland. In October, we acquired Sweetman Const. Co., a premier provider of aggregates, asphalt and ready-mix concrete in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, market. We expect to continue our acquisition strategy this year. We have strong momentum going into 2019 with our record backlog of projects, and we continue to see strong bidding opportunities in markets with robust economies. With state and federal officials MDU Resources Group, Inc.percent more than in 2017. This is partly due to continuing to expand our pipeline system through organic growth projects. We completed in September our Line Section 27 expansion in northwestern North Dakota and in November our Valley Expansion Project in eastern North Dakota and far western Minnesota. These projects increased our system capacity by more than 240 million cubic feet per day, bringing total capacity to more than 1.8 billion cubic feet per day. We continue to see great need for natural gas pipeline capacity in the Bakken region as our customers face increasing flaring restrictions while growing their natural gas production to record volumes, generally month over month. We will begin construction this spring on two additional expansion projects. The Demicks Lake project will be constructed in McKenzie County, North Dakota, and will add approximately 175 million cubic feet per day of capacity. Line Section 22 is an expansion project near Billings, Montana, adding approximately 22.5 million cubic feet per day of capacity. We expect both projects to be complete late this year. We also recently announced the North Bakken Expansion Project, which as planned is a 67-mile, 20-inch pipeline that will start at our existing compressor station near Tioga, North Dakota, and end at a new interconnection point with Northern Border Pipeline in McKenzie County. The project is designed to provide 200 million cubic feet per day of additional natural gas capacity, but it can be expanded to provide up to 375 million cubic feet per day depending on customer demand. Pending regulatory and environmental approvals, we anticipate constructing this project in 2021. We are planning additional future projects to help our customers capture and deliver to market more Bakken natural gas, of which at year-end approximately 20 percent was being flared, and we look forward to telling you more about these projects as they come to fruition. We have a rate case pending before the FERC, which our pipeline business filed on October 31 in accordance with a settlement agreement reached in 2014 with customers and the FERC. The FERC has set a procedural schedule for the case and proposed rates will take effect May 1, 2019, subject to refund and the outcome of a hearing established in the case. Utility customer base continues to grow Our electric and natural gas utility business earned $84.7 million, compared to $81.6 million in 2017. The 2017 results include a decrease of $6.4 million from federal tax reform. Our utility operations filed rate adjustments in every jurisdiction to return to customers the benefits of lower federal income taxes. We have implemented rates that provide $25 million in annual reductions to our customers. Our utility customer base continued to grow in 2018, up approximately 1.8 percent. We expect to see our 1.1 million customer base continue to increase at a rate of 1 to 2 percent each year. Electric sales volumes in 2018 increased 1.4 percent while natural gas sales were virtually unchanged from 2017. We finalized in the fourth quarter our purchase of an expansion of the Thunder Spirit Wind farm in southwest North Dakota for $84 million. The expansion brought the total production capacity at that wind farm to approximately 155 megawatts. Including our other wind farm locations, our electric generation portfolio is now approximately 27 percent renewables. In late 2018, we extended natural gas service to a manufacturing facility at Gwinner, North Dakota. As a result of this system expansion, we recently announced that we also will be extending natural gas service to residential and business 5 Harry J. Pearce Chair of the Board David L. Goodin President and Chief Executive Officer focused on the growing need for infrastructure repairs and replacements across our country, we are well-positioned with our more than 1 billion tons of aggregate reserves to take on additional work. Pipeline transports record volume Our pipeline and midstream business earned $28.5 million in 2018, compared to $20.5 million in 2017. Results in 2018 included a $4.2 million tax benefit related to a final accounting order by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and results in 2017 included a $200,000 decrease related to federal tax reform. Our pipeline business in 2018 transported a record volume of natural gas for the second year in a row, approximately 12 MDU Resources Group, Inc.customers in Gwinner and the nearby town of Milnor, North Dakota. On February 5, 2019, the Big Stone-South- to-Ellendale 345-kilovolt transmission line, which we constructed with a partner, was put into service. We invested approximately $130 million in this Midcontinent Independent System Operator-approved project, which runs from Big Stone City, South Dakota, to Ellendale, North Dakota. We announced February 19, 2019, that we plan to construct a new simple-cycle electric generation facility and retire our smaller, solely owned coal-fired electric generation facilities. Our integrated resource planning process indicates that operating these aging coal-fired plants, which were built in 1954 and 1958, is no longer the least-cost option for electricity for our customers. We anticipate closing our Lewis & Clark Station at Sidney, Montana, with a capacity of 44 MW, around the end of 2020, and our Heskett 1 and 2 plants at Mandan, North Dakota, with combined capacity of 100 MW, around the end of 2021. Upon regulatory approval, we expect to build an 88-MW natural gas-fired peaking unit at our existing Heskett Plant site in Mandan. We continue to invest in upgrading and expanding our electric and natural gas utility systems to safely and reliably meet customer demand, and we continue to pursue cost recovery of these investments through regulatory relief. We expect our rate base in the next five years to continue growing 5 percent annually on a compound basis. Sustainability a strong focus While we have been publishing a sustainability report since 2008, our Board of Directors is sharpening its focus on sustainability-related efforts within the corporation. We are adapting our environmental, social and governance reporting to follow the standards outlined by the federal Sustainability Accounting 6 Standards Board or other industry organizations for each of our companies’ industries. We expect it will take some time to fully incorporate this effort across our businesses, but we are committed to providing additional ESG information to our shareholders. Related to ensuring our operations are sustainable, we constantly evaluate and mitigate potential risks. We have emphasized cybersecurity measures in the past several years to protect our internal systems, proprietary data and customer information from nefarious actors who might seek to harm our company. We are confident our cybersecurity efforts are some of the best in the industry, and this has been confirmed by third-party experts. However, we know we can never rest on our laurels because hackers are always knocking at our virtual door. Beyond cybersecurity, we also evaluate and mitigate risks related to the physical security of our assets. A good portion of our business facilities are considered “critical infrastructure” by federal and state agencies because these facilities provide customers with critical services, such as electricity and natural gas, and means of transportation. We work to ensure these assets are protected from potential physical breaches and damage, and we have in place emergency response plans to recover from any such disasters. We completed at the start of 2019 a holding company reorganization that further delineates the separation between our corporation and our utility companies. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. and Great Plains Natural Gas Co. were originally structured as divisions of MDU Resources, per requirements of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 repealed the PUHCA and allowed us to restructure these companies as subsidiaries — Montana-Dakota Utilities is now a subsidiary of MDU Resources and Great Plains Natural Gas is a division of Montana-Dakota Utilities. The reorganization clarifies our corporate structure and already has resulted in greater flexibility in financing options. After 22 years serving as a director on MDU Resources’ board, nearly 14 of them as chair, Harry Pearce will not seek re-election at this year’s Annual Meeting. William McCracken also will not stand for re-election, and Bart Holaday ended his term with the board in May 2018. Each of these directors reached the mandatory retirement age, per our company bylaws. We want to assure you that we have solid succession plans in place to fill key positions on the board. We added two directors, Edward Ryan and David Sparby, in the past year and have a third new director candidate standing for election at our Annual Meeting in May. This will help ensure a smooth transition of leadership. These new directors bring substantial governance, merger-and-acquisition, financial, regulated utility and cybersecurity experience to the board, as well as other important expertise. The board remains committed to paying a competitive dividend to shareholders and will continue to focus on providing you with the long-term returns you expect from MDU Resources. We, with all MDU Resources’ hardworking employees, look forward to continuing to provide the essential energy and construction products and services that are Building a Strong America.® Thank you for your continued investment in our company. Harry J. Pearce Chair of the Board David L. Goodin President and Chief Executive Officer February 22, 2019 MDU Resources Group, Inc.Board of Directors Harry J. Pearce 76 (22) Detroit, Michigan David L. Goodin 57 (6) Bismarck, North Dakota Thomas Everist 69 (24) Sioux Falls, South Dakota Karen B. Fagg 65 (14) Billings, Montana Chair of MDU Resources Board of Directors President and Chief Executive Officer of MDU Resources Retired, formerly chair of Hughes Electronics Corp., a subsidiary of General Motors Corp., and former vice chair and director of GM; on the board of several organizations. Formerly president and chief executive officer of Cascade Natural Gas Corporation, Great Plains Natural Gas Co., Intermountain Gas Company and Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. President and chair of The Everist Co., formerly a construction materials company; a director of several corporations. Expertise: Business management, construction and sand, gravel and aggregate production. Retired, formerly vice president of DOWL HKM and formerly chair, chief executive officer and majority owner of HKM Engineering Inc.; on the board of several organizations. Expertise: Engineering, construction and business management. Mark A. Hellerstein 66 (6) Denver, Colorado Retired, formerly chair, president and chief executive officer of St. Mary Land & Exploration Co.; a former director of Transocean Inc. Expertise: Energy industry, business management, accounting and finance. Expertise: Multinational business management, leadership, finance, engineering and law. Dennis W. Johnson 69 (18) Dickinson, North Dakota William E. McCracken 76 (6) Warren, New Jersey Patricia L. Moss 65 (16) Bend, Oregon Edward A. Ryan 65 (1) Washington, D.C. Vice Chair of MDU Resources Board of Directors Chair, president and chief executive officer of TMI Corp., an architectural woodwork manufacturer; former president of the Dickinson City Commission; a former director of Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Expertise: Business management, engineering and finance. Retired, formerly chair and chief executive officer of CA Technologies; previously held executive positions with IBM Corp.; on the board of several organizations; a former director of IKON Office Solutions Inc. Expertise: Multinational business management, corporate governance, technology and cybersecurity. Formerly vice chair, president and chief executive officer of Cascade Bancorp and Bank of the Cascades; a director of First Interstate BancSystem Inc. Expertise: Finance, banking, business development and human resources. Formerly executive vice president and general counsel of Marriott International. Expertise: Leadership, corporate governance and law. David M. Sparby 64 (1) Minneapolis, Minnesota Formerly senior vice president and group president, Revenue at Xcel Energy Inc. and president and chief executive officer of Northern States Power- Minnesota. Expertise: Public utilities, business management, finance and law. Audit Committee Dennis W. Johnson, Chair Mark A. Hellerstein Edward A. Ryan David M. Sparby John K. Wilson Compensation Committee Thomas Everist, Chair Karen B. Fagg William E. McCracken Patricia L. Moss Nominating and Governance Committee Karen B. Fagg, Chair Dennis W. Johnson William E. McCracken Patricia L. Moss Edward A. Ryan Director Changes A. Bart Holaday did not stand for re-election in 2018. His term as a director concluded May 8, 2018. David M. Sparby was appointed to the Board of Directors on August 16, 2018. Edward A. Ryan was appointed to the Board of Directors on November 15, 2018. Numbers indicate age and years of service ( ) on the MDU Resources Board of Directors as of December 31, 2018. 7 John K. Wilson 64 (16) Omaha, Nebraska Formerly president of Durham Resources LLC, a privately held financial management company, and formerly a director of a mutual fund; on the board of several organizations. Expertise: Public utilities, accounting and finance. MDU Resources Group, Inc.Corporate Management David L. Goodin 57 (36) David C. Barney 63 (33) Trevor J. Hastings 45 (23) Anne M. Jones 55 (37) Nicole A. Kivisto 45 (24) President and Chief Executive Officer of MDU Resources Serves on the company’s Board of Directors and as chair of the board of all major subsidiary companies; formerly president and chief executive officer of Cascade Natural Gas Corporation, Great Plains Natural Gas Co., Intermountain Gas Company and Montana- Dakota Utilities Co. President and Chief Executive Officer of Knife River Corporation Formerly held executive and management positions with Knife River. President and Chief Executive Officer of WBI Holdings, Inc. Vice President of Human Resources of MDU Resources Formerly vice president of business development and operations support of Knife River Corporation. Formerly vice president of human resources, customer service and safety of Cascade Natural Gas Corporation, Great Plains Natural Gas Co., Intermountain Gas Company and Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. President and Chief Executive Officer of Cascade Natural Gas Corporation, Intermountain Gas Company and Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Formerly vice president of operations of Great Plains Natural Gas Co. and Montana-Dakota Utilities. Daniel S. Kuntz 65 (15) Peggy A. Link 52 (14) Jeffrey S. Thiede 56 (15) Jason L. Vollmer 41 (14) Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of MDU Resources Serves as general counsel and secretary of all major subsidiary companies; formerly associate general counsel and assistant secretary of MDU Resources. Vice President and Chief Information Officer of MDU Resources President and Chief Executive Officer of MDU Construction Services Group, Inc. Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of MDU Resources Formerly assistant vice president of technology and cybersecurity officer of MDU Resources. Formerly held executive and management positions with MDU Construction Services Group. Formerly vice president, chief accounting officer and treasurer of MDU Resources. Other Corporate and Senior Company Officers Stephanie A. Barth, 46 (23) Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller of MDU Resources 8 Numbers indicate age and years of service ( ) as of December 31, 2018. MDU Resources Group, Inc.Comparison of One-Year Total Stockholder Return (as of December 31, 2018) -9% -4% -9% -10% MDU Resources S&P 500 Index New Peer Group Old Peer Group Stockholder Return Comparison Comparison of Five-Year Total Stockholder Return (in dollars) $100 invested December 31, 2013, in MDU Resources was worth $90.96 at year-end 2018. $250 200 150 100 50 0 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 250 200 150 100 50 0 Old Peer Group New Peer Group S&P 500 Index MDU Resources Group, Inc. MDU Resources S&P 500 Index New Peer Group Old Peer Group 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 MDU Resources Group, Inc. $100.00 $78.82 $63.86 $103.48 $99.53 $90.96 S&P 500 Index New Peer Group Old Peer Group 100.00 113.69 115.26 129.05 157.22 150.33 100.00 117.17 129.51 174.67 194.61 176.51 100.00 114.03 119.67 162.14 179.12 161.71 An explanation of the peer group is provided on the following page. Comparison of 10-Year Total Stockholder Return (in dollars) $400 $100 invested December 31, 2008, in MDU Resources was worth $149.65 at year-end 2018. 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 MDU Resources S&P 500 Index New Peer Group Old Peer Group 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 MDU Resources Group, Inc. $100.00 $112.89 $100.09 $109.25 $111.51 $164.53 $129.67 $105.06 $170.25 $163.76 $149.65 S&P 500 Index New Peer Group Old Peer Group 100.00 126.46 145.51 148.59 172.37 228.19 259.43 263.02 294.48 358.77 343.04 100.00 100.04 107.41 115.00 132.56 161.51 189.24 209.17 282.10 314.31 285.08 100.00 104.86 112.65 116.17 131.75 161.29 183.93 193.01 261.52 288.91 260.83 9 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Old Peer Group New Peer Group S&P 500 MDU Resources MDU Resources Group, Inc. Stockholder Return Comparison Data is indexed to December 31, 2017, for the one-year total stockholder return comparison, December 31, 2013, for the five-year total stockholder return comparison and December 31, 2008, for the 10-year total stockholder return comparison for MDU Resources, the S&P 500 and the peer groups. Total stockholder return is calculated using the December 31 price for each year. It is assumed that all dividends are reinvested in stock at the frequency paid, and the returns of each component peer issuer of the group are weighted according to the issuer’s stock market capitalization at the beginning of the period. Effective January 1, 2018, a new peer group was established. This change was made to better reflect the makeup of the company relative to each business segment’s size and nature of business. The charts show stockholder return performance for both the old and new peer groups. The new peer group issuers are ALLETE, Inc., Alliant Energy Corporation, Atmos Energy Corporation, Black Hills Corporation, EMCOR Group, Inc., Granite Construction Incorporated, IDACORP, Inc., Martin Marietta Materials, Inc., MasTec, Inc., MYR Group Inc., Northwest Natural Holding Company (formerly Northwest Natural Gas Company), NorthWestern Corporation, Otter Tail Corporation, Portland General Electric Company, Spire Inc., Southwest Gas Holding, Inc., Summit Materials, Inc., U.S. Concrete, Inc., Vectren Corporation and Vulcan Materials Company. The old peer group issuers were ALLETE, Inc., Alliant Energy Corporation, Atmos Energy Corporation, Avista Corporation, Black Hills Corporation, EMCOR Group, Inc., Granite Construction Incorporated, IDACORP, Inc., IES Holdings, Inc., Martin Marietta Materials, Inc., MYR Group Inc., National Fuel Gas Company, Northwest Natural Gas Company, NorthWestern Corporation, Quanta Services, Inc., Sterling Construction Company, Inc., U.S. Concrete, Inc., Vectren Corporation and Vulcan Materials Company. 10 MDU Resources Group, Inc.UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM 10-K ý ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 o TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from _____________ to ______________ Commission file number 1-03480 OR MDU RESOURCES GROUP, INC. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) 30-1133956 (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) 1200 West Century Avenue P.O. Box 5650 Bismarck, North Dakota 58506-5650 (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code) (701) 530-1000 (Registrant's telephone number, including area code) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of each class Common Stock, par value $1.00 Name of each exchange on which registered New York Stock Exchange Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ý No o. Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes o No ý. Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ý No o. Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ý No o. Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ý Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. Large accelerated filer ý Non-accelerated filer o Accelerated filer o Smaller reporting company o Emerging growth company o If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o No ý. State the aggregate market value of the voting common stock held by nonaffiliates of the registrant as of June 29, 2018: $5,621,805,532. Indicate the number of shares outstanding of the registrant's common stock, as of February 14, 2019: 196,092,274 shares. DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Relevant portions of the registrant's 2019 Proxy Statement, to be filed no later than 120 days from December 31, 2018, are incorporated by reference in Part III, Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of this Report. Contents Part I Forward-Looking Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Items 1 and 2 Business and Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Electric. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Natural Gas Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pipeline and Midstream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Construction Materials and Contracting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Construction Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 1A Risk Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 1B Unresolved Staff Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 3 Legal Proceedings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 4 Mine Safety Disclosures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Part II Item 5 Market for the Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 6 Selected Financial Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 7A Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 9 Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 9A Controls and Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 9B Other Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Part III Item 10 Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 11 Executive Compensation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 12 Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 13 Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 14 Principal Accounting Fees and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Part IV Item 15 Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 16 Form 10-K Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Signatures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6 6 8 12 14 15 18 20 28 28 28 29 30 32 53 55 114 114 114 115 115 115 115 115 116 120 124 2 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Definitions The following abbreviations and acronyms used in this Form 10-K are defined below: Abbreviation or Acronym AFUDC Allowance for funds used during construction Army Corps ASC ASU Audit Committee Bcf Big Stone Station U.S. Army Corps of Engineers FASB Accounting Standards Codification FASB Accounting Standards Update Audit Committee of the board of directors of the Company Billion cubic feet 475-MW coal-fired electric generating facility near Big Stone City, South Dakota (22.7 percent ownership) Brazilian Transmission Lines Company's former investment in companies owning three electric transmission lines in Brazil BSSE Btu Calumet Cascade Centennial Centennial Capital Centennial's Consolidated EBITDA Centennial Resources CERCLA Clean Air Act Clean Water Act Company Coyote Creek Coyote Station CyROC Dakota Prairie Refinery Dakota Prairie Refining D.C. Circuit Court dk Dodd-Frank Act EBITDA EIN EPA ERISA ESA 345-kilovolt transmission line from Ellendale, North Dakota, to Big Stone City, South Dakota British thermal unit Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. Cascade Natural Gas Corporation, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of MDU Energy Capital Centennial Energy Holdings, Inc., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of the Company Centennial Holdings Capital LLC, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Centennial Centennial's consolidated net income from continuing operations plus the related interest expense, taxes, depreciation, depletion, amortization of intangibles and any non-cash charge relating to asset impairment for the preceding 12-month period Centennial Energy Resources LLC, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Centennial Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act Federal Clean Air Act Federal Clean Water Act MDU Resources Group, Inc. (formerly known as MDUR Newco), which, as the context requires, refers to the previous MDU Resources Group, Inc. prior to January 1, 2019, and the new holding company of the same name after January 1, 2019 Coyote Creek Mining Company, LLC, a subsidiary of The North American Coal Corporation 427-MW coal-fired electric generating facility near Beulah, North Dakota (25 percent ownership) Cyber Risk Oversight Committee 20,000-barrel-per-day diesel topping plant built by Dakota Prairie Refining in southwestern North Dakota Dakota Prairie Refining, LLC, a limited liability company previously owned by WBI Energy and Calumet (previously included in the Company's refining segment) United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Decatherm Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization Employer Identification Number United States Environmental Protection Agency Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 Endangered Species Act Exchange Act Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended FASB FERC Fidelity FIP GAAP GHG Great Plains Financial Accounting Standards Board Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Fidelity Exploration & Production Company, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of WBI Holdings (previously referred to as the Company's exploration and production segment) Funding improvement plan Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America Greenhouse gas Great Plains Natural Gas Co., a public utility division of the Company prior to the closing of the Holding Company Reorganization and a public utility division of Montana-Dakota as of January 1, 2019 GVTC Generation Verification Test Capacity MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 3 Definitions Holding Company Reorganization IBEW ICWU Intermountain IPUC Item 8 Knife River The internal holding company reorganization completed on January 1, 2019, pursuant to the agreement and plan of merger, dated as of December 31, 2018, by and among Montana-Dakota, the Company and MDUR Newco Sub, which resulted in the Company becoming a holding company and owning all of the outstanding capital stock of Montana-Dakota. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers International Chemical Workers Union Intermountain Gas Company, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of MDU Energy Capital Idaho Public Utilities Commission Financial Statements and Supplementary Data Knife River Corporation, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Centennial Knife River - Northwest Knife River Corporation - Northwest, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Knife River K-Plan kW kWh LWG MD&A Mdk Company's 401(k) Retirement Plan Kilowatts Kilowatt-hour Lower Willamette Group Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations Thousand dk MDU Construction Services MDU Construction Services Group, Inc., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Centennial MDU Energy Capital MDUR Newco MDUR Newco Sub MEPP MISO MMBtu MMcf MMdk MNPUC Montana-Dakota MDU Energy Capital, LLC, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of the Company MDUR Newco, Inc., a public holding company created by implementing the Holding Company Reorganization, now known as the Company MDUR Newco Sub, Inc., a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of MDUR Newco, which was merged with and into Montana–Dakota in the Holding Company Reorganization Multiemployer pension plan Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. Million Btu Million cubic feet Million dk Minnesota Public Utilities Commission Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. (formerly known as MDU Resources Group, Inc.), a public utility division of the Company prior to the closing of the Holding Company Reorganization and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of MDU Energy Capital as of January 1, 2019 Montana DEQ Montana Department of Environmental Quality MPPAA MTPSC MW NDPSC NERC NGL Non-GAAP Oil OPUC Oregon DEQ PCBs Pronghorn Multiemployer Pension Plan Amendments Act of 1980 Montana Public Service Commission Megawatt North Dakota Public Service Commission North American Electric Reliability Corporation Natural gas liquids Not in accordance with GAAP Includes crude oil and condensate Oregon Public Utility Commission Oregon State Department of Environmental Quality Polychlorinated biphenyls Natural gas processing plant located near Belfield, North Dakota (WBI Energy Midstream's 50 percent ownership interests were sold effective January 1, 2017) Proxy Statement Company's 2019 Proxy Statement to be filed no later than April 30, 2019 PRP RCRA ROD RP SDPUC SEC Potentially Responsible Party Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Record of Decision Rehabilitation plan South Dakota Public Utilities Commission United States Securities and Exchange Commission 4 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Definitions Securities Act Securities Act of 1933, as amended Securities Act Industry Guide 7 Description of Property by Issuers Engaged or to be Engaged in Significant Mining Operations Sheridan System SSIP Stock Purchase Plan TCJA Tesoro A separate electric system owned by Montana-Dakota System Safety and Integrity Program Company's Dividend Reinvestment and Direct Stock Purchase Plan which was terminated effective December 5, 2016 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC Thurston County Superior Court State of Washington Thurston County Superior Court UA United Association of Journeyman and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada United States Supreme Court Supreme Court of the United States VIE Washington DOE WBI Energy WBI Energy Midstream WBI Energy Transmission WBI Holdings WUTC Wygen III WYPSC ZRCs Variable interest entity Washington State Department of Ecology WBI Energy, Inc., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of WBI Holdings WBI Energy Midstream, LLC, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of WBI Holdings WBI Energy Transmission, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of WBI Holdings WBI Holdings, Inc., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Centennial Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission 100-MW coal-fired electric generating facility near Gillette, Wyoming (25 percent ownership) Wyoming Public Service Commission Zonal resource credits - a MW of demand equivalent assigned to generators by MISO for meeting system reliability requirements MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 5 Part I Forward-Looking Statements This Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements are all statements other than statements of historical fact, including without limitation those statements that are identified by the words "anticipates," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts" and similar expressions, and include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions (many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions) and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. From time to time, the Company may publish or otherwise make available forward-looking statements of this nature, including statements contained within Item 7 - MD&A - Business Segment Financial and Operating Data. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed. The Company's expectations, beliefs and projections are expressed in good faith and are believed by the Company to have a reasonable basis, including without limitation, management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Company's records and other data available from third parties. Nonetheless, the Company's expectations, beliefs or projections may not be achieved or accomplished. Any forward-looking statement contained in this document speaks only as of the date on which the statement is made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all of the factors, nor can it assess the effect of each factor on the Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. All forward-looking statements, whether written or oral and whether made by or on behalf of the Company, are expressly qualified by the risk factors and cautionary statements in this Form 10-K, including statements contained within Item 1A - Risk Factors. Items 1 and 2. Business and Properties General The Company is a regulated energy delivery and construction materials and services business. Montana-Dakota was incorporated under the laws of the state of Delaware in 1924. The Company was incorporated under the laws of the state of Delaware in 2018. Its principal executive offices are at 1200 West Century Avenue, P.O. Box 5650, Bismarck, North Dakota 58506-5650, telephone (701) 530-1000. On November 21, 2017, the Company announced that its board of directors had directed senior management to explore reorganization to a holding company structure. The purpose of the reorganization was to make the public utility divisions into a subsidiary of the holding company, just as the other operating companies are wholly owned subsidiaries. On November 15, 2018, the board of directors approved the Holding Company Reorganization and authorized senior management to take the necessary and appropriate actions to effectuate the Holding Company Reorganization. On January 2, 2019, the Company announced the completion of the Holding Company Reorganization, which resulted in Montana-Dakota and Great Plains becoming a subsidiary of the Company. The merger was conducted pursuant to Section 251(g) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, which provides for the formation of a holding company without a vote of the stockholders of the constituent corporation. Immediately after consummation of the Holding Company Reorganization, the Company had, on a consolidated basis, the same assets, businesses and operations as Montana-Dakota had immediately prior to the consummation of the Holding Company Reorganization. As a result of the Holding Company Reorganization, the Company became the successor issuer to Montana-Dakota pursuant to Rule 12g-3(a) of the Exchange Act, and as a result, the Company's common stock was deemed registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act. The Company operates with a two-platform business model. Its regulated energy delivery platform and its construction materials and services platform are each comprised of different operating segments. Some of these segments experience seasonality related to the industries in which they operate. The two-platform approach helps balance this seasonality and the risk associated with each type of industry. Through its regulated energy delivery platform, the Company provides electric and natural gas services to customers, generates, transmits and distributes electricity, and provides natural gas transportation, storage and gathering services. These businesses are regulated by state public service commissions and/or the FERC. The construction materials and services platform provides construction services to a variety of industries, including commercial, industrial and governmental, and provides construction materials through aggregate mining and marketing of related products, such as ready-mixed concrete and asphalt. The Company is organized into five reportable business segments. These business segments include: electric, natural gas distribution, pipeline and midstream, construction materials and contracting, and construction services. The Company's business segments are determined based on the Company's method of internal reporting, which generally segregates the strategic business units due to differences 6 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part I in products, services and regulation. The internal reporting of these segments is defined based on the reporting and review process used by the Company's chief executive officer. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, MDU Energy Capital, owns Montana-Dakota, Cascade and Intermountain. Montana- Dakota, Cascade and Intermountain are the natural gas distribution segment. Montana-Dakota also comprises the electric segment. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Centennial, owns WBI Holdings, Knife River, MDU Construction Services, Centennial Resources and Centennial Capital. WBI Holdings is the pipeline and midstream segment, Knife River is the construction materials and contracting segment, MDU Construction Services is the construction services segment, and Centennial Resources and Centennial Capital are both reflected in the Other category. For more information on the Company's business segments, see Item 8 - Note 15. As of December 31, 2018, the Company had 11,797 employees with 218 employed at MDU Resources Group, Inc., 1,004 at Montana- Dakota, 338 at Cascade, 242 at Intermountain, 317 at WBI Holdings, 3,967 at Knife River and 5,711 at MDU Construction Services. The number of employees at certain Company operations fluctuates during the year depending upon the number and size of construction projects. The Company considers its relations with employees to be satisfactory. The following information regarding the number of employees represented by labor contracts is as of December 31, 2018. At Montana-Dakota and WBI Energy Transmission, 349 and 70 employees, respectively, are represented by the IBEW. Labor contracts with such employees are in effect through April 30, 2021, and March 31, 2022, respectively. At Cascade, 197 employees are represented by the ICWU. The labor contract with the field operations group is effective through March 31, 2021. At Intermountain, 130 employees are represented by the UA. Labor contracts with such employees are in effect through September 30, 2019. Knife River operates under 43 labor contracts that represent 673 of its construction materials and contracting employees. Knife River is in negotiations on five of its labor contracts. MDU Construction Services has 126 labor contracts representing the majority of its employees. MDU Construction Services is not currently in negotiations on any of its labor contracts. The majority of the labor contracts contain provisions that prohibit work stoppages or strikes and provide for binding arbitration dispute resolution in the event of an extended disagreement. The Company's principal properties, which are of varying ages and are of different construction types, are generally in good condition, are well maintained and are generally suitable and adequate for the purposes for which they are used. The financial results and data applicable to each of the Company's business segments, as well as their financing requirements, are set forth in Item 7 - MD&A and Item 8 - Note 15 and Supplementary Financial Information. The operations of the Company and certain of its subsidiaries are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations providing for air, water and solid waste pollution control; state facility-siting regulations; zoning and planning regulations of certain state and local authorities; federal health and safety regulations; and state hazard communication standards. The Company believes that it is in substantial compliance with these regulations, except as to what may be ultimately determined with regard to items discussed in Environmental matters in Item 8 - Note 19. There are no pending CERCLA actions for any of the Company's properties, other than the Portland, Oregon, Harbor Superfund Site and the Bremerton Gasworks Superfund Site. The Company produces GHG emissions primarily from its fossil fuel electric generating facilities, as well as from natural gas pipeline and storage systems, and operations of equipment and fleet vehicles. GHG emissions also result from customer use of natural gas for heating and other uses. As interest in reductions in GHG emissions has grown, the Company has developed renewable generation with lower or no GHG emissions. Governmental legislative and regulatory initiatives regarding environmental and energy policy are continuously evolving and could negatively impact the Company's operations and financial results. Until legislation and regulation are finalized, the impact of these measures cannot be accurately predicted. The Company will continue to monitor legislative and regulatory activity related to environmental and energy policy initiatives. Disclosure regarding specific environmental matters applicable to each of the Company's businesses is set MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 7 Part I forth under each business description later. In addition, for a discussion of the Company's risks related to environmental laws and regulations, see Item 1A - Risk Factors. The Company uses technology in substantially all aspects of its business operations and requires uninterrupted operation of information technology systems and network infrastructure. These systems may be vulnerable to failures or unauthorized access. The Company has policies, procedures and processes in place designed to strengthen and protect these systems, which includes the Company’s enterprise information technology and operation technology groups continually evaluating new tools and techniques that can be implemented to reduce the risk of a cyber breach. The Company created CyROC to oversee the Company’s approach to cybersecurity. CyROC is responsible for supplying management at all levels and the Audit Committee with analyses, appraisals, recommendations and pertinent information concerning cyber defense of the Company’s electronic information and information technology systems. CyROC provides a quarterly cybersecurity report to the Audit Committee. For a discussion of the Company's risks related to cybersecurity, see Item 1A - Risk Factors. This annual report on Form 10-K, the Company's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act are available free of charge through the Company's Web site as soon as reasonably practicable after the Company has electronically filed such reports with, or furnished such reports to, the SEC. The Company's Web site address is www.mdu.com. The information available on the Company's Web site is not part of this annual report on Form 10-K. Electric General Montana-Dakota provides electric service at retail, serving 143,022 residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers in 184 communities and adjacent rural areas in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming as of December 31, 2018. For more information on the retail customer classes served, see the table below. The principal properties owned by Montana-Dakota for use in its electric operations include interests in 16 electric generating units at 11 facilities and two small portable diesel generators, as further described under System Supply, System Demand and Competition, approximately 3,200 and 4,900 miles of transmission and distribution lines, respectively, and 75 transmission and 297 distribution substations. Montana-Dakota has obtained and holds, or is in the process of renewing, valid and existing franchises authorizing it to conduct its electric operations in all of the municipalities it serves where such franchises are required. Montana-Dakota intends to protect its service area and seek renewal of all expiring franchises. At December 31, 2018, Montana-Dakota's net electric plant investment was $1.5 billion and rate base was $1.2 billion. The retail customers served and respective revenues by class for the electric business were as follows: 2018 2017 2016 Customers Served Revenues Customers Served Revenues Customers Served Revenues 118,426 $ 126,173 (Dollars in thousands) 118,379 $ 121,171 118,483 $ 117,014 22,756 141,961 22,764 140,856 22,693 135,390 236 1,604 36,081 7,882 242 1,516 34,417 8,275 244 1,528 31,913 7,580 143,022 $ 312,097 142,901 $ 304,719 142,948 $ 291,897 Residential Commercial Industrial Other Other electric revenues for Montana-Dakota were $23.0 million, $38.1 million and $30.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The percentage of electric retail revenues by jurisdiction was as follows: North Dakota Montana Wyoming South Dakota 2018 2017 2016 66% 20% 9% 5% 66% 20% 9% 5% 68% 19% 8% 5% Retail electric rates, service, accounting and certain security issuances are subject to regulation by the MTPSC, NDPSC, SDPUC and WYPSC. The interstate transmission and wholesale electric power operations of Montana-Dakota also are subject to regulation by the FERC under provisions of the Federal Power Act, as are interconnections with other utilities and power generators, the issuance of certain securities, accounting and other matters. 8 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part I Through MISO, Montana-Dakota has access to wholesale energy, ancillary services and capacity markets for its interconnected system. MISO is a regional transmission organization responsible for operational control of the transmission systems of its members. MISO provides security center operations, tariff administration and operates day-ahead and real-time energy markets, ancillary services and capacity markets. As a member of MISO, Montana-Dakota's generation is sold into the MISO energy market and its energy needs are purchased from that market. System Supply, System Demand and Competition Through an interconnected electric system, Montana-Dakota serves markets in portions of western North Dakota, eastern Montana and northern South Dakota. The interconnected system consists of 15 electric generating units at 10 facilities and two small portable diesel generators, which have an aggregate nameplate rating attributable to Montana-Dakota's interest of 750,318 kW and total net ZRCs of 532.3 in 2018. ZRCs are a MW of demand equivalent measure and are allocated to individual generators to meet planning reserve margin requirements within MISO. For 2018, Montana-Dakota's total ZRCs, including its firm purchase power contracts, were 574.5. Montana-Dakota's planning reserve margin requirement within MISO was 537.2 for 2018. The maximum electric peak demand experienced to date attributable to Montana-Dakota's sales to retail customers on the interconnected system was 611,542 kW in August 2015. Montana-Dakota's latest forecast for its interconnected system indicates that its annual peak will continue to occur during the summer and the sales growth rate through 2023 will approximate two percent annually. Montana-Dakota's interconnected system electric generating capability includes five steam-turbine generating units at four facilities using coal for fuel, four combustion turbine units at three facilities, three wind electric generating facilities, two reciprocating internal combustion engines at one facility, a heat recovery electric generating facility and two small portable diesel generators. In June 2016, Montana-Dakota and a partner began construction on the BSSE project within the footprint of MISO. Montana-Dakota began bringing the project on-line on February 5, 2019. On October 31, 2018, the Company finalized the purchase and placed into service the Thunder Spirit Wind farm expansion in southwest North Dakota, which includes 16 turbines. With the addition of the expansion, the total Thunder Spirit Wind farm generation capacity is approximately 155 MW. The original 107.5-MW wind farm includes 43 turbines; it was purchased by Montana-Dakota in December 2015. For more information on these projects, see Item 7 - MD&A - Electric and Natural Gas Distribution. Additional energy is purchased as needed, or in lieu of generation if more economical, from the MISO market, and in 2018, Montana- Dakota purchased approximately 22 percent of its net kWh needs for its interconnected system through the MISO market. Approximately 21 percent of the electricity delivered to customers from Montana-Dakota's owned generation in 2018 was from renewable resources. Although Montana-Dakota's generation resource capacity has increased to serve the needs of customers, the carbon dioxide emission intensity of the electric generation resource fleet has been reduced by approximately 24 percent since 2003 and is expected to continue to decline. Through the Sheridan System, Montana-Dakota serves Sheridan, Wyoming, and neighboring communities. The maximum peak demand experienced to date attributable to Montana-Dakota sales to retail customers on that system was approximately 63,686 kW in July 2018. Montana-Dakota has a power supply contract with Black Hills Power, Inc. to purchase up to 49,000 kW of capacity annually through December 31, 2023. Wygen III serves a portion of the needs of its Sheridan-area customers. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 9 Part I The following table sets forth details applicable to the Company's electric generating stations: Generating Station Type Interconnected System: North Dakota: Coyote (b) Heskett Heskett Glen Ullin Cedar Hills Diesel Units Thunder Spirit South Dakota: Big Stone (b) Montana: Lewis & Clark Lewis & Clark Glendive Miles City Steam Steam Combustion Turbine Heat Recovery Wind Oil Wind Steam Steam Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engine Combustion Turbine Combustion Turbine Diamond Willow Wind Sheridan System: Wyoming: Wygen III (b) Steam Nameplate Rating (kW) 2018 ZRCs (a) 2018 Net Generation (kWh in thousands) 103,647 86,000 89,038 7,500 19,500 3,650 155,500 80.8 87.4 61.6 4.8 4.4 3.6 21.1 765,233 504,357 3,981 44,940 49,933 6 407,947 94,111 103.8 521,187 44,000 18,700 75,522 23,150 30,000 50.3 16.7 70.6 21.6 5.6 235,882 8,497 2,734 273 86,103 750,318 532.3 2,631,073 28,000 778,318 N/A 532.3 209,280 2,840,353 (a) Interconnected system only. MISO requires generators to obtain their summer capability through the GVTC. The GVTC is then converted to ZRCs by applying each generator's forced outage factor against its GVTC. Wind generator's ZRCs are calculated based on a wind capacity study performed annually by MISO. ZRCs are used to meet supply obligations within MISO. (b) Reflects Montana-Dakota's ownership interest. Virtually all of the current fuel requirements of the Heskett and Lewis & Clark stations are met with coal supplied by subsidiaries of Westmoreland Coal Company under contracts that expire in December 2021 and December 2020, respectively. The Heskett and Lewis & Clark coal supply agreements provide for the purchase of coal necessary to supply the coal requirements of these stations at contracted pricing. Montana-Dakota estimates the Heskett and Lewis & Clark coal requirement to be in the range of 425,000 to 460,000 tons and 250,000 to 350,000 tons per contract year, respectively. The owners of Coyote Station, including Montana-Dakota, have a contract with Coyote Creek for coal supply to the Coyote Station that expires December 2040. Montana-Dakota estimates the Coyote Station coal supply agreement to be approximately 2.5 million tons per contract year. For more information, see Item 8 - Note 19. The owners of Big Stone Station, including Montana-Dakota, have a coal supply agreement with Peabody COALSALES, LLC to meet all of the Big Stone Station's fuel requirements for 2019 and 2020, with the exception of 250,000 tons in 2019, which was previously committed to be purchased from Contura Coal Sales, LLC, all at contracted pricing. Montana-Dakota has a coal supply agreement with Wyodak Resources Development Corp., to supply the coal requirements of Wygen III at contracted pricing through June 1, 2060. Montana-Dakota estimates the maximum annual coal consumption of the facility to be 585,000 tons. The average cost of coal purchased, including freight, at Montana-Dakota's electric generating stations (including the Big Stone, Coyote and Wygen III stations) was as follows: Years ended December 31, Average cost of coal per MMBtu Average cost of coal per ton $ $ 2018 2017 2.00 $ 2.07 $ 2016 1.89 29.08 $ 30.04 $ 27.45 10 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part I Montana-Dakota expects that it has secured adequate capacity available through existing baseload generating stations, renewable generation, turbine peaking stations, demand reduction programs and firm contracts to meet the peak customer demand requirements of its customers through 2028. Future capacity that is needed to replace contracts, generation retirements and meet system growth requirements is expected to be met by constructing new generation resources, or acquiring additional capacity through power purchase contracts or the MISO capacity auction. Montana-Dakota has major interconnections with its neighboring utilities and considers these interconnections adequate for coordinated planning, emergency assistance, exchange of capacity and energy and power supply reliability. Montana-Dakota is subject to competition in varying degrees, in certain areas, from rural electric cooperatives, on-site generators, co- generators and municipally owned systems. In addition, competition in varying degrees exists between electricity and alternative forms of energy such as natural gas. Regulatory Matters and Revenues Subject to Refund In North Dakota, Montana-Dakota's results of operations reflect monthly increases or decreases in electric fuel and purchased power costs (including demand charges) and Montana-Dakota is deferring those electric fuel and purchased power costs that are greater or less than amounts presently being recovered through its existing rate schedules. In Montana, a monthly Fuel and Purchased Power Tracking Adjustment mechanism allows Montana-Dakota's results of operations to reflect 90 percent of the increases or decreases in electric fuel and purchased power costs (including demand charges) and Montana-Dakota is deferring 90 percent of costs that are greater or less than amounts presently being recovered through its existing rate schedules. A fuel adjustment clause contained in South Dakota's jurisdictional electric rate schedules allows Montana-Dakota's results of operations to reflect monthly increases or decreases in electric fuel and purchased power costs. In Wyoming, an annual Electric Power Supply Cost Adjustment mechanism allows Montana-Dakota's results of operations to reflect increases or decreases in purchased power costs (including demand charges) related to power supply and Montana-Dakota is deferring costs that are greater or less than amounts presently being recovered through its existing rate schedules. Such orders generally provide that these amounts are recoverable or refundable through rate adjustments which are filed annually. Montana-Dakota's results of operations reflect 95 percent of the increases or decreases from the base purchased power costs and in addition also reflects 85 percent of the increases or decreases from the base coal price, which is also recovered through the Electric Power Supply Cost Adjustment. For more information on regulatory assets and liabilities, see Item 8 - Note 6. For the Thunder Spirit Wind project, Montana-Dakota implemented a renewable resource cost adjustment rider, and all of Montana-Dakota's wind resources pertaining to North Dakota electric operations were placed in this rider upon a final order of the most recent North Dakota electric general rate case. Montana-Dakota also has in place in North Dakota a transmission tracker to recover transmission costs associated with MISO and the Southwest Power Pool, regional transmission organizations serving parts of Montana-Dakota's system, along with certain of the transmission investments not recovered through retail rates. The tracking mechanism has an annual true-up. In South Dakota, Montana-Dakota recovers the South Dakota investment in the Thunder Spirit Wind project through an Infrastructure Rider tracking mechanism that is subject to an annual true-up. Montana-Dakota also has in place in South Dakota a transmission tracker to recover transmission costs associated with MISO and the Southwest Power Pool, regional transmission organizations serving parts of Montana-Dakota's system, along with certain of the transmission investments not recovered through retail rates. This tracking mechanism also has an annual true-up. In Montana, Montana-Dakota recovers in rates through a tracking mechanism the increases associated with its allocated share of Montana state and local taxes assessed to electric operations on an after tax basis. For more information on regulatory matters, see Item 8 - Note 18. Environmental Matters Montana-Dakota's electric operations are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations providing for air, water and solid waste pollution control; state facility-siting regulations; zoning and planning regulations of certain state and local authorities; federal health and safety regulations; and state hazard communication standards. Montana-Dakota believes it is in substantial compliance with these regulations. Montana-Dakota's electric generating facilities have Title V Operating Permits, under the Clean Air Act, issued by the states in which they operate. Each of these permits has a five-year life. Near the expiration of these permits, renewal applications are submitted. Permits continue in force beyond the expiration date, provided the application for renewal is submitted by the required date, usually six months prior to expiration. The Title V Operating Permit renewal application for Coyote Station was submitted timely to the North Dakota Department of Health in September 2017, with the permit expected to be issued in 2019. Wygen III is allowed to operate under the facility's construction permit until the Title V Operating Permit is issued by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. The Title V Operating Permit application for Wygen III was submitted timely in January 2011, with the permit expected to be issued in 2019. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 11 Part I State water discharge permits issued under the requirements of the Clean Water Act are maintained for power production facilities on the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers. These permits also have five-year lives. Montana-Dakota renews these permits as necessary prior to expiration. Other permits held by these facilities may include an initial siting permit, which is typically a one-time, preconstruction permit issued by the state; state permits to dispose of combustion by-products; state authorizations to withdraw water for operations; and Army Corps permits to construct water intake structures. Montana-Dakota's Army Corps permits grant one-time permission to construct and do not require renewal. Other permit terms vary and the permits are renewed as necessary. Montana-Dakota's electric operations are very small-quantity generators of hazardous waste and subject only to minimum regulation under the RCRA. Montana-Dakota routinely handles PCBs from its electric operations in accordance with federal requirements. PCB storage areas are registered with the EPA as required. Montana-Dakota incurred $9.2 million of environmental capital expenditures in 2018, mainly for coal ash management projects at Lewis & Clark Station, Big Stone Station and Coyote Station. Environmental capital expenditures are estimated to be $6.8 million, $2.7 million and $1.8 million in 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively, for various environmental projects, including coal ash management at power plants. Montana-Dakota's capital and operational expenditures could also be affected by future air emission regulations, including a future GHG regulation that may replace the Clean Power Plan rule published by the EPA in October 2015. The Clean Power Plan requires existing fossil fuel-fired electric generating facilities to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. For more information, see Item 1A - Risk Factors. Natural Gas Distribution General The Company's natural gas distribution operations consist of Montana-Dakota, Cascade and Intermountain, which sell natural gas at retail, serving 957,727 residential, commercial and industrial customers in 339 communities and adjacent rural areas across eight states as of December 31, 2018, and provide natural gas transportation services to certain customers on the Company's systems. For more information on the retail customer classes served, see the table below. These services are provided through distribution systems aggregating approximately 19,400 miles. The natural gas distribution operations have obtained and hold, or are in the process of renewing, valid and existing franchises authorizing them to conduct their natural gas operations in all of the municipalities they serve where such franchises are required. These operations intend to protect their service areas and seek renewal of all expiring franchises. At December 31, 2018, the natural gas distribution operations' net natural gas distribution plant investment was $1.7 billion and rate base was $1.1 billion. The retail customers served and respective revenues by class for the natural gas distribution operations were as follows: 2018 2017 2016 Customers Served Revenues Customers Served Revenues Customers Served Revenues (Dollars in thousands) Residential Commercial Industrial 850,595 $ 464,697 833,255 $ 477,699 818,163 $ 429,828 106,297 279,566 104,795 283,899 103,438 253,333 835 24,555 817 24,030 807 23,337 957,727 $ 768,818 938,867 $ 785,628 922,408 $ 706,498 Transportation and other revenues for the natural gas distribution operations were $54.4 million, $62.8 million and $59.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The percentage of the natural gas distribution operations' retail sales revenues by jurisdiction was as follows: Idaho Washington North Dakota Montana Oregon South Dakota Minnesota Wyoming 2018 2017 2016 30% 26% 15% 9% 8% 7% 3% 2% 33% 26% 13% 9% 8% 6% 3% 2% 34% 26% 13% 8% 8% 6% 3% 2% The natural gas distribution operations are subject to regulation by the IPUC, MNPUC, MTPSC, NDPSC, OPUC, SDPUC, WUTC and WYPSC regarding retail rates, service, accounting and certain security issuances. 12 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part I System Supply, System Demand and Competition The natural gas distribution operations serve retail natural gas markets, consisting principally of residential and firm commercial space and water heating users, in portions of Idaho; western Minnesota; eastern Montana; North Dakota; central and eastern Oregon; western and north-central South Dakota; western, southeastern and south-central Washington; and northern Wyoming. These markets are highly seasonal and sales volumes depend largely on the weather, the effects of which are mitigated in certain jurisdictions by a weather normalization mechanism discussed in Regulatory Matters. In addition to the residential and commercial sales, the utilities transport natural gas for larger commercial and industrial customers who purchase their own supply of natural gas. Competition in varying degrees exists between natural gas and other fuels and forms of energy. The natural gas distribution operations have established various natural gas transportation service rates for their distribution businesses to retain interruptible commercial and industrial loads. These services have enhanced the natural gas distribution operations' competitive posture with alternative fuels, although certain customers have bypassed the distribution systems by directly accessing transmission pipelines within close proximity. These bypasses did not have a material effect on results of operations. The natural gas distribution operations and various distribution transportation customers obtain their system requirements directly from producers, processors and marketers. The Company's purchased natural gas is supplied by a portfolio of contracts specifying market-based pricing and is transported under transportation agreements with WBI Energy Transmission, Northern Border Pipeline Company, Northwest Pipeline LLC, South Dakota Intrastate Pipeline, TransCanada Corporation, Northern Natural Gas, Gas Transmission Northwest LLC, Northwestern Energy, Viking Gas Transmission Company, Westcoast Energy Inc., Ruby Pipeline LLC, Foothills Pipe Lines Ltd. and NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. The natural gas distribution operations have contracts for storage services to provide gas supply during the winter heating season and to meet peak day demand with various storage providers, including WBI Energy Transmission, Dominion Energy Questar Pipeline, LLC, Northwest Pipeline LLC and Northern Natural Gas. In addition, certain of the operations have entered into natural gas supply management agreements with various parties. Demand for natural gas, which is a widely traded commodity, has historically been sensitive to seasonal heating and industrial load requirements as well as changes in market price. The natural gas distribution operations believe that, based on current and projected domestic and regional supplies of natural gas and the pipeline transmission network currently available through their suppliers and pipeline service providers, supplies are adequate to meet their system natural gas requirements for the next decade. Regulatory Matters The natural gas distribution operations' retail natural gas rate schedules contain clauses permitting adjustments in rates based upon changes in natural gas commodity, transportation and storage costs. Current tariffs allow for recovery or refunds of under- or over-recovered gas costs through rate adjustments which are filed annually. Montana-Dakota's North Dakota and South Dakota natural gas tariffs contain weather normalization mechanisms applicable to certain firm customers that adjust the distribution delivery charge revenues to reflect weather fluctuations during the November 1 through May 1 billing periods. In Montana, Montana-Dakota recovers in rates through a tracking mechanism the increases associated with Montana state and local taxes assessed to natural gas operations on an after tax basis. In Minnesota and Washington, Great Plains and Cascade recover in rates through a cost recovery tracking mechanism, qualifying capital investments related to the safety and integrity of its pipeline system. On December 28, 2015, the OPUC approved an extension of Cascade's decoupling mechanism until January 1, 2020, with an agreement that Cascade would initiate a review of the mechanism by September 30, 2019. Cascade also has an earnings sharing mechanism with respect to its Oregon jurisdictional operations as required by the OPUC. On July 7, 2016, the WUTC approved a full decoupling mechanism where Cascade is allowed recovery of an average revenue per customer regardless of actual consumption. The mechanism also includes an earnings sharing component if Cascade earns beyond its authorized return. The decoupling mechanism will be reviewed by Cascade following the end of 2019. On December 22, 2016, the MNPUC approved a request by Great Plains to implement a full revenue decoupling mechanism pilot project for three years. The decoupling mechanism will reflect the period January 1 through December 31. Great Plains intends to seek continuation of the decoupling mechanism effective upon expiration of the pilot project. For more information on regulatory matters, see Item 8 - Note 18. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 13 Part I Environmental Matters The natural gas distribution operations are subject to federal, state and local environmental, facility-siting, zoning and planning laws and regulations. The Company believes its natural gas distribution operations are in substantial compliance with those regulations. The Company's natural gas distribution operations are very small-quantity generators of hazardous waste, and subject only to minimum regulation under the RCRA. Washington state rule defines Cascade as a small-quantity generator, but regulation under the rule is similar to RCRA. Certain locations of the natural gas distribution operations routinely handle PCBs from their natural gas operations in accordance with federal requirements. PCB storage areas are registered with the EPA as required. Capital and operational expenditures for natural gas distribution operations could be affected in a variety of ways by potential new GHG legislation or regulation. In particular, such legislation or regulation would likely increase capital expenditures for energy efficiency and conservation programs and operational costs associated with GHG emissions compliance. Natural gas distribution operations expect to recover the operational and capital expenditures for GHG regulatory compliance in rates consistent with the recovery of other reasonable costs of complying with environmental laws and regulations. The natural gas distribution operations did not incur any material environmental expenditures in 2018. Except as to what may be ultimately determined with regard to the issues described in the following paragraph, the natural gas distribution operations do not expect to incur any material capital expenditures related to environmental compliance with current laws and regulations through 2021. Montana-Dakota has ties to six historic manufactured gas plants as a successor corporation or through direct ownership of the plant. Montana-Dakota is investigating one of these former manufactured gas plant sites and providing input on another site investigation conducted by a third party. To the extent not covered by insurance, Montana-Dakota may seek recovery in its natural gas rates charged to customers for certain investigation and remediation costs incurred for these sites. Cascade has ties to nine historic manufactured gas plants as a successor corporation or through direct ownership of the plant. Cascade is involved in the investigation and remediation of three of these manufactured gas plants in Washington and Oregon. See Item 8 - Note 19 for a further discussion of these three manufactured gas plants. To the extent not covered by insurance, Cascade will seek recovery of investigation and remediation costs through its natural gas rates charged to customers. Pipeline and Midstream General WBI Energy owns and operates both regulated and nonregulated businesses. The regulated business of this segment, WBI Energy Transmission, owns and operates approximately 4,000 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage lines in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. WBI Energy Transmission's underground storage fields in Montana and Wyoming provide storage services to local distribution companies, industrial customers, natural gas marketers and others, and serve to enhance system reliability. Its system is strategically located near five natural gas producing basins, making natural gas supplies available to its transportation and storage customers. The system has 14 interconnecting points with other pipeline facilities allowing for the receipt and/or delivery of natural gas to and from other regions of the country and from Canada. Under the Natural Gas Act, as amended, WBI Energy Transmission is subject to the jurisdiction of the FERC regarding certificate, rate, service and accounting matters, and at December 31, 2018, its net plant investment was $458.1 million. The nonregulated business of this segment owns and operates gathering facilities in Montana and Wyoming. In total, facilities include approximately 800 miles of operated field gathering lines, some of which interconnect with WBI Energy's regulated pipeline system. The nonregulated business provides natural gas gathering services and a variety of other energy-related services, including cathodic protection and energy efficiency product sales and installation services to large end-users. A majority of its pipeline and midstream business is transacted in the northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States. System Supply, System Demand and Competition Natural gas supplies emanate from traditional and nontraditional production activities in the region from both on-system and off-system supply sources. New incremental supply from nontraditional sources have developed, such as the Bakken area in Montana and North Dakota, which has helped offset declines in traditional regional supply sources and supports WBI Energy Transmission's transportation and storage services. In addition, off-system supply sources are available through the Company's interconnections with other pipeline systems. WBI Energy Transmission continues to look for opportunities to increase transportation, gathering and storage services through system expansion and/or other pipeline interconnections or enhancements that could provide substantial future benefits. WBI Energy Transmission's underground natural gas storage facilities have a certificated storage capacity of approximately 353 Bcf, including 193 Bcf of working gas capacity, 85 Bcf of cushion gas and 75 Bcf of native gas. These storage facilities enable customers to purchase natural gas throughout the year and meet winter peak requirements. 14 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part I WBI Energy Transmission competes with several pipelines for its customers' transportation, storage and gathering business and at times may discount rates in an effort to retain market share. However, the strategic location of its system near five natural gas producing basins and the availability of underground storage and gathering services, along with interconnections with other pipelines, serve to enhance its competitive position. Although certain of WBI Energy Transmission's firm customers, including its largest firm customer Montana-Dakota, serve relatively secure residential, commercial and industrial end-users, they generally all have some price-sensitive end-users that could switch to alternate fuels. WBI Energy Transmission transports substantially all of Montana-Dakota's natural gas, primarily utilizing firm transportation agreements, which for 2018 represented 32 percent of WBI Energy Transmission's subscribed firm transportation contract demand. The majority of the firm transportation agreements with Montana-Dakota expire in June 2022. In addition, Montana-Dakota has contracts with WBI Energy Transmission to provide firm storage services to facilitate meeting Montana-Dakota's winter peak requirements expiring in July 2035. The nonregulated business competes for existing customers in the fields in which it operates. Its focus on customer service and the variety of services it offers serve to enhance its competitive position. Environmental Matters The pipeline and midstream operations are generally subject to federal, state and local environmental, facility-siting, zoning and planning laws and regulations. The Company believes it is in substantial compliance with those regulations. Ongoing operations are subject to the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the RCRA and other state and federal regulations. Administration of many provisions of these laws has been delegated to the states where WBI Energy and its subsidiaries operate. Permit terms vary and all permits carry operational compliance conditions. Some permits require annual renewal, some have terms ranging from one to five years and others have no expiration date. Permits are renewed and modified, as necessary, based on defined permit expiration dates, operational demand and/or regulatory changes. Detailed environmental assessments and/or environmental impact statements as required by the National Environmental Policy Act are included in the FERC's environmental review process for both the construction and abandonment of WBI Energy Transmission's natural gas transmission pipelines, compressor stations and storage facilities. The pipeline and midstream operations did not incur any material environmental expenditures in 2018 and do not expect to incur any material capital expenditures related to environmental compliance with current laws and regulations through 2021. Construction Materials and Contracting General Knife River operates construction materials and contracting businesses headquartered in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. These operations mine, process and sell construction aggregates (crushed stone, sand and gravel); produce and sell asphalt mix; and supply ready-mixed concrete. These products are used in most types of construction, performed by Knife River and other companies, including roads, freeways and bridges, as well as homes, schools, shopping centers, office buildings and industrial parks. Knife River focuses on vertical integration of its contracting services with its construction materials to support the aggregate based product lines including aggregate placement, asphalt and concrete paving, and site development and grading. Although not common to all locations, other products include the sale of cement, liquid asphalt for various commercial and roadway applications, various finished concrete products and other building materials and related contracting services. During 2018, Knife River acquired construction materials and contracting businesses with operations in Oregon, Minnesota and South Dakota. For more information on acquisitions, see Item 8 - Note 3. Knife River's backlog was approximately $706 million, $486 million and $538 million at December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The increase in backlog at December 31, 2018, compared to backlog at December 31, 2017, was primarily attributable to higher backlog of federal and state agency work, as well as higher backlog of private construction projects. Backlog increases with awards of new contracts and decreases as work is performed on existing contracts. Knife River expects to complete a significant amount of the backlog at December 31, 2018, during the next 12 months. Knife River's backlog is comprised of the anticipated revenues from the uncompleted portion of services to be performed under job-specific contracts. A project is included in backlog when a contract is awarded and agreement on contract terms has been reached. However, backlog does not contain contracts for time and material projects that a fixed amount cannot be determined. Backlog is comprised of: (a) original contract amounts, (b) change orders for which customers have approved and (c) claim amounts that have been made against customers for which are determined to have a legal basis under existing contractual arrangements and as to which recovery is considered to be probable. Such claim amounts were immaterial for all periods presented. Backlog may be subject to delay, default or cancellation at the MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 15 Part I election of the customers. Historically, cancellations have not had a materially adverse effect on backlog. Due to the nature of its contractual arrangements, in many instances Knife River's customers are not committed to the specific volumes of services to be purchased under a contract, but rather Knife River is committed to perform these services if and to the extent requested by the customer. Therefore, there can be no assurance as to the customers' requirements during a particular period or that such estimates, or backlog estimates in general, at any point in time are predictive of future revenues. Competition Knife River's construction materials products and contracting services are marketed under highly competitive conditions. Price is the principal competitive force to which these products and services are subject, with service, quality, delivery time and proximity to the customer also being significant factors. Knife River focuses on markets located near aggregate sites to reduce transportation costs which allows Knife River to remain competitive with the pricing of aggregate products. The number and size of competitors varies in each of Knife River's principal market areas and product lines. The demand for construction materials products and contracting services is significantly influenced by the cyclical nature of the construction industry in general. In addition, construction materials and contracting services activity in certain locations may be seasonal in nature due to the effects of weather. The key economic factors affecting product demand are changes in the level of local, state and federal governmental spending on roads and infrastructure projects, general economic conditions within the market area that influence both the commercial and residential sectors, and prevailing interest rates. Knife River's customers are a diverse group which includes federal, state and municipal government agencies, commercial and residential developers, and private parties. The mix of sales by customer will vary each year depending on the work available. Knife River is not dependent on any single customer or group of customers for sales of its products and services, the loss of which would have a material adverse effect on its construction materials businesses. Reserve Information Aggregate reserve estimates are calculated based on the best available data. This data is collected from drill holes and other subsurface investigations, as well as investigations of surface features such as mine high walls and other exposures of the aggregate reserves. Mine plans, production history and geologic data also are utilized to estimate reserve quantities. Estimates are based on analyses of the data described above by experienced internal mining engineers, operating personnel and geologists. Property setbacks and other regulatory restrictions and limitations are identified to determine the total area available for mining. Data described previously are used to calculate the thickness of aggregate materials to be recovered. Topography associated with alluvial sand and gravel deposits is typically flat and volumes of these materials are calculated by applying the thickness of the resource over the areas available for mining. Volumes are then converted to tons by using an appropriate conversion factor. Typically, 1.5 tons per cubic yard in the ground is used for sand and gravel deposits. Topography associated with the hard rock reserves is typically much more diverse. Therefore, using available data, a final topography map is created and computer software is utilized to compute the volumes between the existing and final topographies. Volumes are then converted to tons by using an appropriate conversion factor. Typically, 2 tons per cubic yard in the ground is used for hard rock quarries. Estimated reserves are probable reserves as defined in Securities Act Industry Guide 7. Remaining reserves are based on estimates of volumes that can be economically extracted and sold to meet current market and product applications. The reserve estimates include only salable tonnage and thus exclude waste materials that are generated in the crushing and processing phases of the operation. Approximately 938 million tons of the 1.0 billion tons of aggregate reserves are permitted reserves. The remaining reserves are on properties that are expected to be permitted for mining under current regulatory requirements. The data used to calculate the remaining reserves may require revisions in the future to account for changes in customer requirements and unknown geological occurrences. The years remaining were calculated by dividing remaining reserves by the three-year average sales, including estimated sales from acquired reserves prior to acquisition, from 2016 through 2018. Actual useful lives of these reserves will be subject to, among other things, fluctuations in customer demand, customer specifications, geological conditions and changes in mining plans. 16 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part I The following table sets forth details applicable to the Company's aggregate reserves under ownership or lease as of December 31, 2018, and sales for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016: Production Area Anchorage, AK Hawaii Northern CA Southern CA Portland, OR Eugene, OR Central OR/WA/ID Southwest OR Central MT Northwest MT Wyoming Central MN Northern MN ND/SD Texas Sales from other sources Number of Sites (Crushed Stone) Number of Sites (Sand & Gravel) owned leased owned leased — — — — 2 3 — 5 — — — 1 2 1 1 — 5 — 2 4 4 1 5 — — — 1 — — 2 1 — 9 — 5 5 6 10 3 9 1 43 14 3 1 — — 1 — 3 — 2 6 1 1 2 7 2 24 — * Includes estimate of three-year average sales for acquired reserves. Tons Sold (000's) 2018 725 1,734 1,798 356 5,402 743 2,362 2,395 1,081 1,965 626 2,890 369 1,506 1,094 4,749 2017 1,425 1,614 1,785 55 4,694 633 2,160 2,367 1,065 1,745 613 2,773 270 1,100 1,192 4,722 Estimated Reserves (000's tons) Lease Expiration Reserve Life (years) 13,823 N/A 49,159 2023-2064 42,720 91,211 2028 2035 12 28 25 Over 100 2016 1,343 1,901 1,604 224 4,044 212,822 2028-2057 45 662 153,301 2021-2049 Over 100 1,685 2,689 1,135 1,514 742 2,831 537 1,643 1,243 3,783 85,396 2020-2087 108,998 2021-2053 15,238 63,182 2023 2020 9,466 2019-2020 65,225 2019-2028 21,062 2020-2021 74,214 2019-2031 8,614 2022-2029 41 44 14 36 14 18 * 54 17 * 7 29,795 28,213 27,580 1,014,431 The 1.0 billion tons of estimated aggregate reserves at December 31, 2018, are comprised of 518 million tons that are owned and 496 million tons that are leased. Approximately 48 percent of the tons under lease have lease expiration dates of 20 years or more. The weighted average years remaining on all leases containing estimated probable aggregate reserves is approximately 23 years, including options for renewal that are at Knife River's discretion. Based on a three-year average of sales from 2016 through 2018 of leased reserves, the average time necessary to produce remaining aggregate reserves from such leases is approximately 44 years. Some sites have leases that expire prior to the exhaustion of the estimated reserves. The estimated reserve life assumes, based on Knife River's experience, that leases will be renewed to allow sufficient time to fully recover these reserves. The changes in Knife River's aggregate reserves for the years ended December 31 were as follows: Aggregate reserves: Beginning of year Acquisitions (a) Sales volumes (b) Other (c) End of year 2018 2017 2016 (000's of tons) 965,036 81,004 (25,046) (6,563) 989,084 1,022,513 2,726 (23,491) (3,283) 24,993 (23,797) (34,625) 1,014,431 965,036 989,084 Includes reserves from acquisitions of businesses. (a) (b) Excludes sales from other sources. (c) Includes property sales, revisions of previous estimates and expiring leases. Environmental Matters Knife River's construction materials and contracting operations are subject to regulation customary for such operations, including federal, state and local environmental compliance and reclamation regulations. Except as to the issues described later, Knife River believes it is in substantial compliance with these regulations. Individual permits applicable to Knife River's various operations are managed largely by local operations, particularly as they relate to application, modification, renewal, compliance and reporting procedures. Knife River's asphalt and ready-mixed concrete manufacturing plants and aggregate processing plants are subject to the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act requirements for controlling air emissions and water discharges. Some mining and construction activities also are subject to these laws. In most of the states where Knife River operates, these regulatory programs have been delegated to state and local MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 17 Part I regulatory authorities. Knife River's facilities also are subject to the RCRA as it applies to the management of hazardous wastes and underground storage tank systems. These programs also have generally been delegated to the state and local authorities in the states where Knife River operates. Knife River's facilities must comply with requirements for managing wastes and underground storage tank systems. Some Knife River activities are directly regulated by federal agencies. For example, certain in-water mining operations are subject to provisions of the Clean Water Act that are administered by the Army Corps. Knife River has several such operations, including gravel bar skimming and dredging operations, and Knife River has the associated permits as required. The expiration dates of these permits vary, with five years generally being the longest term. Knife River's operations are also occasionally subject to the ESA. For example, land use regulations often require environmental studies, including wildlife studies, before a permit may be granted for a new or expanded mining facility or an asphalt or concrete plant. If endangered species or their habitats are identified, ESA requirements for protection, mitigation or avoidance apply. Endangered species protection requirements are usually included as part of land use permit conditions. Typical conditions include avoidance, setbacks, restrictions on operations during certain times of the breeding or rearing season, and construction or purchase of mitigation habitat. Knife River's operations also are subject to state and federal cultural resources protection laws when new areas are disturbed for mining operations or processing plants. Land use permit applications generally require that areas proposed for mining or other surface disturbances be surveyed for cultural resources. If any are identified, they must be protected or managed in accordance with regulatory agency requirements. The most comprehensive environmental permit requirements are usually associated with new mining operations, although requirements vary widely from state to state and even within states. In some areas, land use regulations and associated permitting requirements are minimal. However, some states and local jurisdictions have very demanding requirements for permitting new mines. Environmental impact reports are sometimes required before a mining permit application can be considered for approval. These reports can take up to several years to complete. The report can include projected impacts of the proposed project on air and water quality, wildlife, noise levels, traffic, scenic vistas and other environmental factors. The reports generally include suggested actions to mitigate the projected adverse impacts. Provisions for public hearings and public comments are usually included in land use permit application review procedures in the counties where Knife River operates. After taking into account environmental, mine plan and reclamation information provided by the permittee as well as comments from the public and other regulatory agencies, the local authority approves or denies the permit application. Denial is rare, but land use permits often include conditions that must be addressed by the permittee. Conditions may include property line setbacks, reclamation requirements, environmental monitoring and reporting, operating hour restrictions, financial guarantees for reclamation, and other requirements intended to protect the environment or address concerns submitted by the public or other regulatory agencies. Knife River has been successful in obtaining mining and other land use permit approvals so sufficient permitted reserves are available to support its operations. For mining operations, this often requires considerable advanced planning to ensure sufficient time is available to complete the permitting process before the newly permitted aggregate reserve is needed to support Knife River's operations. Knife River's Gascoyne surface coal mine last produced coal in 1995 but continues to be subject to reclamation requirements of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, as well as the North Dakota Surface Mining Act. Portions of the Gascoyne Mine remain under reclamation bond until the 10-year revegetation liability period has expired. A portion of the original permit has been released from bond and additional areas are currently in the process of having the bond released. Knife River's intention is to request bond release as soon as it is deemed possible. Knife River did not incur any material environmental expenditures in 2018 and, except as to what may be ultimately determined with regard to the issues described in the following paragraph, Knife River does not expect to incur any material expenditures related to environmental compliance with current laws and regulations through 2021. In December 2000, Knife River - Northwest was named by the EPA as a PRP in connection with the cleanup of a commercial property site, acquired by Knife River - Northwest in 1999, and part of the Portland, Oregon, Harbor Superfund Site. For more information, see Item 8 - Note 19. Mine Safety The Dodd-Frank Act requires disclosure of certain mine safety information. For more information, see Item 4 - Mine Safety Disclosures. Construction Services General MDU Construction Services provides inside and outside specialty contracting services. Its outside services include design, construction and maintenance of overhead and underground electrical distribution and transmission lines, substations, external lighting, traffic signalization, and gas pipelines, as well as utility excavation and the manufacture and distribution of transmission line construction equipment. Its inside services include design, construction and maintenance of electrical and communication wiring and infrastructure, fire 18 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part I suppression systems, and mechanical piping and services. This segment also constructs and maintains renewable energy projects. These specialty contracting services are provided to utilities and large manufacturing, commercial, industrial, institutional and government customers. Construction and maintenance crews are active year round. However, activity in certain locations may be seasonal in nature due to the effects of weather. MDU Construction Services operates a fleet of owned and leased trucks and trailers, support vehicles and specialty construction equipment, such as backhoes, excavators, trenchers, generators, boring machines and cranes. In addition, as of December 31, 2018, MDU Construction Services owned or leased facilities in 18 states. This space is used for offices, equipment yards, manufacturing, warehousing, storage and vehicle shops. MDU Construction Services’ backlog at December 31 was as follows: Inside specialty contracting Outside specialty contracting 2018 2017 2016 (In millions) 814 $ 625 $ 125 83 939 $ 708 $ $ $ 435 40 475 The increase in backlog at December 31, 2018, compared to backlog at December 31, 2017, was primarily attributable to an increase in projects from all revenue streams based on customer demand. Backlog increases with awards of new contracts and decreases as work is performed on existing contracts. MDU Construction Services expects to complete a significant amount of the backlog at December 31, 2018, during the next 12 months. MDU Construction Services’ backlog is comprised of the anticipated revenues from the uncompleted portion of services to be performed under job-specific contracts. A project is included in backlog when a contract is awarded and agreement on contract terms has been reached. However, backlog does not contain contracts for time and material projects that a fixed amount cannot be determined. Backlog is comprised of: (a) original contract amounts, (b) change orders for which customers have approved, (c) pending change orders expected to receive confirmation in the ordinary course of business and (d) claim amounts that have been made against customers for which are determined to have a legal basis under existing contractual arrangements and as to which recovery is considered to be probable. Such claim amounts were immaterial for all periods presented. Backlog may be subject to delay, default or cancellation at the election of the customers. Historically, cancellations have not had a material adverse effect on backlog. Due to the nature of its contractual arrangements, in many instances MDU Construction Services' customers are not committed to the specific volumes of services to be purchased under a contract, but rather MDU Construction Services is committed to perform these services if and to the extent requested by the customer. Therefore, there can be no assurance as to the customers' requirements during a particular period or that such estimates, or backlog estimates in general, at any point in time are predictive of future revenues. MDU Construction Services works with the National Electrical Contractors Association, the IBEW and other trade associations on hiring and recruiting a qualified workforce. Competition MDU Construction Services operates in a highly competitive business environment. Most of MDU Construction Services' work is obtained on the basis of competitive bids or by negotiation of either cost-plus or fixed-price contracts. The workforce and equipment are highly mobile, providing greater flexibility in the size and location of MDU Construction Services' market area. Competition is based primarily on price and reputation for quality, safety and reliability. The size and location of the services provided, as well as the state of the economy, will be factors in the number of competitors that MDU Construction Services will encounter on any particular project. MDU Construction Services believes that the diversification of the services it provides, the markets it serves throughout the United States and the management of its workforce will enable it to effectively operate in this competitive environment. Utilities and independent contractors represent the largest customer base for this segment. Accordingly, utility and subcontract work accounts for a significant portion of the work performed by MDU Construction Services and the amount of construction contracts is dependent to a certain extent on the level and timing of maintenance and construction programs undertaken by customers. MDU Construction Services relies on repeat customers and strives to maintain successful long-term relationships with these customers. Environmental Matters MDU Construction Services' operations are subject to regulation customary for the industry, including federal, state and local environmental compliance. MDU Construction Services believes it is in substantial compliance with these regulations. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 19 Part I The nature of MDU Construction Services' operations is such that few, if any, environmental permits are required. Operational convenience supports the use of petroleum storage tanks in several locations, which are permitted under state programs authorized by the EPA. MDU Construction Services has no ongoing remediation related to releases from petroleum storage tanks. MDU Construction Services' operations are conditionally exempt small-quantity waste generators, subject to minimal regulation under the RCRA. Federal permits for specific construction and maintenance jobs that may require these permits are typically obtained by the hiring entity, and not by MDU Construction Services. MDU Construction Services did not incur any material environmental expenditures in 2018 and does not expect to incur any material capital expenditures related to environmental compliance with current laws and regulations through 2021. Item 1A. Risk Factors The Company's business and financial results are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those set forth below and in other documents that it files with the SEC. The factors and the other matters discussed herein are important factors that could cause actual results or outcomes for the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements included elsewhere in this document. If any of the risks described below actually occur, the Company's business, prospects, financial condition or financial results could be materially harmed. Economic Risks The Company is subject to government regulations that may delay and/or have a negative impact on its business and its results of operations and cash flows. Statutory and regulatory requirements also may limit another party's ability to acquire the Company or impose conditions on an acquisition of or by the Company. The Company's electric and natural gas transmission and distribution businesses are subject to comprehensive regulation by federal, state and local regulatory agencies with respect to, among other things, allowed rates of return and recovery of investment and cost, financing, rate structures, customer service, health care coverage and cost, income taxes, property and other taxes, franchises; recovery of purchased power and purchased natural gas costs; construction and siting of generation and transmission facilities. These governmental regulations significantly influence the Company's operating environment and may affect its ability to recover costs from its customers. The Company is unable to predict the impact on operating results from future regulatory activities of any of these agencies. Changes in regulations or the imposition of additional regulations could have an adverse impact on the Company's results of operations and cash flows. There can be no assurance that applicable regulatory commissions will determine that the Company's electric and natural gas transmission and distribution businesses' costs have been prudent, which could result in disallowance of costs. Also, the regulatory process for approving rates for these businesses may not allow us full recovery of the costs of providing services or a return on the Company's invested capital. Changes in regulatory requirements or operating conditions may require early retirement of certain assets. While regulation typically provides relief for these types of retirements, there is no assurance that regulators will allow full recovery of all remaining costs, which could leave stranded asset costs. Rising fuel costs could increase the risk that the utility businesses will not be able to fully recover those fuel costs from customers. Approval from a number of federal and state regulatory agencies would need to be obtained by any potential acquirer of the Company, as well as for acquisitions by the Company. The approval process could be lengthy and the outcome uncertain, which may deter potential acquirers from approaching the Company or impact the Company's ability to pursue acquisitions. Economic volatility affects the Company's operations, as well as the demand for its products and services. Unfavorable economic conditions can negatively affect the level of public and private expenditures on projects and the timing of these projects which, in turn, can negatively affect the demand for the Company's products and services, primarily at the Company's construction businesses. The level of demand for construction products and services could be adversely impacted by the economic conditions in the industries the Company serves, as well as in the general economy. State and federal budget issues affect the funding available for infrastructure spending. Economic conditions and population growth affect the electric and natural gas distribution businesses' growth in service territory, customer base and usage demand. Economic volatility in the markets served, along with economic conditions such as increased unemployment which could impact the ability of our customers to make payments, could adversely affect the Company's results of operations, cash flows and asset values. Further, any material decreases in customers' energy demand, for economic or other reasons, could have a material adverse impact on the Company's earnings and results of operations. 20 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part I The Company's operations involve risks that may result from catastrophic events. The Company's operations, particularly those related to natural gas and electric transmission and distribution, include a variety of inherent hazards and operating risks, such as product leaks, explosions, mechanical failures, vandalism, fires, acts of terrorism and acts of war, which could result in loss of human life; personal injury; property damage; environmental pollution; impairment of operations; and substantial financial losses. The Company maintains insurance against some, but not all, of these risks and losses. A significant incident could also increase regulatory scrutiny and result in penalties and higher amounts of capital expenditures and operational costs. Losses not fully covered by insurance could have a material effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. A disruption of the regional electric transmission grid or interstate natural gas infrastructure could negatively impact our business and reputation. Because the Company's electric and natural gas utility and pipeline systems are part of larger interconnecting systems, a disruption could result in a significant decrease in revenues and system repair costs which could have a material impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The Company is subject to capital market and interest rate risks. The Company's operations, particularly its electric and natural gas transmission and distribution businesses, require significant capital investment. Consequently, the Company relies on financing sources and capital markets as sources of liquidity for capital requirements not satisfied by its cash flows from operations. If the Company is not able to access capital at competitive rates, the ability to implement its business plans, make capital expenditures or pursue acquisitions that the Company would otherwise rely on for future growth may be adversely affected. Market disruptions may increase the cost of borrowing or adversely affect the Company's ability to access one or more financial markets. Such disruptions could include: • A significant economic downturn. • The financial distress of unrelated industry leaders in the same line of business. • Deterioration in capital market conditions. • Turmoil in the financial services industry. • Volatility in commodity prices. • Terrorist attacks. • Cyberattacks. The issuance of a substantial amount of the Company's common stock, whether issued in connection with an acquisition or otherwise, or the perception that such an issuance could occur, could have a dilutive effect on shareholders and/or may adversely affect the market price of the Company's common stock. Higher interest rates on borrowings could also have an adverse effect on the Company's operating results. Financial market changes could impact the Company’s pension and postretirement benefit plans and obligations. The Company has pension and postretirement defined benefit plans for some of its employees and former employees. Assumptions regarding future costs, returns on investments, interest rates, and other actuarial assumptions have a significant impact on the funding requirements relating to these plans. Changes in economic indicators, such as consumer spending, inflation data, interest rate changes, political developments and threats of terrorism, among other things, can create volatility in the financial markets. Deteriorating financial market conditions could change these estimates and assumptions and negatively affect the value of assets held in the Company's pension and other postretirement benefit plans and may increase the amount and accelerate the timing of required funding contributions for those plans. Significant changes in energy prices could negatively affect the Company's businesses. Fluctuations in oil, NGL and natural gas production and prices; fluctuations in commodity price basis differentials; supplies of domestic and foreign oil, NGL and natural gas; political and economic conditions in oil-producing countries; actions of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries; and other external factors impact the development of natural gas supplies and the expansion and operation of natural gas pipeline systems. Prolonged depressed prices for oil, NGL and natural gas could negatively affect the growth, results of operations, cash flows and asset values of the Company's pipeline and midstream business. If oil and natural gas prices increase significantly, customer demand for utility, pipeline and midstream, and construction materials could decline, which could have a material impact on the Company's results of operations and cash flows. While the Company has fuel clause recovery mechanisms for its utility operations in most of the states in which it operates, higher utility fuel costs could significantly impact results of operations if such costs are not recovered. Delays in the collection of utility fuel cost recoveries, as compared to expenditures for fuel purchases, could have a negative impact on the Company's cash flows. High oil prices also affect the cost and demand for asphalt products and related contracting services. Low commodity prices could have a positive impact on sales but could negatively impact oil and natural gas production activities and subsequently the Company's pipeline and construction revenues in energy producing states in which the Company operates. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 21 Part I Reductions in the Company's credit ratings could increase financing costs. There is no assurance that the Company's current credit ratings, or those of its subsidiaries, will remain in effect or that a rating will not be lowered or withdrawn by a rating agency. Events affecting the Company's financial results may impact its cash flows and credit metrics, potentially resulting in a change in the Company's credit ratings. The Company's credit ratings may also change as a result of the differing methodologies or changes in the methodologies used by the rating agencies. A downgrade in credit ratings could lead to higher borrowing costs. Increasing costs associated with health care plans may adversely affect the Company's results of operations. The Company's self-insured costs of health care benefits for eligible employees continues to increase. Increasing quantities of large individual health care claims and an overall increase in total health care claims could have an adverse impact on operating results, financial position and liquidity. Legislation related to health care could also change the Company's benefit program and costs. The Company is exposed to risk of loss resulting from the nonpayment and/or nonperformance by the Company's customers and counterparties. If the Company's customers or counterparties experience financial difficulties, the Company could experience difficulty in collecting receivables. Nonpayment and/or nonperformance by the Company's customers and counterparties, particularly customers and counterparties of the Company’s construction materials and contracting and construction services businesses for large construction projects, could have a negative impact on the Company's results of operations and cash flows. The Company could also have indirect credit risk from participating in energy markets such as MISO in which credit losses are socialized to all participants. Changes in tax law may negatively affect the Company's business. The TCJA significantly reformed the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The TCJA, among other things, includes reductions to United States federal tax rates, repeals the domestic production deduction, disallows regulated utility property for immediate expensing, and modifies or repeals many other business deductions and credits. Any future guidance, regulation and interpretations to the Internal Revenue Code could have an adverse impact on the Company. Other changes to federal and state tax laws have the ability to benefit or adversely affect the Company's earnings and customer costs. Significant changes to corporate tax rates could result in the impairment of deferred tax assets that are established based on existing law at the time of deferral. Changes to the value of various tax credits could change the economics of resources and the resource selection for the electric generation business. Regulation incorporates changes in tax law into the rate-setting process for the regulated energy delivery businesses and therefore could create timing delays before the impact of changes are realized. The Company's operations could be negatively impacted by import tariffs and/or other government mandates. The Company operates in or provides services to capital intensive industries in which federal trade policies could significantly impact the availability and cost of materials. Imposed and proposed tariffs could significantly increase the prices and delivery lead times on raw materials and finished products that are critical to the Company and its customers, such as aluminum and steel. Prolonged lead times on the delivery of raw materials and further tariff increases on raw materials and finished products could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations. Operational Risks Significant portions of the Company’s natural gas pipelines and power generation and transmission facilities are aging. The aging infrastructure may require significant additional maintenance or replacement that could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations. The Company’s energy delivery infrastructure is aging, which increases certain risks, including breakdown or failure of equipment, pipeline leaks and fires developing from power lines. Aging infrastructure is more prone to failure which increases maintenance costs, unplanned outages and the need to replace facilities. Even if properly maintained, reliability may ultimately deteriorate and negatively affect the Company’s ability to serve its customers which could result in increased costs associated with regulatory oversight. The costs associated with maintaining the aging infrastructure and capital expenditures for new or replacement infrastructure could cause rate volatility and/or regulatory lag in some jurisdictions. If, at the end of its life, the investment costs of a facility have not been fully recovered the Company may be adversely affected if commissions do not allow such costs to be recovered in rates. Such impacts of an aging infrastructure could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations and cash flows. Additionally, hazards from aging infrastructure could result in serious injury, loss of human life, significant damage to property, environmental impacts, and impairment of operations, which in turn could lead to substantial losses. The location of distribution mains and storage facilities near populated areas, including residential areas, business centers, industrial sites, and other public gathering places, could increase the level of damages resulting from these risks. A major domestic incident involving natural gas systems could lead to additional capital expenditures, increased regulation, and fines and penalties on natural gas utilities. The occurrence of any of these events could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations, financial position, and cash flows. 22 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part I The Company's utility and pipeline operations are subject to planning risks. Most electric and natural gas utility investments, including natural gas pipeline investments, are made with the intent of being used for decades. In particular, electric transmission and generation resources are planned well in advance of when they are placed into service based upon resource plans using assumptions over the planning horizon; including sales growth, commodity prices, equipment and construction costs, regulatory treatment, available technology and public policy. Public policy changes and technology advancements related to areas such as energy efficient appliances and buildings, renewable and distributive electric generation and storage, carbon dioxide emissions, electric vehicle penetration, and natural gas availability and cost may significantly impact the planning assumptions. Changes in critical planning assumptions may result in excess generation, transmission and distribution resources creating increased per customer costs and downward pressure on load growth. These changes could also result in a stranded investment if the Company is unable to fully recover the costs of its investments. The regulatory approval, permitting, construction, startup and/or operation of pipelines and power generation and transmission facilities may involve unanticipated events, delays and unrecoverable costs. The construction, startup and operation of pipelines and power generation and transmission facilities involve many risks, which may include delays; breakdown or failure of equipment; inability to obtain required governmental permits and approvals; inability to obtain or renew easements; public opposition; inability to complete financing; inability to negotiate acceptable equipment acquisition, construction, fuel supply, off-take, transmission, transportation or other material agreements; changes in markets and market prices for power; cost increases and overruns; the risk of performance below expected levels of output or efficiency; and the inability to obtain full cost recovery in regulated rates. Such unanticipated events could negatively impact the Company's business, its results of operations and cash flows. Additionally, operating or other costs required to comply with current pipeline safety regulations and potential new regulations under various agencies could be significant. The regulations require verification of pipeline infrastructure records by pipeline owners and operators to confirm the maximum allowable operating pressure of certain lines. Increased emphasis on pipeline safety and increased regulatory scrutiny may result in penalties and higher costs of operations. If these costs are not fully recoverable from customers, they could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations and cash flows. The backlogs at the Company's construction materials and contracting and construction services businesses may not accurately represent future revenue. Backlog consists of the uncompleted portion of services to be performed under job-specific contracts. Contracts are subject to delay, default or cancellation, and the contracts in the Company's backlog are subject to changes in the scope of services to be provided, as well as adjustments to the costs relating to the applicable contracts. Backlog may also be affected by project delays or cancellations resulting from weather conditions, external market factors and economic factors beyond the Company's control. Accordingly, there is no assurance that backlog will be realized. The timing of contract awards, duration of large new contracts and the mix of services can significantly affect backlog. Backlog at any given point in time may not accurately represent the revenue or net income that is realized in any period, and the backlog as of the end of the year may not be indicative of the revenue and net income expected to be earned in the following year and should not be relied upon as a stand-alone indicator of future revenues or net income. Environmental and Regulatory Risks The Company's operations could be adversely impacted by climate change. Severe weather events, such as tornadoes, rain, ice and snow storms and high and low temperature extremes, do occur in regions in which the Company operates and maintains infrastructure. However, climate change could possibly change the frequency and severity of these weather events. Climate change may create physical and financial risks to the Company. Such risks could have an adverse effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Utility customers’ energy needs vary with weather conditions, primarily temperature and humidity. For residential customers, heating and cooling represent the largest energy use. To the extent weather conditions are affected by climate change, customers’ energy use could increase or decrease. Increased energy use by its utility customers due to weather may require the Company to invest in additional generating assets, transmission and other infrastructure to serve increased load. Decreased energy use due to weather may result in decreased revenues. Extreme weather conditions, such as uncommonly long periods of high or low ambient temperature, in general require more system backup, adding to costs, and can contribute to increased system stress, including service interruptions. Weather conditions outside of the Company's service territory could also have an impact on revenues. The Company buys and sells electricity that might be generated outside its service territory, depending upon system needs and market opportunities. Extreme temperatures may create high energy demand and raise electricity prices, which could increase the cost of energy provided to customers. Severe weather events may damage or disrupt the Company's electric and natural gas transmission and distribution facilities, which could increase costs to repair facilities and restore service to customers. The cost of providing service could increase to the extent the frequency of MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 23 Part I severe weather events increases because of climate change or otherwise. The Company may not recover all costs related to mitigating these physical risks. Severe weather may result in disruptions to the pipeline and midstream business's natural gas supply and transportation systems, potentially increasing the cost of gas and the ability to procure gas to meet customer demand. These changes could result in increased maintenance and capital costs, disruption of service, regulatory actions and lower customer satisfaction. Increases in severe weather conditions or extreme temperature may cause infrastructure construction projects to be delayed or canceled and limit resources available for such projects resulting in decreased revenue or increased project costs at the construction materials and contracting and construction services businesses. In addition, drought conditions could restrict the availability of water supplies, inhibiting the ability of the construction businesses to conduct operations. Climate change may impact a region’s economic health, which could impact revenues at all of the Company's businesses. The Company's financial performance is tied to the health of the regional economies served. The Company provides natural gas and electric utility service, as well as construction materials and services, for some states and communities that are economically affected by the agriculture industry. Increases in severe weather events or significant changes in temperature and precipitation patterns could adversely affect the agriculture industry and, correspondingly, the economies of the states and communities affected by that industry. The Company may also be subject to litigation related to climate change. Costs of such litigation could be significant, and an adverse outcome could require substantial capital expenditures, changes in operations and possible payment of penalties or damages which could affect the Company's results of operations and cash flows if the costs are not recoverable in rates. The price of energy also has an impact on the economic health of communities. The cost of additional regulatory requirements to combat climate change, such as regulation of carbon dioxide emissions under the Clean Air Act, or other environmental regulation could impact the availability of goods and prices charged by suppliers, which would normally be borne by consumers through higher prices for energy and purchased goods. To the extent financial markets view climate change and emissions of GHGs as a financial risk, this could negatively affect the Company's ability to access capital markets or cause less than ideal terms and conditions. The Company's operations are subject to environmental laws and regulations that may increase costs of operations, impact or limit business plans, or expose the Company to environmental liabilities. The Company is subject to environmental laws and regulations affecting many aspects of its operations, including air and water quality, waste management and other environmental considerations. These laws and regulations can increase capital, operating and other costs; cause delays as a result of litigation and administrative proceedings; and create compliance, remediation, containment, monitoring and reporting obligations, particularly relating to electric generation and natural gas gathering, transmission and storage operations. Environmental laws and regulations can also require the Company to install pollution control equipment at its facilities, clean up spills and other contamination and correct environmental hazards, including payment of all or part of the cost to remediate sites where the Company's past activities, or the activities of other parties, caused environmental contamination. These laws and regulations generally require the Company to obtain and comply with a variety of environmental licenses, permits, inspections and other approvals and may cause the Company to shut down existing facilities due to difficulties in assuring compliance or where the cost of compliance makes operation of the facilities no longer economical. Although the Company strives to comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations, public and private entities and private individuals may interpret the Company's legal or regulatory requirements differently and seek injunctive relief or other remedies against the Company. The Company cannot predict the outcome, financial or operational, of any such litigation or administrative proceedings. Existing environmental laws and regulations may be revised and new laws and regulations seeking to protect the environment may be adopted or become applicable to the Company. These laws and regulations could require the Company to limit the use or output of certain facilities; restrict the use of certain fuels; retire and replace certain facilities; install pollution controls; remediate environmental impacts; remove or reduce environmental hazards; or forego or limit the development of resources. Revised or new laws and regulations that increase compliance costs or restrict operations, particularly if costs are not fully recoverable from customers, could have a material adverse effect on the Company's results of operations and cash flows. On April 17, 2015, the EPA published a rule, under the RCRA, for coal combustion residuals that regulates coal ash as a solid waste and not a hazardous waste. Some of the Company's coal fired electric generating facilities are subject to this rule. Company facilities where there are ash impoundments and landfills are conducting ground water evaluations and may need to implement projects to meet rule requirements. On August 15, 2014, the EPA published a rule under Section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act, establishing requirements for water intake structures at existing steam electric generating facilities. The purpose of the rule is to reduce impingement and entrainment of fish and 24 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part I other aquatic organisms at cooling water intake structures. The majority of the Company's electric generating facilities are either not subject to the rule or have completed studies that project compliance expenditures are not material. The Lewis & Clark Station will complete a study that will be submitted to the Montana DEQ by July 31, 2019, to be used in determining any required controls. It is unknown at this time what controls may be required at this facility or if compliance costs will be material. The installation schedule for any required controls would be established with the permitting agency after the study is completed. Initiatives to reduce GHG emissions could adversely impact the Company's operations. Concern that GHG emissions are contributing to global climate change has led to international, federal and state legislative and regulatory proposals to reduce or mitigate the effects of GHG emissions. The Company’s primary GHG emission is carbon dioxide from fossil fuels combustion at Montana-Dakota's electric generating facilities, particularly its coal-fired facilities. Approximately 46 percent of Montana- Dakota's owned generating capacity and approximately 79 percent of the electricity it generated in 2018 was from coal-fired facilities. On October 23, 2015, the EPA published the Clean Power Plan rule that requires existing fossil fuel-fired electric generating facilities to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. On February 9, 2016, however, the United States Supreme Court granted an application for a stay of the Clean Power Plan pending disposition of the applicants' petition for review in the D.C. Circuit Court and disposition of the applicants' petition for a writ of certiorari if such a writ is sought. The EPA filed a motion with the D.C. Circuit Court on March 28, 2017, requesting the Clean Power Plan's case be held in abeyance, which was granted. The D.C. Circuit Court has continued to issue orders holding the case in abeyance and requiring the EPA to file ongoing status reports. In parallel, the EPA published a proposal on October 16, 2017, to repeal the Clean Power Plan in its entirety and published the proposed Affordable Clean Energy rulemaking to revise the Clean Power Plan. The proposed revised rule would require states to conduct a review of heat rate improvement projects that could be implemented at each individual coal-fired electric generating facility and determine, using a multi-factor analysis, which projects a facility would need to implement. The state would establish a standard of performance for carbon dioxide emissions for each facility based on the heat rate improvement projects required to be implemented. Compliance costs will become clearer as the EPA completes new rulemaking. On January 14, 2015, the federal government announced a goal to reduce methane emissions from the oil and natural gas industry by 40 to 45 percent below 2012 levels by 2025. On June 3, 2016, the EPA published a rule updating new-source performance standards for the oil and natural gas industry. The rule builds on 2012 requirements to reduce volatile organic compound emissions from oil and natural gas sources by establishing requirements to reduce methane emissions from previously regulated sources, as well as adding volatile organic compound and methane requirements for sources previously not covered by the rule. WBI Energy is currently complying with the rules impacting new and modified sources. In addition, on March 10, 2016, the EPA announced plans to reduce emissions from the oil and natural gas industry by moving to regulate emissions from existing sources. On November 10, 2016, the EPA issued an Information Collection Request to oil and gas facility operators, including WBI Energy, to begin the process of existing source rule development. On March 7, 2017, the EPA published notice of withdrawal of the Information Collection Request. On September 15, 2016, the Washington DOE issued a Clean Air Rule that requires carbon dioxide emission reductions from various industries in the state, including emissions from the combustion of natural gas supplied to end-use customers by natural gas distribution companies, such as Cascade. In 2017, the rule requires Cascade to hold carbon dioxide emissions to a baseline, equal to the average emissions in 2012 to 2016. Beginning in 2018, annual carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by an additional 1.7 percent of the baseline from the previous year's emissions. Compliance for natural gas suppliers is to be achieved through purchasing emissions credits from projects located within the state of Washington and, to a limited and declining extent, out-of-state allowances. Purchasing emissions credits and allowances will increase operating costs for Cascade. If Cascade is not able to receive timely and full recovery of compliance costs from its customers, such costs could adversely impact the results of its operations. On September 27, 2016 and September 30, 2016, Cascade and three other natural gas distribution utility companies jointly filed complaints in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington and the Thurston County Superior Court, respectively, asking the courts to deem the rule invalid. The companies asserted that the Washington DOE undertook this rulemaking without the requisite statutory authority. On December 15, 2017, the Thurston County Superior Court vacated the Clean Air Rule and Washington DOE suspended the rule’s compliance obligations on December 21, 2017. On May 16, 2018, Washington DOE appealed the lower court ruling to the Supreme Court for the State of Washington and oral argument is scheduled for March 19, 2019. Litigation in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington continues to be held in abeyance. Treaties, legislation or regulations to reduce GHG emissions in response to climate change may be adopted that affect the Company's utility operations by requiring additional energy conservation efforts or renewable energy sources, limiting emissions, imposing carbon taxes or other compliance costs; as well as other mandates that could significantly increase capital expenditures and operating costs or reduce demand for the Company's utility services. If the Company’s utility operations do not receive timely and full recovery of GHG emission compliance costs from customers, then such costs could adversely impact the results of its operations and cash flows. Significant reductions in demand for the Company's utility services as a result of increased costs or emissions limitations could also adversely impact the results of its operations and cash flows. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 25 Part I The Company monitors, analyzes and reports GHG emissions from its other operations as required by applicable laws and regulations. The Company will continue to monitor GHG regulations and their potential impact on operations. Due to the uncertain availability of technologies to control GHG emissions and the unknown obligations that potential GHG emission legislation or regulations may create, the Company cannot determine the potential financial impact on its operations. Other Risks The Company's various businesses are seasonal and subject to weather conditions that can adversely affect the Company's operations, revenues and cash flows. The Company's results of operations can be affected by changes in the weather. Weather conditions influence the demand for electricity and natural gas and affect the price of energy commodities. Utility operations have historically generated lower revenues when weather conditions are cooler than normal in the summer and warmer than normal in the winter particularly in jurisdictions that do not have decoupling mechanisms in place. Where decoupling mechanism are in place, there is no assurance the Company will continue to receive such regulatory protection from adverse weather in future rates. Adverse weather conditions, such as heavy or sustained rainfall or snowfall, storms, wind, and colder weather may affect the demand for products and the ability to perform services at the construction businesses and affect ongoing operation and maintenance and construction activities for the electric and natural gas transmission and distribution businesses. In addition, severe weather can be destructive, causing outages, and/or property damage, which could require additional remediation costs. The Company could also be impacted by drought conditions, which may restrict the availability of water supplies and inhibit the ability of the construction businesses to conduct operations. As a result, unusually mild winters or summers or adverse weather conditions could negatively affect the Company's results of operations, financial position and cash flows. Competition exists in all of the Company's businesses. The Company's businesses are subject to competition. Construction services' competition is based primarily on price and reputation for quality, safety and reliability. Construction materials products are marketed under highly competitive conditions and are subject to competitive forces such as price, service, delivery time and proximity to the customer. The electric utility and natural gas industries also experience competitive pressures as a result of consumer demands, technological advances and other factors. The pipeline and midstream business competes with several pipelines for access to natural gas supplies and for gathering, transportation and storage business. New acquisition opportunities are subject to competitive bidding environments which impacts prices the Company must pay to successfully acquire new properties to grow its business. Competition could negatively affect the Company's results of operations, financial position and cash flows. The Company's operations may be negatively affected if it is unable to obtain, develop and retain key personnel and skilled labor forces. The Company must attract, develop and retain executive officers and other professional, technical and skilled labor forces with the skills and experience necessary to successfully manage, operate and grow the Company's businesses. Competition for these employees is high, and in some cases competition for these employees is on a regional or national basis. A shortage in the supply of skilled personnel creates competitive hiring markets and increased labor expenses, decreased productivity and potentially lost business opportunities. Additionally, if the Company is unable to hire employees with the requisite skills, the Company may be forced to incur significant training expenses. As a result, the Company's ability to maintain productivity, relationships with customers, competitive costs, and quality services is limited by the ability to employ the necessary skilled personnel and could negatively affect the Company's results of operations, financial position and cash flows. The Company's construction materials and contracting and construction services businesses may be exposed to warranty claims. The Company, particularly its construction businesses, may provide warranties guaranteeing the work performed against defects in workmanship and material. If warranty claims occur, they may require the Company to re-perform the services or to repair or replace the warranted item, at a cost to the Company and could also result in other damages if the Company is not able to adequately satisfy warranty obligations. In addition, the Company may be required under contractual arrangements with customers to warrant any defects or failures in materials the Company purchased from third parties. While the Company generally requires suppliers to provide warranties that are consistent with those the Company provides to customers, if any of the suppliers default on their warranty obligations to the Company, the Company may nonetheless incur costs to repair or replace the defective materials. Costs incurred as a result of warranty claims could adversely affect the Company's results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. The Company is a holding company and relies on cash from its subsidiaries to pay dividends. The Company is a holding company as a result of the Holding Company Reorganization. Its investments in its subsidiaries comprise the Company's primary assets. The Company depends on earnings, cash flows and dividends from its subsidiaries to pay dividends on its common stock. The Company's subsidiaries are separate legal entities that have no obligation to pay any amounts due on its obligations or 26 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part I to make funds available to pay dividends on common stock. Regulatory, contractual and legal limitations, as well as their capital requirements, affect the ability of the subsidiaries to pay dividends to the Company and thereby could restrict or influence the Company's ability or decision to pay dividends on its common stock which could adversely affect the Company's stock price. Costs related to obligations under MEPPs could have a material negative effect on the Company's results of operations and cash flows. Various operating subsidiaries of the Company participate in approximately 70 MEPPs for employees represented by certain unions. The Company is required to make contributions to these plans in amounts established under numerous collective bargaining agreements between the operating subsidiaries and those unions. The Company may be obligated to increase its contributions to underfunded plans that are classified as being in endangered, seriously endangered or critical status as defined by the Pension Protection Act of 2006. Plans classified as being in one of these statuses are required to adopt RPs or FIPs to improve their funded status through increased contributions, reduced benefits or a combination of the two. Based on available information, the Company believes that approximately 30 percent of the MEPPs to which it contributes are currently in endangered, seriously endangered or critical status. The Company may also be required to increase its contributions to MEPPs if the other participating employers in such plans withdraw from the plans and are not able to contribute amounts sufficient to fund the unfunded liabilities associated with their participation in the plans. The amount and timing of any increase in the Company's required contributions to MEPPs may also depend upon one or more factors including the outcome of collective bargaining; actions taken by trustees who manage the plans; actions taken by the plans' other participating employers; the industry for which contributions are made; future determinations that additional plans reach endangered, seriously endangered or critical status; newly-enacted government law or regulations and the actual return on assets held in the plans; among others. The Company could experience increased operating expenses as a result of required contributions to MEPPs, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's results of operations, financial position or cash flows. In addition, pursuant to ERISA, as amended by MPPAA, the Company could incur a partial or complete withdrawal liability upon withdrawing from a plan, exiting a market in which it does business with a union workforce or upon termination of a plan. The Company could also incur additional withdrawal liability if its withdrawal from a plan is determined by that plan to be part of a mass withdrawal. Information technology disruptions or cyberattacks could adversely impact the Company's operations. The Company uses technology in substantially all aspects of its business operations and requires uninterrupted operation of information technology systems and network infrastructure. While the Company has policies, procedures and processes in place designed to strengthen and protect these systems, they may be vulnerable to failures or unauthorized access, including disaster recovery and backup systems, due to hacking, human error, theft, sabotage, malicious software, acts of terrorism, acts of war, acts of nature or other causes. If these systems fail or become compromised, and they are not recovered in a timely manner, the Company may be unable to fulfill critical business functions. This may include interruption of electric generation, transmission and distribution facilities, natural gas storage and pipeline facilities and facilities for delivery of construction materials or other products and services, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's reputation, business, cash flows and results of operations or subject the Company to legal or regulatory liabilities and increased costs. The Company’s accounting systems and its ability to collect information and invoice customers for products and services could also be disrupted. If the Company’s operations were disrupted, it could result in decreased revenues or significant remediation costs that have a material adverse effect on the Company's results of operations and cash flows. Additionally, because electric generation and transmission systems and natural gas pipelines are part of interconnected systems with other operators’ facilities, a cyber-related disruption in another operator’s system could negatively impact the Company's business. The Company is subject to cyber security and privacy laws and regulations of many government agencies, including FERC and NERC. NERC issues comprehensive regulations and standards surrounding the security of bulk power systems and is continually in the process of updating these requirements as well as establishing new requirements with which the utility industry must comply. As these regulations evolve, the Company will experience increased compliance costs and be at higher risk for violating these standards. Experiencing a cybersecurity incident could cause the Company to be non-compliant with applicable laws and regulations, causing the Company to incur costs related to legal claims or proceedings and regulatory fines or penalties. The Company, through the ordinary course of business, requires access to sensitive customer, employee and Company data. While the Company has implemented extensive security measures, a breach of its systems could compromise sensitive data and could go unnoticed for some time. In addition, there has been an increase in the number and sophistication of cyber-attacks across all industries worldwide and the threats are continually evolving. Such an event could result in negative publicity and reputational harm, remediation costs, legal claims and fines that could have an adverse effect on the Company's financial results. Third-party service providers that perform critical business MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 27 Part I functions for the Company or have access to sensitive information within the Company also may be vulnerable to security breaches and information technology risks that could have an adverse effect on the Company. The Company’s information systems experience on-going and often sophisticated cyber-attacks by a variety of sources with the apparent aim to breach our cyber-defenses. As cyber-attacks continue to increase in frequency and sophistication, the Company may be unable to prevent all such attacks in the future. The Company is continuously reevaluating the need to upgrade and/or replace systems and network infrastructure. These upgrades and/or replacements could adversely impact operations by imposing substantial capital expenditures, creating delays or outages, or experiencing difficulties transitioning to new systems. Systems implementation disruption and any other information technology disruption, if not anticipated and appropriately mitigated, could have an adverse effect on the Company. Other factors that could impact the Company's businesses. The following are other factors that should be considered for a better understanding of the risks to the Company. These other factors may materially negatively impact the Company's financial results in future periods. • Acquisition, disposal and impairments of assets or facilities. • Changes in operation, performance and construction of plant facilities or other assets. • Changes in present or prospective generation. • The availability of economic expansion or development opportunities. • Population growth rates and demographic patterns. • Market demand for, available supplies of, and/or costs of, energy- and construction-related products and services. • The cyclical nature of large construction projects at certain operations. • Unanticipated project delays or changes in project costs, including related energy costs. • Unanticipated changes in operating expenses or capital expenditures. • Labor negotiations or disputes. • Inability of the contract counterparties to meet their contractual obligations. • Changes in accounting principles and/or the application of such principles to the Company. • Changes in technology. • Changes in legal or regulatory proceedings. • Losses or costs relating to litigation. • The inability to effectively integrate the operations and the internal controls of acquired companies. Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments The Company has no unresolved comments with the SEC. Item 3. Legal Proceedings For information regarding legal proceedings required by this item, see Item 8 - Note 19, which is incorporated herein by reference. Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures For information regarding mine safety violations or other regulatory matters required by Section 1503(a) of the Dodd-Frank Act and Item 104 of Regulation S-K, see Exhibit 95 to this Form 10-K, which is incorporated herein by reference. 28 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II Item 5. Market for the Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities The Company's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "MDU." As of December 31, 2018, the Company's common stock was held by approximately 11,300 stockholders of record. The Company depends on earnings and dividends from its subsidiaries to pay dividends on common stock. The Company has paid quarterly dividends for more than 80 consecutive years with an increase in the payout amount for the last 28 consecutive years. The declaration and payment of dividends is at the sole discretion of the board of directors, subject to limitations imposed by the Company's credit agreements, federal and state laws, and applicable regulatory limitations. For more information on factors that may limit the Company's ability to pay dividends, see Item 8 - Note 11. On June 4, 2018, the Company completed an acquisition in which a portion of the consideration consisted of the unregistered issuance of shares of the Company's common stock. On November 7, 2018, an additional amount of consideration was paid relating to this acquisition, which included 7,662 shares of the Company's common stock with a fair value of approximately $193,000. For additional information about this acquisition, see Item 8 - Note 3. The shares of common stock issued relating to this acquisition were issued in reliance upon the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, as the shares were issued to the owners of businesses acquired in privately negotiated transactions not involving any public offering or solicitation. The following table includes information with respect to the Company's purchase of equity securities: ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES Period October 1 through October 31, 2018 November 1 through November 30, 2018 December 1 through December 31, 2018 Total (a) Total Number of Shares (or Units) Purchased (1) (b)  Average Price Paid per Share (or Unit) (c) Total Number of Shares (or Units) Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs (2) (d) Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares (or Units) that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (2) — 38,605 — 38,605 — $26.55 — — — — — — — — — (1) Represents shares of common stock purchased on the open market in connection with annual stock grants made to the Company's non-employee directors. (2) Not applicable. The Company does not currently have in place any publicly announced plans or programs to purchase equity securities. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 29 Part II Item 6. Selected Financial Data Selected Financial Data Operating revenues (000's): Electric Natural gas distribution Pipeline and midstream Construction materials and contracting Construction services Other Intersegment eliminations Operating income (loss) (000's): Electric Natural gas distribution Pipeline and midstream Construction materials and contracting Construction services Other Intersegment eliminations Earnings (loss) on common stock (000's): Electric Natural gas distribution Pipeline and midstream Construction materials and contracting Construction services Other Intersegment eliminations Earnings on common stock before income (loss) from discontinued operations Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax* Loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interest Earnings per common share before discontinued operations - diluted Discontinued operations attributable to the Company, net of tax Common Stock Statistics Weighted average common shares outstanding - diluted (000's) Dividends declared per common share Book value per common share Market price per common share (year end) Market price ratios: Dividend payout** Yield 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 $ 335,123 $ 342,805 $ 322,356 $ 280,615 $ 277,874 $ 257,260 823,247 128,923 1,925,854 1,371,453 11,259 (64,307) 848,388 122,213 766,115 141,602 817,419 154,904 921,986 157,292 851,945 144,568 1,812,529 1,874,270 1,904,282 1,765,330 1,712,137 1,367,602 1,073,272 926,427 1,119,529 1,039,839 7,874 (58,060) 8,643 (57,430) 9,191 9,364 (78,786) (136,302) 9,620 (95,201) $ 4,531,552 $ 4,443,351 $ 4,128,828 $ 4,014,052 $ 4,115,073 $ 3,920,168 $ 65,148 $ 79,902 $ 67,929 $ 59,915 $ 61,515 $ 72,336 36,128 141,426 86,764 (79) — 84,239 36,004 143,230 81,292 (619) — 66,166 42,864 178,753 53,546 (349) — 54,974 30,218 148,312 43,678 (8,414) (2,942) 68,185 46,500 87,243 82,408 (5,370) (9,900) 54,386 79,910 20,070 92,037 85,242 (4,384) (7,176) $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 401,723 $ 424,048 $ 408,909 $ 325,741 $ 330,581 $ 320,085 47,000 $ 49,366 $ 42,222 $ 35,914 $ 36,731 $ 37,732 28,459 92,647 64,309 (761) — 32,225 20,493 123,398 53,306 (1,422) 6,849 27,102 23,435 102,687 33,945 (3,231) 6,251 23,607 13,250 89,096 23,762 (14,941) 5,016 30,484 24,666 51,510 54,432 (7,386) (6,095) 34,837 37,656 7,701 50,946 52,213 (10,776) (4,307) 269,386 284,215 232,411 175,704 184,342 168,270 2,932 (3,783) (300,354) (834,080) 109,311 109,615 — 272,318 1.38 .01 $ $ 280,432 1.45 (.02) — (131,691) (35,256) (3,895) (363) $ $ 63,748 1.19 $ $ .90 $ (623,120) $ 297,548 (.86) (4.10) $ $ .96 .59 278,248 .89 .58 1.47 1.39 $ 1.43 $ .33 $ (3.20) $ 1.55 $ 196,150 195,687 195,618 194,986 192,587 189,693 .7950 13.09 23.84 $ $ $ .7750 12.44 26.88 $ $ $ .7550 11.78 28.77 $ $ $ .7350 12.83 18.32 $ $ $ .7150 16.66 23.50 $ $ $ .6950 15.01 30.55 58% 3.4% 53% 2.9% 63% 2.7% 82% 4.1% 74% 3.1% 78% 2.3% Market value as a percent of book value 182.1% 216.1% 244.2% 142.8% 141.1% 203.5% * Reflects oil and natural gas properties noncash write-downs of $315.3 million (after tax) in 2015 and fair value impairments of assets held for sale of $157.8 million (after tax) and $475.4 million (after tax) in 2016 and 2015, respectively. ** Based on continuing operations. 30 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II Item 6. Selected Financial Data (continued) General Total assets (000's) Total long-term debt (000's) Capitalization ratios: Total equity Total debt Electric Retail sales (thousand kWh) Electric system summer and firm purchase contract ZRCs (Interconnected system) Electric system peak demand obligation, including firm purchase contracts, planning reserve margin requirement (Interconnected system) All-time demand peak - kW (Interconnected system) Electricity produced (thousand kWh) Electricity purchased (thousand kWh) Average cost of electric fuel and purchased power per kWh Natural Gas Distribution Sales (Mdk) Transportation (Mdk) Pipeline and Midstream Transportation (Mdk) Gathering (Mdk) Customer natural gas storage balance (Mdk) Construction Materials and Contracting Sales (000's): Aggregates (tons) Asphalt (tons) Ready-mixed concrete (cubic yards) 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 $ 6,988,110 $ 2,108,695 $ 6,334,666 $ 1,714,853 $ 6,284,467 $ 1,790,159 $ 6,565,154 $ 1,796,163 $ 7,805,405 $ 2,016,198 $ 7,043,365 $ 1,773,050 55% 45 100% 59% 41 100% 56% 44 100% 58% 42 100% 62% 38 100% 62% 38 100% 3,354,401 3,306,470 3,258,537 3,316,017 3,308,358 3,173,086 574.5 553.1 559.7 547.3 584.0 583.5 537.2 530.2 559.7 547.3 522.4 508.3 611,542 611,542 611,542 611,542 582,083 573,587 2,840,353 831,039 2,630,640 955,687 2,626,763 904,702 1,898,160 1,658,002 2,519,938 1,010,422 2,430,001 971,261 $ .022 $ .022 $ .021 $ .024 $ .025 $ .025 112,566 149,497 351,498 14,882 13,928 29,795 6,838 3,518 112,551 144,477 99,296 147,592 95,559 154,225 104,297 145,941 108,260 149,490 312,520 285,254 290,494 233,483 178,598 16,064 22,397 20,049 26,403 33,441 16,600 38,372 14,885 40,737 26,693 28,213 6,237 3,548 27,580 7,203 3,655 26,959 6,705 3,592 25,827 6,070 3,460 24,713 6,228 3,223 Aggregate reserves (000's tons) 1,014,431 965,036 989,084 1,022,513 1,061,156 1,083,376 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 31 Part II Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations The Company operates with a two-platform business model. Its regulated energy delivery platform and its construction materials and services platform are each comprised of different operating segments. Some of these segments experience seasonality related to the industries in which they operate. The two-platform approach helps balance this seasonality and the risk associated with each type of industry. Through its regulated energy delivery platform, the Company provides electric and natural gas services to customers, generates, transmits and distributes electricity, and provides natural gas transportation, storage and gathering services. These businesses are regulated by state public service commissions and/or the FERC. The construction materials and services platform provides construction services to a variety of industries, including commercial, industrial and governmental, and provides construction materials through aggregate mining and marketing of related products, such as ready-mixed concrete and asphalt. The Company is organized into five reportable business segments. These business segments include: electric, natural gas distribution, pipeline and midstream, construction materials and contracting, and construction services. The Company's business segments are determined based on the Company's method of internal reporting, which generally segregates the strategic business units due to differences in products, services and regulation. The internal reporting of these segments is defined based on the reporting and review process used by the Company's chief executive officer. The Company's strategy is to apply its expertise in the regulated energy delivery and construction materials and services businesses to increase market share, increase profitability and enhance shareholder value through organic growth opportunities and strategic acquisitions. The Company is focused on a disciplined approach to the acquisition of well-managed companies and properties. The Company has capabilities to fund its growth and operations through various sources, including internally generated funds, commercial paper facilities, revolving credit facilities and the issuance from time to time of debt and equity securities. For more information on the Company's capital expenditures, see Liquidity and Capital Commitments. On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed into law the TCJA making significant changes to the United States federal income tax laws. Some of the more material changes from the TCJA that impacted the Company were reduced corporate tax rates, repeal of the domestic production deduction and disallowance of immediate expensing for regulated utility property. The Company has reviewed the impacts of the TCJA and is complying with all known tax rules and guidance. For additional information on the impacts of the TCJA, see Item 8 - Note 13. Consolidated Earnings Overview The following table summarizes the contribution to the consolidated earnings by each of the Company's business segments. Years ended December 31, Electric Natural gas distribution Pipeline and midstream Construction materials and contracting Construction services Other Intersegment eliminations Earnings before discontinued operations Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax Loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interest Earnings on common stock Earnings per common share - basic: Earnings before discontinued operations Discontinued operations attributable to the Company, net of tax Earnings per common share - basic Earnings per common share - diluted: Earnings before discontinued operations Discontinued operations attributable to the Company, net of tax Earnings per common share - diluted 2018 2017 2016 (In millions, except per share amounts) $ 47.0 $ 49.4 $ 37.7 28.5 92.6 64.3 (.7) — 32.2 20.5 123.4 53.3 (1.5) 6.9 269.4 284.2 2.9 — (3.8) — 42.2 27.1 23.4 102.7 33.9 (3.2) 6.3 232.4 (300.4) (131.7) $ $ $ $ $ 272.3 $ 280.4 $ 63.7 1.38 $ 1.46 $ .01 (.02) 1.39 $ 1.44 $ 1.38 $ 1.45 $ .01 (.02) 1.39 $ 1.43 $ 1.19 (.86) .33 1.19 (.86) .33 32 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II 2018 compared to 2017 The Company's consolidated earnings decreased $8.1 million. The Company's earnings were positively impacted in 2018 as a result of the lower federal statutory tax rate, which was partially offset by the absence of a $39.5 million tax benefit recorded in the fourth quarter of 2017 for the revaluation of the business's net deferred tax liabilities. Both tax impacts were the result of the enactment of the TCJA, as further discussed in Item 8 - Note 13. Decreased earnings due to lower returns on investments also offset the lower income tax rate. Also positively impacting the Company's earnings were higher outside specialty contracting gross margins due to increased outside equipment sales and rentals at the construction services business, as well as a $4.2 million income tax benefit relating to the reversal of a regulatory liability recorded in 2017 based on a FERC final accounting order issued during the third quarter of 2018 at the pipeline and midstream business. 2017 compared to 2016 The Company's consolidated earnings increased $216.7 million. The Company's earnings were positively impacted due to the absence in 2017 of a loss associated with the sale of the refining business in June 2016 relating to discontinued operations, as well as an overall income tax benefit to the Company of $39.5 million primarily for the revaluation of the Company's net deferred tax liabilities. Also contributing to the Company's increased earnings were higher inside and outside specialty contracting margins driven by decreased costs and higher contracting workloads at the construction services business, higher natural gas retail sales margins as a result of increased retail sales volumes at the natural gas distribution business and higher electric retail sales margins at the electric business. These increases were partially offset by lower asphalt product and construction margins driven by competitive pricing and unfavorable weather at the construction materials and contracting business and lower gathering and processing revenues resulting from lower volumes due to the sale of the Pronghorn assets in January 2017 at the pipeline and midstream business. A discussion of key financial data from the Company's business segments follows. Business Segment Financial and Operating Data Following are key financial and operating data for each of the Company's business segments. Also included are highlights on key growth strategies, projections and certain assumptions for the Company and its subsidiaries and other matters of the Company's business segments. Many of these highlighted points are "forward-looking statements." For more information, see Part I - Forward-Looking Statements. There is no assurance that the Company's projections, including estimates for growth and changes in earnings, will in fact be achieved. Please refer to assumptions contained in this section, as well as the various important factors listed in Item 1A - Risk Factors. Changes in such assumptions and factors could cause actual future results to differ materially from the Company's growth and earnings projections. For information pertinent to various commitments and contingencies, see Item 8 - Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. For a summary of the Company's business segments, see Item 8 - Note 15. Electric and Natural Gas Distribution Strategy and challenges The electric and natural gas distribution segments provide electric and natural gas distribution services to customers, as discussed in Items 1 and 2 - Business Properties. Both segments strive to be a top performing utility company measured by integrity, safety, employee satisfaction, customer service and shareholder return, while continuing to focus on providing safe, reliable and competitively priced energy and related services to customers. The Company continues to monitor opportunities for these segments to retain, grow and expand their customer base through extensions of existing operations, including building and upgrading electric generation, transmission and distribution and natural gas systems, and through selected acquisitions of companies and properties at prices that will provide stable cash flows and an opportunity to earn a competitive return on investment. The continued efforts to create operational improvements and efficiencies across both segments promotes the Company's business integration strategy. The primary factors that impact the results of these segments are the ability to earn authorized rates of return, the cost of natural gas, cost of electric fuel and purchased power, weather, competitive factors in the energy industry, population growth and economic conditions in the segments' service areas. The electric and natural gas distribution segments are subject to extensive regulation in the jurisdictions where they conduct operations with respect to costs, timely recovery of investments and permitted returns on investment, as well as certain operational, system integrity and environmental regulations. To assist in the reduction of regulatory lag with the increase in investments, tracking mechanisms have been implemented in certain jurisdictions. Legislative and regulatory initiatives to increase renewable energy resources and reduce GHG emissions could impact the price and demand for electricity and natural gas and result in the retirement of certain electric generating facilities before they are fully depreciated. Although the current administration has slowed environmental regulations, the segments continue to invest in facility upgrades to be in compliance with the existing and future regulations. Tariff increases on steel and aluminum materials could negatively affect the segments' construction projects and maintenance work. The Company continues to monitor the impact tariff increases will have on raw material costs. The natural gas distribution segment is also facing MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 33 Part II increased lead times on delivery of certain raw materials used in pipeline projects. In addition to the effect of tariffs, long lead times are attributable to increased demand for steel products from pipeline companies as they respond to the United States Department of Transportation Pipeline System Safety and Integrity Plan. The Company continues to monitor the material lead times and is working with manufacturers to proactively order such materials to help mitigate the extended lead times. The ability to grow through acquisitions is subject to significant competition and acquisition premiums. In addition, the ability of the segments to grow their service territory and customer base is affected by the economic environment of the markets served and competition from other energy providers and fuels. The construction of any new electric generating facilities, transmission lines and other service facilities is subject to increasing cost and lead time, extensive permitting procedures, and federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives, which will likely necessitate increases in electric energy prices. Revenues are impacted by both customer growth and usage, the latter of which is primarily impacted by weather. Very cold winters increase demand for natural gas and to a lesser extent, electricity, while warmer than normal summers increase demand for electricity, especially among residential and commercial customers. Average consumption among natural gas customers has tended to decline as more efficient appliances and furnaces are installed, and as the Company has implemented conservation programs. Natural gas decoupling mechanisms in certain jurisdictions have been implemented to largely mitigate the effect that would otherwise be caused by variations in volumes sold to these customers due to weather and changing consumption patterns on the Company's distribution margins. Earnings overview - The following information summarizes the performance of the electric segment. Years ended December 31, Operating revenues Electric fuel and purchased power Taxes, other than income Adjusted gross margin Operating expenses: Operation and maintenance Depreciation, depletion and amortization Taxes, other than income Total operating expenses Operating income Other income Interest expense Income before income taxes Income taxes Net income Loss/dividends on preferred stock Earnings Retail sales (million kWh): Residential Commercial Industrial Other 2018 2017 2016 (Dollars in millions, where applicable) $ 335.1 $ 342.8 $ 322.3 80.7 .7 253.7 123.0 51.0 14.5 188.5 65.2 1.2 25.9 40.5 (6.5) 47.0 — 78.7 .8 263.3 122.2 47.7 13.5 183.4 79.9 3.2 25.4 57.7 7.7 50.0 .6 $ 47.0 $ 49.4 $ 75.5 .6 246.2 115.8 50.2 12.3 178.3 67.9 1.3 25.0 44.2 1.4 42.8 .6 42.2 1,196.6 1,513.9 551.0 92.9 1,153.5 1,513.1 539.9 100.0 1,132.5 1,491.8 544.2 90.0 3,354.4 3,306.5 3,258.5 Average cost of electric fuel and purchased power per kWh $ .022 $ .022 $ .021 Adjusted gross margin is a non-GAAP financial measure. For additional information and reconciliation of the non-GAAP adjusted gross margin attributable to the electric segment, see the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section later in this Item. 2018 compared to 2017 Electric earnings decreased $2.4 million (5 percent) as a result of: Adjusted gross margin: Decrease of $9.6 million, primarily due to lower operating revenues driven by the reserves against revenues in certain jurisdictions for anticipated refunds to customers for lower income taxes due to the enactment of TCJA and a transmission formula rate adjustment due to lower than anticipated project costs on the BSSE project recorded in the third quarter of 2018. Partially offsetting the decreases to adjusted gross margin were the absence in 2018 of reserves related to tracker balances in prior years and increased 34 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II retail sales volumes of 1 percent to all major customer classes. Operation and maintenance: Increase of $800,000, largely from higher contract services at certain generating stations. Partially offsetting the increase were lower payroll-related costs. Depreciation, depletion and amortization: Increase of $3.3 million as a result of increased plant balances. Taxes, other than income: Increase of $1.0 million, primarily from higher property taxes in certain jurisdictions. Other income: Decrease of $2.0 million, largely the result of lower returns on investments. Interest expense: Comparable to the prior year. Income taxes: Decrease of $14.2 million, largely due to the enactment of the TCJA reduced corporate tax rate, reduced income before income taxes and the absence of $2.1 million of income tax expense in 2018 for the revaluation of nonutility net deferred tax assets in 2017, as discussed in Item 8 - Note 13. Partially offsetting these decreases were lower production tax credits. A portion of the reduction in income taxes are being reserved against revenues, as previously discussed, resulting in a minimal impact on overall earnings. 2017 compared to 2016 Electric earnings increased $7.2 million (17 percent) as a result of: Adjusted gross margin: Increase of $17.1 million, primarily from increased electric retail sales margins from the recovery of an additional investment on the BSSE project, approved rate recovery in all jurisdictions and 2 percent higher retail sales volumes to commercial and residential customers. Operation and maintenance: Increase of $6.4 million, largely from higher payroll-related costs, material costs and contract services at certain generating stations. Depreciation, depletion and amortization: Decrease of $2.5 million, largely from lower depreciation rates implemented in conjunction with regulatory recovery activity. Taxes, other than income: Increase of $1.2 million, primarily from higher property taxes in certain jurisdictions. Other income: Increase of $1.9 million, largely the result of higher returns on investments. Interest expense: Comparable to the prior year. Income taxes: Increase of $6.3 million, largely from increased income before income taxes and $2.1 million of income tax expense for the revaluation of nonutility net deferred tax assets, as discussed in Item 8 - Note 13. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 35 Part II Earnings overview - The following information summarizes the performance of the natural gas distribution segment. Years ended December 31, Operating revenues Purchased natural gas sold Taxes, other than income Adjusted gross margin Operating expenses: Operation and maintenance Depreciation, depletion and amortization Taxes, other than income Total operating expenses Operating income Other income Interest expense Income before income taxes Income taxes Net income Loss/dividends on preferred stock Earnings Volumes (MMdk) Retail sales: Residential Commercial Industrial Transportation sales: Commercial Industrial Total throughput 2018 2017 2016 (Dollars in millions, where applicable) $ 823.2 $ 848.4 $ 454.8 28.5 339.9 173.4 72.5 21.7 267.6 72.3 .2 30.7 41.8 4.1 37.7 — 479.9 30.0 338.5 164.3 69.4 20.5 254.2 84.3 2.0 31.2 55.1 22.8 32.3 .1 $ 37.7 $ 32.2 $ 63.7 44.4 4.5 63.6 44.3 4.6 112.6 112.5 2.2 147.3 149.5 262.1 2.0 142.5 144.5 257.0 766.1 431.5 26.5 308.1 156.9 65.4 19.6 241.9 66.2 .6 30.4 36.4 9.2 27.2 .1 27.1 56.2 38.9 4.2 99.3 1.8 145.8 147.6 246.9 4.35 Average cost of natural gas, including transportation, per dk $ 4.04 $ 4.26 $ Adjusted gross margin is a non-GAAP financial measure. For additional information and reconciliation of the non-GAAP adjusted gross margin attributable to the natural gas distribution segment, see the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section later in this Item. 2018 compared to 2017 Natural gas distribution earnings increased $5.5 million (17 percent) as a result of: Adjusted gross margin: Increase of $1.4 million, primarily due to increased retail sales margins, mainly the result of weather normalization mechanisms in certain jurisdictions and conservation revenue, which offsets the conservation expense in operation and maintenance expense. Also contributing to the retail sales margin increase were higher basic service charges as a result of increased retail sales customers and rate design. These increases were partially offset by tax reform revenue impacts for refunds to customers as a result of lower income taxes due to the enactment of TCJA and lower volumes in certain jurisdictions. Operation and maintenance: Increase of $9.1 million, largely related to conservation expenses being recovered in revenue; contract services, which includes the recognition of a non-recurring expense related to the approved WUTC general rate case settlement in the second quarter 2018; and higher payroll-related costs. Depreciation, depletion and amortization: Increase of $3.1 million, primarily as a result of increased plant balances offset in part by lower depreciation rates implemented in certain jurisdictions. Taxes, other than income: Increase of $1.2 million due to higher property taxes in certain jurisdictions. Other income: Decrease of $1.8 million, primarily the result of lower returns on investments. Interest expense: Comparable to the prior year. Income taxes: Decrease of $18.7 million, largely due to the enactment of the TCJA reduced corporate tax rate, as well as the absence of $4.3 million income tax expense related to the 2017 revaluation of nonutility net deferred tax assets, as discussed in Item 8 - Note 13, 36 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II and reduced income before income taxes. A portion of the reduction in income taxes are being reserved against revenues or passed back to customers, as previously discussed, resulting in a minimal impact on overall earnings. 2017 compared to 2016 Natural gas distribution earnings increased $5.1 million (19 percent) as a result of: Adjusted gross margin: Increase of $30.4 million, primarily due to increased retail sales margins as a result of increased retail sales volumes of 13 percent across all customer classes from colder weather in all jurisdictions, offset in part by weather normalization in certain jurisdictions and 2 percent customer growth. Also contributing to the increases were approved final and interim rate increases. Operation and maintenance: Increase of $7.4 million, primarily from increased payroll-related costs and material costs. Depreciation, depletion and amortization: Increase of $4.0 million as a result of increased plant balances. Taxes, other than income: Increase of $900,000 due to higher property taxes in certain jurisdictions. Other income: Increase of $1.4 million as a result of higher returns on investments. Interest expense: Increase of $800,000 due to increased debt balances. Income taxes: Increase of $13.6 million, largely the result of increased income before income taxes, as well as an additional $4.3 million income tax expense for the revaluation of nonutility net deferred tax assets, as discussed in Item 8 - Note 13. Outlook The Company expects these segments will grow rate base by approximately 5 percent annually over the next five years on a compound basis. This growth projection is on a much larger base, having grown rate base at a record pace of 12 percent compounded annually over the past five-year period. Operations are spread across eight states where the Company expects customer growth to be higher than the national average. The Company expects its customer base to grow by 1 percent to 2 percent per year. This customer growth, along with system upgrades and replacements needed to supply safe and reliable service, will require investments in new electric generation and transmission and natural gas systems. In November 2017, the NDPSC approved the advance determination of prudence for the purchase of the Thunder Spirit Wind farm expansion in southwest North Dakota. Construction of the Thunder Spirit Wind farm expansion began in May 2018 and on October 31, 2018, the Company finalized the purchase and placed it into service. With the addition of the expansion, the total Thunder Spirit Wind farm generation capacity is approximately 155 MW and increased the Company's electric generation portfolio to approximately 27 percent renewables based on nameplate ratings. The Company's integrated resource plans filed in North Dakota and Montana in 2017 include additional generation projects in the 2025 timeframe. In June 2016, the Company, along with a partner, began construction on the BSSE project. The estimated capital investment for this project has been updated to approximately $130 million. All necessary easements have been secured and construction is complete. The Company began bringing the project on-line on February 5, 2019. In addition, the Company is also expecting to receive a continuation of the return on the project throughout the year. On February 19, 2019, the Company announced that it intends to retire three aging coal-fired electric generation units within the next three years due to the fact that the plants are no longer expected to be cost competitive. The retirements are expected to be in late 2020 for Lewis & Clark station in Sidney, Montana, and in late 2021 for units 1 and 2 at Heskett station in Mandan, North Dakota. These dates may be impacted by the Company's coal supplier's pending bankruptcy proceeding. In addition, the Company announced that it intends to construct a new simple-cycle natural gas combustion turbine peaking unit at the existing plant site in Mandan, North Dakota. The Company continues to be focused on the regulatory recovery of its investments. Since January 1, 2018, these segments have implemented rate increases, as well as system integrity mechanisms, in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Washington and before the FERC. The Company files for rate adjustments to seek recovery of operating costs and capital investments, as well as reasonable returns as allowed by regulators. The Company's most recent cases by jurisdiction are discussed in Item 8 - Note 18. With the enactment of the TCJA, the state regulators in jurisdictions where the segments operate requested companies submit plans for the estimated impact of the TCJA. The segments determined the use of the deferral method of accounting for the revaluation of its regulated deferred tax assets and liabilities was appropriate. As such, the Company recorded a regulatory liability for the excess deferred income taxes that related to the effect of the change in tax rates on its regulated deferred tax assets and liabilities in the fourth quarter of 2017. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2018, the Company reserved an additional regulatory liability of approximately $18.5 million, which is an offset to the Company's revenues, as previously discussed. The additional reserves were calculated by completing a revenue requirement calculation in each state where the Company thought it was probable that the refund of tax savings would be returned to the Company's customers, or based on calculations or amounts prescribed by the commissions. The Company has been working on various rate cases with the state regulators relating to the impacts of the TCJA. A majority of these rate cases have been settled with new rates being implemented in 2018 or upcoming in 2019. For further details on the status of implementing the new rates, as well as the status on open rate cases, see MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 37 Part II Item 8 - Note 18. Due to not being able to immediately expense utility property for tax purposes, the segments' cash flows are negatively impacted. Pipeline and Midstream Strategy and challenges The pipeline and midstream segment provides natural gas transportation, gathering and underground storage services, as discussed in Items 1 and 2 - Business Properties. The segment focuses on utilizing its extensive expertise in the design, construction and operation of energy infrastructure and related services to increase market share and profitability through optimization of existing operations, organic growth and investments in energy-related assets within or in close proximity to its current operating areas. The segment focuses on the continual safety and reliability of its systems, which entails building and maintaining safe natural gas pipelines and facilities. The segment continues to evaluate growth opportunities including the expansion of existing storage, gathering and transmission facilities; incremental pipeline projects to expand pipeline capacity; and expansion of energy-related services leveraging on its core competencies. The segment is exposed to energy price volatility which is impacted by the fluctuations in pricing, production and basis differentials of the energy market's commodities. Legislative and regulatory initiatives to increase pipeline safety regulations and reduce methane emissions could also impact the price and demand for natural gas. Tariff increases on steel and aluminum materials could negatively affect the segment's construction projects and maintenance work. The Company continues to monitor the impact tariff increases will have on raw material costs. The segment experiences extended lead times on raw materials that are critical to the segment's construction and maintenance work. Long lead times on materials could delay maintenance work and project construction potentially causing lost revenues and/or increased costs. The Company continues to proactively monitor and plan for the material lead times, as well as work with manufacturers and suppliers to help mitigate the extended lead times. The pipeline and midstream segment is subject to extensive regulation including certain operational, system integrity and environmental regulations, as well as various permit terms and operational compliance conditions. The segment is charged with the ongoing process of reviewing existing permits and easements, as well as securing new permits and easements as necessary to meet current demand and future growth opportunities. Exposure to pipeline opposition groups could also cause negative impacts on the segment with increased costs and potential delays to project completion. The segment focuses on the recruitment and retention of a skilled workforce to remain competitive and provide services to its customers. The industry in which it operates relies on a skilled workforce to construct energy infrastructure and operate existing infrastructure in a safe manner. A shortage of skilled personnel can create a competitive labor market which could increase costs incurred by the segment. Competition from other pipeline and midstream companies can also have a negative impact on the segment. 38 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Earnings overview - The following information summarizes the performance of the pipeline and midstream segment. Part II Years ended December 31, Operating revenues Operating expenses: Operation and maintenance Depreciation, depletion and amortization Taxes, other than income Total operating expenses Operating income Other income Interest expense Income before income taxes Income taxes Earnings Transportation volumes (MMdk) Natural gas gathering volumes (MMdk) Customer natural gas storage balance (MMdk): Beginning of period Net injection (withdrawal) End of period 2018 2017 2016 (Dollars in millions) $ 128.9 $ 122.2 $ 141.6 62.2 17.9 12.7 92.8 36.1 1.0 5.9 31.2 2.7 56.9 16.8 12.5 86.2 36.0 1.8 5.0 32.8 12.3 $ 28.5 $ 20.5 $ 351.5 14.9 22.4 (8.5) 13.9 312.5 16.1 26.4 (4.0) 22.4 61.9 24.9 11.9 98.7 42.9 .9 8.0 35.8 12.4 23.4 285.3 20.0 16.6 9.8 26.4 2018 compared to 2017 Pipeline and midstream earnings increased $8.0 million (39 percent) as a result of: Revenues: Increase of $6.7 million, largely attributable to increased volumes of natural gas transported through its system as a result of completed organic growth projects and higher nonregulated project workloads, which increased revenues $4.1 million. These increases were partially offset by decreased storage-related revenues reflecting the decrease in natural gas pricing spreads, as discussed in the Outlook section. Operation and maintenance: Increase of $5.3 million, primarily from higher nonregulated project costs of $3.9 million directly related to the increase in nonregulated project workloads, as previously discussed, as well as higher professional services, material costs and contract services. Depreciation, depletion and amortization: Increase of $1.1 million, largely resulting from organic growth projects. Taxes, other than income: Comparable to the prior year. Other income: Decrease of $800,000, primarily the result of lower returns on investments partially offset by higher AFUDC. Interest expense: Increase of $900,000, largely resulting from higher debt balances. Income taxes: Decrease of $9.6 million, primarily resulting from the lower corporate tax rate due to the enactment of the TCJA creating a reduction to income tax expense, as well as the realization of a $4.2 million income tax benefit related to the reversal of a regulatory liability recorded in 2017 based on a FERC final accounting order issued during third quarter of 2018. 2017 compared to 2016 Pipeline and midstream earnings decreased $2.9 million (13 percent) as a result of: Revenues: Decrease of $19.4 million, largely resulting from lower gathering and processing revenues of $22.6 million. The decrease in revenues resulted from lower volumes from the sale of the Pronghorn assets in January 2017. Partially offsetting the decrease was higher transportation revenues of $1.6 million, largely from increased off-system transportation volumes due to organic growth projects completed in 2017. Operation and maintenance: Decrease of $5.0 million, which includes $3.6 million primarily from the absence of Pronghorn, as previously discussed, and the absence in 2017 of a fair value impairment in 2016 associated with the Pronghorn sale. Depreciation, depletion and amortization: Decrease of $8.1 million, largely due to the absence of the Pronghorn assets, as previously discussed. Taxes, other than income: Increase of $600,000 from higher property taxes. Other income: Increase of $900,000 attributable to higher AFUDC. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 39 Part II Interest expense: Decrease of $3.0 million due to lower debt balances. Income taxes: Comparable to the prior year. Outlook The Company has continued to experience the effects of natural gas production at record levels, which has provided opportunities for organic growth projects and increased demand. The completion of organic growth projects has contributed to the Company transporting increasing volumes of natural gas through its system. Additionally, the record levels of natural gas supply have moderated the need for storage services and put downward pressure on natural gas prices and minimized pricing volatility. Both natural gas production levels and pressure on natural gas prices are expected to continue in the near term. The Company continues to focus on growth and improving existing operations through organic projects in all areas in which it operates. The following describes recent growth projects. In January 2019, the Company announced plans to construct approximately 67 miles of new pipeline, compression and ancillary facilities to transport natural gas from core Bakken production areas near Tioga, North Dakota, and extend to a new interconnection point in McKenzie County, North Dakota. This North Bakken Expansion project, as designed, would provide 200 MMcf per day of natural gas transportation capacity. Construction is expected to begin in early 2021 with an estimated completion date late in 2021, which is dependent on regulatory and environmental permitting and finalization of transportation agreements with customers. The estimated cost of the project is approximately $220 million. In November 2018, the Company completed construction and placed into service its Valley Expansion project, a 38-mile pipeline that delivers natural gas supply to eastern North Dakota and far western Minnesota. The project, which is designed to transport 40 MMcf of natural gas per day, is under the jurisdiction of the FERC. In September 2018, the Company completed construction and placed into service its Line Section 27 Expansion project in the Bakken area of northwestern North Dakota. The project includes approximately 13 miles of new pipeline and associated facilities and increases capacity by over 200 MMcf per day. The project brings the total capacity of Line Section 27 to over 600 MMcf per day. In early 2018, the Company announced two additional natural gas pipeline growth projects, the Demicks Lake project and Line Section 22 Expansion project. The Company has signed long-term commitment contracts supporting both projects. The Demicks Lake project, which includes approximately 14 miles of 20-inch pipe and will increase capacity by 175 MMcf per day, is located in McKenzie County, North Dakota. Construction is expected to begin in 2019, with an in-service date in the fall of 2019. The Line Section 22 Expansion project in the Billings, Montana, area is also scheduled to begin construction in 2019, with an expected in-service date in late 2019. This project will increase capacity by 22.5 MMcf per day to serve incremental demand in Billings, Montana. Construction Materials and Contracting Strategy and challenges The construction materials and contracting segment provides an integrated set of construction services, as discussed in Items 1 and 2 - Business Properties. The segment focuses on high-growth strategic markets located near major transportation corridors and desirable mid-sized metropolitan areas; strengthening the long-term, strategic aggregate reserve position through available purchase and/or lease opportunities; enhancing profitability through cost containment, margin discipline and vertical integration of the segment's operations; development and recruitment of talented employees; and continued growth through organic and acquisition opportunities. A key element of the Company's long-term strategy for this business is to further expand its market presence in the higher-margin materials business (rock, sand, gravel, liquid asphalt, asphalt concrete, ready-mixed concrete and related products), complementing and expanding on the segment's expertise. The Company's acquisitions in 2018 support this strategy. As one of the country's largest sand and gravel producers, the segment continues to strategically manage its 1.0 billion tons of aggregate reserves in all its markets, as well as take further advantage of being vertically integrated. The segment's vertical integration allows the segment to manage operations from aggregate mining to final lay-down of concrete and asphalt, with control of and access to permitted aggregate reserves being significant. The Company's aggregate reserves are naturally declining and as a result, the Company seeks acquisition opportunities to replace the reserves. In 2018, the Company's aggregate reserves increased by nearly 50 million tons primarily due to acquisition activity. The construction materials and contracting segment faces challenges that are not under the direct control of the business. The segment operates in geographically diverse and highly competitive markets. Competition can put negative pressure on the segment's operating margins. The segment is also subject to volatility in the cost of raw materials such as diesel fuel, gasoline, liquid asphalt, cement and steel. Although it is difficult to determine the split between inflation and supply/demand increases, diesel fuel costs remained fairly stable for the past twelve months, while asphalt oil costs have trended higher in 2018 as compared to 2017. Such volatility can have a negative impact on the segment's margins. Other variables that can impact the segment's margins include adverse weather conditions, the timing of project 40 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K starts or completion and declines or delays in new and existing projects due to the cyclical nature of the construction industry and federal infrastructure spending. The segment also faces challenges in the recruitment and retention of employees. Trends in the labor market include an aging workforce and availability issues. The segment continues to face increasing pressure to control costs, as well as find and train a skilled workforce to meet the needs of increasing demand and seasonal work. Earnings overview - The following information summarizes the performance of the construction materials and contracting segment. Part II Years ended December 31, Operating revenues Cost of sales: Operation and maintenance Depreciation, depletion and amortization Taxes, other than income Total cost of sales Gross margin Selling, general and administrative expense: Operation and maintenance Depreciation, depletion and amortization Taxes, other than income Total selling, general and administrative expense Operating income Other income (expense) Interest expense Income before income taxes Income taxes Earnings Sales (000's): Aggregates (tons) Asphalt (tons) Ready-mixed concrete (cubic yards) 2018 2017 2016 (Dollars in millions) $ 1,925.9 $ 1,812.5 $ 1,874.3 1,601.7 1,500.1 1,533.2 59.0 39.7 52.5 38.0 54.1 37.5 1,700.4 1,590.6 1,624.8 225.5 221.9 249.5 77.6 2.2 4.3 84.1 71.5 3.4 3.8 78.7 62.2 4.3 4.3 70.8 141.4 143.2 178.7 (3.1) 17.3 121.0 28.4 .4 14.8 128.8 5.4 (.1) 15.3 163.3 60.6 $ 92.6 $ 123.4 $ 102.7 29,795 6,838 3,518 28,213 27,580 6,237 3,548 7,203 3,655 2018 compared to 2017 Construction materials and contracting's earnings decreased $30.8 million (25 percent) as a result of: Revenues: Increase of $113.4 million driven by higher asphalt product and aggregate volumes due to increased agency demand, increased realized prices and lower material costs. Partially offsetting these increases were lower ready-mixed concrete volumes due to a decrease in available work and unfavorable weather conditions in certain regions. Gross margin: Increase of $3.6 million resulting from higher asphalt product volumes and margins, largely from recent acquisitions and higher realized prices. Also contributing to the increase were higher aggregate volumes and margins due to strong market demand and lower material costs. Partially offsetting these increases were lower ready-mixed concrete volumes and margins due to a decrease in available work and unfavorable weather conditions in certain regions. Selling, general and administrative expense: Increase of $5.4 million, primarily payroll-related costs, acquisition costs and higher insurance-related costs. Other income: Decrease of $3.5 million, largely the result of lower returns on investments. Interest expense: Increase of $2.5 million, largely resulting from higher debt balances as a result of recent acquisitions, capital expenditures and higher working capital needs. Income taxes: Increase of $23.0 million, primarily resulting from the absence in 2018 of a $41.9 million tax benefit recorded in the fourth quarter of 2017 for the revaluation of the segment's net deferred tax liabilities, as discussed in Item 8 - Note 13. Partially offsetting this increase were lower income taxes due to the enactment of the TCJA, which reduced the corporate tax rate. 2017 compared to 2016 Construction materials and contracting's earnings increased $20.7 million (20 percent) as a result of: Revenues: Decrease of $61.8 million resulting from lower asphalt product volumes driven by competitive pricing and unfavorable weather MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 41 Part II during the first half of the year, less available work and increased competition in certain regions. Gross margin: Decrease of $27.6 million, largely resulting from lower asphalt product margins, as previously discussed, and lower construction margins of $8.8 million driven by decreased workloads caused by unfavorable weather during the first half of the year and less available work in energy-producing states. Partially offsetting these decreases were higher aggregate margins of $8.0 million, primarily due to strong commercial and residential demand in certain regions. Selling, general and administrative expense: Increase of $7.9 million, largely resulting from the absence in 2017 of an $11.1 million reduction to a MEPP withdrawal liability. Partially offsetting the increase were lower depreciation, depletion and amortization expense and lower office expense. Other income: Comparable to the prior year. Interest expense: Comparable to the prior year. Income taxes: Decrease of $55.2 million, largely resulting from an income tax benefit of $41.9 million for the revaluation of the segment's net deferred tax liabilities, as discussed in Item 8 - Note 13, and lower income before income taxes. Outlook The segment's vertically integrated aggregates based business model provides the Company with the ability to capture margin throughout the sales delivery process. The aggregate products are sold internally and externally for use in other products such as ready- mixed concrete, asphaltic concrete and public and private construction markets. The contracting services and construction materials are sold primarily to construction contractors in connection with street, highway and other public infrastructure projects, as well as private commercial and residential development projects. The public infrastructure projects have traditionally been more stable markets as public funding is more secure during periods of economic decline. The public funding is, however, dependent on federal funding such as appropriations to the Federal Highway Administration. Spending on private development is highly dependent on both local and national economic cycles, providing additional sales during times of strong economic cycles. The Company remains optimistic about overall economic growth and infrastructure spending. The IBISWorld Incorporated Industry Report issued in May 2018 for sand and gravel mining in the United States projects a 1.8 percent annual growth rate over the next five years. The report also states the demand for clay and refractory materials is projected to continue deteriorating in several downstream manufacturing industries, but this decline will be offset by stronger demand from the housing market and buoyant demand from the highway and bridge construction market. The Company believes stronger demand in the housing markets along with continued demand from the highway and bridge construction markets should provide a stable demand for construction materials and contracting products and services in the near future. In April 2018, the Company acquired Teevin & Fischer Quarry, LLC, a crushed rock and gravel supplier in northwestern Oregon. In June 2018, the Company acquired Tri-City Paving, Inc., a general contractor and aggregate, asphalt and ready-mixed concrete supplier headquartered in Little Falls, Minnesota. In July 2018, the Company acquired Molalla Redi-Mix and Rock Products, Inc., which produces ready-mixed concrete in Molalla, Oregon. In October 2018, the Company acquired Sweetman Construction Company, a premier provider of aggregates, asphalt and ready-mixed concrete in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. These acquisitions are expected to be accretive to the segment's earnings in 2019. The Company continues to evaluate additional acquisition opportunities. For more information on these acquisitions, see Item 8 - Note 3. The Company had backlog at December 31, 2018, of $706 million, up from $486 million at December 31, 2017. The Company has benefited from increased bidding opportunities in each of its regions. The increase in backlog was primarily attributable to work for state transportation departments, airports, the military, homebuilders and commercial developers. The Company expects to complete a significant amount of the backlog at December 31, 2018, during the next 12 months. Construction Services Strategy and challenges The construction services segment provides inside and outside specialty contracting, as discussed in Items 1 and 2 - Business Properties. The construction services segment focuses on providing a superior return on investment by building new and strengthening existing customer relationships; ensuring quality service; safely executing projects; effectively controlling costs; collecting on receivables; retaining, developing and recruiting talented employees; growing through organic and acquisition opportunities; and focusing efforts on projects that will permit higher margins while properly managing risk. The construction services segment faces challenges in the highly competitive markets in which it operates. Competitive pricing environments, project delays and effects from restrictive regulatory requirements have negatively impacted margins in the past and could affect margins in the future. Additionally, margins may be negatively impacted on a quarterly basis due to adverse weather conditions, as well as timing of project starts or completions, declines or delays in new projects due to the cyclical nature of the construction industry and other factors. These challenges may also impact the risk of loss on certain projects. Accordingly, operating results in any particular period may not be indicative of the results that can be expected for any other period. 42 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K The need to ensure available specialized labor resources for projects also drives strategic relationships with customers and project margins. These trends include an aging workforce and labor availability issues, increasing pressure to reduce costs and improve reliability, and increasing duration and complexity of customer capital programs. Due to these and other factors, the Company believes customer demand for labor resources will continue to increase, possibly surpassing the supply of industry resources. Earnings overview - The following information summarizes the performance of the construction services segment. Part II Years ended December 31, Operating revenues Cost of sales: Operation and maintenance Depreciation, depletion and amortization Taxes, other than income Total cost of sales Gross margin Selling, general and administrative expense: Operation and maintenance Depreciation, depletion and amortization Taxes, other than income Total selling, general and administrative expense Operating income Other income Interest expense Income before income taxes Income taxes Earnings 2018 2017 2016 (In millions) $ 1,371.5 $ 1,367.6 $ 1,073.3 1,150.4 1,153.9 14.3 42.0 14.2 43.4 1,206.7 1,211.5 164.8 156.1 72.2 1.4 4.4 78.0 86.8 1.1 3.6 84.3 20.0 69.3 1.5 4.0 74.8 81.3 1.3 3.7 78.9 25.6 $ 64.3 $ 53.3 $ 905.4 13.5 35.2 954.1 119.2 60.1 1.8 3.8 65.7 53.5 2.2 4.0 51.7 17.8 33.9 2018 compared to 2017 Construction services earnings increased $11.0 million (21 percent) as a result of: Revenues: Comparable to the prior year. Gross margin: Increase of $8.7 million, largely resulting from higher outside specialty contracting gross margins due to increased outside equipment sales and rentals. Partially offsetting the increase were decreased inside specialty contracting gross margins as a result of decreased workloads and customer demand. Selling, general and administrative expense: Increase of $3.2 million, primarily higher office expense, outside professional costs and payroll-related costs. Other income: Comparable to the prior year. Interest expense: Comparable to the prior year. Income taxes: Decrease of $5.6 million, largely the lower corporate tax rate due to the enactment of the TCJA. 2017 compared to 2016 Construction services earnings increased $19.4 million (57 percent) as a result of: Revenues: Increase of $294.3 million, primarily from an increase in the number and size of construction projects in 2017, as well as increased equipment sales and rentals. Gross margin: Increase of $36.9 million resulting from higher inside specialty contracting margins of $20.9 million driven by increased revenues, as previously discussed, and decreased costs from the successful management of labor performance on projects in a majority of the business activities performed partially offset by job losses on certain projects. Also contributing to the increased margins were higher outside specialty contracting margins of $16.0 million driven by higher contracting workloads and equipment revenues in areas impacted by storm activity. Selling, general and administrative expense: Increase of $9.1 million, primarily higher payroll-related costs, office expense and outside professional costs. Other income: Decrease of $900,000 due to the absence of interest income earned on prior year completed jobs. Interest expense: Comparable to the prior year. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 43 Part II Income taxes: Increase of $7.8 million resulting from an increase in income before income taxes and the absence in 2017 of a $1.5 million tax benefit related to the disposition of a non-strategic asset. Partially offsetting this increase was an income tax benefit of $4.3 million for the revaluation of the segment's net deferred tax liabilities, as discussed in Item 8 - Note 13. Outlook The Company continues to expect long-term growth in the electric transmission and distribution market, although the timing of large bids and subsequent construction is likely to be highly variable from year to year. The Company believes several small and medium-sized transmission and distribution projects will continue to be available for bid in 2019. The Company expects bidding activity to remain strong for both outside and inside specialty construction companies in 2019. Although bidding remains highly competitive in all areas, the Company expects the segment's skilled workforce will continue to provide a benefit in securing and executing profitable projects. The Company had backlog at December 31, 2018, of $939 million, up from $708 million at December 31, 2017. The increase in backlog was largely attributable to the new project opportunities that the Company continues to see across its diverse operations, particularly in inside specialty electrical and mechanical contracting for the hospitality and gaming, high-tech, mission critical and public entities. The Company's outside power, communications and natural gas specialty operations also have a high volume of work. The Company expects to complete a significant amount of the backlog at December 31, 2018, during the next 12 months. Additionally, the Company continues to evaluate potential acquisition opportunities that would be accretive to the Company and grow the Company's backlog. Other Years ended December 31, 2018 2017 2016 Operating revenues Operating expenses: Operation and maintenance Depreciation, depletion and amortization Taxes, other than income Total operating expenses Operating loss Other income Interest expense Loss before income taxes Income taxes Loss (In millions) $ 11.3 $ 7.9 $ 9.3 2.0 .1 11.4 (.1) 1.0 2.8 (1.9) (1.2) 6.3 2.0 .2 8.5 (.6) .9 3.6 (3.3) (1.8) $ (.7) $ (1.5) $ 8.6 6.7 2.1 .1 8.9 (.3) .9 5.8 (5.2) (2.0) (3.2) Included in Other are general and administrative costs and interest expense previously allocated to the exploration and production and refining businesses that do not meet the criteria for income (loss) from discontinued operations. Largely contributing to the increase in operation and maintenance expense in 2018 were costs associated with the Holding Company Reorganization. For further details on the Company's reorganization, see Items 1 and 2 Business Properties - General. Discontinued Operations Years ended December 31, Income (loss) from discontinued operations before intercompany eliminations, net of tax Intercompany eliminations Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax Loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interest Income (loss) from discontinued operations attributable to the Company, net of tax 2018 2017 2016 (In millions) $ 2.9 $ 3.1 $ (303.2) — 2.9 — (6.9) (3.8) 2.8 (300.4) — (131.7) $ 2.9 $ (3.8) $ (168.7) 2018 compared to 2017 The income from discontinued operations attributable to the Company was $2.9 million, primarily related to income tax adjustments, compared to a loss of $3.8 million in the prior year. The loss in 2017 was largely due to eliminations for the presentation of income tax adjustments between continuing and discontinued operations. 2017 compared to 2016 The loss from discontinued operations attributable to the Company was $3.8 million compared to a loss of $168.7 million in the prior year. The decreased loss was largely due to the absence in 2017 of a loss associated with the sale of the refining 44 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K business in June 2016, as well as the reversal in 2017 of a previously accrued liability due to the resolution of a legal matter, as discussed in Item 8 - Note 4. Intersegment Transactions Amounts presented in the preceding tables will not agree with the Consolidated Statements of Income due to the Company's elimination of intersegment transactions. The amounts related to these items were as follows: Part II Years ended December 31, 2018 2017 2016 Intersegment transactions: Operating revenues Operation and maintenance Purchased natural gas sold Income from continuing operations* (In millions) $ 64.3 $ 58.0 $ 57.4 13.7 50.6 — 9.1 48.9 (6.9) 8.7 48.7 (6.3) * Includes eliminations for the presentation of income tax adjustments between continuing and discontinued operations. For more information on intersegment eliminations, see Item 8 - Note 15. Liquidity and Capital Commitments At December 31, 2018, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $53.9 million and available borrowing capacity of $384.6 million under the outstanding credit facilities of the Company and its subsidiaries. The Company expects to meet its obligations for debt maturing within one year and its other operating and capital requirements from various sources, including internally generated funds; the Company's credit facilities, as described later in Capital resources; the issuance of long-term debt; and issuance of equity securities. Cash flows Operating activities The changes in cash flows from operating activities generally follow the results of operations as discussed in Business Segment Financial and Operating Data and also are affected by changes in working capital. Changes in cash flows for discontinued operations are related to the former exploration and production and refining businesses. Cash flows provided by operating activities in 2018 increased $51.9 million from 2017. Increases: The increase in cash flows provided by operating activities was largely driven by stronger collection of accounts receivable at the construction services and construction materials and contracting businesses and bonus depreciation for tax purposes due to the enactment of TCJA at the construction materials and contracting business. Decreases: Partially offsetting these increases were higher inventory balances at the construction materials and contracting business due to higher asphalt oil inventory, largely resulting from higher average per ton cost, and higher aggregate inventory from higher production. Also contributing to the decrease were decreased deferral of production tax credits, re-measurements of taxes on investments and accelerated tax deductions related to the TCJA. Cash flows provided by operating activities in 2017 decreased $14.2 million from 2016. The decrease in cash flows provided by operating activities reflects higher working capital requirements at the construction services business largely resulting from higher receivables due to increased workloads during the year and at the construction materials business due to higher receivables resulting from increased workloads later in the year. Higher natural gas purchases including the effects of colder weather also added to higher working capital requirements at the natural gas distribution business. Higher income taxes paid from continuing operations was largely offset by higher income tax benefits received from discontinued operations resulting from the realization of net operating losses at the discontinued operations. Higher earnings from continuing operations in 2017, compared to 2016, partially offset the decrease in cash flows provided by operating activities. Higher margins at the electric, natural gas distribution and construction services businesses were partially offset by lower margins at the construction materials business. Investing activities Cash flows used in investing activities in 2018 increased $496.7 million from 2017. The increase in cash used in investing activities was primarily related to acquisition activity in 2018 at the construction materials and contracting business; the absence in 2018 of net proceeds from the sale of Pronghorn in January 2017 and higher capital expenditures in 2018 at the pipeline and midstream business; and higher capital expenditures related to various construction projects in 2018 at the electric and natural gas distribution businesses. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 45 Part II Cash flows used in investing activities in 2017 decreased $90.9 million from 2016, largely resulting from net proceeds from the sale of Pronghorn in January 2017 at the pipeline and midstream business. Financing activities Cash flows provided by financing activities in 2018 increased $475.7 million from 2017. The increase in cash provided by financing activities was largely due to increased debt issuance from an increase in commercial paper balances used for acquisitions, ongoing capital expenditures and working capital needs at the construction materials and contacting business; the issuance of an additional $200 million in term loans for capital projects at the electric and natural gas distribution businesses; and the issuance of an additional $40 million under the private shelf agreement for capital projects at the pipeline and midstream business. The increase in issuance of long- term debt was partially offset by higher debt repayment on a line of credit at the natural gas distribution business; higher debt repayment on debt that matured during third quarter 2018 at the electric and natural gas distribution businesses; and the strong collection of accounts receivable resulting in lower commercial paper balances at the construction services business. Cash flows used in financing activities in 2017 increased $50.4 million from 2016, primarily due to the higher net repayment of long-term debt. Defined benefit pension plans The Company has noncontributory qualified defined benefit pension plans for certain employees. Plan assets consist of investments in equity and fixed-income securities. Various actuarial assumptions are used in calculating the benefit expense (income) and liability (asset) related to the pension plans. Actuarial assumptions include assumptions about the discount rate and expected return on plan assets. At December 31, 2018, the pension plans' accumulated benefit obligations exceeded these plans' assets by approximately $83.8 million. Pretax pension expense reflected in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Income for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, was $843,000, $1.7 million and $2.0 million, respectively. The Company's pension expense is currently projected to be less than $1.0 million in 2019. Funding for the pension plans is actuarially determined. The minimum required contributions for the year ended December 31, 2018 were approximately $6.1 million. There were no minimum required contributions for 2017 and 2016. For more information on the Company's pension plans, see Item 8 - Note 16. Capital expenditures The Company's capital expenditures from continuing operations for 2016 through 2018 and as anticipated for 2019 through 2021 are summarized in the following table. Capital expenditures: Electric Natural gas distribution Pipeline and midstream Construction materials and contracting Construction services Other Actual* Estimated 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 (In millions) $ 111 $ 109 $ 186 $ 104 $ 103 $ 88 126 147 35 38 60 2 31 44 19 2 206 70 280 25 2 204 113 133 25 5 180 93 135 17 3 158 204 127 18 3 Total capital expenditures $ 372 $ 352 $ 769 $ 584 $ 531 $ 598 * Capital expenditures for 2018, 2017 and 2016 include noncash transactions such as the issuance of the Company's equity securities in connection with acquisitions, capital expenditure-related accounts payable and AFUDC, totaling $33.4 million, $10.5 million and $(15.8) million, respectively. The 2018 capital expenditures include the four acquisitions at the construction materials and contracting segment, as discussed in Item 8 - Note 3. The 2018 capital expenditures were funded by internal sources, issuance of long-term debt and issuance of the Company's equity securities. The Company has included in the estimated capital expenditures for 2019 through 2021 the Demicks Lake project, Line Section 22 Expansion project and North Bakken Expansion project, as previously discussed in Business Segment Financial and Operating Data. Estimated capital expenditures for the years 2019 through 2021 include those for: • System upgrades • Routine replacements • Service extensions • Routine equipment maintenance and replacements • Buildings, land and building improvements 46 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II • Pipeline, gathering and other midstream projects • Power generation and transmission opportunities • Environmental upgrades • Other growth opportunities The Company continues to evaluate potential future acquisitions and other growth opportunities that would be incremental to the outlined capital program; however, they are dependent upon the availability of economic opportunities and, as a result, capital expenditures may vary significantly from the estimates in the preceding table. It is anticipated that all of the funds required for capital expenditures for the years 2019 through 2021 will be funded by various sources, including internally generated funds; the Company's credit facilities, as described later; issuance of long-term debt; and issuance of equity securities. Capital resources Certain debt instruments of the Company and its subsidiaries, including those discussed later, contain restrictive and financial covenants and cross-default provisions. In order to borrow under the respective credit agreements, the Company and its subsidiaries must be in compliance with the applicable covenants and certain other conditions, all of which the Company and its subsidiaries, as applicable, were in compliance with at December 31, 2018. In the event the Company and its subsidiaries do not comply with the applicable covenants and other conditions, alternative sources of funding may need to be pursued. For more information on the covenants, certain other conditions and cross-default provisions, see Item 8 - Note 8. The following table summarizes the outstanding revolving credit facilities of the Company and its subsidiaries at December 31, 2018: Company Facility Facility Limit Amount Outstanding Letters of Credit Expiration Date MDU Resources Group, Inc. Commercial paper/Revolving credit agreement (a) $ 175.0 $ Cascade Natural Gas Corporation Revolving credit agreement Intermountain Gas Company Revolving credit agreement Centennial Energy Holdings, Commercial paper/Revolving Inc. credit agreement $ $ 75.0 (c) $ 85.0 (e) $ (f) $ 500.0 $ 289.6 (b) $ (In millions) 48.5 53.8 56.3 $ $ $ — 6/8/23 2.2 (d) — — 4/24/20 4/24/20 9/23/21 (a) The commercial paper program is supported by a revolving credit agreement with various banks (provisions allow for increased borrowings, at the option of the Company on stated conditions, up to a maximum of $225.0 million). The amount outstanding under the revolving credit agreement was $48.5 million. (b) Amount outstanding under commercial paper program. (c) Certain provisions allow for increased borrowings, up to a maximum of $100.0 million. (d) Outstanding letter(s) of credit reduce the amount available under the credit agreement. (e) Certain provisions allow for increased borrowings, up to a maximum of $110.0 million. (f) The commercial paper program is supported by a revolving credit agreement with various banks (provisions allow for increased borrowings, at the option of Centennial on stated conditions, up to a maximum of $600.0 million). There were no amounts outstanding under the revolving credit agreement. The Company's and Centennial's respective commercial paper programs are supported by revolving credit agreements. While the amount of commercial paper outstanding does not reduce available capacity under the respective revolving credit agreements, the Company and Centennial do not issue commercial paper in an aggregate amount exceeding the available capacity under their credit agreements. The commercial paper borrowings may vary during the period, largely the result of fluctuations in working capital requirements due to the seasonality of the construction businesses. Total equity as a percent of total capitalization was 55 percent and 59 percent at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. This ratio is calculated as the Company's total equity, divided by the Company's total capital. Total capital is the Company's total debt, including short- term borrowings and long-term debt due within one year, plus total equity. This ratio is an indicator of how the Company is financing its operations, as well as its financial strength. The following includes information related to the preceding table. MDU Resources Group, Inc. The Company's revolving credit agreement supports its commercial paper program. Commercial paper borrowings under this agreement are classified as long-term debt as they are intended to be refinanced on a long-term basis through continued commercial paper borrowings. The Company's objective is to maintain acceptable credit ratings in order to access the capital markets through the issuance of commercial paper. Historically, downgrades in the Company's credit ratings have not limited, nor are currently expected to limit, the Company's ability to access the capital markets. If the Company were to experience a downgrade of its credit ratings MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 47 Part II in the future, it may need to borrow under its credit agreement and may experience an increase in overall interest rates with respect to its cost of borrowings. On January 1, 2019, the Company's revolving credit agreement and commercial paper program became Montana-Dakota's revolving credit agreement and commercial paper program as a result of the Holding Company Reorganization. The outstanding balance of the revolving credit agreement was also transferred to Montana-Dakota. All of the related terms and covenants of the credit agreements remained the same. Prior to the maturity of the credit agreement, Montana-Dakota expects that it will negotiate the extension or replacement of this agreement. If Montana-Dakota is unable to successfully negotiate an extension of, or replacement for, the credit agreement, or if the fees on this facility become too expensive, which Montana-Dakota does not currently anticipate, it would seek alternative funding. Cascade Cascade's credit agreement contains customary covenants and provisions, including a covenant of Cascade not to permit, at any time, the ratio of total debt to total capitalization to be greater than 65 percent. Cascade's ratio of total debt to total capitalization as of December 31, 2018, was 51 percent. Other covenants include restrictions on the sale of certain assets, limitations on indebtedness and the making of certain investments. Cascade's credit agreement also contains cross-default provisions. These provisions state that if Cascade fails to make any payment with respect to any indebtedness or contingent obligation, in excess of a specified amount, under any agreement that causes such indebtedness to be due prior to its stated maturity or the contingent obligation to become payable, Cascade will be in default under the revolving credit agreement. Intermountain Intermountain's credit agreement contains customary covenants and provisions, including a covenant of Intermountain not to permit, at any time, the ratio of total debt to total capitalization to be greater than 65 percent. Intermountain's ratio of total debt to total capitalization as of December 31, 2018, was 49 percent. Other covenants include restrictions on the sale of certain assets, limitations on indebtedness and the making of certain investments. Intermountain's credit agreement also contains cross-default provisions. These provisions state that if Intermountain fails to make any payment with respect to any indebtedness or contingent obligation, in excess of a specified amount, under any agreement that causes such indebtedness to be due prior to its stated maturity or the contingent obligation to become payable, or certain conditions result in an early termination date under any swap contract that is in excess of a specified amount, then Intermountain will be in default under the revolving credit agreement. Centennial Centennial's revolving credit agreement supports its commercial paper program. Commercial paper borrowings under this agreement are classified as long-term debt as they are intended to be refinanced on a long-term basis through continued commercial paper borrowings. Centennial's objective is to maintain acceptable credit ratings in order to access the capital markets through the issuance of commercial paper. Historically, downgrades in Centennial's credit ratings have not limited, nor are currently expected to limit, Centennial's ability to access the capital markets. If Centennial were to experience a downgrade of its credit ratings in the future, it may need to borrow under its credit agreement and may experience an increase in overall interest rates with respect to its cost of borrowings. Prior to the maturity of the Centennial credit agreement, Centennial expects that it will negotiate the extension or replacement of this agreement, which provides credit support to access the capital markets. In the event Centennial is unable to successfully negotiate this agreement, or in the event the fees on this facility become too expensive, which Centennial does not currently anticipate, it would seek alternative funding. WBI Energy Transmission WBI Energy Transmission has a $200.0 million uncommitted note purchase and private shelf agreement with an expiration date of May 16, 2019. WBI Energy Transmission had $140.0 million of notes outstanding at December 31, 2018, which reduced the remaining capacity under this uncommitted private shelf agreement to $60.0 million. Off balance sheet arrangements As of December 31, 2018, the Company had no material off balance sheet arrangements as defined by the rules of the SEC. 48 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II Contractual obligations and commercial commitments For more information on the Company's contractual obligations on long-term debt, operating leases and purchase commitments, see Item 8 - Notes 8 and 19. At December 31, 2018, the Company's commitments under these obligations were as follows: Less than 1 year 1-3 years 3-5 years More than 5 years Total (In millions) Long-term debt* Estimated interest payments** Operating leases Purchase commitments $ $ 251.9 $ 416.3 $ 273.0 $ 1,173.0 $ 2,114.2 83.0 37.7 418.1 153.9 44.2 384.8 123.6 18.9 200.1 472.5 49.1 622.4 790.7 $ 999.2 $ 615.6 $ 2,317.0 $ 833.0 149.9 1,625.4 4,722.5 * Unamortized debt issuance costs and discount are excluded from the table. ** Estimated interest payments are calculated based on the applicable rates and payment dates. At December 31, 2018, the Company had total liabilities of $375.6 million related to asset retirement obligations that are excluded from the table above. Of the total asset retirement obligations, the current portion was $5.0 million at December 31, 2018, and was included in other accrued liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The remainder, which constitutes the long-term portion of asset retirement obligations, was included in deferred credits and other liabilities - other on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Due to the nature of these obligations, the Company cannot determine precisely when the payments will be made to settle these obligations. For more information, see Item 8 - Note 9. Not reflected in the previous table are $382,000 in uncertain tax positions at December 31, 2018. For more information, see Item 8 - Note 13. The Company's minimum funding requirements for its defined benefit pension plans for 2019, which are not reflected in the previous table, are $4.0 million. For information on potential contributions above the funding minimum requirements, see item 8 - Note 16. The Company's MEPP contributions are based on union employee payroll, which cannot be determined in advance for future periods. The Company may also be required to make additional contributions to its MEPPs as a result of their funded status. For more information, see Item 1A - Risk Factors and Item 8 - Note 16. New Accounting Standards For information regarding new accounting standards, see Item 8 - Note 1, which is incorporated herein by reference. Critical Accounting Policies Involving Significant Estimates The Company has prepared its financial statements in conformity with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The Company's significant accounting policies are discussed in Item 8 - Note 1. Estimates are used for items such as impairment testing of long-lived assets and goodwill; fair values of acquired assets and liabilities under the acquisition method of accounting; aggregate reserves; property depreciable lives; tax provisions; revenue recognized using the cost-to- cost measure of progress for contracts; uncollectible accounts; environmental and other loss contingencies; accumulated provision for revenues subject to refund; costs on construction contracts; unbilled revenues; actuarially determined benefit costs; asset retirement obligations; and the valuation of stock-based compensation. The Company's critical accounting policies are subject to judgments and uncertainties that affect the application of such policies. As discussed below, the Company's financial position or results of operations may be materially different when reported under different conditions or when using different assumptions in the application of such policies. As additional information becomes available, or actual amounts are determinable, the recorded estimates are revised. Consequently, operating results can be affected by revisions to prior accounting estimates. The following critical accounting policies involve significant judgments and estimates. Impairment of long-lived assets and intangibles The Company reviews the carrying values of its long-lived assets and intangibles, excluding assets held for sale, whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that such carrying values may not be recoverable and at least annually for goodwill. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 49 Part II Goodwill The Company performs its goodwill impairment testing annually in the fourth quarter. In addition, the test is performed on an interim basis whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of goodwill may not be recoverable. Examples of such events or circumstances may include a significant adverse change in business climate, weakness in an industry in which the Company's reporting units operate or recent significant cash or operating losses with expectations that those losses will continue. The goodwill impairment test is a two-step process performed at the reporting unit level. The Company has determined that the reporting units for its goodwill impairment test are its operating segments, or components of an operating segment, that constitute a business for which discrete financial information is available and for which segment management regularly reviews the operating results. For more information on the Company's operating segments, see Item 8 - Note 15. The first step of the impairment test involves comparing the fair value of each reporting unit to its carrying value. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, the test is complete and no impairment is recorded. If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, step two of the test is performed to determine the amount of impairment loss, if any. The impairment is computed by comparing the implied fair value of the reporting unit's goodwill to the carrying value of that goodwill. If the carrying value is greater than the implied fair value, an impairment loss must be recorded. For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, there were no impairment losses recorded. At December 31, 2018, the fair value substantially exceeded the carrying value at all reporting units. Determining the fair value of a reporting unit requires judgment and the use of significant estimates which include assumptions about the Company's future revenue, profitability and cash flows, amount and timing of estimated capital expenditures, inflation rates, risk adjusted cost of capital, operational plans, and current and future economic conditions, among others. The fair value of each reporting unit is determined using a weighted combination of income and market approaches. The Company uses a discounted cash flow methodology for its income approach. Under the income approach, the discounted cash flow model determines fair value based on the present value of projected cash flows over a specified period and a residual value related to future cash flows beyond the projection period. Both values are discounted using a rate which reflects the best estimate of the risk adjusted cost of capital at each reporting unit. The risk adjusted cost of capital, which varies by reporting unit and is in the range of 5 percent to 9 percent, and a long-term growth rate projection of approximately 3 percent were utilized in the goodwill impairment test performed in the fourth quarter of 2018. Under the market approach, the Company estimates fair value using multiples derived from enterprise value to EBITDA for comparative peer companies for each respective reporting unit. These multiples are applied to operating data for each reporting unit to arrive at an indication of fair value. In addition, the Company adds a reasonable control premium when calculating the fair value utilizing the peer multiples, which is estimated as the premium that would be received in a sale in an orderly transaction between market participants. The Company believes that the estimates and assumptions used in its impairment assessments are reasonable and based on available market information. Long-Lived Assets Unforeseen events and changes in circumstances and market conditions and material differences in the value of long-lived assets and intangibles due to changes in estimates of future cash flows could negatively affect the fair value of the Company's assets and result in an impairment charge. If an impairment indicator exists for tangible and intangible assets, excluding goodwill, the asset group held and used is tested for recoverability by comparing an estimate of undiscounted future cash flows attributable to the assets compared to the carrying value of the assets. If impairment has occurred, the amount of the impairment recognized is determined by estimating the fair value of the assets and recording a loss if the carrying value is greater than the fair value. There is risk involved when determining the fair value of assets, tangible and intangible, as there may be unforeseen events and changes in circumstances and market conditions that have a material impact on the estimated amount and timing of future cash flows. In addition, the fair value of the asset could be different using different estimates and assumptions in the valuation techniques used. The Company believes its estimates used in calculating the fair value of long-lived assets, including goodwill and identifiable intangibles, are reasonable based on the information that is known when the estimates are made. Business combinations The Company accounts for acquisitions on the Consolidated Financial Statements starting from the date of the acquisition, which is the date that control is obtained. The acquisition method of accounting requires acquired assets and liabilities assumed be recorded at their respective fair values as of the date of the acquisition. The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recorded as goodwill. The estimation of fair values of acquired assets and liabilities assumed by the Company requires significant judgment and requires various assumptions. Although independent appraisals may be used to assist in the determination of the fair value of certain assets and liabilities, the appraised values may be based on significant estimates provided by management. The amounts and useful lives assigned to depreciable and amortizable assets compared to amounts assigned to goodwill, which is not amortized, can affect the results of operations in the period of and periods subsequent to a business combination. In determining fair values of acquired assets and liabilities assumed, the Company uses various observable inputs for similar assets or liabilities in active markets and various unobservable inputs, which includes the use of valuation models. Fair values are based on various 50 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II factors including, but not limited to, age and condition of property, maintenance records, auction values for equipment with similar characteristics, recent sales and listings of comparable properties, data collected from drill holes and other subsurface investigations and geologic data. The Company primarily uses the market and cost approaches in determining the fair value of land and property, plant and equipment. A combination of the market and income approaches are used for aggregate reserves and intangibles, primarily a discounted cash flow model. There is a measurement period after the acquisition date during which the Company may adjust the amounts recognized for a business combination. Any such adjustments are recorded in the period the adjustment is determined with the corresponding offset to goodwill. These adjustments are typically based on obtaining additional information that existed at the acquisition date regarding the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. The measurement period ends once the Company has obtained all necessary information that existed as of the acquisition date, but does not extend beyond one year from the date of the acquisition. Once the measurement period has ended, any adjustments to assets acquired or liabilities assumed are recorded in income from continuing operations. Revenue recognition Revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The recognition of revenue requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of revenue. The accuracy of revenues reported on the Consolidated Financial Statements depends on, among other things, management's estimates of total costs to complete projects because the Company uses the cost-to-cost measure of progress on construction contracts for revenue recognition. To determine the proper revenue recognition method for contracts, the Company evaluates whether two or more contracts should be combined and accounted for as one single contract and whether the combined or single contract should be accounted for as more than one performance obligation. This evaluation requires significant judgment and the decision to combine a group of contracts or separate the combined or single contract into multiple performance obligations could change the amount of revenue and profit recorded in a given period. For most contracts, the customer contracts with the Company to provide a significant service of integrating a complex set of tasks and components into a single project. Hence, the Company's contracts are generally accounted for as one performance obligation. The Company recognizes construction contract revenue over time using the cost-to-cost measure of progress for contracts because it best depicts the transfer of assets to the customer which occurs as the Company incurs costs on the contract. Under the cost-to-cost measure of progress, the costs incurred are compared with total estimated costs of a performance obligation. Revenues are recorded proportionately to the costs incurred. This method depends largely on the ability to make reasonably dependable estimates related to the extent of progress toward completion of the contract, contract revenues and contract costs. Inasmuch as contract prices are generally set before the work is performed, the estimates pertaining to every project could contain significant unknown risks such as volatile labor, material and fuel costs, weather delays, adverse project site conditions, unforeseen actions by regulatory agencies, performance by subcontractors, job management and relations with project owners. Changes in estimates could have a material effect on the Company's results of operations, financial position and cash flows. Several factors are evaluated in determining the bid price for contract work. These include, but are not limited to, the complexities of the job, past history performing similar types of work, seasonal weather patterns, competition and market conditions, job site conditions, work force safety, reputation of the project owner, availability of labor, materials and fuel, project location and project completion dates. As a project commences, estimates are continually monitored and revised as information becomes available and actual costs and conditions surrounding the job become known. If a loss is anticipated on a contract, the loss is immediately recognized. Contracts are often modified to account for changes in contract specifications and requirements. The Company considers contract modifications to exist when the modification either creates new or changes the existing enforceable rights and obligations. Generally, contract modifications are for goods or services that are not distinct from the existing contract due to the significant integration of services provided in the context of the contract and are accounted for as if they were part of that existing contract. The effect of a contract modification on the transaction price and the measure of progress for the performance obligation to which it relates, is recognized as an adjustment to revenue on a cumulative catch-up basis. The Company's construction contracts generally contain variable consideration including liquidated damages, performance bonuses or incentives, claims, unapproved/unpriced change orders and penalties or index pricing. The variable amounts usually arise upon achievement of certain performance metrics or change in project scope. The Company estimates the amount of revenue to be recognized on variable consideration using estimation methods that best predict the most likely amount of consideration the Company expects to be entitled to or expects to incur. The Company includes variable consideration in the estimated transaction price to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur or when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is resolved. Changes in circumstances could impact management's estimates made in determining the value of variable consideration MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 51 Part II recorded. The Company updates its estimate of the transaction price each reporting period and the effect of variable consideration on the transaction price is recognized as an adjustment to revenue on a cumulative catch-up basis. The Company believes its estimates surrounding the cost-to-cost method are reasonable based on the information that is known when the estimates are made. The Company has contract administration, accounting and management control systems in place that allow its estimates to be updated and monitored on a regular basis. Because of the many factors that are evaluated in determining bid prices, it is inherent that the Company's estimates have changed in the past and will continually change in the future as new information becomes available for each job. Pension and other postretirement benefits The Company has noncontributory defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans for certain eligible employees. Various actuarial assumptions are used in calculating the benefit expense (income) and liability (asset) related to these plans. Costs of providing pension and other postretirement benefits bear the risk of change, as they are dependent upon numerous factors based on assumptions of future conditions. The Company makes various assumptions when determining plan costs, including the current discount rates and the expected long-term return on plan assets, the rate of compensation increases, actuarially determined mortality data and health care cost trend rates. In selecting the expected long-term return on plan assets, which is considered to be one of the key variables in determining benefit expense or income, the Company considers historical returns, current market conditions and expected future market trends, including changes in interest rates and equity and bond market performance. Another key variable in determining benefit expense or income is the discount rate. In selecting the discount rate, the Company matches forecasted future cash flows of the pension and postretirement plans to a yield curve which consists of a hypothetical portfolio of high-quality corporate bonds with varying maturity dates, as well as other factors, as a basis. The Company's pension and other postretirement benefit plan assets are primarily made up of equity and fixed-income investments. Fluctuations in actual equity and bond market returns, as well as changes in general interest rates, may result in increased or decreased pension and other postretirement benefit costs in the future. Management estimates the rate of compensation increase based on long-term assumed wage increases and the health care cost trend rates are determined by historical and future trends. The Company estimates that a 50 basis point decrease in the discount rate or in the expected return on plan assets would each increase expense by less than $1.5 million (after tax) for the year ended December 31, 2018. The Company believes the estimates made for its pension and other postretirement benefits are reasonable based on the information that is known when the estimates are made. These estimates and assumptions are subject to a number of variables and are expected to change in the future. Estimates and assumptions will be affected by changes in the discount rate, the expected long-term return on plan assets, the rate of compensation increase and health care cost trend rates. The Company plans to continue to use its current methodologies to determine plan costs. For more information on the assumptions used in determining plan costs, see Item 8 - Note 16. Income taxes The Company is required to make judgments regarding the potential tax effects of various financial transactions and ongoing operations to estimate the Company's obligation to taxing authorities. These tax obligations include income, real estate, franchise and sales/use taxes. Judgments related to income taxes require the recognition in the Company's financial statements a tax position that is more-likely-than-not to be sustained on audit. Judgment and estimation is required in developing the provision for income taxes and the reporting of tax-related assets and liabilities and, if necessary, any valuation allowances. The interpretation of tax laws can involve uncertainty, since tax authorities may interpret such laws differently. Actual income tax could vary from estimated amounts and may result in favorable or unfavorable impacts to net income, cash flows, and tax-related assets and liabilities. In addition, the effective tax rate may be affected by other changes including the allocation of property, payroll and revenues between states.  The Company assesses the deferred tax assets for recoverability taking into consideration historical and anticipated earnings levels; the reversal of other existing temporary differences; available net operating losses and tax carryforwards; and available tax planning strategies that could be implemented to realize the deferred tax assets. Based on this assessment, management must evaluate the need for, and amount of, a valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets. As facts and circumstances change, adjustment to the valuation allowance may be required. Non-GAAP Financial Measures The Business Segment Financial and Operating Data includes financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP, as well as another financial measure, adjusted gross margin, that is considered a non-GAAP financial measure as it relates to the Company's electric and natural gas distribution segments. The presentation of adjusted gross margin is intended to be a useful supplemental financial measure for 52 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II investors’ understanding of the segments' operating performance. This non-GAAP financial measure should not be considered as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, GAAP financial measures such as operating income (loss) or earnings (loss). The Company's non- GAAP financial measure, adjusted gross margin, is not standardized; therefore, it may not be possible to compare this financial measure with other companies’ gross margin measures having the same or similar names. In addition to operating revenues and operating expenses, management also uses the non-GAAP financial measure of adjusted gross margin when evaluating the results of operations for the electric and natural gas distribution segments. Adjusted gross margin for the electric and natural gas distribution segments is calculated by adding back adjustments to operating income (loss). These add-back adjustments include: operation and maintenance expense; depreciation, depletion and amortization expense; and certain taxes, other than income. Adjusted gross margin includes operating revenues less the cost of electric fuel and purchased power, purchased natural gas sold and certain taxes, other than income. These taxes, other than income, included as a reduction to adjusted gross margin relate to revenue taxes. These segments pass on to their customers the increases and decreases in the wholesale cost of power purchases, natural gas and other fuel supply costs in accordance with regulatory requirements. As such, the segments' revenues are directly impacted by the fluctuations in such commodities. Revenue taxes, which are passed back to customers, fluctuate with revenues as they are calculated as a percentage of revenues. For these reasons, period over period, the segments' operating income (loss) is generally not impacted. The Company's management believes the adjusted gross margin is a useful supplemental financial measure as these items are included in both operating revenues and operating expenses. The Company's management also believes that adjusted gross margin and the remaining operating expenses that calculate operating income (loss) are useful in assessing the Company's utility performance as management has the ability to influence control over the remaining operating expenses. The following information reconciles operating income to adjusted gross margin for the electric segment. Years ended December 31, 2018 2017 2016 Operating income Adjustments: Operating expenses: Operation and maintenance Depreciation, depletion and amortization Taxes, other than income Total adjustments Adjusted gross margin (In millions) $ 65.2 $ 79.9 $ 67.9 123.0 51.0 14.5 188.5 122.2 115.8 47.7 13.5 50.2 12.3 183.4 178.3 $ 253.7 $ 263.3 $ 246.2 The following information reconciles operating income to adjusted gross margin for the natural gas distribution segment. Years ended December 31, 2018 2017 2016 Operating income Adjustments: Operating expenses: Operation and maintenance Depreciation, depletion and amortization Taxes, other than income Total adjustments Adjusted gross margin (In millions) $ 72.3 $ 84.3 $ 66.2 173.4 72.5 21.7 164.3 156.9 69.4 20.5 65.4 19.6 267.6 254.2 241.9 $ 339.9 $ 338.5 $ 308.1 Effects of Inflation Inflation did not have a significant effect on the Company's operations in 2018, 2017 or 2016. Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk The Company is exposed to the impact of market fluctuations associated with interest rates. The Company has policies and procedures to assist in controlling these market risks and from time to time has utilized derivatives to manage a portion of its risk. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 53 Part II Interest rate risk The Company uses fixed and variable rate long-term debt to partially finance capital expenditures and mandatory debt retirements. These debt agreements expose the Company to market risk related to changes in interest rates. The Company manages this risk by taking advantage of market conditions when timing the placement of long-term financing. The Company from time to time has utilized interest rate swap agreements to manage a portion of the Company's interest rate risk and may take advantage of such agreements in the future to minimize such risk. For additional information on the Company's long-term debt, see Item 8 - Notes 7 and 8. At December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company had no outstanding interest rate hedges. The following table shows the amount of long-term debt, which excludes unamortized debt issuance costs and discount, and related weighted average interest rates, both by expected maturity dates, as of December 31, 2018. 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Thereafter Total Fair Value (Dollars in millions) Long-term debt: Fixed rate $ 51.9 $ 15.8 $ .8 $ 147.3 $ 77.2 $ 1,173.0 $ 1,466.0 $ 1,540.9 Weighted average interest rate 4.3% 5.1% 2.2% 4.5% 3.7% 4.7% 4.6% — Variable rate 200.0 $ 110.1 $ 289.6 — $ 48.5 — $ 648.2 $ 648.2 Weighted average interest rate 2.8% 4.4% 3.1% — 2.8% — 3.2% — 54 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting The management of MDU Resources Group, Inc. is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Company's internal control system is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of the Company's financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America. All internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Management assessed the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013). Based on our evaluation under the framework in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013), management concluded that the Company's internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2018. The effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018, has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report. David L. Goodin Jason L. Vollmer President and Chief Executive Officer Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 55 Part II Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of MDU Resources Group, Inc. Opinion on the Financial Statements We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of MDU Resources Group, Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, equity, and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018, and the related notes and the financial statement schedules listed in the Index at Item 15 (collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated February 22, 2019, expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Basis for Opinion These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. Minneapolis, Minnesota February 22, 2019 We have served as the Company's auditor since 2002. 56 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of MDU Resources Group, Inc. Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of MDU Resources Group, Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of December 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO. We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedules as of and for the year ended December 31, 2018, of the Company and our report dated February 22, 2019, expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedules. Basis for Opinion The Company's management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Minneapolis, Minnesota February 22, 2019 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 57 Part II Consolidated Statements of Income Years ended December 31, Operating revenues: 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands, except per share amounts) Electric, natural gas distribution and regulated pipeline and midstream $ 1,213,227 $ 1,244,759 $ 1,141,454 Nonregulated pipeline and midstream, construction materials and contracting, construction services and other Total operating revenues Operating expenses: Operation and maintenance: 3,318,325 3,198,592 2,987,374 4,531,552 4,443,351 4,128,828 Electric, natural gas distribution and regulated pipeline and midstream 340,331 326,687 312,211 Nonregulated pipeline and midstream, construction materials and contracting, construction services and other Total operation and maintenance Purchased natural gas sold Depreciation, depletion and amortization Taxes, other than income Electric fuel and purchased power Total operating expenses Operating income Other income (expense) Interest expense Income before income taxes Income taxes Income from continuing operations Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax (Note 4) Net income (loss) Loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interest (Note 4) Loss on redemption of preferred stocks (Note 10) Dividends declared on preferred stocks Earnings on common stock Earnings per common share - basic: Earnings before discontinued operations Discontinued operations attributable to the Company, net of tax Earnings per common share - basic Earnings per common share - diluted: Earnings before discontinued operations Discontinued operations attributable to the Company, net of tax Earnings per common share - diluted Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic Weighted average common shares outstanding - diluted The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. 2,915,790 2,808,779 2,581,299 3,256,121 3,135,466 2,893,510 404,153 220,205 168,638 80,712 430,954 207,486 166,673 78,724 382,753 216,318 151,826 75,512 4,129,829 4,019,303 3,719,919 401,723 (238) 84,614 316,871 47,485 269,386 2,932 272,318 — — — 424,048 8,767 82,788 350,027 65,041 284,986 (3,783) 281,203 — 600 171 408,909 5,167 87,848 326,228 93,132 233,096 (300,354) (67,258) (131,691) — 685 $ $ $ $ $ 272,318 $ 280,432 $ 63,748 1.38 $ .01 1.39 $ 1.38 $ .01 1.39 $ 1.46 $ (.02) 1.44 $ 1.45 $ (.02) 1.43 $ 1.19 (.86) .33 1.19 (.86) .33 195,720 196,150 195,304 195,687 195,299 195,618 58 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income Years ended December 31, Net income (loss) Other comprehensive income (loss): Reclassification adjustment for loss on derivative instruments included in net income (loss), net of tax of $429, $224 and $226 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively Postretirement liability adjustment: Postretirement liability gains (losses) arising during the period, net of tax of $1,471, $(1,162) and $(836) in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively Amortization of postretirement liability losses included in net periodic benefit cost (credit), net of tax of $721, $645 and $1,425 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively Reclassification of postretirement liability adjustment from regulatory asset, net of tax of $0, $(876) and $0 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively Postretirement liability adjustment Foreign currency translation adjustment: Foreign currency translation adjustment recognized during the period, net of tax of $(14), $(3) and $31 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively Reclassification adjustment for foreign currency translation adjustment included in net income (loss), net of tax of $75, $0 and $0 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively Foreign currency translation adjustment Net unrealized loss on available-for-sale investments: Net unrealized loss on available-for-sale investments arising during the period, net of tax of $(38), $(75) and $(98) in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively Reclassification adjustment for loss on available-for-sale investments included in net income (loss), net of tax of $35, $65 and $77 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively Net unrealized loss on available-for-sale investments Other comprehensive income (loss) Comprehensive income (loss) Part II 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands) $ 272,318 $ 281,203 $ (67,258) 162 366 367 4,441 (1,812) (1,470) 2,173 — 6,614 (61) 249 188 1,013 (1,143) (1,942) (6) — (6) 2,506 — 1,036 51 — 51 (144) (139) (182) 131 (13) 120 (19) 6,951 (1,601) 279,269 279,602 143 (39) 1,415 (65,843) Comprehensive loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interest — — (131,691) Comprehensive income attributable to common stockholders $ 279,269 $ 279,602 $ 65,848 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 59 Part II Consolidated Balance Sheets December 31, Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents Receivables, net Inventories Prepayments and other current assets Current assets held for sale Total current assets Investments Property, plant and equipment (Note 1) Less accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization Net property, plant and equipment Deferred charges and other assets: Goodwill (Note 5) Other intangible assets, net (Note 5) Other Noncurrent assets held for sale Total deferred charges and other assets Total assets Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Current liabilities: Long-term debt due within one year Accounts payable Taxes payable Dividends payable Accrued compensation Other accrued liabilities Current liabilities held for sale Total current liabilities Long-term debt (Note 8) Deferred credits and other liabilities: Deferred income taxes Other Total deferred credits and other liabilities Commitments and contingencies (Notes 16, 18 and 19) Stockholders' equity: Common stock (Note 11) Authorized - 500,000,000 shares, $1.00 par value Issued - 196,564,907 shares in 2018 and 195,843,297 shares in 2017 Other paid-in capital Retained earnings Accumulated other comprehensive loss Treasury stock at cost - 538,921 shares Total stockholders' equity Total liabilities and stockholders' equity The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. 60 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K (In thousands, except shares and per share amounts) 2018 2017 $ 53,948 $ 722,945 287,309 119,500 430 34,599 727,030 226,583 81,304 479 1,184,132 1,069,995 138,620 7,397,321 2,818,644 4,578,677 664,922 10,815 408,857 2,087 137,613 6,770,829 2,691,641 4,079,188 631,791 3,837 407,850 4,392 1,086,681 1,047,870 $ 6,988,110 $ 6,334,666 $ 251,854 $ 358,505 41,929 39,695 69,007 221,059 4,001 986,050 148,499 312,327 42,537 38,573 72,919 186,010 11,993 812,858 1,856,841 1,566,354 430,085 1,148,359 1,578,444 347,271 1,179,140 1,526,411 196,565 195,843 1,248,576 1,163,602 (38,342) (3,626) 1,233,412 1,040,748 (37,334) (3,626) 2,566,775 2,429,043 $ 6,988,110 $ 6,334,666 Consolidated Statements of Equity Years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 Preferred Stock Common Stock Shares Amount Shares Amount Other Paid-in Capital Retained Earnings Accumu- lated Other Compre- hensive Loss Treasury Stock Shares Amount Noncon- trolling Interest Total At December 31, 2015 150,000 $15,000 195,804,665 $195,805 $1,230,119 $ 996,355 $(37,148) (538,921) $(3,626) $124,043 $2,520,548 (In thousands, except shares) Part II Net income (loss) Other comprehensive income Dividends declared on preferred stocks Dividends declared on common stock Stock-based compensation Net tax deficit on stock- based compensation Issuance of common stock upon vesting of stock-based compensation, net of shares used for tax withholdings Contribution from non- controlling interest — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 38,632 — — — — — — — 38 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — (150,000) (15,000) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 64,433 — — 1,415 (685) — (147,821) 4,383 (1,663) (361) — — — — — — — — 281,203 — — (1,601) (171) — (151,966) 3,375 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — (131,691) (67,258) — — — — — — — — — 1,415 (685) — (147,821) — — 4,383 (1,663) — (323) 7,648 7,648 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 281,203 (1,601) (171) — (151,966) — 3,375 — (64,384) (1,684) (1,684) At December 31, 2016 150,000 15,000 195,843,297 195,843 1,232,478 912,282 (35,733) (538,921) (3,626) — 2,316,244 (2,441) — — 64,384 1,684 — (600) — — — — — (757) (15,600) — 195,843,297 195,843 1,233,412 1,040,748 (37,334) (538,921) (3,626) — 2,429,043 — — — — (970) — — — — (970) — 195,843,297 195,843 1,233,412 1,039,778 (37,334) (538,921) (3,626) — 2,428,073 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 272,318 — — 6,951 — 7,959 (7,959) — (156,453) — — 5,060 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — (182,424) (5,020) — 182,424 5,020 — — — — — (7,350) 721,610 722 17,454 — — — 272,318 6,951 — — (156,453) — — — — 5,060 (5,020) (2,330) 18,176 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Net income Other comprehensive loss Dividends declared on preferred stocks Dividends declared on common stock Stock-based compensation Repurchase of common stock Issuance of common stock upon vesting of stock-based compensation, net of shares used for tax withholdings Redemption of preferred stock At December 31, 2017 Cumulative effect of adoption of ASU 2014-09 Adjusted balance at January 1, 2018 Net income Other comprehensive income Reclassification of certain prior period tax effects from accumulated other comprehensive loss Dividends declared on common stock Stock-based compensation Repurchase of common stock Issuance of common stock upon vesting of stock-based compensation, net of shares used for tax withholdings Issuance of common stock At December 31, 2018 — $ 196,564,907 $ 196,565 $ 1,248,576 $ 1,163,602 $ (38,342) (538,921) $ (3,626) $ — $ 2,566,775 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 61 Part II Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Years ended December 31, Operating activities: Net income (loss) Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax Income from continuing operations Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation, depletion and amortization Deferred income taxes Changes in current assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions: Receivables Inventories Other current assets Accounts payable Other current liabilities Other noncurrent changes Net cash provided by continuing operations Net cash provided by (used in) discontinued operations Net cash provided by operating activities Investing activities: Capital expenditures Acquisitions, net of cash acquired Net proceeds from sale or disposition of property and other Investments Net cash used in continuing operations Net cash provided by discontinued operations Net cash used in investing activities Financing activities: Issuance of long-term debt Repayment of long-term debt Payments of stock issuance costs Dividends paid Redemption of preferred stock Repurchase of common stock Tax withholding on stock-based compensation Net cash provided by (used in) continuing operations Net cash used in discontinued operations Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of year Cash and cash equivalents - end of year The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. 62 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands) $ 272,318 $ 281,203 $ (67,258) 2,932 (3,783) (300,354) 269,386 284,986 233,096 220,205 59,735 207,486 (25,423) 216,318 (2,049) 28,234 (46,796) (31,814) 21,109 22,285 (38,521) 503,823 (3,942) 499,881 (108,255) 9,135 (30,588) 26,013 4,648 (18,790) 349,212 98,799 448,011 (25,641) 2,433 (17,925) 7,039 36,146 (26,459) 422,958 39,251 462,209 (568,230) (167,692) 26,100 (2,321) (341,382) (388,183) — 126,588 (1,608) — 44,826 (1,396) (712,143) (216,402) (344,753) 1,236 2,234 39,658 (710,907) (214,168) (305,095) 566,829 (174,520) (10) (154,573) — (5,020) (2,330) 140,812 (217,394) — (150,727) (15,600) (1,684) (757) 309,064 (315,647) — (147,156) — — (323) 230,376 (245,350) (154,062) — — (40,852) 230,376 (245,350) (194,914) (1) 19,349 34,599 (1) 4 (11,508) (37,796) 46,107 83,903 46,107 $ 53,948 $ 34,599 $ Part II Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of presentation The abbreviations and acronyms used throughout are defined following the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. The consolidated financial statements of the Company include the accounts of the following businesses: electric, natural gas distribution, pipeline and midstream, construction materials and contracting, construction services and other. The electric and natural gas distribution businesses, as well as a portion of the pipeline and midstream business, are regulated. Construction materials and contracting, construction services and the other businesses, as well as a portion of the pipeline and midstream business, are nonregulated. For further descriptions of the Company's businesses, see Note 15. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation, except for certain transactions related to the Company's regulated operations in accordance with GAAP. The statements also include the ownership interests in the assets, liabilities and expenses of jointly owned electric generating facilities. The Company's regulated businesses are subject to various state and federal agency regulations. The accounting policies followed by these businesses are generally subject to the Uniform System of Accounts of the FERC. These accounting policies differ in some respects from those used by the Company's nonregulated businesses. The Company's regulated businesses account for certain income and expense items under the provisions of regulatory accounting, which requires these businesses to defer as regulatory assets or liabilities certain items that would have otherwise been reflected as expense or income, respectively, based on the expected regulatory treatment in future rates. The expected recovery or flowback of these deferred items generally is based on specific ratemaking decisions or precedent for each item. Regulatory assets and liabilities are being amortized consistently with the regulatory treatment established by the FERC and the applicable state public service commissions. See Note 6 for more information regarding the nature and amounts of these regulatory deferrals. Depreciation, depletion and amortization expense is reported separately on the Consolidated Statements of Income and therefore is excluded from the other line items within operating expenses. On January 2, 2019, the Company announced the completion of the Holding Company Reorganization, which resulted in Montana-Dakota and Great Plains becoming a subsidiary of the Company. The purpose of the reorganization was to make the public utility divisions into a subsidiary of the holding company, just as the other operating companies are wholly owned subsidiaries. Unless otherwise indicated, the amounts presented in the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements relate to the Company's corporate structure prior to the Holding Company Reorganization. On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed into law the TCJA which includes lower corporate tax rates, repealing the domestic production deduction, disallowance of immediate expensing for regulated utility property and modifying or repealing many other business deductions and credits. The reduction in the corporate tax rate was effective on January 1, 2018. The effects of the change in tax laws or rates must be accounted for in the period of enactment, which resulted in the Company making reasonable estimates of the impact of the reduction in corporate tax rate on the Company's net deferred tax liabilities during the fourth quarter of 2017. The SEC issued rules that allowed for a measurement period of up to one year after the enactment date of the TCJA to finalize the recording of the related tax impacts. At December 31, 2018, the Company finalized the estimates from the fourth quarter of 2017 and no material adjustments were recorded to income from continuing operations during the twelve months ended December 31, 2018. Due to the enactment of the TCJA, the regulated jurisdictions in which the Company's regulated businesses provide service requested the Company furnish plans for the effect of the reduced corporate tax rate, which impacted the Company's rates to customers. Therefore, the Company reserved for such impacts as an offset to revenue or passed back to customers through lower rates in certain jurisdictions. For more information on the details and statuses of the open requests, see Note 18. Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the requirements of the accounting standard update on revenue from contracts with customers following the modified retrospective method, as further discussed in this note, as well as in Note 2. As such, results for reporting periods beginning January 1, 2018, are presented under the new guidance, while prior period amounts are not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with the historic accounting for revenue recognition. Based on the Company's analysis, the Company did not identify a significant change in the timing of revenue recognition under the new guidance as compared to the historic accounting for revenue recognition. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation in the consolidated financial statements related to the retrospective adoption of the accounting standard update to improve the presentation of net periodic pension and net periodic postretirement benefit costs, which was effective on January 1, 2018. The components of net periodic pension and postretirement costs, MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 63 Part II other than service costs, were reclassified from operating expenses to other income on the Consolidated Statements of Income, as further discussed in this note. The assets and liabilities for the Company's discontinued operations have been classified as held for sale and the results of operations are shown in income (loss) from discontinued operations, other than certain general and administrative costs and interest expense which do not meet the criteria for income (loss) from discontinued operations. At the time the assets were classified as held for sale, depreciation, depletion and amortization expense was no longer recorded. Unless otherwise indicated, the amounts presented in the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements relate to the Company's continuing operations. For more information on the Company's discontinued operations, see Note 4. Management has also evaluated the impact of events occurring after December 31, 2018, up to the date of issuance of these consolidated financial statements. Cash and cash equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Accounts receivable and allowance for doubtful accounts Accounts receivable consists primarily of trade receivables from the sale of goods and services which are recorded at the invoiced amount net of allowance for doubtful accounts, and costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts. For more information, see Note 2. The total balance of receivables past due 90 days or more was $30.0 million and $34.7 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The allowance for doubtful accounts is determined through a review of past due balances and other specific account data. Account balances are written off when management determines the amounts to be uncollectible. The Company's allowance for doubtful accounts at December 31, 2018 and 2017, was $8.9 million and $8.1 million, respectively. Accounts receivable also consists of accrued unbilled revenue representing revenues recognized in excess of amounts billed. Accrued unbilled revenue at Montana-Dakota, Cascade and Intermountain was $96.2 million and $112.7 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Amounts representing balances billed but not paid by customers under retainage provisions in contracts at December 31 were as follows: Short-term retainage* Long-term retainage** Total retainage 2018 2017 (In thousands) $ $ 56,228 $ 57,134 4,152 1,410 60,380 $ 58,544 * Expected to be paid within one year or less and included in receivables, net. ** Included in deferred charges and other assets - other. Inventories and natural gas in storage Natural gas in storage for the Company's regulated operations is generally carried at lower of cost or net realizable value, or cost using the last-in, first-out method. All other inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The portion of the cost of natural gas in storage expected to be used within one year was included in inventories. Inventories at December 31 consisted of: 2018 2017 (In thousands) Aggregates held for resale $ 139,681 $ 115,268 Asphalt oil Materials and supplies Merchandise for resale Natural gas in storage (current) Other Total 54,741 23,611 22,552 22,117 24,607 30,360 18,650 14,905 20,950 26,450 $ 287,309 $ 226,583 64 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II The remainder of natural gas in storage, which largely represents the cost of gas required to maintain pressure levels for normal operating purposes, was included in deferred charges and other assets - other and was $48.5 million and $49.3 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Investments The Company's investments include the cash surrender value of life insurance policies, an insurance contract, mortgage-backed securities and U.S. Treasury securities. The Company measures its investment in the insurance contract at fair value with any unrealized gains and losses recorded on the Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company has not elected the fair value option for its mortgage-backed securities and U.S. Treasury securities and, as a result, the unrealized gains and losses on these investments are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). For more information, see Notes 7 and 16. Property, plant and equipment Additions to property, plant and equipment are recorded at cost. When regulated assets are retired, or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of business, the original cost of the asset is charged to accumulated depreciation. With respect to the retirement or disposal of all other assets, the resulting gains or losses are recognized as a component of income. The Company is permitted to capitalize AFUDC on regulated construction projects and to include such amounts in rate base when the related facilities are placed in service. In addition, the Company capitalizes interest, when applicable, on certain construction projects associated with its other operations. The amount of AFUDC for the years ended December 31 were as follows: 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands) AFUDC - borrowed AFUDC - equity $ $ 2,290 $ 1,897 $ 966 $ 909 $ 914 565 Generally, property, plant and equipment are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the average useful lives of the assets, except for depletable aggregate reserves, which are depleted based on the units-of-production method. The Company collects removal costs for plant assets in regulated utility rates. These amounts are recorded as regulatory liabilities, which are included in deferred credits and other liabilities - other. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 65 Part II Property, plant and equipment at December 31 was as follows: Regulated: Electric: Generation Distribution Transmission Construction in progress Other Natural gas distribution: Distribution Construction in progress Other Pipeline and midstream: Transmission Gathering Storage Construction in progress Other Nonregulated: Pipeline and midstream: Gathering and processing Construction in progress Other Construction materials and contracting: Land Buildings and improvements Machinery, vehicles and equipment Construction in progress Aggregate reserves Construction services: Land Buildings and improvements Machinery, vehicles and equipment Other Other: Land Other 2018 2017 Weighted Average Depreciable Life in Years (Dollars in thousands, where applicable) $ 1,131,484 $ 1,034,765 430,750 302,315 161,893 122,127 415,543 296,941 117,906 117,109 1,981,356 1,831,795 21,028 496,708 19,823 468,227 585,594 516,932 37,829 49,101 5,915 45,763 31,094 86 9,577 109,541 114,905 1,090,790 22,507 430,263 5,216 29,795 145,859 7,716 2,648 25,461 37,837 45,629 17,488 41,054 31,678 17 9,649 95,745 102,435 947,979 7,750 406,139 5,216 27,351 137,924 6,774 2,837 28,286 49 46 64 — 13 47 — 16 54 20 61 — 33 19 — 10 — 20 12 — * — 25 6 3 — 14 Less accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization 2,818,644 2,691,641 Net property, plant and equipment $ 4,578,677 $ 4,079,188 * Depleted on the units-of-production method based on recoverable aggregate reserves. Impairment of long-lived assets The Company reviews the carrying values of its long-lived assets, excluding goodwill and assets held for sale, whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that such carrying values may not be recoverable. The determination of whether an impairment has occurred is based on an estimate of undiscounted future cash flows attributable to the assets, compared to the carrying value of the assets. If impairment has occurred, the amount of the impairment recognized is determined by estimating the fair value of the assets and recording a loss if the carrying value is greater than the fair value. The impairments are recorded in operation and maintenance expense on the Consolidated Statements of Income. No significant impairment losses were recorded in 2018, 2017 or 2016, other than those related to the Company's assets held for sale and discontinued operations recorded in 2016. For more information regarding these impairments, see Note 4. 66 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II Unforeseen events and changes in circumstances could require the recognition of impairment losses at some future date. Goodwill Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of identifiable net tangible and intangible assets acquired in a business combination. Goodwill is required to be tested for impairment annually, which is completed in the fourth quarter, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that goodwill may be impaired. The goodwill impairment test is a two-step process performed at the reporting unit level. The Company has determined that the reporting units for its goodwill impairment test are its operating segments, or components of an operating segment, that constitute a business for which discrete financial information is available and for which segment management regularly reviews the operating results. For more information on the Company's operating segments, see Note 15. The first step of the impairment test involves comparing the fair value of each reporting unit to its carrying value. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, the test is complete and no impairment is recorded. If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, step two of the test is performed to determine the amount of impairment loss, if any. The impairment is computed by comparing the implied fair value of the reporting unit's goodwill to the carrying value of that goodwill. If the carrying value is greater than the implied fair value, an impairment loss must be recorded. For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, there were no impairment losses recorded. At December 31, 2018, the fair value substantially exceeded the carrying value at all reporting units. Determining the fair value of a reporting unit requires judgment and the use of significant estimates which include assumptions about the Company's future revenue, profitability and cash flows, amount and timing of estimated capital expenditures, inflation rates, risk adjusted cost of capital, operational plans, and current and future economic conditions, among others. The fair value of each reporting unit is determined using a weighted combination of income and market approaches. The Company uses a discounted cash flow methodology for its income approach. Under the income approach, the discounted cash flow model determines fair value based on the present value of projected cash flows over a specified period and a residual value related to future cash flows beyond the projection period. Both values are discounted using a rate which reflects the best estimate of the risk adjusted cost of capital at each reporting unit. The risk adjusted cost of capital, which varies by reporting unit and is in the range of 5 percent to 9 percent, and a long-term growth rate projection of approximately 3 percent were utilized in the goodwill impairment test performed in the fourth quarter of 2018. Under the market approach, the Company estimates fair value using multiples derived from enterprise value to EBITDA for comparative peer companies for each respective reporting unit. These multiples are applied to operating data for each reporting unit to arrive at an indication of fair value. In addition, the Company adds a reasonable control premium when calculating the fair value utilizing the peer multiples, which is estimated as the premium that would be received in a sale in an orderly transaction between market participants. The Company believes that the estimates and assumptions used in its impairment assessments are reasonable and based on available market information. Revenue recognition Revenue is recognized when a performance obligation is satisfied by transferring control over a product or service to a customer. Revenue is measured based on consideration specified in a contract with a customer, and excludes any sales incentives and amounts collected on behalf of third parties. The Company is considered an agent for certain taxes collected from customers. As such, the Company presents revenues net of these taxes at the time of sale to be remitted to governmental authorities, including sales and use taxes. The electric and natural gas distribution segments generate revenue from the sales of electric and natural gas products and services, which includes retail and transportation services. These segments establish a customer's retail or transportation service account based on the customer's application/contract for service, which indicates approval of a contract for service. The contract identifies an obligation to provide service in exchange for delivering or standing ready to deliver the identified commodity; and the customer is obligated to pay for the service as provided in the applicable tariff. The product sales are based on a fixed rate that includes a base and per-unit rate, which are included in approved tariffs as determined by state or federal regulatory agencies. The quantity of the commodity consumed or transported determines the total per-unit revenue. The service provided, along with the product consumed or transported, are a single performance obligation because both are required in combination to successfully transfer the contracted product or service to the customer. Revenues are recognized over time as customers receive and consume the products and services. The method of measuring progress toward the completion of the single performance obligation is on a per-unit output method basis, with revenue recognized based on the direct measurement of the value to the customer of the goods or services transferred to date. For contracts governed by the Company’s utility tariffs, amounts are billed monthly with the amount due between 15 and 22 days of receipt of the invoice depending on the applicable state’s tariff. For other contracts not governed by tariff, payment terms are net 30 days. At this time, the segment has no material obligations for returns, refunds or other similar obligations. The pipeline and midstream segment generates revenue from providing natural gas transportation, gathering and underground storage services, as well as other energy-related services to both third parties and internal customers, largely the natural gas distribution segment. The pipeline and midstream segment establishes a contract with a customer based upon the customer’s request for firm or interruptible MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 67 Part II natural gas transportation, storage or gathering service(s). The contract identifies an obligation for the segment to provide the requested service(s) in exchange for consideration from the customer over a specified term. Depending on the type of service(s) requested and contracted, the service provided may include transporting, gathering or storing an identified quantity of natural gas and/or standing ready to deliver or store an identified quantity of natural gas. Natural gas transportation, gathering and storage revenues are based on fixed rates, which may include reservation fees and/or per-unit commodity rates. The services provided by the segment are generally treated as single performance obligations satisfied over time simultaneous to when the service is provided and revenue is recognized. Rates for the segment’s regulated services are based on its FERC approved tariff or customer negotiated rates on special projects, and rates for its non-regulated services are negotiated with its customers and set forth in the contract. For contracts governed by the company’s tariff, amounts are billed on or before the ninth business day of the following month and the amount is due within 12 days of receipt of the invoice. For gathering contracts not governed by the tariff, amounts are due within twenty days of invoice receipt. For other contracts not governed by the tariff, payment terms are net 30 days. At this time, the segment has no material obligations for returns, refunds or other similar obligations. The construction materials and contracting segment generates revenue from contracting services and construction materials sales. This segment focuses on the vertical integration of its contracting services with its construction materials to support the aggregate based product lines. This segment provides contracting services to a customer when a contract has been signed by both the customer and a representative of the segment obligating a service to be provided in exchange for the consideration identified in the contract. The nature of the services this segment provides generally includes integrating a set of services and related construction materials into a single project to create a distinct bundle of goods and services, which the Company evaluates to determine whether a separate performance obligation exists. The transaction price is the original contract price plus any subsequent change orders and variable consideration. Examples of variable consideration that exist in this segment's contracts include liquidated damages; performance bonuses or incentives and penalties; claims; unapproved/unpriced change orders; and index pricing. The variable amounts usually arise upon achievement of certain performance metrics or change in project scope. The Company estimates the amount of revenue to be recognized on variable consideration using estimation methods that best predict the most likely amount of consideration the Company expects to be entitled to or expects to incur. The Company includes variable consideration in the estimated transaction price to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur or when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is resolved. Changes in circumstances could impact management's estimates made in determining the value of variable consideration recorded. The Company updates its estimate of the transaction price each reporting period and the effect of variable consideration on the transaction price is recognized as an adjustment to revenue on a cumulative catch-up basis. Revenue is recognized over time using the input method based on the measurement of progress on a project. The input method is the preferred method of measuring revenue because the costs incurred have been determined to represent the best indication of the overall progress toward the transfer of such goods or services promised to a customer. This segment also sells construction materials to third parties and internal customers. The contract for material sales is the use of a sales order or an invoice, which includes the pricing and payment terms. All material contracts contain a single performance obligation for the delivery of a single distinct product or a distinct separately identifiable bundle of products and services. Revenue is recognized at a point in time when the performance obligation has been satisfied with the delivery of the products or services. The warranties associated with the sales are those consistent with a standard warranty that the product meets certain specifications for quality or those required by law. For most contracts, amounts billed to customers are due within 30 days of receipt. There are no material obligations for returns, refunds or other similar obligations. The construction services segment generates revenue from specialty contracting services which also includes the sale of construction equipment and other supplies. This segment provides specialty contracting services to a customer when a contract has been signed by both the customer and a representative of the segment obligating a service to be provided in exchange for the consideration identified in the contract. The nature of the services this segment provides generally includes multiple promised goods and services in a single project to create a distinct bundle of goods and services, which the Company evaluates to determine whether a separate performance obligation exists. The transaction price is the original contract price plus any subsequent change orders and variable consideration. Examples of variable consideration that exist in this segment's contracts include claims, unapproved/unpriced change orders, bonuses, incentives, penalties and liquidated damages. The variable amounts usually arise upon achievement of certain performance metrics or change in project scope. The Company estimates the amount of revenue to be recognized on variable consideration using estimation methods that best predict the most likely amount of consideration the Company expects to be entitled to or expects to incur. The Company includes variable consideration in the estimated transaction price to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur or when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is resolved. Changes in circumstances could impact management's estimates made in determining the value of variable consideration recorded. The Company updates its estimate of the transaction price each reporting period and the effect of variable consideration on the transaction price is recognized as an adjustment to revenue on a cumulative catch-up basis. Revenue is recognized over time using the input method based on the measurement of progress on a project. The input method is the preferred method of measuring revenue because the costs incurred have been determined to represent the best indication of the overall progress toward the transfer of such goods or services promised to a customer. This segment also sells construction equipment and other supplies to third parties and internal customers. The contract for these sales is the use of a sales order or invoice, which includes the pricing and payment terms. All such contracts include a single performance obligation for the delivery of a single distinct product or a 68 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II distinct separately identifiable bundle of products and services. Revenue is recognized at a point in time when the performance obligation has been satisfied with the delivery of the products or services. The warranties associated with the sales are those consistent with a standard warranty that the product meets certain specifications for quality or those required by law. For most contracts, amounts billed to customers are due within 30 days of receipt. There are no material obligations for returns, refunds or other similar obligations. The Company recognizes all other revenues when services are rendered or goods are delivered. For more information on revenue from contracts with customers, see Note 2. Asset retirement obligations The Company records the fair value of a liability for an asset retirement obligation in the period in which it is incurred. When the liability is initially recorded, the Company capitalizes a cost by increasing the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset. Over time, the liability is accreted to its present value each period, and the capitalized cost is depreciated over the useful life of the related asset. Upon settlement of the liability, the Company either settles the obligation for the recorded amount or incurs a gain or loss at its nonregulated operations or incurs a regulatory asset or liability at its regulated operations. For more information on asset retirement obligations, see Note 9. Legal costs The Company expenses external legal fees as they are incurred. Natural gas costs recoverable or refundable through rate adjustments Under the terms of certain orders of the applicable state public service commissions, the Company is deferring natural gas commodity, transportation and storage costs that are greater or less than amounts presently being recovered through its existing rate schedules. Such orders generally provide that these amounts are recoverable or refundable through rate adjustments which are filed annually. Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments were $30.0 million and $28.5 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, which is included in other accrued liabilities. Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments were $42.7 million and $14.5 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, which is included in prepayments and other current assets. Stock-based compensation The Company determines compensation expense for stock-based awards based on the estimated fair values at the grant date and recognizes the related compensation expense over the vesting period. The Company uses the straight-line amortization method to recognize compensation expense related to restricted stock, which only has a service condition. This method recognizes stock compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award. The Company recognizes compensation expense related to performance awards that vest based on performance metrics and service conditions on a straight-line basis over the service period. Inception-to-date expense is adjusted based upon the determination of the potential achievement of the performance target at each reporting date. The Company recognizes compensation expense related to performance awards with market-based performance metrics on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. The Company records the compensation expense for performance share awards using an estimated forfeiture rate. The estimated forfeiture rate is calculated based on an average of actual historical forfeitures. The Company also preforms an analysis of any known factors at the time of the calculation to identify any necessary adjustments to the average historical forfeiture rate. At the time actual forfeitures become more than estimated forfeitures, the Company records compensation expense using actual forfeitures. Income taxes The Company provides deferred federal and state income taxes on all temporary differences between the book and tax basis of the Company's assets and liabilities by using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Excess deferred income tax balances associated with the Company's rate-regulated activities have been recorded as a regulatory liability and are included in other liabilities. These regulatory liabilities are expected to be reflected as a reduction in future rates charged to customers in accordance with applicable regulatory procedures. The Company uses the deferral method of accounting for investment tax credits and amortizes the credits on regulated electric and natural gas distribution plant over various periods that conform to the ratemaking treatment prescribed by the applicable state public service commissions. The Company records uncertain tax positions in accordance with accounting guidance on accounting for income taxes on the basis of a two- step process in which (1) the Company determines whether it is more-likely-than-not that the tax position will be sustained on the basis of the technical merits of the position and (2) for those tax positions that meet the more-likely than-not recognition threshold, the Company recognizes the largest amount of the tax benefit that is more than 50 percent likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement with the related MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 69 Part II tax authority. Tax positions that do not meet the more-likely-than-not criteria are reflected as a tax liability. The Company recognizes interest and penalties accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits in income taxes. Earnings per common share Basic earnings per common share were computed by dividing earnings on common stock by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the year. Diluted earnings per common share were computed by dividing earnings on common stock by the total of the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the year, plus the effect of nonvested performance share awards and restricted stock units. Common stock outstanding includes issued shares less shares held in treasury. Earnings on common stock was the same for both the basic and diluted earnings per share calculations. A reconciliation of the weighted average common shares outstanding used in the basic and diluted earnings per share calculation was as follows: Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic 195,720 195,304 195,299 Effect of dilutive performance share awards 430 383 319 Weighted average common shares outstanding - diluted 196,150 195,687 195,618 Shares excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share 10 — — 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands) Use of estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates are used for items such as long-lived assets and goodwill; fair values of acquired assets and liabilities under the acquisition method of accounting; aggregate reserves; property depreciable lives; tax provisions; revenue recognized using the cost-to-cost measure of progress for contracts; uncollectible accounts; environmental and other loss contingencies; accumulated provision for revenues subject to refund; costs on construction contracts; unbilled revenues; actuarially determined benefit costs; asset retirement obligations; and the valuation of stock-based compensation. As additional information becomes available, or actual amounts are determinable, the recorded estimates are revised. Consequently, operating results can be affected by revisions to prior accounting estimates. New accounting standards Recently adopted accounting standards ASU 2014-09 - Revenue from Contracts with Customers In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance on accounting for revenue from contracts with customers. The guidance provides for a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry specific guidance. In August 2015, the FASB issued guidance deferring the effective date of the revenue guidance and allowing entities to early adopt. With this decision, the guidance was effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. Entities had the option of using either a full retrospective or modified retrospective approach to adopting the guidance. Under the modified retrospective approach, an entity recognizes the cumulative effect of initially applying the guidance with an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. The Company adopted the guidance on January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective approach. The Company elected the practical expedient to not disclose the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to the performance obligations that are unsatisfied (or partially unsatisfied) as of the end of the reporting period, along with an explanation of when such revenue would be expected to be recognized. This practical expedient was used since the performance obligations are part of contracts with an original duration of one year or less. The Company also elected the practical expedient to recognize the incremental costs of obtaining a contract as an expense when incurred if the amortization period of the asset that the Company otherwise would have recognized is one year or less. Upon completion of the Company's evaluation of contracts and methods of revenue recognition under the previous accounting guidance, the Company did not identify any material cumulative effect adjustments to be made to retained earnings. In addition, the Company has expanded revenue disclosures, both quantitatively and qualitatively, related to the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers, as discussed in Note 2. The Company reviewed its revenue streams to evaluate the impact of this guidance and did not identify a significant change in the timing of revenue recognition, results of operations, financial position or cash flows. The Company reviewed its internal controls related to revenue recognition and disclosures and concluded that the guidance impacted certain business processes and controls. As such, the Company developed modifications to its internal controls for certain topics under the guidance as they apply to the Company and such modifications were not deemed to be significant. Results for reporting periods beginning after December 31, 2017, are presented under the new guidance, while prior period amounts are not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with historic accounting for revenue recognition. 70 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Under the modified retrospective approach, the guidance was applied only to contracts that were not completed as of January 1, 2018. Therefore, the Company recognized the cumulative effect of initially applying the guidance with an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings at January 1, 2018. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2018, there were no material impacts to the financial statements as a result of applying the guidance. The cumulative effect of the changes made to the Consolidated Balance Sheet were as follows: Part II December 31, 2017 Adjustments (In thousands) January 1, 2018 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Current liabilities: Other accrued liabilities $ 186,010 $ 903 $ 186,913 Deferred credits and other liabilities: Deferred income taxes Other Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' equity: Common stockholders' equity: Retained earnings 347,271 1,179,140 (332) 399 346,939 1,179,539 1,040,748 (970) 1,039,778 The cumulative effect adjustment is related to prepaid natural gas transportation to storage contracts where a separate performance obligation existed and has not yet been satisfied. As such, these contracts were still open and met the criteria for a cumulative effect adjustment. ASU 2016-15 - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments In August 2016, the FASB issued guidance to clarify the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows. The guidance is intended to standardize the presentation and classification of certain transactions, including cash payments for debt prepayment or extinguishment, proceeds from insurance claim settlements and distributions from equity method investments. In addition, the guidance clarifies how to classify transactions that have characteristics of more than one class of cash flows. The Company adopted the guidance on January 1, 2018, on a prospective basis. The guidance did not have a material effect on the Company's statement of cash flows. ASU 2017-01 - Clarifying the Definition of a Business In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions or disposals of assets or businesses. The guidance provides a screen to determine when an integrated set of assets and activities is not a business. The guidance also affects other aspects of accounting, such as determining reporting units for goodwill testing and whether an entity has acquired or sold a business. The Company adopted the guidance on January 1, 2018, on a prospective basis. The guidance did not have a material effect on the Company's results of operations, financial position, cash flows or disclosures. ASU 2017-07 - Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost In March 2017, the FASB issued guidance to improve the presentation of net periodic pension and net periodic postretirement benefit costs. The guidance required the service cost component to be presented in the income statement in the same line item or items as other compensation costs arising from services performed during the period. Other components of net periodic benefit cost shall be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of income from operations. The guidance also only allows the service cost component to be capitalized. The Company adopted the guidance on January 1, 2018, on a retrospective basis. The guidance required the reclassification of all components of net periodic benefit costs, except for the service cost component, from operating expenses to other income on the Consolidated Statements of Income with no impact to earnings. As a result of the retrospective application of this change in accounting guidance, the Company reclassified $6.2 million and $4.5 million from operation and maintenance expense to other income on the Consolidated Statements of Income for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The Company also reclassified unrealized gains on investments used to satisfy obligations under the defined benefit plans of $10.8 million and $4.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, which were included in operation and maintenance expense, to other income on the Consolidated Statements of Income. The guidance did not have a material effect on the Company's results of operations, cash flows or disclosures. ASU 2018-02 - Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income In February 2018, the FASB issued guidance that allows an entity to reclassify the stranded tax effects resulting from the newly enacted federal corporate income tax rate from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to retained earnings. The guidance is effective for the Company on January 1, 2019, MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 71 Part II including interim periods, with early adoption permitted. The guidance can be applied using one of two methods. One method is to record the reclassification of the stranded income taxes at the beginning of the period of adoption. The other method is to apply the guidance retrospectively to each period in which the income tax effects of the TCJA are recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). The Company early adopted the guidance on January 1, 2018, and elected to reclassify the stranded income taxes at the beginning of the period. During the first quarter of 2018, the Company reclassified $7.9 million of stranded tax expense from accumulated other comprehensive loss to retained earnings. The guidance did not have a material effect on the Company's results of operations, cash flows or disclosures. SEC File Number S7-15-16 - Disclosure Update and Simplification In October 2018, the SEC published guidance in the Federal Register on disclosure updates and simplifications. The guidance removed disclosures that are no longer considered cost beneficial, duplicative of GAAP required disclosures, clarified the specific requirements of disclosures and added disclosure requirements identified as relevant. The amendments were intended to facilitate disclosure of information to investors and simplify the compliance without significantly altering the total mix of information provided to investors. The guidance was effective for the Company on November 5, 2018, including interim periods. The Company adopted the guidance in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, which required minimal disclosure updates. The guidance was applied on a prospective basis and did not have a material effect on the Company's disclosures or certain sections of the Annual Report on Form 10-K. Recently issued accounting standards not yet adopted ASU 2016-02 - Leases In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance regarding leases. The guidance requires lessees to recognize a lease liability and a right-of-use asset on the balance sheet for operating and financing leases. The guidance remains largely the same for lessors, although some changes were made to better align lessor accounting with the new lessee accounting and to align with the revenue recognition standard. The guidance also requires additional disclosures, both quantitative and qualitative, related to operating and finance leases for the lessee and sales-type, direct financing and operating leases for the lessor. The Company adopted the standard on January 1, 2019. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11 - Leases: Targeted Improvements, an accounting standard update to ASU 2016-02. This ASU provides an entity the option to adopt the guidance using one of two modified retrospective approaches. An entity can adopt the guidance using the modified retrospective transition approach beginning in the earliest year presented in the financial statements. This method of adoption would require the restatement of prior periods reported and the presentation of lease disclosures under the new guidance for all periods reported. The additional transition method of adoption introduced by ASU 2018-11, allows entities the option to apply the guidance on the date of adoption by recognizing a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings during the period of adoption and does not require prior comparative periods to be restated. The Company adopted the standard on January 1, 2019, utilizing the practical expedient that allows the Company to not reassess whether an expired or existing contract contains a lease, the classification of leases or initial direct costs, as well as the additional transition method of adoption applied on the date of adoption. The Company also adopted a short-term leasing policy as the lessee where leases with a term of 12 months or less will not be included on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. In January 2018, the FASB issued a practical expedient for land easements under the new lease guidance. The practical expedient permits an entity to elect the option to not evaluate land easements under the new guidance if they existed or expired before the adoption of the new lease guidance and were not previously accounted for as leases under the previous lease guidance. Once an entity adopts the new guidance, the entity should apply the new guidance on a prospective basis to all new or modified land easements. The Company has adopted this practical expedient. The Company will evaluate any new or modified agreements that fall within the scope of the standard. The Company continues to monitor other industry-specific issues as it relates to its regulated businesses but does not expect these issues to have a material impact on the Company's results of operations, financial position or disclosures. The Company formed a lease implementation team to review and assess existing contracts to identify and evaluate those containing leases. Additionally, the team has implemented new and revised existing software to meet the reporting and disclosure requirements of the standard. The Company also has assessed the impact the standard will have on its processes and internal controls and has identified new and updated existing internal controls and processes to ensure compliance with the new lease standard; such modifications were not deemed to be significant. During the assessment phase, the Company used various surveys, reconciliations and analytic methodologies to ensure the completeness of the lease inventory. The Company determined that most of the current operating leases are subject to the guidance and will be recognized as operating lease liabilities and right-of-use assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets upon adoption. The Company expects the impact of the lessee guidance to be approximately $105 million to $125 million of an increase to assets and liabilities on January 1, 2019. In addition, the Company has evaluated the impact the new guidance will have on lease contracts where the Company is the lessor and does not anticipate a significant impact. ASU 2017-04 - Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance on simplifying the test for goodwill impairment by eliminating Step 2, which required an entity to measure the amount of impairment loss by comparing the implied fair value of reporting unit goodwill with the carrying amount of such goodwill. This guidance requires entities to perform a quantitative impairment 72 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II test, previously Step 1, to identify both the existence of impairment and the amount of impairment loss by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying amount. Entities will continue to have the option of performing a qualitative assessment to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. The guidance also requires additional disclosures if an entity has one or more reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts of net assets. The guidance will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2020, and must be applied on a prospective basis with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the guidance to have a material impact on its results of operations, financial position, cash flows and disclosures. ASU 2018-13 - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement In August 2018, the FASB issued guidance on modifying the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements as part of the disclosure framework project. The guidance modifies, among other things, the disclosures required for Level 3 fair value measurements, including the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs. The guidance removes, among other things, the disclosure requirement to disclose transfers between Levels 1 and 2. The guidance will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2020, including interim periods, with early adoption permitted. Level 3 fair value measurement disclosures should be applied prospectively while all other amendments should be applied retrospectively. The Company is evaluating the effects the adoption of the new guidance will have on its disclosures. ASU 2018-14 - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans In August 2018, the FASB issued guidance on modifying the disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension or other postretirement plans as part of the disclosure framework project. The guidance removes disclosures that are no longer considered cost beneficial, clarifies the specific requirements of disclosures and adds disclosure requirements identified as relevant. The guidance adds, among other things, the requirement to include an explanation for significant gains and losses related to changes in benefit obligations for the period. The guidance removes, among other things, the disclosure requirement to disclose the amount of net periodic benefit costs to be amortized over the next fiscal year from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and the effects a one percentage point change in assumed health care cost trend rates will have on certain benefit components. The guidance will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2021, and must be applied on a retrospective basis with early adoption permitted. The Company is evaluating the effects the adoption of the new guidance will have on the its disclosures. ASU 2018-15 - Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement that is a Service Contract In August 2018, the FASB issued guidance on the accounting for implementation costs of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract. The guidance aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract similar to the costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software and such capitalized costs to be expensed over the term of the hosting arrangement. Costs incurred during the preliminary and postimplementation stages should continue to be expensed as activities are performed. The capitalized costs are required to be presented on the balance sheet in the same line the prepayment for the fees associated with the hosting arrangement would be presented. In addition, the expense related to the capitalized implementation costs should be presented in the same line on the income statement as the fees associated with the hosting element of the arrangements. The guidance will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2020, including interim periods, and may be applied on a retrospective or a prospective basis with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted the guidance effective January 1, 2019, on a prospective basis. The adoption of the guidance will not have a material impact on its results of operations, financial position, cash flows and disclosures. ASU 2018-18 - Clarifying the Interaction between Topic 808 and Topic 606 In November 2018, the FASB issued guidance on whether certain transactions between collaborative arrangement participants should be accounted for within revenue under Topic 606 in order to provide for better comparability among entities. The guidance clarifies which transactions should be accounted for as revenue under Topic 606 and provides unit-of-account guidance in Topic 808 to align with the guidance in Topic 606 regarding distinct goods or services. The guidance also specifies that transactions with a collaborative arrangement not directly related to sales to third parties may not be presented together with revenue recognized under Topic 606. The guidance will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2020, including interim periods, and must be applied retrospectively to January 1, 2018, the date in which the Company adopted Topic 606. An entity may apply the guidance to either all contracts or to only contracts that are not completed as of the date of the initial application of Topic 606. The Company is evaluating the effects the adoption of the new guidance will have on the its results of operations, financial position, cash flows and disclosures. SEC Final Rulemaking Release Number 33-10570 - Modernization of Property Disclosures for Mining Registrants In November 2018, the SEC published guidance in the Federal Register on the modernization of property disclosures for mining registrants. The guidance requires additional disclosures related to activities under material mining operations to be included as an exhibit, including a technical report summary by a qualified person about an organization's mineral resources or mineral reserves; an overview of mining properties and operations; a summary of all mineral resources and mineral reserves as of the most recently completed fiscal year; a description of each material property, including the proposed program of exploration and development, stage of the development or production, and current production activities, among other things; and a description of the organization's internal controls surrounding mineral resource and reserve estimates. The guidance will be effective on a prospective basis for the Company on January 1, 2021, including interim periods, with early MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 73 Part II adoption permitted. The Company is evaluating the effects the adoption of the guidance will have on its disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K. Variable interest entities The Company evaluates its arrangements and contracts with other entities to determine if they are VIEs and if so, if the Company is the primary beneficiary. GAAP provides a framework for identifying VIEs and determining when a company should include the assets, liabilities, noncontrolling interest and results of activities of a VIE in its consolidated financial statements. A VIE should be consolidated if a party with an ownership, contractual or other financial interest in the VIE (a variable interest holder) has the power to direct the VIE's most significant activities and the obligation to absorb losses or right to receive benefits of the VIE that could be significant to the VIE. A variable interest holder that consolidates the VIE is called the primary beneficiary. Upon consolidation, the primary beneficiary generally must initially record all of the VIE's assets, liabilities and noncontrolling interests at fair value and subsequently account for the VIE as if it were consolidated. The Company's evaluation of whether it qualifies as the primary beneficiary of a VIE involves significant judgments, estimates and assumptions and includes a qualitative analysis of the activities that most significantly impact the VIE's economic performance and whether the Company has the power to direct those activities, the design of the entity, the rights of the parties and the purpose of the arrangement. Comprehensive income (loss) Comprehensive income (loss) is the sum of net income (loss) as reported and other comprehensive income (loss). The Company's other comprehensive income (loss) resulted from losses on derivative instruments qualifying as hedges, postretirement liability adjustments, foreign currency translation adjustments and loss on available-for-sale investments. The after-tax changes in the components of accumulated other comprehensive loss as of December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, were as follows: Net Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments Qualifying as Hedges Post- retirement Liability Adjustment Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment (In thousands) Net Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Available- for-sale Investments Total Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Balance at December 31, 2016 $ (2,300) $ (33,221) $ (149) $ (63) $ (35,733) Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss Amounts reclassified to accumulated other comprehensive loss from a regulatory asset Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss) — 366 — 366 (1,812) 1,013 (1,143) (1,942) Balance at December 31, 2017 (1,934) (35,163) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss) Reclassification adjustment of prior period tax effects related to TCJA included in accumulated other comprehensive loss — 162 162 4,441 2,173 6,614 (389) (7,520) Balance at December 31, 2018 $ (2,161) $ (36,069) $ (6) — — (6) (155) (61) 249 188 (139) 120 — (19) (82) (144) 131 (13) (1,957) 1,499 (1,143) (1,601) (37,334) 4,236 2,715 6,951 (33) — $ (17) (7,959) (112) $ (38,342) 74 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II The following amounts were reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive loss into net income. The amounts presented in parenthesis indicate a decrease to net income on the Consolidated Statements of Income. The reclassifications for the years ended December 31 were as follows: Reclassification adjustment for loss on derivative instruments included in net income $ (591) $ 429 (162) (590) 224 (366) Interest expense Income taxes 2018 2017 (In thousands) Location on Consolidated Statements of Income Amortization of postretirement liability losses included in net periodic benefit cost (credit) Reclassification adjustment for loss on foreign currency translation adjustment included in net income Reclassification adjustment for loss on available-for-sale investments included in net income (2,894) (1,658) 721 645 (2,173) (1,013) (324) 75 (249) (166) 35 (131) — — — (185) 65 (120) Other income Income taxes Other income Income taxes Other income Income taxes Total reclassifications $ (2,715) $ (1,499) MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 75 Part II Note 2 - Revenue from Contracts with Customers Disaggregation In the following table, revenue is disaggregated by the type of customer or service provided. The Company believes this level of disaggregation best depicts how the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors. The table also includes a reconciliation of the disaggregated revenue by reportable segments. For more information on the Company's business segments, see Note 15. Year ended December 31, 2018 Electric Natural gas distribution Pipeline and midstream Construction materials and contracting (In thousands) Construction services Other Total $ 121,477 $ 457,959 $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 579,436 Residential utility sales Commercial utility sales Industrial utility sales Other utility sales Natural gas transportation Natural gas gathering Natural gas storage Contracting services Construction materials Intrasegment eliminations* Inside specialty contracting Outside specialty contracting Other Intersegment eliminations Revenues from contracts with customers 136,236 34,353 7,556 — — — — — — — — 276,716 24,603 — 43,238 — — — — — — — — — — 89,159 9,159 11,543 — — — — — 31,568 14,579 — — 18,865 (50,905) — — — — — — 968,755 1,423,068 (465,969) — — — — — — — — — — — — (669) 926,875 392,544 525 (1,681) 331,190 817,095 77,821 1,925,185 1,318,263 — — — — — — — — — — — 11,259 (11,052) 412,952 58,956 7,556 132,397 9,159 11,543 968,755 1,423,068 (465,969) 926,875 392,544 76,796 (64,307) 207 — 4,469,761 61,791 Revenues out of scope 3,933 6,152 197 — 51,509 Total external operating revenues $ 335,123 $ 823,247 $ 78,018 $ 1,925,185 $ 1,369,772 $ 207 $ 4,531,552 * Intrasegment revenues are presented within the construction materials and contracting segment to highlight the focus on vertical integration as this segment sells materials to both third parties and internal customers. Due to consolidation requirements, these revenues must be eliminated against construction materials to arrive at the external operating revenue total for the segment. Contract balances The timing of revenue recognition may differ from the timing of invoicing to customers. The timing of invoicing to customers does not necessarily correlate with the timing of revenues being recognized under the cost‐to‐cost method of accounting. Contracts from contracting services are billed as work progresses in accordance with agreed upon contractual terms. Generally, billing to the customer occurs contemporaneous to revenue recognition. A variance in timing of the billings may result in a contract asset or a contract liability. A contract asset occurs when revenues are recognized under the cost-to-cost measure of progress, which exceeds amounts billed on uncompleted contracts. Such amounts will be billed as standard contract terms allow, usually based on various measures of performance or achievement. A contract liability occurs when there are billings in excess of revenues recognized under the cost-to-cost measure of progress on uncompleted contracts. Contract liabilities decrease as revenue is recognized from the satisfaction of the related performance obligation. The changes in contract assets and liabilities were as follows: Contract assets Contract liabilities - current Contract liabilities - noncurrent Net contract assets $ $ December 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 (In thousands) 104,239 $ 109,540 $ (93,901) (135) (84,123) — Change Location on Consolidated Balance Sheets (5,301) (9,778) Receivables, net Accounts payable (135) Deferred credits and other liabilities - other 10,203 $ 25,417 $ (15,214) At December 31, 2018, the Company's net contract assets decreased $15.2 million compared to December 31, 2017. Included in the change of total net contract assets was a decrease in contract assets due to revenue recognized in excess of billings on contracts and an increase in contract liabilities due to billings on contracts in excess of revenues recognized. The Company recognized $78.6 million in revenue for the year ended December 31, 2018, which was previously included in contract liabilities at December 31, 2017. 76 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II The Company recognized a net increase in revenues of $36.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, from performance obligations satisfied in prior periods. Note 3 - Acquisitions During 2018, the Company completed four acquisitions. The results of the acquired businesses have been included in the Company's construction materials and contracting segment and Consolidated Financial Statements beginning on the acquisition dates. Pro forma financial amounts reflecting the effects of the above acquisitions are not presented, as such acquisitions were not material, both individually and in the aggregate, to the Company's financial position or results of operations. The following is a listing of the acquisitions made during 2018: • • • • In April 2018, the Company acquired Teevin & Fischer Quarry, LLC, an aggregate producer that provides crushed rock and gravel to construction and retail customers in Oregon. In June 2018, the Company acquired Tri-City Paving, Inc., a general contractor and aggregate, asphalt and ready-mixed concrete supplier in Minnesota. In July 2018, the Company acquired Molalla Redi-Mix and Rock Products, Inc., a producer of ready-mixed concrete in Oregon. In October 2018, the Company acquired Sweetman Construction Company, a provider of aggregates, asphalt and ready-mixed concrete in South Dakota. As of December 31, 2018, the gross aggregate consideration for these acquisitions, which were all accounted for as business combinations, was $168.1 million in cash, subject to certain adjustments, and 721,610 shares of common stock with a market value of $20.3 million as of the respective acquisition date. Due to the holding period restriction on the common stock, the share consideration has been discounted to a fair value of approximately $18.2 million, as reflected in the Company's financial statements. In addition to the issuance of the Company's equity securities, the Company issued debt to finance these acquisitions. As of December 31, 2018, costs incurred for acquisitions were $1.5 million and included in operation and maintenance expense on the Consolidated Statements of Income. The acquisitions are subject to customary adjustments based on, among other things, the amount of cash, debt and working capital in the businesses as of the closing dates. The Company preliminarily allocated the purchase price of the acquisitions to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values as of the acquisition dates and are considered provisional until final fair values are determined or the measurement period has passed. The Company expects to record adjustments as it accumulates the information needed to estimate the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, including working capital balances, estimated fair value of identifiable intangible assets, property, plant and equipment, total consideration and goodwill. The excess of the purchase price over the aggregate fair values was recorded as goodwill. The Company calculated the fair value of the assets acquired using the market or cost approach (or a combination of both). Fair values for some of the assets were determined based on Level 3 inputs including estimated future cash flows, discount rates, growth rates, sales projections, retention rates and terminal values, all of which require significant management judgment and are susceptible to change. The final fair value of the net assets acquired may result in adjustments to the assets and liabilities, including goodwill, and will be made as soon as practical, but no later than one year from the respective acquisition dates. However, any subsequent measurement period adjustments are not expected to have a material impact on the Company's results of operations. The discount rate used in calculating the fair value of the common stock issued was determined by a Black-Scholes-Merton model. The model used Level 2 inputs including risk-free interest rate, volatility range and dividend yield. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 77 Part II The aggregate total consideration for the acquisitions and the preliminary amounts allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on the estimated fair values as of the respective acquisition dates were as follows: Assets Current assets: Receivables, net Inventories Other current assets Total current assets Property, plant and equipment Deferred charges and other assets: Goodwill Other intangible assets, net Other Total deferred charges and other assets Total assets acquired Liabilities Current liabilities Deferred credits and other liabilities: Asset retirement obligation Deferred income taxes Total deferred credits and other liabilities Total liabilities assumed Total consideration (fair value) 2018 Acquisitions (In thousands) $ $ $ $ $ 18,984 10,329 515 29,828 131,766 33,131 8,227 927 42,285 203,879 11,122 914 5,565 6,479 17,601 186,278 Note 4 - Discontinued Operations The assets and liabilities of the Company's discontinued operations have been classified as held for sale and the results of operations are shown in income (loss) from discontinued operations, other than certain general and administrative costs and interest expense which do not meet the criteria for income (loss) from discontinued operations. At the time the assets were classified as held for sale, depreciation, depletion and amortization expense was no longer recorded. Dakota Prairie Refining On June 24, 2016, WBI Energy entered into a membership interest purchase agreement with Tesoro to sell all of the outstanding membership interests in Dakota Prairie Refining to Tesoro. WBI Energy and Calumet each previously owned 50 percent of the Dakota Prairie Refining membership interests and were equal members in building and operating Dakota Prairie Refinery. To effectuate the sale, WBI Energy acquired Calumet's 50 percent membership interest in Dakota Prairie Refining on June 27, 2016. The sale of the membership interests to Tesoro closed on June 27, 2016. The sale of Dakota Prairie Refining reduced the Company's risk by decreasing exposure to commodity prices. In connection with the sale of Dakota Prairie Refining, Centennial guaranteed certain debt obligations of Dakota Prairie Refining and Tesoro agreed to indemnify Centennial for any losses and litigation expenses arising for the guarantee. On October 17, 2018, Centennial was released of any further liabilities or obligations under this guarantee. For more information related to the guarantee, see Note 19. 78 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K The carrying amounts of the major classes of assets and liabilities classified as held for sale, related to the operations of and activity associated with Dakota Prairie Refining, on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31 were as follows: Part II Assets Current assets: Income taxes receivable* Total current assets held for sale Total assets held for sale Liabilities Deferred credits and other liabilities: Deferred income taxes** Total noncurrent liabilities held for sale Total liabilities held for sale 2018 2017 (In thousands) — $ — — $ — $ — — $ 1,778 1,778 1,778 37 37 37 $ $ $ $ * On the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets, these amounts were reclassified to taxes payable and are reflected in current liabilities held for sale. ** On the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets, these amounts were reclassified to deferred charges and other assets - deferred income taxes and are reflected in noncurrent assets held for sale. The Company retained certain liabilities of Dakota Prairie Refining which were reflected in current liabilities held for sale on the Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2016. In the first quarter of 2017, the Company recorded a reversal of a previously accrued liability of $7.0 million ($4.3 million after tax) due to the resolution of a legal matter. As of December 31, 2018, Dakota Prairie Refining incurred no material exit and disposal costs, and does not expect to incur any future material exit and disposal costs. The Company performed a fair value assessment of the assets and liabilities classified as held for sale. In the second quarter of 2016, the fair value assessment was determined using the market approach based on the sale transaction to Tesoro. The fair value assessment indicated an impairment based on the carrying value exceeding the fair value, which resulted in the Company recording an impairment of $251.9 million ($156.7 million after tax) in the quarter ended June 30, 2016. The impairment was included in operating expenses from discontinued operations. The fair value of Dakota Prairie Refining's assets have been categorized as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. Fidelity In the second quarter of 2015, the Company began the marketing and sale process of Fidelity with an anticipated sale to occur within one year. Between September 2015 and March 2016, the Company entered into purchase and sale agreements to sell substantially all of Fidelity's oil and natural gas assets. The completion of these sales occurred between October 2015 and April 2016. In July 2018, the Company completed the sale of a majority of the remaining property, plant and equipment. The sale of Fidelity was part of the Company's strategic plan to grow its capital investments in the remaining business segments and to focus on creating a greater long-term value. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 79 Part II The carrying amounts of the major classes of assets and liabilities classified as held for sale, related to the operations of Fidelity, on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31 were as follows: 2018 2017 (In thousands) Assets Current assets: Receivables, net Total current assets held for sale Noncurrent assets: Net property, plant and equipment Deferred income taxes Other Total noncurrent assets held for sale Total assets held for sale Liabilities Current liabilities: Accounts payable Taxes payable Other accrued liabilities Total current liabilities held for sale $ 430 $ 430 — 1,926 161 2,087 2,517 $ 479 479 1,631 2,637 161 4,429 4,908 $ $ 80 $ 1,451 2,470 4,001 30 10,857 2,884 13,771 Total liabilities held for sale $ 4,001 $ 13,771 At December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company’s deferred tax assets included in assets held for sale were largely comprised of $1.9 million and $2.6 million, respectively, of federal and state net operating loss carryforwards and state alternative minimum tax credits. The Company realized substantially all of the outstanding net operating loss carryforwards from prior periods in 2017. At December 31, 2017, the Company had federal income tax net operating loss carryforwards and various state income tax net operating loss carryforwards of $4.4 million and $13.8 million, respectively. At December 31, 2018, the Company had no federal or state income tax net operating loss carryforwards. The Company performed a fair value assessment of the assets and liabilities classified as held for sale. In the first quarter of 2016, the fair value assessment was determined using the market approach largely based on a purchase and sale agreement. The estimated fair value exceeded the carrying value and the Company recorded an impairment reversal of $1.4 million ($900,000 after tax) in the first quarter of 2016. In the second quarter of 2016, the fair value assessment was determined using the income and market approaches. The income approach was determined by using the present value of future estimated cash flows. The market approach was based on market transactions of similar properties. The estimated carrying value exceeded the fair value and the Company recorded an impairment of $900,000 ($600,000 after tax) in the second quarter of 2016. The Company has incurred $10.5 million of exit and disposal costs to date and has incurred no exit or disposal costs in 2018. The Company does not expect to incur any additional material exit and disposal costs in connection with Fidelity. The exit and disposal costs are associated with severance and other related matters and exclude the office lease expiration discussed in the following paragraph. Fidelity vacated its office space in Denver, Colorado in 2016. The Company incurred lease payments of approximately $900,000 in 2016. Lease termination payments of $3.2 million were made during the second quarter of 2016. Existing office furniture and fixtures were relinquished to the lessor in the second quarter of 2016. 80 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Dakota Prairie Refining and Fidelity The reconciliation of the major classes of income and expense constituting pretax income (loss) from discontinued operations, which includes Dakota Prairie Refining and Fidelity, to the after-tax income (loss) from discontinued operations on the Company's Consolidated Statements of Income for the years ended December 31 were as follows: Part II Operating revenues Operating expenses Operating income (loss) Other income (expense) Interest expense Income (loss) from discontinued operations before income taxes Income taxes* Income (loss) from discontinued operations Loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interest 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands) $ (459) $ 465 $ 123,024 921 (1,380) 12 575 (1,943) (4,875) 2,932 — (4,607) 5,072 (13) 250 4,809 8,592 513,813 (390,789) 306 1,753 (392,236) (91,882) (3,783) (300,354) — (131,691) Income (loss) from discontinued operations attributable to the Company $ 2,932 $ (3,783) $ (168,663) * Includes eliminations for the presentation of income tax adjustments between continuing and discontinued operations. The pretax income (loss) from discontinued operations attributable to the Company, related to the operations of and activity associated with Dakota Prairie Refining, was $(7,000), $6.9 million and $(253.5) million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Note 5 - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the year ended December 31, 2018, were as follows: Natural gas distribution Construction materials and contracting Construction services Total Balance at January 1, 2018 Goodwill Acquired During the Year Balance at December 31, 2018 $ $ (In thousands) 345,736 $ — $ 176,290 109,765 33,131 — 631,791 $ 33,131 $ 345,736 209,421 109,765 664,922 The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the year ended December 31, 2017, were as follows: Natural gas distribution Construction materials and contracting Construction services Total Balance at January 1, 2017 Goodwill Acquired During the Year Balance at December 31, 2017 $ $ (In thousands) 345,736 $ — $ 176,290 109,765 — — 631,791 $ — $ 345,736 176,290 109,765 631,791 During 2018, the Company completed four acquisitions and the results of the acquired businesses have been included in the Company's construction materials and contracting segment. At December 31, 2018, the construction materials and contracting segment's goodwill increased by $33.1 million and other intangible assets increased by $8.2 million for these acquisitions. For more information about these acquisitions, see Note 3. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 81 Part II Other amortizable intangible assets at December 31 were as follows: Customer relationships Less accumulated amortization $ 22,720 $ 13,535 15,248 13,382 2018 2017 (In thousands) Noncompete agreements Less accumulated amortization Other Less accumulated amortization 9,185 2,605 1,956 649 6,458 5,477 981 Total $ 10,815 $ 1,866 2,430 1,805 625 6,990 5,644 1,346 3,837 Amortization expense for amortizable intangible assets for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, was $1.2 million, $2.0 million and $2.5 million, respectively. The amounts of estimated amortization expense for identifiable intangible assets as of December 31, 2018, were: Amortization expense $ 1,856 $ 1,486 $ 1,096 $ 1,072 $ 1,006 $ 4,299 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Thereafter (In thousands) Note 6 - Regulatory Assets and Liabilities The following table summarizes the individual components of unamortized regulatory assets and liabilities as of December 31: Regulatory assets: Pension and postretirement benefits (a) Asset retirement obligations (a) Natural gas costs recoverable through rate adjustments (b) Taxes recoverable from customers (a) Manufactured gas plant sites remediation (a) Long-term debt refinancing costs (a) Costs related to identifying generation development (a) Other (a) (b) Total regulatory assets Regulatory liabilities: Taxes refundable to customers (c) Plant removal and decommissioning costs (c) Natural gas costs refundable through rate adjustments (d) Pension and postretirement benefits (c) Other (c) (d) Total regulatory liabilities Net regulatory position Estimated Recovery Period * 2018 2017 (In thousands) (e) $ 165,898 $ 163,896 Over plant lives Up to 1 year Over plant lives - Up to 19 years Up to 8 years Up to 20 years 60,097 42,652 11,946 16,504 4,898 2,508 56,078 14,465 12,073 18,213 5,563 2,960 35,614 27,715 340,117 300,963 277,833 173,143 29,995 15,264 25,197 279,668 176,190 28,514 16,021 18,905 521,432 519,298 $ (181,315) $ (218,335) * Estimated recovery period for regulatory assets currently being recovered in rates charged to customers. Included in deferred charges and other assets - other on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Included in prepayments and other current assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Included in deferred credits and other liabilities - other on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Included in other accrued liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Recovered as expense is incurred or cash contributions are made. 82 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II The regulatory assets are expected to be recovered in rates charged to customers. A portion of the Company's regulatory assets are not earning a return; however, these regulatory assets are expected to be recovered from customers in future rates. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, approximately $313.5 million and $269.1 million, respectively, of regulatory assets were not earning a rate of return. In the fourth quarter of 2017, the Company performed a one-time revaluation of the Company's regulated deferred tax assets and liabilities for the reduction of the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent effective January 1, 2018, as identified in the TCJA. In the fourth quarter of 2017, the revaluation of the deferred tax assets and liabilities resulted in a decrease of $15.5 million in taxes recoverable from customers and an increase of $270.0 million in taxes refundable to customers. The revaluation of the Company's regulatory deferred tax assets and liabilities were deferred as the Company worked with the various regulators to plan for amounts expected to be returned to customers. All amounts related to the TCJA are reserved or passed back to customers. The Company has tax settlements in place in most jurisdictions, with new rates in place in 2018 or expected to be in place in the first half of 2019. TCJA filings are pending in Wyoming and Oregon. For more information on the various rate cases, see Note 18. There were no significant changes between the preliminary estimate and final determination of taxes refundable to or recoverable from customers. These regulatory amounts will largely be refunded over the remaining life of the related assets. If, for any reason, the Company's regulated businesses cease to meet the criteria for application of regulatory accounting for all or part of their operations, the regulatory assets and liabilities relating to those portions ceasing to meet such criteria would be removed from the balance sheet and included in the statement of income or accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in the period in which the discontinuance of regulatory accounting occurs. Note 7 - Fair Value Measurements The Company measures its investments in certain fixed-income and equity securities at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in income. The Company anticipates using these investments, which consist of an insurance contract, to satisfy its obligations under its unfunded, nonqualified benefit plans for executive officers and certain key management employees, and invests in these fixed-income and equity securities for the purpose of earning investment returns and capital appreciation. These investments, which totaled $73.8 million and $77.4 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, are classified as investments on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The net unrealized loss on these investments for the year ended December 31, 2018, was $3.6 million. The net unrealized gains on these investments for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, were $9.3 million and $3.4 million, respectively. The change in fair value, which is considered part of the cost of the plan, is classified in other income on the Consolidated Statements of Income. In connection with the adoption of ASU 2017-07, as discussed in Note 1, the Company has elected to reclassify prior period unrealized gains from operation and maintenance expense to other income on the Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company did not elect the fair value option, which records gains and losses in income, for its available-for-sale securities, which include mortgage-backed securities and U.S. Treasury securities. These available-for-sale securities are recorded at fair value and are classified as investments on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Unrealized gains or losses are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Details of available-for-sale securities were as follows: December 31, 2018 Mortgage-backed securities U.S. Treasury securities Total December 31, 2017 Mortgage-backed securities U.S. Treasury securities Total Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Cost Fair Value (In thousands) 10,473 $ 179 10,652 $ 21 $ — 21 $ 162 $ 10,332 — 179 162 $ 10,511 Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Cost Fair Value (In thousands) 10,342 $ 205 10,547 $ 4 $ — 4 $ 129 $ 10,217 1 204 130 $ 10,421 $ $ $ $ Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The ASC establishes a hierarchy for grouping assets and liabilities, based on the significance of inputs. The estimated fair values of the Company's assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis are determined using the market approach. The Company's Level 2 money market funds are valued at the net asset value of shares held at the end of the period, based on published market quotations on active markets, or using other known sources including pricing from outside sources. The estimated fair value of the Company's Level 2 mortgage-backed securities and U.S. Treasury securities are based on comparable market MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 83 Part II transactions, other observable inputs or other sources, including pricing from outside sources. The estimated fair value of the Company's Level 2 insurance contract is based on contractual cash surrender values that are determined primarily by investments in managed separate accounts of the insurer. These amounts approximate fair value. The managed separate accounts are valued based on other observable inputs or corroborated market data. Though the Company believes the methods used to estimate fair value are consistent with those used by other market participants, the use of other methods or assumptions could result in a different estimate of fair value. For the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, there were no transfers between Levels 1 and 2. The Company's assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis were as follows: Assets: Money market funds Insurance contract* Available-for-sale securities: Mortgage-backed securities U.S. Treasury securities Total assets measured at fair value Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2018, Using Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) (In thousands) Significant Unobservable Inputs  (Level 3) Balance at December 31, 2018 $ $ — $ — — — 10,799 $ 73,838 10,332 179 — $ — — — 10,799 73,838 10,332 179 — $ 95,148 $ — $ 95,148 * The insurance contract invests approximately 53 percent in fixed-income investments, 21 percent in common stock of large-cap companies, 11 percent in common stock of mid-cap companies, 10 percent in common stock of small-cap companies, 3 percent in target date investments and 2 percent in cash equivalents. Assets: Money market funds Insurance contract* Available-for-sale securities: Mortgage-backed securities U.S. Treasury securities Total assets measured at fair value Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2017, Using Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets  (Level 1) Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) (In thousands) Significant Unobservable Inputs  (Level 3) Balance at December 31, 2017 $ $ — $ — — — 6,965 $ 77,388 10,217 204 — $ — — — — $ 94,774 $ — $ 6,965 77,388 10,217 204 94,774 * The insurance contract invests approximately 49 percent in fixed-income investments, 23 percent in common stock of large-cap companies, 14 percent in common stock of mid-cap companies, 11 percent in common stock of small-cap companies, 2 percent in target date investments and 1 percent in cash equivalents. The Company applies the provisions of the fair value measurement standard to its nonrecurring, non-financial measurements, including long-lived asset impairments. These assets are not measured at fair value on an ongoing basis but are subject to fair value adjustments only in certain circumstances. The Company reviews the carrying value of its long-lived assets, excluding goodwill, whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that such carrying amounts may not be recoverable. The Company performed a fair value assessment of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the business combinations that occurred during 2018. For more information on these Level 2 and Level 3 fair value measurements, see Note 3. The Company performed a fair value assessment of the assets and liabilities classified as held for sale. For more information on these Level 3 nonrecurring fair value measurements, see Note 4. 84 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K The Company's long-term debt is not measured at fair value on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and the fair value is being provided for disclosure purposes only. The fair value was based on discounted future cash flows using current market interest rates. The estimated fair value of the Company's Level 2 long-term debt at December 31 was as follows: Part II 2018 Carrying Amount 2017 Fair Value Carrying Amount Fair Value (In thousands) Long-term debt $ 2,108,695 $ 2,183,819 $ 1,714,853 $ 1,826,256 The carrying amounts of the Company's remaining financial instruments included in current assets and current liabilities approximate their fair values. Note 8 - Debt Certain debt instruments of the Company and its subsidiaries, including those discussed later, contain restrictive covenants and cross- default provisions. In order to borrow under the respective credit agreements, the Company and its subsidiaries must be in compliance with the applicable covenants and certain other conditions. At December 31, 2018, the Company and its subsidiaries, as applicable, complied with all applicable financial covenants and restrictions. In the event the Company and its subsidiaries do not comply with the applicable covenants and other conditions, alternative sources of funding may need to be pursued. The following table summarizes the outstanding revolving credit facilities of the Company and its subsidiaries: Company Facility MDU Resources Group, Inc. Commercial paper/Revolving credit agreement Cascade Natural Gas Corporation Intermountain Gas Company Revolving credit agreement Revolving credit agreement Centennial Energy Holdings, Inc. Commercial paper/Revolving credit agreement Facility Limit Amount Outstanding at December 31, 2018 Amount Outstanding at December 31,  2017 (In millions) Letters of Credit at December 31, 2018 Expiration Date 73.8 (b) $ — 6/8/23 (a) $ 175.0 $ 48.5 $ $ 75.0 (c) $ 53.8 85.0 (e) $ 56.3 $ $ $ 17.3 40.0 $ $ (f) $ 500.0 $ 289.6 (b) $ 14.6 (b) $ 2.2 (d) 4/24/20 — — 4/24/20 9/23/21 (a) The commercial paper program is supported by a revolving credit agreement with various banks (provisions allow for increased borrowings, at the option of the Company on stated conditions, up to a maximum of $225.0 million). The amount outstanding under the revolving credit agreement was $48.5 million. (b) Amount outstanding under commercial paper program. (c) Certain provisions allow for increased borrowings, up to a maximum of $100.0 million. (d) Outstanding letter(s) of credit reduce the amount available under the credit agreement. (e) Certain provisions allow for increased borrowings, up to a maximum of $110.0 million. (f) The commercial paper program is supported by a revolving credit agreement with various banks (provisions allow for increased borrowings, at the option of Centennial on stated conditions, up to a maximum of $600.0 million). There were no amounts outstanding under the revolving credit agreement. The Company's and Centennial's respective commercial paper programs are supported by revolving credit agreements. While the amount of commercial paper outstanding does not reduce available capacity under the respective revolving credit agreements, the Company and Centennial do not issue commercial paper in an aggregate amount exceeding the available capacity under their credit agreements. The commercial paper borrowings may vary during the period, largely the result of fluctuations in working capital requirements due to the seasonality of the construction businesses. The following includes information related to the preceding table. Long-term debt MDU Resources Group, Inc. The Company's revolving credit agreement supports its commercial paper program. Commercial paper borrowings under this agreement are classified as long-term debt as they are intended to be refinanced on a long-term basis through continued commercial paper borrowings. The credit agreement contains customary covenants and provisions, including covenants of the Company not to permit, as of the end of any fiscal quarter, (A) the ratio of funded debt to total capitalization (determined on a consolidated basis) to be greater than 65 percent or (B) the ratio of funded debt to capitalization (determined with respect to the Company alone, excluding its subsidiaries) to be greater than MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 85 Part II 65 percent. The Company's ratio of funded debt to total capitalization at December 31, 2018, was 45 percent. Other covenants include limitations on the sale of certain assets and on the making of certain loans and investments. There are no credit facilities that contain cross-default provisions between the Company and any of its subsidiaries. On January 1, 2019, the Company's revolving credit agreement and commercial paper program became Montana-Dakota's revolving credit agreement and commercial paper program as a result of the Holding Company Reorganization. The outstanding balance of the revolving credit agreement was also transferred to Montana-Dakota. All of the related terms and covenants of the credit agreements remained the same. For more information on the reorganization, see Note 1. Cascade Any borrowings under the revolving credit agreement are classified as long-term debt as they are intended to be refinanced on a long-term basis through continued borrowings. The credit agreement contains customary covenants and provisions, including a covenant of Cascade not to permit, at any time, the ratio of total debt to total capitalization to be greater than 65 percent. Cascade's ratio of total debt to total capitalization at December 31, 2018, was 51 percent. Other covenants include restrictions on the sale of certain assets, limitations on indebtedness and the making of certain investments. Cascade's credit agreement also contains cross-default provisions. These provisions state that if Cascade fails to make any payment with respect to any indebtedness or contingent obligation, in excess of a specified amount, under any agreement that causes such indebtedness to be due prior to its stated maturity or the contingent obligation to become payable, Cascade will be in default under the revolving credit agreement. Intermountain Any borrowings under the revolving credit agreement are classified as long-term debt as they are intended to be refinanced on a long-term basis through continued borrowings. The credit agreement contains customary covenants and provisions, including a covenant of Intermountain not to permit, at any time, the ratio of total debt to total capitalization to be greater than 65 percent. Intermountain's ratio of total debt to total capitalization at December 31, 2018, was 49 percent. Other covenants include restrictions on the sale of certain assets, limitations on indebtedness and the making of certain investments. Intermountain's credit agreement also contains cross-default provisions. These provisions state that if Intermountain fails to make any payment with respect to any indebtedness or contingent obligation, in excess of a specified amount, under any agreement that causes such indebtedness to be due prior to its stated maturity or the contingent obligation to become payable, or certain conditions result in an early termination date under any swap contract that is in excess of a specified amount, then Intermountain will be in default under the revolving credit agreement. Centennial Centennial's revolving credit agreement supports its commercial paper program. Commercial paper borrowings under this agreement are classified as long-term debt as they are intended to be refinanced on a long-term basis through continued commercial paper borrowings. Centennial's revolving credit agreement contains customary covenants and provisions, including a covenant of Centennial, not to permit, as of the end of any fiscal quarter, the ratio of total consolidated debt to total consolidated capitalization to be greater than 65 percent. Centennial's ratio of total debt to total capitalization at December 31, 2018, was 38 percent. Other covenants include restricted payments, restrictions on the sale of certain assets, limitations on subsidiary indebtedness, minimum consolidated net worth, limitations on priority debt and the making of certain loans and investments. Certain of Centennial's financing agreements contain cross-default provisions. These provisions state that if Centennial or any subsidiary of Centennial fails to make any payment with respect to any indebtedness or contingent obligation, in excess of a specified amount, under any agreement that causes such indebtedness to be due prior to its stated maturity or the contingent obligation to become payable, the applicable agreements will be in default. WBI Energy Transmission WBI Energy Transmission has a $200.0 million uncommitted note purchase and private shelf agreement with an expiration date of May 16, 2019. WBI Energy Transmission had $140.0 million of notes outstanding at December 31, 2018, which reduced the remaining capacity under this uncommitted private shelf agreement to $60.0 million. This agreement contains customary covenants and provisions, including a covenant of WBI Energy Transmission not to permit, as of the end of any fiscal quarter, the ratio of total debt to total capitalization to be greater than 55 percent. WBI Energy Transmission's total debt to total capitalization at December 31, 2018, was 86 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II 40 percent. Other covenants include a limitation on priority debt and restrictions on the sale of certain assets and the making of certain investments. Long-term Debt Outstanding Long-term debt outstanding was as follows: Weighted Average Interest Rate at December 31, 2018 2018 2017 (In thousands) Senior Notes due on dates ranging from July 1, 2019 to January 15, 2055 4.57% $ 1,381,000 $ 1,499,916 Commercial paper supported by revolving credit agreements Term Loan Agreements due on dates ranging from October 17, 2019 to September 3, 2032 Credit agreements due on April 24, 2020 Medium-Term Notes due on dates ranging from September 1, 2020 to March 16, 2029 Other notes due on dates ranging from July 1, 2019 to November 30, 2038 Less unamortized debt issuance costs Less discount Total long-term debt Less current maturities Net long-term debt 3.10% 2.75% 4.40% 6.68% 5.22% 338,100 209,800 110,100 50,000 25,229 5,207 327 88,350 — 57,300 50,000 24,982 5,694 1 2,108,695 251,854 1,714,853 148,499 $ 1,856,841 $ 1,566,354 Schedule of Debt Maturities Long-term debt maturities, which excludes unamortized debt issuance costs and discount, for the five years and thereafter following December 31, 2018, were as follows: Long-term debt maturities $ 251,854 $ 125,912 $ 290,413 $ 147,314 $ 125,714 $ 1,173,022 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Thereafter (In thousands) Note 9 - Asset Retirement Obligations The Company records obligations related to retirement costs of natural gas distribution mains and lines, natural gas transmission lines, storage facilities, decommissioning of certain electric generating facilities, reclamation of certain aggregate properties, special handling and disposal of hazardous materials at certain electric generating facilities, natural gas distribution facilities and buildings, and certain other obligations as asset retirement obligations. A reconciliation of the Company's liability, which is included in other accrued liabilities and deferred credits and other liabilities - other on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, for the years ended December 31 was as follows: Balance at beginning of year $ 341,969 $ 314,970 2018 2017 (In thousands) Liabilities incurred Liabilities acquired Liabilities settled Accretion expense* Revisions in estimates Balance at end of year 13,424 1,002 (3,699) 18,242 4,615 15,110 — (4,981) 16,839 31 $ 375,553 $ 341,969 * Includes $16.8 million and $15.6 million in 2018 and 2017, respectively, related to regulatory assets. The Company believes that largely all expenses related to asset retirement obligations at the Company's regulated operations will be recovered in rates over time and, accordingly, defers such expenses as regulatory assets. For more information on the Company's regulatory assets and liabilities, see Note 6. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 87 Part II Note 10 - Preferred Stocks The Company currently has 500,000 shares of preferred stock authorized to be issued with a $100 par value; 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock A authorized to be issued with no par value; and 500,000 shares of preference stock authorized to be issued with no par value. At December 31, 2018, there were no shares outstanding. At December 31, 2017, there were no shares outstanding. In 2016, dividends declared on the 4.50% Series and 4.70% Series preferred stocks were $4.50 and $4.70 per share, respectively. On April 1, 2017, the Company redeemed all outstanding 4.50% Series and 4.70% Series preferred stocks at $105 per share and $102 per share, respectively, for a repurchase price of approximately $15.6 million and $300,000 of redeemable preferred stock classified as long-term debt. Note 11 - Common Stock For the years 2018, 2017 and 2016, dividends declared on common stock were $.7950, $.7750 and $.7550 per common share, respectively. The Stock Purchase Plan provided interested investors the opportunity to make optional cash investments and to reinvest all or a percentage of their cash dividends in shares of the Company's common stock. The K-Plan provides participants the option to invest in the Company's common stock. For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, the K-Plan purchased shares of common stock on the open market. At December 31, 2018, there were 7.8 million shares of common stock reserved for original issuance under the K-Plan. From January 2016 through December 4, 2016, the Stock Purchase Plan purchased shares of common stock on the open market. On December 5, 2016, the Stock Purchase Plan was terminated and all remaining shares reserved for original issuance under the plan were de- registered. The Company depends on earnings and dividends from its subsidiaries to pay dividends on common stock. The Company has paid quarterly dividends for more than 80 consecutive years with an increase in the payout amount for the last 28 consecutive years. The declaration and payment of dividends is at the sole discretion of the board of directors, subject to limitations imposed by the Company's credit agreements, federal and state laws, and applicable regulatory limitations. In addition, the Company and Centennial are generally restricted to paying dividends out of capital accounts or net assets. The following discusses the most restrictive limitations. Pursuant to a covenant under a credit agreement, Centennial may only declare or pay distributions if as of the last day of any fiscal quarter, the ratio of Centennial's average consolidated indebtedness as of the last day of such fiscal quarter and each of the preceding three fiscal quarters to Centennial's Consolidated EBITDA does not exceed 3 to 1. Intermountain has regulatory limitations on the amount of dividends it can pay. Based on these limitations, approximately $1.1 billion of the net assets of the Company's subsidiaries were restricted from being used to transfer funds to the Company at December 31, 2018. In addition, the Company's credit agreement also contains restrictions on dividend payments. The most restrictive limitation requires the Company not to permit the ratio of funded debt to capitalization (determined with respect to the Company alone, excluding its subsidiaries) to be greater than 65 percent. Based on this limitation, approximately $424 million of the Company's (excluding its subsidiaries) net assets, which represents common stockholders' equity including retained earnings, would be restricted from use for dividend payments at December 31, 2018. In addition, state regulatory commissions may require the Company to maintain certain capitalization ratios. These requirements are not expected to affect the Company's ability to pay dividends in the near term. Note 12 - Stock-Based Compensation The Company has stock-based compensation plans under which it is currently authorized to grant restricted stock and other stock awards. As of December 31, 2018, there were 5.0 million remaining shares available to grant under these plans. The Company either purchases shares on the open market or issues new shares of common stock to satisfy the vesting of stock based awards. Total stock-based compensation expense (after tax) was $4.6 million, $2.7 million and $3.3 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. As of December 31, 2018, total remaining unrecognized compensation expense related to stock-based compensation was approximately $7.2 million (before income taxes) which will be amortized over a weighted average period of 1.7 years. Stock awards Non-employee directors receive shares of common stock in addition to and in lieu of cash payment for directors' fees. Shares of common stock were issued under the non-employee director stock compensation plan or the non-employee director long-term incentive compensation plan. There were 38,605 shares with a fair value of $1.0 million, 40,572 shares with a fair value of $1.1 million and 37,218 shares with a fair value of $1.1 million issued to non-employee directors during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. 88 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II Restricted stock awards In February 2018, the Company began granting restricted stock awards under the long-term performance-based incentive plan to certain key employees. The restricted stock awards granted will vest after three years. The grant-date fair value is the market price of the Company's stock on the grant date. At December 31, 2018, the total nonvested shares were 22,838 with a weighted average grant-date fair value of $27.48 per share. Performance share awards Since 2003, key employees of the Company have been granted performance share awards each year under the long-term performance-based incentive plan. Entitlement to performance shares is established by either the market condition or the performance metrics and service condition relative to the designated award. Target grants of performance shares outstanding at December 31, 2018, were as follows: Grant Date February 2016 March 2016 February 2017 February 2018 Performance Period 2016-2018 2016-2018 2017-2019 2018-2020 Target Grant of Shares 255,773 2,151 164,558 246,309 Under the market condition for these performance share awards, participants may earn from zero to 200 percent of the apportioned target grant of shares based on the Company's total shareholder return relative to that of the selected peer group. Compensation expense is based on the grant-date fair value as determined by Monte Carlo simulation. The blended volatility term structure ranges are comprised of 50 percent historical volatility and 50 percent implied volatility. Risk-free interest rates were based on U.S. Treasury security rates in effect as of the grant date. Assumptions used for grants applicable to the market condition for certain performance shares issued in 2018, 2017 and 2016 were: Weighted average grant-date fair value Blended volatility range Risk-free interest rate range 2018 $34.55 2017 $24.31 2016 $14.60 17.87% – 22.14% 22.70% – 25.56% 29.25% – 32.51% 1.86% – 2.46% .69% – 1.61% .47% – .92% Weighted average discounted dividends per share $2.46 $1.70 $1.56 Under the performance conditions for these performance share awards, participants may earn from zero to 200 percent of the apportioned target grant of shares. The performance conditions are based on the Company's compound annual growth rate in earnings from continuing operations before interest, taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization and the Company's compound annual growth rate in earnings from continuing operations. The performance shares applicable to these performance conditions have a weighted average grant-date fair value of $27.48 per share. There were no performance shares that vested in 2018. The fair value of the performance shares that vested during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, was $9.6 million and $953,000, respectively. A summary of the status of the performance share awards for the year ended December 31, 2018, was as follows: Number of Shares Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value Nonvested at beginning of period 425,534 $ Granted Less: Forfeited Nonvested at end of period 246,309 3,052 668,791 $ 18.35 31.02 14.60 23.03 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 89 Part II Note 13 - Income Taxes The components of income before income taxes from continuing operations for each of the years ended December 31 were as follows: United States Foreign 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands) $ 317,655 $ 350,064 $ 326,252 (784) (37) (24) Income before income taxes from continuing operations $ 316,871 $ 350,027 $ 326,228 Income tax expense (benefit) from continuing operations for the years ended December 31 was as follows: Current: Federal State Foreign Deferred: Income taxes: Federal State Investment tax credit - net 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands) $ (15,901) $ 74,272 $ 81,989 3,651 — 16,192 13,190 — 2 (12,250) 90,464 95,181 50,755 (24,497) 7,206 1,774 (864) (62) 59,735 (25,423) (2,102) 1,184 (1,131) (2,049) Total income tax expense $ 47,485 $ 65,041 $ 93,132 In accordance with the accounting guidance on accounting for income taxes, the tax effects of the change in tax laws or rates are to be recorded in the period of enactment. The TCJA was enacted on December 22, 2017, as discussed in Note 1. Therefore, the reduction in the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent required the Company to prepare a one-time revaluation of the Company's deferred tax assets and liabilities in the fourth quarter of 2017, the period of enactment. The deferred taxes were revalued at the new tax rate because deferred taxes should reflect what the Company expects to pay or receive in future periods under the applicable tax rate. As a result of the revaluation, the Company reduced the value of these assets and liabilities and recorded a tax benefit from continuing operations of $39.5 million on the Consolidated Statements of Income for the year ended December 31, 2017. Included in the tax benefit from continuing operations was income tax expense of $7.7 million related to amounts in accumulated other comprehensive loss and $1.0 million related to the Company's assets held for sale. The Company's regulated operations prepared a one-time revaluation of the Company's regulatory deferred tax assets and liabilities in the fourth quarter of 2017 related to the enactment of the TCJA. The revaluation is being deferred under regulatory accounting as the Company works with the various regulators to plan for amounts expected to be returned to customers, as discussed in Notes 6 and 18. The revaluation of the deferred tax assets and liabilities resulted in a net decrease of $285.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2017. In the third quarter of 2018, the Company reversed a regulatory liability recorded in 2017 based on a FERC final accounting order being issued, which resulted in a $4.2 million tax benefit. These regulatory amounts will largely be refunded over the remaining life of the related assets. The changes included in the TCJA were broad and complex. The SEC issued rules that allowed for a measurement period of up to one year after the enactment date of the TCJA to finalize the recording of the related tax impacts. The Company has reviewed the impacts of the TCJA and completed its assessment of the transitional impacts during the period ending December 31, 2018, of which there were no such material adjustments. 90 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Components of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities at December 31 were as follows: Part II Deferred tax assets: Postretirement Compensation-related Alternative minimum tax credit carryforward Federal renewable energy credit Customer advances Asset retirement obligations Legal and environmental contingencies Other Total deferred tax assets Deferred tax liabilities: 2018 2017 (In thousands) $ 51,930 $ 29,885 13,404 8,015 7,734 7,083 6,729 55,736 16,298 37,683 19,367 8,712 6,380 7,363 37,347 35,738 162,127 187,277 Depreciation and basis differences on property, plant and equipment 476,832 429,577 Postretirement Intangible asset amortization Other Total deferred tax liabilities Valuation allowance Net deferred income tax liability 44,432 17,752 39,712 43,505 16,979 32,591 578,728 522,652 13,484 11,896 $ 430,085 $ 347,271 As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company had various state income tax net operating loss carryforwards of $153.2 million and $130.1 million, respectively, and federal and state income tax credit carryforwards, excluding alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards, of $43.5 million and $52.5 million, respectively. Included in the state credits are various regulatory investment tax credits of approximately $32.2 million and $28.0 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The federal income tax credit carryforwards expire in 2037 and 2038 if not utilized and state income tax credit carryforwards are due to expire between 2020 and 2046. Changes in tax regulations or assumptions regarding current and future taxable income could require additional valuation allowances in the future. The alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards are refundable. For information regarding net operating loss carryforwards and valuation allowances related to discontinued operations, see Note 4. The following table reconciles the change in the net deferred income tax liability from December 31, 2017, to December 31, 2018, to deferred income tax expense: Change in net deferred income tax liability from the preceding table Deferred taxes associated with other comprehensive income Deferred taxes associated with TCJA enactment for regulated activities Deferred taxes associated with acquisitions Other 2018 (In thousands) $ 82,814 (2,679) (13,776) (5,565) (1,059) Deferred income tax expense for the period $ 59,735 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 91 Part II Total income tax expense differs from the amount computed by applying the statutory federal income tax rate to income before taxes. The reasons for this difference were as follows: Years ended December 31, Computed tax at federal statutory rate Increases (reductions) resulting from: State income taxes, net of federal income tax Federal renewable energy credit Tax compliance and uncertain tax positions Domestic production deduction Excess deferred income tax amortization TCJA revaluation TCJA revaluation related to accumulated other comprehensive loss balance Other Total income tax expense 2018 2017 2016 Amount % Amount % Amount % (Dollars in thousands) $ 66,543 21.0 $ 122,509 35.0 $ 114,179 35.0 12,190 3.8 10,724 3.1 9,027 2.8 (11,759) (3.7) (13,958) (4.0) (13,544) (4.2) (2,725) — (9,319) (5,947) (42) (1,456) (.9) — (2.9) (1.9) — (.4) (643) (.2) (3,028) (.9) (6,849) (2.0) (6,251) (1.9) (397) — (828) (.2) (47,242) (13.5) 7,735 2.2 — — — — (6,838) (2.0) (6,423) (2.1) $ 47,485 15.0 $ 65,041 18.6 $ 93,132 28.5 The Company and its subsidiaries file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, and various state, local and foreign jurisdictions. The Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal or non-U.S. income tax examinations by tax authorities for years ending prior to 2015. With few exceptions, as of December 31, 2018, the Company is no longer subject to state and local income tax examinations by tax authorities for years ending prior to 2014. A reconciliation of unrecognized tax benefits (excluding interest) for the years ended December 31 was as follows: Balance at beginning of year Additions based on tax positions related to current year Additions for tax positions of prior years Balance at end of year 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands) — $ — $ 120 262 — — 382 $ — $ $ $ — — — — Included in income tax expense is interest on uncertain tax positions. For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, the Company recognized approximately $31,000, $99,000 and $92,000, respectively, of interest income in income tax expense. At December 31, 2018, the Company had no accrued receivables for interest. At December 31, 2017, the Company had accrued receivables of approximately $46,000, for interest. Note 14 - Cash Flow Information Cash expenditures for interest and income taxes for the years ended December 31 were as follows: Interest, net* Income taxes paid, net** 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands) $ $ 83,009 $ 79,638 $ 87,920 16,041 $ 112,137 $ 105,908 * AFUDC - borrowed was $2.3 million, $966,000 and $914,000 for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. ** Income taxes paid, net of discontinued operations, were $5.5 million, $9.7 million and $1.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Noncash investing transactions at December 31 were as follows: Property, plant and equipment additions in accounts payable Issuance of common stock in connection with acquisition $ $ 42,355 $ 29,263 $ 22,712 18,186 $ — $ — 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands) 92 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II Note 15 - Business Segment Data The Company's reportable segments are those that are based on the Company's method of internal reporting, which generally segregates the strategic business units due to differences in products, services and regulation. The internal reporting of these operating segments is defined based on the reporting and review process used by the Company's chief executive officer. The vast majority of the Company's operations are located within the United States. The electric segment generates, transmits and distributes electricity in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. The natural gas distribution segment distributes natural gas in those states, as well as in Idaho, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington. These operations also supply related value-added services. The pipeline and midstream segment provides natural gas transportation, underground storage and gathering services through regulated and nonregulated pipeline systems primarily in the Rocky Mountain and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. This segment also provides cathodic protection and other energy-related services. The construction materials and contracting segment operations mine, process and sell construction aggregates (crushed stone, sand and gravel); produce and sell asphalt mix; and supply ready-mixed concrete. This segment focuses on vertical integration of its contracting services with its construction materials to support the aggregate based product lines including aggregate placement, asphalt and concrete paving, and site development and grading. Although not common to all locations, other products include the sale of cement, liquid asphalt for various commercial and roadway applications, various finished concrete products and other building materials and related contracting services. This segment operates in the central, southern and western United States and Alaska and Hawaii. The construction services segment provides inside and outside specialty contracting services. Its outside services include design, construction and maintenance of overhead and underground electrical distribution and transmission lines, substations, external lighting, traffic signalization, and gas pipelines, as well as utility excavation and the manufacture and distribution of transmission line construction equipment. Its inside services include design, construction and maintenance of electrical and communication wiring and infrastructure, fire suppression systems, and mechanical piping and services. This segment also constructs and maintains renewable energy projects. These specialty contracting services are provided to utilities and large manufacturing, commercial, industrial, institutional and government customers. The Other category includes the activities of Centennial Capital, which insures various types of risks as a captive insurer for certain of the Company's subsidiaries. The function of the captive insurer is to fund the self-insured layers of the insured Company's general liability, automobile liability, pollution liability and other coverages. Centennial Capital also owns certain real and personal property. The Other category also includes certain general and administrative costs (reflected in operation and maintenance expense) and interest expense which were previously allocated to the refining business and Fidelity and do not meet the criteria for income (loss) from discontinued operations. The Other category also includes Centennial Resources' former investment in Brazil. Discontinued operations includes the results and supporting activities of Dakota Prairie Refining and Fidelity other than certain general and administrative costs and interest expense as described above. For more information on discontinued operations, see Note 4. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 93 Part II The information below follows the same accounting policies as described in Note 1. Information on the Company's segments as of December 31 and for the years then ended was as follows: 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands) $ 335,123 $ 342,805 $ 823,247 54,857 848,388 53,566 322,356 766,115 52,983 1,213,227 1,244,759 1,141,454 23,161 1,925,185 1,369,772 207 19,602 1,811,964 1,366,317 709 39,602 1,873,696 1,072,663 1,413 3,318,325 3,198,592 2,987,374 $ 4,531,552 $ 4,443,351 $ 4,128,828 $ $ $ $ $ — $ — — $ — 50,580 50,580 325 669 1,681 11,052 13,727 48,867 48,867 178 565 1,285 7,165 9,193 — — 48,794 48,794 223 574 609 7,230 8,636 (64,307) (58,060) (57,430) — $ — $ — 50,982 $ 47,715 $ 72,486 17,896 61,158 15,728 1,955 69,381 16,788 55,862 15,739 2,001 50,220 65,426 24,885 58,413 15,307 2,067 220,205 $ 207,486 $ 216,318 65,148 $ 79,902 $ 72,336 36,128 141,426 86,764 (79) 84,239 36,004 143,230 81,292 (619) 67,929 66,166 42,864 178,753 53,546 (349) $ 401,723 $ 424,048 $ 408,909 External operating revenues: Regulated operations: Electric Natural gas distribution Pipeline and midstream Nonregulated operations: Pipeline and midstream Construction materials and contracting Construction services Other Total external operating revenues Intersegment operating revenues: Regulated operations: Electric Natural gas distribution Pipeline and midstream Nonregulated operations: Pipeline and midstream Construction materials and contracting Construction services Other Intersegment eliminations Total intersegment operating revenues Depreciation, depletion and amortization: Electric Natural gas distribution Pipeline and midstream Construction materials and contracting Construction services Other Total depreciation, depletion and amortization Operating income (loss): Electric Natural gas distribution Pipeline and midstream Construction materials and contracting Construction services Other Total operating income 94 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Interest expense: Electric Natural gas distribution Pipeline and midstream Construction materials and contracting Construction services Other Intersegment eliminations Total interest expense Income taxes: Electric Natural gas distribution Pipeline and midstream Construction materials and contracting Construction services Other Intersegment eliminations Total income taxes Earnings on common stock: Regulated operations: Electric Natural gas distribution Pipeline and midstream Nonregulated operations: Pipeline and midstream Construction materials and contracting Construction services Other Intersegment eliminations (a) Earnings on common stock before income (loss) from discontinued operations Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax (a) Loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interest Earnings on common stock Capital expenditures: Electric Natural gas distribution Pipeline and midstream Construction materials and contracting Construction services Other Total capital expenditures (b) Part II 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands) $ 25,860 $ 25,377 $ 30,768 5,964 17,290 3,551 2,762 (1,581) 31,234 4,990 14,778 3,742 3,564 (897) 24,982 30,405 7,903 15,265 4,059 5,854 (620) $ $ $ $ $ $ 84,614 $ 82,788 $ 87,848 (6,482) $ 7,699 $ 4,075 2,677 28,357 20,000 (1,142) — 22,756 12,281 5,405 25,558 (1,809) (6,849) 47,485 $ 65,041 $ 47,000 $ 49,366 $ 37,732 26,905 111,637 1,554 92,647 64,309 (761) 157,749 — 269,386 2,932 — 32,225 20,620 102,211 (127) 123,398 53,306 (1,422) 175,155 6,849 284,215 (3,783) — 1,449 9,181 12,408 60,625 17,748 (2,028) (6,251) 93,132 42,222 27,102 22,060 91,384 1,375 102,687 33,945 (3,231) 134,776 6,251 232,411 (300,354) (131,691) 272,318 $ 280,432 $ 63,748 186,105 $ 109,107 $ 205,896 70,057 280,396 25,081 1,768 146,981 31,054 44,302 18,630 1,850 111,134 126,272 34,467 37,845 60,344 2,358 $ 769,303 $ 351,924 $ 372,420 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 95 Part II Assets: Electric (c) Natural gas distribution (c) Pipeline and midstream Construction materials and contracting Construction services Other (d) Assets held for sale Total assets Property, plant and equipment: Electric (c) Natural gas distribution (c) Pipeline and midstream Construction materials and contracting Construction services Other 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands) $ 1,613,822 $ 1,470,922 $ 1,406,694 2,375,871 616,959 1,508,032 604,798 266,111 2,517 2,201,081 566,295 1,238,696 591,382 261,419 4,871 2,099,296 550,615 1,220,459 513,093 283,255 211,055 6,988,110 $ 6,334,666 $ 6,284,467 2,148,569 $ 1,982,264 $ 1,888,613 2,499,093 764,959 1,768,006 188,586 28,108 2,319,845 700,284 1,560,048 177,265 31,123 2,179,413 672,199 1,549,375 171,361 49,268 $ $ Less accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization 2,818,644 2,691,641 2,578,902 Net property, plant and equipment $ 4,578,677 $ 4,079,188 $ 3,931,327 Includes eliminations for the presentation of income tax adjustments between continuing and discontinued operations. (a) (b) Capital expenditures for 2018, 2017 and 2016 include noncash transactions such as the issuance of the Company's equity securities in connection with (c) (d) acquisitions, capital expenditure-related accounts payable and AFUDC, totaling $33.4 million, $10.5 million and $(15.8) million, respectively. Includes allocations of common utility property. Includes assets not directly assignable to a business (i.e. cash and cash equivalents, certain accounts receivable, certain investments and other miscellaneous current and deferred assets). Note 16 - Employee Benefit Plans Pension and other postretirement benefit plans The Company has noncontributory qualified defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans for certain eligible employees. The Company uses a measurement date of December 31 for all of its pension and postretirement benefit plans. Prior to 2013, defined benefit pension plan benefits and accruals for all nonunion and certain union plans were frozen and on June 30, 2015, the remaining union plan was frozen. These employees were eligible to receive additional defined contribution plan benefits. In October 2018, the Company transferred the liability of certain participants in the defined benefit pension plan, who are currently receiving benefits, to an annuity company. The transfer of the benefit payments for these participants reduces the Company's liability and future premiums. Effective January 1, 2010, eligibility to receive retiree medical benefits was modified at certain of the Company's businesses. Employees who had attained age 55 with 10 years of continuous service by December 31, 2010, will be provided the current retiree medical insurance benefits or can elect the new benefit, if desired, regardless of when they retire. All other current employees must meet the new eligibility criteria of age 60 and 10 years of continuous service at the time they retire. These employees will be eligible for a specified company funded Retiree Reimbursement Account. Employees hired after December 31, 2009, will not be eligible for retiree medical benefits at certain of the Company's businesses. In 2012, the Company modified health care coverage for certain retirees. Effective January 1, 2013, post-65 coverage was replaced by a fixed-dollar subsidy for retirees and spouses to be used to purchase individual insurance through an exchange. 96 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Changes in benefit obligation and plan assets for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, and amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2018 and 2017, were as follows: Part II Change in benefit obligation: Benefit obligation at beginning of year Service cost Interest cost Plan participants' contributions Actuarial (gain) loss Benefits paid Benefit obligation at end of year Change in net plan assets: Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year Actual gain (loss) on plan assets Employer contribution Plan participants' contributions Benefits paid Fair value of net plan assets at end of year Funded status - over (under) Amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31: Deferred charges and other assets - other Other accrued liabilities Deferred credits and other liabilities - other Benefit obligation assets (liabilities) - net amount recognized Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss or regulatory assets (liabilities) consist of: Actuarial loss Prior service credit Total Pension Benefits Other Postretirement Benefits 2018 2017 2018 2017 (In thousands) $ 445,923 $ 436,307 $ 91,206 $ 89,304 — 14,591 — (32,637) (36,275) — 16,207 — 19,119 (25,710) 391,602 445,923 354,384 (21,138) 10,838 — 333,509 45,473 1,112 — (36,275) (25,710) 307,809 354,384 1,494 2,899 1,282 (10,115) (5,565) 81,201 88,739 (2,781) 842 1,281 (5,565) 82,516 1,508 3,265 1,368 1,781 (6,020) 91,206 82,846 9,612 933 1,368 (6,020) 88,739 (83,793) $ (91,539) $ 1,315 $ (2,467) — $ — — $ — 83,793 91,539 20,843 660 18,868 19,114 612 20,969 (83,793) $ (91,539) $ 1,315 $ (2,467) 188,735 $ 186,486 $ 10,316 $ — — (10,238) 13,423 (11,632) 188,735 $ 186,486 $ 78 $ 1,791 $ $ $ $ $ Employer contributions and benefits paid in the preceding table include only those amounts contributed directly to, or paid directly from, plan assets. Accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss in the table above includes amounts related to regulated operations, which are recorded as regulatory assets (liabilities) and are expected to be reflected in rates charged to customers over time. For more information on regulatory assets (liabilities), see Note 6. Unrecognized pension actuarial losses in excess of 10 percent of the greater of the projected benefit obligation or the market-related value of assets are amortized over the average life expectancy of plan participants for frozen plans. The market-related value of assets is determined using a five-year average of assets. The pension plans all have accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets. The projected benefit obligation, accumulated benefit obligation and fair value of plan assets for these plans at December 31 were as follows: Projected benefit obligation Accumulated benefit obligation Fair value of plan assets 2018 2017 (In thousands) $ $ $ 391,602 $ 391,602 $ 307,809 $ 445,923 445,923 354,384 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 97 Part II Components of net periodic benefit cost (credit) for the Company's pension and other postretirement benefit plans for the years ended December 31 were as follows: Components of net periodic benefit cost (credit): Service cost Interest cost Expected return on assets Amortization of prior service credit Recognized net actuarial loss Net periodic benefit cost (credit), including amount capitalized Less amount capitalized Net periodic benefit cost (credit) Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in accumulated comprehensive (income) loss or regulatory assets (liabilities): Net (gain) loss Amortization of actuarial loss Amortization of prior service credit Total recognized in accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss or regulatory assets (liabilities) Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost (credit), accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss and regulatory assets (liabilities) Pension Benefits Other Postretirement Benefits 2018 2017 2016 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands) $ — $ — $ — $ 1,494 $ 1,508 $ 14,591 16,207 17,218 (20,753) (20,528) (20,924) — 7,005 843 — 843 — 6,355 2,034 310 1,724 — 6,215 2,509 381 2,128 2,899 (4,866) (1,394) 640 (1,227) 153 (1,380) 3,265 (4,641) (1,371) 857 (382) (370) (12) 1,647 3,688 (4,533) (1,371) 1,491 922 (52) 974 9,254 (7,005) — (5,827) (6,355) — (3,789) (6,215) — (2,467) (640) 1,394 (3,190) (857) 1,371 (3,523) (1,491) 1,371 2,249 (12,182) (10,004) (1,713) (2,676) (3,643) $ 3,092 $ (10,458) $ (7,876) $ (3,093) $ (2,688) $ (2,669) The estimated net loss for the defined benefit pension plans that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive loss and regulatory assets into net periodic benefit cost in 2019 is $5.6 million. The estimated net loss and prior service credit for the other postretirement benefit plans that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive loss and regulatory assets into net periodic benefit cost (credit) in 2019 are $500,000 and $1.4 million, respectively. Prior service cost is amortized on a straight line basis over the average remaining service period of active participants. Weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations at December 31 were as follows: Discount rate Expected return on plan assets Rate of compensation increase Pension Benefits Other Postretirement Benefits 2018 4.03% 6.75% N/A 2017 3.38% 6.75% N/A 2018 4.05% 5.75% 3.00% 2017 3.41% 5.75% 3.00% Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost (credit) for the years ended December 31 were as follows: Discount rate Expected return on plan assets Rate of compensation increase Pension Benefits Other Postretirement Benefits 2018 3.38% 6.75% N/A 2017 3.83% 6.75% N/A 2018 3.41% 5.75% 3.00% 2017 3.86% 5.75% 3.00% The expected rate of return on pension plan assets is based on a targeted asset allocation range determined by the funded ratio of the plan. As of December 31, 2018, the expected rate of return on pension plan assets is based on the targeted asset allocation range of 40 percent to 50 percent equity securities and 50 percent to 60 percent fixed-income securities and the expected rate of return from these asset categories. The expected rate of return on other postretirement plan assets is based on the targeted asset allocation range of 25 percent to 30 percent equity securities and 70 percent to 75 percent fixed-income securities and the expected rate of return from these asset categories. The expected return on plan assets for other postretirement benefits reflects insurance-related investment costs. 98 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II Health care rate assumptions for the Company's other postretirement benefit plans as of December 31 were as follows: Health care trend rate assumed for next year 7.5% – 8.1% 7.5% – 8.5% Health care cost trend rate - ultimate Year in which ultimate trend rate achieved 4.5% 2024 4.5% 2024 2018 2017 The Company's other postretirement benefit plans include health care and life insurance benefits for certain retirees. The plans underlying these benefits may require contributions by the retiree depending on such retiree's age and years of service at retirement or the date of retirement. The accounting for the health care plans anticipates future cost-sharing changes that are consistent with the Company's expressed intent to generally increase retiree contributions each year by the excess of the expected health care cost trend rate over six percent. Assumed health care cost trend rates may have a significant effect on the amounts reported for the health care plans. A one percentage point change in the assumed health care cost trend rates would have had the following effects at December 31, 2018: Effect on total of service and interest cost components Effect on postretirement benefit obligation $ $ 1 Percentage Point Increase 1 Percentage Point Decrease (In thousands) 223 $ 4,296 $ (184) (3,622) Outside investment managers manage the Company's pension and postretirement assets. The Company's investment policy with respect to pension and other postretirement assets is to make investments solely in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of the plans and for the exclusive purpose of providing benefits accrued and defraying the reasonable expenses of administration. The Company strives to maintain investment diversification to assist in minimizing the risk of large losses. The Company's policy guidelines allow for investment of funds in cash equivalents, fixed-income securities and equity securities. The guidelines prohibit investment in commodities and futures contracts, equity private placement, employer securities, leveraged or derivative securities, options, direct real estate investments, precious metals, venture capital and limited partnerships. The guidelines also prohibit short selling and margin transactions. The Company's practice is to periodically review and rebalance asset categories based on its targeted asset allocation percentage policy. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The fair value ASC establishes a hierarchy for grouping assets and liabilities, based on the significance of inputs. The estimated fair values of the Company's pension plans' assets are determined using the market approach. The carrying value of the pension plans' Level 2 cash equivalents approximates fair value and is determined using observable inputs in active markets or the net asset value of shares held at year end, which is determined using other observable inputs including pricing from outside sources. The estimated fair value of the pension plans' Level 1 equity securities is based on the closing price reported on the active market on which the individual securities are traded. The estimated fair value of the pension plans' Level 1 and Level 2 collective and mutual funds are based on the net asset value of shares held at year end, based on either published market quotations on active markets or other known sources including pricing from outside sources. The estimated fair value of the pension plans' Level 2 corporate and municipal bonds is determined using other observable inputs, including benchmark yields, reported trades, broker/dealer quotes, bids, offers, future cash flows and other reference data. The estimated fair value of the pension plans' Level 1 U.S. Government securities are valued based on quoted prices on an active market. The estimated fair value of the pension plans' Level 2 U.S. Government securities are valued mainly using other observable inputs, including benchmark yields, reported trades, broker/dealer quotes, bids, offers, to be announced prices, future cash flows and other reference data. Some of these securities are valued using pricing from outside sources. Though the Company believes the methods used to estimate fair value are consistent with those used by other market participants, the use of other methods or assumptions could result in a different estimate of fair value. For the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, there were no transfers between Levels 1 and 2. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 99 Part II The fair value of the Company's pension plans' assets (excluding cash) by class were as follows: Assets: Cash equivalents Equity securities: U.S. companies International companies Collective and mutual funds* Corporate bonds Municipal bonds U.S. Government securities Total assets measured at fair value Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2018, Using Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets  (Level 1) Significant Other Observable Inputs  (Level 2) (In thousands) Significant Unobservable Inputs  (Level 3) Balance at December 31, 2018 $ — $ 4,930 $ — $ 4,930 11,038 — 145,960 — — 479 — 967 51,600 73,110 10,624 5,896 — — — — — — 11,038 967 197,560 73,110 10,624 6,375 $ 157,477 $ 147,127 $ — $ 304,604 * Collective and mutual funds invest approximately 27 percent in common stock of international companies, 31 percent in corporate bonds, 18 percent in common stock of large-cap U.S. companies, 5 percent in cash equivalents and 19 percent in other investments. Assets: Cash equivalents Equity securities: U.S. companies International companies Collective and mutual funds* Corporate bonds Municipal bonds U.S. Government securities Total assets measured at fair value Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2017, Using Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets  (Level 1) Significant Other Observable Inputs  (Level 2) (In thousands) Significant Unobservable Inputs  (Level 3) Balance at December 31, 2017 $ — $ 3,814 $ — $ 3,814 13,345 1,766 171,822 — — 1,038 — — 67,749 74,956 8,546 8,293 — — — — — — 13,345 1,766 239,571 74,956 8,546 9,331 $ 187,971 $ 163,358 $ — $ 351,329 * Collective and mutual funds invest approximately 31 percent in common stock of international companies, 28 percent in corporate bonds, 19 percent in common stock of large-cap U.S. companies, 7 percent in cash equivalents, 1 percent in U.S. Government securities and 14 percent in other investments. The estimated fair values of the Company's other postretirement benefit plans' assets are determined using the market approach. The estimated fair value of the other postretirement benefit plans' Level 2 cash equivalents is valued at the net asset value of shares held at year end, based on published market quotations on active markets, or using other known sources including pricing from outside sources. The estimated fair value of the other postretirement benefit plans' Level 1 equity securities is based on the closing price reported on the active market on which the individual securities are traded. The estimated fair value of the other postretirement benefit plans' Level 2 insurance contract is based on contractual cash surrender values that are determined primarily by investments in managed separate accounts of the insurer. These amounts approximate fair value. The managed separate accounts are valued based on other observable inputs or corroborated market data. Though the Company believes the methods used to estimate fair value are consistent with those used by other market participants, the use of other methods or assumptions could result in a different estimate of fair value. For the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, there were no transfers between Levels 1 and 2. 100 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K The fair value of the Company's other postretirement benefit plans' assets (excluding cash) by asset class were as follows: Part II Assets: Cash equivalents Equity securities: U.S. companies International companies Insurance contract* Total assets measured at fair value Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2018, Using Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets  (Level 1) Significant Other Observable Inputs  (Level 2) (In thousands) Significant Unobservable Inputs  (Level 3) Balance at December 31, 2018 $ $ — $ 3,866 $ — $ 3,866 1,767 — 1 — 2 76,880 — — — 1,768 $ 80,748 $ — $ 1,767 2 76,881 82,516 * The insurance contract invests approximately 51 percent in corporate bonds, 23 percent in common stock of large-cap U.S. companies, 7 percent in U.S. Government securities, 7 percent in common stock of small-cap U.S. companies and 12 percent in other investments. Assets: Cash equivalents Equity securities: U.S. companies International companies Insurance contract* Total assets measured at fair value Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2017, Using Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets  (Level 1) Significant Other Observable Inputs  (Level 2) (In thousands) Significant Unobservable Inputs  (Level 3) Balance at December 31, 2017 $ $ — $ 4,815 $ — $ 4,815 2,316 4 3 — — 81,601 — — — 2,323 $ 86,416 $ — $ 2,316 4 81,604 88,739 * The insurance contract invests approximately 38 percent in corporate bonds, 23 percent in common stock of large-cap U.S. companies, 21 percent in U.S. Government securities, 9 percent in mortgage-backed securities and 9 percent in other investments. The Company expects to contribute approximately $4.0 million to its defined benefit pension plans and approximately $700,000 to its postretirement benefit plans in 2019. The following benefit payments, which reflect future service, as appropriate, and expected Medicare Part D subsidies at December 31, 2018, are as follows: Years 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Pension Benefits Other Postretirement Benefits (In thousands) Expected Medicare Part D Subsidy $ 24,026 $ 5,332 $ 24,287 24,633 24,929 25,173 5,232 5,201 5,259 5,270 117 112 105 98 90 320 2024 - 2028 124,688 25,851 Nonqualified benefit plans In addition to the qualified defined benefit pension plans reflected in the table at the beginning of this note, the Company also has unfunded, nonqualified benefit plans for executive officers and certain key management employees that generally provide for defined MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 101 Part II benefit payments at age 65 following the employee's retirement or, upon death, to their beneficiaries for a 15-year period. In February 2016, the Company froze the unfunded, nonqualified defined benefit plans to new participants and eliminated benefit increases. Vesting for participants not fully vested was retained. The projected benefit obligation and accumulated benefit obligation for these plans at December 31 were as follows: Projected benefit obligation Accumulated benefit obligation $ $ 93,988 $ 102,484 93,988 $ 102,484 2018 2017 (In thousands) Components of net periodic benefit cost for the Company's nonqualified benefit plans for the years ended December 31 were as follows: 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands) Components of net periodic benefit cost: Service cost Interest cost Amortization of prior service cost Recognized net actuarial loss Curtailment gain $ 185 $ 289 $ 3,157 — 1,047 — 3,494 — 883 — 493 3,742 (80) 952 (3,292) Net periodic benefit cost $ 4,389 $ 4,666 $ 1,815 Weighted average assumptions used at December 31 were as follows: Benefit obligation discount rate Benefit obligation rate of compensation increase Net periodic benefit cost discount rate Net periodic benefit cost rate of compensation increase 2018 3.86% N/A 3.20% N/A 2017 3.20% N/A 3.56% N/A The amount of future benefit payments for the unfunded, nonqualified benefit plans at December 31, 2018, are expected to aggregate as follows: Nonqualified benefits $ 7,350 $ 7,766 $ 7,787 $ 7,018 $ 7,213 $ 36,885 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Thereafter (In thousands) In 2012, the Company established a nonqualified defined contribution plan for certain key management employees. Expenses incurred under this plan for 2018, 2017 and 2016 were $597,000, $736,000 and $395,000, respectively. The amount of investments that the Company anticipates using to satisfy obligations under these plans at December 31 was as follows: Investments Insurance contract* Life insurance** Other Total investments 2018 2017 (In thousands) $ 73,838 $ 77,388 37,274 10,818 38,568 6,971 $ 121,930 $ 122,927 * For more information on the insurance contract, see Note 7. ** Investments of life insurance are carried on plan participants (payable upon the employee's death). Defined contribution plans The Company sponsors various defined contribution plans for eligible employees and the costs incurred under these plans were $42.4 million in 2018, $41.2 million in 2017 and $40.9 million in 2016. 102 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II Multiemployer plans The Company contributes to a number of MEPPs under the terms of collective-bargaining agreements that cover its union-represented employees. The risks of participating in these multiemployer plans are different from single-employer plans in the following aspects: • Assets contributed to the MEPP by one employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers • If a participating employer stops contributing to the plan, the unfunded obligations of the plan may be borne by the remaining participating employers • If the Company chooses to stop participating in some of its MEPPs, the Company may be required to pay those plans an amount based on the underfunded status of the plan, referred to as a withdrawal liability The Company's participation in these plans is outlined in the following table. Unless otherwise noted, the most recent Pension Protection Act zone status available in 2018 and 2017 is for the plan's year-end at December 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, respectively. The zone status is based on information that the Company received from the plan and is certified by the plan's actuary. Among other factors, plans in the red zone are generally less than 65 percent funded, plans in the yellow zone are between 65 percent and 80 percent funded, and plans in the green zone are at least 80 percent funded. EIN/Pension Plan Number Pension Protection Act Zone Status 2018 2017 FIP/RP Status Pending/ Implemented Contributions 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands) Surcharge Imposed Expiration Date of Collective Bargaining Agreement 91-6028298-001 Yellow as of 6/30/2018 Yellow as of 6/30/2017 Implemented $ 732 $ 690 $ 766 No 12/31/2018 * Pension Fund Alaska Laborers- Employers Retirement Fund Construction Industry and Laborers Joint Pension Trust for So Nevada, Plan A 88-0135695-001 Red Edison Pension Plan 93-6061681-001 Green Red Green Implemented 346 377 523 No 12,111 12,725 6,242 IBEW Local 212 Pension Trust IBEW Local 357 Pension Plan A IBEW Local 648 Pension Plan IBEW Local 82 Pension Plan Idaho Plumbers and Pipefitters Pension Plan Minnesota Teamsters Construction Division Pension Fund National Automatic Sprinkler Industry Pension Fund National Electrical Benefit Fund Pension Trust Fund for Operating Engineers Sheet Metal Workers Pension Plan of Southern CA, AZ, and NV Southwest Marine Pension Trust Other funds Total contributions 31-6127280-001 Green as of 4/30/2018 Green as of 4/30/2017 88-6023284-001 Green Green 31-6134845-001 Yellow as of 2/28/2018 Red as of 2/28/2017 31-6127268-001 Green as of 6/30/2018 Green as of 6/30/2017 No No 1,341 1,312 1,146 3,460 3,286 3,016 Implemented 2,175 2,254 773 No 1,569 1,757 2,560 82-6010346-001 Green as of 5/31/2018 Green as of 5/31/2017 No 1,247 1,156 1,221 41-6187751-001 Green as of 11/30/2017 Green as of 11/30/2016 No 740 826 690 52-6054620-001 Red Red Implemented 738 718 775 53-0181657-001 Green Green No 8,468 8,891 6,366 94-6090764-001 Yellow Red Implemented 2,403 2,391 2,069 95-6052257-001 Yellow Yellow Implemented 1,774 1,016 1,087 95-6123404-001 Red Red Implemented 81 48 50 21,537 19,298 17,243 $ 58,722 $ 56,745 $ 44,527 No No No No No No No No No No No No No 6/30/2019 6/30/2019 6/2/2019 5/31/2021 8/29/2021 12/1/2019 9/30/2019 4/30/2019 3/31/2021- 7/31/2024 1/31/2018- 5/31/2022 6/15/2019- 6/30/2020 6/30/2019 1/31/2019 * * Plan includes contributions required by collective bargaining agreements which have expired, but contain provisions automatically renewing their terms in the absence of a subsequent negotiated agreement. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 103 Part II The Company was listed in the plans' Forms 5500 as providing more than 5 percent of the total contributions for the following plans and plan years: Pension Fund Edison Pension Plan IBEW Local 82 Pension Plan IBEW Local 124 Pension Trust Fund IBEW Local 212 Pension Trust Fund IBEW Local 357 Pension Plan A IBEW Local 648 Pension Plan Idaho Plumbers and Pipefitters Pension Plan International Union of Operating Engineers Local 701 Pension Trust Fund Minnesota Teamsters Construction Division Pension Fund Pension and Retirement Plan of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 525 Year Contributions to Plan Exceeded More Than 5 Percent of Total Contributions (as of December 31 of the Plan's Year-End) 2017 and 2016 2017 and 2016 2017 and 2016 2017 and 2016 2017 and 2016 2017 and 2016 2017 and 2016 2017 and 2016 2017 and 2016 2017 and 2016 On September 24, 2014, Knife River provided notice to the Operating Engineers Local 800 & WY Contractors Association, Inc. Pension Plan for Wyoming that it was withdrawing from the plan effective October 26, 2014. In the fourth quarter of 2016, Knife River and the plan entered into a settlement agreement whereby the plan administrator assessed Knife River’s final withdrawal liability with quarterly payments of approximately $42,000 until all benefits are satisfied. Knife River discounted the expected future payments. Based on this calculation, Knife River adjusted its liability accrual from $16.4 million to $5.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2016. The Company also contributes to a number of multiemployer other postretirement plans under the terms of collective-bargaining agreements that cover its union-represented employees. These plans provide benefits such as health insurance, disability insurance and life insurance to retired union employees. Many of the multiemployer other postretirement plans are combined with active multiemployer health and welfare plans. The Company's total contributions to its multiemployer other postretirement plans, which also includes contributions to active multiemployer health and welfare plans, were $53.3 million, $52.2 million and $36.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Amounts contributed in 2018, 2017 and 2016 to defined contribution multiemployer plans were $31.1 million, $32.2 million and $23.8 million, respectively. Note 17 - Jointly Owned Facilities The consolidated financial statements include the Company's ownership interests in the assets, liabilities and expenses of Big Stone Station, Coyote Station and Wygen III. Each owner of the stations is responsible for financing its investment in the jointly owned facilities. The Company has an ownership interest of 22.7 percent in Big Stone Station, 25 percent in Coyote Station and 25 percent in Wygen III. The Company's share of the stations operating expenses was reflected in the appropriate categories of operating expenses (electric fuel and purchased power; operation and maintenance; and taxes, other than income) in the Consolidated Statements of Income. At December 31, the Company's share of the cost of utility plant in service and related accumulated depreciation for the stations was as follows: 2018 2017 (In thousands) Big Stone Station: Utility plant in service $ 156,534 $ 158,084 Less accumulated depreciation 49,345 51,740 $ 107,189 $ 106,344 Coyote Station: Utility plant in service $ 155,236 $ 155,287 Less accumulated depreciation 105,565 103,897 Wygen III: Utility plant in service Less accumulated depreciation $ $ $ 49,671 $ 51,390 65,382 $ 65,065 9,174 7,652 56,208 $ 57,413 104 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II Note 18 - Regulatory Matters The Company regularly reviews the need for electric and natural gas rate changes in each of the jurisdictions in which service is provided. The Company files for rate adjustments to seek recovery of operating costs and capital investments, as well as reasonable returns as allowed by regulators. The Company's most recent cases by jurisdiction are discussed in the following paragraphs. The jurisdictions in which the Company provides service have requested the Company furnish plans for the effect of the reduced corporate tax rate due to the enactment of the TCJA which may impact the Company's rates. The following paragraphs include additional details and statuses of each open request. MNPUC On December 29, 2017, the MNPUC issued a notice of investigation related to tax changes with the enactment of the TCJA. On January 19, 2018, the MNPUC issued a notice of request for information, commission planning meeting and subsequent comment period. Pursuant to the notice, Great Plains provided preliminary impacts of the TCJA on January 30, 2018. On March 2, 2018, Great Plains submitted its initial filing addressing the impacts of the TCJA advocating existing rates are reasonable and a reduction in rates is not warranted. On August 9, 2018, the MNPUC ruled that Great Plains reduce rates to reflect TCJA impacts and to also provide a one-time refund that captures the TCJA impacts from January 1, 2018 through the implementation date of new rates. On December 5, 2018, the MNPUC issued an order requiring Great Plains reduce its rates by $400,000 on an annual basis and provide a one-time refund of approximately $400,000, as previously mentioned, within 90 days after the rates are implemented through credits to customers' bills. The required compliance filing was submitted to the MNPUC on January 4, 2019. MTPSC On December 27, 2017, the MTPSC requested Montana-Dakota identify a plan for the impacts of the TCJA and to file a proposal for the impacts on the electric segment by March 31, 2018. On April 2, 2018, Montana-Dakota submitted its plan requesting the MTPSC recognize the identified need for additional rate relief and to consider the effects of the TCJA in a general electric rate case to be submitted by September 30, 2018. Montana-Dakota submitted the general electric rate case on September 28, 2018, as discussed below. On November 30, 2018, Montana-Dakota and interveners of the case submitted a stipulation and settlement agreement reflecting a one-time refund of approximately $1.5 million to account for all TCJA related impacts from January 1, 2018 through the date new rates are effective in the rate case noted below. A hearing was held on December 4, 2018, and the MTPSC issued an order accepting the stipulation and settlement agreement on December 21, 2018, requiring a one-time bill credit to occur in April 2019. On September 28, 2018, Montana-Dakota filed an application with the MTPSC for an electric rate increase of approximately $11.9 million annually or approximately 18.9 percent above current rates. The requested increase is primarily to recover investments in facilities to enhance safety and reliability and the depreciation and taxes associated with the increase in investment. The increase was offset by tax savings related to the TCJA. This matter is pending before the MTPSC. NDPSC On July 21, 2017, Montana-Dakota filed an application with the NDPSC for a natural gas rate increase of approximately $5.9 million annually or approximately 5.4 percent above current rates. The requested increase is primarily to recover the increased investment in distribution facilities to enhance system safety and reliability and the depreciation and taxes associated with the increase in investment. Montana-Dakota also introduced a SSIP and the proposed adjustment mechanism required to fund the SSIP. Montana-Dakota requested an interim increase of approximately $4.6 million or approximately 4.2 percent, subject to refund. On September 6, 2017, the NDPSC approved the request for interim rates effective with service rendered on or after September 19, 2017. On February 14, 2018, Montana- Dakota filed a revised interim increase request of approximately $2.7 million, subject to refund, incorporating the estimated impacts of the TCJA reduction in the federal corporate income tax rate. On March 1, 2018, the updated interim rates were implemented. The impact of the TCJA was submitted as part of a rebuttal testimony identifying a reduction of the adjusted revenue requirement to approximately $3.6 million. On July 19, 2018, a settlement was filed reflecting a revised annual revenue increase of approximately $2.5 million or approximately 2.3 percent. The proposed adjustment mechanism to fund the SSIP was not included in the settlement and will be decided on separately by the NDPSC. On September 26, 2018, the NDPSC issued an order approving the settlement as filed but did not approve the SSIP recovery mechanism. On October 5, 2018, Montana-Dakota submitted a compliance filing, which included a plan for the one-time refund to be available March 1, 2019, for the interim amount to be refunded to customers. The NDPSC approved the compliance rates and were effective with service rendered on and after December 1, 2018. On January 10, 2018, the NDPSC issued a general order initiating the investigation into the effects of the TCJA. The order required regulatory deferral accounting on the impacts of the TCJA and for companies to file comments and the expected impacts. On February 15, 2018, Montana-Dakota filed a summary of the primary impacts of the TCJA on the electric and natural gas utilities. On March 9, 2018, Montana-Dakota submitted a request to decrease its electric rates by $7.2 million or 3.9 percent annually. On August 10, 2018, a settlement agreement was filed requesting a decrease in rates of approximately $8.4 million. On September 26, 2018, the NDPSC issued an order approving the settlement along with requiring an additional adjustment to the rates to return 100 percent of the tax-effective 2018 excess deferred income taxes. On October 10, 2018, Montana-Dakota submitted a compliance filing, which included a refund plan for the MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 105 Part II interim amount to be refunded to customers. On November 20, 2018, the NDPSC approved the compliance rates which were effective with service rendered on and after December 1, 2018. The NDPSC also approved a one-time refund of approximately $7.9 million to be credited to customers' bills by March 15, 2019, based on 4.7 percent of the revenues collected between January 1, 2018 through November 30, 2018. On October 19, 2018, Great Plains and the NDPSC advocacy staff filed a settlement agreement to resolve all outstanding issues in the NDPSC's investigation into the TCJA and a revenue neutral tariff filing submitted by Great Plains. The settlement agreement provides for miscellaneous tariff changes and a reduction in annual revenues of $168,000. On January 9, 2019, the NDPSC issued an order approving the settlement agreement and a refund requirement for the period from January 1, 2018 through the month preceding the effective date of the rate change. On January 23, 2019, the NDPSC approved the compliance rates to be effective February 1, 2019, along with the refund plan that provides for approximately $200,000 in refunds to be credited to customers' bills by April 15, 2019. OPUC On December 29, 2017, Cascade filed a request with the OPUC to use deferral accounting for the 2018 net benefits associated with the implementation of the TCJA. The deferral request was renewed on December 28, 2018. This matter is pending before the OPUC. On May 31, 2018, Cascade filed a general rate case with the OPUC requesting an overall increase of approximately $2.3 million or approximately 3.5 percent on an annual basis, which incorporates the impact of the TCJA. On January 22, 2019, Cascade filed a stipulation with the OPUC for an annual increase in revenues of $1.7 million with a $500,000 reduction for excess deferred income taxes, for a net increase of $1.2 million. This matter is pending before the OPUC. SDPUC On December 29, 2017, the SDPUC issued an order initiating the investigation into the effects of the TCJA. The order required Montana- Dakota to provide comments by February 1, 2018, regarding the general effects of the TCJA on the cost of service in South Dakota and possible mechanisms for adjusting rates. The order also stated that all rates impacted by the federal income tax shall be adjusted effective January 1, 2018, subject to refund. On May 4, 2018 and June 2, 2018, Montana-Dakota submitted detailed plans to address the TCJA impacts on the natural gas and electric utilities, respectively, to the SDPUC staff. On September 28, 2018, a settlement agreement was submitted to the SDPUC reflecting a proposal to refund approximately $600,000 to electric customers and approximately $1.3 million to natural gas customers. These refunds reflect the impact of the TCJA on 2018. On October 23, 2018, an order was issued by the SDPUC approving the settlement agreement with the refunds being credited to customers' bills beginning on February 15, 2019. On December 3, 2018, Montana-Dakota submitted proposed rate changes to reflect 2018 pro forma results and the TCJA impacts. On December 28, 2018, the SDPUC approved an annual decrease in revenues of approximately $300,000 for the natural gas operations and approximately $100,000 for the electric operations. The decrease in revenues was effective January 1, 2019. WUTC On June 1, 2018, Cascade filed its annual pipeline cost recovery mechanism requesting an increase in annual revenue of $2.3 million or approximately 1.1 percent. On October 11, 2018, Cascade filed a revised increase in annual revenue of $2.1 million or approximately 1.0 percent. The increase was effective November 1, 2018. WYPSC On December 29, 2017, the WYPSC issued a general order requiring regulatory deferral accounting on the impacts of the TCJA. A technical conference was held on February 6, 2018, to discuss the implications of the TCJA. On March 23, 2018, the WYPSC issued an order requiring all public utilities to submit an initial assessment of the overall effects on the TCJA on their rates by March 30, 2018. On March 30, 2018, Montana-Dakota submitted its initial assessment indicating a rate reduction for its electric rates in the amount of approximately $1.1 million annually or approximately 4.2 percent. Revised electric rates reflecting this reduction were submitted to the WYPSC on June 13, 2018. Montana-Dakota reported its natural gas earnings do not support a decrease in rates and requested the WYPSC allow the impacts of the TCJA be addressed in a natural gas rate case to be submitted by June 1, 2019. Both matters are pending before the WYPSC. FERC Montana-Dakota and certain MISO Transmission Owners with projected rates submitted a filing to the FERC on February 1, 2018, requesting the FERC to waive certain provisions of the MISO tariff in order for Montana-Dakota and certain MISO Transmission Owners with projected rates to revise their rates to reflect the reduction in the corporate tax rate. Under the MISO tariff, rates are to be changed only on an annual basis with any changes reflected in subsequent true-ups. On March 15, 2018, the FERC approved the waiver request and new rates reflecting the effects of the TCJA were implemented by MISO on March 1, 2018. MISO also retroactively re-billed the January and February 2018 services to reflect the new rates. On September 4, 2018, Montana-Dakota filed an update to its transmission formula rate under the MISO tariff for the multivalue project for $12.5 million, which is effective January 1, 2019. 106 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II On July 18, 2018, the FERC issued a final rule on Rate Changes Relating to Federal Income Tax Rate reductions resulting from the TCJA which requires natural gas pipeline companies to make a one-time informational filing to evaluate the impact of the lower corporate income tax rate and also select one of four options presented by the FERC to address the impact. In accordance with WBI Energy Transmission’s offer of settlement and stipulation and agreement with the FERC dated June 4, 2014, the Company is to make a filing with new proposed rates to be effective no later than May 1, 2019. On October 31, 2018, the Company filed a rate case with the FERC. Due to the timing of the rate case filing, the Company was exempt from the one-time informational filing required by the FERC’s final rule. On November 30, 2018, the FERC issued an order accepting and suspending tariff records, subject to refund, and establishing hearing procedures. The FERC order accepted the Company's rate case filing and suspended the associated tariff records to be effective May 1, 2019, subject to refund and the outcome of a hearing. Note 19 - Commitments and Contingencies The Company is party to claims and lawsuits arising out of its business and that of its consolidated subsidiaries, which may include, but are not limited to, matters involving property damage, personal injury, and environmental, contractual, statutory and regulatory obligations. The Company accrues a liability for those contingencies when the incurrence of a loss is probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. If a range of amounts can be reasonably estimated and no amount within the range is a better estimate than any other amount, then the minimum of the range is accrued. The Company does not accrue liabilities when the likelihood that the liability has been incurred is probable but the amount cannot be reasonably estimated or when the liability is believed to be only reasonably possible or remote. For contingencies where an unfavorable outcome is probable or reasonably possible and which are material, the Company discloses the nature of the contingency and, in some circumstances, an estimate of the possible loss. Accruals are based on the best information available, but in certain situations management is unable to estimate an amount or range of a reasonably possible loss including, but not limited to when: (1) the damages are unsubstantiated or indeterminate, (2) the proceedings are in the early stages, (3) numerous parties are involved, or (4) the matter involves novel or unsettled legal theories. The Company has accrued liabilities of $30.4 million and $35.4 million, which have not been discounted, including liabilities held for sale, for contingencies, including litigation, production taxes, royalty claims and environmental matters at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. This includes amounts that have been accrued for matters discussed in Environmental matters within this note. The Company will continue to monitor each matter and adjust accruals as might be warranted based on new information and further developments. Management believes that the outcomes with respect to probable and reasonably possible losses in excess of the amounts accrued, net of insurance recoveries, while uncertain, either cannot be estimated or will not have a material effect upon the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Unless otherwise required by GAAP, legal costs are expensed as they are incurred. Environmental matters Portland Harbor Site In December 2000, Knife River - Northwest was named by the EPA as a PRP in connection with the cleanup of a riverbed site adjacent to a commercial property site acquired by Knife River - Northwest from Georgia-Pacific West, Inc. in 1999. The riverbed site is part of the Portland, Oregon, Harbor Superfund Site. The EPA wants responsible parties to share in the cleanup of sediment contamination in the Willamette River. To date, costs of the overall remedial investigation and feasibility study of the harbor site are being recorded, and initially paid, through an administrative consent order by the LWG, a group of several entities, which does not include Knife River - Northwest or Georgia-Pacific West, Inc. Investigative costs are indicated to be in excess of $100 million. On January 6, 2017, Region 10 of the EPA issued an ROD with its selected remedy for cleanup of the in-river portion of the site. Implementation of the remedy is expected to take up to 13 years with a present value cost estimate of approximately $1 billion. Corrective action will not be taken until remedial design/remedial action plans are approved by the EPA. Knife River - Northwest also received notice in January 2008 that the Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council intends to perform an injury assessment to natural resources resulting from the release of hazardous substances at the Harbor Superfund Site. The Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council indicates the injury determination is appropriate to facilitate early settlement of damages and restoration for natural resource injuries. It is not possible to estimate the costs of natural resource damages until an assessment is completed and allocations are undertaken. Based upon a review of the Portland Harbor sediment contamination evaluation by the Oregon DEQ and other information available, Knife River - Northwest does not believe it is a responsible party. In addition, Knife River - Northwest has notified Georgia-Pacific West, Inc., that it intends to seek indemnity for liabilities incurred in relation to the above matters pursuant to the terms of their sale agreement. Knife River - Northwest has entered into an agreement tolling the statute of limitations in connection with the LWG's potential claim for contribution to the costs of the remedial investigation and feasibility study. By letter in March 2009, LWG stated its intent to file suit against Knife River - Northwest and others to recover LWG's investigation costs to the extent Knife River - Northwest cannot demonstrate its non-liability for the contamination or is unwilling to participate in an alternative dispute resolution process that has been established to address the matter. At this time, Knife River - Northwest has agreed to participate in the alternative dispute resolution process. The Company believes it is not probable that it will incur any material environmental remediation costs or damages in relation to the above referenced matter. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 107 Part II Manufactured Gas Plant Sites There are three claims against Cascade for cleanup of environmental contamination at manufactured gas plant sites operated by Cascade's predecessors. The accruals related to these claims are reflected in regulatory assets. For more information, see Note 6. The first claim is for contamination at a site in Eugene, Oregon, which was received in 1995. The Oregon DEQ released an ROD in January 2015 that selected a remediation alternative for the site as recommended in an earlier staff report. The total estimated cost for the selected remediation, including long-term maintenance, is approximately $3.5 million of which $400,000 has been incurred. Cascade and other PRPs will share in the cleanup costs with Cascade expecting to pay approximately 50 percent of the remediation and maintenance costs. Cascade has an accrual balance of $1.5 million for remediation of this site. In January 2013, the OPUC approved Cascade's application to defer environmental remediation costs at the Eugene site for a period of 12 months starting November 30, 2012. Cascade received orders reauthorizing the deferred accounting for the 12-month periods starting November 30, 2013, December 1, 2014, December 1, 2015, December 1, 2016, December 1, 2017 and December 1, 2018. The second claim is for contamination at the Bremerton Gasworks Superfund Site in Bremerton, Washington which was received in 1997. A preliminary investigation has found soil and groundwater at the site contain contaminants requiring further investigation and cleanup. The EPA conducted a Targeted Brownfields Assessment of the site and released a report summarizing the results of that assessment in August 2009. The assessment confirms that contaminants have affected soil and groundwater at the site, as well as sediments in the adjacent Port Washington Narrows. Alternative remediation options have been identified with preliminary cost estimates ranging from $340,000 to $6.4 million. In April 2010, the Washington DOE issued notice it considered Cascade a PRP for hazardous substances at the site. In May 2012, the EPA added the site to the National Priorities List of Superfund sites. Cascade has entered into an administrative settlement agreement and consent order with the EPA regarding the scope and schedule for a remedial investigation and feasibility study for the site. Current estimates for the cost to complete the remedial investigation and feasibility study are approximately $7.6 million of which $3.1 million has been incurred. Cascade has accrued $4.5 million for the remedial investigation and feasibility study, as well as $6.4 million for remediation of this site; however, the accrual for remediation costs will be reviewed and adjusted, if necessary, after completion of the remedial investigation and feasibility study. In April 2010, Cascade filed a petition with the WUTC for authority to defer the costs incurred in relation to the environmental remediation of this site. The WUTC approved the petition in September 2010, subject to conditions set forth in the order. The third claim is for contamination at a site in Bellingham, Washington. Cascade received notice from a party in May 2008 that Cascade may be a PRP, along with other parties, for contamination from a manufactured gas plant owned by Cascade and its predecessor from about 1946 to 1962. Other PRPs reached an agreed order and work plan with the Washington DOE for completion of a remedial investigation and feasibility study for the site. A feasibility study prepared in March 2018 identifies five cleanup action alternatives for the site with estimated costs ranging from $8.0 million to $20.4 million with a selected preferred alternative having an estimated total cost of $9.3 million. Cascade believes its proportional share of any liability will be relatively small in comparison to other PRPs. The plant manufactured gas from coal between approximately 1890 and 1946. In 1946, shortly after Cascade's predecessor acquired the plant, it converted the plant to a propane-air gas facility. There are no documented wastes or by-products resulting from the mixing or distribution of propane-air gas. Cascade has recorded an accrual for this site for an amount that is not material. Cascade has received notices from and entered into agreement with certain of its insurance carriers that they will participate in defense of Cascade for certain of the contamination claims subject to full and complete reservations of rights and defenses to insurance coverage. To the extent these claims are not covered by insurance, Cascade intends to seek recovery through the OPUC and WUTC of remediation costs in its natural gas rates charged to customers. Operating leases The Company leases certain equipment, facilities and land under operating lease agreements. The amounts of annual minimum lease payments due under these leases as of December 31, 2018, were: Operating leases $ 37,740 $ 26,255 $ 17,868 $ 11,647 $ 7,278 $ 49,098 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Thereafter (In thousands) Rent expense was $74.6 million, $73.7 million and $65.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. 108 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part II Purchase commitments The Company has entered into various commitments, largely construction, natural gas and coal supply, purchased power, natural gas transportation and storage, and service, shipping and construction materials supply contracts, some of which are subject to variability in volume and price. The commitment terms vary in length, up to 42 years. The commitments under these contracts as of December 31, 2018, were: Purchase commitments $ 418,106 $ 215,069 $ 169,716 $ 115,884 $ 84,268 $ 622,383 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Thereafter (In thousands) These commitments were not reflected in the Company's consolidated financial statements. Amounts purchased under various commitments for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, were $548.0 million, $516.1 million and $539.3 million, respectively. Guarantees In June 2016, WBI Energy sold all of the outstanding membership interests in Dakota Prairie Refining. In connection with the sale, Centennial agreed to continue to guarantee certain debt obligations of Dakota Prairie Refining which were expected to mature in 2023. Tesoro agreed to indemnify Centennial for any losses and litigation expenses arising from the guarantee. Continuation of the guarantee was required as a condition to the sale of Dakota Prairie Refining. On October 17, 2018, Centennial was released from this guarantee of certain debt obligations of Dakota Prairie Refining. In 2009, multiple sale agreements were signed to sell the Company's ownership interests in the Brazilian Transmission Lines. In connection with the sale, Centennial agreed to guarantee payment of any indemnity obligations of certain of the Company's indirect wholly owned subsidiaries who were the sellers in three purchase and sale agreements for periods ranging up to 10 years from the date of sale. The guarantees were required by the buyers as a condition to the sale of the Brazilian Transmission Lines. Certain subsidiaries of the Company have outstanding guarantees to third parties that guarantee the performance of other subsidiaries of the Company. These guarantees are related to construction contracts, insurance deductibles and loss limits, and certain other guarantees. At December 31, 2018, the fixed maximum amounts guaranteed under these agreements aggregated $196.3 million. The amounts of scheduled expiration of the maximum amounts guaranteed under these agreements aggregate to $85.3 million in 2019; $104.0 million in 2020; $500,000 in 2021; $500,000 in 2022; $500,000 in 2023; $1.5 million thereafter; and $4.0 million, which has no scheduled maturity date. There were no amounts outstanding under the above guarantees at December 31, 2018. In the event of default under these guarantee obligations, the subsidiary issuing the guarantee for that particular obligation would be required to make payments under its guarantee. Certain subsidiaries have outstanding letters of credit to third parties related to insurance policies and other agreements, some of which are guaranteed by other subsidiaries of the Company. At December 31, 2018, the fixed maximum amounts guaranteed under these letters of credit aggregated $30.0 million. The amounts of scheduled expiration of the maximum amounts guaranteed under these letters of credit aggregate to $6.7 million in 2019 and $23.3 million in 2020. There were no amounts outstanding under the above letters of credit at December 31, 2018. In the event of default under these letter of credit obligations, the subsidiary guaranteeing the letter of credit would be obligated for reimbursement of payments made under the letter of credit. In addition, Centennial, Knife River and MDU Construction Services have issued guarantees to third parties related to the routine purchase of maintenance items, materials and lease obligations for which no fixed maximum amounts have been specified. These guarantees have no scheduled maturity date. In the event a subsidiary of the Company defaults under these obligations, Centennial, Knife River or MDU Construction Services would be required to make payments under these guarantees. Any amounts outstanding by subsidiaries of the Company were reflected on the Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2018. In the normal course of business, Centennial has surety bonds related to construction contracts and reclamation obligations of its subsidiaries. In the event a subsidiary of Centennial does not fulfill a bonded obligation, Centennial would be responsible to the surety bond company for completion of the bonded contract or obligation. A large portion of the surety bonds is expected to expire within the next 12 months; however, Centennial will likely continue to enter into surety bonds for its subsidiaries in the future. At December 31, 2018, approximately $697.9 million of surety bonds were outstanding, which were not reflected on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Variable interest entities The Company evaluates its arrangements and contracts with other entities to determine if they are VIEs and if so, if the Company is the primary beneficiary. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 109 Part II Fuel Contract Coyote Station entered into a coal supply agreement with Coyote Creek that provides for the purchase of coal necessary to supply the coal requirements of the Coyote Station for the period May 2016 through December 2040. Coal purchased under the coal supply agreement is reflected in inventories on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets and is recovered from customers as a component of electric fuel and purchased power. The coal supply agreement creates a variable interest in Coyote Creek due to the transfer of all operating and economic risk to the Coyote Station owners, as the agreement is structured so that the price of the coal will cover all costs of operations, as well as future reclamation costs. The Coyote Station owners are also providing a guarantee of the value of the assets of Coyote Creek as they would be required to buy the assets at book value should they terminate the contract prior to the end of the contract term and are providing a guarantee of the value of the equity of Coyote Creek in that they are required to buy the entity at the end of the contract term at equity value. Although the Company has determined that Coyote Creek is a VIE, the Company has concluded that it is not the primary beneficiary of Coyote Creek because the authority to direct the activities of the entity is shared by the four unrelated owners of the Coyote Station, with no primary beneficiary existing. As a result, Coyote Creek is not required to be consolidated in the Company's financial statements. At December 31, 2018, the Company's exposure to loss as a result of the Company's involvement with the VIE, based on the Company's ownership percentage was $38.5 million. Note 20 - Subsequent Event On February 19, 2019, the Company announced that it intends to retire three aging coal-fired electric generation units within the next three years due to the fact that the plants are no longer expected to be cost competitive. The retirements are expected to be in late 2020 in Sidney, Montana, and in late 2021 in Mandan, North Dakota. A plan is in place to maintain staff until the plant retirements. These dates may be impacted by the Company's coal supplier's pending bankruptcy proceeding. In addition, the Company announced that it intends to construct a new simple-cycle natural gas combustion turbine peaking unit at the existing plant site in Mandan, North Dakota. 110 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Supplementary Financial Information Quarterly Data (Unaudited) The following unaudited information shows selected items by quarter for the years 2018 and 2017: Part II 2018 Operating revenues Operating expenses Operating income Income from continuing operations Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax Net income Earnings per common share - basic: Earnings before discontinued operations Discontinued operations, net of tax Earnings per common share - basic Earnings per common share - diluted: Earnings before discontinued operations Discontinued operations, net of tax Earnings per common share - diluted Weighted average common shares outstanding: Basic Diluted 2017 Operating revenues Operating expenses Operating income Income from continuing operations Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax Net income Earnings per common share - basic: Earnings before discontinued operations Discontinued operations, net of tax Earnings per common share - basic Earnings per common share - diluted: Earnings before discontinued operations Discontinued operations, net of tax Earnings per common share - diluted Weighted average common shares outstanding: Basic Diluted First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter (In thousands, except per share amounts) $ 976,293 $ 1,064,597 $ 1,280,787 $ 1,209,875 906,917 990,605 1,140,783 69,376 41,960 477 42,437 .22 — .22 .22 — .22 73,992 44,075 (273) 43,802 140,004 107,369 (118) 107,251 .22 — .22 .22 — .22 .55 — .55 .55 — .55 1,091,524 118,351 75,982 2,846 78,828 .39 .01 .40 .39 .01 .40 195,304 195,982 195,524 196,169 196,018 196,265 196,023 196,385 $ 937,925 $ 1,067,639 $ 1,272,548 $ 1,165,239 872,139 988,979 65,786 35,638 1,687 37,325 .18 .01 .19 .18 .01 .19 78,660 44,405 (3,190) 41,215 .22 (.01) .21 .22 (.01) .21 1,117,228 155,320 89,549 (2,198) 87,351 1,040,957 124,282 115,394 (82) 115,312 .46 (.01) .45 .46 (.01) .45 .59 — .59 .59 — .59 195,304 196,023 195,304 195,973 195,304 195,783 195,304 195,617 Notes: • Fourth quarter 2017 reflects an income tax benefit of $39.5 million related to the TCJA. For more information, see Note 13. Certain operations of the Company are highly seasonal and revenues from and certain expenses for such operations may fluctuate significantly among quarterly periods. Accordingly, quarterly financial information may not be indicative of results for a full year. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 111 Part II Definitions The following abbreviations and acronyms used in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements are defined below: Abbreviation or Acronym AFUDC Allowance for funds used during construction ASC ASU Big Stone Station FASB Accounting Standards Codification FASB Accounting Standards Update 475-MW coal-fired electric generating facility near Big Stone City, South Dakota (22.7 percent ownership) Brazilian Transmission Lines Company's former investment in companies owning three electric transmission lines in Brazil Calumet Cascade Centennial Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. Cascade Natural Gas Corporation, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of MDU Energy Capital Centennial Energy Holdings, Inc., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of the Company Centennial Capital Centennial Holdings Capital LLC, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Centennial Centennial's Consolidated EBITDA Centennial's consolidated net income from continuing operations plus the related interest expense, taxes, depreciation, depletion, amortization of intangibles and any non-cash charge relating to asset impairment for the preceding 12-month period Centennial Resources Centennial Energy Resources LLC, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Centennial Company Coyote Creek Coyote Station Dakota Prairie Refinery Dakota Prairie Refining EBITDA EIN EPA FASB FERC Fidelity FIP GAAP Great Plains Holding Company Reorganization IBEW Intermountain Knife River MDU Resources Group, Inc. (formerly known as MDUR Newco), which, as the context requires, refers to the previous MDU Resources Group, Inc. prior to January 1, 2019, and the new holding company of the same name after January 1, 2019 Coyote Creek Mining Company, LLC, a subsidiary of The North American Coal Corporation 427-MW coal-fired electric generating facility near Beulah, North Dakota (25 percent ownership) 20,000-barrel-per-day diesel topping plant built by Dakota Prairie Refining in southwestern North Dakota Dakota Prairie Refining, LLC, a limited liability company previously owned by WBI Energy and Calumet (previously included in the Company's refining segment) Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization Employer Identification Number United States Environmental Protection Agency Financial Accounting Standards Board Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Fidelity Exploration & Production Company, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of WBI Holdings (previously referred to as the Company's exploration and production segment) Funding improvement plan Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America Great Plains Natural Gas Co., a public utility division of the Company prior to the closing of the Holding Company Reorganization and a public utility division of Montana-Dakota as of January 1, 2019 The internal holding company reorganization completed on January 1, 2019, pursuant to the agreement and plan of merger, dated as of December 31, 2018, by and among Montana-Dakota, the Company and MDUR Newco Sub, which resulted in the Company becoming a holding company and owning all of the outstanding capital stock of Montana-Dakota. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Intermountain Gas Company, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of MDU Energy Capital Knife River Corporation, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Centennial Knife River - Northwest Knife River Corporation - Northwest, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Knife River K-Plan LWG Company's 401(k) Retirement Plan Lower Willamette Group MDU Construction Services MDU Construction Services Group, Inc., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Centennial MDU Energy Capital MDUR Newco MDUR Newco Sub MEPP MISO MDU Energy Capital, LLC, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of the Company MDUR Newco, Inc., a public holding company created by implementing the Holding Company Reorganization, now known as the Company MDUR Newco Sub, Inc., a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of MDUR Newco, which was merged with and into Montana–Dakota in the Holding Company Reorganization Multiemployer pension plan Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. 112 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K MNPUC Montana-Dakota MTPSC MW NDPSC Oil OPUC Minnesota Public Utilities Commission Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. (formerly known as MDU Resources Group, Inc.), a public utility division of the Company prior to the closing of the Holding Company Reorganization and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of MDU Energy Capital as of January 1, 2019 Part II Montana Public Service Commission Megawatt North Dakota Public Service Commission Includes crude oil and condensate Oregon Public Utility Commission Oregon DEQ Oregon State Department of Environmental Quality PRP ROD RP SDPUC SEC SSIP Potentially Responsible Party Record of Decision Rehabilitation plan South Dakota Public Utilities Commission United States Securities and Exchange Commission System Safety and Integrity Program Stock Purchase Plan Company's Dividend Reinvestment and Direct Stock Purchase Plan which was terminated effective December 5, 2016 TCJA Tesoro VIE Washington DOE WBI Energy Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC Variable interest entity Washington State Department of Ecology WBI Energy, Inc., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of WBI Holdings WBI Energy Transmission WBI Energy Transmission, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of WBI Holdings WBI Holdings WUTC Wygen III WYPSC WBI Holdings, Inc., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Centennial Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission 100-MW coal-fired electric generating facility near Gillette, Wyoming (25 percent ownership) Wyoming Public Service Commission MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 113 Part II Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure None. Item 9A. Controls and Procedures The following information includes the evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures by the Company's chief executive officer and the chief financial officer, along with any significant changes in internal controls of the Company. Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures The term "disclosure controls and procedures" is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act. The Company's disclosure controls and other procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in the reports that the Company files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC's rules and forms. The Company's disclosure controls and procedures include controls and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Company's chief executive officer and chief financial officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company's management, with the participation of the Company's chief executive officer and chief financial officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company's disclosure controls and procedures. Based upon that evaluation, the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer have concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this report, such controls and procedures were effective at a reasonable assurance level. Changes in Internal Controls No change in the Company's internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) occurred during the three months ended December 31, 2018, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Management's Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting The information required by this item is included in this Form 10-K at Item 8 - Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm The information required by this item is included in this Form 10-K at Item 8 - Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Item 9B. Other Information None. 114 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part III Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance Information required by this item will be included in the Company's Proxy Statement, which is incorporated herein by reference. Item 11. Executive Compensation Information required by this item will be included in the Company's Proxy Statement, which is incorporated herein by reference. Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters Equity Compensation Plan Information The following table includes information as of December 31, 2018, with respect to the Company's equity compensation plans: Plan Category (a) Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights (b) Weighted average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights (c) Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a)) Equity compensation plans approved by stockholders (1) 691,629 (2) $ — (3) 4,357,330 (4)(5) Equity compensation plans not approved by stockholders N/A Total 691,629 $ N/A — N/A 4,357,330 (1) Consists of the Non-Employee Director Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plan and the Long-Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan. (2) Consists of performance shares and restricted stock awards. (3) No weighted average exercise price is shown for the performance shares or restricted stock awards because such awards have no exercise price. (4) This amount includes 4,041,479 shares available for future issuance under the Long-Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan in connection with grants of restricted stock, performance units, performance shares or other equity-based awards. (5) This amount includes 315,851 shares available for future issuance under the Non-Employee Director Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plan. The remaining information required by this item will be included in the Company's Proxy Statement, which is incorporated herein by reference. Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence Information required by this item will be included in the Company's Proxy Statement, which is incorporated herein by reference. Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services Information required by this item will be included in the Company's Proxy Statement, which is incorporated herein by reference. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 115 Part IV Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules (a) Financial Statements, Financial Statement Schedules and Exhibits Index to Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedules 1. Financial Statements The following consolidated financial statements required under this item are included under Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. Consolidated Statements of Income for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2018 and 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Consolidated Statements of Equity for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 58 59 60 61 62 63 2. Financial Statement Schedules The following financial statement schedules are included in Part IV of this report. Page Schedule I - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant (Unconsolidated) Condensed Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Condensed Balance Sheets at December 31, 2018 and 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Condensed Statements of Cash Flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Notes to Condensed Financial Statements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Schedule II - Consolidated Valuation and Qualifying Accounts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 118 119 119 120 116 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Part IV MDU RESOURCES GROUP, INC. Schedule I - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant (Unconsolidated) Condensed Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income Years ended December 31, 2018 2017 2016 Operating revenues Operating expenses Operating income Other income Interest expense Income before income taxes Income taxes Equity in earnings of subsidiaries from continuing operations Net income from continuing operations Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries from discontinued operations attributable to the Company Loss on redemption of preferred stocks Dividends declared on preferred stocks Earnings on common stock Comprehensive income $ 628,331 $ 623,693 $ (In thousands) 540,125 88,206 1,504 32,761 56,949 (4,259) 208,177 269,385 520,069 103,624 4,876 31,997 76,503 13,800 222,283 284,986 561,266 469,853 91,413 2,282 31,519 62,176 6,355 177,275 233,096 2,933 (3,783) (168,663) — — 600 171 $ $ 272,318 $ 280,432 $ 279,269 $ 279,602 $ — 685 63,748 65,848 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 117 Part IV MDU RESOURCES GROUP, INC. Schedule I - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant (Unconsolidated) Condensed Balance Sheets December 31, Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents Receivables, net Accounts receivable from subsidiaries Inventories Prepayments and other current assets Total current assets Investments Investment in subsidiaries Property, plant and equipment Less accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization Net property, plant and equipment Deferred charges and other assets: Goodwill Other Total deferred charges and other assets Total assets Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Current liabilities: Long-term debt due within one year Accounts payable Accounts payable to subsidiaries Taxes payable Dividends payable Accrued compensation Other accrued liabilities Total current liabilities Long-term debt Deferred credits and other liabilities: Deferred income taxes Other Total deferred credits and other liabilities Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' equity: Common stock Authorized - 500,000,000 shares, $1.00 par value Issued - 196,564,907 shares in 2018 and 195,843,297 shares in 2017 Other paid-in capital Retained earnings Accumulated other comprehensive loss Treasury stock at cost - 538,921 shares Total stockholders' equity Total liabilities and stockholders' equity The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements. 118 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K (In thousands, except shares and per share amounts) 2018 2017 $ 2,271 $ 92,724 36,015 13,293 14,488 158,791 76,202 1,790,886 2,846,715 836,735 2,009,980 4,812 180,473 185,285 843 83,453 34,029 13,864 34,400 166,589 76,779 1,704,908 2,631,161 797,130 1,834,031 4,812 175,599 180,411 $ 4,221,144 $ 3,962,718 $ 200,711 $ 100,011 50,051 12,438 24,704 39,695 14,346 54,099 396,044 586,012 165,122 507,191 672,313 47,000 7,234 13,717 38,573 20,017 36,881 263,433 612,493 147,847 509,902 657,749 196,565 195,843 1,248,576 1,163,602 (38,342) (3,626) 1,233,412 1,040,748 (37,334) (3,626) 2,566,775 2,429,043 $ 4,221,144 $ 3,962,718 MDU RESOURCES GROUP, INC. Schedule I - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant (Unconsolidated) Condensed Statements of Cash Flows Years ended December 31, 2018 2017 2016 (In thousands) Net cash provided by operating activities $ 294,379 $ 284,075 $ 238,125 Part IV Investing activities: Capital expenditures Net proceeds from sale or disposition of property and other Investments in and advances to subsidiaries Advances from subsidiaries Investments Net cash used in investing activities Financing activities: Issuance of long-term debt Repayment of long-term debt Payments of stock issuance costs Dividends paid Redemption of preferred stock Repurchase of common stock Tax withholding on stock-based compensation Net cash used in financing activities Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of year Cash and cash equivalents - end of year (242,692) (146,370) (159,570) 5,032 (40,000) 70,000 (528) (5,665) (40,000) 40,000 (468) 3,784 (5,000) 15,000 (129) (208,188) (152,503) (145,915) 199,422 (125,961) (10) (154,573) — (1,920) (1,721) 70,080 (37,569) — (150,727) (15,600) (564) (508) (84,763) (134,888) 1,428 843 (3,316) 4,159 $ 2,271 $ 843 $ 106,420 (50,010) — (147,156) — — (226) (90,972) 1,238 2,921 4,159 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements. Notes to Condensed Financial Statements Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of presentation The condensed financial information reported in Schedule I is being presented to comply with Rule 12-04 of Regulation S-X. The information is unconsolidated and is presented for the parent company only, which is comprised of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (the Company) and Montana-Dakota and Great Plains, public utility divisions of the Company as of December 31, 2018, prior to the Holding Company Reorganization. In Schedule I, investments in subsidiaries are presented under the equity method of accounting where the assets and liabilities of the subsidiaries are not consolidated. The investments in net assets of the subsidiaries are recorded on the Condensed Balance Sheets. The income from subsidiaries is reported as equity in earnings of subsidiaries on the Condensed Statements of Income. The consolidated financial statements of MDU Resources Group, Inc. reflect certain businesses as discontinued operations. These statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto of MDU Resources Group, Inc. Earnings per common share Please refer to the Consolidated Statements of Income of the registrant for earnings per common share. In addition, see Item 8 - Note 1 for information on the computation of earnings per common share. Note 2 - Debt At December 31, 2018, the Company had long-term debt maturities, excluding unamortized debt issuance costs, of $200.7 million in 2019, $700,000 in 2020, $700,000 in 2021, $700,000 in 2022, $49.2 million in 2023 and $536.7 million scheduled to mature in years after 2023. For more information on debt, see Item 8 - Note 8. Note 3 - Dividends The Company depends on earnings and dividends from its subsidiaries to pay dividends on common stock. Cash dividends paid to the Company by subsidiaries were $115.9 million, $116.1 million and $115.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 119 Part IV MDU RESOURCES GROUP, INC. Schedule II - Consolidated Valuation and Qualifying Accounts For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 Description Allowance for doubtful accounts: 2018 2017 2016 * Recoveries. ** Uncollectible accounts written off. Balance at Beginning of Year Charged to Costs and Expenses Other * Deductions ** Balance at End of Year Additions (In thousands) $ 8,069 $ 7,532 $ 1,121 $ 10,479 9,835 7,024 8,302 989 851 7,872 10,423 8,509 $ 8,850 8,069 10,479 All other schedules are omitted because of the absence of the conditions under which they are required, or because the information required is included in the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto. Item 16. Form 10-K Summary None. 3. Exhibits Exhibit Number 2(a) 2(b) 2(c) 2(d) 3(a) 3(b) 3(c) 4(a) 4(b) 4(c) Exhibit Description Membership Interest Purchase Agreement, dated as of June 24, 2016, between WBI Energy, Inc. and Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated as of June 9, 2016, by and among Calumet North Dakota, LLC, WBI Energy, Inc., and as applicable, MDU Resources Group, Inc., Centennial Energy Holdings, Inc., and Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. Amendment No. 1 to Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated as of June 9, 2016, by and among Calumet North Dakota, LLC, WBI Energy, Inc., and as applicable, MDU Resources Group, Inc., Centennial Energy Holdings, Inc., and Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated December 31, 2018, by and among MDU Resources Group, Inc., MDUR Newco, Inc. MDU Newco Sub, Inc. Certificate of Merger, dated December 31, 2018 Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of MDU Resources Group, Inc. Amended and Restated Bylaws of MDU Resources Group, Inc. Indenture, dated as of December 15, 2003, between MDU Resources Group, Inc. and The Bank of New York, as trustee First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of November 17, 2009, between MDU Resources Group, Inc. and the Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee Centennial Energy Holdings, Inc. Amended and Restated Master Shelf Agreement, effective as of April 29, 2005, among Centennial Energy Holdings, Inc., the Prudential Insurance Company of America and certain investors described therein Filed Herewith Form 8-K/A Incorporated by Reference Period Ended Exhibit Filing Date File Number 2.1 7/21/16 1-03480 8-K/A 2.2 7/21/16 1-03480 8-K/A 2.3 7/21/16 1-03480 8-K 8-K 8-K 8-K S-8 2(a) 1/2/19 1-03480 3(a) 3(a) 3.1 4(f) 1/2/19 1-03480 1/2/19 1-03480 2/15/19 1-03480 1/21/04 333-112035 10-K 12/31/09 4(c) 2/17/10 1-03480 10-Q 6/30/05 4(a) 8/3/05 1-03480 120 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Exhibit Number 4(d) 4(e) 4(f) 4(g) 4(h) 4(i) 4(j) 4(k) 4(l) 4(m) 4(n) 4(o) 4(p) 4(q) Exhibit Description Letter Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Master Shelf Agreement, dated May 17, 2006, among Centennial Energy Holdings, Inc., the Prudential Insurance Company of America, and certain investors described in the Letter Amendment Letter Amendment No. 2 to Amended and Restated Master Shelf Agreement, dated December 19, 2007, among Centennial Energy Holdings, Inc., the Prudential Insurance Company of America, and certain investors described in the Letter Amendment Letter Amendment No. 3 to Amended and Restated Master Shelf Agreement, dated December 18, 2015, among Centennial Energy Holdings, Inc., the Prudential Insurance Company of America, and certain investors described in the Letter Amendment MDU Resources Group, Inc. Credit Agreement, dated May 26, 2011, among MDU Resources Group, Inc., Various Lenders, and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Administrative Agent First Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated October 4, 2012, among MDU Resources Group, Inc., Various Lenders, and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Administrative Agent Second Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated May 8, 2014 among MDU Resources Group Inc., Various Lenders, and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Administrative Agent Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated May 8, 2014, among Centennial Energy Holdings Inc., U.S. Bank National Association, as Administrative Agent, and The Several Financial Institutions party thereto Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of September 23, 2016, among Centennial Energy Holdings, Inc., U.S. Bank National Association, as Administrative Agent, and The Several Financial Institutions party thereto First Amendment to the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of October 26, 2018, among Centennial Energy Holdings, Inc., U.S. Bank National Association, as Administrative Agent, and The Several Financial Institutions party thereto X MDU Energy Capital, LLC Master Shelf Agreement, dated as of August 9, 2007, among MDU Energy Capital, LLC, Prudential Investment Management, Inc., the Prudential Insurance Company of America and the holders of the notes thereunder Amendment No. 1 to Master Shelf Agreement, dated October 1, 2008, among MDU Energy Capital, LLC, Prudential Investment Management, Inc., the Prudential Insurance Company of America, and the holders of the notes thereunder Indenture dated as of August 1, 1992, between Cascade Natural Gas Corporation and The Bank of New York relating to Medium-Term Notes, filed by Cascade Natural Gas Corporation First Supplemental Indenture dated as of October 25, 1993, between Cascade Natural Gas Corporation and The Bank of New York relating to Medium-Term Notes and the 7.5% Notes due November 15, 2031, filed by Cascade Natural Gas Corporation Second Supplemental Indenture, dated January 25, 2005, between Cascade Natural Gas Corporation and The Bank of New York, as trustee, filed by Cascade Natural Gas Corporation Part IV Incorporated by Reference Filed Herewith Form Period Ended Exhibit Filing Date File Number 10-Q 6/30/06 4(a) 8/4/06 1-03480 10-K 12/31/15 4(e) 2/19/16 1-03480 10-K 12/31/15 4(f) 2/19/16 1-03480 10-K 12/31/11 4(e) 2/24/12 1-03480 10-Q 9/30/12 4 11/7/12 1-03480 10-Q 6/30/14 4(a) 8/8/14 1-03480 10-Q 6/30/14 4(b) 8/8/14 1-03480 10-Q 9/30/16 4 11/7/16 1-03480 1-03480 8-K 4 8/16/07 1-03480 10-Q 9/30/08 4(b) 11/5/08 1-03480 8-K 4 8/12/92 1-07196 10-Q 6/30/93 4 1-07196 8-K 4.1 1/26/05 1-07196 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 121 Part IV Exhibit Number 4(r) 4(s) +10(a) +10(b) +10(c) +10(d) +10(e) +10(f) +10(g) +10(h) +10(i) +10(j) +10(k) +10(l) Exhibit Description Third Supplemental Indenture dated as of March 8, 2007, between Cascade Natural Gas Corporation and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as Successor Trustee, filed by Cascade Natural Gas Corporation MDU Resources Group, Inc. Credit Agreement, dated June 8, 2018, among MDU Resources Group, Inc, Various Lenders, and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Administrative Agent MDU Resources Group, Inc. Supplemental Income Security Plan, as amended and restated May 10, 2017 Filed Herewith Form 8-K Incorporated by Reference Period Ended Exhibit Filing Date File Number 4.1 3/8/07 1-07196 10-Q 6/30/18 4(a) 8/3/18 1-03480 10-Q 6/30/17 10(d) 8/4/17 1-03480 MDU Resource Group, Inc. Director Compensation Policy, as amended November 15, 2018 X 1-03480 Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors, as amended May 15, 2008 Non-Employee Director Stock Compensation Plan, as amended May 12, 2011 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Non-Employee Director Long- Term Incentive Compensation Plan, as amended May 17, 2012 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Long-Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan, as amended February 11, 2016 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Executive Incentive Compensation Plan, as amended May 10, 2017, and Rules and Regulations, as amended May 9, 2017 Form of Performance Share Award Agreement under the Long- Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan, as amended February 10, 2016 Form of Performance Share Award Agreement under the Long- Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan, as amended February 16, 2017 Form of Performance Share Award Agreement under the Long- Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan, as amended February 14, 2018 Form of Performance Share Award Agreement under the Long- Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan, as amended February 14, 2019 X Form of Annual Incentive Award Agreement under the Long- Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan, as amended February 10, 2016 +10(m) Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement under the Long-Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan, as amended February 14, 2018 +10(n) +10(o) +10(p) +10(q) +10(r) +10(s) Form of MDU Resources Group, Inc. Indemnification Agreement for Section 16 Officers and Directors, dated May 15, 2014 Form of Amendment No. 1 to Indemnification Agreement, dated May 15, 2014 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Section 16 Officers and Directors with Indemnification Agreements Chart, as of October 10, 2017 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Nonqualified Defined Contribution Plan, as amended May 10, 2017 MDU Resources Group, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Plan, as restated January 1, 2017 Instrument of Amendment to the MDU Resources Group, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Plan, dated March 31, 2017 122 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 10-Q 6/30/08 10(a) 8/7/08 1-03480 10-Q 6/30/11 10(a) 8/5/11 1-03480 10-Q 6/30/12 10(a) 8/7/12 1-03480 10-K 12/31/15 10(f) 2/19/16 1-03480 10-Q 6/30/17 10(b) 8/4/17 1-03480 8-K 8-K 8-K 8-K 8-K 8-K 8-K 10.3 2/18/16 1-03480 10.1 2/21/17 1-03480 10.1 2/21/18 1-03480 1-03480 10.2 2/18/16 1-03480 10.3 2/21/18 1-03480 10.1 5/15/14 1-03480 10.2 5/15/14 1-03480 10-Q 9/30/17 10(b) 11/3/17 1-03480 10-Q 6/30/17 10(c) 8/4/17 1-03480 10-Q 3/31/17 10(a) 5/8/17 1-03480 10-Q 3/31/17 10(b) 5/8/17 1-03480 Exhibit Number +10(t) Exhibit Description Instrument of Amendment to the MDU Resources Group, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Plan, dated April 10, 2017 Part IV Incorporated by Reference Filed Herewith Form Period Ended Exhibit Filing Date File Number 10-Q 6/30/17 10(e) 8/4/17 1-03480 +10(u) Instrument of Amendment to the MDU Resources Group, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Plan, dated August 30, 2017 10-Q 9/30/17 10(a) 11/3/17 1-03480 +10(v) Employment Letter for Jeffrey S. Thiede, dated May 16, 2013 10-K 12/31/13 10(ab) 2/21/14 1-03480 +10(w) Jason L. Vollmer Offer Letter, dated March 7, 2016 +10(x) Jason L. Vollmer Offer Letter, dated September 20, 2017 8-K 8-K 10.2 3/8/16 1-03480 10.1 9/21/17 1-03480 X X X X X X 21 23 31(a) 31(b) 32 Subsidiaries of MDU Resources Group, Inc. Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Certification of Chief Executive Officer filed pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Certification of Chief Financial Officer filed pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Certification of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer furnished pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 95 Mine Safety Disclosures 101.INS XBRL Instance Document - the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document 101.SCH XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document 101.CAL XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document 101.DEF XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document 101.LAB XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document 101.PRE XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document + Management contract, compensatory plan or arrangement. MDU Resources Group, Inc. agrees to furnish to the SEC upon request any instrument with respect to long-term debt that MDU Resources Group, Inc. has not filed as an exhibit pursuant to the exemption provided by Item 601(b)(4)(iii)(A) of Regulation S-K. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K 123 Part IV Signatures Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Date: February 22, 2019 By: /s/ David L. Goodin David L. Goodin (President and Chief Executive Officer) Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant in the capacities and on the date indicated. Signature /s/ David L. Goodin David L. Goodin (President and Chief Executive Officer) Title Date Chief Executive Officer and Director February 22, 2019 /s/ Jason L. Vollmer Chief Financial Officer February 22, 2019 Jason L. Vollmer (Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer) /s/ Stephanie A. Barth Stephanie A. Barth (Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller) Chief Accounting Officer February 22, 2019 Director Director Director Director Director Director Director Director Director Director February 22, 2019 February 22, 2019 February 22, 2019 February 22, 2019 February 22, 2019 February 22, 2019 February 22, 2019 February 22, 2019 February 22, 2019 February 22, 2019 /s/ Harry J. Pearce Harry J. Pearce (Chair of the Board) /s/ Thomas Everist Thomas Everist /s/ Karen B. Fagg Karen B. Fagg /s/ Mark A. Hellerstein Mark A. Hellerstein /s/ Dennis W. Johnson Dennis W. Johnson /s/ William E. McCracken William E. McCracken /s/ Patricia L. Moss Patricia L. Moss /s/ Edward A. Ryan Edward A. Ryan /s/ David M. Sparby David M. Sparby /s/ John K. Wilson John K. Wilson 124 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Form 10-K Fellow Stockholders: March 22, 2019 I invite you to join me, our Board of Directors and members of our senior management team for our annual meeting at 11 a.m. CDT May 7, 2019, at 909 Airport Road in Bismarck, North Dakota. At the meeting, stockholders will vote on the items outlined in this proxy statement, including election of our Board of Directors, approval of our independent auditors, and approval of the amended certificates of incorporation for MDU Resources Group and Montana-Dakota Utilities. Our director slate up for election includes three candidates who have not previously been on the ballot: Edward A. Ryan, David M. Sparby and Chenxi Wang. Edward and David were appointed to the board during 2018. Chenxi has been put forward as a candidate by our Nominating and Governance Committee because of her expertise in technology and cybersecurity. These three new candidates will help ensure a smooth leadership transition as Bart Holaday did not stand for re-election in 2018 and Harry Pearce and Bill McCracken will not stand for re-election this year. Our corporate bylaws state that directors are not eligible for election to the board after their 76th birthday. We deeply appreciate the diligent and faithful service that Harry, Bart and Bill have provided to MDU Resources’ stockholders. Harry, especially, has served you well in his 22 years as a director, including five years as independent lead director and the past 14 years as chair of the board. Also before stockholders for a vote are resolutions to amend the certificates of incorporation for MDU Resources and Montana- Dakota Utilities. These amendments follow the reorganization of our corporate structure at the start of 2019. The reorganization was undertaken to further delineate the separation between our utility companies and our other businesses. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. and Great Plains Natural Gas Co. were originally structured as divisions of MDU Resources, as required by the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 repealed the PUHCA and allowed us to restructure these companies as a subsidiary. Montana-Dakota Utilities is now a subsidiary of MDU Resources and Great Plains Natural Gas is a division of Montana-Dakota Utilities. This reorganization simplifies our corporate structure and provides greater flexibility in our financing options. In addition to the business items to be conducted at the annual meeting, I will provide an overview of our strong 2018 financial results and the acquisitions and other growth projects we accomplished. We started 2019 with strong momentum, and I will tell you more about the record backlog of work we have at our construction operations and the additional growth projects we expect to complete this year. I look forward to seeing you May 7. Details on how to receive an admission ticket to attend our annual meeting are included in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders as well as on page 67 of this Proxy Statement. If you cannot attend the annual stockholder meeting, your vote is still important to us. I ask that you please promptly follow the instructions on your notice or proxy card to vote. We appreciate your continued investment in MDU Resources and remain committed to providing the long-term value you expect. Sincerely, David L. Goodin President and Chief Executive Officer MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement 1200 West Century Avenue Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5650 Bismarck, North Dakota 58506-5650 (701) 530-1000 NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD MAY 7, 2019 March 22, 2019 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of MDU Resources Group, Inc. will be held at 909 Airport Road, Bismarck, North Dakota 58504, on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, at 11:00 a.m., Central Daylight Saving Time, for the following purposes: Items of Business 1. Election of directors; 2. Advisory vote to approve the compensation paid to the company’s named executive officers; 3. Ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the company’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2019; 4. Approval of an Amendment to Montana-Dakota Utilities Co.’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation; 5. Approval of Amendments to Update and Modernize the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation; and 6. Transaction of any other business that may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment(s) thereof. Record Date The board of directors has set the close of business on March 8, 2019, as the record date for the determination of common stockholders who will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the meeting and any adjournment(s) thereof. Meeting Attendance All stockholders as of the record date of March 8, 2019, are cordially invited and urged to attend the annual meeting. You must request an admission ticket to attend. If you are a stockholder of record and plan to attend the meeting, please contact MDU Resources Group, Inc. by email at CorporateSecretary@mduresources.com or by telephone at 701-530-1010 to request an admission ticket. A ticket will be sent to you by mail. If your shares are held beneficially in the name of a bank, broker, or other holder of record, and you plan to attend the annual meeting, you will need to submit a written request for an admission ticket by mail to: Investor Relations, MDU Resources Group, Inc., P.O. Box 5650, Bismarck, ND 58506 or by email at CorporateSecretary@mduresources.com. The request must include proof of stock ownership as of March 8, 2019, such as a bank or brokerage firm account statement or a legal proxy from the bank, broker, or other holder of record confirming ownership. A ticket will be sent to you by mail. Requests for admission tickets must be received no later than May 1, 2019. You must present your admission ticket and state-issued photo identification, such as a driver’s license, to gain admittance to the meeting. Proxy Materials Notice of Availability of Proxy Materials will be sent on or about March 22, 2019. The Notice contains basic information about the annual meeting and instructions on how to view our proxy materials and vote electronically on the Internet. Stockholders who do not receive the Notice will receive a paper copy of our proxy materials, which will be sent on or about March 28, 2019. By order of the Board of Directors, Daniel S. Kuntz Secretary Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Stockholder Meeting to be Held on May 7, 2019. The 2019 Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement and 2018 Annual Report to Stockholders are available at www.mdu.com/proxymaterials. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement TABLE OF CONTENTS PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BOARD OF DIRECTORS Item 1. Election of Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director Nominees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1 7 8 EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION (continued) Pension Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nonqualified Deferred Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . Potential Payments upon Termination or Page 50 51 Board Evaluations and Process for Electing Directors 14 Change of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Director Independence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stockholder Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Board Leadership Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Board’s Role in Risk Oversight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Board Meetings and Committees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Compensation Policies and Practices as They Relate to Risk Management . . . . . . . . . . . Stockholder Communications with the Board . . . . . . Additional Governance Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Corporate Governance Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Related Person Transaction Disclosure . . . . . . . . . . 17 17 17 18 18 21 22 23 24 24 COMPENSATION OF NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS AUDIT MATTERS Item 3. Ratification of the Appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for 2019 . . . . . . . . 57 Annual Evaluation and Selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Audit Fees and Non-Audit Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Policy on Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Audit and Permissible Non-Audit Services of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm . . Audit Committee Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OTHER MATTERS Item 4. Approval of an Amendment to Montana-Dakota 57 58 58 59 Director Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Utilities Co.’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation. . . . 60 SECURITY OWNERSHIP Security Ownership Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hedging Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greater than 5% Beneficial Owners. . . . . . . . . . . . . Section 16 Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION Item 2. Advisory Vote to Approve the Compensation Paid to the Company’s Named Executive Officers . . . . . . . . Information Concerning Executive Officers . . . . . . . . . . . Compensation Discussion and Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2018 Compensation Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2018 Compensation for Our Named Executive Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Compensation Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Compensation Committee Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Executive Compensation Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summary Compensation Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Grants of Plan-Based Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End . . . . . Option Exercises and Stock Vested . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 27 28 28 29 30 31 31 34 36 42 43 44 45 45 47 49 50 Item 5. Approval of Amendments to Update and Modernize the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING Who Can Vote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Notice and Access. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to Vote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Revoking Your Proxy or Changing Your Vote . . . . . . . Discretionary Voting Authority. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Voting Standards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Proxy Solicitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Electronic Delivery of Proxy Statement . . . . . . . . . . Householding of Proxy Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MDU Resources Group, Inc. 401(k) Plan . . . . . . . . . Annual Meeting Admission and Guidelines . . . . . . . Conduct of the Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stockholder Proposals, Director Nominations, and 65 65 65 65 66 66 66 67 67 67 67 68 Other Items of Business for 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 APPENDIX A Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of MDU Resources Group, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY To assist you in reviewing the company’s 2018 performance and voting your shares, we call your attention to key elements of our 2019 Proxy Statement. The following is only a summary and does not contain all the information you should consider. You should read the entire Proxy Statement carefully before voting. For more information about these topics, please review the full Proxy Statement and our 2018 Annual Report to Stockholders. Meeting Information Summary of Stockholder Voting Matters Time and Date: Voting Matters Board Vote Recommendation See Page 11:00 a.m. Central Daylight Saving Time Tuesday, May 7, 2019 Place: MDU Service Center 909 Airport Road Bismarck, ND 58504 Item 1. Election of Directors FOR Each Nominee Item 2. Advisory Vote to Approve the Compensation Paid to the Company’s Named Executive Officers Item 3. Ratification of the Appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for 2019 Item 4. Approval of an Amendment to Montana-Dakota Utilities Co.’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation Item 5. Approval of Amendments to Update and Modernize the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation FOR FOR FOR FOR 7 29 57 60 61 Corporate Governance Highlights MDU Resources Group, Inc. is committed to strong corporate governance practices. The following highlights our corporate governance practices and policies. See the sections entitled “Corporate Governance” and “Executive Compensation” for more information on the following: Annual Election of All Directors Standing Committees Consist Entirely of Independent Directors Majority Voting for Directors Active Investor Outreach Program Succession Planning and Implementation Process Separate Board Chair and CEO Stock Ownership Requirements for Directors and Executive Officers Anti-Hedging and Anti-Pledging Policies for Directors and Executive Officers Executive Sessions of Independent Directors at Every Regularly Scheduled Board Meeting No Related Party Transactions by Our Directors or Executive Officers Annual Board and Committee Self-Evaluations Compensation Recovery/Clawback Policy Risk Oversight by Full Board and Committees Annual Advisory Approval on Executive Compensation All Directors are Independent Other Than Our CEO Mandatory Retirement for Directors at Age 76 “Proxy Access” Allowing Stockholders to Nominate Directors in Accordance With the Terms of Our Bylaws Directors May Not Serve on More Than Three Public Boards Including the Company’s Board MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 1 Proxy Statement Business Performance Highlights Our overall performance in 2018 was consistent with our long-term strategy as we focused on growing our regulated energy delivery and construction materials and services business segments. In addition to our 2018 financial performance highlighted on the next page: Our electric distribution segment completed the purchase of the Thunder Spirit Wind Farm expansion in southwest North Dakota. The purchase boosts the production capacity of the wind farm from 107.5 megawatts to 155 megawatts of renewable energy. This increases the segment’s renewable generation capacity from 22% to 27% of its total generation capacity. Construction continued in 2018 on the 345-kilovolt transmission line project from Ellendale, North Dakota, to Big Stone City, South Dakota, and was completed in February 2019. Our construction materials and contracting segment completed the following four acquisitions during 2018: Sweetman Const. Co. located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Teevin & Fischer Quarry, LLC located in northern Oregon; Tri-City Paving, Inc. located in Little Falls, Minnesota; and Molalla Redi-Mix and Rock Products, Inc. located south of Portland, Oregon. The pipeline and midstream segment in 2018 had record transportation volumes for the second consecutive year. The segment expanded Line Section 27 of its natural gas transportation system in northwestern North Dakota. The project involved construction of approximately 13 miles of pipeline and associated facilities. The expansion provides Line Section 27 with capacity to transport over 600,000 dekatherms per day. The segment also completed construction of its 38-mile Valley Expansion Project transmission line in eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota. The segment is proceeding with construction planning on its Demicks Lake Project in McKenzie County, North Dakota, and Line Section 22 Project near Billings, Montana. Both of these projects are expected to be completed in 2019. On January 1, 2019, we completed a holding company reorganization to provide additional financing flexibility and further separation between the company’s utility and other business segments. As a result of the reorganization, all of the company’s utility operations will be conducted through wholly-owned subsidiaries. Including our accomplishments in 2018, we are optimistic about the company’s future financial performance. The chart below shows our progress over the last five years. * MDU Resources Group, Inc. reported 2017 earnings from continuing operations of $1.45 per share which included a non-recurring benefit of 20 cents per share attributable to the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was signed into law on December 22, 2017. 2 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 2018 Financial Performance Highlights Strong year-over-year performance from continuing operations at both our regulated energy segments and our construction materials and services segments resulted in earnings per share from continuing operations of $1.38 per share compared to $1.45 per share in 2017, which included a benefit of 20 cents per share attributable to the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Including discontinued operations, 2018 earnings were $272.3 million, or $1.39 per share, compared to $280.4 million, or $1.43 cents per share, in 2017. Proxy Statement Return of stockholder value through dividends: Increased dividend for 28th straight year; and Paid uninterrupted dividend for 81 straight years. Maintained BBB+ stable credit rating from Standard & Poor’s and Fitch rating agencies. 1 28 Years of Consecutive Dividends Paid $739 Million 81 Years of Uninterrupted Dividend Increases Over the Last 5 Years Dividend Payments Compensation Highlights The company’s executive compensation is focused on paying for performance. Our compensation program is structured to strongly align compensation with the company’s financial performance as a substantial portion of our executive compensation is based upon performance incentive awards. Over 75% of our chief executive officer’s target compensation and over 58% of our other named executive officers’ target compensation is performance based. 100% of our chief executive officer’s annual and long-term incentive compensation is tied to performance against pre-established, specific, measurable financial goals. We require our executive officers to own a significant amount of company stock based upon a multiple of their base salary. 2018 Named Executive Officer Target Pay Mix 1 A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold securities, and it may be revised or withdrawn at any time by the rating agency. *Includes time-vesting restricted stock units for certain named executive officers. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 3 Proxy Statement Key Features of Our Executive Compensation Program What We Do Pay for Performance - Annual and long-term award incentives tied to performance measures set by the compensation committee comprise the largest portion of executive compensation. Independent Compensation Committee - All members of the compensation committee meet the independence standards under the New York Stock Exchange listing standards and the Securities and Exchange Commission rules. Independent Compensation Consultant - The compensation committee retains an independent compensation consultant to evaluate executive compensation plans and practices. Competitive Compensation - Executive compensation reflects executive performance, experience, relative value compared to other positions within the company, relationship to competitive market value compensation, business segment economic environment, and the actual performance of the overall company and the business segments. Annual Cash Incentive - Payment of annual cash incentive awards are based on business segment and overall company performance against pre-established financial measures. Long-Term Equity Incentive - The long-term performance-based equity incentive in the form of performance shares represents approximately 56% of our CEO’s and approximately 37% of our other named executive officers’ 2018 target compensation, which may only be earned based on achievement of established performance measures at the end of a three-year period. Annual Compensation Risk Analysis - We regularly analyze the risks related to our compensation programs and conduct an annual broad risk assessment. Stock Ownership and Retention Requirements - Executive officers are required to own, within five years of appointment or promotion, company common stock equal to a multiple of their base salary. The executive officers also must retain at least 50% of the net after-tax shares of stock vested through the long-term incentive plan for at least two years or until termination of employment. Clawback Policy - If the company’s audited financial statements are restated, the compensation committee may, or shall if required, demand repayment of some or all incentives paid to our executive officers within the last three years. What We Do Not Do Stock Options - The company does not use stock options as a form of incentive compensation. Employment Agreements - Executives do not have employment agreements entitling them to specific payments upon termination or a change of control of the company. Perquisites - Executives do not receive perquisites that materially differ from those available to employees in general. Hedge Stock - Executives and directors are not allowed to hedge company securities. Pledge Stock - Executives and directors are not allowed to pledge company securities in margin accounts or as collateral for loans. No Dividends or Dividend Equivalents on Unvested Shares - We do not provide for payment of dividends or dividend equivalents on unvested share awards. 4 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement Corporate Responsibility, Environmental, and Sustainability MDU Resources Group, Inc. is Building a Strong America® by providing essential products and services to our customers with a long-term view toward sustainable operations. To ensure we can continue to provide these products and services in the communities where we do business, we recognize that we must preserve the trust our communities place in us to be a good corporate citizen. We remain committed to pursuing responsible corporate governance and environmental practices and to maintaining the health and safety of the public and our employees. Learn about our sustainability efforts in our Sustainability Report, which is available at www.mdu.com/sustainability. To better serve our investors and other stakeholders, in 2019 we will begin reporting environmental, social, governance, and sustainability (ESG/ sustainability) metrics relevant and important to our operations in frameworks that will provide our stakeholders more uniform and transparent data and information, allowing for comparison with our peers and other companies operating in our industries. For our electric and natural gas distribution segments, as well as our pipeline and midstream segment, we intend to report ESG/sustainability metrics using the reporting templates developed by the Edison Electric Institute and the American Gas Association. For our other business segments, we intend to report ESG/sustainability information under the framework developed by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) for our applicable industries. The use of the metrics developed by these organizations provides for ESG/sustainability reporting tailored to our industries. These are some highlights of our recent efforts regarding sustainability: As our renewable generation resource capacity has increased, the carbon dioxide (CO2) emission intensity of our electric generation resource fleet has been reduced by approximately 24% since 2003. We expect it to continue to decline in future years. Renewable resources comprised approximately 27% of our electric generation resource nameplate capacity at December 31, 2018. Approximately 21% of the electricity delivered to our customers from company-owned generation in 2018 was from renewable resources. We invested approximately $133 million in environmental emission control equipment and other environmental improvements at our coal-fired electric generation plants since 2013. The investments have resulted in substantial reductions in mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and filterable particulate emissions from our coal-fired electric generation resources. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. produces renewable natural gas (RNG) from the Billings Regional Landfill in Montana. The project came online at the end of 2010 and has produced approximately 1.1 million dekatherm of RNG through year-end 2018. The RNG is supplied to the vehicle fuel market generating renewable identification numbers (RINS) and low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) credits in California and Oregon. In calendar year 2018, the Billings Landfill Plant produced approximately 1.86 million RINs and 3,250 LCFS credits. Our utility companies received high scores in customer satisfaction. Cascade Natural Gas Corporation ranked first, Intermountain Gas Company second, and Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. third among West Region mid-sized natural gas utilities in the 2018 J.D. Power Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Survey. We were recognized on the Thomson Reuters 2017 Top 25 Global Multiline Utilities list. The list recognizes companies that have demonstrated a commitment to energy leadership in these areas: financial, management and investor confidence, risk and resilience, legal compliance, innovation, people and social sustainability, environmental impact, and reputation. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 5 Proxy Statement Knife River Corporation produces and places warm-mix asphalt in applications where warm-mix asphalt is allowed. Warm-mix asphalt is produced at cooler temperatures than traditional hot-mix asphalt methods, which reduces the amount of fuel needed in the production process and thereby reduces emissions and fumes. Knife River Corporation continued its practice of recycling and reusing building materials. This conserves natural resources, uses less energy, alleviates waste disposal problems in local landfills, and ultimately costs less for the consumer. Our subsidiary, Bombard Renewable Energy, was ranked No. 13 on Solar Power World’s 2018 Top 500 Solar Contractors List. The list ranks companies according to their influence in the U.S. solar industry based on how many kilowatts of solar generation they installed in 2017. The MDU Resources Foundation awarded grants of $1.68 million to educational and nonprofit institutions in 2018. Since its incorporation in 1983, the foundation has contributed more than $34 million to worthwhile causes in categories of education, civic and community activities, culture and arts, environmental stewardship, and health and human services. We encourage and support community volunteerism by our employees. The MDU Resources Foundation contributes a $500 grant to an eligible nonprofit organization after an employee volunteers a minimum of 25 hours to the organization during non-company hours during a calendar year. In 2018, the foundation granted $40,500 under this program, matching over 4,850 employee volunteer hours. 21% of 2018 Electricity Generated Grants Awarded $1.68 Million 24% Reduction in CO2 Intensity From Renewable Resources in 2018 Since 2003 6 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement BOARD OF DIRECTORS ITEM 1. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS The board currently consists of eleven directors, all of whom, except Harry J. Pearce and William E. McCracken, are standing for election to the board at the 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to hold office until the 2020 annual meeting and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. Mr. Pearce and Mr. McCracken will be retiring following the annual meeting in accordance with our retirement age limits. In February 2019, the board of directors determined to reduce the number of directors to ten effective with the 2019 annual meeting and has nominated Chenxi Wang as a new director nominee to stand for election to the board at the annual meeting. The board has affirmatively determined that all the director nominees, other than David L. Goodin, our president and chief executive officer, are independent in accordance with New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) rules, our governance guidelines, and our bylaws. Our bylaws provide for a majority voting standard for the election of directors. See “Additional Information - Majority Voting” below for further detail. Each of the director nominees has consented to be named in this proxy statement and to serve as a director, if elected. We do not know of any reason why any nominee would be unable or unwilling to serve as a director, if elected. If, however, a nominee becomes unable to serve or will not serve, proxies may be voted for the election of such other person nominated by the board as a substitute or the board may further reduce the number of directors. Information about each director nominee’s share ownership is presented below under “Security Ownership.” The shares represented by the proxies received will be voted for the election of each of the ten nominees named below, unless you indicate in the proxy that your vote should be cast against any or all the director nominees or that you abstain from voting. Each nominee elected as a director will continue in office until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified or until the earliest of his or her resignation, retirement, or death. The ten nominees for election to the board at the 2019 annual meeting, all proposed by the board, are listed below with brief biographies. The board of directors recommends that the stockholders vote FOR the election of each nominee. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 7 Proxy Statement Director Nominees Thomas Everist Age 69 Independent Director Since 1995 Compensation Committee Other Current Public Boards: --Raven Industries, Inc. Mr. Everist has more than 44 years of business experience in the construction materials and aggregate mining industry. He has business leadership and management experience serving as president and chair of his companies for over 31 years. Mr. Everist also has experience serving as a director and chair of another public company, which enhances his contributions to our board. Career Highlights • President and chair of The Everist Company, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, an investment and land development company, since April 2002. Prior to January 2017, The Everist Company was engaged in aggregate, concrete, and asphalt production. • Managing member of South Maryland Creek Ranch, LLC, a land development company; president of SMCR, Inc., an investment company, since June 2006; and managing member of MCR Builders, LLC, which provides residential building services to South Maryland Creek Ranch, LLC, since November 2014. • Director and chair of the board of Everist Health, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan, which provides solutions for personalized medicines, since 2002, and chief executive officer from August 2012 to December 2012. • President and chair of L.G. Everist, Inc., Sioux Falls, South Dakota, an aggregate production company, from 1987 to April 2002. Other Leadership Experience • Director of publicly traded Raven Industries, Inc., Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a general manufacturer of electronics, flow controls, and engineered films, since 1996, and chair from April 2009 to May 2017. • Director of Showplace Wood Products, Inc., Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a custom cabinets manufacturer, since January 2000. • Director of Bell, Inc., Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a manufacturer of folding cartons and packages, since April 2011. • Director of Angiologix Inc., Mountain View, California, a medical diagnostic device company, from July 2010 through October 2011 when it was acquired by Everist Genomics, Inc. • Member of the South Dakota Investment Council, the state agency responsible for prudently investing state funds, from July 2001 to June 2006. Education • Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in construction management from Stanford University. 8 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement Karen B. Fagg Age 65 Independent Director Since 2005 Compensation Committee Nominating and Governance Committee Ms. Fagg brings experience to our board in construction and engineering, energy, and the responsible development of natural resources, which are all important aspects of our business. In addition to her industry experience, Ms. Fagg has over 20 years of business leadership and management experience, including over eight years as president, chief executive officer, and chair of her own company, as well as knowledge and experience acquired through her service on a number of Montana state and community boards. Career Highlights • Vice president of DOWL LLC, dba DOWL HKM, an engineering and design firm, from April 2008 until her retirement in December 2011. • President of HKM Engineering, Inc., Billings, Montana, an engineering and physical science services firm, from April 1995 to June 2000, and chair, chief executive officer, and majority owner from June 2000 through March 2008. HKM Engineering, Inc. merged with DOWL LLC on April 1, 2008. • Employed with MSE, Inc., Butte, Montana, an energy research and development company, from 1976 through 1988, and vice president of operations and corporate development director from 1993 to April 1995. • Director of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Helena, Montana, the state agency charged with promoting stewardship of Montana’s water, soil, energy, and rangeland resources; regulating oil and gas exploration and production; and administering several grant and loan programs, for a four-year term from 1989 through 1992. Other Leadership Experience • Director of the Billings Catholic Schools Board from December 2011 through December 2018, including a term as chair; and director of St. Vincent’s Healthcare Board from October 2003 to October 2009 and from January 2016 to present, including a term as chair. • Former member of several state and community boards, including the First Interstate BancSystem Foundation, from June 2013 to 2016; the Montana Justice Foundation, whose mission is to achieve equal access to justice for all Montanans through effective funding and leadership, from 2013 into 2015; Board of Trustees of Carroll College from 2005 through 2010; Montana Board of Investments, the state agency responsible for prudently investing state funds, from 2002 through 2006; Montana State University’s Advanced Technology Park from 2001 to 2005; and Deaconess Billings Clinic Health System from 1994 to 2002. Education • Bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Carroll College in Helena, Montana. David L. Goodin Age 57 Director Since 2013 President and Chief Executive Officer As chief executive officer of MDU Resources Group, Inc., Mr. Goodin is the only officer of the company that serves on our board. With over 35 years of significant, hands-on experience at our company, Mr. Goodin’s long history and deep knowledge and understanding of MDU Resources Group, Inc., its operating companies, and its lines of business bring continuity to the board. In addition, Mr. Goodin provides the board with valuable insight into management’s views and perspectives, as well as the day-to-day operations of the company. Career Highlights • President and chief executive officer and a director of the company since January 4, 2013. • Prior to January 4, 2013, served as chief executive officer and president of Intermountain Gas Company, Cascade Natural Gas Corporation, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., and Great Plains Natural Gas Co. • Began his career in 1983 at Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. as a division electrical engineer and served in positions of increasing responsibility until 2007 when he was named president of Cascade Natural Gas Corporation; positions included division electric superintendent, electric systems manager, vice president-operations, and executive vice president-operations and acquisitions. Other Leadership Experience • Member of the U.S. Bancorp Western North Dakota Advisory Board since January 2013. • Director of Sanford Bismarck, an integrated health system dedicated to the work of health and healing, and Sanford Living Center, since January 2011. • Former board member of several industry associations, including the American Gas Association, the Edison Electric Institute, the North Central Electric Association, the Midwest ENERGY Association, and the North Dakota Lignite Energy Council. Education and Professional • Bachelor of science degree in electrical and electronics engineering from North Dakota State University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of North Dakota. • The Advanced Management Program at Harvard School of Business. • Registered professional engineer in North Dakota. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 9 Proxy Statement Mark A. Hellerstein Age 66 Independent Director Since 2013 Audit Committee Mr. Hellerstein has extensive business experience in the energy industry as a result of his 17 years of senior management experience and service as board chair of St. Mary Land & Exploration Company (now SM Energy Company). As a certified public accountant, on inactive status, with extensive financial experience as a result of his employment as chief financial officer with several companies, including public companies, Mr. Hellerstein contributes significant finance and accounting knowledge to our board and audit committee. Career Highlights • Chief executive officer of St. Mary Land & Exploration Company (now SM Energy Company), an energy company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids, from 1995 until February 2007; president from 1992 until June 2006; and executive vice president and chief financial officer from 1991 until 1992. He was first elected to the board of St. Mary in 1992 and served as chair from 2002 until May 2009. • Several positions prior to joining St. Mary in 1991, including chief financial officer of CoCa Mines Inc., which mined and extracted minerals from lands previously held by the public through the Bureau of Land Management; American Golf Corporation, which manages and owns golf courses in the United States; and Worldwide Energy Corporation, an oil and gas acquisition, exploration, development, and production company with operations in the United States and Canada. Other Leadership Experience • Director of Transocean Inc., a leading provider of offshore drilling services for oil and gas wells, from December 2006 to November 2007. • Director of the Denver Children’s Advocacy Center, whose mission is to provide a continuum of care for traumatized children and their families, from August 2006 until December 2011, including chair for the last three years. Education and Professional • Bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Colorado. • Certified public accountant, on inactive status. Dennis W. Johnson Age 69 Independent Director Since 2001 Vice Chair of the Board Audit Committee Nominating and Governance Committee Mr. Johnson brings to our board over 44 years of experience in business management, manufacturing, and finance, holding positions as chair, president, and chief executive officer of TMI Corporation for 37 years, as well as through his prior service as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. As a result of his service on a number of state and local organizations in North Dakota, Mr. Johnson has significant knowledge of local, state, and regional issues involving North Dakota, a state where we have significant operations and assets. Career Highlights • Vice chair of the board of the company effective February 15, 2018. • Chair, president, and chief executive officer of TMI Corporation, and chair and chief executive officer of TMI Transport Corporation, manufacturers of casework and architectural woodwork in Dickinson, North Dakota; employed since 1974 and serving as president or chief executive officer since 1982. Other Leadership Experience • Member of the Bank of North Dakota Advisory Board of Directors since August 2017. • President of the Dickinson City Commission from July 2000 through October 2015. • Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis from 1993 through 1998. • Served on numerous industry, state, and community boards, including the North Dakota Workforce Development Council (chair); the Decorative Laminate Products Association; the North Dakota Technology Corporation; and the business advisory council of the Steffes Corporation, a metal manufacturing and engineering firm. • Served on North Dakota Governor Sinner’s Education Action Commission; the North Dakota Job Service Advisory Council; the North Dakota State University President’s Advisory Council; North Dakota Governor Schafer’s Transition Team; and chaired North Dakota Governor Hoeven’s Transition Team. Education • Bachelor of science in electrical and electronics engineering and master of science in industrial engineering from North Dakota State University. 10 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement Patricia L. Moss Age 65 Independent Director Since 2003 Compensation Committee Nominating and Governance Committee Other Current Public Boards: --First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. --Aquila Group of Funds Ms. Moss has business experience and knowledge of the Pacific Northwest economy and state, local, and regional issues where a significant portion of our operations are located. Ms. Moss provides our board with experience in finance and banking, as well as experience in business development through her work at Cascade Bancorp and Bank of the Cascades, and on the Oregon Investment Fund Advisory Council, the Oregon Business Council, and the Oregon Growth Board. Ms. Moss also has experience as a certified senior professional in human resources. Career Highlights • President and chief executive officer of Cascade Bancorp, a financial holding company, Bend, Oregon, from 1998 to January 3, 2012; chief executive officer of Cascade Bancorp’s principal subsidiary, Bank of the Cascades, from 1998 to January 3, 2012, serving also as president from 1998 to 2003; and chief operating officer, chief financial officer and secretary of Cascade Bancorp from 1987 to 1998. Other Leadership Experience • Member of the Oregon Investment Council, which oversees the investment and allocation of all state of Oregon trust funds, since December 2018. • Director of First Interstate BancSystem, Inc., since May 30, 2017. • Director of Cascade Bancorp and Bank of the Cascades from 1993, and vice chair from January 3, 2012 until May 30, 2017 when Cascade Bancorp merged into First Interstate BancSystem, Inc., and became First Interstate Bank. • Chair of the Bank of the Cascades Foundation Inc. from 2014 to July 31, 2018; co-chair of the Oregon Growth Board, a state board created to improve access to capital and create private-public partnerships, from May 2012 through December 2018; and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Aquila Group of Funds, whose core business is mutual fund management and provision of investment strategies to fund shareholders, from January 2002 to May 2005 (one fund) and from June 2015 to present (currently three funds). • Former director of the Oregon Investment Fund Advisory Council, a state-sponsored program to encourage the growth of small businesses in Oregon; the Oregon Business Council, with a mission to mobilize business leaders to contribute to Oregon’s quality of life and economic prosperity; the North Pacific Group, Inc., a wholesale distributor of building materials, industrial, and hardwood products; Clear Choice Health Plans Inc., a multi-state insurance company; and City of Bend’s Juniper Ridge management advisory board. Education • Bachelor of science in business administration from Linfield College in Oregon and master’s studies at Portland State University. • Commercial banking school certification at the ABA Commercial Banking School at the University of Oklahoma. Edward A. Ryan Age 65 Independent Director Since 2018 Audit Committee Nominating and Governance Committee Mr. Ryan, through his position as executive vice president and general counsel at Marriott International, Inc., brings extensive experience to our board in acquisitions, contracts, compliance, legal matters, SEC reporting, and labor relations. Mr. Ryan’s experience significantly contributes to the board’s oversight of compliance and corporate governance. Career Highlights • Advisor to the chief executive officer and president of Marriott International from December 2017 to December 31, 2018. • Executive vice president and general counsel of Marriott International from December 2006 to December 2017; senior vice president and associate general counsel from 1999 to November 2006; assumed responsibility for all corporate transactions and corporate governance in 2005; and joined Marriott International as assistant general counsel in May 1996. • Private law practice from 1979 to 1996. Other Leadership Experience • Director of Goodwill of Greater Washington, D.C., a non-profit organization whose mission is to transform lives and communities through education and employment, since January 2015, as well as vice chair since January 2019 and chair of the finance committee since January 2018. Education • Juris doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. • Bachelor’s degree in economics and international relations from the University of Pennsylvania. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 11 Proxy Statement David M. Sparby Age 64 Independent Director Since 2018 Audit Committee Mr. Sparby has over 32 years of broad public utility experience through his positions as senior vice president and group president, revenue, of Xcel Energy Inc., president and chief executive officer of its subsidiary, Northern renewable energy expertise contributes to the board’s knowledge of the public utility and natural gas pipeline industries. Career Highlights • Senior vice president and group president, revenue, of Xcel Energy and president and chief executive officer of its subsidiary, NSP- Minnesota, from May 2013 until his retirement in December 2014; senior vice president and group president, from September 2011 to May 2013; chief financial officer from March 2009 to September 2011; and president and chief executive officer of NSP-Minnesota from 2008 to March 2009. He joined Xcel Energy, or its predecessor Northern States Power Company, as an attorney in 1982 and held positions of increasing responsibility. • Attorney with the State of Minnesota, Office of Attorney General, from 1980 to 1982, during which period his responsibilities included representation of the Department of Public Service and the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Other Leadership Experience • Board of Trustees of Mitchell Hamline School of Law since July 2011, including executive committee and committee chair positions. • Board of Trustees of the College of St. Scholastica since July 2012, including vice chair and executive committee positions. Education • Juris doctor degree from William Mitchell College of Law. • Bachelor’s degree in history from College of St. Scholastica and a master’s degree in business administration from University of St. Thomas. Chenxi Wang Age 49 Independent Director Nominee Ms. Wang has extensive technology and cybersecurity expertise through her experience, including founder and managing general partner of Rain Capital Fund, L.P., chief strategy officer at Twistlock, vice president, cloud security & strategy at Ciphercloud, and vice president, strategy and market intelligence at Intel Security. She is a sought-after public speaker on issues of technology and cybersecurity. Career Highlights • Founder and managing general partner of Rain Capital Fund, L.P., a cybersecurity-focused venture fund aiming to fund early-stage, transformative technology innovations in the security market with a goal of supporting women and minority entrepreneurs, since December 2017. • Chief strategy officer at Twistlock, an automated and scalable cloud native cybersecurity platform, from August 2015 to February 2017. • Vice president, cloud security & strategy of CipherCloud, a cloud security software company, from January 2015 to August 2015. • Vice president of strategy of Intel Security, a company focused on developing proactive, proven security solutions and services that protect systems, networks, and mobile devices, from April 2013 to January 2015. • Principal analyst and vice president of research at Forrester Research, a market research company that provides advice on existing and potential impact of technology, from January 2007 to April 2013. • Assistant research professor and associate professor of computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University from September 2001 through August 2007. Other Leadership Experience • Board of directors of OWASP Global Foundation, a nonprofit global community that drives visibility and evolution in the safety and security of the world’s software, since January 2018 and vice chair from January 2018 to December 2018. • Board of advisors of Keyp GmbH, a Munich-based software company with a mission to provide enterprises convenient access to the digital identity ecosystem, since December 2017. • Program co-chair (security and privacy track) for the Grace Hopper Conference 2016 and 2017, the world’s largest gathering of women in computing. Education • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in computer science from University of Virginia. • Bachelor’s degree in computer science from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. 12 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement John K. Wilson Age 64 Independent Director Since 2003 Audit Committee Mr. Wilson has an extensive background in finance and accounting, as well as experience with mergers and acquisitions, through his education and work experience at a major accounting firm and his later public utility experience in his positions as controller and vice president of Great Plains Natural Gas Co., president of Great Plains Energy Corp., and president, chief financial officer, and treasurer for Durham Resources, LLC, and all Durham Resources entities. Mr. Wilson contributes business management and public utility knowledge to our board. Career Highlights • President of Durham Resources, LLC, a privately held financial management company, in Omaha, Nebraska, from 1994 to December 31, 2008; president of Great Plains Energy Corp., a public utility holding company and an affiliate of Durham Resources, LLC, from 1994 to July 1, 2000; and vice president of Great Plains Natural Gas Co., an affiliate company of Durham Resources, LLC, until July 1, 2000. • Executive director of the Robert B. Daugherty Foundation in Omaha, Nebraska, since January 2010. • Held positions of audit manager at Peat, Marwick, Mitchell (now known as KPMG), controller for Great Plains Natural Gas Co., and chief financial officer and treasurer for all Durham Resources entities. Other Leadership Experience • Director of HDR, Inc., an international architecture and engineering firm, since December 2008; and director of Tetrad Corporation, a privately held investment company, since April 2010, both located in Omaha, Nebraska. • Former director of Bridges Investment Fund, Inc., a mutual fund, from April 2003 to April 2008; director of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce from January 2001 through December 2008; member of the advisory board of U.S. Bank NA Omaha from January 2000 to July 2010; and the advisory board of Duncan Aviation, an aircraft service provider, headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, from January 2010 to February 2016. Education and Professional • Bachelor’s degree in business administration, cum laude, from the University of Nebraska – Omaha. • Certified public accountant, on inactive status. Additional Information - Majority Voting A majority of votes cast is required to elect a director in an uncontested election. A majority of votes cast means the number of votes cast “for” a director’s election must exceed the number of votes cast “against” the director’s election. “Abstentions” and “broker non-votes” do not count as votes cast “for” or “against” the director’s election. In a contested election, which is an election in which the number of nominees for director exceeds the number of directors to be elected and which we do not anticipate, directors will be elected by a plurality of the votes cast. Unless you specify otherwise when you submit your proxy, the proxies will vote your shares of common stock “for” all directors nominated by the board of directors. If a nominee becomes unavailable for any reason or if a vacancy should occur before the election, which we do not anticipate, the proxies will vote your shares in their discretion for another person nominated by the board. Our policy on majority voting for directors contained in our corporate governance guidelines requires any proposed nominee for re-election as a director to tender to the board, prior to nomination, his or her irrevocable resignation from the board that will be effective, in an uncontested election of directors only, upon: • receipt of a greater number of votes “against” than votes “for” election at our annual meeting of stockholders; and • acceptance of such resignation by the board of directors. Following certification of the stockholder vote, the nominating and governance committee will promptly recommend to the board whether or not to accept the tendered resignation. The board will act on the nominating and governance committee’s recommendation no later than 90 days following the date of the annual meeting. Brokers may not vote your shares on the election of directors if you have not given your broker specific instructions on how to vote. Please be sure to give specific voting instructions to your broker so your vote can be counted. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 13 Proxy Statement Board Evaluations and Process for Selecting Directors In the annual board evaluation process, the nominating and governance committee evaluates our directors considering the current needs of the board and the company. In addition, during the year, the committee discusses board succession and reviews potential candidates. The committee may also retain a third party to assist in identifying potential nominees; none were retained in 2018. Our annual board evaluation process involves assessments at the board and board committee levels. These annual evaluations are conducted by the chair of the nominating and governance committee and periodically by an independent third party. Our governance guidelines provide that directors are not eligible to be nominated or appointed to the board if they are 76 years or older at the time of the election or appointment. Term limits on directors’ service have not been instituted. Director Qualifications, Skills, and Experience Director nominees are chosen to serve on the board based on their qualifications, skills, and experience, as discussed in their biographies, and how those characteristics supplement the resources and talent on the board and serve the current needs of the board and the company. In making its nominations, the nominating and governance committee also assesses each director nominee by a number of key characteristics, including character, success in a chosen field of endeavor, background in publicly traded companies, independence, and willingness to commit the time needed to satisfy the requirements of board and committee membership. Although the committee has no formal policy regarding diversity, the committee also considers diversity in gender, ethnic background, geographic area of residence, skills, and professional experience in recommending director nominees. 14 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement The following shows core specialized competencies and other characteristics of the director nominees. Proxy Statement MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 15 Proxy Statement Board Composition and Refreshment The nominating and governance committee is focused on ensuring that the board reflects a diversity of experience, skills, and backgrounds. Each of the current directors, other than Harry J. Pearce and William E. McCracken, has been nominated for election to the board of directors upon recommendation by the nominating and governance committee and each has decided to stand for election. Messrs. Pearce and McCracken were not eligible for re-election under the company’s age limit policy that provides no individual is eligible for election to the board of directors after his or her 76th birthday. With the retirement of former board member A. Bart Holaday at the annual meeting in May 2018 and Harry J. Pearce and William E. McCracken reaching our board retirement age limit and retiring from the board at our 2019 annual meeting, the committee identified qualified diverse director candidates with commensurate experience and background as replacement board members. In evaluating the board retirements and current needs of the board and the company, the nominating and governance committee focused on identifying board candidates that would add gender diversity to the board as well as background and core competencies in the fields of regulated energy delivery, technology and cybersecurity, and public company governance. Potential director nominees were brought to the attention of the nominating and governance committee by board members, management, organizations, and database searches. In 2018, the nominating and governance committee identified a need for additional expertise in the operation of electric and natural gas utilities and natural gas transmission pipelines. At December 31, 2018, approximately 66% of our capital was invested in these business segments which generated approximately 28% of our 2018 revenues. After serving in several positions during his 32-year career with Xcel Energy, including chief financial officer, and most recently as senior vice president, revenue group, and chief executive officer of its subsidiary, Northern States Power-Minnesota, David M. Sparby brings a vast amount of experience related to the electric and natural gas distribution and pipeline industries. Mr. Sparby was appointed to the board of directors on August 16, 2018. With the anticipated retirement of Harry J. Pearce, the nominating and governance committee identified a director nominee with extensive risk management and public company governance experience. Prior to his retirement in 2017, Edward A. Ryan served as executive vice president and general counsel for Marriott International, Inc. where his responsibilities included chair of the company’s legal and ethical steering and enterprise crisis management committees. Mr. Ryan was appointed to the board of directors on November 15, 2018. With the anticipated retirement of William E. McCracken, the nominating and governance committee identified a director nominee that would bring diversity as well as technology and cybersecurity expertise to the board. Chenxi Wang has held positions with various organizations related to technology and security software and is a frequent speaker on issues of technology and cybersecurity. She is currently the founder and general partner of Rain Capital Fund, L.P., an early stage venture capital firm focused on cybersecurity innovation and artificial intelligence for its clients and the promotion of women entrepreneurs. Ms. Wang also provides gender, ethnic, age, and geographic diversity to the board. By tenure, if the nominees are elected, the board will comprise of three directors who have served from 0-4 years, two directors who have served from 5-10 years, and five directors who have served over 11 years. This mix provides a balance of experience and institutional knowledge with fresh perspectives. 16 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Director Independence The board of directors has adopted guidelines on director independence that are included in our corporate governance guidelines. Our guidelines require that a substantial majority of the board consists of independent directors. In general, the guidelines require that an independent director must have no material relationship with the company directly or indirectly, except as a director. The board determines independence on the basis of the standards specified by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the additional standards referenced in our corporate governance guidelines, and other facts and circumstances the board considers relevant. Based on its review, the board has determined that all directors and director nominees, except for our chief executive officer Mr. Goodin, have no material relationship with us and are independent. In determining director independence, the board of directors reviewed and considered information about any transactions, relationships, and arrangements between the non-employee directors and director nominees and their immediate family members and affiliated entities on the one hand, and the company and its affiliates on the other, and in particular the following transactions, relationships, and arrangements: • Charitable contributions by the MDU Resources Foundation (Foundation) to nonprofit organizations where a director, a director nominee, or their spouse, serves or has served as a director, chair, or vice chair of the board of trustees, trustee or member of the organization or related entity: Charitable contributions by the Foundation to four nonprofit organizations that collectively amounted to $27,500 in 2018. None of the contributions made to any of the nonprofit entities exceeded the greater of $1 million or 2% of the relevant entity’s consolidated gross revenues. • Business relationships with entities with which a director or director nominee is affiliated: Mr. Wilson is a member of the board of directors of HDR, Inc., an architectural, engineering, environmental, and consulting firm. The company paid HDR, Inc. or its affiliates approximately $1 million in 2018 directly or through a third party for services which were provided in the ordinary course of business and on substantially the same terms prevailing for comparable services from other consulting firms. Mr. Wilson had no role in securing or promoting the HDR, Inc. services. The board has also determined that all members of the audit, compensation, and nominating and governance committees of the board are independent in accordance with our guidelines and applicable NYSE and Securities Exchange Act of 1934 rules. Stockholder Engagement The company has an active stockholder outreach program. We believe in providing transparent and timely information to our investors. Each year we routinely engage directly or indirectly with our stockholders, including our top institutional stockholders. During 2018, the company held meetings, conference calls, and webcasts with a diverse mix of stockholders. Throughout the year, we held meetings or telephone conferences with eleven of the institutional investors included in our year-end top 30 stockholders. In our meetings or conferences, we discussed a variety of topics including longer-term company strategy and our capital expenditure forecast; shorter-term operational and financial updates; environmental, social, and corporate governance; and previously announced strategic initiatives. The company also held telephone conferences with a proxy advisory firm to discuss corporate governance, executive compensation practices, and other topics. Board Leadership Structure The board separated the positions of chair of the board and chief executive officer in 2006, and our bylaws and corporate governance guidelines currently require that our chair be independent. The board believes this structure provides balance and is currently in the best interest of the company and its stockholders. Separating these positions allows the chief executive officer to focus on the full-time job of running our business, while allowing the chair of the board to lead the board in its fundamental role of providing advice to and independent oversight of management. The chair meets regularly between board meetings with the chief executive officer and consults with the chief executive officer regarding the board meeting agendas, the quality and flow of information provided to the board, and the effectiveness of the board meeting process. The board believes this split structure recognizes the time, effort, and energy the chief executive officer is required to devote to the position in the current business environment, as well as the commitment required to serve as the chair, particularly as the board’s oversight responsibilities continue to grow and demand more time and attention. The fundamental role of the board of directors is to provide oversight of the management of the company in good faith and in the best interests of the company and its stockholders. Having an independent chair is a means to ensure the chief executive officer is accountable for managing the company in close alignment with the interests of stockholders, including with respect to risk management as discussed below. An independent chair is in a position to encourage frank and lively discussions, including during regularly scheduled executive sessions consisting of only MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 17 Proxy Statement independent directors, and to assure that the company has adequately assessed all appropriate business risks before adopting its final business plans and strategies. The board believes that having separate positions and having an independent outside director serve as chair is the appropriate leadership structure for the company at this time and demonstrates our commitment to good corporate governance. With the retirement of Mr. Pearce at the annual meeting, the board will elect a new independent chair at its May board meeting. Board’s Role in Risk Oversight Risk is inherent with every business, and how well a business manages risk can ultimately determine its success. We face a number of risks, including economic risks, operational risks, environmental and regulatory risks, the impact of competition, climate and weather conditions, limitations on our ability to pay dividends, pension plan obligations, cyberattacks or acts of terrorism, and third party liabilities. Management is responsible for identifying material risks, implementing appropriate risk management strategies, and providing information regarding material risks and risk management to the board. The board, as a whole and through its committees, has responsibility for the oversight of risk management. In its risk oversight role, the board of directors has the responsibility to satisfy itself that the risk management processes designed and implemented by management are adequate for identifying, assessing, and managing risk. The board believes establishing the right “tone at the top” and full and open communication between management and the board of directors are essential for effective risk management and oversight. Our chair meets regularly with our chief executive officer to discuss strategy and risks facing the company. Senior management attends the quarterly board meetings and is available to address any questions or concerns raised by the board on risk management-related and any other matters. Each quarter, the board of directors receives presentations from senior management on strategic matters involving our operations. Senior management annually presents an assessment to the board of critical enterprise risks that threaten the company’s strategy and business model, including risks inherent in the key assumptions underlying the company’s business strategy for value creation. Periodically, the board receives presentations from external experts on matters of strategic importance to the board. In 2018, the board heard presentations from external experts regarding climate change and its risks and opportunities, oil and natural gas exploration in the Bakken geological formation in North Dakota, and projected natural gas processing and transportation needs in North Dakota. At least annually, the board holds strategic planning sessions with senior management to discuss strategies, key challenges, and risks and opportunities for the company. The company has also developed a robust compliance program to promote a culture of compliance, consistent with the right tone at the top, to mitigate risk. The program includes training and adherence to our code of conduct and legal compliance guide. We further mitigate risk through our internal audit and legal departments. While the board is ultimately responsible for risk oversight at our company, our three standing board committees assist the board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities in certain areas of risk. • The audit committee assists the board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities with respect to risk management in a general manner and specifically in the areas of financial reporting, internal controls, cybersecurity, and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and, in accordance with NYSE requirements, discusses with the board policies with respect to risk assessment and risk management and their adequacy and effectiveness. The audit committee receives regular reports on the company’s compliance program, including reports received through our anonymous reporting hot line. It also receives reports and regularly meets with the company’s external and internal auditors. During each of its quarterly meetings in 2018, the audit committee received presentations from management on cybersecurity and the company’s mitigation of cybersecurity risks. The entire board was present for these presentations. Risk assessment and mitigation reports are regularly provided by management to the audit committee or the full board. This opens the opportunity for discussions about areas where the company may have material risk exposure, steps taken to manage such exposure, and the company’s risk tolerance in relation to company strategy. The audit committee reports regularly to the board of directors on the company’s management of risks in the audit committee’s areas of responsibility. • The compensation committee assists the board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities with respect to the management of risks arising from our compensation policies and programs. • The nominating and governance committee assists the board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities with respect to the management of risks associated with board organization, membership and structure, succession planning for our directors and executive officers, and corporate governance. Board Meetings and Committees During 2018, the board of directors held four regular meetings and two special meetings. Each director attended at least 75% of the combined total meetings of the board and the committees on which the director served during 2018 (held during the period he or she has been a director). Directors are encouraged to attend our annual meeting of stockholders. All directors attended our 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. 18 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement The non-employee directors meet in executive session at each regularly scheduled quarterly board of directors meeting. The chair of the board presides at the executive session of the non-employee directors held in connection with each regularly scheduled quarterly board of directors meeting. The board has standing audit, compensation, and nominating and governance committees. The table below provides current committee membership. Proxy Statement Audit Committee C Compensation Committee C Nominating and Governance Committee C Name Thomas Everist Karen B. Fagg Mark A. Hellerstein Dennis W. Johnson William E. McCracken Patricia L. Moss Edward A. Ryan David M. Sparby John K. Wilson C - Chair - Member Below is a description of each standing committee of the board. The board has affirmatively determined that each of these standing committees consists entirely of independent directors pursuant to rules established by the NYSE, rules promulgated under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the director independence standards established by the board. The board has also determined that each member of the audit committee and the compensation committee is independent under the criteria established by the NYSE and the SEC for audit committee and compensation committee members, as applicable. Nominating and Governance Committee Met Six Times in 2018 The nominating and governance committee met six times during 2018. The committee members are Karen B. Fagg, chair, Dennis W. Johnson, William E. McCracken, Patricia L. Moss, and Edward A. Ryan. The nominating and governance committee provides recommendations to the board with respect to: • board organization, membership, and function; • committee structure and membership; • succession planning for our executive management and directors; and • our corporate governance guidelines. The nominating and governance committee assists the board in overseeing the management of risks in the committee’s areas of responsibility. The committee identifies individuals qualified to become directors and recommends to the board the nominees for director for the next annual meeting of stockholders. The committee also identifies and recommends to the board individuals qualified to become our principal officers and the nominees for membership on each board committee. The committee oversees the evaluation of the board and management. In identifying nominees for director, the committee consults with board members, management, consultants, and other individuals likely to possess an understanding of our business and knowledge concerning suitable director candidates. Our corporate governance guidelines include our policy on consideration of director candidates recommended to us. We will consider candidates that our stockholders recommend in the same manner we consider other nominees. Stockholders who wish to recommend a director candidate may submit recommendations, along with the information set forth in the guidelines, to the nominating and governance committee chair in care of the secretary at MDU Resources Group, Inc., P.O. Box 5650, Bismarck, ND 58506-5650. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 19 Proxy Statement Stockholders who wish to nominate persons for election to our board at an annual meeting of stockholders must follow the applicable procedures set forth in Section 2.08 or 2.10 of our bylaws. Our bylaws are available on our website. See “Stockholder Proposals, Director Nominations, and Other Items of Business for 2020 Annual Meeting” in the section entitled “Information about the Annual Meeting” for further details. In evaluating director candidates, the committee, in accordance with our corporate governance guidelines, considers an individual’s: • background, character, and experience, including experience relative to our company’s lines of business; • skills and experience which complement the skills and experience of current board members; • success in the individual’s chosen field of endeavor; • skill in the areas of accounting and financial management, banking, business management, human resources, marketing, operations, public affairs, law, technology, risk management, governance, and operations abroad; • background in publicly traded companies including service on other public company boards of directors; • geographic area of residence; • diversity of business and professional experience, skills, gender, and ethnic background, as appropriate in light of the current composition and needs of the board; • independence, including any affiliation or relationship with other groups, organizations, or entities; and • compliance with applicable law and applicable corporate governance, code of conduct and ethics, conflict of interest, corporate opportunities, confidentiality, stock ownership and trading policies, and other policies and guidelines of the company. In addition, our bylaws contain requirements that a person must meet to qualify for service as a director. The nominating and governance committee assesses the effectiveness of this policy annually in connection with the nomination of directors for election at the annual meeting of stockholders. The composition of the current board and the board nominees reflects diversity in business and professional experience, skills, ethnicity, gender, and geography. Audit Committee Met Eight Times in 2018 The audit committee is a separately-designated committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The audit committee met eight times during 2018. The audit committee members are Dennis W. Johnson, chair, Mark A. Hellerstein, Edward A. Ryan, David M. Sparby, and John K. Wilson. The board of directors has determined that Messrs. Johnson, Hellerstein, Sparby, and Wilson are “audit committee financial experts” as defined by SEC rules and all audit committee members are financially literate within the meaning of the listing standards of the NYSE. All members also meet the independence standard for audit committee members under our director independence guidelines, the NYSE listing standards, and SEC rules. The audit committee assists the board of directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities to the stockholders and serves as a communication link among the board, management, the independent registered public accounting firm, and the internal auditors. The audit committee: • assists the board’s oversight of the integrity of our financial statements and system of internal controls; the company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and the code of conduct; the independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence; the performance of our internal audit function and independent registered public accounting firm; management of risk in the audit committee’s areas of responsibility; and • arranges for the preparation of and approves the report that SEC rules require we include in our annual proxy statement. See the section entitled “Audit Committee Report” for further information. 20 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Compensation Committee Proxy Statement Met Four Times in 2018 During 2018, the compensation committee met four times. The compensation committee consists entirely of independent directors within the meaning of the company’s corporate governance guidelines and the NYSE listing standards and who meet the definitions of non- employee directors for purposes of Rule 16-b under the Exchange Act. Members of the compensation committee are Thomas Everist, chair, Karen B. Fagg, William E. McCracken, and Patricia L. Moss. The compensation committee assists the board of directors in fulfilling its responsibilities relating to the company’s compensation policy and programs. It has the direct responsibility for determining compensation for our Section 16 officers and for overseeing the company’s management of risk in its areas of responsibility. In addition, the compensation committee reviews and recommends any changes to director compensation policies to the board of directors. The authority and responsibility of the compensation committee is outlined in the compensation committee’s charter. The compensation committee uses the analysis and recommendations from outside consultants, the chief executive officer, and the human resources department in making its compensation decisions. The chief executive officer, the vice president-human resources, and the general counsel regularly attend compensation committee meetings. The committee meets in executive session as needed. The processes and procedures for consideration and determination of compensation of the Section 16 officers, as well as the role of our executive officers, are discussed in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.” The compensation committee has sole authority to retain compensation consultants, legal counsel, or other advisers to assist in consideration of the compensation of the chief executive officer, the other Section 16 officers, and the board of directors, and the committee is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, and oversight of the work of such advisers. The compensation committee’s practice has been to retain a compensation consultant every other year to conduct a competitive analysis on executive compensation. The competitive analysis is conducted internally by the human resources department in the other years. In 2018, the compensation committee retained a compensation consultant, Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC, to conduct a competitive analysis on executive compensation for 2019. Prior to retaining an adviser, the compensation committee considers all factors relevant to ensure the adviser’s independence from management. Annually the compensation committee conducts a potential conflicts of interest assessment raised by the work of any compensation consultant and how such conflicts, if any, should be addressed. The compensation committee requested and received information from Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC to assist in its potential conflicts of interest assessment. Based on its review and analysis, the compensation committee determined in 2018 that Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC was independent from management. The board of directors determines compensation for our non-employee directors based upon recommendations from the compensation committee. The compensation committee’s practice has been to retain a compensation consultant every other year to conduct a competitive analysis on director compensation. In 2018, the analysis of non-employee director compensation was performed by the human resources department. Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC will conduct the analysis in 2019. Compensation Policies and Practices as They Relate to Risk Management The human resources department has conducted an assessment of the risks arising from our compensation policies and practices for all employees and concluded that none of these risks is reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the company. Based on the human resources department’s assessment and taking into account information received from the risk identification process, senior management and our management policy committee concluded that risks arising from our compensation policies and practices are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the company. After review and discussion with senior management, the compensation committee concurred with this assessment. As part of its assessment of the risks arising from our compensation policies and practices, the human resources department identified the principal areas of risk faced by the company that may be affected by our compensation policies and practices, including any risks resulting from our operating businesses’ compensation policies and practices. In assessing the risks arising from our compensation policies and practices, the human resources department identified the following practices designed to prevent excessive risk taking: • Business management and governance practices: risk management is a specific performance competency included in the annual performance assessment of Section 16 officers; board oversight on capital expenditure and operating plans promotes careful consideration of financial assumptions; MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 21 Proxy Statement limitation on business acquisitions without board approval; employee integrity training programs and anonymous reporting systems; quarterly risk assessment reports at audit committee meetings; and prohibitions on holding company stock in an account that is subject to a margin call, pledging company stock as collateral for a loan, and hedging of company stock by Section 16 officers and directors. • Executive compensation practices: active compensation committee review of executive compensation, including portions of executive compensation based upon the company’s total stockholder return in relation to that of the company’s peer group; the initial determination of a position’s salary grade to be at or near the 50th percentile of base salaries paid to similar positions at peer group companies and/or relevant industry companies; consideration of peer group and/or relevant industry practices to establish appropriate compensation target amounts; a balanced compensation mix of fixed salary and annual and long-term incentives tied primarily to the company’s financial and stock performance; use of interpolation for annual and long-term incentive awards to avoid payout cliffs; negative discretion to adjust any annual incentive award payment downward; use of caps on annual incentive awards (maximum of 200% for regulated segments and 240% for construction materials and services segments) and long-term incentive stock grant awards (200% of target); ability to clawback incentive payments in the event of a financial restatement; use of performance shares and restricted stock units, rather than stock options or stock appreciation rights, as an equity component of incentive compensation; use of performance shares for long-term incentive awards with relative total stockholder return, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) growth, and earnings growth performance components; use of three-year performance periods for long-term incentive awards to discourage short-term risk-taking; substantive annual incentive goals measured primarily by earnings, EBITDA, and earnings per share criteria, which encourage balanced performance and are important to stockholders; use of financial performance metrics that are readily monitored and reviewed; regular review of the appropriateness of the companies in the peer group; stock ownership requirements for the board and for executives receiving long-term incentive awards; mandatory holding periods for 50% of any net after-tax shares earned under long-term incentive awards; and use of independent consultants to assist in establishing pay targets and compensation structure at least biennially. Stockholder Communications with the Board Stockholders and other interested parties who wish to contact the board of directors or any individual director, including our non-employee chair or non-employee directors as a group, should address a communication in care of the secretary at MDU Resources Group, Inc., P.O. Box 5650, Bismarck, ND 58506-5650. The secretary will forward all communications. 22 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement Additional Governance Features Board and Committee Evaluations Our corporate governance guidelines provide that the board of directors, in coordination with the nominating and governance committee, will annually review and evaluate the performance and functioning of the board and its committees. The self-evaluations are intended to facilitate a candid assessment and discussion by the board and each committee of its effectiveness as a group in fulfilling its responsibilities, its performance as measured against the corporate governance guidelines, and areas for improvement. The board and committee members are provided with a questionnaire to facilitate discussion. The results of the evaluations are reviewed and discussed in executive sessions of the committees and the board of directors. Director Resignation Upon Change of Job Responsibility Our corporate governance guidelines require a director to tender his or her resignation after a material change in job responsibility. In 2018, no directors or director nominees submitted resignations under this requirement. Majority Voting in Uncontested Director Elections Our corporate governance guidelines require that in uncontested elections (those where the number of nominees does not exceed the number of directors to be elected), director nominees must receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast to be elected to our board of directors. Contested director elections (those where the number of director nominees exceeds the number of directors to be elected) are governed by a plurality of the vote of shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting. The board has adopted a director resignation policy for incumbent directors in uncontested elections. Any proposed nominee for re-election as a director shall, before he or she is nominated to serve on the board, tender to the board his or her irrevocable resignation that will be effective, in an uncontested election of directors only, upon (i) such nominee’s receipt of a greater number of votes “against” election than votes “for” election at our annual meeting of stockholders; and (ii) acceptance of such resignation by the board of directors. Director Overboarding Policy Our bylaws and corporate governance guidelines state that a director may not serve on more than three public company boards, including the company’s board. Currently, all of our directors are in compliance of this policy. Board Refreshment The company regularly evaluates the need for board refreshment. The nominating and governance committee and the board are focused on identifying individuals whose skills and experiences will enable them to make meaningful contributions to shaping the company’s business strategy. As part of its consideration of director succession, the nominating and governance committee from time to time reviews, including when considering potential candidates, the appropriate skills and characteristics required of board members. The board believes it is important to consider diversity of skills, expertise, race, ethnicity, gender, age, education, geography, cultural background, and professional experiences in evaluating board candidates for expected contributions to an effective board. Independent directors may not serve on the board beyond the next annual meeting of stockholders after attaining the age of 76. We believe the mandatory retirement age allows us to benefit from experienced directors, with industry expertise, company institutional knowledge and historical perspective, stability, and comfort with challenging company management, while maintaining our ability to refresh the board through the addition of new members. In connection with our mandatory retirement for directors, Harry J. Pearce and William E. McCracken will retire as directors at the completion of their current term following the 2019 annual meeting. Prohibitions on Hedging/Pledging Company Stock The director compensation policy prohibits directors from hedging their ownership of common stock, pledging company stock as collateral for a loan, or holding company stock in an account that is subject to a margin call. Code of Conduct We have a code of conduct and ethics, which we refer to as the Leading With Integrity Guide. It applies to all directors, officers, and employees. We intend to satisfy our disclosure obligations regarding amendments to, or waivers of, any provision of the code of conduct that applies to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, and principal accounting officer and that relates to any element of the code of ethics definition in Regulation S-K, Item 406(b), and waivers of the code of conduct for our directors or executive officers, as required by NYSE listing standards, by posting such information on our website. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 23 Proxy Statement Proxy Access In February 2018, the board of directors amended our bylaws to implement proxy access with the following parameters: Ownership Threshold: 3% of outstanding shares of our common stock Nominating Group Size: Up to 20 stockholders may combine to reach the 3% ownership threshold Holding Period: Continuously for three years Number of Nominees: The greater of two nominees or 20% of our board We believe these proxy access parameters reflect a well designed and balanced approach to proxy access that mitigates the risk of abuse and protects the interests of all of our stockholders. Stockholders who wish to nominate directors for inclusion in our Proxy Statement in accordance with proxy access must follow the procedures in Section 2.10 of our bylaws. See “Stockholder Proposals, Director Nominations, and Other Items of Business for 2020 Annual Meeting.” Corporate Governance Materials Stockholders can see our bylaws, corporate governance guidelines, board committee charters, and Leading With Integrity Guide on our website. Corporate Governance Materials Website • Bylaws http://www.mdu.com/governance • Corporate Governance Guidelines http://www.mdu.com/governance • Board Committee Charters for the Audit, Compensation, and Nominating and Governance Committees http://www.mdu.com/governance • Leading With Integrity Guide http://www.mdu.com/commitmenttointegrity Related Person Transaction Disclosure The board of directors’ policy for the review of related person transactions is contained in our corporate governance guidelines. The policy requires the audit committee to review any transaction, arrangement or relationship, or series thereof: • in which the company was or will be a participant; • the amount involved exceeds $120,000; and • a related person had or will have a direct or indirect material interest. The purpose of this review is to determine whether this transaction is in the best interests of the company. Related persons are directors, director nominees, executive officers, holders of 5% or more of our voting stock, and their immediate family members. Related persons are required promptly to report to our general counsel all proposed or existing related person transactions in which they are involved. If our general counsel determines that the transaction is required to be disclosed under the SEC rules, the general counsel furnishes the information to the chair of the audit committee. After its review, the committee makes a determination or a recommendation to the board and officers of the company with respect to the related person transaction. Upon receipt of the committee’s recommendation, the board of directors or officers, as the case may be, take such action as they deem appropriate in light of their responsibilities under applicable laws and regulations. We had no related person transactions in 2018. 24 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement COMPENSATION OF NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS Director Compensation for 2018 MDU Resources’ non-employee directors are compensated for their service according to the MDU Resources Group Inc. Director Compensation Policy. Only one company employee, David L. Goodin, the company’s president and chief executive officer, serves as a director. Mr. Goodin receives no additional compensation for his service on the board. Director compensation is reviewed annually by the compensation committee with analysis provided by an independent consultant in odd numbered years and analysis prepared by the company’s human resources department in even numbered years. The company’s human resources department provided the director compensation analysis for 2018. The analysis included research on market trends in director compensation as well as a review of director compensation practices of our peer group companies. Based on the analysis, the compensation committee recommended and the board concurred that no changes would be made to board member compensation for 2018. The following table outlines the compensation paid to our non-employee directors for 2018. Name Thomas Everist Karen B. Fagg Mark A. Hellerstein A. Bart Holaday Dennis W. Johnson William E. McCracken Patricia L. Moss Harry J. Pearce Edward A. Ryan David M. Sparby John K. Wilson Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) 80,000 80,000 70,000 29,167 85,000 70,000 70,000 160,000 11,667 29,167 70,000 Stock Awards ($)1 110,000 110,000 110,000 45,833 110,000 110,000 110,000 145,000 18,333 45,833 110,000 All Other Compensation ($)2 83 583 83 35 83 83 83 83 7 28 83 Total ($) 190,083 190,583 180,083 75,035 195,083 180,083 180,083 305,083 30,007 75,028 180,083 1 Directors receive an annual payment of $110,000 in company common stock, except the non-executive chair who receives $145,000 in company common stock, under the MDU Resources Group, Inc. Non-Employee Director Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plan. Directors serving less than a full year receive a prorated stock payment based on the number of months served. All stock payments are measured in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) generally accepted accounting principles for stock-based compensation in FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718. The grant date fair value is based on the purchase price of our common stock on the grant date of November 20, 2018, which was $26.55 per share. The amount paid in cash for fractional shares is included in the amount reported in the stock awards column to this table. As of December 31, 2018, there are no outstanding stock awards or options associated with the Non-Employee Director Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plan. 2 Includes group life insurance premiums and charitable donations made on behalf of the director as applicable. Amounts for life insurance premiums reflect prorated amounts for directors serving less than a full year based on the number of months served. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 25 Proxy Statement The following table shows the annual cash and stock retainers payable to our non-employee directors. Base Cash Retainer Additional Cash Retainers: Non-Executive Chair Audit Committee Chair Compensation Committee Chair Nominating and Governance Committee Chair Annual Stock Grant1 - Directors (other than Non-Executive Chair) Annual Stock Grant2 - Non-Executive Chair $ 70,000 90,000 15,000 10,000 10,000 110,000 145,000 1 2 The annual stock grant is a grant of shares of company common stock equal in value to $110,000. The annual stock grant is a grant of shares of company common stock equal in value to $145,000. There are no meeting fees paid to directors. Other Compensation In addition to liability insurance, we maintain group life insurance in the amount of $100,000 on each non-employee director for the benefit of their beneficiaries during the time they serve on the board. The annual cost per director is $82.80. Directors who contribute to the company’s Good Government Fund may designate up to two charities to receive a matching donation from the MDU Resources Foundation based on their contributions to the fund. Directors are reimbursed for all reasonable travel expenses, including spousal expenses in connection with attendance at meetings of the board and its committees. Perquisites, if any, were below the disclosure threshold in 2018. Deferral of Compensation Directors may defer all or any portion of the annual cash retainer and any other cash compensation paid for service as a director pursuant to the Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors. Deferred amounts are held as phantom stock with dividend accruals and are paid out in cash over a five-year period after the director leaves the board. Post-Retirement Our post-retirement income plan for directors was terminated in May 2001 for current and future directors. The net present value of each director’s benefit was calculated and converted into phantom stock. Payment is deferred pursuant to the Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors and will be made in cash over a five-year period after the director’s retirement from the board. Stock Ownership Policy Our director stock ownership policy contained in our corporate governance guidelines requires each director to own our common stock equal in value to five times the director’s annual cash base retainer. Shares acquired through purchases on the open market and received through our Non-Employee Director Long-Term Incentive Plan are considered in ownership calculations as is ownership of our common stock by a spouse. A director is allowed five years commencing January 1 of the year following the year of the director’s initial election to the board to meet the requirements. The level of common stock ownership is monitored with an annual report made to the compensation committee of the board. All directors are in compliance with the stock ownership policy or are within the first five years of their election to the board. For further details on our director’s stock ownership, see the section entitled “Security Ownership.” 26 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement SECURITY OWNERSHIP Security Ownership Table The table below sets forth the number of shares of our common stock that each director and each nominee for director, each current named executive officer, and all directors and executive officers as a group owned beneficially as of February 28, 2019. Unless otherwise indicated, each person has sole investment and voting power (or share such power with his or her spouse) of the shares noted. Proxy Statement Name1 David C. Barney Thomas Everist Karen B. Fagg David L. Goodin Mark A. Hellerstein Dennis W. Johnson Nicole A. Kivisto William E. McCracken Patricia L. Moss Harry J. Pearce Edward A. Ryan David M. Sparby Jeffrey S. Thiede Jason L. Vollmer Chenxi Wang John K. Wilson All directors and executive officers as a group (20 in number) Shares of Common Stock Beneficially Owned Percent of Class 44,313 2,3 861,692 73,314 264,925 2 24,000 92,352 4 59,635 2,5 24,000 76,328 246,740 10,690 1,726 43,540 2 11,374 2 — 129,601 2,069,126 2,6 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 1.05% * Less than one percent of the class. Percent of class is calculated based on 196,338,488 outstanding shares as of February 28, 2019. The table includes the ownership of all current directors, director nominees, current named executive officers, and other executive officers of the company without naming them. Includes full shares allocated to the officer’s account in our 401(k) retirement plan. The total includes 687 shares owned by Mr. Barney’s spouse. Mr. Johnson disclaims all beneficial ownership of the 163 shares owned by his spouse. The total includes 531 shares owned by Ms. Kivisto’s spouse. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Includes shares owned by a director’s or executive’s spouse regardless of whether the director or executive claims beneficial ownership. Hedging Policy The company’s Director Compensation Policy and its Executive Compensation Policy prohibit our directors and executives from hedging their ownership of company stock. The Director Compensation Policy applies to all directors who are not full-time employees of the company. The Executive Compensation Policy applies to the executives of the company designated as an officer for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as well as all other executives of the company and its subsidiaries who participate in its Long-Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan and its Executive Incentive Compensation Plan. Under the policies, directors and executives are prohibited from engaging in transactions that allow them to own stock technically but without the full benefits and risks of such ownership, including, but not limited to, zero-cost collars, equity swaps, straddles, prepaid variable forward contracts, security futures contracts, exchange funds, forward sale contracts, and other financial transactions that allow the director or executive to benefit from the devaluation of the company’s stock. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 27 Proxy Statement The company policies also prohibit directors, executives, and related persons from holding company stock in a margin account, with certain exceptions, or pledging company securities as collateral for a loan. Company common stock may be held in a margin brokerage account only if the stock is explicitly excluded from any margin, pledge, or security provisions of the customer agreement. Company common stock may be held in a cash account, which is a brokerage account that does not allow any extension of credit on securities. “Related person” means an executive officer’s or director’s spouse, minor child, and any person (other than a tenant or domestic employee) sharing the household of a director or executive officer, as well as any entities over which a director or executive officer exercises control. Greater Than 5% Beneficial Owners Based solely on filings with the SEC, the table below shows information regarding the beneficial ownership of more than five percent of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Title of Class Common Stock Common Stock Common Stock Name and Address of Beneficial Owner The Vanguard Group 100 Vanguard Blvd. Malvern, PA 19355 BlackRock, Inc. 55 East 52nd Street New York, NY 10055 State Street Corporation State Street Financial Center One Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111 Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership 21,436,898 18,376,417 12,377,612 1 2 3 Percent of Class 10.93% 9.40% 6.30% 1 2 3 Based solely on the Schedule 13G, Amendment No. 7, filed on February 11, 2019, The Vanguard Group reported sole dispositive power with respect to 21,336,371 shares, shared dispositive power with respect to 100,527 shares, sole voting power with respect to 94,745 shares, and shared voting power with respect to 22,519 shares. These shares include 74,426 shares beneficially owned by Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Vanguard Group, Inc., as a result of its serving as investment manager of collective trust accounts, and 42,838 shares beneficially owned by Vanguard Investments Australia, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Vanguard Group, Inc., as a result of its serving as investment manager of Australian investment offerings. Based solely on the Schedule 13G, Amendment No. 9, filed on February 6, 2019, BlackRock, Inc. reported sole voting power with respect to 17,339,702 shares and sole dispositive power with respect to 18,376,417 shares as the parent holding company or control person of BlackRock Life Limited, BlackRock International Limited, BlackRock Advisors, LLC, BlackRock (Netherlands) B.V., BlackRock Fund Advisors, BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, National Association, BlackRock Asset Management Ireland Limited, BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., BlackRock Asset Management Schweiz AG, BlackRock Investment Management, LLC, BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited, BlackRock (Luxembourg) S.A., BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited, BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited, BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited, and BlackRock Fund Managers Ltd. Based solely on the Schedule 13G, filed on February 14, 2019, State Street Corporation reported shared voting and dispositive power with respect to 12,377,612 shares as the parent holding company or control person of SSGA Funds Management, Inc., State Street Global Advisors Limited (UK), State Street Global Advisors LTD (Canada), State Street Global Advisors, Australia Limited, State Street Global Advisors Asia LTD, State Street Global Advisors Singapore LTD, State Street Global Advisors GmbH, State Street Global Advisors Ireland Limited, and State Street Global Advisors Trust Company. Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires officers, directors, and holders of more than 10% of our common stock to file reports of their trading in our equity securities with the SEC. Based solely on a review of Forms 3, 4, and 5, and any amendments to these forms furnished to us during and with respect to 2018, or written representations that no Forms 5 were required, we believe that all such reports were timely filed. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 28 Proxy Statement EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION ITEM 2. ADVISORY VOTE TO APPROVE THE COMPENSATION PAID TO THE COMPANY’S NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS In accordance with Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 14a-21(a), we are asking our stockholders to approve, in an advisory vote, the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this Proxy Statement pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K. As discussed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the compensation committee and board of directors believe that the current executive compensation program directly links compensation of the named executive officers to our financial performance and aligns the interests of the named executive officers with those of our stockholders. The compensation committee and board of directors also believe that the executive compensation program provides the named executive officers with a balanced compensation package that includes an appropriate base salary along with competitive annual and long-term incentive compensation targets. These incentive programs are designed to reward the named executive officers on both an annual and long-term basis if they attain specified goals. Our overall compensation program and philosophy for 2018 was built on a foundation of these guiding principles: • we pay for performance, with over 60% of our 2018 total target direct compensation for the named executive officers in the form of performance-based incentive compensation; • we review competitive compensation data for the named executive officers, to the extent available, and incorporate internal equity in the final determination of target compensation levels; • we align executive compensation and performance by using annual performance incentives based on criteria that are important to stockholder value, including earnings, earnings per share, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA); and • we align executive compensation and performance by using long-term performance incentives based on total stockholder return relative to our peer group and financial measures important to company growth. We are asking our stockholders to indicate their approval of our named executive officer compensation as disclosed in this Proxy Statement, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the executive compensation tables, and narrative discussion. This vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of our named executive officers for 2018. Accordingly, the following resolution is submitted for stockholder vote at the 2019 annual meeting: “RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to the company’s named executive officers, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, compensation tables, and narrative discussion of this Proxy Statement, is hereby approved.” As this is an advisory vote, the results will not be binding on the company, the board of directors, or the compensation committee and will not require us to take any action. The final decision on the compensation of the named executive officers remains with the compensation committee and the board of directors, although the board and compensation committee will consider the outcome of this vote when making future compensation decisions. We intend to hold this advisory vote every year until at least the next stockholder advisory vote on the frequency of this vote. The board of directors recommends a vote “for” the approval, on a non-binding advisory basis, of the compensation of the company’s named executive officers, as disclosed in this Proxy Statement. Approval of the compensation of the named executive officers requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the common stock present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the proposal. Abstentions will count as votes against this proposal. Broker non-vote shares are not entitled to vote on this proposal and, therefore, are not counted in the vote. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 29 Proxy Statement INFORMATION CONCERNING EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Information concerning the executive officers, including their ages as of December 31, 2018, present corporate positions, and business experience during the past five years, is as follows: Name David L. Goodin David C. Barney Trevor J. Hastings Anne M. Jones Nicole A. Kivisto 45 Age Present Corporate Position and Business Experience 57 63 45 55 Mr. Goodin was elected president and chief executive officer of the company and a director effective January 4, 2013. For more information about Mr. Goodin, see the section entitled “Item 1. Election of Directors.” Mr. Barney was elected president and chief executive officer of Knife River Corporation effective April 30, 2013, and president effective January 1, 2012. Mr. Hastings was elected president and chief executive officer of WBI Holdings, Inc. effective October 16, 2017. Prior to that, he was vice president-business development and operations support of Knife River Corporation effective January 11, 2012. Ms. Jones was elected vice president-human resources effective January 1, 2016. Prior to that, she was vice president-human resources, customer service, and safety at Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., Great Plains Natural Gas Co., Cascade Natural Gas Corporation, and Intermountain Gas Company effective July 1, 2013, and director of human resources for Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. and Great Plains Natural Gas Co. effective June 2008. Ms. Kivisto was elected president and chief executive officer of Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., Cascade Natural Gas Corporation, and Intermountain Gas Company effective January 9, 2015. Prior to that, she was vice president of operations for Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. and Great Plains Natural Gas Co. effective January 3, 2014, and vice president, controller and chief accounting officer for the company effective February 17, 2010. Daniel S. Kuntz 65 Mr. Kuntz was elected vice president, general counsel and secretary effective January 1, 2017. Prior to that, he was general counsel and secretary effective January 9, 2016, associate general counsel effective April 1, 2007, and assistant secretary effective August 17, 2007. Margaret (Peggy) A. Link 52 Ms. Link was elected vice president and chief information officer effective December 1, 2017. Prior to that, she was chief information officer effective January 1, 2016, assistant vice president-technology and cybersecurity officer effective January 1, 2015, and director shared IT services effective June 2, 2009. Jeffrey S. Thiede Jason L. Vollmer 56 41 Mr. Thiede was elected president and chief executive officer of MDU Construction Services Group, Inc. effective April 30, 2013, and president effective January 1, 2012. Mr. Vollmer was elected vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer effective September 30, 2017. Prior to that, he was vice president, chief accounting officer and treasurer effective March 19, 2016, treasurer and director of cash and risk management effective November 29, 2014, manager of treasury services and risk management effective June 30, 2014, and manager of treasury services, cash and risk management effective April 11, 2011. 30 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS The Compensation Discussion and Analysis describes how our named executive officers were compensated for 2018 and how their 2018 compensation aligns with our pay for performance philosophy. It also describes the oversight of the compensation committee and the rationale and processes used to determine the 2018 compensation of our named executive officers including the objectives and specific elements of our compensation program. The Compensation Discussion and Analysis may contain statements regarding corporate performance targets and goals. The targets and goals are disclosed in the limited context of our compensation programs and should not be understood to be statements of management’s expectations or estimates of results or other guidance. We specifically caution investors not to apply these statements to other contexts. Our Named Executive Officers for 2018 were: David L. Goodin President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jason L. Vollmer Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Treasurer David C. Barney President and Chief Executive Officer - Construction Materials and Contracting Segment Jeffrey S. Thiede President and Chief Executive Officer - Construction Services Segment Nicole A. Kivisto President and Chief Executive Officer - Electric and Natural Gas Distribution Segments Executive Summary Pay for Performance To ensure management’s interests are aligned with those of our stockholders and the performance of the company, the majority of the CEO’s and the other named executive officers’ target compensation is dependent on the achievement of company performance targets. The charts below show the target pay mix for the CEO and average target pay mix of the other named executive officers, including base salary and the annual and long-term incentives. *Includes time-vesting restricted stock units for certain named executive officers. Annual Base Salary We provide our executive officers with base salary at a sufficient level to attract, recruit, and retain executives with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully execute their job responsibilities. Consistent with our compensation philosophy of linking pay to performance, our executives receive a relatively smaller percentage of their overall target compensation in the form of base salary. In establishing base salaries, the compensation committee considers each executive’s individual performance, the scope and complexities of their responsibilities, internal equity, and whether the base salary is competitive as measured against the base salaries of similarly situated executives in our peer group and market compensation data. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 31 Proxy Statement Annual Cash Incentive Awards Annual cash incentive awards for our executive officers are linked to performance by rewarding achievement of financial goals and ensuring our executive officers are focused and accountable for our growth and profitability. The design of the annual cash incentive award opportunities for 2018 was the same as the design used in 2017. Each executive is assigned a target annual incentive award based on a percentage of the executive’s base salary. The actual annual cash incentive realized is determined by multiplying the target award by the payout percentage associated with achievement of the executive’s performance measures. The compensation committee selected specific business segment financial performance measures for the business segment executives which represented 80% of their annual award opportunity. The other 20% of the business segment executives’ annual award opportunity was based on the achievement of overall company earnings per share (EPS). These measures incentivize our business segment executives to focus on the success and performance of their business segment while keeping the overall success of the company in mind. The annual cash incentive award for corporate executives (including our CEO and CFO) is based on the achievement of the performance measures for each business segment executive and weighted by each business segment’s invested capital relative to the company’s total invested capital. The corporate executives’ target awards are multiplied by the sum of the weighted achievement percentage for each business segment executive to derive the corporate executives’ realized annual awards. This incentivizes the corporate executives to assist the business segments in their success while still emphasizing overall company performance. See the “Annual Incentives” section within this Compensation Discussion and Analysis for further details on our company’s annual cash incentive program. The following chart shows the percentage payout of the annual incentive target realized by our CEO with a comparison to earnings per share from continuing operations for the last five years. The chart demonstrates the alignment between our financial performance and realized annual cash incentive compensation. * MDU Resources Group, Inc. reported 2017 earnings from continuing operations of $1.45 per share which included a non-recurring benefit of 20 cents per share attributable to the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was signed into law on December 22, 2017. 32 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Long-Term Equity-Based Incentive Awards Our compensation committee and the board approve grants of long-term incentives to our executives in the form of performance shares which vest into company stock plus dividend equivalents at the end of a three-year performance cycle upon achievement of established performance measures. The following chart depicts the actual vesting percentage for the last five performance cycles and demonstrates the alignment between total stockholder return (TSR) and realized long-term incentive compensation by our executives. Proxy Statement In their February 2018 meeting, the compensation committee and the board approved off-cycle awards to Messrs. Barney and Thiede of time-vesting restricted stock units which will vest on December 31, 2020, if the executives remain employed through the vesting date. The compensation committee believed the restricted stock unit awards incentivize Messrs. Barney and Thiede to continue their employment for the next three years and grow their respective business segments during that time. See the “Long-Term Incentives” section within this Compensation Discussion and Analysis for further details on the company’s long-term incentive program. With the majority of our executive officer’s compensation dependent on the achievement of performance measures set by the compensation committee, we believe there is substantial alignment between executive pay and the company’s performance. Stockholder Advisory Vote (“Say on Pay”) At our 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, 95.9% of the votes cast on the “Say on Pay” proposal approved the compensation of our named executive officers. The compensation committee viewed the 2018 vote as an expression of the stockholders general satisfaction with the company’s executive compensation programs. The compensation committee reviewed and considered the 2018 vote on “Say on Pay” in setting compensation for 2019 by continuing to link performance-based annual and long-term incentives to company financial performance and stockholder value. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 33 Proxy Statement Compensation Practices Our practices and policies ensure alignment between the interests of our stockholders and our executives as well as effective compensation governance. What We Do Pay for Performance - Annual and long-term award incentives tied to performance measures set by the compensation committee comprise the largest portion of executive compensation. Independent Compensation Committee - All members of the compensation committee meet the independence standards under the New York Stock Exchange listing standards and the Securities and Exchange Commission rules. Independent Compensation Consultant - The compensation committee retains an independent compensation consultant to evaluate executive compensation plans and practices. Competitive Compensation - Executive compensation reflects executive performance, experience, relative value compared to other positions within the company, relationship to competitive market value compensation, business segment economic environment, and the actual performance of the overall company and the business segments. Annual Cash Incentive - Payment of annual cash incentive awards are based on business segment and overall company performance against pre-established financial measures. Long-Term Equity Incentive - The long-term performance-based equity incentive in the form of performance shares represents approximately 56% of our CEO’s and approximately 37% of our other named executive officers’ 2018 target compensation, which may only be earned based on achievement of established performance measures at the end of a three-year period. Annual Compensation Risk Analysis - We regularly analyze the risks related to our compensation programs and conduct an annual broad risk assessment. Stock Ownership and Retention Requirements - Executive officers are required to own, within five years of appointment or promotion, company common stock equal to a multiple of their base salary. The executive officers also must retain at least 50% of the net after-tax shares of stock vested through the long-term incentive plan for at least two years or until termination of employment. Clawback Policy - If the company’s audited financial statements are restated, the compensation committee may, or shall if required, demand repayment of some or all incentives paid to our executive officers within the last three years. What We Do Not Do Stock Options - The company does not use stock options as a form of incentive compensation. Employment Agreements - Executives do not have employment agreements entitling them to specific payments upon termination or a change of control of the company. Perquisites - Executives do not receive perquisites that materially differ from those available to employees in general. Hedge Stock - Executives and directors are not allowed to hedge company securities. Pledge Stock - Executives and directors are not allowed to pledge company securities in margin accounts or as collateral for loans. No Dividends or Dividend Equivalents on Unvested Shares - We do not provide for payment of dividends or dividend equivalents on unvested share awards. 2018 Compensation Framework Objectives of our Compensation Program We have a written executive compensation policy for our executive officers, including all the named executive officers. Our policy’s stated objectives are to: • recruit, motivate, reward, and retain high performing executive talent required to create superior long-term total stockholder return in comparison to our peer group; • reward executives for short-term performance, as well as for growth in enterprise value over the long-term; 34 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement • provide a competitive compensation package relative to industry-specific and general industry comparisons and internal equity; • ensure effective utilization and development of talent by working in concert with other management processes - for example, performance appraisal, succession planning, and management development; and • ensure that compensation programs do not encourage or reward excessive or imprudent risk taking. Compensation Decision Process for 2018 For 2018, the compensation committee made recommendations to the board of directors regarding compensation of all executive officers, and the board of directors then approved the recommendations. The CEO’s role in the process includes the assessment of executive officer performance and recommending base salaries for the executive officers other than himself. The CEO attended all compensation committee meetings but was not present during discussions of his compensation. The compensation committee established and approved base salaries and performance measures for the annual and long-term incentive compensation for 2018. They also certified the achievement of performance measures in 2017 associated with annual and long-term incentive compensation. At least every two years, the compensation committee hires an independent consulting firm to assess and recommend competitive pay levels, including base salaries and incentive compensation, associated with executive officer positions. Typically the consulting firm conducts its analysis in even numbered years. In odd numbered years, the assessment is performed by the company’s human resources department using a variety of industry specific sources. In August 2017, the company’s human resources department prepared the analysis of and provided recommendations for the 2018 compensation structure. Components of Compensation The components of our executive officer’s compensation are selected to drive financial and operational results as well as align the executive officer’s interests with those of our stockholders. The components of our executive compensation include: Component Payments Purpose How Determined How it Links to Performance Base Salary Assured Annual Cash Incentive Performance Based At Risk Provides sufficient, regularly paid income to recruit and retain executives with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully execute their job responsibilities. Provides an opportunity to earn annual incentive compensation to ensure focus on annual financial results and to be competitive from a total renumeration standpoint. Performance Shares Performance Based At Risk Provides an opportunity to earn long-term compensation to ensure focus on stockholder return and to be competitive from a total renumeration standpoint. Restricted Stock Units Time Vested Provides an opportunity to earn long-term compensation to promote retention of executive talent, focus on long-term business segment growth, and to be competitive from a total renumeration standpoint. Based on recommendation from the CEO for executives other than himself and analysis of peer company and industry compensation information. Base salary is a means to attract and retain talented executives capable of driving success and performance. Annual cash incentives are calculated as a percentage of base salary with payout based on the achievement of performance measures established in advance by the compensation committee. Performance share award opportunities are calculated as a percentage of base salary with vesting based on the company’s achievement of financial measures established by the compensation committee as well as total stockholder return in comparison to the company’s peer group over a three-year performance cycle. Restricted stock unit awards are determined by the compensation committee and vest at the end of a three-year period if the executive remains employed by the company. Annual incentive performance measures are tied to the achievement of financial goals aimed to drive the success of the company and the individual business segments. Fosters ownership in company stock and aligns the executive’s interests with those of stockholders in increasing stockholder value. Fosters ownership in company stock and incentivizes executives to remain employed with the company while aligning the executive’s interests with those of the stockholder in increasing stockholder value. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 35 Proxy Statement Allocation of Total Target Compensation for 2018 Total target compensation consists of base salary plus target annual and long-term incentive compensation. Performance-based incentive compensation, which consists of annual cash incentive and three-year performance share award opportunities, comprises the largest portion of our named executive officers’ total target compensation because: • our named executive officers are in positions to drive, and therefore bear high levels of responsibility for, our corporate performance; • incentive compensation is dependent upon our performance; • incentive compensation helps ensure focus on performance measures that are aligned with our overall strategy; and • the interests of the named executive officers are aligned with those of stockholders by making a significant portion of their target compensation contingent upon results beneficial to stockholders. To foster and reward long-term growth, the compensation committee generally allocates a higher percentage of total target compensation to the target long-term incentive than to the target annual incentive for our higher level executives because they are in a better position to influence long-term performance. The long-term incentive awards, if earned by achieving established measures, are paid in company common stock. These awards, combined with our stock retention requirements and our stock ownership policy, promote ownership of our stock by the executive officers. The compensation committee believes the executive officers, as stockholders, will be motivated to deliver results that build value for all stockholders over the long term. Peer Group The compensation committee evaluates the company’s compensation plan and its performance relative to a group of peer companies in determining compensation and the vesting of long-term incentive compensation. The companies included in our peer group are evaluated every year and are selected as representatives of the industries in which we operate. The 2018 peer group includes twelve companies in regulated energy delivery businesses, and eight companies in the construction materials or construction services businesses. In determining the 2018 peer group, we removed five companies, namely Avista Corporation, National Fuel Gas Company, IES Holdings, Inc., Quanta Services, Inc., and Sterling Construction Company, Inc., due to size, industry focus, or pending merger. Companies added to the 2018 peer group were Otter Tail Corporation, Portland General Electric Company, Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc., Spire, Inc., MasTec, Inc., and Summit Materials, Inc. due to their industry focus, relative size, and geographic location. The following chart depicts the companies in our 2018 peer group. 2018 Peer Companies Regulated Energy Delivery Construction Materials and Services ALLETE, Inc. Alliant Energy Corporation Atmos Energy Corporation Black Hills Corporation IDACORP, Inc. Northwest Natural Gas Company NorthWestern Corporation Otter Tail Corporation Portland General Electric Company Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. Spire Inc. Vectren Corporation EMCOR Group, Inc. Granite Construction Incorporated Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. MasTec, Inc. MYR Group, Inc. Summit Materials, Inc. U.S. Concrete, Inc. Vulcan Materials Company 2018 Compensation for Our Named Executive Officers 2018 Base Salary and Incentive Targets At its November 2017 meeting, the compensation committee approved 2018 base salaries for the named executive officers. Mr. Goodin was not present during the portion of the meeting where the compensation committee discussed and approved the president and CEO base salary for 2018. At its February 2018 meeting, the compensation committee approved the target annual and long-term incentive opportunities for our named executive officers. In determining base salaries, target cash annual incentives, target long-term incentives, and total direct compensation for our named executive officers, the compensation committee received and considered company and individual 36 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement performance, market and peer data, responsibilities, experience, tenure in position, internal equity, and input and recommendations from the CEO and human resources department. The following information relates to each named executive officer’s base salary, target cash annual incentive, target long-term incentive, and total direct compensation: Proxy Statement David L. Goodin Base Salary Target Annual Incentive Opportunity 2018 ($) 824,460 824,460 Target Long-Term Performance Share Incentive Opportunity 2,061,150 Target Total Potential Direct Compensation 3,710,070 Compensation Component as a % of Base Salary 100% 250% The compensation committee considered information provided in the 2016 and 2017 compensation studies showing Mr. Goodin's base salary, total cash compensation, and long-term incentives were below market levels and increased Mr. Goodin’s base salary by 4% and long-term incentive target from 225% to 250% for 2018. No changes were made to Mr. Goodin’s annual incentive target as a percentage of base salary. Jason L. Vollmer Base Salary Target Annual Incentive Opportunity Target Long-Term Performance Share Incentive Opportunity Target Total Potential Direct Compensation 2018 ($) 350,000 227,500 420,000 997,500 Compensation Component as a % of Base Salary 65% 120% For 2018, Mr. Vollmer's base salary remained at $350,000, which was set when he was promoted to CFO effective September 30, 2017. His annual and long-term incentive targets were set at 65% and 120% of his base salary, respectively. David C. Barney Base Salary Target Annual Incentive Opportunity Target Long-Term Performance Share Incentive Opportunity Target Restricted Stock Units Opportunity 2018 ($) 455,000 341,250 546,000 300,000 Compensation Component as a % of Base Salary 75% 120% 66% Target Total Potential Direct Compensation 1,642,250 Mr. Barney received a 6.5% increase in base salary for 2018. For 2018, the compensation committee maintained Mr. Barney’s target annual incentive opportunity at 75% of his base salary but increased his long- term incentive opportunity from 90% to 120%. Mr. Barney also received a grant of 11,419 restricted stock units which vest on December 31, 2020, if he remains employed by the company. Jeffrey S. Thiede Base Salary Target Annual Incentive Opportunity Target Long-Term Performance Share Incentive Opportunity Target Restricted Stock Units Opportunity 2018 ($) 455,000 341,250 546,000 300,000 Compensation Component as a % of Base Salary 75% 120% 66% Target Total Potential Direct Compensation 1,642,250 Mr. Thiede received a 3.9% increase in his base salary for 2018. For 2018, the compensation committee maintained Mr. Thiede’s target annual incentive opportunity at 75% of base salary but increased his long-term incentive opportunity from 90% to 120%. Mr. Thiede also received a grant of 11,419 restricted stock units which vest on December 31, 2020, if he remains employed by the company. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 37 Proxy Statement Nicole A. Kivisto Base Salary Target Annual Incentive Opportunity Target Long-Term Performance Share Incentive Opportunity 2018 ($) 430,000 279,500 516,000 Compensation Component as a % of Base Salary 65% 120% Target Total Potential Direct Compensation 1,225,500 Ms. Kivisto received a base salary increase of 13.8% for 2018. The compensation committee maintained her target annual incentive opportunity at 65% of base salary but increased her long-term incentive opportunity from 90% to 120% of base salary for 2018. Annual Incentives Annual incentive awards are determined for business segment executives by the achievement of specific performance measures selected by the compensation committee including financial performance measures specific to each business segment and a performance measure tied to overall company earnings per share. For corporate executives, annual incentive awards are determined as the sum of a weighted percentage award payout of each business segment based upon achievement of its performance measures. Percentage award payouts for the business segments are weighted by the business segment’s invested capital relative to the company’s total invested capital. Through this, our business segment executives are incentivized to primarily focus on the success and performance of their business segment while keeping the overall financial success of the company in mind, whereas our corporate executives are incentivized to assist in the success and performance of all lines of business. The compensation committee considered and selected objective financial performance measures to ensure that compensation to the executives reflects the success of their respective business segments and the company as well as value provided to our stockholders. Each business segment president’s annual incentive performance measures include a corporate earnings per share performance measure representing 20% of the target award opportunity and a business segment financial performance measure representing 80% of the target award opportunity. The following annual incentive performance measures for 2018 were adopted by the compensation committee for the business segment presidents (exclusive of the MDU Resources Group, Inc. corporate executive officers) at its February 2018 meeting: 38 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Measure Applies to Purpose Measurement Target Weight How Target was Selected Proxy Statement EPS is a generally accepted accounting principle (GAAP) measurement and is a key driver of stockholder return. This goal applies to the presidents of all business segments to engage them as members of the company’s management policy committee in the overall success of the company. Provides a measure of financial performance and an incentive to drive business results. All Business Segment Presidents MDU Resources Diluted Adjusted Earnings per Share (EPS) Business Segment Earnings Electric and Natural Gas Distribution Segments President Pipeline and Midstream Segment President Construction Materials and Contracting Segment President Provides a measure of financial performance common to the industries in which these segments operate. Business Segment Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) Construction Services Segment President GAAP EPS (diluted) before discontinued operations plus earnings/losses from any operations discontinued after December 31, 2017, and adjusted to remove: - the effect on earnings at the company level of intersegment earnings eliminations; - the effect on earnings from losses on asset sales/ dispositions approved by the board; - the effect on earnings from withdrawal liabilities relating to multiemployer pension plans; and - the effect on earnings from transaction costs for completed acquisitions or mergers. GAAP business segment earnings before discontinued operations plus earnings/losses from any operations discontinued after December 31, 2017, and adjusted to remove: - the effect on earnings from losses on asset sales/ dispositions approved by the board; and - the effect on earnings from transaction costs for completed acquisitions or mergers. EBITDA from continuing operations adjusted to remove: - the effect on earnings from losses on asset sales/ dispositions approved by the board; - the effect on earnings from withdrawal liabilities relating to multiemployer plans; and - the effect on earnings from transaction costs for completed acquisitions or mergers. $1.35 20% Target reflects EPS performance within the range of guidance for 2018 while also being higher than 2017 target. The target reflects an aggregation of the 2018 business unit financial goals and is higher than 2017 actual results minus the effect of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on 2017 results. $89.1 million 80% Target reflects the 2018 financial goal for the business segment and exceeds the segments’ 2017 target and actual results. $22.2 million 80% Target reflects the 2018 financial goal of the business segment and exceeds the segment’s 2017 target and actual results. $197.5 million $100.1 million 80% Target reflects the 2018 financial goal of the business segment, sufficient to exceed the segment’s risk adjusted capital costs, incentivize growth of the business segment, and exceed 2017 actual results adjusted to remove the effect of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. 80% Target reflects the 2018 financial goal of the business segment, sufficient to exceed the segment’s risk adjusted capital costs, incentivize growth of the business segment, and exceed 2017 actual results. Actual performance results are compared to target performance measures to arrive at a percent of target achieved. The percent of target achieved is translated into a payout percentage of the target award opportunity. Achievement of 100% of the performance target corresponds to a payout equal to the target annual award opportunity. Receipt of a payout requires threshold achievement of a performance measure which varies by business segment. Achievement below the threshold level of the performance measure results in no payout of the target award opportunity attributable to the measure. For the company EPS performance measure, threshold payout requires achievement of 85% of the target performance measure which results in a payout of 25% of the award opportunity attributable to the company EPS performance measure. For the electric and natural gas distribution segments, the pipeline and midstream segment, the construction materials and contracting segment, and the construction services business segment’s performance measures, threshold payout requires achievement of 90%, 85%, 75%, and 65% of the target performance measures, respectively, resulting in business segment target award payouts of 50%, 25%, 25%, and 25%, respectively. Maximum payouts also vary by business segment. For the company EPS performance measure, as well as the electric and natural gas distribution segments and the pipeline and midstream segment, maximum payout of the MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 39 Proxy Statement business segment award opportunity is 200%, and for the construction materials and contracting segment and the construction services segment, payout of 250% of the business segment award opportunity is received if the percent of target performance achieved is 115% or greater. Results achieved between payout levels are calculated using linear interpolation. 2018 Annual Incentive Results The 2018 performance measure results, percent of target achieved based on those results, and the associated payout percentages are presented below: Business Segment Performance Measure All Business Segments Earnings per Share Result $1.35 Electric and Natural Gas Distribution Pipeline and Midstream Earnings Earnings $84.7 million $24.0 million Construction Materials and Contracting EBITDA $200.6 million Construction Services EBITDA $103.6 million Percent of Performance Measure Achieved Percent of Award Opportunity Payout 100.0% 95.1% 108.1% 101.6% 103.5% 100.0% 75.7% 154.1% 115.9% 135.1% Weighted Award Opportunity Payout % 20.0% 60.6% 123.3% 92.7% 108.1% Weight 20% 80% 80% 80% 80% For our corporate named executive officers, namely Messrs. Goodin and Vollmer, the compensation committee continued to base the payout of the annual cash incentives on the achievement of performance measures at the business segments weighted by each business segment’s average invested capital relative to the company’s total invested capital. The compensation committee believes this approach provides alignment between our corporate executives and business segment performance. Messrs. Goodin’s and Vollmer’s 2018 annual cash incentives were earned at 98.0% of the target award opportunity based on the following proportional weighted sum of the annual business segment payouts: Business Segment Electric and Natural Gas Distribution Pipeline and Midstream Construction Materials and Contracting Construction Services Total Payout Percentage Column A Business Segment Award Opportunity Payout Column B Percentage of Average Invested Capital Column A x Column B 80.6% 143.3% 112.7% 128.1% 58.5% 8.7% 23.9% 8.9% Based on the achievement of the performance targets, the named executive officers received the following 2018 annual incentive compensation: Name David L. Goodin Jason L. Vollmer David C. Barney Jeffrey S. Thiede Nicole A. Kivisto Target Annual Incentive ($) 824,460 227,500 341,250 341,250 279,500 Annual Incentive Earned Payout as a % of Target (%) 98.0 98.0 112.7 128.1 80.6 Long-Term Incentives Long-term incentive compensation comprises approximately 56% of the CEO’s 2018 total target direct compensation and 48% of the average of the other named executive officer’s target total direct compensation. Stock earned under long-term incentive compensation is subject to our stock retention requirements. If the executive’s employment is terminated during the performance period for cause at any time, or for any reason other than cause before the executive has reached age 55 and completed ten years of service, all performance shares and related dividend equivalents are forfeited. Restricted stock units are forfeited or canceled if the executive ceases to be an employee of the company or an affiliate except for employment termination due to death, disability, or change of control. 40 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 47.2% 12.5% 26.9% 11.4% 98.0% Amount ($) 807,971 222,950 384,589 437,141 225,277 Proxy Statement Grant of 2018-2020 Long-Term Performance Share Awards For 2018, the compensation committee approved performance share awards which may vest at the end of a three-year period between 0% and 200% based on the achievement of three performance measures: • Total stockholder return relative to that of the peer group companies represents 50% of the award and was selected to align the award with the company's performance relative to our peers; • Compound annual growth rate in earnings from continuing operations before interest, taxes, depreciation, depletion, and amortization (EBITDA) represents 25% of the award which encourages strategic growth and focuses on controllable costs; and • Compound annual growth rate in earnings from continuing operations represents 25% of the award which encourages quality earnings and continued growth of the company. For the awards made in 2018, the compensation committee added the EBITDA and earnings growth measures to incentivize participants to focus on company growth in addition to total stockholder return during the performance period. Earnings used to calculate EBITDA growth and earnings growth will be adjusted for (i) the effect on earnings from losses on asset sales/dispositions approved by the board; (ii) the effect on earnings from withdrawal liabilities relating to multiemployer pension plans; and (iii) the effect on earnings from transaction costs for completed acquisitions or mergers. On February 15, 2018, for the 2018-2020 performance period, the compensation committee determined the target number of performance shares for each named executive officer by multiplying the named executive officer’s 2018 base salary by a target long-term incentive percentage and then dividing by the average of the closing prices of our stock from January 1 through January 22, 2018, which was $26.27 per share. Based on this price, the board of directors, upon recommendation of the compensation committee, awarded the following target performance share opportunities to the named executive officers: Name David L. Goodin Jason L. Vollmer David C. Barney Jeffrey S. Thiede Nicole A. Kivisto Base Salary to Determine Target ($) Target Long-Term Performance Share Incentive % of Base Salary (%) Long-Term Performance Share Incentive Target ($) Performance Share Opportunities (#) 824,460 350,000 455,000 455,000 430,000 250 120 120 120 120 2,061,150 420,000 546,000 546,000 516,000 78,460 15,987 20,784 20,784 19,642 Restricted Stock Units Subject to Service Based Vesting For 2018, the compensation committee also awarded 11,419 restricted stock units to each of Messrs. Barney and Thiede, which will vest on December 31, 2020, provided they remain employed until that date. The restricted stock unit awards represent $300,000 divided by the average closing stock price from January 1 through January 22, 2018 of $26.27 per share. The compensation committee believes the off- cycle restricted stock awards further incentivize both Messrs. Barney and Thiede to continue their employment with the company for the next three years while the company emphasizes the growth of their respective business segments. Dividend equivalents are credited to each restricted stock unit during the vesting period to the same extent that dividends are paid on shares of our common stock, but such dividend equivalents are paid only to the extent the underlying restricted stock unit vests based on the satisfaction of the service requirement. Dividend equivalents are paid at the time of settlement in cash. Vesting of 2016-2018 Performance Share Awards For the 2016-2018 performance period, the long-term incentive program consisted solely of performance shares. The performance criteria used for the 2016-2018 performance period was total stockholder return as a percentile of the total stockholder return for our peer companies. Our total stockholder return ranking over the performance period was at the 60th percentile which resulted in vesting at 140% of the target performance shares and dividend equivalents. The named executive officers received the following long-term compensation for the 2016-2018 performance period: MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 41 Proxy Statement Name David L. Goodin Jason L. Vollmer David C. Barney Jeffrey S. Thiede Nicole A. Kivisto Target Performance Shares (#) 98,764 4,767 18,920 19,767 16,744 Performance Shares Vested (#) 138,269 6,673 26,488 27,673 23,441 Dividend Equivalents ($) 321,475 15,515 61,585 64,340 54,500 Stock Retention Requirement The named executive officers must retain 50% of the net after-tax shares vested pursuant to the long-term incentive awards for at least two years from the date the vested shares are issued or the executive’s termination of employment. The compensation committee may also require the executive officer to retain share awards net of taxes if the executive has not met the stock ownership requirements under the company’s stock ownership policy for executives. Other Benefits The company provides post employment benefit plans and programs in which our named executive officers may be participants. We believe it is important to provide post-employment benefits which approximate retirement benefits paid by other employers to executives in similar positions. The compensation committee periodically reviews the benefits provided to maintain a market-based benefits package. Our named executive officers participated in the following plans during 2018 which are described below: Plans 401(k) Retirement Plan Pension Plans Supplemental Income Security Plan Nonqualified Defined Contribution Plan David L. Goodin Jason L. Vollmer David C. Barney Jeffrey S. Thiede Nicole A. Kivisto Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No 401(k) Retirement Plan The named executive officers as well as all employees working a minimum of 1,000 hours per year are eligible to participate in the 401(k) plan and defer annual income up to the IRS limit. The company provides a match up to 3% depending on the employee’s elected deferral rate. Contributions and the company match are invested in various funds based on the employee’s election including company common stock. In 2010, the company began offering increased company contributions to our 401(k) plan in lieu of pension plan contributions. For non- bargaining unit employees hired after 2006 or employees who were not previously participants in the pension plan, the added retirement contribution is 5% of plan eligible compensation. For non-bargaining unit employees hired prior to 2006 who were participants in the pension plan, the added retirement contributions are based on the employee’s age as of December 31, 2009. The retirement contribution is 11.5% for Mr. Goodin, 9.0% for Ms. Kivisto, 7.0% for Mr. Vollmer, and 5.0% for Messrs. Barney and Thiede. These amounts may be reduced in accordance with the provisions of the 401(k) plan to ensure compliance with IRS limits. Pension Plans Effective in 2006, the defined benefit pension plans were closed to new non-bargaining unit employees and as of December 31, 2009, the defined benefit plans were frozen. For further details regarding the company’s pension plans, please refer to the section entitled “Pension Benefits for 2018.” Supplemental Income Security Plan We offered certain key managers and executives benefits under a nonqualified retirement plan, referred to as the Supplemental Income Security Plan (SISP). The SISP provides participants with additional retirement income and death benefits. Effective February 11, 2016, the SISP was amended to exclude new participants to the plan and freeze current benefit levels for existing participants. For further details regarding the company’s SISP, please refer to the section entitled “Pension Benefits for 2018.” Named executive officers participating in the SISP are Messrs. Goodin, Barney, and Ms. Kivisto. 42 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement The following table reflects our named executive officers’ SISP benefits as of December 31, 2018: Proxy Statement Name David L. Goodin Jason L. Vollmer David C. Barney Jeffrey S. Thiede Nicole A. Kivisto SISP Benefits Annual Death Benefit ($) Annual Retirement Benefit ($) 552,960 n/a 262,464 n/a 96,000 276,480 n/a 131,232 n/a 48,000 Nonqualified Defined Contribution Plan The company adopted the Nonqualified Defined Contribution Plan (NQDCP) effective January 1, 2012, to provide retirement and deferred compensation for a select group of management and other highly compensated employees. The compensation committee, upon recommendation from the CEO, determines which employees will participate in the NQDCP and the amount of contributions for any year. After satisfying a vesting requirement for each contribution, distributions will be made in accordance with the terms of the plan. For further details regarding the company’s NQDCP, please refer to the section entitled “Nonqualified Deferred Compensation for 2018.” For 2018, the compensation committee selected and approved contributions of $35,000 to Mr. Vollmer, $150,000 to Mr. Barney, and $100,000 to Mr. Thiede. The contributions awarded to Messrs. Vollmer, Barney, and Thiede represent 10.00%, 32.97%, and 21.98% of their base salaries, respectively. Employment and Severance Agreements We currently do not have employment or severance agreements with our executives entitling them to specific payments upon termination of employment or a change of control of the company. The compensation committee generally considers providing severance benefits on a case-by-case basis. Any post-employment or change of control benefits available to our executives are addressed within our incentive and retirement plans. Please refer to the section entitled “Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control.” Compensation Governance Impact of Tax and Accounting Treatment The compensation committee may consider the impact of tax and/or accounting treatment in determining compensation. Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code limits the deductibility of certain compensation to $1 million paid to certain officers as a business expense in any tax year. The federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Tax Reform), signed into law in December 2017, expanded the number of individuals covered by the Section 162(m) deductibility limit and repealed the exception for performance-based compensation, effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. Incentive compensation approved by the compensation committee prior to Tax Reform for our CEO and those executive officers whose overall compensation was likely to exceed $1 million was generally structured to meet the requirements for the performance-based exception for deductibility for purposes of Section 162(m). As a result of Tax Reform, compensation paid to our covered executive officers in excess of $1 million will not be deductible, unless it qualifies for transition relief applicable to certain arrangements in place as of November 2, 2017. The compensation committee also considers the accounting and cash flow implications of various forms of executive compensation. We expense salaries and annual incentive compensation as earned. For our equity awards, we record the accounting expense in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board 718, which is generally expensed over the vesting period. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 43 Proxy Statement Stock Ownership Requirements Executives participating in our Long-Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan are required within five years of appointment or promotion into an executive level to own our common stock equal to a multiple of their base salary as outlined in the stock ownership policy. Stock owned through our 401(k) plan or by a spouse is considered in ownership calculations. The level of stock ownership compared to the ownership requirement is determined based on the closing sale price of our stock on the last trading day of the year and base salary at December 31 of the same year. The table shows the named executive officers’ holdings as a multiple of their base salary. Name David L. Goodin Jason L. Vollmer David C. Barney Jeffrey S. Thiede Nicole A. Kivisto Ownership Policy Multiple of Base Salary within 5 Years Actual Holdings as a Multiple of Base Salary1 Ownership requirement must be met by: 4X 3X 3X 3X 3X 7.7 0.8 2.3 2.3 3.3 1/1/2018 1/1/2023 1/1/2019 1/1/2019 1/1/2020 1 Includes stock awards earned net of taxes for the 2016-2018 performance period. The compensation committee determined that Messrs. Barney and Thiede, who have not met the stock ownership requirement within the required time frame, are required to retain all stock vesting through the Long-Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan, net of taxes, until the stock ownership requirement is met. Deferral of Annual Incentive Compensation We provide executives the opportunity to defer receipt of earned annual incentives. If an executive chooses to defer all or part of an annual incentive, we credit the deferral with interest at a rate determined by the compensation committee. For 2018, the compensation committee chose an interest rate of 4.28% based on an average of the Moody’s U.S. Long-Term Corporate Bond Yield Average for “A” and “Baa” rated companies. The compensation committee’s reasons for using this interest rate recognized incentive deferrals are a low-cost source of capital for the company and are unsecured obligations and, therefore, carry a higher risk to the executives. Clawback In February 2016, we amended our Long-Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan and Executive Incentive Compensation Plan sections regarding the repayment of incentive compensation due to accounting restatements, commonly referred to as a clawback policy. The compensation committee may, or shall if required, take action to recover incentive-based compensation from specific executives in the event the company is required to restate its financial statements due to material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirements under the securities laws. Policy Regarding Hedging Stock Ownership Our executive compensation policy prohibits executive officers, which includes our named executive officers, from hedging their ownership of company common stock. Executives may not enter into transactions that allow the executive to benefit from devaluation of our stock or otherwise own stock technically but without the full benefits and risks of such ownership. See the section entitled “Security Ownership” for our policy on margin accounts and pledging of our stock. COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT The compensation committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis required by Regulation S-K, Item 402(b), with management. Based on the review and discussions referred to in the preceding sentence, the compensation committee recommended to the board of directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in our Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A. Thomas Everist, Chair Karen B. Fagg William E. McCracken Patricia L. Moss 44 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION TABLES Summary Compensation Table for 2018 Salary ($) (c) Stock Awards ($) (e)1 824,460 2,433,437 792,750 1,504,546 755,000 1,441,954 Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($) (g) 807,971 1,377,007 1,055,490 350,000 256,625 495,840 95,101 222,950 230,988 455,000 427,140 406,800 455,000 437,750 425,000 958,410 324,247 276,232 958,410 332,318 288,598 384,589 483,736 593,114 437,141 743,629 489,600 Year (b) 2018 2017 2016 2018 2017 2018 2017 2016 2018 2017 2016 Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings ($) (h)2 16,503 342,727 218,301 — 3,681 — 93,786 77,565 — — — All Other Compensation ($) (i)3 41,696 40,971 40,246 63,235 48,156 233,915 173,331 22,905 123,585 123,163 122,708 Total ($) (j) 4,124,067 4,058,001 3,510,991 1,132,025 634,551 2,031,914 1,502,240 1,376,616 1,974,136 1,636,860 1,325,906 Name and Principal Position (a) David L. Goodin President and CEO Jason L. Vollmer4 Vice President, CFO and Treasurer David C. Barney President and CEO of Knife River Corporation Jeffrey S. Thiede President and CEO of MDU Construction Services Group, Inc. Nicole A. Kivisto5 President and CEO of 2018 2017 430,000 378,000 609,197 286,955 225,277 433,906 210 96,931 34,494 33,049 1,299,178 1,228,841 Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. 1 Amounts in this column represent the aggregate grant date fair value of performance share award opportunities at target calculated in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) generally accepted accounting principles for stock-based compensation in FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718. This column was prepared assuming none of the awards were or will be forfeited. The amounts were calculated as described in Note 12 of our audited financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. For 2018, the total aggregate grant date fair value of performance share award opportunities assuming the highest level of payout would be as follows: Name David L. Goodin Jason L. Vollmer David C. Barney Jeffrey S. Thiede Nicole A. Kivisto Aggregate grant date fair value at highest payout ($) 4,866,874 991,681 1,603,026 1,603,026 1,218,393 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 45 Proxy Statement 2 Amounts shown for 2018 represent the change in the actuarial present value for the named executive officers’ accumulated benefits under the pension plan, SISP, and Excess SISP, collectively referred to as the “accumulated pension change,” plus above-market earnings on deferred annual incentives as of December 31, 2018. Name David L. Goodin Jason L. Vollmer David C. Barney Jeffrey S. Thiede Nicole A. Kivisto Accumulated Pension Change ($) Above Market Interest ($) (230,602) (3,594) (28,196) — (98,726) 16,503 — — — 210 3 All Other Compensation is comprised of: Name David L. Goodin Jason L. Vollmer David C. Barney Jeffrey S. Thiede Nicole A. Kivisto 401(k) ($)a 39,875 27,500 22,000 22,000 33,000 Nonqualified Defined Contribution Plan ($) Life Insurance Premium ($) Matching Charitable Contributions ($) — 35,000 150,000 100,000 — 621 435 565 565 534 1,200 300 1,200 1,020 960 Moving Stipend ($)b — — Total ($) 41,696 63,235 60,150 233,915 — — 123,585 34,494 a Represents company contributions to the 401(k) plan, which includes matching contributions and retirement contributions made after the pension plans were frozen at December 31, 2009. b Represents stipend for moving household goods as approved in Mr. Barney’s 2012 relocation proposal. 4 Mr. Vollmer was promoted to vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer effective September 30, 2017. He appeared as a named executive officer for the first time in 2017. 5 Ms. Kivisto was promoted to president and chief executive officer of the electric and natural gas distribution segments effective January 9, 2015. She appeared as a named executive officer for the first time in 2017. 46 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2018 Estimated Future Payouts Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards Estimated Future Payouts Under Equity Incentive Plan Awards Name (a) Grant Date (b) Threshold ($) (c) Target ($) (d) Maximum ($) (e) Threshold (#) (f) Target (#) (g) Maximum (#) (h) Proxy Statement All other stock awards: Number of shares of stock or units # (i) Grant Date Fair Value of Stock and Option Awards ($) (l) 15,692 78,460 156,920 2,433,437 David L. Goodin 2/15/2018 2/15/2018 Jason L. Vollmer 2/15/2018 2/15/2018 David C. Barney 2/15/2018 2/15/2018 2/15/2018 Jeffrey S. Thiede 2/15/2018 2/15/2018 2/15/2018 Nicole A. Kivisto 2/15/2018 2/15/2018 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 303,707 824,460 1,648,920 83,804 227,500 455,000 85,313 341,250 819,000 3,197 15,987 31,974 4,156 20,784 41,568 85,313 341,250 819,000 4,156 20,784 41,568 125,775 279,500 559,000 3,928 19,642 39,284 11,419 11,419 495,840 644,616 313,794 644,616 313,794 609,197 1 Annual incentive for 2018 granted pursuant to the MDU Resources Group, Inc. Executive Incentive Compensation Plan. 2 Performance shares for the 2018-2020 performance period granted pursuant to the MDU Resources Group, Inc. Long-Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan. 3 Time-vesting restricted stock units granted pursuant to the MDU Resources Group, Inc. Long-Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan. Narrative Discussion Relating to the Summary Compensation Table and Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table Annual Incentive The compensation committee recommended the 2018 annual incentive award opportunities for our named executive officers and the board approved these opportunities at its meeting on February 15, 2018. The award opportunities at threshold, target, and maximum are reflected in columns (c), (d), and (e), respectively, of the Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table. The actual amount paid with respect to 2018 performance is reflected in column (g) of the Summary Compensation Table. As described in the “Annual Incentives” section of the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” payment of annual award opportunities is dependent upon achievement of performance measures; actual payout may range from 0% to 200% of the target except for the construction materials and contracting and construction services segments which may range from 0% to 240%. All our named executive officers were awarded their annual incentive opportunities pursuant to the MDU Resources Group, Inc. Executive Incentive Compensation Plan. Under the Executive Incentive Compensation Plan, executives who retire during the year at or after age 65 remain eligible to receive an award, but executives who terminate employment for other reasons are not eligible for an award. The compensation committee generally does not modify the performance measures; however, if major unforeseen changes in economic and environmental conditions or other significant factors beyond the control of management substantially affected management’s ability to achieve the specified performance measures, the compensation committee, in consultation with the CEO, may modify the performance measures. The compensation committee has full discretion to determine the extent to which goals have been achieved, the payment level, and whether to adjust payment of awards downward based upon individual performance. For further discussion of the specific 2018 incentive plan performance measures and results, see the “Annual Incentives” section in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.” Long-Term Incentive The compensation committee recommended long-term incentive award opportunities for the named executive officers in the form of performance shares, and the board approved the award opportunities at its meeting on February 15, 2018. The long-term incentive opportunities are presented as the number of performance shares at threshold, target, and maximum in columns (f), (g), and (h) of the MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 47 Proxy Statement Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table. The value of the long-term performance-based incentive opportunities is based on the aggregate grant date fair value and is reflected in column (e) of the Summary Compensation Table and column (l) of the Grant of Plan-Based Awards Table. Depending on the achievement of the performance measures associated with our 2018-2020 performance period, executives will receive from 0% to 200% of the target awards in February 2021. We also will pay dividend equivalents in cash on the number of shares actually vested for the performance period. The dividend equivalents will be paid in 2021 at the same time as the performance share awards are issued. The compensation committee also awarded Messrs. Barney and Thiede each 11,419 restricted stock units on February 15, 2018, which will vest on December 31, 2020 if the officers remain employees of the company through the vesting date as reflected in column (i) of the Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table. The compensation committee believes the restricted stock unit awards will incentivize Messrs. Barney and Thiede to continue their employment with the company for the next three years and grow their respective business segments during that time. For further discussion of the specific long-term incentive plan, see the “Long-Term Incentives” section in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.” Nonqualified Defined Contribution Plan The CEO recommends participants and contribution amounts to the Nonqualified Defined Contribution Plan which are approved by the compensation committee of the board of directors. The purpose of the plan is to recognize outstanding performance coupled with enhanced retention as the Nonqualified Defined Contribution Plan requires a vesting period. The amount shown in column (i) - All Other Compensation of the Summary Compensation Table includes contributions of $35,000 to Mr. Vollmer, $150,000 to Mr. Barney, and $100,000 to Mr. Thiede. For further information, see the section entitled “Nonqualified Deferred Compensation for 2018.” Salary and Bonus in Proportion to Total Compensation The following table shows the proportion of salary and bonus to total compensation: Name David L. Goodin Jason L. Vollmer David C. Barney Jeffrey S. Thiede Nicole A. Kivisto Salary ($) 824,460 350,000 455,000 455,000 430,000 Bonus ($) — — — — — Total Compensation ($) 4,124,067 1,132,025 2,031,914 1,974,136 1,299,178 Salary and Bonus as a % of Total Compensation 20.0% 30.9% 22.4% 23.0% 33.1% 48 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End 2018 Name (a) David L. Goodin Jason L. Vollmer David C. Barney Jeffrey S. Thiede Nicole A. Kivisto Proxy Statement Stock Awards Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested (#) (i)1 Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Market or Payout Value of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested ($) (j)2 337,878 29,433 83,381 85,407 64,934 8,055,012 701,683 1,987,803 2,036,103 1,548,027 1 Below is a breakdown by year of the outstanding performance share plan awards: Performance Period End David L. Goodin Jason L. Vollmer David C. Barney Jeffrey S. Thiede Nicole A. Kivisto 2016 Award 12/31/2018 197,528 9,534 37,840 39,534 33,488 2017 Award 12/31/2019 2018 Award 12/31/2020 61,890 3,912 13,338 13,670 11,804 78,460 15,987 32,203 32,203 19,642 Total 337,878 29,433 83,381 85,407 64,934 Shares for the 2016 award are shown at the maximum level (200%) based on results for the 2016-2018 performance cycle above target. Shares for the 2017 award are shown at the target level (100%) based on results for the first two years of the 2017-2019 performance cycle between threshold and target. Shares for the 2018 award are shown at the target level (100%) based on results for the first year of the 2018-2020 performance cycle between threshold and target. The number of shares under the 2018 award also includes 11,419 time-vesting restricted stock units granted to Messrs. Barney and Thiede. 2 Value based on the number of performance shares and restricted stock units reflected in column (i) multiplied by $23.84, the year-end per share closing stock price for 2018. While for purposes of the Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End 2018 Table, the number of shares and value shown for the 2016-2018 performance cycle is at 200% of target, the actual results for the performance period certified by the compensation committee and settled on February 14, 2019, was 140% of target. For further information, see the “Long-Term Incentives” section of the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.” MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 49 Proxy Statement Option Exercises and Stock Vested During 2018 Name (a) David L. Goodin Jason L. Vollmer David C. Barney Jeffrey S. Thiede Nicole A. Kivisto 1 Stock Awards Number of Shares Acquired on Vesting (#) (d)1 103,916 2,751 16,912 18,198 17,616 Value Realized on Vesting ($) (e)2 3,090,981 81,829 503,047 541,300 523,988 Reflects performance shares for the 2015-2017 performance period ended December 31, 2017, which were settled February 15, 2018. 2 Reflects the value of vested performance shares based on the closing stock price of $27.48 per share on February 15, 2018, and the dividend equivalents paid on the vested shares. Pension Benefits for 2018 Name (a) David L. Goodin Jason L. Vollmer David C. Barney Jeffrey S. Thiede Nicole A. Kivisto Plan Name (b) Pension Basic SISP 2 Excess SISP 3 Pension Basic SISP 3 Excess SISP 3 Pension 3 Basic SISP 2 Excess SISP 3 Pension 3 Basic SISP 3 Excess SISP 3 Pension Basic SISP 2 Excess SISP 3 Number of Years Credited Service (#) (c)1 26 10 26 4 n/a n/a n/a 10 n/a n/a n/a n/a 14 8 n/a Present Value of Accumulated Benefit ($) (d) 1,146,362 2,343,866 38,870 20,857 — — — 1,449,287 — — — — 220,945 424,883 — 1 2 3 Years of credited service related to the pension plan reflects the years of participation in the plan as of December 31, 2009, when the pension plan was frozen. Years of credited service related to the Basic SISP reflects the years toward full vesting of the benefit which is 10 years. Years of credited service related to Excess SISP reflects the same number of credited years of services as the pension plan. The present value of accumulated benefits for the Basic SISP assumes the named executive officer would be fully vested in the benefit on the benefit commencement date; therefore, no reduction was made to reflect actual vesting levels. Messrs. Barney and Thiede are not eligible to participate in the pension plans. Messrs. Vollmer and Thiede do not participate in the SISP. Mr. Goodin is the only named executive officer eligible to participate in the Excess SISP. The amounts shown for the pension plan, Basic SISP, and Excess SISP represent the actuarial present values of the executives’ accumulated benefits accrued as of December 31, 2018, calculated using: • a 3.85% discount rate for the Basic SISP and Excess SISP; • a 4.01% discount rate for the pension plan; • the Society of Actuaries RP-2014 Mortality Table with scale MP-2018 for post-retirement mortality; and • no recognition of future salary increases or pre-retirement mortality. 50 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement The actuary assumed a retirement age of 60 for the pension, Basic SISP, and Excess SISP benefits and assumed retirement benefits commence at age 60 for the pension and Excess SISP and age 65 for Basic SISP benefits. Pension Plan The MDU Resources Group, Inc. Pension Plan for Non-Bargaining Unit Employees (pension plan) applies to employees hired before 2006 and was amended to cease benefit accruals as of December 31, 2009. The benefits under the pension plan are based on a participant’s average annual salary over the 60 consecutive month period where the participant received the highest annual salary between 1999 and 2009. Benefits are paid as straight life annuities for single participants and as actuarially reduced annuities with a survivor benefit for married participants unless they choose otherwise. Supplemental Income Security Plan The Supplemental Income Security Plan (SISP), a defined benefit nonqualified retirement plan, is offered to select key managers and executives. SISP benefits are determined by reference to levels defined within the plan. Our compensation committee, after receiving recommendations from our CEO, determined each participant’s level within the plan. On February 11, 2016, the SISP was amended to exclude new participants to the plan and freeze current benefit levels for existing participants. Basic SISP Benefits Basic SISP is a supplemental retirement benefit intended to augment the retirement income provided under the pension plans. The Basic SISP benefits are subject to the following ten-year vesting schedule: • 0% vesting for less than three years of participation; • 20% vesting for three years of participation; • 40% vesting for four years of participation; and • an additional 10% vesting for each additional year of participation up to 100% vesting for ten years of participation. Participants can elect to receive the Basic SISP as: • monthly retirement benefits only; • monthly death benefits paid to a beneficiary only; or • a combination of retirement and death benefits, where each benefit is reduced proportionately. Regardless of the election, if the participant dies before the SISP retirement benefit commences, only the SISP death benefit is provided. Excess SISP Benefits Excess SISP is an additional retirement benefit relating to Internal Revenue Code limitations on retirement benefits provided under the pension plans. Excess SISP benefits are equal to the difference between the monthly retirement benefits that would have been payable to the participant under the pension plans absent the limitations under the Internal Revenue Code and the actual benefits payable to the participant under the pension plans. Participants are only eligible for the Excess SISP benefits if the participant is fully vested under the pension plan, their employment terminates prior to age 65, and benefits under the pension plan are reduced due to limitations under the Internal Revenue Code on plan compensation. In 2009, the SISP was amended to limit eligibility for the Excess SISP benefit. Mr. Goodin is the only named executive officer eligible for the Excess SISP benefit and must remain employed with the company until age 60 in order to receive the benefit. Benefits generally commence six months after the participant’s employment terminates and continue to age 65 or until the death of the participant, if prior to age 65. Both Basic and Excess SISP benefits are forfeited if the participant’s employment is terminated for cause. Nonqualified Deferred Compensation for 2018 Deferred Annual Incentive Compensation Executives participating in the annual incentive compensation plans may elect to defer up to 100% of their annual incentive awards. Deferred amounts accrue interest at a rate determined annually by the compensation committee. The interest rate in effect for 2018 was 4.28% based on an average of the Moody’s U.S. Long-Term Corporate Bond Yield Average for “A” and “Baa” rated companies. The deferred amount will be paid in accordance with the participant’s election, following termination of employment or beginning in the fifth year following the year the award was earned. The amounts are paid in accordance with the participant’s election in either a lump sum or in MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 51 Proxy Statement monthly installments not to exceed 120 months. In the event of a change of control, all amounts deferred would immediately become payable. For purposes of deferred annual incentive compensation, a change of control is defined as: • an acquisition during a 12-month period of 30% or more of the total voting power of our stock; • an acquisition of our stock that, together with stock already held by the acquirer, constitutes more than 50% of the total fair market value or total voting power of our stock; • replacement of a majority of the members of our board of directors during any 12-month period by directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of our board of directors; or • acquisition of our assets having a gross fair market value at least equal to 40% of the gross fair market value of all of our assets. Nonqualified Defined Contribution Plan The company adopted the Nonqualified Defined Contribution Plan, effective January 1, 2012, to provide deferred compensation for a select group of employees. The compensation committee approves the amount of employer contributions under the Nonqualified Defined Contribution Plan and the obligations under the plan constitute an unsecured promise of the company to make such payments. The company credits contributions to plan accounts which capture the hypothetical investment experience based on the participant’s elections. Contributions made prior to 2017 vest four years after each contribution in accordance with the terms of the plan. Contributions made in 2017 vest rateably over a three-year period with 1/3 vesting after the first year, an additional 1/3 after the second year, and the final 1/3 after the third year. Amounts shown as aggregate earnings in the table below for Messrs. Vollmer, Barney, and Thiede reflect the change in investment value at market rates for the hypothetical investments selected by the participants. Participants may elect to receive their vested contributions and investment earnings either in a lump sum upon separation from service with the company or in annual installments over a period of years upon the later of (i) separation from service and (ii) age 65. Plan benefits become fully vested if the participant dies while actively employed. Benefits are forfeited if the participant’s employment is terminated for cause. The table below includes individual contributions from deferrals of annual incentive compensation and company contributions under the Nonqualified Defined Contribution Plan: Name (a) David L. Goodin Jason L. Vollmer David C. Barney Jeffrey S. Thiede Nicole A. Kivisto 1 Executive Contributions in Last FY ($) (b) 688,504 — — — — Registrant Contributions in Last FY ($) (c) — 35,000 150,000 100,000 — Aggregate Earnings in Last FY ($) (d) 58,102 (6,425) (19,556) (52,812) 740 Aggregate Withdrawals/ Distributions ($) (e) — — — — — Aggregate Balance at Last FYE ($) (f) 1,498,658 56,250 303,785 627,169 17,685 1 2 3 4 Mr. Goodin deferred 50% of his 2017 annual incentive compensation which was $1,377,007 as reported in the Summary Compensation Table for 2017. 2 3 4 Mr. Vollmer received $35,000 under the Nonqualified Defined Contribution Plan for 2018. Mr. Vollmer’s balance also includes a contribution of $22,550 for 2017. Each of these amounts are reported in column (i) of the Summary Compensation Table for its respective year, where applicable. Mr. Barney received $150,000 under the Nonqualified Defined Contribution Plan for 2018. Mr. Barney’s balance also includes a contribution of $150,000 for 2017. Each of these amounts are reported in column (i) of the Summary Compensation Table for its respective year. Mr. Thiede received $100,000 under the Nonqualified Defined Contribution Plan for 2018. Mr. Thiede’s balance also includes contributions of $100,000 for 2017, $100,000 for 2016, $150,000 for 2015, $75,000 for 2014, and $33,000 for 2013. Each of these amounts is reported in column (i) of the Summary Compensation Table in the Proxy Statement for its respective year, where applicable. Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control The Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control Table shows the payments and benefits our named executive officers would receive in connection with a variety of employment termination scenarios or upon a change of control. The scenarios include: • Voluntary Termination • Not for Cause Termination • Death • Disability • Change of Control with Termination • Change of Control without Termination. 52 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement For the named executive officers, the information assumes the terminations or the change of control occurred on December 31, 2018. The table excludes compensation and benefits our named executive officers would earn during their employment with us whether or not a termination or change of control event had occurred. The tables also do not include benefits under plans or arrangements generally available to all salaried employees and that do not discriminate in favor of the named executive officers, such as benefits under our qualified defined benefit pension plan (for employees hired before 2006), accrued vacation pay, continuation of health care benefits, and life insurance benefits. The tables also do not include Nonqualified Defined Contribution Plan or deferred annual compensation amounts which are shown and explained in the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation for 2018 Table. Compensation None of our named executive officers have employment or severance agreements entitling them to their base salary, some multiple of base salary or severance upon termination or change of control. Our compensation committee generally considers providing severance benefits on a case-by-case basis. Because severance payments are discretionary, no amounts are presented in the tables. All our named executive officers were granted their 2018 annual incentive award under the Executive Incentive Compensation Plan (EICP) which has no change of control provision in regards to annual incentive compensation other than for deferred compensation. The EICP requires participants to remain employed with the company through the service year to be eligible for a payout unless otherwise determined by the compensation committee for named executive officers, or employment termination after age 65. As all our scenarios assume a termination or change in control event on December 31st, the named executives officers would be considered employed for the entire performance period; therefore, no amounts are shown for annual incentives in the tables for our named executive officers, as they would be eligible to receive their annual incentive award based on the level that performance measures were achieved for the performance period regardless of termination or change of control occurring on December 31, 2018. All named executive officers received their performance share awards under the Long-Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan (LTIP). Upon a change of control (with or without termination), performance share awards would be deemed fully earned and vest at their target levels for the named executive officers. For this purpose, the term “change of control” is defined in the LTIP as: • the acquisition by an individual, entity, or group of 20% or more of our outstanding common stock; • a majority of our board of directors whose election or nomination was not approved by a majority of the incumbent board members; • consummation of a merger or similar transaction or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, unless our stockholders immediately prior to the transaction beneficially own more than 60% of the outstanding common stock and voting power of the resulting corporation in substantially the same proportions as before the merger, no person owns 20% or more of the resulting corporation’s outstanding common stock or voting power except for any such ownership that existed before the merger and at least a majority of the board of the resulting corporation is comprised of our directors; or • stockholder approval of our liquidation or dissolution. For termination scenarios other than a change of control, our award agreements provide that performance share awards are forfeited if the participant’s employment terminates before the participant has reached age 55 and completed 10 years of service. If a participant’s employment is terminated other than for cause after reaching age 55 and completing 10 years of service, performance shares are prorated as follows: • termination of employment during the first year of the performance period = shares are forfeited; • termination of employment during the second year of the performance period = performance shares earned are prorated based on the number of months employed during the performance period; and • termination of employment during the third year of the performance period = full amount of any performance shares earned are received. Under the termination scenarios, Messrs. Goodin, Barney, and Thiede would receive performance shares as they have each reached age 55 and have 10 or more years of service. The number of performance shares received would be based on the following: • 2016-2018 performance shares would vest based on the achievement of the performance measure for the period ended December 31, 2018, which was 140%; • 2017-2019 performance shares would be prorated at 24 out of 36 months (2/3) of the performance period and vest based on the achievement of the performance measure for the period ended December 31, 2019. For purposes of the Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control Table, the vesting is shown at 100%; and • 2018-2020 performance shares would be forfeited. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 53 Proxy Statement For purposes of calculating the performance share value shown in the Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control Table, the number of vesting shares was multiplied by the average of the high and low stock price for the last market day of the year, which was December 31, 2018. Dividend equivalents based on the number of vesting shares are also included in the amounts presented. Neither Ms. Kivisto nor Mr. Vollmer have reached age 55; therefore, they are not eligible for vesting of performance shares in the event of their termination. Messrs. Barney and Thiede were granted 11,419 restricted stock units in February 2018. The restricted stock units will vest on December 31, 2020 provided that Messrs. Barney and Thiede remain continuously employed by the company through December 31, 2020, except for termination due to death or disability or a change in control as defined in the LTIP. In the case of a voluntary or not for cause termination on December 31, 2018, Messrs Barney and Thiede would forfeit the restricted stock units. In the case of death or disability, the restricted stock units would vest based on the number of full months of employment completed during the grant period to the date of death or disability divided by the total number of months in the grant period. In the case of death or disability occurring on December 31, 2018, one-third of Messrs. Barney and Thiede’s restricted stock units plus dividend equivalents would vest. In the case of a change of control (with or without termination) occurring on December 31, 2018, the restricted stock units plus dividend equivalents would fully vest. Benefits and Perquisites Supplemental Income Security Plan As described in the “Pension Benefits for 2018” section, the Basis SISP provides a benefit of payments commencing at age 65 and payable for 15 years. Of the named executive officers, only Messrs. Goodin, Barney, and Ms. Kivisto participate in the Basic SISP benefits. While Messrs. Goodin and Barney are 100% vested in their SISP benefit, Ms. Kivisto entered the plan in 2011 and is only 80% vested in her SISP benefit at December 31, 2018. Ms. Kivisto received a benefit level upgrade in 2014, which cliff vests on January 1, 2021. This means that if her employment terminates for any reason other than death before January 1, 2021, her benefit upgrade is forfeited. Under all scenarios except death and change of control without termination, the payment represents the present value of the vested Basic SISP benefit as of December 31, 2018 using the monthly retirement benefit shown in the table below and a discount rate of 3.85%. In the event of death, Messrs. Goodin, Barney, and Ms. Kivisto’s beneficiaries would receive monthly death benefit payments for 15 years. The Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control Table shows the present value calculations of the monthly death benefit using the 3.85% discount rate. David L. Goodin David C. Barney Nicole A. Kivisto Monthly SISP Retirement Payment ($) Monthly SISP Death Payment ($) 23,040 10,936 5,000 * 46,080 21,872 10,000 * * Ms. Kivisto’s calculations are based on 80% of the value shown above for voluntary, not for cause and change of control with termination scenarios. The disability scenario allows for two additional years of vesting and is calculated using 100% of the value shown above. Ms. Kivisto’s death benefit scenario is calculated using her 2014 benefit upgrade level with a monthly death benefit of $13,144. Because the plan requires a participant to be no longer actively employed by the company in order to be eligible for payments, we do not show benefits for the change of control without termination scenario. Disability We provide disability benefits to some of our salaried employees equal to 60% of their base salary, subject to a salary limit of $200,000 for officers and $100,000 for other salaried employees when calculating benefits. For all eligible employees, disability payments continue until age 65 if disability occurs at or before age 60 and for five years if disability occurs between the ages of 60 and 65. Disability benefits are reduced for amounts paid as retirement benefits. The disability payments in the Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control Table reflect the present value of the disability benefits attributable to the additional $100,000 of base salary recognized for executives under our disability program, subject to the 60% limitation, after reduction for amounts that would be paid as retirement benefits. For Messrs. Goodin and Vollmer and Ms. Kivisto, who participate in the pension plan, the amount represents the present value of the disability benefit after reduction for retirement benefits using a discount rate of 4.01%. Because Mr. Goodin’s retirement benefit is greater than the disability benefit, the amount shown is zero. For Messrs. Barney and Thiede, who do not participate in the pension plan, the amount represents the present value of the disability benefit without reduction for retirement benefits using the discount rate of 3.85%, which is considered a reasonable rate for purposes of the calculation. 54 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control Table Executive Benefits and Payments upon Termination or Change of Control Voluntary Termination ($) Not for Cause Termination ($) Death ($) Disability ($) Change of Control (With Termination) ($) Change of Control (Without Termination) ($) Proxy Statement David L. Goodin Compensation: Performance Shares Benefits and Perquisites: Basic SISP SISP Death Benefits Disability Benefits Total Jason L. Vollmer Compensation: Performance Shares Benefits and Perquisites: Disability Benefits Total David C. Barney Compensation: Performance Shares Restricted Stock Units Benefits and Perquisites: Basic SISP SISP Death Benefits Disability Benefits Total Jeffrey S. Thiede Compensation: Performance Shares Restricted Stock Units Benefits and Perquisites: Disability Benefits Total Nicole A. Kivisto Compensation: Performance Shares Benefits and Perquisites: Basic SISP SISP Death Benefits Disability Benefits Total 4,615,957 4,615,957 4,615,957 4,615,957 6,067,414 6,067,414 2,343,541 2,343,541 — 2,343,541 2,343,541 — — — 6,313,609 — — — — — — — — — 6,959,498 6,959,498 10,929,566 6,959,498 8,410,955 6,067,414 — — — — — — — — — — 611,066 611,066 893,360 893,360 — — 611,066 611,066 909,098 909,098 909,098 909,098 1,333,967 1,333,967 — — 92,695 92,695 278,110 278,110 1,432,676 1,432,676 — 1,432,676 1,432,676 — — — 2,996,772 — — — 273,370 — — — — — 2,341,774 2,341,774 3,998,565 2,707,839 3,044,753 1,612,077 945,326 945,326 945,326 945,326 1,361,390 1,361,390 — — — — 92,695 92,695 278,110 278,110 — 413,878 — — 945,326 945,326 1,038,021 1,451,899 1,639,500 1,639,500 — 1,209,958 1,209,958 — — 258,172 258,172 — — — — — 1,800,913 — — — 708,366 — — 322,715 258,172 — — — 258,172 258,172 1,800,913 1,031,081 1,468,130 1,209,958 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 55 Proxy Statement CEO Pay Ratio Disclosure As required by Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K, we are providing information regarding the relationship of the annual total compensation of David L. Goodin, our president and chief executive officer, to the annual total compensation of our median employee. Our employee workforce fluctuates during the year largely depending on the seasonality, number, and size of construction project activity conducted by our businesses. Approximately 49.6% of our employee workforce is employed under union bargained labor contracts which define compensation and benefits for participants which may include payments made by the company associated with employee participation in union benefit and pension plans. We identified the median employee by examining the 2018 taxable wage information for all individuals on the company’s payroll records as of December 31, 2018, excluding Mr. Goodin and the employees of Sweetman Construction Company which was acquired by our Construction Materials and Contracting segment during the fourth quarter. Because of the timing of this acquisition and its integration, payroll records were not available to include in the pay ratio analysis. Sweetman Construction Company reported 232 employees which represents less than 2% of the company’s employee population. All of the company’s employees are located in the United States. We made no adjustments to annualize compensation for individuals employed for only part of the year. We selected taxable wages as reported to the Internal Revenue Service on Form W-2 for 2018 to identify the median employee as it includes substantially all of the compensation for our median employee and provided a reasonably efficient and economic manner for the identification of the median employee. Our median employee works for our corporate office with annual compensation consisting of wages, annual incentive and company matching, retirement replacement and profit sharing 401(k) contributions. Our median employee does not participate in the company’s pension plan since our median employee joined the company in 2017, after the plan was frozen. Our median employee receives an additional 5% company match to his 401(k) plan in lieu of pension contributions. Once identified, we categorized the median employee’s compensation to correspond to the compensation components as reported in the Summary Compensation Table. For 2018, the total annual compensation of Mr. Goodin as reported in the Summary Compensation Table included in this Proxy Statement was $4,124,067, and the total annual compensation of our median employee was $77,268. Based on this information, the 2018 ratio of annual total compensation of Mr. Goodin to the median employee was 53 to 1. 56 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement AUDIT MATTERS ITEM 3: RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP AS THE COMPANY’S INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR 2019 The audit committee at its February 2019 meeting appointed Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2019. The board of directors concurred with the audit committee’s decision. Deloitte & Touche LLP has served as our independent registered public accounting firm since fiscal year 2002. Although your ratification vote will not affect the appointment or retention of Deloitte & Touche LLP for 2019, the audit committee will consider your vote in determining its appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm for the next fiscal year. The audit committee, in appointing our independent registered public accounting firm, reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to change an appointment at any time during a fiscal year if it determines that such a change would be in our best interests. A representative of Deloitte & Touche LLP will be present at the annual meeting and will be available to respond to appropriate questions. We do not anticipate that the representative will make a prepared statement at the annual meeting; however, he or she will be free to do so if he or she chooses. The board of directors recommends a vote “for” the ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2019. Ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2019 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of our common stock present in person or represented by proxy at the annual meeting and entitled to vote on the proposal. Abstentions will count as votes against this proposal. Annual Evaluation and Selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP The audit committee annually evaluates the performance of its independent registered public accounting firm, including the senior audit engagement team, and determines whether to re-engage the current independent accounting firm or consider other firms. Factors considered by the audit committee in deciding whether to retain the current independent accounting firm include: • Deloitte & Touche LLP’s capabilities considering the complexity of our business and the resulting demands placed on Deloitte & Touche LLP in terms of technical expertise and knowledge of our industry and business; • the quality and candor of Deloitte & Touche LLP’s communications with the audit committee and management; • Deloitte & Touche LLP’s independence; • the quality and efficiency of the services provided by Deloitte & Touche LLP, including input from management on Deloitte & Touche LLP’s performance and how effectively Deloitte & Touche LLP demonstrated its independent judgment, objectivity, and professional skepticism; • external data on audit quality and performance, including recent Public Company Accounting Oversight Board reports on Deloitte & Touche LLP and its peer firms; and • the appropriateness of Deloitte & Touche LLP’s fees, tenure as our independent auditor, including the benefits of a longer tenure, and the controls and processes in place that help ensure Deloitte & Touche LLP’s continued independence. Based on this evaluation, the audit committee and the board believe that retaining Deloitte & Touche LLP to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2019, is in the best interests of our company and its stockholders. In accordance with rules applicable to mandatory partner rotation, Deloitte & Touche LLP’s lead engagement partner for our audit was changed in 2017. The audit committee oversees the process for, and ultimately approves, the selection of the lead engagement partner. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 57 Proxy Statement Audit Fees and Non-Audit Fees The following table summarizes the aggregate fees that our independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP, billed or is expected to bill us for professional services rendered for 2018 and 2017: Audit Fees 1 Audit-Related Fees 2 Tax Fees 3 All Other Fees 4 Total Fees 5 2018 $ 2,657,405 — — 3,150 2017 $ 2,327,450 46,790 17,483 — $ 2,660,555 $ 2,391,723 Ratio of Tax and All Other Fees to Audit and Audit-Related Fees 0.1 % 0.7 % 1 Audit fees for 2018 and 2017 consisted of fees for services rendered for the annual audit of our consolidated financial statements and internal control over financial reporting, statutory and regulatory audits, reviews of quarterly financial statements, and other filings with the SEC. 2 Audit-related fees for 2017 are associated with Intermountain Gas Company Investment Tax Credit procedures and supplemental schedule review for Knife River Corporation's Northwest Region. 3 Tax fees for 2017 consisted of fees for tax training for regulated operations. 4 All other fees relate to training. 5 Total fees reported above include out-of-pocket expenses related to the services provided of $330,000 for 2018 and $282,483 for 2017. Policy on Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Audit and Permissible Non-Audit Services of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm The audit committee pre-approved all services Deloitte & Touche LLP performed in 2018 in accordance with the pre-approval policy and procedures the audit committee adopted in 2003. This policy is designed to achieve the continued independence of Deloitte & Touche LLP and to assist in our compliance with Sections 201 and 202 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and related rules of the SEC. The policy defines the permitted services in each of the audit, audit-related, tax, and all other services categories, as well as prohibited services. The pre-approval policy requires management to submit annually for approval to the audit committee a service plan describing the scope of work and anticipated cost associated with each category of service. At each regular audit committee meeting, management reports on services performed by Deloitte & Touche LLP and the fees paid or accrued through the end of the quarter preceding the meeting. Management may submit requests for additional permitted services before the next scheduled audit committee meeting to the designated member of the audit committee, Dennis W. Johnson, for approval. The designated member updates the audit committee at the next regularly scheduled meeting regarding any services approved during the interim period. At each regular audit committee meeting, management may submit to the audit committee for approval a supplement to the service plan containing any request for additional permitted services. In addition, prior to approving any request for audit-related, tax, or all other services of more than $50,000, Deloitte & Touche LLP will provide a statement setting forth the reasons why rendering of the proposed services does not compromise Deloitte & Touche LLP’s independence. This description and statement by Deloitte & Touche LLP may be incorporated into the service plan or included as an exhibit thereto or may be delivered in a separate written statement. 58 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT In connection with our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018, the audit committee has (1) reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements with management; (2) discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm (the Auditors) the matters required to be discussed by Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Auditing Standard No. 1301, Communications with Audit Committees; and (3) received the written disclosures and the letter from the Auditors required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the Auditors’ communications with the audit committee concerning independence, and has discussed with the Auditors their independence. Based on the review and discussions referred to above, the audit committee recommended to the board of directors that the audited financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, for filing with the SEC. Dennis W. Johnson, Chair Mark A. Hellerstein Edward A. Ryan David M. Sparby John K. Wilson MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 59 Proxy Statement OTHER MATTERS ITEM 4. APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES CO.’S RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION General On January 1, 2019, we completed a holding company reorganization pursuant to Section 251(g) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”) to provide additional financing flexibility and further separation between our utility companies and other businesses (the “Reorganization”). As a result of the Reorganization, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., formerly known as MDU Resources Group, Inc. (“Montana-Dakota”), became a wholly-owned subsidiary of a new public holding company (the “Company”). As required by Section 251(g) of the DGCL, Montana-Dakota’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended in connection with the Reorganization (the “Montana-Dakota Charter”), provides that any act or transaction involving Montana-Dakota, other than the election or removal of directors, that requires for its adoption under the DGCL or the Montana-Dakota Charter the approval of the stockholders of Montana-Dakota will also require the approval of the Company’s stockholders by the same vote as is required by the DGCL and the Montana- Dakota Charter (the “Pass-Through Provision”). Absent a provision like the Pass-Through Provision, there is no general requirement under Delaware law that stockholders of a parent entity vote on transactions involving the parent entity’s wholly-owned subsidiaries. Accordingly, the Pass-Through Provision permits stockholders of the Company, the public holding company, to have direct voting rights as to matters affecting the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Montana-Dakota, that would otherwise only require the approval of Montana- Dakota’s sole stockholder. This is highly unusual for a public holding company and restricts the Company’s flexibility to realize the desired effects of the Reorganization. For example, the Pass-Through Provision would require Montana-Dakota to obtain approval from the Company’s stockholders, in addition to obtaining the approval of Montana-Dakota’s sole stockholder, prior to making amendments to the Montana-Dakota Charter. As was required by Section 251(g) of the DGCL, the Montana-Dakota Charter is substantially identical to the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as currently in effect, with the exception of the Pass-Through Provision and certain amendments that are permissible and/or required under Section 251(g) of the DGCL. However, now that the Company is the public holding company, certain amendments to the Montana-Dakota Charter are desired in order to eliminate duplicative and unnecessary provisions in the Montana-Dakota Charter, including many provisions that are not typical or relevant for a wholly-owned subsidiary. The deletion of the Pass-Through Provision will put the Company in the same position as substantially all other public holding companies that operate through multiple subsidiaries. It is uncommon in business organizations that operate in a holding company structure for the stockholders of the holding company to have direct voting rights as to matters that affect only subsidiaries of the holding company. Obtaining consent from a public corporation’s stockholders for such internal matters would add significant expense and delay and prevent the Company from achieving the flexibility and efficiency it sought to achieve by implementing the holding company structure. By removing this requirement, the Company will gain the flexibility and efficiency currently realized by nearly all other companies who operate under the same, or similar, holding company and subsidiary structure. Specifically, the removal of the Pass-Through Provision will allow Montana- Dakota to implement further amendments to the Montana-Dakota Charter to eliminate duplicative and inapplicable charter provisions that are no longer reflective of our current holding company structure. The removal of the Pass-Through Provision would also allow Montana- Dakota’s sole stockholder, without a special vote of the Company’s stockholders for each amendment, to adopt amendments to the Montana- Dakota Charter such as those more typically found in the charters of wholly-owned subsidiaries whose shares are not listed for trading on any stock exchange. The board believes that the deletion of the Pass-Through Provision will provide the Company with the flexibility to manage its organization under the holding company structure more efficiently and effectively. Our board therefore seeks approval from the Company’s stockholders to amend the Montana-Dakota Charter in order to remove the Pass-Through Provision. The Pass-Through Provision that would be eliminated by the proposed amendment reads as follows: Any act or transaction by or involving the Corporation, other than the election or removal of directors of the Corporation, that requires for its adoption under the General Corporation Law of Delaware or this Restated Certificate of Incorporation the approval of the stockholders of the Corporation shall, in accordance with Section 251(g) of the General Corporation Law of Delaware, require, in addition, the approval of the stockholders of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (or any successor thereto by merger), by the same vote as is required by the General Corporation Law of Delaware and/or this Restated Certificate of Incorporation. 60 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement Impact on Stockholder Rights Removing the Pass-Through Provision from the Montana-Dakota Charter would have no effect on the right of stockholders of the Company to vote on matters relating to the Company, such as elections of directors, a merger or consolidation of the Company, a sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, amendments to the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation, or any other acts or transactions requiring the approval of the Company stockholders under applicable law. If the proposed amendment is approved by the Company’s stockholders and effected, then the pass-through voting requirement at Montana-Dakota would be eliminated, and the Company would no longer be required to obtain the additional approval of the Company’s stockholders for acts or transactions by or involving Montana-Dakota in the manner currently required by the Pass-Through Provision. Required Vote Approval requires the affirmative vote of a majority of outstanding shares of our common stock. Abstentions and broker non-votes will count as votes against this proposal. The board of directors recommends a vote “for” the approval of the adoption of amendment of the Montana-Dakota charter to remove the pass-through provision. ITEM 5. APPROVAL OF AMENDMENTS TO UPDATE AND MODERNIZE THE COMPANY’S AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION, INCLUDING REMOVING THE REQUIREMENT OF ACTION BY A TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF CONTINUING DIRECTORS FOR CERTAIN BOARD ACTIONS The company’s predecessor was incorporated in 1924, and its certificate of incorporation has been amended numerous times during the company’s long corporate existence. The board believes the current amended and restated certificate of incorporation (the “current certificate”) contains many outdated provisions and references that are no longer necessary or consistent with the company’s present situation or modern certificates of incorporation generally, including language requiring action by two-thirds of the company’s “continuing directors” for certain board actions. The board of directors has determined that it is in the best interests of the company and its stockholders to amend and restate the current certificate to update and modernize certain of its provisions, including as follows (with further discussion below): • Removing Requirement of Action by a Two-Thirds Vote of Continuing Directors for Certain Board Actions. Revise language requiring action by two-thirds of the company’s continuing directors for certain board actions and instead require action by a simple majority of the board for those actions. • Updating Capital Stock Provisions, Including “Blank Check” Preferred Stock. Update the company’s capital stock provisions, including those relating to the preferred and preference stock, to a more standard structure and formulation for “blank check” preferred stock; and remove references to certain classes and previous series of preferred and preference stock which are no longer relevant to the company. • Modernizing Corporate Purpose and Director Powers and Duties Language. Modernize provisions relating to the corporate purpose of the company and the powers and duties of the company’s board of directors to be more customary and consistent with Delaware law. • Housekeeping Revisions. Make other immaterial, non-substantive and ministerial changes, including reorganizing and renumbering certain provisions; correcting various references to statutes, names and dates; and deleting, consolidating and updating provisions to be consistent with Delaware law. The board of directors has approved, and recommends the company’s stockholders approve, these proposed amendments to and restatement of the current certificate (as amended and restated, the “revised certificate”). A copy of the revised certificate reflecting these proposed amendments is attached as Appendix A to this Proxy Statement. Additions to and reorganization of text of our current certificate are indicated by underlining, and deletions of text from our current certificate are indicated by strike-outs. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 61 Proxy Statement The descriptions of these proposed amendments are summaries and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the revised certificate. If approved by our stockholders, the proposed amendments will become effective upon the filing of a revised certificate incorporating these amendments with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, which filing would be made promptly after the annual meeting; provided that the board may abandon such proposed filing without further action by the stockholders if the board deems it to be in the best interests of stockholders. Removing Requirement of Action by a Two-Thirds Vote of Continuing Directors for Certain Board Actions In 2010, the board and the company’s stockholders voted to repeal certain supermajority voting provisions in the company’s certificate of incorporation relating to business combinations and make other related amendments to the certificate of incorporation. At that time, the then board had reviewed the advantages and disadvantages of such supermajority requirements and had determined their removal was in line with furthering the company’s goal of ensuring the company’s corporate governance policies, among other things, enhanced accountability to stockholders. Pursuant to similar considerations, the current board has determined that removing the language requiring action by two-thirds of the company’s “continuing directors” for certain board actions and related language (the “continuing director supermajority provisions”), to be advisable. The board believes that removing the continuing director supermajority provisions for the board actions further described below and instead having the full board take action by majority vote provides for more equitable board decision-making and makes each director more accountable to the company and its stockholders. These changes are also consistent with current practice and preferences of many other companies, investors, and corporate governance advisors. The board believes it desirable to amend the continuing director supermajority provisions of the current certificate as follows: Setting the Board Size. Article THIRTEENTH, section (a) of the current certificate provides that the number of directors constituting the board shall be not less than six nor more than fifteen persons, with the exact number of directors fixed by board resolution adopted by two-thirds of the continuing directors. Article VI, section 2 of the revised certificate provides that the number of directors constituting the board shall be not less than six nor more than fifteen, with the exact number of directors fixed by board resolution adopted by a majority of the board. The board believes the revised language provides a more equitable method of setting the size of the board and makes each member more accountable to the company and its stockholders. Filling Board Vacancies and Newly Created Directorships. Article THIRTEENTH, section (b) of the current certificate provides that vacancies of the board and newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the authorized number of directors shall be filled by a two-thirds vote of the continuing directors. Article VI, section 5 of the revised certificate provides that vacancies of the board and newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the authorized number of directors shall be filled by a majority vote of the directors. The board believes the revised language provides a more equitable method for filling vacancies and newly created directorships of the board and makes each member more accountable to the company and its stockholders. Calling Special Meetings of Stockholders. Article SIXTEENTH of the current certificate provides, among other things, that a special meeting of stockholders of the company shall be called by the chairman, president, or the secretary of the company upon the written request of two-thirds of the continuing directors. Article VII of the revised certificate provides that a special meeting of stockholders of the company shall be called by the chairman, president, or the secretary of the company upon the written request of a majority of the board. The board believes that the revised language provides a more equitable method for the board to determine whether to request a special meeting of stockholders and makes each member more accountable to the company and its stockholders. Related Changes. Article THIRTEENTH, sections (e) and (f) of the current certificate are removed in their entirety in the revised certificate, as they are related exclusively to defining the term “continuing director,” which would no longer be used in the revised certificate. Updating Capital Stock Provisions, Including “Blank Check” Preferred Stock Article FOURTH of the current certificate provides for four classes of stock: common stock, preferred stock, preferred stock A, and preference stock. The company is authorized to issue a total of 502,000,000 shares of stock, which includes: 500,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $1.00 per share; 500,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $100.00 per share; 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock A, without par value; and 500,000 shares of preference stock, without par value. Article FOURTH also provides that preferred stock may be issued as either 4.50% series preferred stock or pursuant to blank check preferred stock provisions, and preferred stock A and preference stock may be issued pursuant to blank check preferred stock A or preference stock provisions, as the case may be. The current 62 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement certificate’s concept of “blank check” for preferred, preferred A and preference stock refers to authorized and unissued stock of a class, where the rights, preferences, powers and limitations of a series may be expressly determined by the board consistent with the provisions of Article FOURTH. In other words, the board is empowered to provide the specific terms and conditions of such series within the requirements of Article FOURTH. In order to shorten and simplify the company’s capital stock structure in the revised certificate, the board wishes to remove provisions in the current certificate relating to all prior series of preferred stock (including 4.50% series, 4.70% series and 5.10% series), the entire class of preferred stock A and the entire class and prior series (including series B preference) of preference stock. This proposed amendment removes classes and series of stock (and the related language) that are no longer relevant to the company or its capital stock structure, as the company currently has no shares (in any series) of preferred stock, preferred A stock or preference stock outstanding, having redeemed the last outstanding shares of its preferred stock in April 2017. In the revised certificate, Article IV continues to provide the company authority to issue a total of 502,000,000 shares of stock, but instead of four classes of stock (i.e., common stock, preferred stock, preferred A stock, and preference stock), the company has two classes of stock: 500,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $1.00 per share, and 2,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $100.00 per share. Article IV also updates the “blank check” preferred stock provision to a more customary formulation for modern certificates of incorporation and to be more consistent with the language of the DGCL. These proposed amendments included in Article IV do not substantively change the board’s current rights to issue preferred stock, including its ability to set the relative rights, preferences, powers, and limitations of a series. Under the updated capital stock provisions provided in the revised certificate, the board maintains its flexibility to seek future financing needs through equity (including customized preferred stock) financing as conditions may require without the delay, uncertainty and expense of obtaining stockholder approval for such transactions. Modernizing Corporate Purpose and Director Powers and Duties Language Corporate Purpose. Article III of the revised certificate amends Article THIRD of the current certificate by retaining only its first sentence, which provides that the company’s purpose is to engage in any lawful act or activity in accordance with Delaware law, and by removing the second sentence of Article THIRD, which lists non-exclusive examples of activities within the company’s corporate purpose. The board believes that the revised language is a more customary formulation for modern certificates of incorporation and that it is preferable to simply state that the company may engage in any lawful act or activity, without including a specific list of its non-exclusive business activities. Director Powers. Article NINTH of the current certificate provides a non-exclusive list of various powers conferred on the board. Article VI of the revised certificate removes such non-exclusive list and simply provides that the business and affairs of the company shall be managed by the board and that the board is empowered to exercise all such powers and do all such things (in addition to those conferred by the company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws and by statute) as may be exercised and done by the company, unless prohibited by statute or by the company’s certificate of incorporation. Pursuant to similar considerations regarding the proposed amendment to the corporate purpose provision, the board believes that the revised language is a more customary formulation for modern certificates of incorporation and that it is preferable to have broad and general language regarding the powers conferred on the board, without including a specific list of non-exclusive board powers. Director Duties. Article FOURTEENTH of the current certificate provides a non-exclusive list of factors that the board may consider when, in exercising its judgment as to what is in the best interests of the company and its stockholders, it evaluates a proposal by a party to make a tender or exchange offer for securities of the company; effect a merger, consolidation or other business combination with the company; or effect any other transaction having similar effects upon the properties, operations, or control of the company. This non-exclusive list includes “the projected social, legal and economic effects of the proposed action or transaction upon the Corporation or its Subsidiaries, its employees, suppliers, customers and others having similar relationships with the Corporation, and the communities in which the Corporation and its Subsidiaries do business.” The language of Article FOURTEENTH of the current certificate is removed entirely in the revised certificate. Under Delaware law, it is the board’s obligation for those transactions referenced in Article FOURTEENTH of the current certificate to act, exercising its appropriate judgment, in the best interests of the company and its stockholders. The board believes that removal of Article FOURTEENTH is preferable because the non-exclusive list includes reference to consideration of constituencies other than the company’s stockholders, whose interests may conflict with, detract from, or otherwise not be in the best interests of the company and its stockholders. By eliminating Article FOURTEENTH, the board’s obligations in connection with a transaction will simply be governed by Delaware law rather than any express language in the revised certificate as is the case with most every other publicly traded company. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 63 Proxy Statement Housekeeping Revisions In furtherance of the board’s goal of updating and modernizing the current certificate, the revised certificate includes the following housekeeping revisions: • Removing the language of Article SEVENTH of the current certificate, which provides that the company is to have perpetual existence, as perpetual existence is already the default under Delaware law; • Removing the language of Article EIGHTH of the current certificate, which provides that the private property of company stockholders shall not be subject to the payment of corporate debts, as such protection is already provided under Delaware law without such provision; • Adding Article IX of the revised certificate, which consolidates into one provision the rights of the company to amend, alter, change, or repeal any provision of the company’s certificate of incorporation and the rights relating to the board’s and the stockholders’ powers to adopt, amend, or repeal the company bylaws (including through adding language consistent with Delaware law and the board and stockholder approval standards which currently apply to the company); • Reorganizing and renumbering certain provisions, including deleting Articles in the current certificate that had been “[RESERVED]” and reorganizing and renumbering provisions in the revised certificate under headings titled Articles I-IX (with numbered subsections thereunder); and • Updating references to statutes, names, and dates, including correcting certain Delaware statutory references, revising language to be more gender inclusive and updating names and dates to reflect current circumstances. Approval requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock. Abstentions and broker non-votes will count as votes against this proposal. The board recommends a vote “for” this proposal for approval of the amendments to update and modernize the company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation, including removing the requirement of action by a two-thirds vote of continuing directors for certain board actions. 64 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING Who can Vote? Stockholders of record at the close of business on March 8, 2019, are entitled to vote each share they owned on that date on each matter presented at the meeting and any adjournment(s) thereof. As of March 8, 2019, we had 196,564,951 shares of common stock outstanding entitled to one vote per share. Distribution of our Proxy Materials using Notice and Access We distributed proxy materials to certain of our stockholders via the Internet under the SEC’s “Notice and Access” rules to reduce our costs and decrease the environmental impact of our proxy materials. Using this method of distribution, on or about March 22, 2019, we mailed a Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials (Notice) that contains basic information about our 2019 annual meeting and instructions on how to view all proxy materials, and vote electronically, on the Internet. If you received the Notice and prefer to receive a paper copy of the proxy materials, follow the instructions in the Notice for making this request and the materials will be sent promptly to you via the preferred method. Stockholders who do not receive the Notice will receive a paper copy of our proxy materials, which will be sent on or about March 28, 2019. How to Vote You are encouraged to vote in advance of the meeting using one of the following voting methods, even if you are planning to attend the 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Registered Stockholders: Stockholders of record who hold their shares directly with our stock registrar can vote any one of four ways: Via the Internet: Go to the website shown on the Notice or Proxy Card, if you received one, and follow the instructions. By Telephone: Call the telephone number shown on the Notice or Proxy Card, if you received one, and follow the instructions given by the voice prompts. Voting via the Internet or by telephone authorizes the named proxies to vote your shares in the same manner as if you marked, signed, dated, and returned a Proxy Card by mail. Your voting instructions may be transmitted up until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 6, 2019. By Mail: If you received paper copies of the Proxy Statement, Annual Report, and Proxy Card, mark, sign, date, and return the Proxy Card in the postage-paid envelope provided. In Person: Attend the annual meeting, or send a personal representative with an appropriate proxy, to vote by ballot at the meeting. Beneficial Stockholders: Stockholders whose shares are held beneficially in the name of a bank, broker, or other holder of record (sometimes referred to as holding shares “in street name”), will receive voting instructions from said bank, broker, or other holder of record. If you wish to vote in person at the meeting, you must obtain a legal proxy from your bank, broker, or other holder of record of your shares and present it at the meeting. See discussion below regarding the MDU Resources Group, Inc. 401(k) Plan for voting instructions for shares held under our 401(k) plan. Revoking Your Proxy or Changing Your Vote You may change your vote at any time before the proxy is exercised. Registered Stockholders: If you voted by mail: you may revoke your proxy by executing and delivering a timely and valid later dated proxy, by voting by ballot at the meeting, or by giving written notice of revocation to the corporate secretary. If you voted via the Internet or by telephone: you may change your vote with a timely and valid later Internet or telephone vote, as the case may be, or by voting by ballot at the meeting. Attendance at the meeting will not have the effect of revoking a proxy unless (1) you give proper written notice of revocation to the corporate secretary before the proxy is exercised, or (2) you vote by ballot at the meeting. Beneficial Stockholders: Follow the specific directions provided by your bank, broker, or other holder of record to change or revoke any voting instructions you have already provided. Alternatively, you may vote your shares by ballot at the meeting if you obtain a legal proxy from your bank, broker, or other holder of record and present it at the meeting. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 65 Proxy Statement Discretionary Voting Authority If you complete and submit your proxy voting instructions, the individuals named as proxies will follow your instructions. If you are a stockholder of record and you submit proxy voting instructions but do not direct how to vote on each item, the individuals named as proxies will vote as the board recommends on each proposal. The individuals named as proxies will vote on any other matters properly presented at the annual meeting in accordance with their discretion. Our bylaws set forth requirements for advance notice of any nominations or agenda items to be brought up for voting at the annual meeting, and we have not received timely notice of any such matters, other than the items from the board of directors described in this Proxy Statement. Voting Standards A majority of outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote must be present in person or represented by proxy to hold the meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present at the annual meeting. If you are a beneficial holder and do not provide specific voting instruction to your broker, the organization that holds your shares will not be authorized to vote your shares, which would result in broker non-votes, on proposals other than the ratification of the selection of our independent registered public accounting firm for 2019. The following chart describes the proposals to be considered at the annual meeting, the vote required to elect directors and to adopt each other proposal, and the manner in which votes will be counted: Item No. Proposal 1 Election of Directors Voting Options Vote Required to Adopt the Proposal For, against, or abstain on each nominee A nominee for director will be elected if the votes cast for such nominee exceed the votes cast against such nominee. Effect of Abstentions Effect of “Broker Non-Votes” No effect No effect 2 3 4 5 Advisory Vote to Approve the Compensation Paid to the Company’s Named Executive Officers For, against, or abstain The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of common stock represented at the annual meeting and entitled to vote thereon Same effect as votes against No effect Ratification of the Appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for 2018 Approval of an Amendment to Montana-Dakota Utilities Co.’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation Approval of Amendments to Update and Modernize the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation For, against, or abstain The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of common stock represented at the annual meeting and entitled to vote thereon Same effect as votes against Brokers have discretion to vote For, against, or abstain The affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock For, against, or abstain The affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock Same effect as votes against Same effect as votes against Same effect as votes against Same effect as votes against Proxy Solicitation The board of directors is furnishing proxy materials to solicit proxies for use at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 7, 2019, and any adjournment(s) thereof. Proxies are solicited principally by mail, but directors, officers, and employees of MDU Resources Group, Inc. or its subsidiaries may solicit proxies personally, by telephone, or by electronic media, without compensation other than their regular compensation. Okapi Partners, LLC additionally will solicit proxies for approximately $8,500 plus out-of-pocket expenses. We will pay the cost of soliciting proxies and will reimburse brokers and others for forwarding proxy materials to stockholders. 66 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Electronic Delivery of Proxy Statement and Annual Report Documents For stockholders receiving proxy materials by mail, you can elect to receive an email in the future that will provide electronic links to these documents. Opting to receive your proxy materials online will save the company the cost of producing and mailing documents to your home or business and will also give you an electronic link to the proxy voting site. Proxy Statement Registered Stockholders: If you vote on the Internet, simply follow the prompts for enrolling in the electronic proxy delivery service. You may also enroll in the electronic proxy delivery service at any time in the future by going directly to http://enroll.icsdelivery.com/mdu to request electronic delivery. You may revoke an electronic delivery election at this site at any time. Beneficial Stockholders: If you hold your shares in a brokerage account, you may also have the opportunity to receive copies of the proxy materials electronically. You may enroll in the electronic proxy delivery service at any time by going directly to http://enroll.icsdelivery.com/mdu to request electronic delivery. You may also revoke an electronic delivery election at this site at any time. In addition, you may also check the information provided in the proxy materials mailed to you by your bank or broker regarding the availability of this service or contact your bank or broker to request electronic delivery. In accordance with a Notice sent to eligible stockholders who share a single address, we are sending only one Annual Report to Stockholders and one Proxy Statement to that address unless we received instructions to the contrary from any stockholder at that address. This practice, known as “householding,” is designed to reduce our printing and postage costs. However, if a stockholder of record wishes to receive a separate Annual Report to Stockholders and Proxy Statement in the future, he or she may contact the Office of the Treasurer at MDU Resources Group, Inc., P.O. Box 5650, Bismarck, ND 58506-5650, Telephone Number: (701) 530-1000. Eligible stockholders of record who receive multiple copies of our Annual Report to Stockholders and Proxy Statement can request householding by contacting us in the same manner. Stockholders who own shares through a bank, broker, or other nominee can request householding by contacting the nominee. We will promptly deliver, upon written or oral request, a separate copy of the Annual Report to Stockholders and Proxy Statement to a stockholder at a shared address to which a single copy of the document was delivered. This Proxy Statement is being used to solicit voting instructions from participants in the MDU Resources Group, Inc. 401(k) Plan with respect to shares of our common stock that are held by the trustee of the plan for the benefit of plan participants. If you are a plan participant and also own other shares as a registered stockholder or beneficial owner, you will separately receive a Notice or proxy materials to vote those other shares you hold outside of the MDU Resources Group, Inc. 401(k) Plan. If you are a plan participant, you must instruct the plan trustee to vote your shares by utilizing one of the methods described on the voting instruction form that you receive in connection with shares held in the plan. If you do not give voting instructions, the trustee generally will vote the shares allocated to your personal account in accordance with the recommendations of the board of directors. Your voting instructions may be transmitted up until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 2, 2019. Householding of Proxy Materials MDU Resources Group, Inc. 401(k) Plan Annual Meeting Admission and Guidelines Admission: All stockholders as of the record date of March 8, 2019, are cordially invited and urged to attend the annual meeting. You must request an admission ticket to attend. If you are a stockholder of record and plan to attend the meeting, please contact MDU Resources by email at CorporateSecretary@mduresources.com or by telephone at 701-530-1010 to request an admission ticket. A ticket will be sent to you by mail. If your shares are held beneficially in the name of a bank, broker, or other holder of record, and you plan to attend the annual meeting, you will need to submit a written request for an admission ticket by mail to: Investor Relations, MDU Resources Group, Inc., P.O. Box 5650, Bismarck, ND 58506 or email at CorporateSecretary@mduresources.com. The request must include proof of stock ownership as of March 8, 2019, such as a bank or brokerage firm account statement or a legal proxy from the bank, broker, or other holder of record confirming ownership. A ticket will be sent to you by mail. Requests for admission tickets must be received no later than May 1, 2019. You must present your admission ticket and state-issued photo identification, such as a driver’s license, to gain admittance to the meeting. Guidelines: The business of the meeting will follow as set forth in the agenda which you will receive at the meeting entrance. The use of cameras or sound recording equipment is prohibited, except by the media or those employed by the company to provide a record of the proceedings. The use of cell phones and other personal communication devices is also prohibited during the meeting. All devices must be turned off or muted. No firearms or weapons, banners, packages, or signs will be allowed in the meeting room. MDU Resources Group, Inc. reserves the right to inspect all items, including handbags and briefcases, that enter the meeting room. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 67 Proxy Statement Conduct of the Meeting Neither the board of directors nor management intends to bring before the meeting any business other than the matters referred to in the Notice of Annual Meeting and this Proxy Statement. We have not been informed that any other matter will be presented at the meeting by others. However, if any other matters are properly brought before the annual meeting, or any adjournment(s) thereof, your proxies include discretionary authority for the persons named in the proxy to vote or act on such matters in their discretion. Stockholder Proposals, Director Nominations, and Other Items of Business for 2020 Annual Meeting Stockholder Proposals for Inclusion in Next Year’s Proxy Statement. To be included in the proxy materials for our 2020 annual meeting, a stockholder proposal must be received by the corporate secretary no later than November 23, 2019, unless the date of the 2020 annual meeting is more than 30 days before or after May 7, 2020, in which case the proposal must be received a reasonable time before we begin to print and mail our proxy materials. The proposal must also comply with all applicable requirements of Rule 14a-18 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Director Nominations From Stockholders for Inclusion in Next Year’s Proxy Statement. If a stockholder or group of stockholders wishes to nominate one or more director candidates to be included in our proxy statement for the 2020 annual meeting through our proxy access bylaw provision, we must receive proper written notice of the nomination not later than 120 or earlier than 150 days before the anniversary date that the definitive proxy statement was first released to stockholders in connection with the annual meeting, or between October 24, 2019 and November 23, 2019. In the event that the 2020 annual meeting is more than 30 days before or after May 7, 2020, the notice must be delivered no earlier than the 150th day prior to such meeting and no later than the 120th day prior to such meeting or the 10th day following the date on which public announcement of the meeting date is first made. In addition, the nomination must otherwise comply with the requirements in our bylaws. The requirements of such notice can be found in our bylaws, a copy of which is on our website, at www.mdu.com/governance. Director Nominations and Other Stockholder Proposals Raised From the Floor at the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Under our bylaws, if a stockholder intends to nominate a person as a director, or present other items of business at an annual meeting, the stockholder must provide written notice of the director nomination or stockholder proposal within 90 to 120 days prior to the anniversary of the most recent annual meeting. Notice of director nominations or stockholder proposals for our 2020 annual meeting must be received between January 8, 2020 and February 7, 2020, and meet all the requirements and contain all the information, including the completed questionnaire for director nominations, provided by our bylaws. The requirements for such notice can be found in our bylaws, a copy of which is on our website, at www.mdu.com/governance. We will make available to our stockholders to whom we furnish this Proxy Statement a copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, excluding exhibits, for the year ended December 31, 2018, which is required to be filed with the SEC. You may obtain a copy, without charge, upon written or oral request to the Office of the Treasurer of MDU Resources Group, Inc., 1200 West Century Avenue, Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5650, Bismarck, North Dakota 58506-5650, Telephone Number: (701) 530-1000. You may also access our Annual Report on Form 10-K through our website at www.mdu.com. By order of the Board of Directors, Daniel S. Kuntz Secretary March 22, 2019 68 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement APPENDIX A. AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION OF MDUR NEWCOMDU RESOURCES GROUP, INC. MDUR NEWCOMDU RESOURCES GROUP, INC., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, hereby certifies as follows: 1. The original certificate of incorporation of present name of the corporation is MDU RESOURCES GROUP, INC. (the “Corporation”). 2. The Corporation was incorporated under the name “MDUR Newco, Inc. was filed” by the filing of its original Certificate of Incorporation with the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on September 21, 2018 (2018, which was amended by the filing of its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware effective as of January 1, 2019 (as amended, the “Original Certificate of Incorporation”). 2. MDUR Newco, Inc.3. The Corporation is filing this aAmended and rRestated cCertificate of iIncorporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), which restates, integrates and further amends the provisions of the Original Certificate of Incorporation, and which was duly adopted in accordance with Sections 242, 245 and 228 (by written consent of the sole stockholder of MDUR Newco, Inc.)228, 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. 3.4. The text of the Original Certificate of Incorporation is hereby amended and restated in its entirety by this Certificate of Incorporation, effective as of 12:02 [______] [a/p].m. Eastern Standard Time on January 1,[______], 2019, as to read in full as follows: ARTICLE I NAME FIRST. The name of this Corporation is MDU RESOURCES GROUP, INC. (the “Corporation”). ARTICLE II REGISTERED OFFICE AND AGENT The registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is located at 1209 Orange Street, SECOND. Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware 19801. The name of its registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company. ARTICLE III CORPORATE PURPOSE THIRD. The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. Included within this purpose, without limiting the generality of the foregoing sentence is (1) to own and operate electric and gas public utility systems and (2) to transact business as a multidimensional natural resource company MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement A-1 Proxy Statement ARTICLE IV CAPITAL STOCK (1) Authorized Shares. The Corporation shall have and exercise all the powers conferred upon corporations by the General Corporation Law of Delaware. FOURTH. The total number of shares of stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is Five Hundred Two Million (502,000,000) divided into fourtwo classes, namely, Preferred Stock, Preferred Stock A, Preference Stock, and Common Stock. The total number of shares of such Preferred Stock authorized is Five Hundred Thousand (500,000Two Million (2,000,000) shares of the par value of One Hundred Dollars ($100) per share (hereinafter called the “Preferred Stock”) amounting in the aggregate to Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000). The total number of shares of such Preferred Stock A authorized is One Million (1,000,000) shares without par value (hereinafter called the “Preferred Stock A”). The total number of shares of such Preference Stock authorized is Five Hundred Thousand (500,000) shares without par value (hereinafter called the “Preference Stock”). The total number of shares of such Common Stock authorized is Five Hundred Million (500,000,000) of the par value of One and no/ 100 Dollars ($1.00) per share (hereinafter called the “Common Stock”), amounting in the aggregate to Five Hundred Million Dollars ($500,000,000). The Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A shall rank equally with no preference or priority of the Preferred Stock over the Preferred Stock A or of the Preferred Stock A over the Preferred Stock with respect to earnings, and assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, and the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A shall be senior to the Preference Stock with respect to earnings, and assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, and the Preference Stock in turn shall be senior to the Common Stock with respect thereto. The description of such classes of stock, and the designations and the powers, preferences and rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof are as follows: 1. (2) Preferred Stock. The Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time either (a) as Preferred Stock of a series to be designated 4.50% Series Preferred Stock, or (b) if so determined from time to time by resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors either in whole or in part as one or more other series, each series to be appropriately designated by distinguishing number, letter or title prior to the issue of any shares thereof. One Hundred Thousand (100,000) shares of the Preferred Stock are hereby designated as 4.50% Series Preferred Stock. The number of shares of the Preferred Stock so designated as 4.50% Series Preferred Stock may be increased (but not above the number of shares then authorized) or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by aThe description and terms of the Preferred Stock of any series shall be fixed and determined by the Board of Directors at the time of the authorization of the issue of the original shares of each such series, including such voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such designations, preferences, and relative, participating, optional, or other rights and such qualifications, limitations, or restrictions thereof, as shall be stated and expressed in the resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors in the same manner as the Board may by resolution create other series of the providing for the issuance of such shares and as may be permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. The Board of Directors is also expressly authorized to increase or decrease the number of shares of any series of Preferred Stock subsequent to the issuance of shares of that series of Preferred Stock, but not below the number of shares of such series of Preferred Stock then outstanding. In case the number of shares of any series of Preferred Stock shall be decreased in accordance with the foregoing sentence, the shares constituting such decrease shall resume the status that they had prior to the adoption of the resolution A-2 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement originally fixing the number of shares of such series of Preferred Stock. The number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock entitled to vote thereon, without a separate vote of the holders of the Preferred Stock, or of any series thereof, unless a vote of any such holders is required pursuant to the terms of any certificate of designation filed with respect to any series of Preferred Stock. 2. The Preferred Stock of all series shall be of the same class and of equal rank and shall be identical in all respects except that (3) Common Stock. The preferences, limitations, voting powers and relative rights of the Common Stock (subject to the preferences and rights of the Preferred Stock as determined by the Board of Directors pursuant to Paragraph (2) of this Article IV) are as follows: (a) the maximum dividend rate of the 4.50% Series Preferred Stock shall be four and fifty hundredths per cent (4.50%) per annum, and the maximum dividend rate of the Preferred Stock of each other series shall be such rate as shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors to accrue in respect of the shares of stock of each such other series from a date to be determined as hereinafter provided;Voting Rights. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Certificate of Incorporation or required by applicable law, each holder of Common Stock shall be entitled to one vote for each share of Common Stock held as of the applicable record date on any matter that is submitted to a vote of the stockholders of this Corporation (including, without limitation, any matter voted on at a stockholders’ meeting). (b) the amount per share which the Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive as a premium in case of the redemption thereof shall be Five Dollars ($5.00) per share in the case of the 4.50% Series Preferred Stock, and in the case of each other series of the Preferred Stock shall be such amount, if any, as shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors; (c) (d) a sinking fund or other retirement obligation may be provided for each series of the Preferred Stock, other than the 4.50% Series Preferred Stock, at such rate and on such terms as shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors in respect of the shares of stock of each such series; the shares of each series of the Preferred Stock, other than the 4.50% Series Preferred Stock, may be made convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of any other class or classes, or of any other series of the same or of any other class or classes, of stock of the Corporation, at such price or prices, or at such rates of exchange and with such adjustments as shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors in respect of the shares of stock of each such series; and (e) the shares of each series of the Preferred Stock, other than the 4.50% Series Preferred Stock, shall possess such voting power, in addition to that provided for in paragraph 13, as shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors in respect of the shares of stock of each such series. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement A-3 Proxy Statement The description and terms of the Preferred Stock of each series in the foregoing particulars (except as in this section fixed and determined in respect of the 4.50% Series Preferred Stock) shall be fixed and determined by the Board of Directors at the time of the authorization of the issue of the original shares of each such other series. All shares of each series shall be alike in every particular. 3. The Preferred Stock A may be issued from time to time by resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors, either in whole or in part as one or more series, each series to be appropriately designated by distinguishing number, letter or title prior to the issue of any shares thereof. 4. The Preferred Stock A of all series shall be of the same class and of equal rank and shall be identical in all respects except that (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) the maximum dividend rate of the Preferred Stock A of each series shall be such rate as shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors to accrue in respect of the shares of stock of each such series from a date to be determined as hereinafter provided; the terms and conditions on which the shares of each series may be redeemed and in the amount or amounts per share which the Preferred Stock A of each series shall be entitled to receive in case of the redemption thereof shall be such as shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors for each such series; the amount per share which the Preferred Stock A of each series shall be entitled to receive in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of this Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, shall be such amount as shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors for such purpose for each such series; a sinking fund or other retirement obligation may be provided for any or all series of the Preferred Stock A, at such rate and on such terms as shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors in respect of the shares of stock of each such series; the shares of any or all series of the Preferred Stock A may be made convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of any other class or classes, or of any other series of the same or of any other class or classes, of stock of the Corporation, at such price or prices, or at such rates of exchange and with such adjustments as shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors in respect of the shares of stock of each such series; and the shares of each series of the Preferred Stock A shall possess such voting power, in addition to that provided for in paragraph 13, as shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors in respect of the shares of stock of each such series. The description and terms of the Preferred Stock A of each series in the foregoing particulars and the number of shares constituting each series shall be fixed and determined by the Board of Directors at the time of the authorization of the issue of the original shares of each such series. All shares of each series shall be alike in every particular. 5. The Preference Stock may be issued from time to time by resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors, either in whole or in part as one or more series, each series to be appropriately designated by distinguishing number, letter or title prior to the issue of any shares thereof. A-4 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement 6. The Preference Stock of all series shall be of the same class and of equal rank and shall be identical in all respects except that Proxy Statement (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) the maximum dividend rate of the Preference Stock of each series shall be such rate as shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors to accrue in respect of the shares of stock of each such series from a date to be determined as hereinafter provided; the terms and conditions on which the shares of each series may be redeemed and the and the amount or amounts per share which the Preference Stock of each series shall be entitled to receive in case of the redemption thereof shall be such as shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors for each such series; the amount per share which the Preference Stock of each series shall be entitled to receive in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of this Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, shall be such amount as shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors for such purpose for each such series; a sinking fund or other retirement obligation may be provided for any or all series of the Preference Stock, at such rate and on such terms as shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors in respect of the shares of stock of each such series; and the shares of any or all series of the Preference Stock may be made convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of the Common Stock, at such price or prices, or at such rates of exchange and with such adjustments as shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors in respect of the shares of stock of each such series. The description and terms of the Preference Stock of each series in the foregoing particulars and the number of shares constituting each series shall be fixed and determined by the Board of Directors at the time of the authorization of the issue of the original shares of each such series. All shares of each series shall be alike in every particular. 7. In preference to the Preference Stock and the Common Stock, out of the surplus or net profits of this Corporation, as and when declared by the Board of Directors, the holders of the 4.50% Series Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive dividends at but not exceeding the maximum dividend rate herein fixed and determined, and the holders of the other series of Preferred Stock and all series of the Preferred Stock A shall be entitled to receive dividends, in preference to the Preference Stock and the Common Stock, out of the surplus or net profits of this Corporation, as and when declared by the Board of Directors, at but not exceeding the maximum dividend rates fixed and determined by the Board of Directors and expressed in the certificates therefor, payable quarterly on January 1st, April 1st, July 1st, and October 1st in each year, before any dividends shall be declared or paid upon or set apart for the Preference Stock or the Common Stock and before any sum shall be paid or set apart for the purchase or redemption of any series of the Preferred Stock, the Preferred Stock A or the Preference Stock, or the Common Stock. Such dividends on the Preferred Stock shall be cumulative from such date or dates as the Board of Directors shall fix at the time of issue thereof, or if no such date or dates shall be fixed, then from the respective dates of issue thereof, so that if in any dividend period or periods full cumulative dividends, at the maximum rates fixed and determined therefor, accrued on all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock and Preferred Stock A for all past dividend periods and for the then current dividend period, shall not have been paid, the MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement A-5 Proxy Statement deficiency shall be declared and paid or set apart for payment before any dividends shall be declared or paid upon or set apart for the Preference Stock or for the Common Stock and before any sum shall be paid or set apart for the purchase or redemption of any series of the Preferred Stock, the Preferred Stock A or the Preference Stock, or the Common Stock. If at any time Preferred Stock or Preferred Stock A of more than one series shall be outstanding, any dividends paid upon the Preferred Stock or the Preferred Stock A in an amount less than full cumulative dividends accrued or in arrears upon all the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A outstanding shall be divided among the outstanding series of the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A in proportion to the aggregate amounts which would be distributable to each series of the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A if full cumulative dividends were at said time to be declared and paid thereon. 8. Subject to the prior rights and preferences of the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A hereinbefore set forth, out of the surplus or net profits of this Corporation remaining after full cumulative dividends as aforesaid upon all series of the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A then outstanding have been paid for all past dividend periods and after full cumulative dividends upon all series of the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A for the current dividend period have been declared and paid or set apart for payment, then, as and when declared by the Board of Directors, the holders of the Preference Stock of all series shall be entitled to receive dividends at but not exceeding the maximum dividend rates fixed and determined by the Board of Directors and expressed in the resolution or resolutions authorizing the creation and issuance of each such series, payable quarterly on January 1st, April 1st, July 1st, and October 1st in each year, before any dividends shall be declared or paid upon or set apart for the Common Stock and before any sum shall be paid or set apart for the purchase or redemption of the Preference Stock of any series or the Common Stock. Such dividends on the Preference Stock shall be cumulative from such date or dates as the Board of Directors shall fix at the time of issue thereof, or if no such date or dates shall be fixed, then from the respective dates of issue thereof, so that if in any dividend period or periods full cumulative dividends, at the maximum rates fixed and determined therefor, accrued on all outstanding shares of Preference Stock for all past dividend periods and for the then current dividend period, shall not have been paid, the deficiency shall be declared and paid or set apart for payment before any dividends shall be declared or paid upon or set apart for the Common Stock and before any sum shall be paid or set apart for the purchase or redemption of the Preference Stock of any series or the Common Stock. If at any time the Preference Stock of more than one series shall be outstanding, any dividends paid upon the Preference Stock in an amount less than full cumulative dividends accrued or in arrears upon all the Preference Stock outstanding shall be divided among the outstanding series of Preference Stock in proportion to the aggregate amounts which would be distributable to the Preference Stock of each series if full cumulative dividends were at said time to be declared and paid thereon. 9. Subject to the prior rights and preferences of the Preferred Stock, the Preferred Stock A and the Preference Stock hereinbefore set forth, out of any surplus or net profits of this Corporation remaining after full cumulative dividends as aforesaid upon all series of the Preferred Stock, the Preferred Stock A and the Preference Stock then outstanding have been paid for all past dividend periods and after full cumulative dividends upon all series of the Preferred Stock, the Preferred Stock A and the Preference Stock for the current dividend period have been declared and paid or set apart for payment and after making such provision, if any, as the Board of Directors may deem necessary for working capital, then and not otherwise, dividends may be declared and paid upon the Common Stock, to the exclusion of the holders of the Preferred Stock, the Preferred Stock A and the Preference Stock, and no holder of any series of the Preferred Stock, the Preferred Stock A or the Preference Stock shall be entitled to receive or shall receive dividends in excess of the maximum dividend rates herein set forth or fixed in the certificates therefor or in the resolution A-6 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement or resolutions authorizing the creation and issuance of each such series. The right to receive any dividends which may be declared payable in stock of any class is vested in the holders of the Common Stock exclusively, but no such dividends shall be declared in any dividend period unless full cumulative dividends upon all series of the Preferred Stock, the Preferred Stock A and the Preference Stock then outstanding shall have been paid for all past dividend periods and shall have been declared and paid or set apart for payment for the current dividend period. 10. All series of the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A shall be preferred as to both earnings, and assets, and in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of this Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, before any assets of the Corporation shall be distributed among or paid over to the holders of the Preference Stock or the Common Stock, the holders of the Preferred Stock of each series shall be entitled to be paid One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per share, and the holders of the Preferred Stock A of each series shall be entitled to be paid that amount which shall have been fixed and determined for such purpose by the Board of Directors in the resolution or resolutions authorizing the creation and issuance of each such series, in each case together with a sum of money equivalent in the case of each share of stock to all cumulative dividends on the Preferred Stock or the Preferred Stock A, as the case may be, accrued and in arrears thereon, before any distribution of the assets shall be made to the holders of the Preference Stock or the Common Stock, but the holders of the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A shall not be entitled to any further participation in such distribution, and the holders of the Common Stock, subject to the prior rights and preferences of the Preference Stock, shall be entitled, to the exclusion of the holders of the Preferred Stock, the Preferred Stock A and the Preference Stock, to share ratably in all the assets of this Corporation remaining after payment to the holders of the Preferred Stock, and the Preferred Stock A and the Preference Stock of their full preferential amounts. If upon any such liquidation, dissolution or winding up of this Corporation, the assets distributable among the holders of the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A shall be insufficient to permit the payment in full to such holders of the preferential amounts aforesaid, then the entire assets of this Corporation to be distributed shall be distributed among the holders of the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A then outstanding ratably in proportion to the full preferential amounts to which they are respectively entitled. 11. As hereinbefore set forth, the Preference Stock of all series shall rank junior to all series of the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A with respect to both earnings, and assets, and in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of this Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, after payment to the holders of the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A of all amounts payable to them in such event and before any assets of the Corporation shall be distributed among or paid over to the holders of the Common Stock, the holders of the Preference Stock of each series shall be entitled to be paid that amount which shall have been fixed and determined for such purpose by the Board of Directors in the resolution or resolutions authorizing the creation and issuance of each such series, in each case together with a sum of money equivalent in the case of each share of stock to all cumulative dividends on the Preference Stock, accrued and in arrears thereon, before any distribution of the assets shall be made to the holders of the Common Stock, but the holders of the Preference Stock shall not be entitled to any further participation in such distribution, and the holders of the Common Stock shall be entitled, to the exclusion of the holders of the Preferred Stock, the Preferred Stock A and the Preference Stock, to share ratably in all the assets of this Corporation remaining after payment to the holders of the Preferred Stock, the Preferred Stock A and the Preference Stock of their full preferential amounts aforesaid. If upon any such liquidation, dissolution or winding up of this Corporation, the assets distributable among the holders of the Preference Stock shall be insufficient to permit the payment in full to such holders of the preferential amounts aforesaid, then the entire assets of this Corporation to be distributed, after payment to the holders of the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A of all amounts payable to them in such event, shall be distributed among the holders MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement A-7 Proxy Statement of the Preference Stock then outstanding ratably in proportion to the full preferential amounts to which they are entitled. Nothing in paragraph 10 or this paragraph 11 shall be deemed to prevent the purchase or redemption of any series of the Preferred Stock, the Preferred Stock A or the Preference Stock, in any manner permitted by paragraph 12. A consolidation or merger of this Corporation with any other corporation or corporations shall not be regarded as a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of this Corporation within the meaning of paragraph 10 or this paragraph 11, but no such consolidation or merger shall in any manner impair the rights or preferences of any of the Preferred Stock, the Preferred Stock A or the Preference Stock. 12. This Corporation may at the option of the Board of Directors from time to time on any dividend payment date redeem the whole or any part of any series of the Preferred Stock, the Preferred Stock A or the Preference Stock; with respect to the Preferred Stock, by paying One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per share for each share thereof so redeemed, plus a premium of such additional amount per share as herein fixed and determined for the 4.50% Series Preferred Stock, and in the case of any other series of the Preferred Stock, such premium, if any, as shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors, together in each case with the amount of any dividends accrued and in arrears thereon; with respect to the Preferred Stock A and the Preference Stock, by paying the appropriate amount per share which shall have been fixed and determined by the Board of Directors in the resolution or resolutions authorizing the creation and issuance of each such series of the Preferred Stock A or the Preference Stock, together in each case with the amount of any dividends accrued and in arrears thereon. Notice of such election to redeem shall, not less than thirty days prior to the dividend date upon which the stock is to be redeemed, be mailed to each holder of stock so to be redeemed at his address as it appears on the books of the Corporation. In case less than all of the outstanding Preferred Stock, the Preferred Stock A or the Preference Stock of any series is to be redeemed, the amount to be redeemed may be determined by the Board of Directors; the method of effecting such redemption, whether by lot or pro rata or otherwise, is to be determined by the Board of Directors at the time of issuance. If, on or before the redemption date named in such notice, the funds necessary for such redemption shall have been set aside by the Corporation so as to be available for payment on demand to the holders of the stock so called for redemption, then, notwithstanding that any certificate of stock so called for redemption shall not have been surrendered for cancellation, the dividends thereon shall cease to accrue from and after the date of redemption so designated, and all rights with respect to such stock so called for redemption, including any right to vote or otherwise participate in the determination of any proposed corporate action, shall forthwith after such redemption date cease and determine, except only the right of the holder to receive the redemption price therefor but without interest. 13. Except as otherwise required by the laws of Delaware and except as may be otherwise provided herein and by the Board of Directors in accordance with paragraphs 2(e) and 4(f), the holders of the Common Stock shall exclusively possess all voting power for the election of directors and for all other purposes, and the holders of the Preferred Stock, the Preferred Stock A and the Preference Stock shall have no voting power, and no owner or holder thereof shall vote thereon or be entitled to receive notice of any meeting of the stockholders; provided that if at any time and whenever cumulative dividends on the Preferred Stock or on the Preferred Stock A shall be in default and unpaid, in whole or in part, for a period of one year, the holders of the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A shall have the same voting powers as the holders of the Common Stock, to-wit: one vote for each share of stock; and further provided that if at any time and whenever cumulative dividends on the Preference Stock shall be in default and unpaid, in whole or in part, for a period of one year, the holders of the Preference Stock shall have the same voting powers as the holders of the Common Stock, to-wit: one vote for each share of stock, and the holders of the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A or the Preference Stock, as the case may be, shall be entitled to A-8 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement receive notices of meetings of stockholders, and such voting power shall so continue to vest in the holders of the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A or the Preference Stock, as the case may be, until all arrears in the payment of cumulative dividends on the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A or on the Preference Stock, as the case may be, shall have been paid and the dividends thereon for the current dividend period shall have been declared and the funds for the payment thereof set aside, on the condition, however, that as often as thereafter defaulted dividends shall have been paid in full and provision made for the current dividend as herein provided (and such payment shall be made as promptly as shall be consistent with the best interests of the Corporation), the holders of the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A or of the Preference Stock, as the case may be, shall be divested of such voting power and the voting power shall revest exclusively in the holders of the Common Stock, subject always to the same provisions for the vesting of voting power in the holders of the Preferred Stock and the Preferred Stock A or of the Preference Stock, as the case may be, in case of any similar default or defaults in the payment of cumulative dividends either on the Preferred Stock or the Preferred Stock A or on the Preference Stock, as the case may be, for one year and the revesting of such entire voting power in the holders of the Common Stock, in the event that such default or defaults shall be cured as above provided. Dividends and Distributions. Subject to the preferences applicable to any series of Preferred Stock, if any, outstanding at any time, shares of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by the Board of Directors out of legally available funds. Subject to the preferences applicable to any series of Preferred Stock, if any, outstanding at any time, the shares of Common Stock are entitled to the net assets of this corporation upon dissolution in accordance with the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. 14. The vote or consent of the holders of a majority of the Preference Stock at the time outstanding, voting as a class, shall be required for any amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation altering materially any existing provision of the Preference Stock, for the creation, or an increase in the authorized amount, of any class of stock ranking, as to earnings, and assets, prior to, or on a parity with, the Preference Stock, or for an increase in the authorized amount of the Preference Stock; provided, however, that if any amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation shall affect adversely the rights or preferences of one or more, but not all, of the series of the Preference Stock at the time outstanding or shall unequally adversely affect the rights or preferences of different series of the Preference Stock at the time outstanding, the vote or consent of the holders of a majority of such shares of each such series so adversely or unequally adversely affected shall be required in lieu of or (if such vote or consent is required by law) in addition to the vote or consent of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Preference Stock, voting as a class. (4) No Pre-emptive Rights. No holder of stock of this Corporation of any class shall have any pre-emptive or 15. preferential rights of subscription to any shares of any class of stock of this Corporation, whether now or hereafter authorized, or to any obligations convertible into stock of the Corporation, issued or sold, nor any right of subscription to any thereof other than such, if any, as the Board of Directors in its discretion may from time to time determine, and at such price as the Board of Directors may from time to time fix and determine pursuant to the authority conferred by this Certificate; and any shares of stock or convertible obligations which the Board of Directors may determine to offer for subscription to the holders of stock may, as said Board shall determine, be offered exclusively to holders of the Preferred Stock, to holders of the Preferred Stock A, to holders of the Preference Stock or to holders of the Common Stock, or partly to the holders of the Preferred Stock, partly to the holders of the Preferred Stock A, partly to the holders of the Preference Stock and partly to the holders of the Common Stock, and in such case in such proportions as among said classes of stock as the Board of Directors in its discretion may determine of Incorporation. 16. 4.70% Series Preferred Stock MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement A-9 Proxy Statement 1. The designation of the Series shall be “4.70% Series Preferred Stock” (Cumulative) (hereinafter called the “4.70% Series”) and the number of shares which shall constitute said Series shall be 50,000; and such number shall not be increased. 2. The annual dividend rate of the 4.70% Series shall be four and seventy hundredths per cent. (4.70%) of the par value of said shares, and no more, and the date from which dividends shall accrue in respect of all shares of the 4.70% Series shall be the date of issue thereof. 3. The price at which the shares of the 4.70% Series may be redeemed shall be as specified in Paragraph 6 of Article FOURTH of the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, plus a premium of $2 per share, together with the amount of any dividends accrued and in arrears thereon. 4. So long as any of the shares of the 4.70% Series are outstanding, in addition to any other vote or consent of stockholders required in the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, or by law, the vote or consent of the holders of at least sixty-six and two-thirds per cent. (66-2/3%) of the shares of the 4.70% Series at the time outstanding, given in person or by proxy, either in writing without a meeting (if permitted by law) or at any meeting called for the purpose, shall be necessary to effect or validate: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) any amendment, alteration or repeal of any of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, or By-Laws of the Corporation, which affects adversely the voting powers, rights or preferences of the holders of the 4.70% Series; the authorization or creation of, or the increase in the authorized amount of, any stock of any class or any security convertible into stock of any class ranking prior to the Preferred Stock; the voluntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Corporation, or the sale, lease or conveyance by the Corporation of all or substantially all its property or assets; the merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into any other corporation, unless the Corporation resulting from such merger or consolidation will have after such merger or consolidation no class of stock and no other securities convertible into stock of any class either authorized or outstanding which stock shall rank prior to the Preferred Stock, except the same number of shares of such stock and the same amount of such other securities with the same rights and preferences as such stock and securities of the Corporation respectively authorized and outstanding immediately preceding such merger or consolidation, and each holder of Preferred Stock immediately preceding such merger or consolidation shall receive the same number of shares, with the same rights and preferences, of the resulting corporation; or the purchase or redemption (for sinking fund purposes or otherwise) of less than all of the Preferred Stock at the time outstanding unless the full dividend on all shares of Preferred Stock of all series then outstanding shall have been paid or declared and a sum sufficient for payment thereof set apart; provided, however, that the amendment of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, so as to authorize or create or to increase the authorized amount (a) of the Common Stock and any other class of stock of the Corporation hereafter authorized over which the Preferred Stock has preference or priority in the payment of dividends or in the distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or (b) of stock of any class ranking on a parity with the A-10 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement Preferred Stock, shall not be deemed to affect adversely the voting powers, rights or preferences of the holders of the 4.70% Series; and provided further, that no such consent of the holders of the 4.70% Series shall be required, if at or prior to the time when such amendment, alteration or repeal is to take effect or when the authorization, creation or increase of any such prior stock or convertible security is to be made, or when such consolidation or merger, voluntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, sale, lease, conveyance, purchase or redemption is to take effect, as the case may be, either (I) the consent of the holders of at least sixty-six and two-thirds per cent. (66-2/3%) of the shares of the Preferred Stock at the time outstanding shall have been so given to any such action except an amendment, alteration or repeal affecting the shares of the 4.70% Series differently from other series of Preferred Stock, or (II) provision is to be made for the redemption of all shares of the 4.70% Series at the time outstanding. 5. So long as any shares of the 4.70% Series are outstanding, in addition to any other vote or consent of stockholders required in the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, or by law, the vote or consent of the holders of a majority of the shares of the 4.70% Series at the time outstanding, given in person or by proxy, either in writing without a meeting (if permitted by law) or at any meeting called for the purpose, shall be necessary to effect or validate any increase in the authorized amount of the Preferred Stock, or the authorization or creation of, or the increase in the authorized amount of, any stock of any class or any security convertible into stock of any class ranking on a parity with the Preferred Stock including any such action taken in connection with the merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into any other corporation by either party thereto; provided, however, that no such consent of the holders of the 4.70% Series shall be required if, at or prior to the time the authorization or increase of any such parity stock or convertible security or any such additional shares of Preferred Stock is to be made, as the case may be, either (I) the consent of the holders of a majority of the shares of the Preferred Stock at the time outstanding shall have been so given to any such action, or (II) provision is to be made for the redemption of all shares of the 4.70% Series at the time outstanding. 6. No sinking fund or other retirement obligation shall be provided for the shares of the 4.70% Series. 17. 5.10% Series Preferred Stock 1. The designation of the Series shall be “5.10% Series Preferred Stock” (Cumulative) (hereinafter called the “5.10% Series”) and the number of shares which shall constitute said Series shall be 50,000; such number shall not be increased and shall be decreased by the number of shares of said Series at any time retired by the Company. 2. The annual dividend rate of the 5.10% Series shall be five and ten hundredths per cent (5.10%) of the par value of said shares, and no more, and the date from which dividends shall accrue in respect of all shares of the 5.10% Series shall be the date of issue thereof. 3. The price at which the shares of the 5.10% Series may be redeemed shall be as specified in paragraph 6 of Article FOURTH of the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, plus a premium of $2.00 per share, together with the amount of any dividends accrued and in arrears thereon. 4. So long as any of the shares of the 5.10% Series are outstanding, in addition to any other vote or consent of stockholders required in the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, or by law, the vote or consent of the holders of at least sixty-six and two-thirds per cent. (66 2/3%) of the shares of the 5.10% MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement A-11 Proxy Statement Series at the time outstanding, given in person or by proxy, either in writing without a meeting (if permitted by law) or at any meeting called for the purpose, shall be necessary to effect or validate: (a) (b) (c) (d) any amendment, alteration or repeal of any of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, or By-Laws of the Corporation, which affects adversely the voting powers, rights or preferences of the holders of the 5.10% Series; the authorization or creation of, or the increase in the authorized amount of, any stock of any class or any security convertible into stock of any class ranking prior to the Preferred Stock; the voluntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Corporation, or the sale, lease or conveyance by the Corporation of all or substantially all its property or assets; the merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into any other corporation, unless the corporation resulting from such merger or consolidation will have after such merger or consolidation no class of stock and no other securities convertible into stock of any class either authorized or outstanding which stock shall rank prior to the Preferred Stock, except the same number of shares of such stock and the same amount of such other securities with the same rights and preferences as such stock and securities of the Corporation respectively authorized and outstanding immediately preceding such merger or consolidation, and each holder of Preferred Stock immediately preceding such merger or consolidation shall receive the same number of shares, with the same rights and preferences, of the resulting corporation; or (e) the purchase or redemption (for sinking fund purposes or otherwise) of less than all of the Preferred Stock at the time outstanding unless the full dividend on all shares of Preferred Stock of all series then outstanding shall have been paid or declared and a sum sufficient for payment thereof set apart; provided, however, that the amendment of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, so as to authorize or create or to increase the authorized amount (a) of the Common Stock and any other class of stock of the Corporation hereafter authorized over which the Preferred Stock has preference or priority in the payment of dividends or in the distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or (b) of any class ranking on a parity with the Preferred Stock, shall not be deemed to affect adversely the voting powers, rights or preferences of the holders of the 5.10% Series; and provided further, that no such consent of the holders of the 5.10% Series shall be required, if at or prior to the time when such amendment, alteration or repeal is to take effect or when the authorization, creation or increase of any such prior stock or convertible security is to be made, or when such consolidation or merger, voluntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, sale, lease, conveyance, purchase or redemption is to take effect, as the case may be, either (i) the consent of the holders of at least sixty-six and two-thirds per cent. (66 2/3%) of the shares of the Preferred Stock at the time outstanding shall have been so given to any such action except an amendment, alteration or repeal affecting the shares of the 5.10% Series differently from other series of Preferred Stock, or (ii) provision is to be made for the redemption of all shares of the 5.10% Series at the time outstanding. 5. So long as any shares of the 5.10% Series are outstanding, in addition to any other vote or consent of stockholders required in the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, or by law, the vote or consent of the holders of a majority of the shares of the 5.10% Series at the time outstanding, given in person or by proxy, either in writing without a meeting (if permitted by law) or at any meeting called for the A-12 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement purpose, shall be necessary to effect or validate any increase in the authorized amount of the Preferred Stock, or the authorization or creation of, or the increase in the authorized amount of, any stock of any class or any security convertible into stock of any class ranking on a parity with the preferred Stock including any such action taken in connection with the merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into any other corporation by either party thereto; provided, however, that no such consent of the holders of the 5.10% Series shall be required if, at or prior to the time the authorization or increase of any such parity stock or convertible security or any such additional shares of Preferred Stock so to be made, as the case may be, either (i) the consent of the holders of a majority of the shares of the Preferred Stock at the time outstanding shall have been so given to any such action, or (ii) provision is to be made for the redemption of all shares of the 5.10% Series at the time outstanding. 6. As a sinking fund for the retirement of the shares of the 5.10% Series, the Company agrees to purchase (out of any funds of the Company legally available therefor after full dividends on the Preferred Stock of all Series then outstanding for all past dividend periods and for the current period have been paid or declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof set apart) 1,000 shares of the 5.10% Series in each year, at the price of $100 per share together with the amount of any dividends accrued and unpaid thereon; provided that no shares of the 5.10% Series shall be purchased pursuant to this paragraph unless tendered by the holders thereof as hereinafter provided; and provided further that the purchase obligation of the Company under this paragraph shall not be cumulative from year to year even though less than 1,000 shares of said Series may be purchased in any year if in such year the Company shall have duly called for tenders and purchased shares duly tendered as hereinafter provided. Shares of the 5.10% Series purchased pursuant to this paragraph shall be cancelled and retired. The Company will, at least 40 and not more than 50 days before each January 1, mail a letter to all holders of record of shares of the 5.10% Series, stating that it is calling for tenders of 1,000 shares of said Series for purchase and retirement under the sinking fund on the following January 1, at $100 per share and accrued and unpaid dividends; the letter shall ask each holder of shares of the 5.10% Series to indicate, by return letter to be received by the Company at a date fixed at least 20 and not more than 25 days before such January 1, the number of shares, if any, which such holder tenders for sale; if more than 1,000 shares are duly tendered by all holders of record, the Company shall first purchase from each holder tendering shares the number of shares tendered up to a number of shares (rounding to the nearest 10 shares) equal as nearly as practicable to 2% of the sum of (i) the number of shares of the 5.10% Series then of record in the name of such holder, and (ii) the number of shares of said Series previously retired that were of record in the name of such holder at the time of their redemption or purchase for retirement, and thereafter purchases shall be made pro rata (as nearly as practicable and rounding to the nearest 10 shares) on the basis of the shares of said Series duly tendered for sale or, in the case of holders duly tendering 1,000 shares, held of record; within three days after the date on which tenders are to be received, the Company shall by letter notify all holders of record of shares of the 5.10% Series of the number of shares tendered and the number of shares held by each holder to be retired; and the Company shall make payment for shares purchased pursuant to this paragraph upon surrender of stock certificates to the Transfer Agent on or after the January 1 retirement date. 18. Series B Preference Stock Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series B Preference Stock” (the “Series B Preference Stock”) and the number of shares constituting the Series B Preference Stock shall be 125,000. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series B Preference Stock to a number less than the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation convertible into Series B Preference Stock. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement A-13 Proxy Statement Section 2. Dividends and Distributions. (A) Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock or Preferred Stock A (or any similar stock) ranking prior and superior to the Series B Preference Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series B Preference Stock, equally with holders of all other series of Preference Stock and in preference to the holders of Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Corporation, and of any other junior stock, shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the first day of January, April, July, and October in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series B Preference Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $1.00 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series B Preference Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series B Preference Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event. (B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series B Preference Stock as provided in paragraph (A) of this Section immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); provided that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $1.00 per share on the Series B Preference Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. (C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series B Preference Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series B Preference Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series B Preference Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series B Preference Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof. Section 3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series B Preference Stock shall have no voting rights except as otherwise provided by law or as set forth in the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation. A-14 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement Section 4. Certain Restrictions. (A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series B Preference Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series B Preference Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series B Preference Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not: declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking (i) junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution, or winding up) to the Series B Preference Stock; declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a (ii) parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution, or winding up) with the Series B Preference Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series B Preference Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled; redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (iii) (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution, or winding up) to the Series B Preference Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series B Preference Stock; or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series B Preference (iv) Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series B Preference Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes. (B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner. Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series B Preference Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preference Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preference Stock subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the Certificate of Incorporation, or in any other Certificate of Designations creating a series of Preference Stock or any similar stock or as otherwise required by law. Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution, or Winding Up. Upon any liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made (1) to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution, or winding up) to the Series B Preference Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series B Preference Stock shall have received $1,000 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment, MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement A-15 Proxy Statement provided that the holders of shares of Series B Preference Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of shares of Common Stock, or (2) to the holders of shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution, or winding up) with the Series B Preference Stock, except distributions made ratably on the Series B Preference Stock and all such parity stock in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution, or winding up. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of shares of Series B Preference Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the proviso in clause (1) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event. Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination, or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case each share of Series B Preference Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed into an amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series B Preference Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event. Section 8. No Redemption. The shares of Series B Preference Stock shall not be redeemable. Section 9. Rank. The Series B Preference Stock shall rank, with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, junior to all series of any class of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock and Preferred Stock A, shall rank equally with all other series of the Corporation’s Preference Stock, and shall rank superior to the Common Stock and any other class or series of junior stock. Section 10. Amendment. The Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences, or special rights of the Series B Preference Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of Series B Preference Stock, voting together as a single class. FIFTH. [RESERVED] SIXTH. [RESERVED] SEVENTH. The Corporation is to have perpetual existence. A-16 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement EIGHTH. The private property of the stockholders of the Corporation shall not be subject to the payment of corporate debts to any extent whatever. NINTH. In furtherance, and not in limitation of the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized: Proxy Statement Except as otherwise set forth therein, to make, alter or repeal the By-Laws of the Corporation. To authorize and cause to be executed mortgages and liens upon the real and personal property of the Corporation. To set apart out of any of the funds of the Corporation available for dividends a reserve or reserves for any proper purpose or to abolish any such reserve in the manner in which it was created. By resolution or resolutions, passed by a majority of the whole Board to designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of two or more of the directors of the Corporation, which, to the extent provided in said resolution or resolutions or in the By-Laws of the Corporation, shall have and may exercise the powers of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, and may have power to authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it. Such committee or committees shall have such name or names as may be stated in the By-Laws of the Corporation or as may be determined from time to time by resolution adopted by the Board of Directors. When and as authorized by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the stock issued and outstanding having voting power given at a stockholders’ meeting duly called for that purpose, or when authorized by the written consent of the holders of a majority of the voting stock issued and outstanding, to sell, lease or exchange all of the property and assets of the Corporation, including its good will and its corporate franchises, upon such terms and conditions and for such consideration, which may be whole or in part shares of stock in, and/or other securities of, any other corporation or corporations, as its Board of Directors shall deem expedient and for the best interests of the Corporation. The Corporation may in its By-Laws confer powers upon its Board of Directors in addition to the foregoing, and in addition to the powers and authorities expressly conferred upon it by statute. Both stockholders and directors shall have power, if the By-Laws so provide, to hold their meetings, and to have one or more offices within or without the State of Delaware, and to keep the books of the surviving Corporation (subject to the provisions of the statutes), outside of the State of Delaware at such places as may be from time to time designated by the Board of Directors. TENTH. This Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute, and all rights conferred upon stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation. ELEVENTH. Whenever a compromise or arrangement is proposed between this Corporation and its creditors or any class of them and/or between this Corporation and its stockholders or any class of them, any court of equitable jurisdiction within the State of Delaware may, on the application in a summary way of this Corporation or of any creditor or stockholder thereof, or on the application of any receiver or receivers appointed for this Corporation under the provisions of Section 3883 of the Revised Code of 1915 of said State, or on the application of trustees in dissolution or of any receiver or receivers appointed for this Corporation under the MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement A-17 Proxy Statement provisions of Section 43 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, order a meeting of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of stockholders or class of stockholders of this Corporation, as the case may be, to be summoned in such manner as the said Court directs. If a majority in number representing three- fourths in value of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders of this Corporation, as the case may be, agree to any compromise or arrangement and to any reorganization of this Corporation as consequence of such compromise or arrangement, the said compromise or arrangement and the said reorganization shall, if sanctioned by the Court to which the said application has been made, be binding on all the creditors or class of creditors, and/or on all the stockholders or class of stockholders, of this Corporation, as the case may be, and also on this Corporation. TWELFTH. [RESERVED] THIRTEENTH. ARTICLE V MATTERS RELATING TO DIRECTORS (1) Director Powers. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by the Board of Directors. In addition to the powers and authority expressly conferred upon the Board of Directors by statute or by this Certificate of Incorporation or the Corporation’s Bylaws, the Board of Directors is hereby empowered to exercise all such powers and do all such things as may be exercised or done by the Corporation unless specifically prohibited by statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation. (a) The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by the Board of Directors consisting of not less than six nor more than fifteen persons. The exact number of directors within the limitations specified in the preceding sentence2) Board Size. The total number of authorized directors constituting the Board of Directors shall be not less than six nor more than fifteen persons, with the exact number of directors fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by two-thirdsa majority of the Continuing Board of Directors. Vote by Ballot. The directors need not be elected by ballot unless required by the By-LawsBylaws of the (3) Corporation. (4) Term. At each annual meeting of stockholders, the directors shall be elected for terms expiring at the next annual meeting of stockholders. Each director shall hold office for the term for which he or she is elected or appointed and until his or her successor shall be elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation, removal from office or death. In the event of any increase or decrease in the authorized number of directors, each director then serving as such shall nevertheless continue as director until the expiration of his or her current term, or until his or her earlier resignation, removal from office or death. 5) Vacancies and Newly Created Directorships. Newly created directorships resulting from any increase in (b) the authorized number of directors or any vacancies in the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, removal from office or other cause shall be filled by a two-thirdsmajority vote of the Continuing Directors directors then in office, or a sole remaining director, although less than a quorum, and directors so chosen shall hold office for a term expiring at the next annual meeting of stockholders. If one or more directors shall resign from the Board of Directors effective as of a future date, such vacancy or vacancies shall be filled pursuant to the provisions hereof, and such new directorship(s) shall become effective when such resignation or resignations shall become effective, and each director so chosen shall hold office for a term expiring at the next annual meeting of stockholders. A-18 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement (c) [RESERVED] (d) Any directors elected pursuant to special voting rights of one or more series of Preferred Stock, voting as a class, shall be excluded from, and for no purpose be counted in, the scope and operation of the foregoing provisions, unless expressly stated. (e) hereinafter set forth: For purposes of this Article THIRTEENTH, the following terms shall have the meanings (i) “Affiliate” or “Associate” shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as in effect on January 1, 1985. (ii) A person shall be a “Beneficial Owner” of any Voting Stock: (A) which such person or any of its Affiliates or Associates beneficially owns, directly or indirectly; or (B) which such person or any of its Affiliates or Associates has (1) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time), pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, warrants or options, or otherwise, or (2) the right to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; or (C) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other person with which such person or any of its Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of any shares of Voting Stock. (iii) “Continuing Director” shall mean any member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation who is unaffiliated with, and not a nominee of, any Interested Stockholder and was a member of the Board of Directors prior to the time that any Interested Stockholder became an Interested Stockholder and any successor of a Continuing Director who is unaffiliated with, and not a nominee of, any Interested Stockholder and is designated to succeed a Continuing Director by two- thirds of the Continuing Directors then on the Board of Directors. (iv) “Interested Stockholder” shall mean any person (other than the Corporation or any Subsidiary) who or which: (A) is the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 10 percent of the voting power of the then outstanding Voting Stock; or (B) is an Affiliate of the Corporation and at any time within the two-year period immediately prior to the date in question, became the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 10 percent of the voting power of the then outstanding Voting Stock; or MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement A-19 Proxy Statement (C) is an assignee of or has otherwise succeeded to any shares of Voting Stock which were at any time within the two-year period immediately prior to the date in question beneficially owned by any Interested Stockholder, if such assignment or succession shall have occurred in the course of a transaction or series of transactions not involving a public offering within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933. For the purpose of determining whether a person is an Interested Stockholder pursuant to this Article THIRTEENTH, Section (e)(iv), the number of shares of Voting Stock deemed to be outstanding shall include shares deemed owned through application of Section (e)(ii) of this Article THIRTEENTH but shall not include any other shares of Voting Stock which may be issuable pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon exercise of conversion rights, warrants or options, or otherwise. (v) A “person” shall mean any individual, firm, partnership, trust, corporation or other entity. (vi) “Subsidiary” means any corporation of which a majority of any class of equity security is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Corporation; provided, however, that for the purposes of the definition of Interested Stockholder set forth in Section (e)(iv) of this Article THIRTEENTH, the term “Subsidiary” shall mean only a corporation of which a majority of each class of equity security is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Corporation. (vii) “Voting Stock” shall mean each share of stock of the Corporation generally entitled to vote in elections of directors. The Continuing Directors of the Corporation shall have the power and duty to determine, on the basis of information known to them after reasonable inquiry, all facts necessary to determine the applicability of the various provisions of this Article THIRTEENTH, including (A) whether a person is an Interested Stockholder, (B) the number of shares of Voting Stock beneficially owned by any person, and (C) whether a person is an Affiliate or Associate of another. Any such determination made in good faith shall be binding and conclusive on all parties. (f) Capitalized terms used and not defined in Article FOURTEENTH or in Article SIXTEENTH of the Certificate of Incorporation which are defined in Section (e) of this Article THIRTEENTH shall have the meanings, for purposes of Article FOURTEENTH and Article SIXTEENTH of the Certificate of Incorporation, ascribed to such terms in Section (e) of this Article THIRTEENTH. FOURTEENTH. The Board of Directors, in evaluating any proposal by another party to (a) make a tender or exchange offer for any securities of the Corporation, (b) effect a merger, consolidation or other business combination of the Corporation or (c) effect any other transaction having an effect upon the properties, operations or control of the Corporation similar to a tender or exchange offer for any securities of the Corporation or a merger, consolidation or other business combination of the Corporation, as the case may be, whether by an Interested Stockholder or otherwise, may, in connection with the exercise of its judgment as to what is in the best interests of the Corporation and its stockholders, give due consideration to the following: (i) the consideration to be received by the Corporation or its stockholders in connection with such transaction in relation not only to the then current market price for the outstanding capital stock of the Corporation, but also to the market price for the capital stock of the Corporation over a period of years, the estimated price that might be achieved in a negotiated sale of the Corporation as a whole or in part A-20 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement Proxy Statement through orderly liquidation, the premiums over market price for the securities of other corporations in similar transactions, current political, economic and other factors bearing on securities prices and the Corporation’s financial condition, future prospects and future value as an independent Corporation; (ii) the character, integrity and business philosophy of the other party or parties to the transaction and the management of such party or parties; (iii) the business and financial conditions and earnings prospects of the other party or parties to the transaction, including, but not limited to, debt service and other existing or likely financial obligations of such party or parties, the intention of the other party or parties to the transaction regarding the use of the assets of the Corporation to finance the acquisition, and the possible effect of such conditions upon the Corporation and its Subsidiaries and the other elements of the communities in which the Corporation and its Subsidiaries operate or are located; (iv) the projected social, legal and economic effects of the proposed action or transaction upon the Corporation or its Subsidiaries, its employees, suppliers, customers and others having similar relationships with the Corporation, and the communities in which the Corporation and its Subsidiaries do business; (v) the general desirability of the continuance of the Corporation as an independent entity; and (vi) such other factors as the Continuing Directors may deem relevant. FIFTEENTH. [RESERVED] ARTICLE VI STOCKHOLDER ACTIONS SIXTEENTH. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation and may not be effected by any consent in writing by such stockholders. Special meetings of stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by the Chairman or President and shall be called by the Chairman, President or the Secretary upon the written request of two-thirdsa majority of the Continuing Board of Directors. Stockholders of the Corporation shall not be entitled to request a special meeting of stockholders. ARTICLE VII DIRECTOR LIABILITY SEVENTEENTH. No director of the Corporation shall be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (a) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (b) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (c) under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or (d) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement A-21 Proxy Statement ARTICLE VIII CREDITOR COMPROMISES Whenever a compromise or arrangement is proposed between this Corporation and its creditors or any class of them and/or between this Corporation and its stockholders or any class of them, any court of equitable jurisdiction within the State of Delaware may, on the application in a summary way of this Corporation or of any creditor or stockholder thereof, or on the application of any receiver or receivers appointed for this Corporation under Section 291 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code, or on the application of trustees in dissolution or of any receiver or receivers appointed for this Corporation under Section 279 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code, order a meeting of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of stockholders or class of stockholders of this Corporation, as the case may be, to be summoned in such manner as the said Court directs. If a majority in number representing three-fourths in value of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders of this Corporation, as the case may be, agree to any compromise or arrangement and to any reorganization of this Corporation as consequence of such compromise or arrangement, the said compromise or arrangement and the said reorganization shall, if sanctioned by the Court to which the said application has been made, be binding on all the creditors or class of creditors, and/or on all the stockholders or class of stockholders, of this Corporation, as the case may be, and also on this Corporation. ARTICLE IX AMENDMENT OF CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION AND BYLAWS Except as otherwise expressly provided by this Certificate of Incorporation, the Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision of this Certificate of Incorporation in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by law, and all the provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation and all rights conferred on stockholders, directors, officers and other persons in this Certificate of Incorporation are subject to this reserved power. Except as otherwise expressly provided by this Certificate of Incorporation, the Board of Directors shall have the power to adopt, amend or repeal the Corporation’s Bylaws. Any adoption, amendment or repeal of the Corporation’s Bylaws by the Board of Directors shall require the approval of a majority of the Board of Directors. The stockholders of the Corporation shall have the power to adopt, amend or repeal the Corporation’s Bylaws. [Signature Page Follows] A-22 MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement IN WITNESS WHEREOF, MDUR Newco, Inc.the Corporation has caused its corporate seal to be hereunto affixed, and this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be signed by David L. Goodin, its President and Chief Executive Officer, and Daniel S. Kuntz, its Secretary, on December 31, 2018.on [_______], 2019. Proxy Statement ATTEST: /s/ Daniel S. Kuntz Daniel S. Kuntz Secretary MDUR NEWCO MDU RESOURCES GROUP, INC. By: /s/ David L. Goodin David L. Goodin President and Chief Executive Officer [Signature Page to Certificate of Incorporation] MDU Resources Group, Inc. Proxy Statement A-23 Corporate Headquarters MDU Resources Group, Inc. Street Address: 1200 W. Century Ave. Bismarck, ND 58503 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5650 Bismarck, ND 58506-5650 Telephone: 701-530-1000 Toll-Free Telephone: 866-760-4852 www.mdu.com The company has filed as exhibits to its Annual Report on Form 10-K the CEO and CFO certifications as required by Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The company also submitted the required annual CEO certification to the New York Stock Exchange. Common Stock MDU Resources’ common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol MDU. The stock began trading on the NYSE in 1948 and is included in the Standard & Poor’s MidCap 400 index. Average daily trading volume in 2018 was 827,903 shares. Common Stock Prices High Low Close Stockholder Information 2019 Key Dividend Dates Ex-Dividend Date Record Date Payment Date March 14 March 13 First Quarter June 13 June 12 Second Quarter September 12 October 1 September 11 Third Quarter December 12 December 11 Fourth Quarter Key dividend dates are subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors. April 1 July 1 January 1, 2020 Annual Meeting 11 a.m. CDT May 7, 2019 Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Service Center 909 Airport Road Bismarck, North Dakota Shareholder Information and Inquiries Registered shareholders have electronic access to their accounts by visiting www.shareowneronline.com. Shareowner Online allows shareholders to view their account balance, dividend information, reinvestment details and more. The stock transfer agent maintains stockholder account information. Communications regarding stock transfer requirements, lost certificates, dividends or change of address should be directed to the stock transfer agent. Company information, including financial reports, is available at www.mdu.com. 2018 First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter 2017 First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter $28.23 29.28 29.62 26.96 $29.74 27.89 27.73 28.22 $24.29 27.05 25.33 22.73 $25.83 25.58 25.14 25.89 $28.16 28.68 25.69 23.84 $27.37 26.20 25.95 26.88 Shareholder Contact Dustin J. Senger Telephone: 866-866-8919 Email: investor@MDUResources.com Analyst Contact Jason L. Vollmer Telephone: 701-530-1755 Email: Jason.Vollmer@MDUResources.com Shareowner Service Plus Plan The Shareowner Service Plus Plan provides interested investors the opportunity to purchase shares of MDU Resources’ common stock and to reinvest all or a percentage of dividends without incurring brokerage commissions or service charges. The plan is sponsored and administered by Equiniti Trust Company, transfer agent and registrar for MDU Resources. For more information, contact Equiniti Trust Company at 877-536-3553 or visit www. shareowneronline.com. s e c r u o s e R U D M : n g i s e D I P F A : g n i t n i r P The paper used in this annual report is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® and contains a minimum of 10 percent post-consumer recycled paper fibers. Transfer Agent and Registrar for All Classes of Stock Equiniti Trust Company Stock Transfer Department P.O. Box 64874 St. Paul, MN 55164-0874 Telephone: 651-450-4064 Toll-Free Telephone: 877-536-3553 www.shareowneronline.com Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Deloitte & Touche LLP 50 S. Sixth St., Suite 2800 Minneapolis, MN 55402-1538 Note: This information is not given in connection with any sale or offer for sale or offer to buy any security. 

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