SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of Utility Plant balances

Utility Plant balances as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 were comprised of the following (in thousands):

	2015		2014
Utility Plant:
Production Plant	$	296	$	296
Storage Plant	20,872		23,023
Transmission Plant	252,934		248,737
Distribution Plant	1,702,148		1,547,218
General Plant	163,420		103,604
Other Plant	1,855		1,855
Utility Plant in Service	2,141,525		1,924,733
Construction Work in Progress	69,714		78,233
Total Utility Plant	$	2,211,239	$	2,002,966

Asset Retirement Obligation Activity

ARO activity during 2015 and 2014 was as follows (in thousands):

	2015			2014
ARO as of January 1,	$	41,976		$	41,178
Accretion	1,658			1,595
Additions	621			664
Settlements	(1,110		)	(1,461		)
Revisions in Estimated Cash Flows *	14,074			—
ARO as of December 31,	$	57,219		$	41,976

* The revision in estimated cash flows in 2015 reflects an increase in the contractual cost to settle ARO. A corresponding increase was made to Regulatory Assets, thus having no impact on earnings.