Amount of amortization expense attributable to debt issuance costs.

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Amount, before unamortized (discount) premium and debt issuance costs, of long-term debt. Includes, but is not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, commercial loans, mortgage loans, convertible debt, subordinated debt and other types of debt.

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Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

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Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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Amount of unamortized debt discount (premium) and debt issuance costs.

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Amount, before accumulated amortization, of debt issuance costs. Includes, but is not limited to, legal, accounting, underwriting, printing, and registration costs.

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Difference between the fair value of payments made and the carrying amount of debt which is extinguished prior to maturity.

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Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

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The cash outflow during the period from the repayment of aggregate short-term and long-term debt. Excludes payment of capital lease obligations.

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The remaining balance of debt issuance expenses that were capitalized and are being amortized against income over the lives of the respective bond issues. This does not include the amounts capitalized as part of the cost of the utility plant or asset.

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Long-term Debt (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Jul. 28, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 3,150,000		$ 3,150,000			$ 2,858,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(3,004)	$ (2,295)	(3,004)	$ (50,638)
Debt Issuance Costs, Gross					$ 10,400
Unamortized Debt Issuance Expense	17,752		17,752		9,400	15,062
Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs	1,000
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	500,000		500,000
4.75% Senior Notes Due 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount					800,000
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount (Premium) and Debt Issuance Costs, Net					14,000
Term-A Facility [Member] \| Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of Debt	400,000
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 750,000		$ 750,000		$ 750,000	$ 1,258,000