Regulatory Assets (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract]

Regulatory assets table

4. Regulatory Assets

The Company records regulatory assets with respect to its Distribution segment operations. Although Panhandle's natural gas transmission systems and storage operations are subject to the jurisdiction of FERC in accordance with the Natural Gas Act of 1938 and Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978, it does not currently apply regulatory accounting policies in accounting for its operations. In 1999, prior to its acquisition by Southern Union, Panhandle discontinued the application of regulatory accounting policies primarily due to the level of discounting from tariff rates and its inability to recover specific costs.

The following table provides a summary of regulatory assets at the dates indicated.

		December 31,
		2011		2010
		(In thousands)
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits	$	10,481	$	18,140
Environmental		35,869		38,384
Missouri Safety Program		448		1,147
Other		10,649		8,545
	$	57,447	$	66,216

The Company's regulatory assets at December 31, 2011 relating to Distribution segment operations that are being recovered through current rates totaled $36.6 million. The remaining recovery period associated with these assets ranged from 3 months to 84 months. The Company expects that the $20.8 million of regulatory assets at December 31, 2011 not currently in rates will be included in its rates as rate cases occur in the future. The Company's regulatory assets at December 31, 2010 relating to Distribution segment operations that are being recovered through current rates totaled $48.8 million. The remaining recovery period associated with these assets ranged from 7 months to 84 months.