Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost

Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (in thousands):

	Retirement Plan						Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Three Months Ended March 31,	2014			2013			2014			2013
Service Cost	$	2,997		$	3,961		$	735		$	1,176
Interest Cost	10,893			9,124			5,327			4,803
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(14,993		)	(14,336		)	(9,356		)	(8,218		)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)	52			60			(534		)	(534		)
Amortization of Transition Amount	—			—			—			2
Amortization of Losses	9,002			13,194			661			5,223
Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1)	8,557			1,724			7,928			6,459
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	16,508		$	13,727		$	4,761		$	8,911

	Retirement Plan						Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Six Months Ended March 31,	2014			2013			2014			2013
Service Cost	$	5,993		$	7,923		$	1,469		$	2,352
Interest Cost	21,787			18,249			10,654			9,606
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(29,986		)	(28,673		)	(18,712		)	(16,436		)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)	105			119			(1,069		)	(1,069		)
Amortization of Transition Amount	—			—			—			4
Amortization of Losses	18,003			26,388			1,323			10,446
Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1)	10,135			(1,958		)	13,988			9,162
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	26,037		$	22,048		$	7,653		$	14,065

⁽¹⁾ The Company’s policy is to record retirement plan and other post-retirement benefit costs in the Utility segment on a volumetric basis to reflect the fact that the Utility segment experiences higher throughput of natural gas in the winter months and lower throughput of natural gas in the summer months.