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Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits
 6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]  
Retirement Plan and Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Retirement Plan and Other Post-Retirement Benefits
 
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (in thousands):
 
 
Retirement Plan
 
Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Three Months Ended March 31,
2017
2016
 
2017
2016





 




Service Cost
$
2,992

$
2,928

 
$
612

$
583

Interest Cost
9,596

10,579

 
4,752

5,096

Expected Return on Plan Assets
(14,929
)
(14,842
)
 
(7,865
)
(7,883
)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)
264

308

 
(107
)
(228
)
Amortization of Losses
10,672

8,062

 
4,604

1,382

Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1)
6,234

5,609

 
3,790

6,599






 




Net Periodic Benefit Cost
$
14,829

$
12,644

 
$
5,786

$
5,549

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Retirement Plan
 
Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Six Months Ended March 31,
2017
2016
 
2017
2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
Service Cost
$
5,984

$
5,855

 
$
1,224

$
1,166

Interest Cost
19,192

21,158

 
9,504

10,193

Expected Return on Plan Assets
(29,859
)
(29,685
)
 
(15,729
)
(15,768
)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)
529

617

 
(214
)
(456
)
Amortization of Losses
21,343

16,124

 
9,207

2,765

Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1)
6,770

7,516

 
5,102

10,720

 
 
 
 
 
 
Net Periodic Benefit Cost
$
23,959

$
21,585

 
$
9,094

$
8,620

 
 
 
 
 
 
(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.
 
Employer Contributions.    During the six months ended March 31, 2017, the Company contributed $15.1 million to its tax-qualified, noncontributory defined-benefit retirement plan (Retirement Plan) and $2.2 million to its VEBA trusts and 401(h) accounts for its other post-retirement benefits.  In the remainder of 2017, the Company expects to contribute up to $5.0 million to the Retirement Plan. In the remainder of 2017, the Company expects its contributions to the VEBA trusts and 401(h) accounts to be in the range of $1.0 million to $3.0 million.