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Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits (Tables)
 6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
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,
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.