Regulatory Matters (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Other Disclosures [Abstract]

Schedule Of Regulatory Assets And Liabilities

The Company has recorded the following regulatory assets and liabilities:

	At September 30
	2020		2019
	(Thousands)
Regulatory Assets(1):
Pension Costs(2) (Note K)	$	107,010	$	114,509
Post-Retirement Benefit Costs(2) (Note K)	18,863		18,236
Recoverable Future Taxes (Note G)	118,310		115,197
Environmental Site Remediation Costs(2) (Note L)	10,479		15,317
Asset Retirement Obligations(2) (Note E)	16,245		15,696
Unamortized Debt Expense (Note A)	12,297		14,005
Other(3)	20,118		15,022
Total Regulatory Assets	303,322		307,982
Less: Amounts Included in Other Current Assets	(16,609)		(11,460)
Total Long-Term Regulatory Assets	$	286,713	$	296,522

	At September 30
	2020		2019
	(Thousands)
Regulatory Liabilities:
Cost of Removal Regulatory Liability	$	230,079	$	221,699
Taxes Refundable to Customers (Note G)	357,508		366,503
Post-Retirement Benefit Costs(4) (Note K)	146,474		126,577
Amounts Payable to Customers (See Regulatory Mechanisms in Note A)	10,788		4,017
Other(5)	59,989		66,122
Total Regulatory Liabilities	804,838		784,918
Less: Amounts included in Current and Accrued Liabilities	(55,678)		(54,349)
Total Long-Term Regulatory Liabilities	$	749,160	$	730,569

(1)The Company recovers the cost of its regulatory assets but generally does not earn a return on them. There are a few exceptions to this rule. For example, the Company does earn a return on Unrecovered Purchased Gas Costs and, in the New York jurisdiction of its Utility segment, earns a return, within certain parameters, on the excess of cumulative funding to the pension plan over the cumulative amount collected in rates.

(2)Included in Other Regulatory Assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

(3)$16,609 and $11,460 are included in Other Current Assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, since such amounts are expected to be recovered from ratepayers in the next 12 months. $3,509 and $3,562 are included in Other Regulatory Assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

(4)Included in Other Regulatory Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

(5)$44,890 and $50,332 are included in Other Accruals and Current Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, since such amounts are expected to be recovered from ratepayers in the next 12 months. $15,099 and $15,790 are included in Other Regulatory Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.