Regulatory Matters (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

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
	2021		2020
	(Thousands)
Regulatory Assets(1):
Pension Costs(2) (Note K)	$	21,655	$	107,010
Post-Retirement Benefit Costs(2) (Note K)	10,075		18,863
Recoverable Future Taxes (Note G)	121,992		118,310
Environmental Site Remediation Costs(2) (Note L)	7,256		10,479
Asset Retirement Obligations(2) (Note E)	16,799		16,245
Unamortized Debt Expense (Note A)	10,589		12,297
Other(3)	33,566		20,118
Total Regulatory Assets	221,932		303,322
Less: Amounts Included in Other Current Assets	(29,206)		(16,609)
Total Long-Term Regulatory Assets	$	192,726	$	286,713

	At September 30
	2021		2020
	(Thousands)
Regulatory Liabilities:
Cost of Removal Regulatory Liability	$	245,636	$	230,079
Taxes Refundable to Customers (Note G)	354,089		357,508
Post-Retirement Benefit Costs(4) (Note K)	213,112		146,474
Amounts Payable to Customers (See Regulatory Mechanisms in Note A)	21		10,788
Other(5)	48,391		59,989
Total Regulatory Liabilities	861,249		804,838
Less: Amounts included in Current and Accrued Liabilities	(60,881)		(55,678)
Total Long-Term Regulatory Liabilities	$	800,368	$	749,160

(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)$29,206 and $16,609 are included in Other Current Assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, since such amounts are expected to be recovered from ratepayers in the next 12 months. $4,360 and $3,509 are included in Other Regulatory Assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

(4)$30,000 is included in Other Accruals and Current Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet at September 30, 2021, since that amount is expected to be passed back to ratepayers in the next 12 months. $183,112 is included in Other Regulatory Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet at September 30, 2021.

(5)$30,860 and $44,890 are included in Other Accruals and Current Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, since such amounts are expected to be passed back to ratepayers in the next 12 months. $17,531 and $15,099 are included in Other Regulatory Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively.