Regulatory Matters (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2022

Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Other Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule Of Regulatory Assets And Liabilities

The Company has recorded the following regulatory assets and liabilities:

	At September 30
	2022		2021
	(Thousands)
Regulatory Assets(1):
Pension Costs(2) (Note K)	$	11,677	$	21,655
Post-Retirement Benefit Costs(2) (Note K)	6,814		10,075
Recoverable Future Taxes (Note G)	106,247		121,992
Environmental Site Remediation Costs(2) (Note L)	3,646		7,256
Asset Retirement Obligations(2) (Note E)	18,517		16,799
Unamortized Debt Expense (Note A)	8,884		10,589
Other(3)	47,805		33,566
Total Regulatory Assets	203,590		221,932
Less: Amounts Included in Other Current Assets	(21,358)		(29,206)
Total Long-Term Regulatory Assets	$	182,232	$	192,726

	At September 30
	2022		2021
	(Thousands)
Regulatory Liabilities:
Cost of Removal Regulatory Liability	$	259,947	$	245,636
Taxes Refundable to Customers (Note G)	362,098		354,089
Post-Retirement Benefit Costs(5) (Note K)	167,305		213,112
Pension Costs(4) (Note K)	8,242		—
Amounts Payable to Customers (See Regulatory Mechanisms in Note A)	419		21
Other(6)	44,549		48,391
Total Regulatory Liabilities	842,560		861,249
Less: Amounts included in Current and Accrued Liabilities	(31,712)		(60,881)
Total Long-Term Regulatory Liabilities	$	810,848	$	800,368

(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)$21,358 and $29,206 are included in Other Current Assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, since such amounts are expected to be recovered from ratepayers in the next 12 months. $26,447 and $4,360 are included in Other Regulatory Assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

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

(5)$5,800 and $30,000 are included in Other Accruals and Current Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, since such amounts are expected to be passed back to ratepayers in the next 12 months. $161,505 and $183,112 are included in Other Regulatory Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

(6)$25,493 and $30,860 are included in Other Accruals and Current Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, since such amounts are expected to be passed back to ratepayers in the next 12 months. $19,056 and $17,531 are included in Other Regulatory Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.