Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits (tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

General Discussion Of Pension And Other Postretirement Benefits Abstract

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]

			Postretirement Benefit Plans
			Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
Thousands			2011		2010		2009		2011		2010		2009
Reconciliation of change in benefit obligation:
	Obligation at January 1	$	339,338	$	307,991	$	281,127	$	27,676	$	24,741	$	23,863
	Service cost		7,122		6,688		6,402		614		588		522
	Interest cost		18,134		18,029		17,948		1,404		1,436		1,568
	Net actuarial (gain) or loss		44,802		25,275		23,584		2,225		2,387		216
	Benefits paid		(18,269)		(18,645)		(17,149)		(1,870)		(1,476)		(1,428)
	Plan amendments		-		-		(3,921)		-		-		-
	Obligation at December 31	$	391,127	$	339,338	$	307,991	$	30,049	$	27,676	$	24,741
Reconciliation of change in plan assets:
	Fair value of plan assets at January 1	$	219,014	$	201,312	$	163,115	$	-	$	-	$	-
	Actual return on plan assets		(6,684)		24,651		28,641		-		-		-
	Employer contributions		21,909		11,696		26,705		1,870		1,476		1,428
	Benefits paid		(18,269)		(18,645)		(17,149)		(1,870)		(1,476)		(1,428)
	Fair value of plan assets at December 31	$	215,970	$	219,014	$	201,312	$	-	$	-	$	-
Funded status at December 31		$	(175,157)	$	(120,324)	$	(106,679)	$	(30,049)	$	(27,676)	$	(24,741)

Schedule Of Amounts Recognized In Other Comprehensive Income Loss Table Text Block

			Regulatory Asset Amortization												AOCI Amortization
			Pension Benefits					Other Postretirement Benefits							Pension Benefits
Thousands			2011		2010		2009		2011		2010		2009		2011		2010		2009
Net periodic benefit costs:
	Actuarial loss	$	10,731	$	6,740	$	6,189	$	289	$	131	$	17	$	854	$	707	$	449
	Prior service cost		230		230		1,260		197		197		197		122		(43)		(37)
	Transition obligation		-		-		-		411		411		411		-		-		-
Total		$	10,961	$	6,970	$	7,449	$	897	$	739	$	625	$	976	$	664	$	412

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

	Target
Asset Category	Allocation
U.S. large cap equity	15.0%
U.S. small/mid cap equity	10.0%
Non-U.S. equity	14.5%
Emerging markets equity	3.5%
Long government/credit	24.0%
High yield	5.0%
Emerging market debt	5.0%
Real estate funds	5.8%
Absolute return strategy	12.0%
Real return strategy	5.2%

Net Periodic Benefit Cost Components

				Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement Benefits
Thousands				2011		2010		2009		2011		2010		2009
	Service cost		$	7,122	$	6,688	$	6,402	$	614	$	588	$	522
	Interest cost			18,134		18,029		17,948		1,404		1,436		1,568
	Expected return on plan assets			(17,867)		(18,207)		(15,696)		-		-		-
	Amortization of transition
		obligations		-		-		-		411		411		411
	Amortization of prior service costs			352		187		1,223		197		197		197
	Amortization of net actuarial loss			11,584		7,447		6,810		289		131		-
		Net periodic benefit cost		19,325		14,144		16,687		2,915		2,763		2,698
	Amount allocated to construction			(4,905)		(3,729)		(4,636)		(878)		(904)		(858)
	Amount deferred to regulatory
		balancing account		(6,008)		-		-		-		-		-
		Net amount charged to expense	$	8,412	$	10,415	$	12,051	$	2,037	$	1,859	$	1,840

Sensitivity Analysis Of Retirement Benefit Costs and Benefit Obligations [Table Text Block]

			Impact on 2011	Impact on Retirement
		Change in	Retirement	Benefit Obligations
Thousands, except percent		Assumption	Benefit Costs	at Dec. 31, 2011
Discount rate:		(0.25%)
	Qualified defined benefit plans		$ 1,162	$ 11,796
	Non-qualified plans		8	53
	Other postretirement benefits		54	754
Expected long-term return on plan assets:		(0.25%)
	Qualified defined benefit plans		580	N/A

Schedule of Effect of One-Percentage-Point Change in Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates [Table Text Block]

Thousands		1% Increase		1% Decrease
Effect on net periodic postretirement health care benefit cost	$	67	$	(60)
Effect on the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation	$	678	$	(613)

Defined Benefit Plan Estimated Future Employer Contributions Benefit Payments and Estimated Future Payments [Table Text Block]

Thousands
	Employer Contributions			Pension Benefits		Other Benefits
		2010	$	12,088	$	1,476
		2011		22,325		1,870
		2012 (estimated)		30,109		2,056
	Benefit Payments
		2009		17,149		1,428
		2010		18,645		1,476
		2011		18,269		1,870
	Estimated Future Payments
		2012		19,374		2,056
		2013		19,620		2,083
		2014		20,107		2,138
		2015		20,640		2,149
		2016		21,284		2,198
		2017-2021		122,680		11,298

Schedule of Changes in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

		December 31, 2011
Investments, in thousands				Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
U.S. large cap equity			$	36,236	$	-	$	-	$	36,236
U.S. small/mid cap equity				-		27,310		-		27,310
Non-U.S. equity				22,158		11,587		-		33,745
Emerging markets equity				10,208		-		-		10,208
Fixed income				19,121		-		-		19,121
Long government/credit				-		18,897		-		18,897
Real estate funds				-		-		15,317		15,317
Absolute return strategy				-		30,475		-		30,475
Real return strategy				15,475		-		-		15,475
Cash and cash equivalents				-		9,290		-		9,290
	Total investments		$	103,198	$	97,559	$	15,317	$	216,074
		December 31, 2010
Investments, in thousands				Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
U.S. large cap equity			$	37,231	$	-	$	-	$	37,231
U.S. small/mid cap equity				-		27,864		-		27,864
Non-U.S. equity				24,630		14,549		-		39,179
Emerging markets equity				11,476		-		-		11,476
Fixed income				36,429		-		-		36,429
Real estate funds				-		-		14,721		14,721
Absolute return strategy				-		32,378		-		32,378
Real return strategy				15,452		-		-		15,452
Cash and cash equivalents				-		3,629		-		3,629
	Total investments		$	125,218	$	78,420	$	14,721	$	218,359
							December 31,
Receivables								2011		2010
Accrued interest and dividend income							$	414	$	249
Due from broker for securities sold								321		448
	Total receivables						$	735	$	697
Liabilities
Due to broker for securities purchased							$	839	$	42
	Total investment in retirement trust						$	215,970	$	219,014

Schedule of Effect of Significant Unobservable Inputs, Changes in Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

				Level 3 Assets
Thousands				Real estate Funds
January 1, 2011 balance			$	14,721
	Total gains or (losses):
		Included in earnings (or changes in net assets)		596
December 31, 2011 balance			$	15,317