Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Table)
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12 Months Ended |
Sep. 30, 2018 |
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
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Schedule of Regulatory Assets |
Significant regulatory assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2018 and 2017 included the following: | | | | | | | | | | September 30 | | 2018 | | 2017 | | (In thousands) | Regulatory assets: | | | | Pension and postretirement benefit costs(1) | $ | 6,496 |
| | $ | 26,826 |
| Infrastructure mechanisms(2) | 96,739 |
| | 46,437 |
| Deferred gas costs | 1,927 |
| | 65,714 |
| Recoverable loss on reacquired debt | 8,702 |
| | 11,208 |
| Deferred pipeline record collection costs | 20,467 |
| | 11,692 |
| APT annual adjustment mechanism | — |
| | 2,160 |
| Rate case costs | 2,741 |
| | 2,629 |
| Other | 6,739 |
| | 10,132 |
| | $ | 143,811 |
| | $ | 176,798 |
| Regulatory liabilities: | | | | Regulatory excess deferred taxes(3) | $ | 744,895 |
| | $ | — |
| Regulatory cost of service reserve(4) | 22,508 |
| | — |
| Regulatory cost of removal obligation | 522,175 |
| | 521,330 |
| Deferred gas costs | 94,705 |
| | 15,559 |
| Asset retirement obligation | 12,887 |
| | 12,827 |
| APT annual adjustment mechanism | 35,228 |
| | — |
| Pension and postretirement benefit costs | 69,113 |
| | — |
| Other | 9,486 |
| | 5,941 |
| | $ | 1,510,997 |
| | $ | 555,657 |
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| | (1) | Includes $6.5 million and $9.4 million of pension and postretirement expense deferred pursuant to regulatory authorization. |
| | (2) | Infrastructure mechanisms in Texas and Louisiana allow for the deferral of all eligible expenses associated with capital expenditures incurred pursuant to these rules, including the recording of interest on the deferred expenses until the next rate proceeding (rate case or annual rate filing), at which time investment and costs would be recovered through base rates. |
| | (3) | The TCJA resulted in the remeasurement of the net deferred tax liability included in our rate base. Of this amount, $5.2 million is recorded in other current liabilities. The period and timing of the return of the excess deferred taxes is being determined by regulators in each of our jurisdictions. See Note 12 for further information. |
| | (4) | Effective January 1, 2018, regulators in each of our service areas required us to establish a regulatory liability for the difference in recoverable federal taxes included in revenues based on the former 35% federal statutory rate and the new 21% federal statutory rate for service provided on or after January 1, 2018. The period and timing of the return of this liability to utility customers is being determined by regulators in each of our jurisdictions. See Note 12 for further information. |
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Schedule of Regulatory Liabilities |
Significant regulatory assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2018 and 2017 included the following: | | | | | | | | | | September 30 | | 2018 | | 2017 | | (In thousands) | Regulatory assets: | | | | Pension and postretirement benefit costs(1) | $ | 6,496 |
| | $ | 26,826 |
| Infrastructure mechanisms(2) | 96,739 |
| | 46,437 |
| Deferred gas costs | 1,927 |
| | 65,714 |
| Recoverable loss on reacquired debt | 8,702 |
| | 11,208 |
| Deferred pipeline record collection costs | 20,467 |
| | 11,692 |
| APT annual adjustment mechanism | — |
| | 2,160 |
| Rate case costs | 2,741 |
| | 2,629 |
| Other | 6,739 |
| | 10,132 |
| | $ | 143,811 |
| | $ | 176,798 |
| Regulatory liabilities: | | | | Regulatory excess deferred taxes(3) | $ | 744,895 |
| | $ | — |
| Regulatory cost of service reserve(4) | 22,508 |
| | — |
| Regulatory cost of removal obligation | 522,175 |
| | 521,330 |
| Deferred gas costs | 94,705 |
| | 15,559 |
| Asset retirement obligation | 12,887 |
| | 12,827 |
| APT annual adjustment mechanism | 35,228 |
| | — |
| Pension and postretirement benefit costs | 69,113 |
| | — |
| Other | 9,486 |
| | 5,941 |
| | $ | 1,510,997 |
| | $ | 555,657 |
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| | (1) | Includes $6.5 million and $9.4 million of pension and postretirement expense deferred pursuant to regulatory authorization. |
| | (2) | Infrastructure mechanisms in Texas and Louisiana allow for the deferral of all eligible expenses associated with capital expenditures incurred pursuant to these rules, including the recording of interest on the deferred expenses until the next rate proceeding (rate case or annual rate filing), at which time investment and costs would be recovered through base rates. |
| | (3) | The TCJA resulted in the remeasurement of the net deferred tax liability included in our rate base. Of this amount, $5.2 million is recorded in other current liabilities. The period and timing of the return of the excess deferred taxes is being determined by regulators in each of our jurisdictions. See Note 12 for further information. |
| | (4) | Effective January 1, 2018, regulators in each of our service areas required us to establish a regulatory liability for the difference in recoverable federal taxes included in revenues based on the former 35% federal statutory rate and the new 21% federal statutory rate for service provided on or after January 1, 2018. The period and timing of the return of this liability to utility customers is being determined by regulators in each of our jurisdictions. See Note 12 for further information. |
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