Business segment data (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Information on the Company's businesses

Information on the Company's businesses was as follows:

	Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
	September 30,						September 30,
	2016			2015			2016			2015
	(In thousands)
External operating revenues:
Regulated operations:
Electric	$	82,156		$	74,604		$	238,911		$	210,646
Natural gas distribution	87,941			89,520			500,106			553,058
Pipeline and midstream	21,982			21,293			44,980			43,881
	192,079			185,417			783,997			807,585
Nonregulated operations:
Pipeline and midstream	10,732			14,545			29,697			42,294
Construction materials and contracting	724,535			774,288			1,475,643			1,475,585
Construction services	280,801			223,676			822,226			670,594
Other	420			416			1,167			1,167
	1,016,488			1,012,925			2,328,733			2,189,640
Total external operating revenues	$	1,208,567		$	1,198,342		$	3,112,730		$	2,997,225
Intersegment operating revenues:
Regulated operations:
Electric	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
Natural gas distribution	—			—			—			—
Pipeline and midstream	3,278			3,740			30,969			31,365
	3,278			3,740			30,969			31,365
Nonregulated operations:
Pipeline and midstream	41			145			161			460
Construction materials and contracting	155			244			370			2,450
Construction services	3			2,112			541			17,298
Other	2,204			2,379			5,542			5,943
	2,403			4,880			6,614			26,151
Intersegment eliminations	(5,681		)	(8,620		)	(37,583		)	(57,516		)
Total intersegment operating revenues	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—

	Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
	September 30,						September 30,
	2016			2015			2016			2015
	(In thousands)
Earnings (loss) on common stock:
Regulated operations:
Electric	$	12,699		$	12,605		$	31,840		$	26,842
Natural gas distribution	(12,524		)	(12,298		)	4,940			3,777
Pipeline and midstream	5,389			5,392			16,241			15,077
	5,564			5,699			53,021			45,696
Nonregulated operations:
Pipeline and midstream	1,304			(8,587		)	2,043			(8,498		)
Construction materials and contracting	69,523			68,823			88,747			74,324
Construction services	7,234			4,742			20,198			16,505
Other	(1,009		)	(2,203		)	(3,572		)	(11,560		)
	77,052			62,775			107,416			70,771
Intersegment eliminations*	5,599			5,241			5,599			3,507
Earnings on common stock before loss from discontinued operations	88,215			73,715			166,036			119,974
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax*	(5,400		)	(223,112		)	(299,538		)	(816,517		)
Loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interest	—			(9,778		)	(131,691		)	(21,060		)
Total earnings (loss) on common stock	$	82,815		$	(139,619	)	$	(1,811	)	$	(675,483	)

* Includes eliminations for the presentation of income tax adjustments between continuing and discontinued operations.