Business segment data (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Information on the Company's businesses

Information on the Company's segments was as follows:

	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
	September 30,				September 30,
	2018		2017		2018		2017
	(In thousands)
External operating revenues:
Regulated operations:
Electric	$	86,080	$	91,531	$	251,984	$	254,330
Natural gas distribution	92,248		92,253		554,452		566,364
Pipeline and midstream	22,289		23,152		45,325		45,341
	200,617		206,936		851,761		866,035
Nonregulated operations:
Pipeline and midstream	6,782		5,356		16,640		13,518
Construction materials and contracting	743,763		686,010		1,466,435		1,388,212
Construction services	329,578		374,111		986,649		1,009,693
Other	47		135		193		654
	1,080,170		1,065,612		2,469,917		2,412,077
Total external operating revenues	$	1,280,787	$	1,272,548	$	3,321,678	$	3,278,112

	Three Months Ended							Nine Months Ended
	September 30,							September 30,
	2018			2017				2018			2017
	(In thousands)
Intersegment operating revenues:
Regulated operations:
Electric	$	—		$	—			$	—		$	—
Natural gas distribution	—			—				—			—
Pipeline and midstream	3,070			3,081				31,252			30,923
	3,070			3,081				31,252			30,923
Nonregulated operations:
Pipeline and midstream	117			38				233			132
Construction materials and contracting	165			142				501			400
Construction services	782			415				1,332			715
Other	3,037			1,910				8,343			5,411
	4,101			2,505				10,409			6,658
Intersegment eliminations	(7,171		)	(5,586		)		(41,661		)	(37,581		)
Total intersegment operating revenues	$	—		$	—			$	—		$	—
Earnings (loss) on common stock:
Regulated operations:
Electric	$	15,284		$	15,712			$	37,500		$	37,904
Natural gas distribution	(11,887		)	(10,883		)		13,884			14,181
Pipeline and midstream	10,109			5,853				20,809			15,901
	13,506			10,682				72,193			67,986
Nonregulated operations:
Pipeline and midstream	848			95				1,136			(770		)
Construction materials and contracting	78,876			63,221				79,691			64,477
Construction services	9,278			13,144				38,457			32,896
Other	4,861			552				1,928			(1,888		)
	93,863			77,012				121,212			94,715
Intersegment eliminations	—			1,855			*	—			6,121			*
Earnings on common stock before income (loss) from discontinued operations	107,369			89,549				193,405			168,822
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	(118		)	(2,198		)	*	85			(3,702		)	*
Total earnings on common stock	$	107,251		$	87,351			$	193,490		$	165,120

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