Business segment data (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Information on the Company's businesses

Information on the Company's segments as of December 31 and for the years then ended was as follows:

	2018			2017			2016
				(In thousands)
External operating revenues:
Regulated operations:
Electric	$	335,123		$	342,805		$	322,356
Natural gas distribution	823,247			848,388			766,115
Pipeline and midstream	54,857			53,566			52,983
	1,213,227			1,244,759			1,141,454
Nonregulated operations:
Pipeline and midstream	23,161			19,602			39,602
Construction materials and contracting	1,925,185			1,811,964			1,873,696
Construction services	1,369,772			1,366,317			1,072,663
Other	207			709			1,413
	3,318,325			3,198,592			2,987,374
Total external operating revenues	$	4,531,552		$	4,443,351		$	4,128,828
Intersegment operating revenues:
Regulated operations:
Electric	$	—		$	—		$	—
Natural gas distribution	—			—			—
Pipeline and midstream	50,580			48,867			48,794
	50,580			48,867			48,794
Nonregulated operations:
Pipeline and midstream	325			178			223
Construction materials and contracting	669			565			574
Construction services	1,681			1,285			609
Other	11,052			7,165			7,230
	13,727			9,193			8,636
Intersegment eliminations	(64,307		)	(58,060		)	(57,430		)
Total intersegment operating revenues	$	—		$	—		$	—
Depreciation, depletion and amortization:
Electric	$	50,982		$	47,715		$	50,220
Natural gas distribution	72,486			69,381			65,426
Pipeline and midstream	17,896			16,788			24,885
Construction materials and contracting	61,158			55,862			58,413
Construction services	15,728			15,739			15,307
Other	1,955			2,001			2,067
Total depreciation, depletion and amortization	$	220,205		$	207,486		$	216,318
Operating income (loss):
Electric	$	65,148		$	79,902		$	67,929
Natural gas distribution	72,336			84,239			66,166
Pipeline and midstream	36,128			36,004			42,864
Construction materials and contracting	141,426			143,230			178,753
Construction services	86,764			81,292			53,546
Other	(79		)	(619		)	(349		)
Total operating income	$	401,723		$	424,048		$	408,909

	2018			2017			2016
				(In thousands)
Interest expense:
Electric	$	25,860		$	25,377		$	24,982
Natural gas distribution	30,768			31,234			30,405
Pipeline and midstream	5,964			4,990			7,903
Construction materials and contracting	17,290			14,778			15,265
Construction services	3,551			3,742			4,059
Other	2,762			3,564			5,854
Intersegment eliminations	(1,581		)	(897		)	(620		)
Total interest expense	$	84,614		$	82,788		$	87,848
Income taxes:
Electric	$	(6,482	)	$	7,699		$	1,449
Natural gas distribution	4,075			22,756			9,181
Pipeline and midstream	2,677			12,281			12,408
Construction materials and contracting	28,357			5,405			60,625
Construction services	20,000			25,558			17,748
Other	(1,142		)	(1,809		)	(2,028		)
Intersegment eliminations	—			(6,849		)	(6,251		)
Total income taxes	$	47,485		$	65,041		$	93,132
Earnings on common stock:
Regulated operations:
Electric	$	47,000		$	49,366		$	42,222
Natural gas distribution	37,732			32,225			27,102
Pipeline and midstream	26,905			20,620			22,060
	111,637			102,211			91,384
Nonregulated operations:
Pipeline and midstream	1,554			(127		)	1,375
Construction materials and contracting	92,647			123,398			102,687
Construction services	64,309			53,306			33,945
Other	(761		)	(1,422		)	(3,231		)
	157,749			175,155			134,776
Intersegment eliminations (a)	—			6,849			6,251
Earnings on common stock before income (loss) from discontinued operations	269,386			284,215			232,411
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax (a)	2,932			(3,783		)	(300,354		)
Loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interest	—			—			(131,691		)
Earnings on common stock	$	272,318		$	280,432		$	63,748
Capital expenditures:
Electric	$	186,105		$	109,107		$	111,134
Natural gas distribution	205,896			146,981			126,272
Pipeline and midstream	70,057			31,054			34,467
Construction materials and contracting	280,396			44,302			37,845
Construction services	25,081			18,630			60,344
Other	1,768			1,850			2,358
Total capital expenditures (b)	$	769,303		$	351,924		$	372,420

	2018		2017		2016
			(In thousands)
Assets:
Electric (c)	$	1,613,822	$	1,470,922	$	1,406,694
Natural gas distribution (c)	2,375,871		2,201,081		2,099,296
Pipeline and midstream	616,959		566,295		550,615
Construction materials and contracting	1,508,032		1,238,696		1,220,459
Construction services	604,798		591,382		513,093
Other (d)	266,111		261,419		283,255
Assets held for sale	2,517		4,871		211,055
Total assets	$	6,988,110	$	6,334,666	$	6,284,467
Property, plant and equipment:
Electric (c)	$	2,148,569	$	1,982,264	$	1,888,613
Natural gas distribution (c)	2,499,093		2,319,845		2,179,413
Pipeline and midstream	764,959		700,284		672,199
Construction materials and contracting	1,768,006		1,560,048		1,549,375
Construction services	188,586		177,265		171,361
Other	28,108		31,123		49,268
Less accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization	2,818,644		2,691,641		2,578,902
Net property, plant and equipment	$	4,578,677	$	4,079,188	$	3,931,327

(a) Includes eliminations for the presentation of income tax adjustments between continuing and discontinued operations.

(b) $33.4 million, $10.5 million and $(15.8) million, respectively.

(c) Includes allocations of common utility property.

(d) Includes assets not directly assignable to a business (i.e. cash and cash equivalents, certain accounts receivable, certain investments and other miscellaneous current and deferred assets).