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Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits
 6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]  
Retirement Plan and Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Retirement Plan and Other Post-Retirement Benefits
 
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (in thousands):
 
 
Retirement Plan
 
Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Three Months Ended March 31,
2014
2013
 
2014
2013





 




Service Cost
$
2,997

$
3,961

 
$
735

$
1,176

Interest Cost
10,893

9,124

 
5,327

4,803

Expected Return on Plan Assets
(14,993
)
(14,336
)
 
(9,356
)
(8,218
)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)
52

60

 
(534
)
(534
)
Amortization of Transition Amount
—

—

 
—

2

Amortization of Losses
9,002

13,194

 
661

5,223

Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1)
8,557

1,724

 
7,928

6,459






 




Net Periodic Benefit Cost
$
16,508

$
13,727

 
$
4,761

$
8,911


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Retirement Plan
 
Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Six Months Ended March 31,
2014
2013
 
2014
2013
 
 
 
 
 
 
Service Cost
$
5,993

$
7,923

 
$
1,469

$
2,352

Interest Cost
21,787

18,249

 
10,654

9,606

Expected Return on Plan Assets
(29,986
)
(28,673
)
 
(18,712
)
(16,436
)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)
105

119

 
(1,069
)
(1,069
)
Amortization of Transition Amount
—

—

 
—

4

Amortization of Losses
18,003

26,388

 
1,323

10,446

Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1)
10,135

(1,958
)
 
13,988

9,162

 
 
 
 
 
 
Net Periodic Benefit Cost
$
26,037

$
22,048

 
$
7,653

$
14,065


(1) The Company’s policy is to record retirement plan and other post-retirement benefit costs in the Utility segment on a volumetric basis to reflect the fact that the Utility segment experiences higher throughput of natural gas in the winter months and lower throughput of natural gas in the summer months.
 
Employer Contributions.    During the six months ended March 31, 2014, the Company contributed $30.0 million to its tax-qualified, noncontributory defined-benefit retirement plan (Retirement Plan) and $2.0 million to its VEBA trusts and 401(h) accounts for its other post-retirement benefits.  In the remainder of 2014, the Company expects its contributions to the Retirement Plan to be in the range of zero to $5.0 million.  Changes in the discount rate, other actuarial assumptions, and asset performance could ultimately cause the Company to fund larger amounts to the Retirement Plan in fiscal 2014 in order to be in compliance with the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (as impacted by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act).  In July 2012, the Surface Transportation Extension Act, which is also referred to as the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (the Act), was passed by Congress and signed by the President.  The Act included pension funding stabilization provisions.  The Company is continually evaluating its future contributions in light of the provisions of the Act. In the remainder of 2014, the Company expects its contributions to its VEBA trusts and 401(h) accounts to be in the range of zero to $10.0 million.