Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2015

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost

Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (in thousands):

	Retirement Plan						Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Three Months Ended March 31,	2015			2014			2015			2014
Service Cost	$	3,012		$	2,997		$	673		$	735
Interest Cost	10,304			10,893			4,821			5,327
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(14,904		)	(14,993		)	(8,522		)	(9,356		)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)	46			52			(478		)	(534		)
Amortization of Losses	9,032			9,002			1,037			661
Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1)	7,055			8,557			7,396			7,928
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	14,545		$	16,508		$	4,927		$	4,761

	Retirement Plan						Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Six Months Ended March 31,	2015			2014			2015			2014
Service Cost	$	6,024		$	5,993		$	1,346		$	1,469
Interest Cost	20,608			21,787			9,642			10,654
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(29,808		)	(29,986		)	(17,044		)	(18,712		)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)	92			105			(956		)	(1,069		)
Amortization of Losses	18,065			18,003			2,074			1,323
Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1)	8,346			10,135			12,316			13,988
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	23,327		$	26,037		$	7,378		$	7,653

⁽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.