Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 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 June 30,	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)	88			456			4,739			5,325
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	7,578		$	8,407		$	2,270		$	2,158

	Retirement Plan						Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Nine Months Ended June 30,	2015			2014			2015			2014
Service Cost	$	9,036		$	8,990		$	2,019		$	2,204
Interest Cost	30,913			32,681			14,464			15,981
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(44,712		)	(44,980		)	(25,566		)	(28,067		)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)	137			157			(1,435		)	(1,604		)
Amortization of Losses	27,097			27,005			3,111			1,984
Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1)	8,434			10,591			17,055			19,314
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	30,905		$	34,444		$	9,648		$	9,812

⁽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.