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Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits
 3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
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 December 31,
2015
2014
 
2015
2014





 




Service Cost
$
2,928

$
3,012

 
$
583

$
673

Interest Cost
10,579

10,304

 
5,096

4,821

Expected Return on Plan Assets
(14,842
)
(14,904
)
 
(7,883
)
(8,522
)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)
308

46

 
(228
)
(478
)
Amortization of Losses
8,062

9,032

 
1,382

1,037

Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1)
1,906

1,292

 
4,121

4,920






 




Net Periodic Benefit Cost
$
8,941

$
8,782

 
$
3,071

$
2,451

 
 
 
 
 
 
(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 three months ended December 31, 2015, the Company contributed $4.0 million to its tax-qualified, noncontributory defined-benefit retirement plan (Retirement Plan) and $0.7 million to its VEBA trusts and 401(h) accounts for its other post-retirement benefits.  In the remainder of 2016, the Company expects its contributions to the Retirement Plan to be in the range of $1.0 million to $6.0 million.  In the remainder of 2016, the Company expects to contribute approximately $2.0 million to its VEBA trusts and 401(h) accounts.