Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2023

Retirement Benefits [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 June 30,	2023		2022		2023		2022
Service Cost	$	1,297	$	2,190	$	147	$	332
Interest Cost	10,629		5,707		3,912		2,267
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(16,648)		(13,074)		(6,403)		(7,340)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)	109		134		(107)		(107)
Amortization of (Gains) Losses	(1,920)		6,601		(2,189)		(1,903)
Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1)	5,378		3,470		3,829		5,351
Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Income)	$	(1,155)	$	5,028	$	(811)	$	(1,400)

	Retirement Plan				Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Nine Months Ended June 30,	2023		2022		2023		2022
Service Cost	$	3,891	$	6,568	$	440	$	996
Interest Cost	31,887		17,121		11,736		6,800
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(49,945)		(39,221)		(19,210)		(22,020)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)	327		403		(321)		(321)
Amortization of (Gains) Losses	(5,760)		19,803		(6,566)		(5,708)
Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1)	16,134		16,308		11,143		15,870
Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Income)	$	(3,466)	$	20,982	$	(2,778)	$	(4,383)

(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.

    The components of net periodic benefit cost other than service cost are presented in Other Income (Deductions) on the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Employer Contributions.    The Company did not make any contributions to its tax-qualified, noncontributory defined benefit retirement plan (Retirement Plan) or its VEBA trusts for its other post-retirement benefits during the nine months ended June 30, 2023, and does not anticipate making any such contributions during the remainder of fiscal 2023.