2.4.0.82112100 - Disclosure - Investmentstruefalsefalse1falsefalsefalseD2013Q2YTDhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000073020duration2013-01-01T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:001true1us-gaap_InvestmentsAbstractus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse02false2invest_InvestmentTextBlockinvest_falsenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00<div style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;"><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold;">11. INVESTMENTS</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;"><hr></hr></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;">Equity Method Investments</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Palomar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PGH, is pursuing the development of a new gas transmission pipeline that would provide an interconnection with our utility distribution system. PGH is owned </font><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">50%</font><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> by NWN Energy and </font><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">50%</font><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> by TransCanada American Investments Ltd., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of TransCanada Corporation. PGH is a development stage VIE and Palomar is reported under equity method accounting based on the determination that we are not the primary beneficiary of PGH’s activities, as defined by the authoritative guidance related to consolidations, due to the fact that we have a </font><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">50%</font><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> share and there are no stipulations that allow disproportionate influence over the entity. Our investment in PGH and Palomar are included in other investments on our balance sheet. Our maximum loss exposure related to PGH is limited to our equity investment balance, less our share of any cash or other assets available to us as a </font><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">50%</font><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> owner. See Note 12 in our </font><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;">2012</font><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> Form 10-K for more detail.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;">Other Investments</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Other investments include financial investments in life insurance policies, which are accounted for at fair value. See Note 12 in the </font><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;">2012</font><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> Form 10-K for more detail on other investments.</font></div></div>falsefalsefalsenonnum:textBlockItemTypenaThe entire disclosure for investments, including all tables.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 6
-Section 10
-Paragraph (c)
-Subparagraph (1)
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