Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Table)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Significant regulatory assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2013 and 2012 included the following:



	September 30
	2013		2012
	(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefit costs⁽¹⁾	$	187,977	$	296,160
Merger and integration costs, net	5,250		5,754
Deferred gas costs	15,152		31,359
Regulatory cost of removal asset	10,008		10,500
Rate case costs	6,329		4,661
Deferred franchise fees	—		2,714
Texas Rule 8.209⁽²⁾	30,364		5,370
APT annual adjustment mechanism	5,853		4,539
Recoverable loss on reacquired debt	21,435		23,944
Other	4,380		7,262
	$	286,748	$	392,263
Regulatory liabilities:
Deferred gas costs	$	16,481	$	23,072
Deferred franchise fees	1,689		—
Regulatory cost of removal obligation	427,524		459,688
Other	7,887		5,637
	$	453,581	$	488,397


⁽¹⁾	Includes $17.4 million and $7.6 million of pension and postretirement expense deferred pursuant to regulatory authorization.


⁽²⁾	Texas Rule 8.209 is a Railroad Commission rule that allows for the deferral of all expenses associated with capital expenditures incurred pursuant to this rule, including the recording of interest on the deferred expenses until the next rate proceeding (rate case or annual rate filing), at which time investment and costs would be recovered through base rates.

^[1],[2]

[1]	Includes $17.4 million and $7.6 million of pension and postretirement expense deferred pursuant to regulatory authorization.
[2]	Texas Rule 8.209 is a Railroad Commission rule that allows for the deferral of all expenses associated with capital expenditures incurred pursuant to this rule, including the recording of interest on the deferred expenses until the next rate proceeding (rate case or annual rate filing), at which time investment and costs would be recovered through base rates.