Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Table)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Significant regulatory assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2014 and 2013 included the following:



	September 30
	2014		2013
	(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefit costs⁽¹⁾	$	162,777	$	187,977
Merger and integration costs, net	4,730		5,250
Deferred gas costs	20,069		15,152
Regulatory cost of removal asset	—		10,008
Rate case costs	3,757		6,329
Texas Rule 8.209⁽²⁾	26,948		30,364
APT annual adjustment mechanism	8,479		5,853
Recoverable loss on reacquired debt	18,877		21,435
Other	4,672		4,380
	$	250,309	$	286,748
Regulatory liabilities:
Deferred gas costs	$	35,063	$	16,481
Deferred franchise fees	5,268		1,689
Regulatory cost of removal obligation	490,448		427,524
Other	14,980		7,887
	$	545,759	$	453,581

^[1],[2]

[1]	Includes $18.8 million and $17.4 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.