Unaudited Financial Information (Table)

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Significant regulatory assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016 included the following:



	December 31, 2016		September 30, 2016
	(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefit costs⁽¹⁾	$	128,947	$	132,348
Infrastructure mechanisms⁽²⁾	49,098		42,719
Deferred gas costs	18,345		45,184
Recoverable loss on reacquired debt	13,122		13,761
Deferred pipeline record collection costs	8,125		7,336
APT annual adjustment mechanism	5,194		7,171
Rate case costs	1,460		1,539
Other	13,030		13,565
	$	237,321	$	263,623
Regulatory liabilities:
Regulatory cost of removal obligations	$	479,667	$	476,891
Deferred gas costs	17,416		20,180
Asset retirement obligations	13,404		13,404
Other	6,920		4,250
	$	517,407	$	514,725


⁽¹⁾	Includes $12.1 million and $12.4 million of pension and postretirement expense deferred pursuant to regulatory authorization.


⁽²⁾	Infrastructure mechanisms in Texas and Louisiana allow for the deferral of all eligible expenses associated with capital expenditures incurred pursuant to these rules, including the recording of interest on deferred expenses until the next rate proceeding (rate case or annual rate filing), at which time investment and costs would be recoverable through base rates.