Unaudited Financial Information (Table)

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Significant regulatory assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2018 and September 30, 2018 included the following:



	December 31, 2018		September 30, 2018
	(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefit costs	$	7,188	$	6,496
Infrastructure mechanisms⁽¹⁾	85,071		96,739
Deferred gas costs	11,621		1,927
Recoverable loss on reacquired debt	8,076		8,702
Deferred pipeline record collection costs	22,122		20,467
Rate case costs	1,866		2,741
Other	6,422		6,739
	$	142,366	$	143,811
Regulatory liabilities:
Regulatory excess deferred taxes⁽²⁾	$	740,896	$	744,895
Regulatory cost of service reserve⁽³⁾	19,281		22,508
Regulatory cost of removal obligation	523,644		522,175
Deferred gas costs	85,820		94,705
Asset retirement obligation	12,887		12,887
APT annual adjustment mechanism	44,619		35,228
Pension and postretirement benefit costs	70,969		69,113
Other	14,354		9,486
	$	1,512,470	$	1,510,997


(1)	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.


(2)	The TCJA resulted in the remeasurement of the net deferred tax liability included in our rate base. Of this amount, $23.1 million is recorded in other current liabilities. The period and timing of the return of the excess deferred taxes is being determined by regulators in each of our jurisdictions. See Note 13 for further information.

(3)

Effective January 1, 2018, regulators in each of our service areas required us to establish a regulatory liability for the difference in recoverable federal taxes included in revenues based on the former 35% federal statutory rate and the new 21% federal statutory rate for service provided on or after January 1, 2018. The period and timing of the return of this liability to utility customers is being determined by regulators in each of our jurisdictions. See Note 13 for further information.

Schedule of Regulatory Liabilities

Significant regulatory assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2018 and September 30, 2018 included the following:



	December 31, 2018		September 30, 2018
	(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefit costs	$	7,188	$	6,496
Infrastructure mechanisms⁽¹⁾	85,071		96,739
Deferred gas costs	11,621		1,927
Recoverable loss on reacquired debt	8,076		8,702
Deferred pipeline record collection costs	22,122		20,467
Rate case costs	1,866		2,741
Other	6,422		6,739
	$	142,366	$	143,811
Regulatory liabilities:
Regulatory excess deferred taxes⁽²⁾	$	740,896	$	744,895
Regulatory cost of service reserve⁽³⁾	19,281		22,508
Regulatory cost of removal obligation	523,644		522,175
Deferred gas costs	85,820		94,705
Asset retirement obligation	12,887		12,887
APT annual adjustment mechanism	44,619		35,228
Pension and postretirement benefit costs	70,969		69,113
Other	14,354		9,486
	$	1,512,470	$	1,510,997


(1)	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.


(2)	The TCJA resulted in the remeasurement of the net deferred tax liability included in our rate base. Of this amount, $23.1 million is recorded in other current liabilities. The period and timing of the return of the excess deferred taxes is being determined by regulators in each of our jurisdictions. See Note 13 for further information.

(3)