Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Table)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of Regulatory Assets

Significant regulatory assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2020 and 2019 included the following:

	September 30
	2020		2019
	(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefit costs	$	149,089	$	86,089
Infrastructure mechanisms(1)	183,943		131,894
Deferred gas costs	40,593		23,766
Recoverable loss on reacquired debt	4,894		6,551
Deferred pipeline record collection costs	29,839		26,418
Other	6,283		9,829
	$	414,641	$	284,547
Regulatory liabilities:
Regulatory excess deferred taxes(2)	$	718,651	$	726,307
Regulatory cost of service reserve	1,716		5,238
Regulatory cost of removal obligation	531,096		528,893
Deferred gas costs	19,985		14,112
Asset retirement obligation	20,348		17,054
APT annual adjustment mechanism	57,379		78,402
Other	17,838		16,120
	$	1,367,013	$	1,386,126

(1) Infrastructure mechanisms in Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee allow for the deferral of all eligible expenses associated with capital expenditures incurred pursuant to these rules, 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.

(2)

Due to the passage of the Kansas House Bill 2585, on June 1, 2020, we remeasured our deferred tax liability and updated our state deferred tax rate resulting in a $12.1 million regulatory liability as of September 30, 2020. The remaining amount reflects the remeasurement of the net deferred tax liability included in our rate base as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the TCJA). Of this amount, $20.9 million as of September 30, 2020 and $21.2 million as of September 30, 2019 is recorded in other current liabilities. See Note 13 for further information.

Schedule of Regulatory Liabilities

Significant regulatory assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2020 and 2019 included the following:

	September 30
	2020		2019
	(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefit costs	$	149,089	$	86,089
Infrastructure mechanisms(1)	183,943		131,894
Deferred gas costs	40,593		23,766
Recoverable loss on reacquired debt	4,894		6,551
Deferred pipeline record collection costs	29,839		26,418
Other	6,283		9,829
	$	414,641	$	284,547
Regulatory liabilities:
Regulatory excess deferred taxes(2)	$	718,651	$	726,307
Regulatory cost of service reserve	1,716		5,238
Regulatory cost of removal obligation	531,096		528,893
Deferred gas costs	19,985		14,112
Asset retirement obligation	20,348		17,054
APT annual adjustment mechanism	57,379		78,402
Other	17,838		16,120
	$	1,367,013	$	1,386,126

(1) Infrastructure mechanisms in Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee allow for the deferral of all eligible expenses associated with capital expenditures incurred pursuant to these rules, 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.

(2)

Due to the passage of the Kansas House Bill 2585, on June 1, 2020, we remeasured our deferred tax liability and updated our state deferred tax rate resulting in a $12.1 million regulatory liability as of September 30, 2020. The remaining amount reflects the remeasurement of the net deferred tax liability included in our rate base as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the TCJA). Of this amount, $20.9 million as of September 30, 2020 and $21.2 million as of September 30, 2019 is recorded in other current liabilities. See Note 13 for further information.

Schedule of Capitalization

The following table details amounts capitalized for the fiscal year ended September 30.

		2020		2019		2018
Component of AFUDC	Statement of Comprehensive Income Location	(In thousands)
Debt	Interest charges	$	8,436	$	7,643	$	6,810
Equity	Other non-operating income (expense)	23,493		11,165		—
		$	31,929	$	18,808	$	6,810