Unaudited Financial Information (Table)

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of Regulatory Assets

Significant regulatory assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2020 and September 30, 2020 included the following:

	December 31, 2020		September 30, 2020
	(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefit costs	$	146,734	$	149,089
Infrastructure mechanisms(1)	155,526		183,943
Deferred gas costs	11,322		40,593
Recoverable loss on reacquired debt	4,529		4,894
Deferred pipeline record collection costs	30,166		29,839
Other	4,969		6,283
	$	353,246	$	414,641
Regulatory liabilities:
Regulatory excess deferred taxes(2)	$	713,993	$	718,651
Regulatory cost of removal obligation	527,087		531,096
Deferred gas costs	15,196		19,985
Asset retirement obligation	20,348		20,348
APT annual adjustment mechanism	55,313		57,379
Other	19,433		19,554
	$	1,351,370	$	1,367,013

(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 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)Includes amount from 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") and a Kansas legislative change enacted in fiscal 2020. Of this amount, $18.8 million as of December 31, 2020 and $20.9 million as of September 30, 2020 is recorded in other current liabilities. These liabilities are currently being returned to customers in most of our jurisdictions on a provisional basis over 15 to 69 years until formal orders establish the final refund periods.

Schedule of Regulatory Liabilities

Significant regulatory assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2020 and September 30, 2020 included the following:

	December 31, 2020		September 30, 2020
	(In thousands)
Regulatory assets:
Pension and postretirement benefit costs	$	146,734	$	149,089
Infrastructure mechanisms(1)	155,526		183,943
Deferred gas costs	11,322		40,593
Recoverable loss on reacquired debt	4,529		4,894
Deferred pipeline record collection costs	30,166		29,839
Other	4,969		6,283
	$	353,246	$	414,641
Regulatory liabilities:
Regulatory excess deferred taxes(2)	$	713,993	$	718,651
Regulatory cost of removal obligation	527,087		531,096
Deferred gas costs	15,196		19,985
Asset retirement obligation	20,348		20,348
APT annual adjustment mechanism	55,313		57,379
Other	19,433		19,554
	$	1,351,370	$	1,367,013

(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 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)Includes amount from 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") and a Kansas legislative change enacted in fiscal 2020. Of this amount, $18.8 million as of December 31, 2020 and $20.9 million as of September 30, 2020 is recorded in other current liabilities. These liabilities are currently being returned to customers in most of our jurisdictions on a provisional basis over 15 to 69 years until formal orders establish the final refund periods.