Income Taxes (Table)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Income Taxes Tables Abstract

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit)

			2011		2010		2009
		(In thousands)
Current
	Federal	$	(11,204)	$	(72,234)	$	(37,141)
	State		6,533		6,179		8,720
Deferred
	Federal		112,612		179,271		134,912
	State		5,920		11,429		(8,739)
Investment tax credits			(172)		(283)		(390)
		$	113,689	$	124,362	$	97,362

Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation

			2011		2010		2009
			(In thousands)
Tax at statutory rate of 35%		$	109,401	$	112,922	$	98,231
Common stock dividends deductible
	for tax reporting		(1,930)		(1,785)		(1,591)
Penalties			2,294		107		72
Settlement of uncertain tax positions			(4,950)		-		-
State taxes (net of federal benefit)			8,184		11,445		(13)
Other, net			690		1,673		663
Income tax expense		$	113,689	$	124,362	$	97,362

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities

				2011		2010
				(In thousands)
Deferred tax assets:
	Accruals not currently deductible for tax purposes		$	10,327	$	9,182
	Customer advances			5,271		5,723
	Nonqualified benefit plans			43,924		43,427
	Postretirement benefits			62,274		57,386
	Treasury lock agreements			20,060		3,211
	Unamortized investment tax credit			120		183
	Tax net operating loss and credit carryforwards			95,293		63,621
	Difference between book and tax on mark to market
		accounting		8,039		2,159
	Other, net			3,529		4,559
		Total deferred tax assets		248,837		189,451
Deferred tax liabilities:
	Difference in net book value and net tax value
		of assets		(1,108,063)		(940,914)
	Pension funding			(7,533)		(14,936)
	Gas cost adjustments			(13,570)		(6,473)
	Cost expensed for tax purposes and capitalized for book
		purposes		(3,039)		(2,330)
		Total deferred tax liabilities		(1,132,205)		(964,653)
Net deferred tax liabilities			$	(883,368)	$	(775,202)
Deferred credits for rate regulated entities			$	325	$	587