Income Taxes (Table)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Income Taxes Tables [Abstract]

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit)

			2012		2011		2010
		(In thousands)
Current
	Federal	$	631	$	(13,298)	$	(70,884)
	State		6,888		6,841		6,849
Deferred
	Federal		103,971		107,950		172,690
	State		(13,237)		5,498		10,831
Investment tax credits			(27)		(172)		(283)
		$	98,226	$	106,819	$	119,203

			2012		2011		2010
		(In thousands)
Current
	Federal	$	631	$	(13,298)	$	(70,884)
	State		6,888		6,841		6,849
Deferred
	Federal		103,971		107,950		172,690
	State		(13,237)		5,498		10,831
Investment tax credits			(27)		(172)		(283)
		$	98,226	$	106,819	$	119,203

Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation

			2012		2011		2010
			(In thousands)
Tax at statutory rate of 35%		$	101,648	$	103,743	$	108,169
Common stock dividends deductible
	for tax reporting		(2,096)		(1,930)		(1,785)
Penalties			66		2,292		104
Recognition (settlement) of uncertain tax positions			1,831		(4,950)		-
State taxes (net of federal benefit)			(5,958)		8,109		11,493
Other, net			2,735		(445)		1,222
Income tax expense		$	98,226	$	106,819	$	119,203

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities

				2012		2011
				(In thousands)
Deferred tax assets:
	Accruals not currently deductible for tax purposes		$	7,906	$	10,327
	Customer advances			4,721		5,271
	Nonqualified benefit plans			48,513		43,924
	Postretirement benefits			62,802		62,274
	Treasury lock agreements			25,448		20,060
	Unamortized investment tax credit			14		120
	Tax net operating loss and credit carryforwards			164,419		95,293
	Difference between book and tax on mark to market
		accounting		2,342		8,039
	Other, net			7,223		3,529
		Total deferred tax assets		323,388		248,837
Deferred tax liabilities:
	Difference in net book value and net tax value
		of assets		(1,254,698)		(1,108,063)
	Pension funding			(32,812)		(7,533)
	Gas cost adjustments			(21,806)		(13,570)
	Cost expensed for tax purposes and capitalized for book
		purposes		(2,065)		(3,039)
		Total deferred tax liabilities		(1,311,381)		(1,132,205)
Net deferred tax liabilities			$	(987,993)	$	(883,368)
Deferred credits for rate regulated entities			$	140	$	325