SEGMENTS OF BUSINESS (Details) (USD $) In Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2010
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	$ 137,621	$ 160,667	$ 630,020	$ 641,598
Operating income (loss)	(7,146)	537	78,340	74,585
Depreciation and amortization	11,965	11,425	35,385	33,275
Interest charges	6,242	6,276	18,457	16,906
Income taxes	(6,034)	(7,427)	19,480	14,809
Property additions	44,493	37,354	119,426	98,646
Indentifiable assets	2,083,026		2,083,026		2,076,615
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	145,652	170,135	660,618	669,029
Interest charges	7,165	6,559	20,932	17,540
Operating Segments [Member] \| Gas Utility Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	58,482	57,140	303,992	315,200
Operating income (loss)	2,860	1,335	68,418	58,350
Depreciation and amortization	10,463	10,137	31,141	29,362
Interest charges	4,539	4,775	14,463	12,953
Income taxes	(699)	(2,132)	22,412	18,132
Property additions	38,792	22,855	97,868	81,388
Indentifiable assets	1,516,458		1,516,458		1,468,635
Operating Segments [Member] \| Wholesale Energy Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	(5,274)	21,792	49,472	71,460
Operating income (loss)	(9,379)	4,790	1,716	15,440
Depreciation and amortization	64	63	198	200
Interest charges	4	54	26	81
Income taxes	(3,547)	2,145	1,473	6,794
Property additions	53	14	83	20
Indentifiable assets	210,449		210,449		237,978
Operating Segments [Member] \| Retail Energy Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	86,656	86,073	289,332	266,328
Operating income (loss)	(781)	(5,727)	8,319	(94)
Depreciation and amortization	1,279	1,075	3,548	3,225
Interest charges	1,845	1,358	4,482	3,817
Income taxes	(1,880)	(7,531)	(4,571)	(10,386)
Property additions	5,624	14,023	21,069	16,275
Indentifiable assets	253,515		253,515		224,507
Operating Segments [Member] \| Retail Energy Operations [Member] \| Retail Gas and Other Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	20,582	24,160	80,866	85,775
Operating income (loss)	(150)	241	564	887
Depreciation and amortization	8	8	25	26
Interest charges	46	66	157	123
Income taxes	(59)	144	479	634
Property additions	3	15	18	29
Indentifiable assets	20,814		20,814		21,532
Operating Segments [Member] \| Retail Energy Operations [Member] \| Retail Electric Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	51,305	45,762	165,458	136,580
Operating income (loss)	(888)	(8,301)	5,953	(5,871)
Income taxes	(363)	(3,375)	2,432	(2,377)
Indentifiable assets	32,217		32,217		37,383
Operating Segments [Member] \| Retail Energy Operations [Member] \| On-site Energy Production [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	11,049	11,003	30,700	29,533
Operating income (loss)	578	1,962	2,945	4,517
Depreciation and amortization	1,185	981	3,288	2,937
Interest charges	1,799	1,292	4,325	3,694
Income taxes	(1,621)	(4,457)	(9,278)	(8,812)
Property additions	5,510	13,958	20,807	16,122
Indentifiable assets	182,256		182,256		147,064
Operating Segments [Member] \| Retail Energy Operations [Member] \| Appliance Service Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	3,720	5,148	12,308	14,440
Operating income (loss)	(321)	371	(1,143)	373
Depreciation and amortization	86	86	235	262
Income taxes	163	157	1,796	169
Property additions	111	50	244	124
Indentifiable assets	18,228		18,228		18,528
Operating Segments [Member] \| Corporate and Services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	5,788	5,130	17,822	16,041
Operating income (loss)	154	139	(113)	889
Depreciation and amortization	159	150	498	488
Interest charges	777	372	1,961	689
Income taxes	92	91	166	269
Property additions	24	462	406	963
Indentifiable assets	117,560		117,560		168,788
Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	(8,031)	(9,468)	(30,598)	(27,431)
Interest charges	(923)	(283)	(2,475)	(634)
Indentifiable assets	(15,173)		(15,173)		(24,183)
Segment, Discontinued Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Indentifiable assets	$ 217		$ 217		$ 890

Total expenditures for additions to long-lived assets other than financial instruments, long-term customer relationships of a financial institution, mortgage and other servicing rights, deferred policy acquisition costs, and deferred tax assets of the reportable segment; if the amount: (a) is included in the determination of segment assets reviewed by the chief operating decision maker or (b) is otherwise regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker, even if not included in the determination of segment assets.

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