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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Property, Plant and Equipment | The major components of depreciable plant and equipment as of December 31, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:
| 2013 |  | 2012
Equipment | $ | 226,557 |  |  | 214,670 |
Transmission and distribution | 967,031 |  |  | 892,957 |
Office buildings and other structures | 60,998 |  |  | 58,593 |
Total depreciable plant and equipment | $ | 1,254,586 |  |  | 1,166,220 |
Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated service lives of the assets, ranging from 5 to 75 years. The estimated service lives of depreciable plant and equipment are as follows:
| Useful Lives
Equipment | 5 to 35 years
Transmission and distribution plant | 35 to 75 years
Office buildings and other structures | 7 to 50 years
Schedule of Real Estate Investments | The major components of real estate investments as of December 31, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:
| 2013 |  | 2012
Land | $ | 18,892 |  |  | 18,892 |
Buildings and improvements | 59,256 |  |  | 55,011 |
Intangibles | 329 |  |  | 329 |
Total real estate investment | $ | 78,477 |  |  | 74,232 |
Disclosure of Long Lived Assets Held-for-sale | The following represents the major components of the Connecticut warehouse building recorded in long-lived assets held-for-sale on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2012.
| December 31, 2012
Land | $ | 1,200 |
Buildings and improvements | 8,684 |
Subtotal | 9,884 |
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization | 2,116 |
Total | $ | 7,768 |
Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments for Operating Leases | The following schedule shows the future minimum rental payments to be received from third parties under operating leases that have remaining noncancelable lease terms in excess of one year as of December 31, 2013:
Year ending December 31: | Rental Revenue
2014 | $ | 5,497 |
2015 | 5,616 |
2016 | 5,786 |
2017 | 5,883 |
2018 | 5,061 |
Thereafter | 31,817 |
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities | Regulatory assets and liabilities are comprised of the following as of December 31:
| 2013 |  | 2012
Regulatory assets: |  |  |
Income tax temporary differences, net | $ | 8,220 |  |  | 8,146 |
Postretirement pensions and other medical benefits | 62,949 |  |  | 113,633 |
Pension balancing account | 9,734 |  |  | 6,671 |
Water rate assistance program balancing account | 2,590 |  |  | 776 |
Other | 4,725 |  |  | 5,151 |
Total regulatory assets | $ | 88,218 |  |  | 134,377 |
Regulatory liabilities: |  |  |
Cost of capital memorandum account | $ | 2,297 |  |  | 2,295 |
Water supply balancing accounts | 2,378 |  |  | 1,594 |
Total regulatory liabilities | $ | 4,675 |  |  | 3,889 |
Net regulatory assets included in Consolidated Balance Sheets | $ | 83,543 |  |  | 130,488 |
Schedule of Estimated Refunds of Advances for Construction and Contributions in Aid of Construction | Estimated refunds for the next five years and thereafter are shown below:
| Estimated Refunds
2014 | $ | 2,402 |
2015 | 2,403 |
2016 | 2,402 |
2017 | 2,402 |
2018 | 2,402 |
Thereafter | 58,032 |
Schedule of Asset Retirement Obligations | For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the asset retirement obligation is as follows:
| 2013 |  | 2012
Retirement obligation | $ | 4,612 |  |  | 4,650 |
Discount rate | 6 | % |  | 6 | %
Present value, recorded as a liability | 1,733 |  |  | 1,807 |
Deferred tax | 1,192 |  |  | 1,242 |
Regulatory asset | $ | 2,925 |  |  | 3,049 |

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