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Pension Plan and Other Postretirement Benefits
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Pension Plan and Other Postretirement Benefits
Pension Plan and Other Postretirement Benefits
 
The Company provides a qualified, defined-benefit, non-contributory pension plan for substantially all employees. The Company makes annual contributions to fund the amounts accrued for in the qualified pension plan. The Company also maintains an unfunded, non-qualified, supplemental executive retirement plan. The costs of the plans are charged to expense or are capitalized in utility plant as appropriate.
 
The Company offers medical, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits for retirees and their spouses and dependents. Participants are required to pay a premium, which offsets a portion of the cost.
 
Cash contributions by the Company related to pension plans were $22.2 million and $20.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Cash contributions by the Company related to other postretirement benefit plans were $2.3 million and $6.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The total 2017 estimated cash contribution to the pension plans is $29.8 million and to the other postretirement benefit plans is $9.0 million.
 
The following table lists components of net periodic benefit costs for the pension plans and other postretirement benefits. The data listed under “pension plan” includes the qualified pension plan and the non-qualified supplemental executive retirement plan. The data listed under “other benefits” is for all other postretirement benefits.
 
 
Three Months Ended September 30
 
Pension Plan
 
Other Benefits
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
Service cost
$
6,122

 
$
5,594

 
$
2,169

 
$
1,045

Interest cost
5,861

 
5,764

 
1,491

 
625

Expected return on plan assets
(6,031
)
 
(5,462
)
 
(1,218
)
 
(1,005
)
Amortization of prior service cost
1,445

 
1,555

 
11

 
10

Recognized net actuarial loss
1,881

 
1,743

 
649

 
(482
)
Net periodic benefit cost
$
9,278

 
$
9,194

 
$
3,102

 
$
193

 

 
Nine Months Ended September 30
 
Pension Plan
 
Other Benefits
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
Service cost
$
17,851

 
$
15,728

 
$
6,207

 
$
5,653

Interest cost
17,442

 
16,670

 
4,472

 
4,225

Expected return on plan assets
(18,090
)
 
(16,370
)
 
(3,653
)
 
(3,097
)
Amortization of prior service cost
4,336

 
4,664

 
32

 
32

Recognized net actuarial loss
5,386

 
4,329

 
1,947

 
2,041

Net periodic benefit cost
$
26,925

 
$
25,021

 
$
9,005

 
$
8,854