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Pension Plan and Other Postretirement Benefits
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
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.
 
There were no cash contributions made to the pension plans for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and there were cash contributions of $7.3 million made to the pension plans for the three months ended March 31, 2018. Cash contributions made by the Company related to other postretirement benefit plans were $1.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and there were no cash contributions made by the Company related to other postretirement benefit plans for the three months ended March 31, 2018. The total 2019 estimated cash contribution to the pension plans is $18.8 million and to the other postretirement benefit plans is $7.9 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 March 31
 
Pension Plan
 
Other Benefits
 
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
Service cost
$
6,565

 
$
7,402

 
$
1,762

 
$
2,550

Interest cost
6,642

 
5,995

 
1,337

 
1,484

Expected return on plan assets
(7,567
)
 
(6,862
)
 
(1,435
)
 
(1,416
)
Amortization of prior service cost
1,262

 
1,263

 
49

 
11

Recognized net actuarial loss
1,312

 
2,797

 
104

 
773

Net periodic benefit cost
$
8,214

 
$
10,595

 
$
1,817

 
$
3,402


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Service cost portion of the pension plan and other postretirement benefits is recognized in "administrative and general" expenses within the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. Other components of net periodic benefit costs include interest costs, expected return on plan assets, amortization of prior service costs, and recognized net actuarial loss and are reported together as "other components of net periodic benefit cost" within the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.