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EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS (Tables)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments
Expected payments to be made for the pension and SERP plans are shown in the table below:
Year Ending December 31,PensionSERPTotal
2025$22,139 $3,136 $25,275 
202623,923 3,409 27,332 
202725,731 3,707 29,438 
202827,667 4,083 31,750 
202929,565 4,434 33,999 
2030-2034178,009 27,421 205,430 
Total payments$307,034 $46,190 $353,224 
Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures
The expected benefit payments, net of retiree premiums and Medicare Part D subsidies, are shown in the table below.
Year Ending December 31,    
Expected Benefit Payments Before Medicare Part D Subsidy		Effect of Medicare Part D Subsidy on Expected Benefit PaymentsExpected Benefit Payments Net of Medicare Part D Subsidy
2025$4,833 $(262)$4,571 
20265,229 (292)4,937 
20275,687 (322)5,365 
20286,166 (357)5,809 
20296,545 (394)6,151 
2030-203440,376 (2,485)37,891 
Total payments$68,836 $(4,112)$64,724 
Summary of target asset allocation percentages for major categories of the pension plan
The Company’s target asset allocation percentages for major categories of the Plan assets are reflected in the table below:
Minimum
Exposure		TargetMaximum
Exposure
Fixed Income35 %40 %45 %
Domestic Equity
35 %40 %45 %
Emerging markets
3 %6 %9 %
Non-U.S. Equities11 %14 %17 %
The following tables present the fair value of plan assets by major asset category at December 31, 2024 and 2023:
December 31, 2024
 Pension BenefitsOther Benefits
 Level 1Level 2Level 3TotalLevel 1Level 2Level 3Total
Fixed Income$288 $— $— $288 $21,769 $— $— $21,769 
Domestic Equity
— — — — 7,039 — — 7,039 
Non U.S. Equities— — — — 7,390 — — 7,390 
Emerging markets— — — — 3,151 — — 3,151 
Assets measured at net asset value (NAV)— — — 749,759 — — — 135,005 
Total Plan Assets$288 $— $— $750,047 $39,349 $— $— $174,354 
December 31, 2023
 Pension BenefitsOther Benefits
 Level 1Level 2Level 3TotalLevel 1Level 2Level 3Total
Fixed Income$407 $— $— $407 $21,891 $— $— $21,891 
Domestic Equity
— — — — 6,437 — — 6,437 
Non U.S. Equities— — — — 7,268 — — 7,268 
Emerging markets— — — — 3,090 — — 3,090 
Assets measured at NAV— — — 715,866 — — — 124,681 
Total Plan Assets$407 $— $— $716,273 $38,686 $— $— $163,367 
Schedule of reconciliation of the funded status of the plans with the accrued pension liability and the net postretirement benefit liability
The following table reconciles the funded status of the plans with the accrued pension liability and the net postretirement benefit liability as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
 Pension BenefitsOther Benefits
 2024202320242023
Change in projected benefit obligation:    
Beginning of year$710,769 $685,254 $134,733 $101,752 
Service cost23,421 22,159 6,048 4,489 
Interest cost36,244 34,190 6,900 5,219 
Actuarial (gain) loss
(54,744)(8,532)(17,131)27,208 
Benefits paid, net of retiree premiums(23,599)(22,302)(2,281)(3,935)
End of year$692,091 $710,769 $128,269 $134,733 
Change in plan assets:    
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year$716,273 $637,330 $163,367 $144,686 
Actual return on plan assets53,687 95,280 13,269 22,133 
Employer contributions3,686 5,965 — 189 
Retiree contributions and Medicare part D subsidies— — 2,446 2,449 
Benefits paid(23,599)(22,302)(4,906)(6,557)
Other adjustments— — 178 467 
Fair value of plan assets at end of year$750,047 $716,273 $174,354 $163,367 
Funded status (1)
$57,956 $5,504 $46,085 $28,634 
Unrecognized actuarial gain
(123,431)(66,073)(44,685)(26,764)
Unrecognized prior service cost2,154 2,680 1,273 1,428 
Net amount recognized$(63,321)$(57,889)$2,673 $3,298 
_______________________________________________________________________________
1.The short-term portion of the pension benefits was $3.1 million as of December 31, 2024 and $2.8 million as of December 31, 2023 and was recorded as part of other accrued liabilities on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Schedule of amounts recognized in consolidated balance sheets
Amounts recognized on the balance sheet consist of:
 Pension BenefitsOther Benefits
 2024202320242023
Noncurrent assets (1)$142,607 $91,051 $46,085 $28,634 
Accrued benefit costs— — (1)(1)
Accrued benefit liability (2)(84,651)(85,547)— — 
Regulatory liabilities (3)(131,297)(63,393)(43,411)(25,335)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (4)
10,020 — — — 
Net amount recognized$(63,321)$(57,889)$2,673 $3,298 
_______________________________________________________________________________
1.Noncurrent assets represent the overfunded status of the employee pension plan and PBOP plan in 2024 and 2023. The amounts are included in other noncurrent assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
2.Accrued benefit liability represents the underfunded status of the SERP plan in 2024 and 2023. The amounts are included in pension on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
3.Changes in the funded status of the plans that would be recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income for an unregulated entity are recorded as regulatory assets and liabilities as the Company believes it is probable that an amount equal to the regulatory asset or liability will be collected or refunded through the setting of future rates.
4.As a result of Cal Water’s 2021 GRC decision that was issued in March of 2024, SERP expenses were disallowed to be recovered from Cal Water’s customers. At this time, the Company believes it is not probable that SERP costs will be recovered in rates for the three-year period in which the 2021 GRC is in effect. As a result, the Company has reclassified its SERP regulatory asset for Cal Water to accumulated other comprehensive loss in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Schedule of actuarial assumptions used in determining the benefit obligation
Below are the actuarial assumptions used in determining the benefit obligation for the benefit plans:
 Pension BenefitsOther Benefits
 2024202320242023
Weighted average assumptions as of December 31:    
Discount rate - employee pension plan5.89 %5.25 %— — 
Discount rate - SERP5.82 %5.19 %— — 
Discount rate - other benefits— — 5.88 %5.25 %
Long-term rate of return on plan assets7.59 %7.56 %7.43 %7.41 %
Rate of compensation increases - employee pension plan4.25 %4.25 %— — 
Rate of compensation increases - SERP5.00 %5.00 %— — 
Cost of living adjustment2.20 %2.23 %— — 
Below are the actuarial assumptions used in determining the net periodic benefit costs for the benefit plans, which uses the end of the prior year as the measurement date:
 Pension BenefitsOther Benefits
 2024202320242023
Weighted average assumptions as of December 31:    
Discount rate - employee pension plan5.25 %5.27 %— — 
Discount rate - SERP5.19 %5.24 %— — 
Discount rate - other benefits— — 5.25 %5.27 %
Long-term rate of return on plan assets7.56 %7.50 %7.41 %7.36 %
Rate of compensation increases - employee pension plan4.25 %4.28 %— — 
Rate of compensation increases - SERP5.00 %5.00 %— — 
Cost of living adjustment2.23 %2.25 %— — 
Schedule of components of net periodic benefit costs for the pension plans and other postretirement benefits
Net periodic benefit costs for the pension and other postretirement plans for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, included the following components:
 Pension PlanOther Benefits
 202420232022202420232022
Service cost$23,421 $22,159 $34,847 $6,048 $4,489 $6,830 
Interest cost36,244 34,190 25,596 6,900 5,219 4,009 
Expected return on plan assets(52,941)(53,684)(45,228)(11,949)(10,543)(9,927)
Net amortization and deferral2,394 (3,043)5,781 (375)(2,019)(824)
Net periodic (income) cost
$9,118 $(378)$20,996 $624 $(2,854)$88