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Benefits
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
General Discussion of Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits [Abstract]  
BENEFITS
BENEFITS

The components of our net periodic pension and Other Post-Retirement Employee Benefits (OPEB) costs for the three months ended March 31 were as follows:
 
Pension Costs
OPEB Costs
Benefit Plan Cost Components
2015
 
2014
 
2015
 
2014
 
(Millions of Dollars)
Net Periodic Benefit Cost
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Service cost
$
3.7

 
$
2.5

 
$
2.4

 
$
2.1

Interest cost
13.3

 
14.8

 
3.4

 
3.6

Expected return on plan assets
(21.0
)
 
(19.8
)
 
(4.0
)
 
(4.0
)
Amortization of:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prior service cost (credit)
0.5

 
0.5

 
(0.3
)
 
(0.4
)
Actuarial loss
9.0

 
6.6

 
0.3

 
—

Net Periodic Benefit Cost
$
5.5

 
$
4.6

 
$
1.8

 
$
1.3

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

We contributed $100.0 million to our qualified pension plan during the first three months of 2015. No such contribution was made during the first three months of 2014.

Postemployment Benefits:   Postemployment benefits provided to former or inactive employees are recognized when an event occurs. The estimated liability for such benefits was $1.8 million as of both March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014.