Employee benefit plans

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Pension and other postretirement benefit plans

Employee benefit plans

Pension and other postretirement plans

The Company has noncontributory qualified defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans for certain eligible employees. Components of net periodic benefit cost (credit) for the Company's pension and other postretirement benefit plans were as follows:



	Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement Benefits
Three Months Ended September 30,	2019			2018			2019			2018
	(In thousands)
Components of net periodic benefit cost (credit):
Service cost	$	—		$	—		$	286		$	374
Interest cost	3,806			3,648			746			725
Expected return on assets	(4,559		)	(5,188		)	(1,201		)	(1,217		)
Amortization of prior service credit	—			—			(289		)	(349		)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	1,387			1,751			27			160
Net periodic benefit cost (credit), including amount capitalized	634			211			(431		)	(307		)
Less amount capitalized	—			—			26			46
Net periodic benefit cost (credit)	$	634		$	211		$	(457	)	$	(353	)



	Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement Benefits
Nine Months Ended September 30,	2019			2018			2019			2018
	(In thousands)
Components of net periodic benefit cost (credit):
Service cost	$	—		$	—		$	857		$	1,121
Interest cost	11,419			10,943			2,239			2,175
Expected return on assets	(13,677		)	(15,565		)	(3,603		)	(3,650		)
Amortization of prior service credit	—			—			(866		)	(1,046		)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	4,160			5,254			82			480
Net periodic benefit cost (credit), including amount capitalized	1,902			632			(1,291		)	(920		)
Less amount capitalized	—			—			84			128
Net periodic benefit cost (credit)	$	1,902		$	632		$	(1,375	)	$	(1,048	)

The components of net periodic benefit cost (credit), other than the service cost component, are included in other income on the Consolidated Statements of Income. The service cost component is included in operation and maintenance expense on the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Nonqualified defined benefit plans

In addition to the qualified defined benefit pension plans reflected in the table at the beginning of this note, the Company also has unfunded, nonqualified defined benefit plans for executive officers and certain key management employees. The Company's net periodic benefit cost for these plans for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, was $1.1 million and $3.3 million, respectively. The Company's net periodic benefit cost for these plans for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, was $1.1 million and $3.3 million, respectively. The components of net periodic benefit cost for these plans, which does not contain any service costs, are included in other income on the Consolidated Statements of Income.