PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Disclosures [Abstract]

Schedule of defined benefit plan disclosures

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, net periodic benefit cost related to the SJI employee and officer pension and other postretirement benefit plans consisted of the following components (in thousands):

	Pension Benefits
	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2020		2019		2020		2019
Service Cost	$	974	$	1,387	$	4,349	$	4,187
Interest Cost	3,862		4,307		11,388		12,971
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(5,569)		(5,077)		(16,473)		(15,213)
Amortizations:
Prior Service Cost	26		26		79		79
Actuarial Loss	2,647		2,398		8,077		7,195
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	1,940		3,041		7,420		9,219
Capitalized Benefit Cost	(410)		(454)		(1,470)		(1,423)
Deferred Benefit Cost	(377)		(516)		(1,193)		(1,710)
Total Net Periodic Benefit Expense	$	1,153	$	2,071	$	4,757	$	6,086

	Other Postretirement Benefits
	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2020		2019		2020		2019
Service Cost	$	182	$	129	$	511	$	400
Interest Cost	560		729		1,775		2,163
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(1,345)		(1,147)		(4,036)		(3,428)
Amortizations:
Prior Service Cost	(180)		(144)		(468)		(432)
Actuarial Loss	255		292		640		876
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	(528)		(141)		(1,578)		(421)
Capitalized Benefit Cost	57		(115)		(157)		(270)
Deferred Benefit Cost	(90)		118		701		352
Total Net Periodic Benefit Expense	$	(561)	$	(138)	$	(1,034)	$	(339)