PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS

PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS:

For the three and nine months ended  September 30, 2013 and 2012, net periodic benefit cost related to the employee and officer pension and other postretirement benefit plans consisted of the following components (in thousands):

	Pension Benefits						Pension Benefits
	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2013			2012			2013			2012
Service Cost	$	1,040		$	873		$	3,120		$	2,619
Interest Cost	1,811			1,853			5,434			5,559
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(2,286		)	(1,991		)	(6,859		)	(5,974		)
Amortizations:
Prior Service Cost	48			48			144			145
Actuarial Loss	1,729			1,469			5,185			4,407
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	2,342			2,252			7,024			6,756
Capitalized Benefit Costs	(1,218		)	(1,306		)	(3,653		)	(3,513		)
Total Net Periodic Benefit Expense	$	1,124		$	946		$	3,371		$	3,243

	Other Postretirement Benefits						Other Postretirement Benefits
	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2013			2012			2013			2012
Service Cost	$	212		$	198		$	637		$	594
Interest Cost	509			573			1,526			1,719
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(443		)	(402		)	(1,329		)	(1,206		)
Amortizations:
Prior Service Credits	(53		)	(54		)	(159		)	(162		)
Actuarial Loss	324			329			972			988
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	549			644			1,647			1,933
Capitalized Benefit Costs	(285		)	(374		)	(856		)	(1,005		)
Total Net Periodic Benefit Expense	$	264		$	270		$	791		$	928

Capitalized benefit costs reflected in the table above relate to our construction program.

SJG contributed $9.1 million and $19.8 million to the pension plans in January 2013 and 2012, respectively. No additional contributions are expected to be made to the pension plans during 2013. Payments related to the unfunded Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (SERP) are expected to approximate $1.2 million in 2013. We also have a regulatory obligation to contribute approximately $3.6 million annually to the other postretirement benefit plans’ trusts, less direct costs incurred.

See Note 11 to the Financial Statements in Item 8 of SJG’s Form 10-K as of December 31, 2012 for additional information related to SJG’s pension and other postretirement benefits.