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Employee Benefit Plans
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans Disclosure [Abstract]  
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]
Employee Benefit Plans

Domestic Operations

Net periodic benefit cost for the domestic pension and other postretirement benefit plans included the following components (in millions):
 
Three-Month Periods
 
Nine-Month Periods
 
Ended September 30,
 
Ended September 30,
 
2015
 
2014
 
2015
 
2014
Pension:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Service cost
$
8

 
$
11

 
$
24

 
$
28

Interest cost
30

 
32

 
91

 
98

Expected return on plan assets
(42
)
 
(41
)
 
(127
)
 
(123
)
Net amortization
13

 
8

 
41

 
28

Net periodic benefit cost
$
9

 
$
10

 
$
29

 
$
31

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other postretirement:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Service cost
$
2

 
$
4

 
$
8

 
$
11

Interest cost
6

 
11

 
22

 
34

Expected return on plan assets
(10
)
 
(14
)
 
(33
)
 
(39
)
Net amortization
(1
)
 
(1
)
 
(7
)
 
(3
)
Net periodic benefit cost
$
(3
)
 
$
—

 
$
(10
)
 
$
3



Employer contributions to the domestic pension and other postretirement benefit plans are expected to be $34 million and $2 million, respectively, during 2015. As of September 30, 2015, $8 million and $2 million of contributions had been made to the domestic pension and other postretirement benefit plans, respectively.
Utah Mine Disposition and Labor Agreement

In conjunction with the Utah Mine Disposition described in Note 5, in December 2014, Energy West Mining Company reached a labor settlement with the UMWA covering union employees at PacifiCorp's Deer Creek mining operations. As a result of the labor settlement, the UMWA agreed to assume PacifiCorp's other postretirement benefit obligation associated with UMWA plan participants in exchange for PacifiCorp transferring $150 million to a fund managed by the UMWA. Transfer of the assets and settlement of this obligation occurred in May 2015 and resulted in a remeasurement of the other postretirement plan assets and benefit obligation. As a result of the remeasurement, PacifiCorp recognized a $9 million settlement loss, with the portion that is probable of recovery deferred as a regulatory asset.

Foreign Operations

Net periodic benefit cost for the United Kingdom pension plan included the following components (in millions):
 
Three-Month Periods
 
Nine-Month Periods
 
Ended September 30,
 
Ended September 30,
 
2015
 
2014
 
2015
 
2014
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Service cost
$
6

 
$
6

 
$
18

 
$
18

Interest cost
20

 
24

 
60

 
72

Expected return on plan assets
(29
)
 
(31
)
 
(87
)
 
(94
)
Net amortization
17

 
12

 
49

 
39

Net periodic benefit cost
$
14

 
$
11

 
$
40

 
$
35



Employer contributions to the United Kingdom pension plan are expected to be £49 million during 2015. As of September 30, 2015, £37 million, or $57 million, of contributions had been made to the United Kingdom pension plan.