Pension Plan and Employee Benefits (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Cleco’s 401(k) Plan expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, and 2014 is as follows:



	FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED SEPT. 30,				FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPT. 30,
(THOUSANDS)	2015		2014		2015		2014
401(k) Plan expense	$	1,090	$	1,015	$	3,783	$	3,585

Pension Benefits [Member]

Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]

Net periodic benefit costs

The components of net periodic pension and other benefit cost for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, and 2014 are as follows:



	FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED SEPT. 30,
	2015			2014			2015		2014
(THOUSANDS)	PENSION BENEFITS						OTHER BENEFITS
Components of periodic benefit costs:
Service cost	$	2,605		$	2,013		$	442	$	347
Interest cost	5,198			4,963			461		432
Expected return on plan assets	(5,846		)	(6,127		)	—		—
Amortizations:
Transition obligation	—			—			—		2
Prior period service (credit) cost	(17		)	(18		)	21		29
Net loss	3,457			1,686			174		147
Net periodic benefit cost	$	5,397		$	2,517		$	1,098	$	957



	FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPT. 30,
	2015			2014			2015		2014
(THOUSANDS)	PENSION BENEFITS						OTHER BENEFITS
Components of periodic benefit costs:
Service cost	$	7,814		$	6,038		$	1,226	$	1,157
Interest cost	15,596			14,888			1,205		1,357
Expected return on plan assets	(17,536		)	(18,380		)	—		—
Amortizations:
Transition obligation	—			—			—		12
Prior period service (credit) cost	(53		)	(53		)	89		89
Net loss	10,371			5,057			650		502
Net periodic benefit cost	$	16,192		$	7,550		$	3,170	$	3,117

Other Benefits [Member]

Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]

Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet [Table Text Block]

The current and non-current portions of the other benefits liability for Cleco and Cleco Power at September 30, 2015, and December 31, 2014, are as follows:



	AT SEPT. 30, 2015		AT DEC. 31, 2014
(THOUSANDS)	OTHER BENEFITS LIABILITY
Cleco
Current	$	3,470	$	3,470
Non-current	$	40,566	$	41,182
Cleco Power
Current	$	3,019	$	3,206
Non-current	$	35,250	$	31,250

SERP Benefits [Member]

Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]

Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet [Table Text Block]

The current and non-current portions of the SERP liability for Cleco and Cleco Power at September 30, 2015, and December 31, 2014, are as follows:



	AT SEPT. 30, 2015		AT DEC. 31, 2014
(THOUSANDS)	SERP LIABILITY
Cleco
Current	$	2,990	$	3,031
Non-current	$	73,074	$	70,871
Cleco Power
Current	$	949	$	813
Non-current	$	19,242	$	19,006

Net periodic benefit costs

The components of net periodic benefit cost related to SERP for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, and 2014 are as follows:



	FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED SEPT. 30,				FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPT. 30,
(THOUSANDS)	2015		2014		2015		2014
Components of periodic benefit costs:
Service cost	$	676	$	570	$	2,029	$	1,708
Interest cost	764		757		2,292		2,271
Amortizations:
Prior period service cost	14		13		40		40
Net loss	743		469		2,230		1,407
Net periodic benefit cost	$	2,197	$	1,809	$	6,591	$	5,426