Pension Plan and Employee Benefits (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

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

Net Periodic Pension and Other Benefits Cost

The components of net periodic pension and Other Benefits cost for the three months ended March 31, 2020, and 2019 were as follows:

	PENSION BENEFITS						OTHER BENEFITS
	FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MAR. 31,						FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MAR. 31,
(THOUSANDS)	2020			2019			2020		2019
Components of periodic benefit costs
Service cost	$	2,328		$	2,067		$	508	$	288
Interest cost	5,130			5,650			410		400
Expected return on plan assets	(6,245		)	(6,622		)	—		—
Amortizations
Prior period service credit	(15		)	(18		)	—		—
Net loss (gain)	3,672			1,875			339		(45		)
Net periodic benefit cost	$	4,870		$	2,952		$	1,257	$	643

The components of the net periodic benefit cost related to SERP for the three months ended March 31, 2020, and 2019 were as follows:

	FOR THE THREE MONTHS  ENDED MAR. 31,
(THOUSANDS)	2020			2019
Components of periodic benefit costs
Service cost	$	95		$	113
Interest cost	733			825
Amortizations
Prior period service credit	(40		)	(35		)
Net loss	757			392
Net periodic benefit cost	$	1,545		$	1,295

Current and Non-Current Portions of Other Benefits Liability

The current and non-current portions of the SERP liability for Cleco and Cleco Power at March 31, 2020, and December 31, 2019, were as follows:

Cleco
(THOUSANDS)	AT MAR. 31, 2020		AT DEC. 31, 2019
Current	$	4,599	$	4,599
Non-current	$	84,219	$	84,529

The current and non-current portions of the Other Benefits liability for Cleco and Cleco Power at March 31, 2020, and December 31, 2019, were as follows:

Cleco
(THOUSANDS)	AT MAR. 31, 2020		AT DEC. 31, 2019
Current	$	4,401	$	4,401
Non-current	$	48,175	$	48,321

Expense of the 401(k) Plan

Cleco’s 401(k) Plan expense for the three months ended March 31, 2020, and 2019 was as follows:

	FOR THE THREE MONTHS  ENDED MAR. 31,
(THOUSANDS)	2020		2019
401(k) Plan expense	$	3,256	$	2,267

The expense of the 401(k) Plan related to Cleco’s other subsidiaries for the three months ended March 31, 2020, and 2019 was as follows:

	FOR THE THREE MONTHS  ENDED MAR. 31,
(THOUSANDS)	2020		2019
401(k) Plan expense	$	1,662	$	930

CLECO POWER

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

Current and Non-Current Portions of Other Benefits Liability

Cleco Power
(THOUSANDS)	AT MAR. 31, 2020		AT DEC. 31, 2019
Current	$	3,815	$	3,815
Non-current	$	41,994	$	42,080

Cleco Power
(THOUSANDS)	AT MAR. 31, 2020		AT DEC. 31, 2019
Current	$	760	$	760
Non-current	$	13,863	$	13,964