Pension Plan and Employee Benefits (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 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 and nine months ended September 30, 2020, and 2019 were as follows:

	PENSION BENEFITS				OTHER BENEFITS
	FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED SEPT. 30,				FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED SEPT. 30,
(THOUSANDS)	2020		2019		2020		2019
Components of periodic benefit costs
Service cost	$	2,455	$	2,104	$	600	$	328
Interest cost	5,204		5,621		418		435
Expected return on plan assets	(6,244)		(6,625)		—		—
Amortizations
Prior period service credit	(15)		(18)		—		—
Net loss	4,073		1,962		362		105
Net periodic benefit cost	$	5,473	$	3,044	$	1,380	$	868

	PENSION BENEFITS				OTHER BENEFITS
	FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPT. 30,				FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPT. 30,
(THOUSANDS)	2020		2019		2020		2019
Components of periodic benefit costs
Service cost	$	7,365	$	6,311	$	1,615	$	896
Interest cost	15,612		16,864		1,238		1,235
Expected return on plan assets	(18,731)		(19,876)		—		—
Amortizations
Prior period service credit	(45)		(54)		—		—
Net loss	12,222		5,887		1,042		25
Net periodic benefit cost	$	16,423	$	9,132	$	3,895	$	2,156

The components of the net periodic benefit cost related to SERP for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, and 2019 were as follows:

	FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED SEPT. 30,				FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPT. 30,
(THOUSANDS)	2020		2019		2020		2019
Components of periodic benefit costs
Service cost	$	100	$	82	$	300	$	247
Interest cost	733		831		2,199		2,494
Amortizations
Prior period service credit	(54)		(34)		(161)		(104)
Net loss	796		381		2,388		1,143
Net periodic benefit cost	$	1,575	$	1,260	$	4,726	$	3,780

Current and Non-Current Portions of Other Benefits Liability

The current and non-current portions of the Other Benefits liability for Cleco and Cleco Power at September 30, 2020, and December 31, 2019, were as follows:

Cleco
(THOUSANDS)	AT SEPT. 30, 2020		AT DEC. 31, 2019
Current	$	4,401	$	4,401
Non-current	$	47,874	$	48,321

The current and non-current portions of the SERP liability for Cleco and Cleco Power at September 30, 2020, and December 31, 2019, were as follows:

Cleco
(THOUSANDS)	AT SEPT. 30, 2020		AT DEC. 31, 2019
Current	$	4,599	$	4,599
Non-current	$	83,619	$	84,529

Expense of the 401(k) Plan

Cleco’s 401(k) Plan expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, and 2019 was as follows:

	FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED SEPT. 30,				FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPT. 30,
(THOUSANDS)	2020		2019		2020		2019
401(k) Plan expense	$	2,356	$	2,077	$	7,509	$	6,136

The expense of the 401(k) Plan related to Cleco’s other subsidiaries for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, and 2019 was as follows:

	FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED SEPT. 30,				FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPT. 30,
(THOUSANDS)	2020		2019		2020		2019
401(k) Plan expense	$	996	$	873	$	3,491	$	2,625

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 SEPT. 30, 2020		AT DEC. 31, 2019
Current	$	3,815	$	3,815
Non-current	$	41,673	$	42,080

Cleco Power
(THOUSANDS)	AT SEPT. 30, 2020		AT DEC. 31, 2019
Current	$	760	$	760
Non-current	$	13,665	$	13,964