Retirement benefits (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Retirement benefits

Schedule of components of net periodic benefit cost for consolidated HEI

	Three months ended September 30												Nine months ended September 30
	Pension benefits						Other benefits						Pension benefits						Other benefits
(in thousands)	2012			2011			2012			2011			2012			2011			2012			2011
Service cost	$	10,816		$	8,525		$	1,054		$	868		$	32,404		$	26,266		$	3,158		$	3,308
Interest cost	16,868			16,137			2,252			2,273			50,612			48,717			6,756			7,151
Expected return on plan assets	(17,796		)	(17,400		)	(2,579		)	(2,687		)	(53,388		)	(51,673		)	(7,757		)	(7,992		)
Amortization of net transition obligation	1			1			—			—			1			2			—			—
Amortization of prior service gain	(81		)	(98		)	(448		)	(587		)	(244		)	(292		)	(1,345		)	(1,120		)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	6,425			4,005			373			115			19,251			12,724			1,125			170
Net periodic benefit cost	16,233			11,170			652			(18		)	48,636			35,744			1,937			1,517
Impact of PUC D&Os	(3,460		)	(713		)	(552		)	327			(12,294		)	(2,813		)	(1,648		)	3,079
Net periodic benefit cost (adjusted for impact of PUC D&Os)	$	12,773		$	10,457		$	100		$	309		$	36,342		$	32,931		$	289		$	4,596