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Defined Benefits
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2015
Defined Benefits [Abstract]  
Defined Benefits

9. Defined Benefits

(PPL)

PPL performed a remeasurement of the assets and the obligations for the PPL Retirement Plan and PPL Postretirement Benefit plans as of May 31, 2015 to allow for separation of those plans for PPL and Talen Energy as required in accordance with the spinoff transaction agreements. The net pension obligations for all active PPL Energy Supply employees and for individuals who terminated employment from PPL Energy Supply on or after July 1, 2000 were distributed and removed from PPL’s Balance Sheet. The net other postretirement benefit obligations for all active PPL Energy Supply employees were distributed and removed from PPL’s Balance Sheet. In addition, the net nonqualified pension plan obligations for all PPL Energy Supply active and inactive employees were retained by PPL. As a result, PPL distributed and removed from its Balance Sheet $244 million of net accrued pension obligations and $7 million of other postretirement benefit obligations. See Note 8 for additional information on the spinoff of PPL Energy Supply.

(PPL, LKE and LG&E)

Certain net periodic defined benefit costs are applied to accounts that are further distributed between capital and expense, including certain costs allocated to applicable subsidiaries for plans sponsored by PPL Services and LKE. Following are the net periodic defined benefit costs (credits) of the plans sponsored by PPL and its subsidiaries, LKE and its subsidiaries and LG&E for the periods ended June 30:

Pension Benefits
Three MonthsSix Months
U.S.U.K.U.S.U.K.
2015 (b)2014 (c)201520142015 (b)2014 (c)20152014
PPL
Service cost$ 26 $ 24 $ 19 $ 18 $ 56 $ 49 $ 39 $ 36
Interest cost 52 56 77 90 110 112 156 178
Expected return on plan assets (69) (72) (129) (132) (145) (144) (260) (262)
Amortization of:
Prior service cost 2 5 4 10
Actuarial (gain) loss 22 7 40 33 47 14 79 66
Net periodic defined benefit
costs (credits) prior to
termination benefits 33 20 7 9 72 41 14 18
Termination benefits (a) 20 20
Net periodic defined benefit
costs (credits)$ 33 $ 40 $ 7 $ 9 $ 72 $ 61 $ 14 $ 18

Pension Benefits
Three MonthsSix Months
2015201420152014
LKE
Service cost$ 6 $ 5 $ 13 $ 11
Interest cost 17 16 34 33
Expected return on plan assets (22) (21) (44) (41)
Amortization of:
Prior service cost 2 1 4 2
Actuarial (gain) loss 9 3 17 6
Net periodic defined benefit costs (credits) $ 12 $ 4 $ 24 $ 11
LG&E
Service cost$ 1 $ 1 $ 1 $ 1
Interest cost 4 3 7 7
Expected return on plan assets (5) (5) (10) (10)
Amortization of:
Prior service cost 1 1
Actuarial (gain) loss 3 2 6 3
Net periodic defined benefit costs (credits) $ 3 $ 1 $ 5 $ 2

(a) Includes termination benefits of $4 million for PPL Electric. The remaining $16 million relates to PPL Energy Supply and is reflected in discontinued operations.

(b) For the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, the total net periodic defined benefit cost include $7 million and $18 million reflected in discontinued operations related to costs allocated from PPL's plans to PPL Energy Supply prior to the spinoff.

(c) For the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, the total net periodic defined benefit cost include $23 million and $28 million reflected in discontinued operations related to costs allocated from PPL's plans to PPL Energy Supply.

Other Postretirement Benefits
Three MonthsSix Months
2015201420152014
PPL
Service cost$ 3 $ 3 $ 7 $ 6
Interest cost 7 8 14 16
Expected return on plan assets (7) (7) (14) (13)
Net periodic defined benefit costs (credits)$ 3 $ 4 $ 7 $ 9

LKE
Service cost$ 2 $ 1 $ 3 $ 2
Interest cost 3 3 5 5
Expected return on plan assets (2) (2) (3) (3)
Amortization of:
Prior service cost 1 1
Net periodic defined benefit costs (credits)$ 3 $ 2 $ 6 $ 5

(PPL Electric, LG&E and KU)

In addition to the specific plans it sponsors, LG&E is allocated costs of defined benefit plans sponsored by LKE based on its participation in those plans, which management believes are reasonable. PPL Electric and KU do not directly sponsor any defined benefit plans. PPL Electric is allocated costs of defined benefit plans sponsored by PPL Services and KU is allocated costs of defined benefit plans sponsored by LKE based on their participation in those plans, which management believes are reasonable. For the periods ended June 30, PPL Services allocated the following net periodic defined benefit costs to PPL Electric, and LKE allocated the following net periodic defined benefit costs to LG&E and KU.

Three MonthsSix Months
2015201420152014
PPL Electric (a)$ 8 $ 10 $ 16 $ 15

LG&E 4 2 7 4
KU 4 1 9 4

(a) The three and six months ended June 30, 2014 include $4 million of termination benefits for PPL Electric related to a one-time voluntary retirement window offered to certain bargaining unit employees.