PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans Disclosure [Abstract]

PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS

PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS:

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, net periodic benefit cost related to the employee and officer pension and other postretirement benefit plans consisted of the following components (in thousands):

	Pension Benefits
	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2013			2012			2013			2012
Service Cost	$	1,356		$	1,133		$	4,066		$	3,400
Interest Cost	2,360			2,406			7,079			7,217
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(2,979		)	(2,585		)	(8,936		)	(7,756		)
Amortizations:
Prior Service Cost	63			63			188			188
Actuarial Loss	2,251			1,907			6,754			5,722
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	3,051			2,924			9,151			8,771
Capitalized Benefit Costs	(1,218		)	(1,306		)	(3,653		)	(3,513		)
Total Net Periodic Benefit Expense	$	1,833		$	1,618		$	5,498		$	5,258

	Other Postretirement Benefits
	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2013			2012			2013			2012
Service Cost	$	285		$	259		$	855		$	777
Interest Cost	682			750			2,047			2,251
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(595		)	(526		)	(1,784		)	(1,579		)
Amortizations:
Prior Service Credits	(71		)	(71		)	(213		)	(213		)
Actuarial Loss	435			431			1,304			1,293
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	736			843			2,209			2,529
Capitalized Benefit Costs	(286		)	(374		)	(856		)	(1,005		)
Total Net Periodic Benefit Expense	$	450		$	469		$	1,353		$	1,524

Capitalized benefit costs reflected in the table above relate to SJG’s construction program.

SJI contributed $12.7 million and $25.0 million to the pension plans in January 2013 and 2012, respectively. No additional contributions are expected to be made to the pension plans during 2013. Payments related to the unfunded supplemental executive retirement plan (SERP) are expected to approximate $1.3 million in 2013. SJG also has a regulatory obligation to contribute approximately $3.6 million annually to the other postretirement benefit plans’ trusts, less direct costs incurred.

See Note 12 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of SJI’s Annual Report on Form 10-K as of December 31, 2012, for additional information related to SJI’s pension and other postretirement benefits.