PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Disclosures [Abstract]

Schedule of defined benefit plan disclosures

For the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, net periodic benefit cost related to the SJI employee and officer pension and other postretirement benefit plans consisted of the following components (in thousands):

	Pension Benefits
	Three Months Ended June 30,				Six Months Ended June 30,
	2020		2019		2020		2019
Service Cost	$	1,688	$	1,081	$	3,375	$	2,800
Interest Cost	3,763		4,435		7,526		8,664
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(5,452)		(4,942)		(10,904)		(10,135)
Amortizations:
Prior Service Cost	26		27		53		53
Actuarial Loss	2,715		2,360		5,430		4,797
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	2,740		2,961		5,480		6,179
Capitalized Benefit Cost	(517)		(374)		(1,061)		(968)
Deferred Benefit Cost	(408)		(653)		(816)		(1,194)
Total Net Periodic Benefit Expense	$	1,815	$	1,934	$	3,603	$	4,017

	Other Postretirement Benefits
	Three Months Ended June 30,				Six Months Ended June 30,
	2020		2019		2020		2019
Service Cost	$	165	$	37	$	329	$	271
Interest Cost	608		806		1,216		1,434
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(1,346)		(1,133)		(2,691)		(2,282)
Amortizations:
Prior Service Cost	(144)		(145)		(288)		(288)
Actuarial Loss	193		321		385		584
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	(524)		(114)		(1,049)		(281)
Capitalized Benefit Cost	(106)		(99)		(214)		(155)
Deferred Benefit Cost	396		119		792		235
Total Net Periodic Benefit Expense	$	(234)	$	(94)	$	(471)	$	(201)