Employee Benefit Plans

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Employee Benefit Plans

Employee Benefit Plans

The components of net periodic benefit costs for Registrant’s pension plan, postretirement medical benefit plan and SERP for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 were as follows:

	For The Three Months Ended September 30,
	Pension Benefits				Other Postretirement Benefits				SERP
(dollars in thousands)	2023		2022		2023		2022		2023		2022
Components of Net Periodic Benefits Cost:
Service cost	$	705	$	1,411	$	33	$	30	$	312	$	298
Interest cost	2,581		1,850		26		13		411		256
Expected return on plan assets	(2,617)		(3,291)		(119)		(147)		—		—
Amortization of prior service cost	110		109		—		—		—		—
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss	—		—		(242)		(478)		(8)		145
Net periodic benefits costs under accounting standards	779		79		(302)		(582)		715		699
Regulatory adjustments - deferred	(27)		—		—		—		—		—
Total expense (benefit) recognized, before surcharges and allocation to overhead pool	$	752	$	79	$	(302)	$	(582)	$	715	$	699
	For The Nine Months Ended September 30,
	Pension Benefits				Other Postretirement Benefits				SERP
(dollars in thousands)	2023		2022		2023		2022		2023		2022
Components of Net Periodic Benefits Cost:
Service cost	$	2,397	$	4,233	$	99	$	96	$	936	$	894
Interest cost	7,607		5,550		77		45		1,233		768
Expected return on plan assets	(7,863)		(9,873)		(358)		(441)		—		—
Amortization of prior service cost	326		327		—		—		—		—
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss	—		—		(724)		(1,302)		(24)		435
Net periodic benefits costs under accounting standards	2,467		237		(906)		(1,602)		2,145		2,097
Regulatory adjustments - deferred	(211)		—		—		—		—		—
Total expense (benefit) recognized, before surcharges and allocation to overhead pool	$	2,256	$	237	$	(906)	$	(1,602)	$	2,145	$	2,097

In September 2023, Registrant contributed approximately $2.9 million to its pension plan.

As authorized by the CPUC in the water and electric general rate case decisions, GSWC and BVES each utilize two-way balancing accounts to track differences between the forecasted annual pension expenses in rates, or expected to be in rates, and the actual annual expense recorded in accordance with the accounting guidance for pension costs. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, GSWC’s actual pension expense was higher than the amounts included in water customer rates by $27,000 and $211,000, respectively. GSWC’s actual pension expense was lower than the amounts included in water customer rates for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022. BVES’s actual expense was lower than the amounts included in electric customer rates for all periods presented. Over-collections are recorded as a reduction in revenues. As of September 30, 2023, GSWC and BVES had over-collections in their two-way pension balancing accounts of $1,138,000 and $205,000, respectively, included as part of regulatory assets and liabilities (Note 3).