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Defined Benefits
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
Defined Benefits [Abstract]  
Defined Benefits

9. Defined Benefits

 

(PPL, PPL Energy Supply and PPL Electric)

 

Prior to January 1, 2012, the majority of PPL's Montana and Pennsylvania employees were eligible for pension benefits under PPL Montana's cash balance pension plan or PPL's qualified and non-qualified non-contributory defined benefit pension plans with benefits based on length of service and final average pay, as defined by the plans. Effective January 1, 2012, these plans were closed to newly hired salaried employees. Newly hired bargaining unit employees will continue to be eligible under these plans based on their collective bargaining agreements. Salaried employees hired on or after January 1, 2012 will be eligible to participate in the new PPL Retirement Savings Plan, a 401(k) savings plan with enhanced employer matching. The changes to the plans are not expected to have a significant near-term cost impact.

 

(PPL, PPL Energy Supply, LKE and LG&E)

 

Following are the net periodic defined benefit costs (credits) of the plans sponsored by PPL, PPL Energy Supply, LKE and LG&E for the periods ended June 30:

    Pension Benefits
    Three Months Six Months
    U.S. U.K. U.S. U.K.
    2012 2011 2012 2011 2012 2011 2012 2011
PPL                        
Service cost $ 26 $ 23 $ 14 $ 12 $ 52 $ 47 $ 27 $ 17
Interest cost   54   54   85   73   110   109   169   112
Expected return on plan assets   (64)   (61)   (114)   (88)   (130)   (123)   (225)   (140)
Amortization of:                        
  Prior service cost   6   6   1   1   12   12   2   2
  Actuarial (gain) loss    11   8   20   15   21   14   40   29
Net periodic defined benefit                         
 costs (credits) prior to                        
 termination benefits   33   30   6   13   65   59   13   20
Termination benefits            2            2
Net periodic defined benefit                         
 costs (credits) $ 33 $ 30 $ 6 $ 15 $ 65 $ 59 $ 13 $ 22
                           
PPL Energy Supply                        
Service cost $ 2 $ 1       $ 3 $ 2      
Interest cost   2   2         4   4      
Expected return on plan assets   (3)   (2)         (5)   (4)      
Amortization of:                        
  Actuarial (gain) loss      1         1   1      
Net periodic defined benefit                         
 costs (credits) $ 1 $ 2       $ 3 $ 3      

                       
    Pension Benefits      
    Three Months   Six Months  
    2012 2011     2012 2011    
                           
LKE                        
Service cost $ 5 $ 6       $ 11 $ 12      
Interest cost   15   17         32   34      
Expected return on plan assets   (17)   (16)         (35)   (32)      
Amortization of:                        
 Prior service cost   1   1         2   2      
 Actuarial (gain) loss    6   6         11   11      
Net periodic defined benefit                         
  costs (credits)  $ 10 $ 14       $ 21 $ 27      
                           
LG&E                        
Service cost $ 1 $ 1       $ 1 $ 1      
Interest cost   3   3         7   7      
Expected return on plan assets   (4)   (5)         (9)   (9)      
Amortization of:                        
 Prior service cost      1         1   1      
 Actuarial (gain) loss    2   3         5   6      
Net periodic defined benefit                        
  costs (credits)  $ 2 $ 3       $ 5 $ 6      

   Other Postretirement Benefits
   Three Months Six Months
   2012 2011 2012 2011
              
PPL            
Service cost $ 3 $ 3 $ 6 $ 6
Interest cost   8   8   16   16
Expected return on plan assets   (5)   (5)   (11)   (11)
Amortization of:            
 Transition obligation      1   1   1
 Actuarial (gain) loss   1   1   2   3
Net periodic defined benefit costs (credits) $ 7 $ 8 $ 14 $ 15

              
LKE            
Service cost $ 1 $ 1 $ 2 $ 2
Interest cost   2   2   4   5
Expected return on plan assets   (1)   (1)   (2)   (2)
Amortization of:            
 Transition obligation   1   1   1   1
 Prior service cost   1      2   1
 Actuarial (gain) loss   (1)      (1)   
Net periodic defined benefit costs (credits) $ 3 $ 3 $ 6 $ 7

(PPL Energy Supply, PPL Electric, LG&E and KU)

 

In addition to the specific plans they sponsor, PPL Energy Supply subsidiaries are also allocated costs of defined benefit plans sponsored by PPL Services and LG&E is allocated costs of defined benefit plans sponsored by LKE based on their 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 benefit costs to PPL Energy Supply subsidiaries and PPL Electric, and LKE allocated the following net periodic benefit costs to LG&E and KU, including amounts applied to accounts that are further distributed between capital and expense.

  Three Months Six Months
  2012 2011 2012 2011
             
PPL Energy Supply $ 9 $ 8 $ 19 $ 15
PPL Electric   7   6   15   12

LG&E   3   4   6   8
KU   5   5   9   11

Expected Cash Flows - U.K. Pension Plans

 

(PPL)

 

At June 30, 2012, WPD's expected pension contributions for 2012 are $323 million compared with $161 million as disclosed in PPL's 2011 Form 10-K. During the six months ended June 30, 2012, contributions of $275 million were made. The additional contributions are being made to prepay future contribution requirements to fund pension plan deficits.