XML 56 R17.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.4.0.8

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS | 9 Months Ended
--- | ---
Jun. 30, 2014
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract] |
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS | EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS Pension and Other Postemployment Benefit Plans The components of the net periodic cost for pension benefits, including the Company's Pension Equalization Plan, and OPEB costs (principally health care and life insurance) for employees and covered dependents were as follows:
| Pension | OPEB
| Three Months Ended | Nine Months Ended | Three Months Ended | Nine Months Ended
| June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | June 30,
(Thousands) | 2014 | 2013 | 2014 | 2013 | 2014 | 2013 | 2014 | 2013
Service cost | $ | 1,536 |  | $ | 1,718 |  | $ | 4,608 |  | $ | 5,154 |  | $ | 980 |  | $ | 1,171 |  | $ | 2,942 |  | $ | 3,513 |
Interest cost | 2,517 |  | 2,235 |  | 7,550 |  | 6,705 |  | 1,434 |  | 1,287 |  | 4,300 |  | 3,861 |
Expected return on plan assets | (3,869 | ) | (3,706 | ) | (11,607 | ) | (11,118 | ) | (1,043 | ) | (913 | ) | (3,130 | ) | (2,739 | )
Recognized actuarial loss | 1,399 |  | 1,911 |  | 4,197 |  | 5,733 |  | 625 |  | 964 |  | 1,875 |  | 2,892 |
Prior service cost amortization | 27 |  | 27 |  | 83 |  | 81 |  | (89 | ) | (281 | ) | (267 | ) | (267 | )
Recognized net initial obligation | — |  | — |  | — |  | — |  | 3 |  | 199 |  | 8 |  | 21 |
Net periodic benefit cost | $ | 1,610 |  | $ | 2,185 |  | $ | 4,831 |  | $ | 6,555 |  | $ | 1,910 |  | $ | 2,427 |  | $ | 5,728 |  | $ | 7,281 |
The Company does not expect to be required to make additional contributions to fund the pension plans over the next three fiscal years based on current actuarial assumptions; however, funding requirements are uncertain and can depend significantly on changes in actuarial assumptions, returns on plan assets, interest rates and changes in the demographics of eligible employees and covered dependents. In addition, as in the past, the Company may elect to make contributions in excess of the minimum required amount to the plans. NJR made a discretionary contribution of $20 million to the pension plans during fiscal 2013. There have been no discretionary contributions made during the nine months ended June 30, 2014. In July 2014, the Company implemented a voluntary early retirement program to certain employees and expects to recognize a one-time expense of approximately $5.1 million for related postemployment benefit costs and other termination benefits in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014.

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_CompensationAndRetirementDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The entire disclosure for pension and other postretirement benefits. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2235017 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_PensionAndOtherPostretirementBenefitsDisclosureTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration