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EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS | 3 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2019
Retirement Benefits [Abstract] |
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS | 10. 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 | Three Months Ended
| December 31, | December 31,
(Thousands) | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | 2018
Service cost | $ | 2,056 |  | $ | 1,845 |  | $ | 1,355 |  | $ | 1,101 |
Interest cost | 2,647 |  | 3,043 |  | 2,004 |  | 2,081 |
Expected return on plan assets | (5,057 | ) | (4,763 | ) | (1,560 | ) | (1,379 | )
Recognized actuarial loss | 2,746 |  | 1,441 |  | 2,791 |  | 1,617 |
Prior service cost amortization | 25 |  | 25 |  | (49 | ) | (91 | )
Net periodic benefit cost | $ | 2,417 |  | $ | 1,591 |  | $ | 4,541 |  | $ | 3,329 |
The Company does not expect to be required to make additional contributions to fund the pension plans during fiscal 2020 or 2021 based on current actuarial assumptions; however, funding requirements are uncertain and can depend significantly on changes in actuarial assumptions, returns on plan assets 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. There were no discretionary contributions made during the three months ended December 31, 2019 and 2018. There are no federal requirements to pre-fund OPEB benefits. However, the Company is required to fund certain amounts due to regulatory agreements with the BPU and estimates that it will contribute between $5 million and $10 million over each of the next five years. Additional contributions may be required based on market conditions and changes to assumptions.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for pension and other postretirement benefits. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2235017 + Details
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