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PENSION PLANS AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS | 3 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017
Defined Contribution Plan [Abstract] |
PENSION PLANS AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS | PENSION PLANS AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS Pension Plans Spire and the Utilities maintain pension plans for their employees. The Missouri Utilities have non-contributory, defined benefit, trusteed forms of pension plans covering the majority of their employees. Plan assets consist primarily of corporate and United States (US) government obligations and a growth segment consisting of exposure to equity markets, commodities, real estate and inflation-indexed securities, achieved through derivative instruments. Spire Alabama has non-contributory, defined benefit, trusteed forms of pension plans covering the majority of its employees. Qualified plan assets are comprised of mutual and commingled funds consisting of US equities with varying strategies, global equities, alternative investments, and fixed income investments. The net periodic pension cost included the following components:
| Three Months Ended December 31,
| 2017 |  | 2016
Spire |  |  |
Service cost – benefits earned during the period | $ | 5.2 |  |  | $ | 5.3 |
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation | 6.9 |  |  | 6.9 |
Expected return on plan assets | (9.7 | ) |  | (9.9 | )
Amortization of prior service (credit) cost | (0.3 | ) |  | 0.2 |
Amortization of actuarial loss | 3.1 |  |  | 3.4 |
Subtotal | 5.2 |  |  | 5.9 |
Regulatory adjustment | 4.3 |  |  | 4.6 |
Net pension cost | $ | 9.5 |  |  | $ | 10.5 |
Spire Missouri |  |  |
Service cost – benefits earned during the period | $ | 3.3 |  |  | $ | 3.3 |
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation | 4.9 |  |  | 4.8 |
Expected return on plan assets | (7.2 | ) |  | (7.3 | )
Amortization of prior service cost | 0.2 |  |  | 0.2 |
Amortization of actuarial loss | 2.6 |  |  | 2.9 |
Subtotal | 3.8 |  |  | 3.9 |
Regulatory adjustment | 2.4 |  |  | 2.8 |
Net pension cost | $ | 6.2 |  |  | $ | 6.7 |
Spire Alabama |  |  |
Service cost – benefits earned during the period | $ | 1.6 |  |  | $ | 1.6 |
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation | 1.4 |  |  | 1.5 |
Expected return on plan assets | (1.7 | ) |  | (1.8 | )
Amortization of prior service credit | (0.5 | ) |  | — |
Amortization of actuarial loss | 0.5 |  |  | 0.5 |
Subtotal | 1.3 |  |  | 1.8 |
Regulatory adjustment | 1.7 |  |  | 1.6 |
Net pension cost | $ | 3.0 |  |  | $ | 3.4 |
Pursuant to the provisions of the Missouri Utilities’ and Spire Alabama’s pension plans, pension obligations may be satisfied by monthly annuities, lump-sum cash payments, or special termination benefits. Lump-sum payments are recognized as settlements (which can result in gains or losses) only if the total of such payments exceeds the sum of service and interest costs in a specific year. Special termination benefits, when offered, are also recognized as settlements which can result in gains or losses. In the quarter ended December 31, 2017, none of the plans of Spire Missouri or Spire Alabama met the criteria for settlement recognition. The funding policy of the Utilities is to contribute an amount not less than the minimum required by government funding standards, nor more than the maximum deductible amount for federal income tax purposes. Fiscal 2018 contributions to Spire Missouri’s pension plans through December 31, 2017, were $6.5 to the qualified trusts and none to non-qualified plans. There were no fiscal 2018 contributions to the Spire Alabama pension plans through December 31, 2017. Contributions to the Missouri Utilities’ pension plans for the remainder of fiscal 2018 are anticipated to be $29.4 to the qualified trusts and $0.5 to the non-qualified plans. No contributions to Spire Alabama’s pension plans are expected to be required for the remainder of fiscal 2018. Postretirement Benefits Spire and the Utilities provide certain life insurance benefits at retirement. Spire Missouri plans provide for medical insurance after early retirement until age 65. For retirements prior to January 1, 2015, the Spire Missouri West plans provided medical insurance after retirement until death. The Spire Alabama plans provide medical insurance upon retirement until death for certain retirees depending on the type of employee and the date the employee was originally hired. Net periodic postretirement benefit costs consisted of the following components:
| Three Months Ended December 31,
| 2017 |  | 2016
Spire |  |  |
Service cost – benefits earned during the period | $ | 2.3 |  |  | $ | 2.8 |
Interest cost on accumulated postretirement benefit obligation | 2.2 |  |  | 2.1 |
Expected return on plan assets | (3.5 | ) |  | (3.4 | )
Amortization of actuarial loss | 0.2 |  |  | 0.6 |
Subtotal | 1.2 |  |  | 2.1 |
Regulatory adjustment | 0.1 |  |  | (0.8 | )
Net postretirement benefit cost | $ | 1.3 |  |  | $ | 1.3 |
Spire Missouri |  |  |
Service cost – benefits earned during the period | $ | 2.2 |  |  | $ | 2.6 |
Interest cost on accumulated postretirement benefit obligation | 1.8 |  |  | 1.7 |
Expected return on plan assets | (2.4 | ) |  | (2.3 | )
Amortization of prior service cost | 0.1 |  |  | 0.1 |
Amortization of actuarial loss | 0.2 |  |  | 0.6 |
Subtotal | 1.9 |  |  | 2.7 |
Regulatory adjustment | 0.5 |  |  | (0.4 | )
Net postretirement benefit cost | $ | 2.4 |  |  | $ | 2.3 |
Spire Alabama |  |  |
Service cost – benefits earned during the period | $ | — |  |  | $ | 0.1 |
Interest cost on accumulated postretirement benefit obligation | 0.4 |  |  | 0.4 |
Expected return on plan assets | (1.0 | ) |  | (1.1 | )
Amortization of prior service credit | (0.1 | ) |  | (0.1 | )
Subtotal | (0.7 | ) |  | (0.7 | )
Regulatory adjustment | (0.4 | ) |  | (0.4 | )
Net postretirement benefit income | $ | (1.1 | ) |  | $ | (1.1 | )
Missouri and Alabama state law provide for the recovery in rates of costs accrued pursuant to GAAP provided that such costs are funded through an independent, external funding mechanism. The Utilities have established Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association (VEBA) and Rabbi Trusts as external funding mechanisms. The assets of the VEBA and Rabbi Trusts consist primarily of money market securities and mutual funds invested in stocks and bonds. The Utilities’ funding policy is to contribute amounts to the trusts equal to the periodic benefit cost calculated pursuant to GAAP as recovered in rates. There have been no contributions to the postretirement plans through December 31, 2017, for the Missouri Utilities. Contributions to the postretirement plans for the remainder of fiscal year 2018 are anticipated to be $6.9 to the qualified trusts and $0.8 paid directly to participants from the Missouri Utilities’ funds. For Spire Alabama, there were no contributions to the postretirement plans during the first three months of fiscal 2018, and none are expected to be required for the remainder of the fiscal year.

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- 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
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