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Pension Plans And Other Postretirement Benefit Plans (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2019
Pension and Other Post Retirement Benefit Plans |
| Pension Benefits |  | Other Post- retirement Benefits
| 2019 |  | 2018 |  | 2019 |  | 2018
Change in benefit obligation: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Benefit obligation as of beginning of year | $ | 671,629 |  |  | $ | 716,561 |  |  | $ | 134,053 |  |  | $ | 132,947 |
Service cost | 19,755 |  |  | 21,614 |  |  | 3,006 |  |  | 3,188 |
Interest cost | 28,417 |  |  | 26,096 |  |  | 5,598 |  |  | 4,831 |
Actuarial (gain)/loss | 57,829 |  |  | (48,641 | ) |  | 23,344 |  |  | (610 | )
Benefits paid | (35,248 | ) |  | (44,001 | ) |  | (6,705 | ) |  | (6,303 | )
Benefit obligation as of end of year | $ | 742,382 |  |  | $ | 671,629 |  |  | $ | 159,296 |  |  | $ | 134,053 |
Change in plan assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Fair value of plan assets as of beginning of year | $ | 544,051 |  |  | $ | 605,652 |  |  | $ | 36,852 |  |  | $ | 37,953 |
Actual return on plan assets | 109,942 |  |  | (40,954 | ) |  | 8,001 |  |  | (1,101 | )
Employer contributions | 22,000 |  |  | 22,000 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Benefits paid | (33,930 | ) |  | (42,647 | ) |  | — |  |  | — |
Fair value of plan assets as of end of year | $ | 642,063 |  |  | $ | 544,051 |  |  | $ | 44,853 |  |  | $ | 36,852 |
| Pension Benefits |  | Other Post- retirement Benefits
| 2019 |  | 2018 |  | 2019 |  | 2018
Funded status | $ | (100,319 | ) |  | $ | (127,578 | ) |  | $ | (114,443 | ) |  | $ | (97,201 | )
Amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other current liabilities | $ | (1,602 | ) |  | $ | (1,477 | ) |  | $ | (640 | ) |  | $ | (580 | )
Non-current liabilities | (98,717 | ) |  | (126,101 | ) |  | (113,803 | ) |  | (96,621 | )
Net amount recognized | $ | (100,319 | ) |  | $ | (127,578 | ) |  | $ | (114,443 | ) |  | $ | (97,201 | )
Accumulated pension benefit obligation | $ | 644,004 |  |  | $ | 586,398 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Accumulated postretirement benefit obligation: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
For retirees |  |  |  |  | $ | 72,816 |  |  | $ | 63,796 |
For fully eligible employees |  |  |  |  | $ | 34,545 |  |  | $ | 29,902 |
For other participants |  |  |  |  | $ | 51,935 |  |  | $ | 40,355 |
Included in accumulated other comprehensive loss (income) (net of tax):
Unrecognized prior service cost | $ | 2,105 |  |  | $ | 2,308 |  |  | $ | (4,400 | ) |  | $ | (5,230 | )
Unrecognized net actuarial loss | 114,368 |  |  | 138,516 |  |  | 63,101 |  |  | 52,441 |
Total | 116,473 |  |  | 140,824 |  |  | 58,701 |  |  | 47,211 |
Less regulatory asset | (107,395 | ) |  | (133,237 | ) |  | (57,520 | ) |  | (46,932 | )
Accumulated other comprehensive loss for unfunded benefit obligation for pensions and other postretirement benefit plans | $ | 9,078 |  |  | $ | 7,587 |  |  | $ | 1,181 |  |  | $ | 279 |
| Pension Benefits |  | Other Post- retirement Benefits
| 2019 |  | 2018 |  | 2019 |  | 2018
Weighted-average assumptions as of December 31: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Discount rate for benefit obligation | 3.85 | % |  | 4.31 | % |  | 3.89 | % |  | 4.32 | %
Discount rate for annual expense | 4.31 | % |  | 3.71 | % |  | 4.32 | % |  | 3.72 | %
Expected long-term return on plan assets | 5.90 | % |  | 5.50 | % |  | 5.70 | % |  | 5.20 | %
Rate of compensation increase | 4.66 | % |  | 4.67 | % |  |  |  |
Medical cost trend pre-age 65 – initial |  |  |  |  | 5.75 | % |  | 6.00 | %
Medical cost trend pre-age 65 – ultimate |  |  |  |  | 5.00 | % |  | 5.00 | %
Ultimate medical cost trend year pre-age 65 |  |  |  |  | 2023 |  |  | 2023 |
Medical cost trend post-age 65 – initial |  |  |  |  | 6.50 | % |  | 6.25 | %
Medical cost trend post-age 65 – ultimate |  |  |  |  | 5.00 | % |  | 5.00 | %
Ultimate medical cost trend year post-age 65 |  |  |  |  | 2026 |  |  | 2024 |
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost |
| Pension Benefits |  | Other Post-retirement Benefits
| 2019 |  | 2018 |  | 2017 |  | 2019 |  | 2018 |  | 2017
Components of net periodic benefit cost: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Service cost (a) | $ | 19,755 |  |  | $ | 21,614 |  |  | $ | 20,406 |  |  | $ | 3,006 |  |  | $ | 3,188 |  |  | $ | 3,220 |
Interest cost | 28,417 |  |  | 26,096 |  |  | 27,898 |  |  | 5,598 |  |  | 4,831 |  |  | 5,490 |
Expected return on plan assets | (31,763 | ) |  | (33,018 | ) |  | (31,626 | ) |  | (2,101 | ) |  | (1,973 | ) |  | (1,899 | )
Amortization of prior service cost | 257 |  |  | 257 |  |  | 2 |  |  | (981 | ) |  | (1,089 | ) |  | (1,144 | )
Net loss recognition | 10,216 |  |  | 7,879 |  |  | 9,793 |  |  | 4,013 |  |  | 4,232 |  |  | 4,934 |
Net periodic benefit cost | $ | 26,882 |  |  | $ | 22,828 |  |  | $ | 26,473 |  |  | $ | 9,535 |  |  | $ | 9,189 |  |  | $ | 10,601 |
Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets |
| 2019 |  | 2018
Equity securities | 35 | % |  | 37 | %
Debt securities | 49 | % |  | 45 | %
Real estate | 7 | % |  | 8 | %
Absolute return | 9 | % |  | 10 | %
Employer Matching Contributions | Employer matching contributions were as follows for the years ended December 31 (dollars in thousands):
| 2019 |  | 2018 |  | 2017
Employer 401(k) matching contributions | $ | 10,412 |  |  | $ | 10,243 |  |  | $ | 9,075 |
Deferred Compensation Liabilities Included in other Non-Current Liabilities and Deferred Credits | There were deferred compensation assets included in other property and investments-net and corresponding deferred compensation liabilities included in other non-current liabilities and deferred credits on the Consolidated Balance Sheets of the following amounts as of December 31 (dollars in thousands):
| 2019 |  | 2018
Deferred compensation assets and liabilities | $ | 8,948 |  |  | $ | 8,400 |
Other Postretirement Benefits [Member] |
Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments | The Company expects that benefit payments under other postretirement benefit plans will total (dollars in thousands):
| 2020 |  | 2021 |  | 2022 |  | 2023 |  | 2024 |  | Total 2025-2029
Expected benefit payments | $ | 6,442 |  |  | $ | 6,782 |  |  | $ | 6,965 |  |  | $ | 7,088 |  |  | $ | 7,244 |  |  | $ | 38,305 |
Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets | The following table discloses by level within the fair value hierarchy (see Note 16 for a description of the fair value hierarchy) of other postretirement plan assets measured and reported as of December 31, 2019 at fair value (dollars in thousands):
| Level 1 |  | Level 2 |  | Level 3 |  | Total
Balanced index mutual funds (1) | $ | 44,853 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 44,853 |
The following table discloses by level within the fair value hierarchy (see Note 16 for a description of the fair value hierarchy) of other postretirement plan assets measured and reported as of December 31, 2018 at fair value (dollars in thousands):
| Level 1 |  | Level 2 |  | Level 3 |  | Total
Balanced index mutual funds (1) | $ | 36,852 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 36,852 |
Pension Plan And SERP [Member] |
Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments | The Company expects that benefit payments under the pension plan and the SERP will total (dollars in thousands):
| 2020 |  | 2021 |  | 2022 |  | 2023 |  | 2024 |  | Total 2025-2029
Expected benefit payments | $ | 39,647 |  |  | $ | 40,080 |  |  | $ | 40,652 |  |  | $ | 40,729 |  |  | $ | 41,767 |  |  | $ | 217,899 |
Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets | The following table discloses by level within the fair value hierarchy (see Note 17 for a description of the fair value hierarchy) of the pension plan’s assets measured and reported as of December 31, 2019 at fair value (dollars in thousands):
| Level 1 |  | Level 2 |  | Level 3 |  | Total
Cash equivalents | $ | — |  |  | $ | 2,852 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 2,852 |
Fixed income securities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. government issues | — |  |  | 37,297 |  |  | — |  |  | 37,297 |
Corporate issues | — |  |  | 207,222 |  |  | — |  |  | 207,222 |
International issues | — |  |  | 35,836 |  |  | — |  |  | 35,836 |
Municipal issues | — |  |  | 23,539 |  |  | — |  |  | 23,539 |
Mutual funds: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. equity securities | 173,568 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 173,568 |
International equity securities | 46,416 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 46,416 |
Absolute return (1) | 16,720 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 16,720 |
Plan assets measured at NAV (not subject to hierarchy disclosure)
Common/collective trusts: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Real estate | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 31,473 |
Partnership/closely held investments: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Absolute return (1) | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 59,260 |
Real estate | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 7,880 |
Total | $ | 236,704 |  |  | $ | 306,746 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 642,063 |
The following table discloses by level within the fair value hierarchy (see Note 17 for a description of the fair value hierarchy) of the pension plan’s assets measured and reported as of December 31, 2018 at fair value (dollars in thousands):
| Level 1 |  | Level 2 |  | Level 3 |  | Total
Cash equivalents | $ | — |  |  | $ | 7,061 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 7,061 |
Fixed income securities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. government issues | — |  |  | 37,078 |  |  | — |  |  | 37,078 |
Corporate issues | — |  |  | 175,908 |  |  | — |  |  | 175,908 |
International issues | — |  |  | 31,561 |  |  | — |  |  | 31,561 |
Municipal issues | — |  |  | 16,170 |  |  | — |  |  | 16,170 |
Mutual funds: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. equity securities | 101,720 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 101,720 |
International equity securities | 33,141 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 33,141 |
Absolute return (1) | 2,249 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 2,249 |
Plan assets measured at NAV (not subject to hierarchy disclosure)
Common/collective trusts: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Real estate | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 43,303 |
International equity securities | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 30,944 |
Partnership/closely held investments: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Absolute return (1) | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 60,612 |
Real estate | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 4,304 |
Total | $ | 137,110 |  |  | $ | 267,778 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 544,051 |
(1) | This category invests in multiple strategies to diversify risk and reduce volatility. The strategies include: (a) event driven, relative value, convertible, and fixed income arbitrage, (b) distressed investments, (c) long/short equity and fixed income, and (d) market neutral strategies.

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