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Employee Benefit Plans:
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]  
Employee Benefit Plans
Employee Benefit Plans:
 
The components of net periodic benefit costs, before allocation to the overhead pool, for Registrant’s pension plan, postretirement plan, and Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (“SERP”) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:
 
 
For The Three Months Ended June 30,
 
 
Pension Benefits
 
Other
Postretirement
Benefits
 
SERP
(dollars in thousands)
 
2013
 
2012
 
2013
 
2012
 
2013
 
2012
Components of Net Periodic Benefits Cost:
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Service cost
 
$
1,620

 
$
1,618

 
$
106

 
$
112

 
$
201

 
$
183

Interest cost
 
1,723

 
1,653

 
113

 
136

 
129

 
122

Expected return on plan assets
 
(1,895
)
 
(1,635
)
 
(95
)
 
(90
)
 
—

 
—

Amortization of transition
 
—

 
—

 
105

 
105

 
—

 
—

Amortization of prior service cost (benefit)
 
30

 
29

 
(50
)
 
(50
)
 
40

 
40

Amortization of actuarial loss
 
729

 
740

 
—

 
—

 
85

 
77

Net periodic pension cost under accounting standards
 
2,207

 
2,405

 
179

 
213

 
455

 
422

Regulatory adjustment — deferred
 
(409
)
 
(632
)
 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

Total expense recognized, before allocation to overhead pool
 
$
1,798

 
$
1,773

 
$
179

 
$
213

 
$
455

 
$
422


 
 
For The Six Months Ended June 30,
 
 
Pension Benefits
 
Other
Postretirement
Benefits
 
SERP
(dollars in thousands)
 
2013
 
2012
 
2013
 
2012
 
2013
 
2012
Components of Net Periodic Benefits Cost:
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Service cost
 
$
3,484

 
$
3,337

 
$
212

 
$
224

 
$
402

 
$
366

Interest cost
 
3,454

 
3,329

 
226

 
272

 
258

 
244

Expected return on plan assets
 
(3,788
)
 
(3,271
)
 
(190
)
 
(180
)
 
—

 
—

Amortization of transition
 
—

 
—

 
210

 
210

 
—

 
—

Amortization of prior service cost (benefit)
 
60

 
59

 
(100
)
 
(100
)
 
80

 
80

Amortization of actuarial loss
 
1,440

 
1,518

 
—

 
—

 
170

 
154

Net periodic pension cost under accounting standards
 
4,650

 
4,972

 
358

 
426

 
910

 
844

Regulatory adjustment — deferred
 
(919
)
 
(1,198
)
 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

Total expense recognized, before allocation to overhead pool
 
$
3,731

 
$
3,774

 
$
358

 
$
426

 
$
910

 
$
844



Registrant expects to contribute approximately $6.6 million and $150,000 to the pension and postretirement medical plans in 2013, respectively.  During the three and six months ended June 30, 2013, Registrant contributed $2.1 million to the pension plan.
 
Regulatory Adjustment:
 
In May 2013, the CPUC issued a final decision that once again authorized GSWC to establish a two-way balancing account for its water regions and the general office to track differences between the forecasted annual pension expenses adopted in rates and the actual annual expense recorded by GSWC in accordance with the accounting guidance for pension costs.  As of June 30, 2013, GSWC has included a $5.1 million under-collection in the two-way pension balancing account recorded as a regulatory asset (Note 2).