Employee Benefit Plans:

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2016

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Employee Benefit Plans:

The components of net periodic benefit costs, before allocation to the overhead pool, for Registrant’s pension plan, postretirement plan and SERP for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 are as follows:



	For The Three Months Ended June 30,
	Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement Benefits						SERP
(dollars in thousands)	2016			2015			2016			2015			2016		2015
Components of Net Periodic Benefits Cost:
Service cost	$	1,316		$	1,452		$	68		$	95		$	200	$	204
Interest cost	2,026			1,905			97			114			186		163
Expected return on plan assets	(2,460		)	(2,452		)	(122		)	(123		)	—		—
Amortization of unrecognized transition (asset)/obligation	—			—			—			—			—		—
Amortization of prior service cost (benefit)	12			30			(9		)	(50		)	6		29
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss	329			427			(150		)	(53		)	73		108
Net periodic pension cost under accounting standards	1,223			1,362			(116		)	(17		)	465		504
Regulatory adjustment — deferred	64			251			—			—			—		—
Total expense recognized, before allocation to overhead pool	$	1,287		$	1,613		$	(116	)	$	(17	)	$	465	$	504



	For The Six Months Ended June 30,
	Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement Benefits						SERP
(dollars in thousands)	2016			2015			2016			2015			2016		2015
Components of Net Periodic Benefits Cost:
Service cost	$	2,548		$	3,138		$	136		$	190		$	400	$	408
Interest cost	3,956			3,844			194			228			372		326
Expected return on plan assets	(4,920		)	(4,898		)	(244		)	(246		)	—		—
Amortization of unrecognized transition (asset)/obligation	—			—			—			—			—		—
Amortization of prior service cost (benefit)	24			60			(18		)	(100		)	12		58
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss	456			896			(300		)	(106		)	146		216
Net periodic pension cost under accounting standards	2,064			3,040			(232		)	(34		)	930		1,008
Regulatory adjustment — deferred	423			262			—			—			—		—
Total expense recognized, before allocation to overhead pool	$	2,487		$	3,302		$	(232	)	$	(34	)	$	930	$	1,008

Registrant expects to contribute $5.3 million to its pension plan during 2016.

Regulatory Adjustment:

As authorized by the CPUC in the most recent water and electric general rate case decisions, GSWC utilizes two-way balancing accounts for its water and electric regions and the general office to track differences between the forecasted annual pension expenses in rates or expected to be in rates and the actual annual expense recorded by GSWC in accordance with the accounting guidance for pension costs. As of June 30, 2016, GSWC had a total $1.8 million net under-collection in the two-way pension balancing accounts included as part of the pension regulatory asset (Note 2).