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Employee Benefit Plans
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2022
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Employee Benefit Plans Employee Benefit Plans
The components of net periodic benefit costs for Registrant’s pension plan, postretirement medical benefit plan and SERP for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 were as follows:
For The Three Months Ended June 30,
 Pension BenefitsOther
Postretirement
Benefits		SERP
(dollars in thousands)202220212022202120222021
Components of Net Periodic Benefits Cost:      
Service cost$1,342 $1,625 $33 $40 $298 $348 
Interest cost1,856 1,712 16 31 256 229 
Expected return on plan assets(3,290)(3,134)(147)(134)— — 
Amortization of prior service cost 109 109 — — — — 
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss— 993 (412)(287)145 419 
Net periodic benefits costs under accounting standards17 1,305 (510)(350)699 996 
Regulatory adjustment - deferred— (351)— — — — 
Total expense (benefit) recognized, before surcharges and allocation to overhead pool$17 $954 $(510)$(350)$699 $996 
For The Six Months Ended June 30,
Pension BenefitsOther
Postretirement
Benefits		SERP
(dollars in thousands)202220212022202120222021
Components of Net Periodic Benefits Cost:
Service cost$2,822 $3,250 $66 $80 $596 $696 
Interest cost3,700 3,424 32 62 512 458 
Expected return on plan assets(6,582)(6,268)(294)(268)— — 
Amortization of prior service cost 218 218 — — — — 
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss— 1,986 (824)(574)290 838 
Net periodic benefits costs under accounting standards158 2,610 (1,020)(700)1,398 1,992 
Regulatory adjustment - deferred— (702)— — — — 
Total expense (benefit) recognized, before surcharges and allocation to overhead pool$158 $1,908 $(1,020)$(700)$1,398 $1,992 
For the pension plan obligation, Registrant used a discount rate of 2.89% as of December 31, 2021 to determine the projected benefit obligation (“PBO”) of $259.8 million. Discount rates as of June 30, 2022 are approximately 186-basis points higher than those used as of December 31, 2021 based on recent changes in market interest-rate conditions. A 186-basis point increase in the assumed discount rate would have decreased the PBO as of December 31, 2021 by approximately 22% or $58.2 million, which decreases the underfunded status of the pension plan. However, this decrease in the underfunded status caused by the higher discount rate would be largely offset by the decrease in the fair value of plan assets since December 31, 2021 resulting from current market conditions and related volatility experienced thus far in 2022. In 2022, Registrant expects to contribute approximately $3.1 million to its pension plan.
As authorized by the CPUC in the water and electric general rate case decisions, GSWC and BVESI each utilize two-way balancing accounts to track differences between the forecasted annual pension expenses in rates, or expected to be in rates, and the actual annual expense recorded in accordance with the accounting guidance for pension costs. 
GSWC’s actual pension expense was lower than the amounts included in water customer rates for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, GSWC's actual pension expense was higher than the amounts included in water customer rates by $351,000 and $702,000, respectively. BVESI's actual expense was lower than the amounts included in electric customer rates for all periods presented. As of June 30, 2022, GSWC and BVESI had over-collections in their two-way pension balancing accounts of $635,000 and $246,000, respectively, included as part of regulatory assets and liabilities (Note 3).