10 · Retirement benefits

Defined benefit plans. Substantially all of the employees of HEI and the Utilities participate in the Retirement Plan for Employees of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. and Participating Subsidiaries (HEI Pension Plan). Substantially all of the employees of ASB and its subsidiaries participated in the American Savings Bank Retirement Plan (ASB Pension Plan) until it was frozen on December 31, 2007. The HEI Pension Plan and the ASB Pension Plan (collectively, the Plans) are qualified, noncontributory defined benefit pension plans and include, in the case of the HEI Pension Plan, benefits for utility union employees determined in accordance with the terms of the collective bargaining agreements between the Utilities and the union. The Plans are subject to the provisions of ERISA. In addition, some current and former executives and directors of HEI and its subsidiaries participate in noncontributory, nonqualified plans (collectively, Supplemental Plans). In general, benefits are based on the employees’ or directors’ years of service and compensation.

The continuation of the Plans and the Supplemental Plans and the payment of any contribution thereunder are not assumed as contractual obligations by the participating employers. The Supplemental Plan for directors has been frozen since 1996. The ASB Pension Plan was frozen as of December 31, 2007. The HEI Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan and ASB Supplemental Executive Retirement, Disability, and Death Benefit Plan (noncontributory, nonqualified, defined benefit plans) were frozen as of December 31, 2008. No participants have accrued any benefits under these plans after the respective plan’s freeze and the plans will be terminated at the time all remaining benefits have been paid.

Each participating employer reserves the right to terminate its participation in the applicable plans at any time, and HEI and ASB reserve the right to terminate their respective plans at any time. If a participating employer terminates its participation in the Plans, the interest of each affected participant would become 100% vested to the extent funded. Upon the termination of the Plans, assets would be distributed to affected participants in accordance with the applicable allocation provisions of ERISA and any excess assets that exist would be paid to the participating employers. Participants’ benefits in the Plans are covered up to certain limits under insurance provided by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

To determine pension costs for HEI and its subsidiaries under the Plans and the Supplemental Plans, it is necessary to make complex calculations and estimates based on numerous assumptions, including the assumptions identified under “Defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans information” below.

Postretirement benefits other than pensions. HEI and the Utilities provide eligible employees health and life insurance benefits upon retirement under the Postretirement Welfare Benefits Plan for Employees of Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. and participating employers (Hawaiian Electric Benefits Plan). Eligibility of employees and dependents are based on eligibility to retire at termination, the retirement date and the date of hire. The plan was amended in 2011, changing eligibility for certain bargaining unit employees hired prior to May 1, 2011, based on new minimum age and service requirements effective January 1, 2012, per the collective bargaining agreement, and certain management employees hired prior to May 1, 2011 based on new eligibility minimum age and service requirements effective January 1, 2012. The minimum age and service requirements for management and bargaining unit employees hired May 1, 2011 and thereafter have increased and their dependents are not eligible to receive postretirement benefits. Employees may be eligible to receive benefits from the HEI Pension Plan but may not be eligible for postretirement welfare benefits if the different eligibility requirements are not met.

The executive death benefit plan was frozen on September 10, 2009 to participants and benefit levels as of that date. The electric discount was eliminated for management employees and retirees of Hawaiian Electric in August 2009, Hawaii Electric Light in November 2010, and Maui Electric in August 2010, and for bargaining unit employees and retirees on January 31, 2011 per the collective bargaining agreement.

The Company’s and Utilities' cost for OPEB has been adjusted to reflect the plan amendments, which reduced benefits and created prior service credits to be amortized over average future service of affected participants. The amortization of the prior service credit will reduce benefit costs over the next few years until the various credit bases are fully recognized. Each participating employer reserves the right to terminate its participation in the Hawaiian Electric Benefits Plan at any time.

Balance sheet recognition of the funded status of retirement plans. Employers must recognize on their balance sheets the funded status of defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans with an offset to AOCI in shareholders’ equity (using the projected benefit obligation (PBO), to calculate the funded status).

The PUC allowed the Utilities to adopt pension and OPEB tracking mechanisms in previous rate cases. The amount of the net periodic pension cost (NPPC) and net periodic benefits costs (NPBC) to be recovered in rates is established by the PUC in each rate case. Under the Utilities’ tracking mechanisms, any actual costs determined in accordance with GAAP that are over/under amounts allowed in rates are charged/credited to a regulatory asset/liability. The regulatory asset/liability for each utility will then be amortized over 5 years beginning with the respective utility’s next rate case. Accordingly, all retirement benefit expenses (except for executive life and nonqualified pension plan expenses, which amounted to $1.2 million in 2014 and 2013) determined in accordance with GAAP will be recovered.

Under the tracking mechanisms, amounts that would otherwise be recorded in AOCI (excluding amounts for executive life and nonqualified pension plans), which amounts include the prepaid pension asset, net of taxes, as well as other pension and OPEB charges, are allowed to be reclassified as a regulatory asset, as those costs will be recovered in rates through the NPPC and NPBC in the future. The Utilities have reclassified to a regulatory asset/(liability) charges for retirement benefits that would otherwise be recorded in AOCI (amounting to the elimination of a potential charge to AOCI of $340 million pretax and $(364) million pretax for 2014 and 2013, respectively).

In 2007, the PUC allowed Hawaii Electric Light to record a regulatory asset in the amount of $12.8 million (representing Hawaii Electric Light’s prepaid pension asset and reflecting the accumulated pension contributions to its pension fund in excess of accumulated NPPC), which is included in rate base, and allowed recovery of that asset over a period of five years. Hawaii Electric Light is required to make contributions to the pension trust in the amount of the actuarially calculated NPPC that would be allowed without penalty by the tax laws.

In 2007, the PUC declined to allow Hawaiian Electric and Maui Electric to include their pension assets (representing the accumulated contributions to their pension fund in excess of accumulated NPPC), in their rate bases. However, under the tracking mechanisms, Hawaiian Electric and Maui Electric are required to fund only the minimum level required under the law until their pension assets are reduced to zero, at which time Hawaiian Electric and Maui Electric will make contributions to the pension trust in the amount of the actuarially calculated NPPC, except when limited by the ERISA minimum contribution requirements or the maximum contribution limitations on deductible contributions imposed by the Internal Revenue Code.

The PUC’s exclusion of Hawaiian Electric’s and Maui Electric’s pension assets from rate base does not allow Hawaiian Electric and Maui Electric to earn a return on the pension asset, but this exclusion does not result in the exclusion of any pension benefit costs from their rates. The pension asset is to be (and has been, in the case of Maui Electric) recovered in rates (as NPPC is recorded in excess of contributions). As of December 31, 2014, Hawaiian Electric’s pension asset had been reduced to nil.

The OPEB tracking mechanisms generally require the Utilities to make contributions to the OPEB trust in the amount of the actuarially calculated NPBC, except when limited by material, adverse consequences imposed by federal regulations.

Retirement benefits expense for the Utilities for 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $32 million, $30 million and $32 million, respectively.

Defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans information. The changes in the obligations and assets of the Company’s and Utilities' retirement benefit plans and the changes in AOCI (gross) for 2014 and 2013 and the funded status of these plans and amounts related to these plans reflected in the Company’s and Utilities' consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 were as follows:



	2014						2013
(in thousands)	Pension benefits			Other benefits			Pension benefits			Other benefits
HEI consolidated
Benefit obligation, January 1	$	1,446,291		$	176,099		$	1,590,304		$	194,135
Service cost	49,264			3,490			56,405			4,306
Interest cost	72,202			8,550			64,788			7,569
Actuarial losses (gains)	342,446			39,098			(203,302		)	(21,743		)
Benefits paid and expenses	(62,975		)	(8,028		)	(61,904		)	(8,168		)
Benefit obligation, December 31	1,847,228			219,209			1,446,291			176,099
Fair value of plan assets, January 1	1,186,669			179,330			971,314			156,731
Actual return on plan assets	81,123			9,149			194,130			29,164
Employer contributions	60,103			(257		)	82,083			954
Benefits paid and expenses	(61,835		)	(7,890		)	(60,858		)	(7,519		)
Fair value of plan assets, December 31	1,266,060			180,332			1,186,669			179,330
Accrued benefit asset (liability), December 31	$	(581,168	)	$	(38,877	)	$	(259,622	)	$	3,231
Other assets	$	12,800		$	—		$	24,948		$	7,200
Defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans liability	(593,968		)	(38,877		)	(284,570		)	(3,969		)
Accrued benefit asset (liability), December 31	$	(581,168	)	$	(38,877	)	$	(259,622	)	$	3,231
AOCI debit/(credit), January 1 (excluding impact of PUC D&Os)	$	317,544		$	(21,722	)	$	680,781		$	18,846
Recognized during year – net recognized transition obligation	—			—			—			—
Recognized during year – prior service credit (cost)	(88		)	1,793			97			1,793
Recognized during year – net actuarial losses	(20,304		)	11			(38,438		)	(1,602		)
Occurring during year – net actuarial losses (gains)	342,679			40,851			(324,896		)	(40,759		)
AOCI debit/(credit) before cumulative impact of PUC D&Os, December 31	639,831			20,933			317,544			(21,722		)
Cumulative impact of PUC D&Os	(592,291		)	(22,975		)	(294,266		)	19,206
AOCI debit/(credit), December 31	$	47,540		$	(2,042	)	$	23,278		$	(2,516	)
Net actuarial loss (gain)	$	640,015		$	35,022		$	317,639		$	(5,840	)
Prior service gain	(184		)	(14,089		)	(95		)	(15,882		)
AOCI debit/(credit) before cumulative impact of PUC D&Os, December 31	639,831			20,933			317,544			(21,722		)
Cumulative impact of PUC D&Os	(592,291		)	(22,975		)	(294,266		)	19,206
AOCI debit/(credit), December 31	47,540			(2,042		)	23,278			(2,516		)
Income taxes (benefits)	(18,742		)	795			(9,180		)	980
AOCI debit/(credit), net of taxes (benefits), December 31	$	28,798		$	(1,247	)	$	14,098		$	(1,536	)



	2014						2013
(in thousands)	Pension benefits			Other benefits			Pension benefits			Other benefits
Hawaiian Electric consolidated
Benefit obligation, January 1	$	1,320,810		$	169,579		$	1,449,445		$	187,110
Service cost	47,597			3,392			54,482			4,163
Interest cost	65,979			8,234			59,119			7,288
Actuarial losses (gains)	314,210			38,488			(185,185		)	(20,900		)
Benefits paid and expenses	(57,819		)	(7,933		)	(57,051		)	(8,082		)
Benefit obligation, December 31	1,690,777			211,760			1,320,810			169,579
Fair value of plan assets, January 1	1,058,260			176,291			861,778			154,186
Actual return on plan assets	69,242			9,036			172,822			28,700
Employer contributions	58,948			(274		)	80,325			839
Benefits paid and expenses	(57,445		)	(7,797		)	(56,665		)	(7,434		)
Fair value of plan assets, December 31	1,129,005			177,256			1,058,260			176,291
Accrued benefit asset (liability), December 31	$	(561,772	)	$	(34,504	)	$	(262,550	)	$	6,712
Other assets	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	7,200
Other liabilities (short-term)	(421		)	(460		)	(388		)	(488		)
Defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans liability	(561,351		)	(34,044		)	(262,162		)	—
Accrued benefit asset (liability), December 31	$	(561,772	)	$	(34,504	)	$	(262,550	)	$	6,712
AOCI debit/(credit), January 1 (excluding impact of PUC D&Os)	$	295,973		$	(21,907	)	$	623,588		$	17,432
Recognized during year – net recognized transition asset	—			—			—			—
Recognized during year – prior service credit (cost)	(62		)	1,804			464			1,803
Recognized during year – net actuarial losses	(18,459		)	—			(34,597		)	(1,544		)
Occurring during year – net actuarial losses (gains)	317,651			40,193			(293,482		)	(39,598		)
AOCI debit/(credit) before cumulative impact of PUC D&Os, December 31	595,103			20,090			295,973			(21,907		)
Cumulative impact of PUC D&Os	(592,291		)	(22,975		)	(294,266		)	19,206
AOCI debit/(credit), December 31	$	2,812		$	(2,885	)	$	1,707		$	(2,701	)
Net actuarial loss (gain)	$	595,017		$	34,192		$	295,825		$	(6,001	)
Prior service cost (gain)	86			(14,102		)	148			(15,906		)
AOCI debit/(credit) before cumulative impact of PUC D&Os, December 31	595,103			20,090			295,973			(21,907		)
Cumulative impact of PUC D&Os	(592,291		)	(22,975		)	(294,266		)	19,206
AOCI debit/(credit), December 31	2,812			(2,885		)	1,707			(2,701		)
Income taxes (benefits)	(1,094		)	1,122			(664		)	1,050
AOCI debit/(credit), net of taxes (benefits), December 31	$	1,718		$	(1,763	)	$	1,043		$	(1,651	)

The dates used to determine retirement benefit measurements for the defined benefit plans were December 31 of 2014, 2013 and 2012.

On August 8, 2014 and July 6, 2012, President Obama signed the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 (HATFA) and the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), respectively, which included provisions related to the funding and administration of pension plans with no impact to the Company’s or the Utilities' accounting for pension benefits; therefore, the net periodic benefit costs disclosed for the plans were not affected. The Company elected to not apply HATFA to the 2013 plan year. The Company elected to apply MAP-21 for 2012, which improved the plans’ Adjusted Funding Target Attainment Percentage for funding and benefit distribution purposes and thereby reduced the 2012 minimum funding requirement and lifted the restrictions on accelerated distribution options (which restrictions were in effect from April 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012) for HEI and the Utilities. MAP-21 caused the minimum required funding under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA) to be less than the net periodic cost for 2013 and 2014. Similarly, HATFA caused the minimum required funding under ERISA to be less than the net periodic cost for 2014; therefore, to satisfy the requirements of the Utilities pension and OPEB tracking mechanisms, the Utilities contributed the net periodic cost in 2014.

The Pension Protection Act provides that if a pension plan’s funded status falls below certain levels, more conservative assumptions must be used to value obligations under the pension plan. The HEI Retirement Plan met the threshold requirements in each of 2012 and 2013 so that the more conservative assumptions did not apply for either the 2013 or 2014 valuation of plan liabilities for purposes of calculating the minimum required contribution. Other factors could cause changes to the required contribution levels.

The Company and the Utilities have determined the market-related value of retirement benefit plan assets by calculating the difference between the expected return and the actual return on the fair value of the plan assets, then amortizing the difference over future years – 0% in the first year and 25% in each of years two through five – and finally adding or subtracting the unamortized differences for the past four years from fair value. The method includes a 15% range around the fair value of such assets (i.e., 85% to 115% of fair value). If the market-related value is outside the 15% range, then the amount outside the range will be recognized immediately in the calculation of annual NPBC.

A primary goal of the plans is to achieve long-term asset growth sufficient to pay future benefit obligations at a reasonable level of risk. The investment policy target for defined benefit pension and OPEB plans reflects the philosophy that long-term growth can best be achieved by prudent investments in equity securities while balancing overall fund volatility by an appropriate allocation to fixed income securities. In order to reduce the level of portfolio risk and volatility in returns, efforts have been made to diversify the plans’ investments by asset class, geographic region, market capitalization and investment style.

The asset allocation of defined benefit retirement plans to equity and fixed income securities managers and related investment policy targets and ranges were as follows:



	Pension benefits¹							Other benefits²
					Investment policy							Investment policy
December 31	2014		2013		Target		Range	2014		2013		Target		Range
Assets held by category
Equity securities managers	73	%	73	%	70	%	65-75	72	%	74	%	70	%	65-75
Fixed income securities managers	27		27		30		25-35	28		26		30		25-35
	100	%	100	%	100	%		100	%	100	%	100	%


¹	Asset allocation for 2014 is applicable to HEI and the Utilities. In 2014, ASB revised its defined benefit pension plan asset allocation to a liability driven investment strategy and as of December 31, 2014, all of its pension assets were invested in fixed income securities. In 2013, ASB’s assets were invested using an allocation consistent with that of HEI and the Utilities.


²	Asset allocation for 2014 and 2013 is applicable to only HEI and the Utilities. ASB does not fund its other benefits.

See Note 16 for additional disclosures about the fair value of the retirement benefit plans’ assets.

The following weighted-average assumptions were used in the accounting for the plans:



	Pension benefits						Other benefits
December 31	2014		2013		2012		2014		2013		2012
Benefit obligation
Discount rate	4.22	%	5.09	%	4.13	%	4.17	%	5.03	%	4.07	%
Rate of compensation increase	3.5		3.5		3.5		NA		NA		NA
Net periodic benefit cost (years ended)
Discount rate	5.09		4.13		5.19		5.03		4.07		4.90
Expected return on plan assets	7.75		7.75		7.75		7.75		7.75		7.75
Rate of compensation increase	3.5		3.5		3.5		NA		NA		NA

NA Not applicable

The Company and the Utilities based their selection of an assumed discount rate for 2015 NPBC and December 31, 2014 disclosure on a cash flow matching analysis that utilized bond information provided by Bloomberg for all non-callable, high quality bonds (i.e., rated AA- or better) as of December 31, 2014. In selecting the expected rate of return on plan assets for 2015 NPBC: a) HEI and the Utilities considered economic forecasts for the types of investments held by the plans (primarily equity and fixed income investments), the Plans’ asset allocations, industry and corporate surveys and the past performance of the plans’ assets in selecting 7.75% and b) ASB considered its revised asset allocation in 2014 to a liability driven investment strategy in selecting 4.22%, which is consistent with the assumed discount rate for 2015.

The Company and the Utilities adopted updated mortality tables published by the Society of Actuaries as its mortality assumptions as of December 31, 2014. The use of the RP-2014 Tables and the Mortality Improvement Scale MP-2014 had a significant effect on the Company’s and the Utilities’ benefit obligations.

As of December 31, 2014, the assumed health care trend rates for 2015 and future years were as follows: medical, 7.25%, grading down to 5% for 2024 and thereafter; dental, 5%; and vision, 4%. As of December 31, 2013, the assumed health care trend rates for 2014 and future years were as follows: medical, 7.5%, grading down to 5% for 2024 and thereafter; dental, 5%; and vision, 4%. Medicare Advantage reimbursements are expected to phase out by 2016; therefore, post age 65 medical trends are adjusted to reflect anticipated increases above the ordinary medical trend rates. For post age 65, the medical trend is 4% higher than pre-65 for 2014 and 3% higher in 2015.

The components of NPBC were as follows:



	Pension benefits									Other benefits
(in thousands)	2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
HEI consolidated
Service cost	$	49,264		$	56,405		$	43,221		$	3,490		$	4,306		$	4,211
Interest cost	72,202			64,788			67,480			8,550			7,569			9,009
Expected return on plan assets	(81,355		)	(72,537		)	(71,183		)	(10,902		)	(10,147		)	(10,336		)
Amortization of net transition obligation	—			—			1			—			—			—
Amortization of net prior service (gain) cost	88			(97		)	(325		)	(1,793		)	(1,793		)	(1,793		)
Amortization of net actuarial loss (gains)	20,304			38,438			25,675			(11		)	1,602			1,498
Net periodic benefit cost	60,503			86,997			64,869			(666		)	1,537			2,589
Impact of PUC D&Os	(13,324		)	(38,104		)	(15,754		)	1,976			(1,458		)	(2,227		)
Net periodic benefit cost (adjusted for impact of PUC D&Os)	47,179			48,893			49,115			1,310			79			362
Hawaiian Electric consolidated
Service cost	$	47,597		$	54,482		$	41,603		$	3,392		$	4,163		$	4,014
Interest cost	65,979			59,119			61,453			8,234			7,288			8,703
Expected return on plan assets	(72,661		)	(64,551		)	(64,004		)	(10,739		)	(10,002		)	(10,195		)
Amortization of net transition obligation	—			—			—			—			—			(9		)
Amortization of net prior service (gain) cost	62			(464		)	(689		)	(1,804		)	(1,803		)	(1,803		)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	18,459			34,597			23,428			—			1,544			1,455
Net periodic benefit cost	59,436			83,183			61,791			(917		)	1,190			2,165
Impact of PUC D&Os	(13,324		)	(38,104		)	(15,754		)	1,976			(1,458		)	(2,227		)
Net periodic benefit cost (adjusted for impact of PUC D&Os)	$	46,112		$	45,079		$	46,037		$	1,059		$	(268	)	$	(62	)

The estimated prior service credit, net actuarial loss and net transition obligation for defined benefit plans that will be amortized from AOCI or regulatory assets into net periodic benefit cost during 2015 is as follows:



	HEI consolidated					Hawaiian Electric consolidated
(in millions)	Pension benefits		Other benefits			Pension benefits		Other benefits
Estimated prior service cost (credit)	$	—	$	(1.8	)	$	—	$	(1.8	)
Net actuarial loss	35.8		1.7			32.4		1.7
Net transition obligation	—		—			—		—

The Company recorded pension expense of $32 million, $34 million and $35 million and OPEB expense of $1.2 million, $0.4 million and $1.0 million in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and charged the remaining amounts primarily to electric utility plant. The Utilities recorded pension expense of $31 million, $30 million and $32 million and OPEB expense of $1.0 million, nil and $0.4 million in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and charged the remaining amounts primarily to electric utility plant.

The health care cost trend rate assumptions can have a significant effect on the amounts reported for other benefits. As of December 31, 2014, for the Company, a one-percentage-point increase in the assumed health care cost trend rates would have increased the total service and interest cost by $0.2 million and the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation (APBO) by $3.8 million, and a one-percentage-point decrease would have reduced the total service and interest cost by $0.3 million and the APBO by $4.6 million. As of December 31, 2014, for the Utilities, a one-percentage-point increase in the assumed health care cost trend rates would have increased the total service and interest cost by $0.2 million and the APBO by $3.7 million, and a one-percentage-point decrease would have reduced the total service and interest cost by $0.3 million and the APBO by $4.5 million.

HEI consolidated. The defined benefit pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations (ABOs), which do not consider projected pay increases (unlike the PBOs shown in the table above), in excess of plan assets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, had aggregate ABOs of $1.5 billion and $1.2 billion, respectively, and plan assets of $1.2 billion and $1.1 billion, respectively. The defined benefit pension plans with PBOs in excess of plan assets as of December 31, 2014, had aggregate PBOs of $1.7 billion and plan assets of $1.2 billion. The defined benefit pension plans with PBOs in excess of plan assets as of December 31, 2013, had aggregate PBOs of $1.4 billion and plan assets of $1.1 billion. As of December 31, 2014, the other postretirement benefit plans shown in the table above had ABOs in excess of plan assets. As of December 31, 2013, the other postretirement benefit plans with ABOs in excess of plan assets had aggregate ABOs of $0.4 million and plan assets of nil.

The Company estimates that the cash funding for the qualified defined benefit pension plans in 2015 will be $85 million, which should fully satisfy the minimum required contributions to those plans, including requirements of the Utilities’ pension tracking mechanisms and the Plan’s funding policy. The Company's current estimate of contributions to its other postretirement benefit plans in 2015 is $0.5 million.

As of December 31, 2014, the benefits expected to be paid under all retirement benefit plans in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 through 2024 amounted to $76 million, $79 million, $83 million, $87 million, $91 million and $520 million, respectively.

Hawaiian Electric consolidated. The defined benefit pension plans with ABOs in excess of plan assets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, had aggregate ABOs of $1.5 billion and $1.2 billion, respectively, and plan assets of $1.1 billion and $1.1 billion, respectively. All the defined benefit pension plans shown in the table above had PBOs in excess of plan assets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013. As of December 31, 2014, the other postretirement benefit plan shown in the table above had an ABO in excess of plan assets. As of December 31, 2013, the other postretirement benefit plan shown in the table above had plan assets in excess of ABO.

The Utilities estimate that the cash funding for the qualified defined benefit pension plan in 2015 will be $83 million, which should fully satisfy the minimum required contributions to that Plan, including requirements of the pension tracking mechanisms and the Plan’s funding policy. The Utilities' current estimate of contributions to its other postretirement benefit plans in 2015 is $0.5 million.

As of December 31, 2014, the benefits expected to be paid under all retirement benefit plans in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 through 2024 amounted to $70 million, $73 million, $76 million, $79 million, $83 million and $476 million, respectively.

Defined contribution plans information. The ASB 401(k) Plan is a defined contribution plan, which includes a discretionary employer profit sharing contribution by ASB (AmeriShare) and a matching contribution by ASB on the first 4% of employee deferrals (AmeriMatch).

Changes to retirement benefits for HEI and utility employees commencing employment after April 30, 2011 include a reduction of benefits provided through the defined benefit plan and the addition of a 50% match by the applicable employer on the first 6% of employee deferrals through the defined contribution plan (under the Hawaiian Electric Industries Retirement Savings Plan).

For 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Company’s expense for its defined contribution pension plans under the HEIRSP and the ASB 401(k) Plan was $5 million, $5 million and $4 million, respectively, and cash contributions were $5 million, $4 million and $4 million, respectively. The Utilities’ expense for its defined contribution pension plan under the HEIRSP Plan for 2014 and 2013 was $0.9 million and $0.6 million, respectively, and 2012 was de minimis.