| Employee Retirement Benefits
NEE sponsors a qualified noncontributory defined benefit pension plan for substantially all employees of NEE and its subsidiaries and sponsors a contributory postretirement plan for other benefits for retirees of NEE and its subsidiaries meeting certain eligibility requirements.
The components of net periodic income for the plans are as follows: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Pension Benefits | | Postretirement Benefits | | Pension Benefits | | Postretirement Benefits | | Three Months Ended September 30, | | Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, | | 2020 | | 2019 | | 2020 | | 2019 | | 2020 | | 2019 | | 2020 | | 2019 | | (millions) | Service cost | $ | 22 |
| | $ | 20 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 64 |
| | $ | 60 |
| | $ | 1 |
| | $ | 1 |
| Interest cost | 23 |
| | 28 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 69 |
| | 86 |
| | 6 |
| | 7 |
| Expected return on plan assets | (80 | ) | | (78 | ) | | — |
| | — |
| | (241 | ) | | (235 | ) | | — |
| | — |
| Amortization of prior service benefit | (1 | ) | | — |
| | (4 | ) | | (4 | ) | | (1 | ) | | (1 | ) | | (12 | ) | | (12 | ) | Amortization of actuarial loss | 4 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 13 |
| | — |
| | 2 |
| | — |
| Special termination benefits(a) | 4 |
| | 1 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 13 |
| | 17 |
| | — |
| | — |
| Net periodic income at NEE | $ | (28 | ) | | $ | (29 | ) | | $ | (1 | ) | | $ | (1 | ) | | $ | (83 | ) | | $ | (73 | ) | | $ | (3 | ) | | $ | (4 | ) | Net periodic income allocated to FPL | $ | (19 | ) | | $ | (18 | ) | | $ | (1 | ) | | $ | (1 | ) | | $ | (58 | ) | | $ | (53 | ) | | $ | (2 | ) | | $ | (3 | ) |
_________________________ (a) Reflects enhanced early retirement benefits.
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