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CMS > SEC Filings for CMS > Form 10-Q on 5-Aug-2008All Recent SEC Filings

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Form 10-Q for CMS ENERGY CORP


5-Aug-2008

Quarterly Report


MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
This MD&A is a consolidated report of CMS Energy. The terms "we" and "our" as used in this report refer to CMS Energy and its subsidiaries as a consolidated entity, except where it is clear that such term means only CMS Energy. This MD&A has been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Item 303 of Regulation S-K. This MD&A should be read in conjunction with the MD&A contained in CMS Energy's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION This Form 10-Q and other written and oral statements that we make contain forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our intention with the use of words such as "may," "could," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," and other similar words is to identify forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainty. We designed this discussion of potential risks and uncertainties to highlight important factors that may impact our business and financial outlook. We have no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements regardless of whether new information, future events, or any other factors affect the information contained in the statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to various factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in these statements. Such factors include our inability to predict or control:
• the price of CMS Energy Common Stock, capital and financial market conditions, and the effect of such market conditions on our post-retirement benefit plans, interest rates, and access to the capital markets, including availability of financing to CMS Energy, Consumers, or any of their affiliates, and the energy industry,

• market perception of the energy industry, CMS Energy, Consumers, or any of their affiliates,

• factors affecting operations, such as unusual weather conditions, catastrophic weather-related damage, unscheduled generation outages, maintenance or repairs, environmental incidents, or electric transmission or gas pipeline system constraints,

• the impact of any future regulations or laws regarding carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions,

• national, regional, and local economic, competitive, and regulatory policies, conditions and developments,

• adverse regulatory or legal interpretations or decisions, including those related to environmental laws and regulations, and potential environmental remediation costs associated with such interpretations or decisions, including but not limited to those that may affect Bay Harbor,

• potentially adverse regulatory treatment or failure to receive timely regulatory orders concerning a number of significant questions currently or potentially before the MPSC, including:

† recovery of Clean Air Act capital and operating costs and other environmental and safety-related expenditures,

† recovery of power supply and natural gas supply costs,

† timely recognition in rates of additional equity investments and additional operation and maintenance expenses at Consumers,

† adequate and timely recovery of additional utility rate-based investments,

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† adequate and timely recovery of higher MISO energy and transmission costs,

† recovery of Stranded Costs incurred due to customers choosing alternative energy suppliers,

† timely recovery of costs associated with energy efficiency investments and any state or federally mandated renewables resource standards,

† recovery of Big Rock decommissioning funding shortfalls,

† approval of the Balanced Energy Initiative, and

† authorization of a new clean coal plant,

• adverse consequences resulting from a past or future assertion of indemnity or warranty claims associated with previously owned assets and businesses, including claims resulting from attempts by the governments of Equatorial Guinea and Morocco to assess taxes on past operations or transactions,

• the ability of Consumers to recover nuclear fuel storage costs due to the DOE's failure to accept spent nuclear fuel on schedule, including the outcome of pending litigation with the DOE,

• the impact of expanded enforcement powers and investigation activities at the FERC,

• federal regulation of electric sales and transmission of electricity, including periodic re-examination by federal regulators of our market-based sales authorizations in wholesale power markets without price restrictions,

• energy markets, including availability of capacity and the timing and extent of changes in commodity prices for oil, coal, natural gas, natural gas liquids, electricity and certain related products due to lower or higher demand, shortages, transportation problems, or other developments,

• the impact of increases in natural gas prices and coal prices on our cash flow and working capital,

• the impact of increases in steel and other construction material prices,

• the availability of qualified construction personnel to implement our construction program,

• our ability to collect accounts receivable from our customers,

• earnings volatility resulting from the GAAP requirement that we apply mark-to-market accounting to certain energy commodity contracts, including electricity sales agreements, and interest rate swaps,

• the direct and indirect effects of the continued economic downturn in Michigan on Consumers and its revenues,

• potential disruption or interruption of facilities or operations due to accidents, war, or terrorism, and the ability to obtain or maintain insurance coverage for such events,

• technological developments in energy production, delivery, and usage,

• achievement of capital expenditure and operating expense goals,

• changes in financial or regulatory accounting principles or policies,

• changes in tax laws or new IRS interpretations of existing or past tax laws,

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• changes in federal or state regulations or laws that could have an impact on our business,

• the outcome, cost, and other effects of legal or administrative proceedings, settlements, investigations or claims, including those resulting from the investigation by the DOJ regarding round-trip trading and price reporting,

• disruptions in the normal commercial insurance and surety bond markets that may increase costs or reduce traditional insurance coverage, particularly terrorism and sabotage insurance, performance bonds, and tax exempt debt insurance,

• credit ratings of CMS Energy or Consumers, and

• other business or investment considerations that may be disclosed from time to time in CMS Energy's or Consumers' SEC filings, or in other publicly issued written documents.

For additional information regarding these and other uncertainties, see the "Outlook" section included in this MD&A, Note 4, Contingencies, and Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors.

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EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
CMS Energy is an energy company operating primarily in Michigan. We are the parent holding company of several subsidiaries including Consumers and Enterprises. Consumers is a combination electric and gas utility company serving in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Enterprises, through its subsidiaries and equity investments, is engaged primarily in domestic independent power production. We manage our businesses by the nature of services each provides and operate principally in three business segments: electric utility, gas utility, and enterprises.
We earn our revenue and generate cash from operations by providing electric and natural gas utility services, electric power generation, gas distribution, transmission, and storage, and other energy-related services. Our businesses are affected primarily by:
• weather, especially during the normal heating and cooling seasons,

• economic conditions, primarily in Michigan,

• regulation and regulatory issues that affect our electric and gas utility operations,

• energy commodity prices,

• interest rates, and

• our debt credit rating.

During the past several years, our business strategy has emphasized improving our consolidated balance sheet and maintaining focus on our core strength:
utility operations and service.
A key aspect of our strategy with respect to our utility operations is our Balanced Energy Initiative. The initiative is designed to meet the growing customer demand for electricity over the next 20 years with energy efficiency, demand management, expanded use of renewable energy, and development of new power plants and pursuit of additional power purchase agreements to complement existing generating sources.
The Michigan Senate approved several bills in June 2008 that would revise the Customer Choice Act, introduce energy efficiency programs, modify the timing of rate increase requests, mandate cost allocation methodology and customer rate design (deskewing), establish mandatory renewable energy standards, and provide for other regulatory changes. The Michigan Senate's bills differ from the bills passed by the Michigan House of Representatives in April 2008. We cannot predict whether the differences can be resolved or whether the Michigan governor will approve any compromise package.
In June 2008, the MPSC approved a settlement agreement that provides for an amended and restated MCV PPA and resolves the issues concerning our exercise of the September 2007 regulatory-out provision. The revised MCV PPA also provides for our access to 1,240 MW of the MCV Facility capacity through March 2025. The amended and restated MCV PPA will take effect when at least four boilers being installed to provide steam and electric energy at the MCV Facility are operational.
As we work to implement plans to serve our customers in the future, the cost of energy and managing cash flow continue to challenge us. Natural gas prices and eastern coal prices have been increasing substantially. These costs are recoverable from our utility customers; however, as prices increase, the amount we pay for these commodities will require additional liquidity due to the lag in cost recoveries.
In July 2008, we implemented an integrated business software system for customer billing, finance, work management, and other systems. Consistent with our commitment to our Balanced Energy Initiative, we are also developing an advanced metering system that will provide enhanced controls and information about our customer energy usage and notification of service interruptions. We expect to develop integration software and pilot new technology over approximately the next two years.

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In the future, we will focus our strategy on:
• continuing investment in our utility business,

• growing earnings while controlling operating costs and parent debt, and

• maintaining principles of safe, efficient operations, customer value, fair and timely regulation, and consistent financial performance.

As we execute our strategy, we will need to overcome a sluggish Michigan economy that has been hampered by the downturn in Michigan's automotive industry and limited growth in the non-manufacturing sectors of the state's economy. There also has been softness in the capital markets resulting from the subprime mortgage crisis, energy price increases, and other market weaknesses. Although we have not identified any material impacts on our financial condition, we will continue to monitor developments for potential implications for our business.

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