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| PNW > SEC Filings for PNW > Form 8-K on 20-Feb-2009 | All Recent SEC Filings |
20-Feb-2009
Results of Operations and Financial Condition, Financial Statements an
• Arizona Public
Service
Company
("APS") has a
general retail
rate case
pending before
the Arizona
Corporation
Commission
(the "ACC").
The rate
request
includes,
among other
things, a net
overall
increase of
$278.2 million
in annual
pretax retail
electricity
revenues to be
effective no
later than
October 1,
2009. The
requested net
increase
consists of an
increase of
$264.3 million
in non-fuel
base rates and
a net increase
of $13.9
million for
fuel and
purchased
power costs
reflected in
base rates. On
January 30,
2009, APS
began
settlement
discussions
with the
parties to the
general retail
rate case. We
are not able
to predict the
ultimate
outcome of the
rate case,
when the ACC
will make a
decision in
this case, or
the specific
date when a
rate increase
will become
effective.
(For detailed
information
regarding the
rate case, see
"2008 General
Rate Case" in
Note 3 of
Notes to
Consolidated
Financial
Statements in
• On December 18, 2008, the ACC voted to approve an emergency interim base rate surcharge for APS (the "Interim Rate Decision"). This surcharge became effective for retail customer bills issued after December 31, 2008 and will continue in effect until a decision under the pending general retail rate case becomes effective. This surcharge is expected to increase annual pretax retail revenues approximately $65.2 million, and is subject to refund with interest pending the final outcome of APS' general retail rate case.
• The Interim Rate Decision requires, among other things, that APS examine its operations and expenses, targeting additional cuts of at least $20 million, and reinvest the savings and surcharge revenues in infrastructure and technology necessary to serve APS customers and reduce the need for external debt financing. Since the study is still underway, no adjustments have been made to our estimates for potential additional cost reductions.
• Our current outlook for our real estate subsidiary, SunCor Development Company ("SunCor"), reflects the weak status of the real estate market in the United States and the limited availability of financing. SunCor's net loss in 2008 included a $53 million pretax impairment charge. If conditions in the broader economy or the real estate market worsen, or as a result of a change in SunCor's strategy, we may be required to record additional impairment charges.
We estimate that our consolidated earnings for 2009 will be within a
reasonable range around $2.30 per share, excluding the impact of SunCor
(including any potential future real estate impairment charges) and before
considering any potential earnings benefit during the year derived from a net
base rate increase at the conclusion of the pending general retail rate case. We
estimate that APS' earnings contribution included in such consolidated earnings
will be within a reasonable range around $2.35 per share (equivalent to a return
on APS' average common equity of about 7%). This estimate assumes that the
interim base rate surcharge will remain in effect throughout 2009. Our earnings
estimates will increase to the extent the ultimate outcome of the general retail
rate case includes a net base rate increase in 2009 that exceeds the amount of
the interim base rate surcharge. We currently estimate that holding company
expenses and other items, net, will be a net loss within a reasonable range
around $0.05 per share. For additional details regarding the major factors
affecting our consolidated earnings outlook for 2009, see Exhibit 99.9 attached
hereto.
2010 Earnings Outlook
Assuming APS' general retail rate request is granted in full and is
effective for the entire year, we estimate that our consolidated earnings for
2010, excluding the impact of SunCor (including any potential real estate
impairment charges) will be within a reasonable range around $3.00 per share. We
estimate that APS' earnings contribution included in such 2010 consolidated
earnings will be within a reasonable range around $3.00 per share (equivalent to
a return on APS' average common equity of about 9%). We currently estimate that
holding company expenses and other items, net, will not have any meaningful
impact on our 2010 consolidated financial results. For additional details
regarding major factors affecting our consolidated earnings outlook for 2010,
see Exhibit 99.10 attached hereto.
Forward-Looking Statements
This Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements regarding our 2009 and 2010
earnings outlook. Neither Pinnacle West nor APS assumes any obligation to update
these statements or make any further statements on any of these issues, except
as required by applicable law. These forward-looking statements are often
identified by words such as "estimate," "predict," "hope," "may," "believe,"
"anticipate," "plan," "expect," "require," "intend," "assume" and similar words.
Because actual results
may differ materially from expectations, we caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements. A number of factors could cause future results to differ materially from historical results, or from results or outcomes currently expected or sought by Pinnacle West or APS. In addition to the Risk Factors described in Item 1A of the Pinnacle West/APS Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008, these factors include, but are not limited to, state and federal regulatory and legislative decisions and actions, including the outcome or timing of the pending rate case of APS; increases in our capital expenditures and operating costs and our ability to achieve timely and adequate rate recovery of these increased costs; our ability to reduce capital expenditures and other costs while maintaining reliability and customer service levels, and unexpected developments that would limit us from achieving all or some of our planned capital expenditure reductions; volatile fuel and purchased power costs, including fluctuations in market prices for natural gas, coal, uranium and other fuels used in our generating facilities, availability of supplies of such commodities, and our ability to recover the costs of such commodities; the outcome and resulting costs of regulatory, legislative and judicial proceedings, both current and future, including those related to environmental matters and climate change; the availability of sufficient water supplies to operate our generation facilities, including as the result of drought conditions; the potential for additional restructuring of the electric industry, including decisions impacting wholesale competition and the introduction of retail electric competition in Arizona; regional, national and international economic and market conditions, including the strength of the housing, credit and financial markets; the potential adverse impact of current economic conditions on our results of operations; the cost of debt and equity capital and access to capital markets; changes in the market price of our common stock; restrictions on dividends or other burdensome provisions in new or existing credit agreements; our ability, or the ability of our subsidiaries, to meet debt service obligations; current credit ratings remaining in effect for any given period of time; the performance of the stock market and the changing interest rate environment, which affect the value of our nuclear decommissioning trust, pension, and other postretirement benefit plan assets, the amount of required contributions to Pinnacle West's pension plan and contributions to APS' nuclear decommissioning trust funds, as well as the reported costs of providing pension and other postretirement benefits and our ability to recover such costs; volatile market liquidity, any deteriorating counterparty credit and the use of derivative contracts in our business (including the interpretation of the subjective and complex accounting rules related to these contracts); changes in accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, the interpretation of those principles and the impact of the adoption of new accounting standards; customer growth and energy usage; weather variations affecting local and regional customer energy usage; power plant performance and outages; transmission outages and constraints; the completion of generation and transmission construction in the region, which could affect customer growth and the cost of power supplies; risks inherent in the operation of nuclear facilities, such as environmental, regulatory, health and financial risks, risk of terrorist attack, planned and unplanned outages, and unfunded decommissioning costs; the ability of our power plant participants to meet contractual or other obligations; technological developments in the electric industry; the results of litigation and other proceedings resulting from the California and Pacific Northwest energy situations; the performance of Pinnacle West's subsidiaries and any resulting effects on its cash flow; the strength of the real estate market and economic and other conditions affecting the real estate market in SunCor's market areas, which include Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico and Utah; and other uncertainties, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of Pinnacle West and APS.
Exhibit
No. Registrant(s) Description
99.1 Pinnacle West Pinnacle West Capital Corporation quarterly consolidated APS statistical summary (cover page and list of contents).
99.2 Pinnacle West Pinnacle West Capital Corporation quarterly consolidated APS statistical summary for the three-month and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2008 and 2007.
99.3 Pinnacle West Pinnacle West Capital Corporation consolidated statistics by APS quarter for 2008.
99.4 Pinnacle West Pinnacle West Capital Corporation consolidated statistics by APS quarter for 2007.
99.5 Pinnacle West Pinnacle West Capital Corporation consolidated statistics by APS quarter for 2006.
99.6 Pinnacle West Pinnacle West Capital Corporation earnings variance APS explanations for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2008 and 2007 and unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2008 and 2007.
99.7 Pinnacle West Glossary of Terms.
APS
99.8 Pinnacle West Earnings News Release issued on February 20, 2009.
APS
99.9 Pinnacle West 2009 Earnings Outlook Reconciliation
APS
99.10 Pinnacle West 2010 Earnings Outlook Reconciliation
APS
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