Item 2.06. Material Impairment.
SunCor Impairment Charges
SunCor Development Company ("SunCor"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pinnacle
West Capital Corporation ("Pinnacle West"), is a developer of residential,
commercial and industrial real estate projects in Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico and
Utah. As a result of current and anticipated continuing distressed conditions in
real estate and credit markets, SunCor undertook and has now completed a review
of its assets and strategies within its various markets. Based on the results of
the review and a continuing decline in the credit markets, on March 27, 2009,
the SunCor Board of Directors authorized a series of strategic transactions to
dispose of SunCor's homebuilding operations, master-planned communities, and
golf courses in order to reduce SunCor's outstanding debt. SunCor currently
plans to retain selected Arizona assets, including land parcels and commercial
assets associated with SunCor's Hayden Ferry Lakeside project in Tempe, Arizona,
and approximately 2,000 acres of commercial land associated with its Palm Valley
project located west of Phoenix, Arizona. SunCor estimates the book value of the
retained assets will be approximately $70 million.
Management plans to dispose of the assets in 2009. As a result of this
decision, SunCor expects to record pretax impairment charges in the first
quarter of approximately $200 million, or $120 million after taxes on a Pinnacle
West consolidated basis. SunCor estimates that it will also record in the first
quarter approximately $10 million of pretax severance and other charges relating
to these actions. SunCor expects to reclassify most of the affected properties
to discontinued operations beginning in the second quarter of 2009, as marketing
of the assets commences and other criteria are met. Pinnacle West does not
expect that any of the impairment charges will result in future cash
expenditures, other than immaterial disposition costs.
SunCor's principal loan facility (the "Secured Revolver") was recently
extended for a twelve-month period and requires SunCor to reduce its outstanding
borrowings by specified amounts over the term of the facility. As of March 31,
2009, approximately $108 million of borrowings were outstanding under the
Secured Revolver and approximately $67 million of debt was outstanding under
other SunCor credit facilities. SunCor intends to apply the proceeds of the
asset sales described above to the accelerated repayment of the Secured Revolver
and SunCor's other outstanding debt. Absent waivers from its lenders, which
SunCor is currently seeking, the impairment charges discussed above would result
in a violation of certain covenants contained in the Secured Revolver and
SunCor's other credit facilities. If SunCor is unable to obtain waivers or
similar relief from its lenders, SunCor could be required to immediately repay
its outstanding indebtedness under the Secured Revolver and its other credit
facilities. Such debt acceleration would have a material adverse impact on
SunCor's business and its financial position. Neither Pinnacle West nor any of
its other subsidiaries has guaranteed any SunCor indebtedness, nor would any
SunCor debt default result in a cross-default of any of the debt of Pinnacle
West or any of its other subsidiaries. As a result, Pinnacle West does not
believe that SunCor's inability to obtain waivers or similar relief from
SunCor's lenders would have a material adverse impact on Pinnacle West's cash
flows or liquidity.
Forward-Looking Statements
This document contains forward-looking statements based on current
expectations, and Pinnacle West assumes no obligation to update these statements
or make any further statements on any of these issues, except as required by
applicable law. Forward looking statements contained in this document include,
but are not limited to: statements regarding (a) SunCor's plan to dispose of its
homebuilding operations, master-planned communities, and golf courses;
(b) SunCor's expectation that the sales will be completed during 2009;
(c) SunCor's expectation regarding its first quarter impairment charges;
(d) SunCor's estimate of severance and other charges; and (e) SunCor's
expectation that none of the impairment charges will result in future cash
expenditures. 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. These factors include,
but are not limited to the strength of the real estate and credit markets and
economic and other conditions affecting the real estate and credit markets in
SunCor's market areas, which include Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico and Utah.