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| AWR > SEC Filings for AWR > Form 10-Q on 7-Aug-2009 | All Recent SEC Filings |
7-Aug-2009
Quarterly Report
General
American States Water Company ("AWR") is the parent company of Golden State Water Company ("GSWC"), Chaparral City Water Company ("CCWC") and American States Utility Services, Inc. ("ASUS") and its subsidiaries (Fort Bliss Water Services Company ("FBWS"), Terrapin Utility Services, Inc. ("TUS"), Old Dominion Utility Services, Inc. ("ODUS"), Palmetto State Utility Services, Inc. ("PSUS") and Old North Utility Services, Inc. ("ONUS")). AWR was incorporated as a California corporation in 1998 as a holding company. AWR has three reportable segments: water, electric and contracted services. Within the segments, AWR has three principal business units: water and electric service utility operations conducted through GSWC, a water-service utility operation conducted through CCWC, and a contracted services unit conducted through ASUS and its subsidiaries. FBWS, TUS, ODUS, PSUS and ONUS may be referred to herein collectively as the "Military Utility Privatization Subsidiaries".
GSWC is a California public utility company engaged principally in the purchase, production and distribution of water. GSWC also distributes electricity in one customer service area. GSWC is regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission ("CPUC") and was incorporated as a California corporation on December 31, 1929. GSWC is organized into one electric customer service area and three water service regions operating within 75 communities in 10 counties in the State of California and provides water service in 21 customer service areas. Region I consists of 7 customer service areas in northern and central California; Region II consists of 4 customer service areas located in Los Angeles County; and Region III consists of 10 customer service areas in eastern Los Angeles County, and in Orange, San Bernardino and Imperial counties. GSWC also provides electric service to the City of Big Bear Lake and surrounding areas in San Bernardino County through its Bear Valley Electric Service ("BVES") division.
GSWC served 254,730 water customers and 23,002 electric customers at June 30, 2009, or a total of 277,732 customers, compared with 254,479 water customers and 23,056 electric customers, or a total of 277,535 customers at June 30, 2008. GSWC's utility operations exhibit seasonal trends. Although GSWC's water utility operations have a diversified customer base, residential and commercial customers account for the majority of GSWC's water sales and revenues. Revenues derived from commercial and residential water customers accounted for approximately 90% of total water revenues for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2009 and 2008.
CCWC is an Arizona public utility company serving 13,392 customers at June 30, 2009, compared with 13,485 customers at June 30, 2008. Located in the town of Fountain Hills, Arizona and a portion of the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, the majority of CCWC's customers are residential. The Arizona Corporation Commission ("ACC") regulates CCWC.
ASUS, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, has contracted with the U.S. government to provide water and/or wastewater services, including both the operation and maintenance and, in most cases, the renewal and replacement of the water and/or wastewater systems pursuant to 50-year fixed price contracts, which are subject to periodic prospective price redeterminations and modifications for changes in circumstances. All of the contracts with the U.S. government may be terminated, in whole or in part, prior to the end of the 50-year term for convenience of the U.S. government or as a result of default or nonperformance by the subsidiary performing the contract. In either event, the Military Utility Privatization Subsidiary is entitled to recover the remaining amount of its capital investment pursuant to the terms of a termination settlement with the U.S. government at the time of termination as provided for in each of the contracts. The contract price for each of these contracts is subject to redetermination two years after commencement of operations and every three years thereafter under the terms of these contracts. Prices are subject to equitable adjustment based upon changes in circumstances, changes in laws and/or regulations, and changes in wages and fringe benefits to the extent provided in each of the contracts. AWR guarantees performance on all of ASUS' military contracts. Pursuant to the terms of these contracts, the Military Utility Privatization Subsidiaries operate, as of the effective date of their respective contracts, the following water and wastewater systems:
† FBWS - water and wastewater systems at Fort Bliss located near El Paso, Texas and extending into southeastern New Mexico effective October 1, 2004;
† TUS - water and wastewater systems at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland effective February 1, 2006;
† ODUS - wastewater systems at Fort Lee in Virginia effective February 23, 2006 and the water and wastewater systems at Fort Eustis, Fort Monroe and Fort Story in Virginia effective April 3, 2006 (collectively, the "TRADOC bases");
† PSUS - water and wastewater systems at Fort Jackson in South Carolina effective February 16, 2008; and
† ONUS - water and wastewater systems at Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base and Camp MacKall, North Carolina effective March 1, 2008.
ASUS and GSWC have also been pursuing opportunities to provide retail water services within the service area of the Natomas Central Mutual Water Company ("Natomas"). Natomas is a California mutual water company which currently provides water service to its shareholders, primarily for agricultural irrigation in portions of Sacramento and Sutter counties in northern California. GSWC and Natomas have entered into various agreements including the purchase of certain water and water rights that may allow GSWC the ability to serve portions of Sutter County in the future.
Overview
Registrant's revenues, operating income and cash flows are earned primarily through delivering potable water to homes and businesses through approximately 2,900 miles of water distribution pipelines and the delivery of electricity in the Big Bear area of San Bernardino County. Rates charged to customers of GSWC and CCWC are determined by the CPUC and ACC, respectively. These rates are intended to allow recovery of operating costs and a reasonable rate of return on capital. Factors affecting financial performance of our regulated utilities include the process and timing of setting rates charged to customers; the ability to recover, and the process for recovering in rates, the costs of distributing water and electricity and our overhead costs; weather; the impact of increased water quality standards and environmental regulations on the cost of operations and capital expenditures; pressures on water supply caused by population growth, more stringent water quality standards, deterioration in water quality and water supply from a variety of causes; capital expenditures needed to upgrade water systems and increased costs; and risks associated with litigation relating to water quality and water supply, including suits initiated by Registrant to protect its water supply.
Operating revenues and income from contracted services at ASUS and its subsidiaries are earned primarily from the operation and maintenance and renewal and replacement of the water and/or wastewater systems for the U.S. government at various military bases. All of the operations and maintenance contracts with the U.S. government are 50-year firm, fixed-price contracts with prospective price redeterminations. ASUS also may generate revenues from the construction of infrastructure improvements at these bases pursuant to the terms of these 50-year contracts or pursuant to contract modifications. Additional revenues generated by contract operations are primarily dependent on these new construction activities. As a result, ASUS is subject to risks that are different than those of Registrant's regulated water and electric utilities. ASUS plans to continue seeking contracts for the operation and maintenance and renewal and replacement of water and/or wastewater services at military bases. Factors affecting the financial performance of our Military Utility Privatization Subsidiaries include delays in receiving payments from the U.S. government and the redetermination and equitable adjustment of prices under contracts with the U.S. government.
Registrant plans to continue to seek additional rate increases in future years to recover operating and supply costs and receive reasonable returns on invested capital. Capital expenditures in future years are expected to remain at much higher levels than depreciation expense. Cash solely from operations is not expected to be sufficient to fund Registrant's needs for capital expenditures, investments in Registrant's contract business and other cash requirements. Registrant expects to fund a portion of these needs through common stock offerings, as well as from long- and short- term borrowings. In May 2009, AWR completed a public offering of 1,150,000 shares of its Common Shares, including 150,000 shares issued upon exercise of an option granted to the underwriters to cover over-allotments, at a price to the public of $31 per share. The net proceeds from the offering were $34.0 million, after deductions of underwriting commissions and discounts, and direct legal and accounting fees. The Company used the proceeds of the offering to repay short-term debt. In addition, a senior note was issued by GSWC on March 10, 2009, to CoBank, ACB ("CoBank"). Under the terms of this senior note, CoBank purchased a 6.7% Senior Note due March 10, 2019 in the aggregate principal amount of $40.0 million from GSWC. The proceeds from the sale of the note to CoBank have been used to pay down short-term borrowings, pending their use to fund capital expenditures.
For the three months ended June 30, 2009, net income was $11.5 million compared to $9.3 million in the same period of 2008, an increase of 23.9%. Diluted earnings per share for the three months ended June 30, 2009 were $0.64 compared to $0.53 in the same period of 2008, an increase of $0.11 per share. Impacting the comparability in the results of the two periods on a diluted per share basis are the following significant items, all of which are more fully discussed later: (i) a $1.7 million pretax unrealized gain on purchased power contracts, or $0.06 per share, for the three months ended June 30, 2008 with no corresponding gain in 2009; (ii) an increase in the dollar water margin of $5.7 million, or $0.19 per share, partially offset by a decrease in the dollar electric margin of $270,000, or $0.01 per share; (iii) an increase in other operating expenses, including higher pension costs, at GSWC of $1.3 million, or $0.04 per share; (iv) the improved financial performance of the Military Utility Privatization Subsidiaries resulting in an increase in ASUS' pretax operating income of $1.6 million, or $0.05 per share; (v) a settlement agreement reached with Mirant Energy Trading LLC ("Mirant Trading") and the recording of $1.0 million in proceeds received in the settlement which reduced previously incurred legal costs, or $0.03 per share; (vi) an increase in interest expense of $365,000, or $0.01 per share; (vii) a decrease in interest income resulting from GSWC's recording of $480,000 interest income, or $0.02 per share, during the second quarter of 2008 in connection with the Internal Revenue Service's ("IRS's") examination of AWR's 2002 income tax return, and (viii) an overall increase in the effective income tax rate, or $0.02 per share.
For the six months ended June 30, 2009, net income was $16.4 million compared to
$14.6 million in the same period of 2008, an increase of 12.6%. Diluted
earnings per share for the six months ended June 30, 2009 were $0.92 compared to
$0.84 in the same period of 2008, an increase of $0.08 per share. Impacting the
comparability in the results of the two periods on a diluted per share basis are
the following significant items, all of which are more fully discussed later:
(i) a $4.5 million pretax unrealized gain on purchased power contracts, or $0.15
per share, for the six months ended June 30, 2008 with no corresponding gain in
2009; (ii) an increase in the dollar water margin of $6.5 million, or $0.22 per
share, partially offset by a decrease in the dollar electric margin of $260,000,
or $0.01 per share; (iii) an increase in other operating expenses at GSWC of
$3.8 million, or $0.13 per share, as well as higher operating expenses of
$234,000, or $0.01 per share, at CCWC; (iv) the improved financial performance
of the Military Utility Privatization Subsidiaries resulting in an increase in
ASUS' pretax operating income of $3.2 million, or $0.11 per share; (v) a
settlement agreement reached with Mirant Trading and the recording of $1.0
million in proceeds, or $0.03 per share; (vi) an increase in interest expense of
$281,000, or $0.01 per share; (vii) a decrease in interest income resulting from
GSWC's recording of $480,000 interest income, or $0.02 per share, during the
second quarter of 2008 in connection with the IRS's examination of AWR's 2002
income tax return, and (viii) a tax benefit of $918,000, or $0.05 per share,
recorded during the first quarter of 2009 due to changes in state apportionment
laws.
Unrealized gains and losses on previous purchased power contracts impacted GSWC's earnings since the contracts qualified as derivative instruments under SFAS No. 133, "Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities." Purchased power contracts that qualified as derivative instruments terminated at December 31, 2008. GSWC filed an application with the CPUC to review its new purchased power contract, effective after December 31, 2008. This purchased power contract was subject to CPUC approval and is also subject to derivative accounting. In connection with the filing to review and approve the new contract, GSWC also requested that the CPUC authorize the establishment of a memorandum account to track the changes in the fair market value of the contracts resulting in unrealized gains and losses.
In May 2009, the CPUC issued a final decision approving the new purchase power contract and authorizing GSWC to establish the memorandum account to track unrealized gains and losses on the new contract throughout the term of the contract. Accordingly, at June 30, 2009 there was an $8.5 million cumulative unrealized loss which has been included in the memorandum account, therefore not impacting GSWC's earnings. There were $1.7 million and $4.5 million of pretax unrealized gains on purchased power contracts included in earnings for the three and six months ended June 30, 2008, respectively. Diluted earnings for the three months ended June 30, 2008 were $0.53 per share, and diluted earnings for the six months ended June 30, 2009 were $0.84 per share. Eliminating the effects of the unrealized derivative gains, adjusted diluted earnings per share for the three and six months ended June 30, 2008 would have decreased by $0.06 and $0.15 per share, respectively, to $0.47 and $0.69 per share, respectively.
Summary Results by Segment
AWR has three reportable segments: water, electric and contracts operation. Within the segments, AWR has three principal business units: water and electric service utility operations conducted through GSWC, a water-service utility operation conducted through CCWC, and a contracted services unit through ASUS and its subsidiaries.
Second Quarter Results
The tables below set forth summaries of the results by segment (amounts in
thousands):
Operating Revenues Pretax Operating Income
3 Months 3 Months 3 Months 3 Months
Ended Ended $ % Ended Ended $ %
6/30/2009 6/30/2008 CHANGE CHANGE 6/30/2009 6/30/2008 CHANGE CHANGE
Water $ 74,157 $ 65,370 $ 8,787 13.4 % $ 23,438 $ 18,529 $ 4,909 26.5 %
Electric 5,888 6,208 (320 ) -5.2 % 72 1,673 (1,601 ) -95.7 %
Contracted
services 13,508 8,735 4,773 54.6 % 1,015 (608 ) 1,623 -266.9 %
AWR parent - - - - (11 ) (13 ) 2 -15.4 %
Totals from
operations $ 93,553 $ 80,313 $ 13,240 16.5 % $ 24,514 $ 19,581 $ 4,933 25.2 %
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Water - For the three months ended June 30, 2009, pretax operating income for water increased by $4.9 million, or 26.5% primarily due to a $5.7 million increase in the water dollar margin as compared to the same period in 2008, partially offset by an increase in operating expenses including higher pension costs. The dollar water margin increased due to higher water rates approved by the CPUC subsequent to June 30, 2008. These higher water rates increased water revenue by $2.4 million, partially offset by lower actual consumption. In addition, as a result of implementing the Water Revenue Adjustment Mechanism ("WRAM") accounts in Regions II and III in late November 2008, GSWC recorded $2.9 million of additional revenues for the three months ended June 30, 2009. The revenue requirement and volumetric revenues are adopted as part of a General Rate Case ("GRC") every three years. Regions II and III's next GRC will be filed in July of 2011 with rates effective January 2013. As part of the GRC, the CPUC will adopt new volumetric revenues based on historical usage patterns and the revenue requirement adopted in that GRC.
Although the recording of the WRAM added $2.9 million of water revenues, this favorable impact to earnings was reduced by $0.7 million of water supply over-collection costs tracked in the Modified Cost Balancing Account ("MCBA") account, also implemented in late November 2008 for Regions II and III. The over-collection in the MCBA account is due to: (i) lower consumption in the second quarter 2009 as compared to the consumption level adopted by the CPUC, and (ii) a lower percentage of purchased water in the supply mix during 2009 when compared to the supply mix included in customer rates, partially offset by increases in rates charged by GSWC's suppliers. On May 7, 2009, the CPUC approved tiered rates for Region I and the establishment of a WRAM and MCBA which will go into effect on or about September 1, 2009. The implementation of the WRAM and MCBA help mitigate fluctuations in the Company's earnings caused by changes in the volume of water sold and supply costs.
The CPUC also approved an advice letter filing in a separate proceeding to allow GSWC to create and implement a Water Conservation Memorandum Account ("WCMA") to track the extraordinary expenses and revenue shortfall associated with conservation measures in conjunction with the declared drought in California. The WCMA was effective August 18, 2008 and was used to track the revenue shortfall until the WRAM was implemented for Regions II and III on November 25, 2008. At November 24, 2008, approximately $2.0 million of net under-collections was included in the WCMA for Regions II and III prior to the implementation of the WRAM. On April 16, 2009, the CPUC approved the advice letter filed by GSWC to recover the $2.0 million included in the WCMA for Regions II and III and authorized GSWC to establish a 12-month surcharge to customers' bills. The surcharge went into effect on April 21, 2009. Accordingly, GSWC established a $2.0 million regulatory asset, which was recorded as additional water revenues during the second quarter of 2009. In addition, GSWC established an $852,000 regulatory asset for Region I's WCMA balance incurred during the period of August 18, 2008 through June 30, 2009 which is also now probable of recovery. GSWC will file an advice letter for
recovery of Region I's WCMA, through a 12-month surcharge, once the WRAM and MCBA become effective on or about September 1, 2009 for the period of August 18, 2008 through August 31, 2009.
Electric - For the three months ended June 30, 2009, pretax operating income from electric operations decreased by $1.6 million due in large part to a decrease of $1.7 million in the pretax unrealized gain on purchased power contracts. The unrealized gain on purchased power contracts increased operating income by approximately $1.7 million during the second quarter of 2008, or $0.06 per share, with no corresponding gain in 2009. As previously discussed, the purchased power contract that resulted in unrealized gains and losses to BVES' earnings terminated at December 31, 2008. There were also increases in operating expenses including higher outside consulting and legal costs related to the purchased power contract. However, these increases were offset by the recording of the $1.0 million in proceeds received in the settlement agreement with Mirant Trading in May 2009, which reduced previously incurred legal costsduring the second quarter of 2009.
Contracted Services - For the three months ended June 30, 2009, pretax operating income for contracted services increased by $1.6 million, or $0.05 per share. This was primarily due to an interim increase in operations and maintenance revenues at Fort Bliss and construction project revenues at Fort Bliss and the military bases in Virginia coupled with lower operating expenses. As a result, pretax operating income increased $835,000 at these bases. During the three months ended June 30, 2009, Fort Jackson continued to operate at a loss; however, the losses decreased by $678,000 as compared to the same period in 2008 due primarily to excess transition costs included in the prior year that did not recur in 2009, as well as lower maintenance and other operating costs. During the three months ended June 30, 2009, Fort Bragg also had an increase of $336,000 to pretax operating income. These increases were partially offset by lower pretax income of $163,000 at Andrews Air Force base due to lower construction activities.
In September 2008, PSUS submitted a Request for Equitable Adjustment ("REA") for the water and wastewater systems at Fort Jackson, South Carolina requesting a contract modification for initial capital upgrades and emergency construction costs incurred during 2008 due to pre-existing conditions that were not anticipated at the time the contract was executed. The aggregate value of the REA relating to construction work is approximately $1.6 million. In addition, the REA included a request to increase prospectively the annual revenues by $1.6 million for operating and maintaining the system to adequately reflect the amount of assets included in the infrastructure at Fort Jackson. The REA has not yet been approved by the U.S. government. Earnings and cash flows from amendments and modifications to the original 50-year contracts with the U.S. government are sporadic and may or may not continue in the future periods.
The timely receipt of price redeterminations continues to be critical in order for ASUS to recover increasing costs for operating and maintaining the water and wastewater systems at the military bases. In addition, higher allocations of corporate headquarters' expenses to ASUS and its wholly-owned subsidiaries by the CPUC were not contemplated at the time the contracts with the U.S. government were negotiated and will be addressed in future price redeterminations. Under the terms of these contracts, the contract price is subject to price redetermination two years after commencement of operations and every three years thereafter. Redeterminations have been submitted and are under review by the U.S. government for operations of ODUS and TUS in Virginia and Maryland, respectively. The price redeterminations are expected to be completed in late 2009 or early 2010. Pending redetermination of prices, ASUS has received interim inflation adjustments during 2008 to the management fees for operating and maintaining the water and wastewater systems at Fort Eustis, Fort Story and Fort Monroe in Virginia, and the wastewater system at Fort Lee also in Virginia effective on the second anniversary of the date when ASUS began operating these bases (February 23, 2008 for Fort Lee and April 3, 2008 for the other three bases). In March 2009, ONUS filed an REA related to a joint inventory report at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The report indicated the quantity of the Fort Bragg infrastructure to be about 40% greater than what was assumed under the original 50-year contract. The REA is expected to be resolved by the third quarter of 2009.
FBWS has experienced delays in the redetermination of prices at Fort Bliss following completion of the first two years of operation in October 2006. At Fort Bliss, management fees for operation and maintenance of the water and wastewater systems are based on cost levels prevailing in 2003 when the contract with the U.S. government was bid. Further, the contract pricing was also based on assumptions about the size and age of the infrastructure to be operated and maintained over the 50-year contract. An REA has been filed as a claim with the U.S. government to adequately reflect the amount of assets included in the infrastructure at Fort Bliss, which is substantially more than originally estimated by the U.S. government as part of its solicitation for this contract. In December 2008, the U.S. government approved an interim adjustment at Fort Bliss which increased the monthly water and wastewater fees by 50% and 59%, respectively, related to operating and maintaining the Fort Bliss
systems. The increase was retroactive to October 1, 2008 and was extended by the U.S. government through September 30, 2009. FBWS is continuing negotiations with Fort Bliss to finalize the adjustment necessary due to the increased infrastructure. FBWS also intends to file its first price redetermination request for Fort Bliss during the third quarter of 2009 followed by the second redetermination request in the fourth quarter of 2009. First price redetermination filings for Fort Jackson and Fort Bragg are also expected to be filed by PSUS and ONUS, respectively, during the fourth quarter of 2009.
These price redeterminations and equitable adjustments, which include adjustments to reflect changes in operating conditions and infrastructure levels from that assumed at the time of the execution of the contracts, as well as inflation in costs, are expected to provide added revenues prospectively to help offset increased costs and provide Registrant the opportunity to generate positive operating income at its Military Utility Privatization Subsidiaries. As of June 30, 2009, ASUS has $1.1 million of goodwill, which may be at risk for potential impairment if requested price redeterminations and equitable adjustments that have not yet been approved, are not received.
Year-to-Date Results
The tables below set forth summaries of the results by segment (amounts in
thousands):
Operating Revenues Pretax Operating Income
6 Months 6 Months 6 Months 6 Months
Ended Ended $ % Ended Ended $ %
6/30/2009 6/30/2008 CHANGE CHANGE 6/30/2009 6/30/2008 CHANGE CHANGE
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