Formation and Organization

Organization

Spark Energy, Inc. ("Spark Energy," the “Company,” "we," or "us") is an independent retail energy services company that provides residential and commercial customers in competitive markets across the United States with an alternative choice for natural gas and electricity. The Company is a holding company whose sole material asset consists of units in Spark HoldCo, LLC (“Spark HoldCo”). Spark HoldCo owns all of the outstanding membership interests in each of Spark Energy, LLC (“SE”), Spark Energy Gas, LLC (“SEG”), Oasis Power Holdings, LLC ("Oasis"), CenStar Energy Corp. ("CenStar"), Electricity Maine, LLC, Electricity N.H., LLC and Provider Power Mass, LLC (collectively, the "Provider Companies"); and Major Energy Services, LLC, Major Energy Electric Services, LLC, and Respond Power, LLC (collectively, the "Major Energy Companies"), the operating subsidiaries through which the Company operates. The Company is the sole managing member of Spark HoldCo, is responsible for all operational, management and administrative decisions relating to Spark HoldCo’s business and consolidates the financial results of Spark HoldCo and its subsidiaries.

The Company is a Delaware corporation formed on April 22, 2014 by Spark Energy Ventures, LLC (“Spark Energy Ventures”) for the purpose of succeeding to Spark Energy Ventures’ ownership in SE and SEG. Spark Energy Ventures, a single member limited liability company formed on October 8, 2007 under the Texas Limited Liability Company Act (“TLLCA”), is an affiliate of NuDevco Retail Holdings, LLC (“NuDevco Retail Holdings”), a single member Texas limited liability company formed by Spark Energy Ventures on May 19, 2014 under the Texas Business Organizations Code (“TBOC”). NuDevco Retail Holdings was formed by Spark Energy Ventures to hold its investment in Spark HoldCo, LLC, our subsidiary and the direct parent of SEG and SE. Retailco, LLC (“Retailco”) succeeded to the interest of NuDevco Retail Holdings in 10,612,500 shares of our Class B common stock and an equal number of Spark HoldCo units pursuant to a series of transfers that occurred in January 2016. NuDevco Retail Holdings is currently a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Electric Holdco, LLC, which is indirectly wholly owned by W. Keith Maxwell III ("Founder"). NuDevco Retail Holdings formed NuDevco Retail, LLC (“NuDevco Retail” and, together with NuDevco Retail Holdings (or its successor in interest), “NuDevco”), a single member limited liability company, on May 29, 2014 and it holds a 1% interest in Spark HoldCo formerly held by NuDevco Retail Holdings (or its predecessor-in-interest).

Prior to the closing of the Company’s initial public offering ("IPO") on August 1, 2014 of 3,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Class A common stock”), representing a 21.82% interest in the Company, Spark Energy Ventures contributed all of its interest in each of SE and SEG to NuDevco Retail Holdings. NuDevco Retail Holdings in turn contributed all of its interest in each of SE and SEG to Spark HoldCo. The contribution of the interests in SE and SEG to Spark HoldCo is not considered a business combination accounted for under the purchase method, as it was a transfer of assets and operations under common control, and accordingly, balances were transferred at their historical cost. The Company’s historical combined financial statements prior to the IPO are prepared using SE’s and SEG’s historical basis in the assets and liabilities, and include all revenues, costs, assets and liabilities attributed to the retail natural gas and asset optimization and retail electricity businesses of SE and SEG.

SE is a licensed retail electric provider in multiple states. SE provides retail electricity services to end-use retail customers, ranging from residential and small commercial customers to large commercial and industrial users. SE was formed on February 5, 2002 under the Texas Revised Limited Partnership Act (as recodified by the TBOC) and was converted to a Texas limited liability company on May 21, 2014.

SEG is a retail natural gas provider and asset optimization business competitively serving residential, commercial and industrial customers in multiple states. SEG was formed on January 17, 2001 under the Texas Revised Limited Partnership Act (as recodified by the TBOC) and was converted to a Texas limited liability company on May 21, 2014.

Oasis, through its operating subsidiary, Oasis Power LLC, is a retail energy provider formed on August 28, 2009 as a limited liability company under the TBOC. We acquired Oasis on July 31, 2015 from an affiliate. See Note 3 “Acquisitions” for further discussion.

CenStar is a retail energy provider incorporated on July 18, 2008 under the New York Business Corporation Law. We acquired CenStar on July 8, 2015. See Note 3 “Acquisitions” for further discussion.

The Provider Companies operate as retail energy providers. Electricity Maine, LLC, Electricity N.H., LLC, and Provider Power Mass, LLC were formed on June 17, 2010, January 20, 2012 and August 22, 2012, respectively, as limited liability companies under the Maine Limited Liability Company Act. We acquired the Provider Companies on August 1, 2016.

The Major Energy Companies operate as retail energy providers. Major Energy Services, LLC, Major Energy Electric Services, LLC and Respond Power, LLC were formed on October 11, 2005, September 12, 2007 and July 11, 2008, respectively, as limited liability companies under the New York Limited Liability Company Law. We completed the purchase of all the outstanding membership interests of the Major Energy Companies on August 23, 2016 from an affiliate, as described in Note 3 "Acquisitions."

We are a Delaware corporation formed on April 22, 2014 for the purpose facilitating an initial public offering ("IPO") of our Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share ("Class A common stock"), and to become the sole managing member of, and to hold an ownership interest in, Spark HoldCo. In connection with our IPO, NuDevco Retail Holdings LLC ("NuDevco Retail Holdings") formed NuDevco Retail, LLC (“NuDevco Retail”), a single member limited liability company, on May 29, 2014, to hold the remaining Spark HoldCo units and shares of our Class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share ("Class B common stock"). In January 2016, Retailco, LLC ("Retailco") succeeded to the interest of NuDevco Retail Holdings of its Class B common stock and an equal number of Spark HoldCo units it held pursuant to a series of transfers. See Note 4 “Equity” for further discussion.

Relationship with our Founder and Majority Shareholder

W. Keith Maxwell, III (our "Founder") is the owner of a majority in voting power of our common stock through his ownership of NuDevco Retail and Retailco. Retailco is a wholly owned subsidiary of TxEx Energy Investments, LLC ("TxEx"), which is wholly owned by Mr. Maxwell. NuDevco Retail is a wholly owned subsidiary of NuDevco Retail Holdings, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Electric HoldCo, LLC, which is also a wholly owned subsidiary of TxEx.

We entered into a Master Service Agreement effective January 1, 2016 with Retailco Services, LLC, which is wholly owned by W. Keith Maxwell III. See Note 13 “Transactions with Affiliates” for further discussion.

Emerging Growth Company Status

As a company with less than $1.0 billion in revenues during its last fiscal year, the Company qualifies as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. An emerging growth company may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other regulatory requirements.

The Company will remain an “emerging growth company” until as late as the last day of the Company's 2019 fiscal year, or until the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year in which the Company has $1.0 billion or more in annual revenues; (ii) the date on which the Company becomes a “large accelerated filer” (the fiscal year-end on which the total market value of the Company’s common equity securities held by non-affiliates is $700 million or more as of June 30); (iii) the date on which the Company issues more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period.

As a result of the Company's election to avail itself of certain provisions of the JOBS Act, the information that the Company provides may be different than what you may receive from other public companies in which you hold an equity interest.

Initial Public Offering of Spark Energy, Inc.

On August 1, 2014, the Company completed the IPO of 3,000,000 shares of its Class A common stock for $18.00 per share, representing a 21.82% voting interest in the Company.

Net proceeds from the IPO were $47.6 million, after underwriting discounts and commissions, structuring fees and offering expenses. The net proceeds from the IPO were used to acquire units of Spark HoldCo (the “Spark HoldCo units”) representing approximately 21.82% of the outstanding Spark HoldCo units after the IPO from NuDevco Retail Holdings and to repay a promissory note from the Company in the principal amount of $50,000 (the “NuDevco Note”). The Company did not retain any of the net proceeds from the IPO. The Company recorded $2.7 million of previously deferred incremental costs directly attributable to the IPO as a reduction in equity at the IPO date, which were funded by the IPO proceeds.

The Company also issued 10,750,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value 0.01 per share (the “Class B common stock”) to Spark HoldCo, 10,612,500 of which Spark HoldCo distributed to NuDevco Retail Holdings, and 137,500 of which Spark HoldCo distributed to NuDevco Retail.

At the consummation of the IPO, the Company's outstanding common stock is summarized in the table below:



	Shares of
	common stock
	Number	Percent Voting Interest
Publicly held Class A common stock	3,000,000	21.82	%
Class B common stock held by NuDevco	10,750,000	78.18	%
Total	13,750,000	100.00	%

Senior Credit Facility

Concurrently with the closing of the IPO, the Company entered into the Senior Credit Facility, which was amended and restated on July 8, 2015, June 1, 2016 and August 1, 2016, respectively. Refer to Note 7 "Debt" for further discussion.

Exchange and Registration Rights

The Spark HoldCo Limited Liability Company Agreement provides that anytime the Company issues a new share of Class A or Class B common stock (except for issuances of Class A common stock upon an exchange of Class B common stock), Spark HoldCo will concurrently issue a limited liability company unit either to the holder of the Class B common stock or to the Company in the case of the issuance of shares of Class A common stock. As a result, the number of Spark HoldCo units held by the Company always equals the number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding.

Each share of Class B common stock, all of which are held by NuDevco Retail and Retailco, has no economic rights but entitles the holder to one vote on all matters to be voted on by stockholders generally. Holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock vote together as a single class on all matters presented to our stockholders for their vote or approval, except as otherwise required by applicable law or by our certificate of incorporation.

NuDevco Retail and Retailco have the right to exchange (the “Exchange Right”) all or a portion of their Spark HoldCo units (together with a corresponding number of shares of Class B common stock) for Class A common stock (or cash at Spark Energy, Inc.’s or Spark HoldCo’s election (the “Cash Option”)) at an exchange ratio of one share of Class A common stock for each Spark HoldCo unit (and corresponding share of Class B common stock) exchanged. In addition, NuDevco Retail and Retailco have the right, under certain circumstances, to cause the Company to register the offer and resale of NuDevco Retail's and Retailco's shares of Class A common stock obtained pursuant to the Exchange Right. Retail Acquisition Co., LLC ("RAC") is entitled to similar registration rights under the CenStar and Oasis Note. Refer to Note 7 "Debt" for further information.

Tax Receivable Agreement

Concurrently with the closing of the IPO, the Company entered into a Tax Receivable Agreement with Spark HoldCo, NuDevco Retail Holdings and NuDevco Retail. Retailco, LLC became a party to this agreement in connection with the transfer by NuDevco Retail Holdings of its 10,612,500 shares of our Class B common stock and a corresponding number of Spark HoldCo units to Retailco, LLC in January 2016. See Note 13 “Transactions with Affiliates” for further discussion.

This agreement generally provides for the payment by the Company to Retailco, LLC (as successor to NuDevco Retail Holdings) and NuDevco Retail of 85% of the net cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state and local income tax or franchise tax that the Company actually realizes (or is deemed to realize in certain circumstances) in future periods as a result of (i) any tax basis increases resulting from the purchase by the Company of Spark HoldCo units from NuDevco Retail Holdings, (ii) any tax basis increases resulting from the exchange of Spark HoldCo units for shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the Exchange Right (or resulting from an exchange of Spark HoldCo units for cash pursuant to the Cash Option) and (iii) any imputed interest deemed to be paid by the Company as a result of, and additional tax basis arising from, any payments the Company makes under the Tax Receivable Agreement. The Company retains the benefit of the remaining 15% of these tax savings. See Note 11 “Income Taxes” for further discussion.

In certain circumstances, the Company may defer or partially defer any payment due (a “TRA Payment”) to the holders of rights under the Tax Receivable Agreement, which are currently Retailco and NuDevco Retail. During the five-year period ending September 30, 2019, the Company will defer all or a portion of any TRA Payment owed pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement to the extent that Spark HoldCo does not generate sufficient Cash Available for Distribution (as defined below) during the four-quarter period ending September 30th of the applicable year in which the TRA Payment is to be made in an amount that equals or exceeds 130% (the “TRA Coverage Ratio”) of the Total Distributions (as defined below) paid in such four-quarter period by Spark HoldCo. For purposes of computing the TRA Coverage Ratio:


•	“Cash Available for Distribution” is generally defined as the Adjusted EBITDA of Spark HoldCo for the applicable period, less (i) cash interest paid by Spark HoldCo, (ii) capital expenditures of Spark HoldCo (exclusive of customer acquisition costs) and (iii) any taxes payable by Spark HoldCo; and

•

“Total Distributions” are defined as the aggregate distributions necessary to cause the Company to receive distributions of cash equal to (i) the targeted quarterly distribution the Company intends to pay to holders of its Class A common stock payable during the applicable four-quarter period, plus (ii) the estimated taxes payable by the Company during such four-quarter period, plus (iii) the expected TRA Payment payable during the calendar year for which the TRA Coverage Ratio is being tested.

In the event that the TRA Coverage Ratio is not satisfied in any calendar year, the Company will defer all or a portion of the TRA Payment to NuDevco Retail or Retailco under the Tax Receivable Agreement to the extent necessary to permit Spark HoldCo to satisfy the TRA Coverage Ratio (and Spark HoldCo is not required to make and will not make the pro rata distributions to its members with respect to the deferred portion of the TRA Payment). If the TRA Coverage Ratio is satisfied in any calendar year, the Company is obligated to pay NuDevco Retail or Retailco the full amount of the TRA Payment.

Following the five-year deferral period ending September 30, 2019, the Company will be obligated to pay any outstanding deferred TRA Payments to the extent such deferred TRA Payments do not exceed (i) the lesser of the Company's proportionate share of aggregate Cash Available for Distribution of Spark HoldCo during the five-year deferral period or the cash distributions actually received by the Company during the five-year deferral period, reduced by (ii) the sum of (a) the aggregate target quarterly dividends (which, for the purposes of the Tax Receivable Agreement, will be $0.3625 per share per quarter) during the five-year deferral period, (b) the Company's estimated taxes during the five-year deferral period, and (c) all prior TRA Payments and (y) if with respect to the quarterly period during which the deferred TRA Payment is otherwise paid or payable, Spark HoldCo has or reasonably determines it will have amounts necessary to cause the Company to receive distributions of cash equal to the target quarterly distribution payable during that quarterly period. Any portion of the deferred TRA Payments not payable due to these limitations will no longer be payable.

We met the threshold coverage ratio required to fund the first TRA Payment to Retailco and NuDevco Retail under the Tax Receivable Agreement during the four-quarter period ending December 31, 2016, resulting in an initial TRA Payment of $1.4 million in December 2016. On November 6, 2016, Retailco and NuDevco Retail granted the Company the right to defer the TRA Payment until May 2018. During the period of time when the Company has elected to defer the TRA Payment, the outstanding payment amount will accrue interest at a rate calculated in the manner provided for under the Tax Receivable Agreement. The liability has been classified as non-current in our consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2016.

Other Transactions in Connection with the Consummation of the IPO

In connection with the IPO the following restructuring transactions occurred:


•	SEG and SE were converted from limited partnerships into limited liability companies;


•	SEG, SE and an affiliate entered into an interborrower agreement, pursuant to which such affiliate agreed to be solely responsible for $29.0 million of the outstanding indebtedness. SE and SEG repaid their outstanding indebtedness of $10.0 million and borrowed $10.0 million under the Company's Senior Credit Facility,


•	NuDevco Retail Holdings contributed all of its interests in SEG and SE to Spark HoldCo in exchange for all of the outstanding units of Spark HoldCo and transferred 1% of those Spark HoldCo units to NuDevco Retail;


•	NuDevco Retail Holdings transferred Spark HoldCo units to the Company for the $50,000 NuDevco Note and the limited liability company agreement of Spark HoldCo was amended and restated to admit the Company as its sole managing member.

Following the IPO, the Company purchased 2,997,222 Spark HoldCo units from NuDevco Retail Holdings and repaid the NuDevco Note. The 2,997,222 Spark HoldCo units we purchased with the proceeds from the IPO, together with the 2,778 Spark HoldCo units we purchased in exchange for the NuDevco Note prior to the IPO, represent a 21.82% ownership interest in Spark HoldCo. After giving effect to these transactions and the IPO, the Company owned an approximate 21.82% interest in Spark HoldCo. NuDevco Retail Holdings owned an approximate 77.18% interest in Spark HoldCo and 10,612,500 shares of Class B common stock, and NuDevco Retail owns a 1% interest in Spark HoldCo and 137,500 shares of Class B common stock.

Each share of Class B common stock, all of which is held by NuDevco, has no economic rights but entitles its holder to one vote on all matters to be voted on by shareholders generally. Holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock vote together as a single class on all matters presented to our shareholders for their vote or approval, except as otherwise required by applicable law or by our certificate of incorporation.