-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: keymaster@town.hall.org Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFkwCgYEVQgBAQICAgADSwAwSAJBALeWW4xDV4i7+b6+UyPn5RtObb1cJ7VkACDq pKb9/DClgTKIm08lCfoilvi9Wl4SODbR1+1waHhiGmeZO8OdgLUCAwEAAQ== MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, Rh+pTLS3sZnInMRi1l/9TD2vhdaYOc9MiNh+8jDeQpV73+Uv7OZMKTLSdR5WbjXP z7rT9nHxSLaIBwDpJ1eVoA== 0000023426-94-000019.txt : 19940623 0000023426-94-000019.hdr.sgml : 19940623 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000023426-94-000019 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: U-1/A PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 1 FILED AS OF DATE: 19940527 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: CONNECTICUT LIGHT & POWER CO CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000023426 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: 4911 IRS NUMBER: 060303850 STATE OF INCORPORATION: CT FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: U-1/A SEC ACT: 1935 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 070-07320 FILM NUMBER: 94531145 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 707 SELDEN ST CITY: BERLIN STATE: CT ZIP: 06037-1616 BUSINESS PHONE: 2036655000 U-1/A 1 CL&P AMENDMENT 1 TO FORM U-1 File No. 70-7320 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO FORM U-1 APPLICATION/DECLARATION WITH RESPECT TO CREDIT FACILITY SUBSTITUTION under THE PUBLIC UTILITY HOLDING COMPANY ACT OF 1935 THE CONNECTICUT LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY SELDEN STREET BERLIN, CONNECTICUT 06037 Name of companies filing this statement and address of principal executive office) NORTHEAST UTILITIES (Name of top registered holding company parent of declarant) Robert P. Wax, Esq. Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel Northeast Utilities Service Company P.O. Box 270 Hartford, CT 06141-0270 (Name and address of agent for service) The Commission is requested to mail signed copies of all orders, notices, and communications to David R. McHale Jane P. Seidl, Esq. Manager-Project and Short-Term Finance Senior Counsel Northeast Utilities Northeast Utilities Service Company Service Company P.O. Box 270 P.O. Box 270 Hartford, CT 06141-0270 Hartford, CT 06141-0270 The Application/Declaration in this proceeding, as previously amended, is hereby further amended as follows: 1. The purpose of this amendment is to seek authority for The Connecticut Light and Power Company ("CL&P"), a subsidiary of Northeast Utilities, to replace the Letter of Credit provided by The Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan, Limited, New York Branch ("Bank"), as permitted by Section 3.13 of the Financing Agreement, by delivery of a substitute credit facility, consisting of a Letter of Credit, and related agreements, to be provided by a substitute bank to be chosen by CL&P ("Substitute Bank"). As stated in the Application/Declaration, delivery of the original Letter of Credit to the Trustee obtained for the Bonds a rating equivalent to the credit rating of the Bank. After the Bonds were issued, the Bank's rating in the financial markets deteriorated. In addition, CL&P has been advised by remarketing agents for the Bonds that (i) many institutional investors that otherwise would be interested in purchasing the Bonds will not purchase securities secured by letters of credit issued by the Bank; and (ii) those investors that are still willing to purchase the Bonds are demanding an interest rate premium that is causing CL&P's effective interest cost to be higher than it would have otherwise been using a bank with a better rating. Accordingly, CL&P seeks authority to replace the Letter of Credit with a new letter of credit ("Substitute LOC") to be issued by the Substitute Bank. The Substitute LOC would be issued under a new Letter of Credit and Reimbursement Agreement ("New LOC Agreement") substantially identical to the Letter of Credit and Reimbursement Agreement dated as of September 1, 1993 among CL&P, Deutsche Bank AG, New York Branch, Issuing Bank and Agent, and various co- agents and participating banks approved in File No. 70-8088, Holding Co. Act Rel. No. 35-25881, September 15, 1993. Furthermore, CL&P seeks authority to obtain from time to time new letters of credit from the same or different banks and further extensions and modifications of and replacements for the New LOC Agreement with such banks from time to time during the term of the Bonds supported thereby, in accordance with the provisions of the Financing Agreement and subject to certain limitations as set forth more fully below. 2. Accordingly, it is proposed that the following new paragraph be added at the end of Part I of the Application/Declaration (capitalized terms used herein being used as defined above and in the Application/Declaration): "CL&P seeks authority to obtain extensions and modifications of and replacements for The Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan, Limited (Bank) Letter of Credit and the Bank Reimbursement Agreement (and any previous extensions and modifications thereof and replacements therefor) from time to time during the term of the Bonds supported thereby, provided that (A) the total amount available to be drawn under any such extended, modified, or replacement letter of credit does not exceed $16,200,000, (B) the annual letter of credit costs applicable to any such extension, modification, or replacement do not exceed 1.00% per annum of the total amount available to be drawn under the extended, modified or replacement letter of credit, (C) the reimbursement agreement applicable to any such extension, modification or replacement shall provide (or shall afford CL&P the option to elect) that Tender Advances bear interest until paid at a rate not to exceed the higher of (1) the prime rate plus 2.00% or (2) the federal funds rate plus 2.00%, (D) such extension, modification, or replacement is otherwise on terms that are substantially similar in all material respects to those applicable to the Letter of Credit and the Reimbursement Agreement (or previous extensions or modifications thereof or replacements therefor) proposed to be entered into in connection with the replacement of the Bank, the form of which is attached hereto as Exhibit B.5.1., and the Pledge Agreement, between CL&P and the bank to be named (Exhibit B to Exhibit B.5.1), and (E) CL&P shall have obtained all necessary State Commission approvals applicable to such extension, modification or replacement." 3. The following paragraph is substituted in lieu of Part V: "CL&P respectfully requests, pursuant to Rule 23 (c) of the Commission's Rules and Regulations under the Act, that the Commission permit this post-effective amendment to become effective on or before July 15, 1994 or as soon thereafter as practicable. CL&P hereby waives any recommended decision by a hearing officer or by any other responsible officer of the Commission and waives the 30-day waiting period between the issuance of the Commission's Order and the date on which it is to become effective, since it is desired that the Commission's Order, when issued, become effective forthwith. CL&P consents that the Office of Public Utility Regulation within the Division of Investment Management may assist in the preparation of the Commission's decision and/or Order unless the Office opposes the transactions covered by this post- effective amendment." 4. The following paragraph is added as a new Part VIII: "Other than the interest recently acquired in the Encoe Partners partnership, which has been qualified as a foreign utility company ("FUCO"), neither CL&P nor any affiliate thereof (1) has acquired an ownership interest in a exempt wholesale generator ("EWG") or a FUCO as defined in Sections 32 and 33 of the Act; (2) will use the proceeds of the proposed transactions to invest in an EWG or FUCO; or (3) now is or, as a consequence of the transactions proposed herein, will have any right under a service, sales or construction agreement with an EWG or a FUCO, except in accordance with the provisions of the Act." 5. The estimated fees and expenses paid or incurred, directly or indirectly, in connection with the proposed transaction are as follows: Form U-1 Amendment Filing Fee.......$ 2,000 Northeast Utilities Service Company. 15,000 Legal Fees.......................... 25,000 Printing Expenses................... 2,000 Miscellaneous....................... 6,000 Total..................$50,000 6. The following exhibits are filed herewith: B.5.1 Proposed Form of Reimbursement Agreement, including proposed forms of the Letter of Credit and Pledge Agreement (to be filed by amendment). D.6.1 Application to Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control ("DPUC") (to be filed by amendment). D.6.2 DPUC Order (to be filed by amendment). F.1.1 Opinion of Counsel (to be filed by amendment). J.1 Proposed Form of Notice under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935. 7. No financial statements are filed herewith, as the proposed transactions are not considered material to the financial position of CL&P. SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended, the undersigned applicant has duly caused this Post- Effective Amendment No. 1 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. Dated: May 26, 1994 THE CONNECTICUT LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY By /s/Jane P. Seidl Jane P. Seidl, Esq. Senior Counsel Northeast Utilities Service Company Its Attorney EXHIBIT J.1 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (Release No. 35- ) Filings Under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 ("Act") ________________, 1994 The Connecticut Light and Power Company (70-7320) The Connecticut Light and Power Company ("CL&P"), Selden Street, Berlin, Connecticut 06037, an electric utility company subsidiary of Northeast Utilities ("Northeast"), a registered holding company, has filed a post- effective amendment to its Application/Declaration (File No. 70-7320) under Sections 6(a) and 7 of the Act and Rule 50(a) (5) thereunder. In 1986, pursuant to Commission order dated December 16, 1986 (HCAR No. 35-24263), the Business Finance Authority of the State of New Hampshire (formerly, The Industrial Development Authority of the State of New Hampshire) issued a series of pollution control revenue bonds ("Bonds") for financing CL&P's share of the cost of constructing certain pollution control, sewage, and solid waste disposal facilities at the Seabrook Nuclear Electric Generating Station, Unit No. 1. In order to improve the credit ratings of, and to support, the Bonds, CL&P obtained a letter of credit from The Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan, Limited ("LTCBJ"). Since the issuance of the Bonds, LTCBJ's rating in the financial markets has deteriorated. In addition, CL&P states that it has been advised by remarketing agents that: (i) many institutional investors that otherwise would be interested in purchasing the Bonds will not purchase securities secured by letters of credit issued by LTCBJ; and (ii) those investors that are still willing to purchase the Bonds are demanding an interest rate premium that is causing CL&P's effective interest cost to be higher than it would otherwise be. CL&P now proposes to replace the LTCBJ letter of credit for the Bonds with a substitute letter of credit to be issued by a substitute bank ("Bank"). The substitute letter of credit would be issued in the amount of $16,200,000, representing principal in the amount of $15,400,000 and interest in the amount of $800,000, calculated at the maximum rate of 15% for 123 days. The substitute credit facility would be issued pursuant to a new letter of credit, reimbursement agreement and related documents between the Bank and CL&P. Tender advances will bear interest at a rate not to exceed the higher of (i) the prime rate plus 2.00, or (ii) the federal funds rate plus 2.00%. Annual letter of credit costs under the substitute facility will not exceed 1.00% per annum. The proposed credit facility substitution is expected to be carried out on or about July 25, 1994. CL&P also seeks authority to obtain further extensions and modifications of and replacements for the letter of credit and reimbursement agreement from time to time during the term of the bonds supported thereby. For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, pursuant to delegated authority. Jonathan G. Katz Secretary -----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----