10-Q 1 a14-8980_110q.htm 10-Q

Table of Contents

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 10-Q

 

(Mark One)

 

x       QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2014

 

OR

 

o          TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from              to             

 

Commission File
Number

 

Exact Name of Each Registrant as specified in its
charter; State of Incorporation; Address; and
Telephone Number

 

IRS Employer
Identification No.

1-8962

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION
(an Arizona corporation)
400 North Fifth Street, P.O. Box 53999
Phoenix, Arizona 85072-3999
(602) 250-1000

 

86-0512431

1-4473

 

ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY
(an Arizona corporation)
400 North Fifth Street, P.O. Box 53999
Phoenix, Arizona 85072-3999
(602) 250-1000

 

86-0011170

 


 

Indicate by check mark whether each registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

 

Yes x  No o

ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

 

Yes x  No o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

 

Yes x  No o

ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

 

Yes x  No o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

Large accelerated filer x

 

Accelerated filer o

 

 

 

Non-accelerated filer o

 

Smaller reporting company o

 

ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

Large accelerated filer o

 

Accelerated filer o

 

 

 

Non-accelerated filer x

 

Smaller reporting company o

 

Indicate by check mark whether each registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

 

Yes o  No x

ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

 

Yes o  No x

 

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

 

Number of shares of common stock, no par value, outstanding as of April 25, 2014: 110,357,309

ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

 

Number of shares of common stock, $2.50 par value, outstanding as of April 25, 2014: 71,264,947

 


 

Arizona Public Service Company meets the conditions set forth in General Instruction H(1)(a) and (b) of Form 10-Q and is therefore filing this form with the reduced disclosure format allowed under that General Instruction.

 

 

 



Table of Contents

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

Page

 

 

 

Forward-Looking Statements

2

Part I

 

3

 

Item 1.

Financial Statements

3

 

 

Pinnacle West Capital Corporation

3

 

 

Arizona Public Service Company

42

 

Item 2.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

50

 

Item 3.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

67

 

Item 4.

Controls and Procedures

67

 

 

 

Part II

 

68

 

Item 1.

Legal Proceedings

68

 

Item 1A.

Risk Factors

68

 

Item 2.

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

68

 

Item 5.

Other Information

69

 

Item 6.

Exhibits

70

Signatures

73

 

This combined Form 10-Q is separately provided by Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (“Pinnacle West”) and Arizona Public Service Company (“APS”).  Any use of the words “Company,” “we,” and “our” refer to Pinnacle West.  Each registrant is providing on its own behalf all of the information contained in this Form 10-Q that relates to such registrant and, where required, its subsidiaries.  Except as stated in the preceding sentence, neither registrant is providing any information that does not relate to such registrant, and therefore makes no representation as to any such information.  The information required with respect to each company is set forth within the applicable items.  Item 1 of this report includes Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of Pinnacle West and Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of APS.  Item 1 also includes Notes to Pinnacle West’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, the majority of which also relate to APS, and Supplemental Notes, which only relate to APS’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 



Table of Contents

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This document contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations.  These forward-looking statements are often identified by words such as “estimate,” “predict,” “may,” “believe,” “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 outcomes currently expected or sought by Pinnacle West or APS.  In addition to the Risk Factors described in Part I, Item 1A of the Pinnacle West/APS Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 (“2013 Form 10-K”), Part II, Item 1A of this report and in Part I, Item 2 — “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of this report, these factors include, but are not limited to:

 

·                              our ability to manage capital expenditures and operations and maintenance costs while maintaining reliability and customer service levels;

·                              variations in demand for electricity, including those due to weather, the general economy, customer and sales growth (or decline), and the effects of energy conservation measures and distributed generation;

·                              power plant and transmission system performance and outages;

·                              competition in retail and wholesale power markets;

·                              regulatory and judicial decisions, developments and proceedings;

·                              new legislation or regulation, including those relating to environmental requirements, nuclear plant operations and potential deregulation of retail electric markets;

·                              fuel and water supply availability;

·                              our ability to achieve timely and adequate rate recovery of our costs, including returns on debt and equity capital;

·                              our ability to meet renewable energy and energy efficiency mandates and recover related costs;

·                              risks inherent in the operation of nuclear facilities, including spent fuel disposal uncertainty;

·                              current and future economic conditions in Arizona, particularly in real estate markets;

·                              the cost of debt and equity capital and the ability to access capital markets when required;

·                              environmental and other concerns surrounding coal-fired generation;

·                              volatile fuel and purchased power costs;

·                              the investment performance of the assets of our nuclear decommissioning trusts, pension, and other postretirement benefit plans and the resulting impact on future funding requirements;

·                              the liquidity of wholesale power markets and the use of derivative contracts in our business;

·                              potential shortfalls in insurance coverage;

·                              new accounting requirements or new interpretations of existing requirements;

·                              generation, transmission and distribution facility and system conditions and operating costs;

·                              the ability to meet the anticipated future need for additional baseload generation and associated transmission facilities in our region;

·                              the willingness or ability of our counterparties, power plant participants and power plant land owners to meet contractual or other obligations or extend the rights for continued power plant operations;

·                              technological developments affecting the electric industry; and

·                              restrictions on dividends or other provisions in our credit agreements and Arizona Corporation Commission (“ACC”) orders.

 

These and other factors are discussed in the Risk Factors described in Part I, Item 1A of our 2013 Form 10-K and in Part II, Item 1A of this report, which readers should review carefully before placing any reliance on our financial statements or disclosures.  Neither Pinnacle West nor APS assumes any obligation to update these statements, even if our internal estimates change, except as required by law.

 

2



Table of Contents

 

PART I — FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

ITEM 1.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(unaudited)

(dollars and shares in thousands, except per share amounts)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OPERATING REVENUES

 

$

686,251

 

$

686,652

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OPERATING EXPENSES

 

 

 

 

 

Fuel and purchased power

 

249,786

 

230,679

 

Operations and maintenance

 

212,882

 

223,250

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

101,772

 

103,730

 

Taxes other than income taxes

 

45,845

 

40,021

 

Other expenses

 

796

 

2,049

 

Total

 

611,081

 

599,729

 

OPERATING INCOME

 

75,170

 

86,923

 

OTHER INCOME (DEDUCTIONS)

 

 

 

 

 

Allowance for equity funds used during construction

 

7,442

 

6,864

 

Other income (Note 10)

 

2,367

 

758

 

Other expense (Note 10)

 

(4,684

)

(3,752

)

Total

 

5,125

 

3,870

 

INTEREST EXPENSE

 

 

 

 

 

Interest charges

 

52,969

 

49,478

 

Allowance for borrowed funds used during construction

 

(3,770

)

(3,990

)

Total

 

49,199

 

45,488

 

INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES

 

31,096

 

45,305

 

INCOME TAXES

 

6,405

 

12,469

 

NET INCOME

 

24,691

 

32,836

 

Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (Note 6)

 

8,925

 

8,392

 

NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO COMMON SHAREHOLDERS

 

$

15,766

 

$

24,444

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WEIGHTED-AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING — BASIC

 

110,257

 

109,832

 

WEIGHTED-AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING — DILUTED

 

110,888

 

110,835

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EARNINGS PER WEIGHTED-AVERAGE COMMON SHARE OUTSTANDING

 

 

 

 

 

Net income attributable to common shareholders — basic

 

$

0.14

 

$

0.22

 

Net income attributable to common shareholders — diluted

 

$

0.14

 

$

0.22

 

 

See Notes to Pinnacle West’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

3



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NET INCOME

 

$

24,691

 

$

32,836

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME, NET OF TAX

 

 

 

 

 

Derivative instruments:

 

 

 

 

 

Net unrealized gain (loss), net of tax benefit (expense) of $(599) and $(38)

 

(422

)

58

 

Reclassification of net realized loss, net of tax benefit of $1,323 and $3,300

 

3,116

 

5,053

 

Pension and other postretirement benefits activity, net of tax expense of $718 and $631

 

457

 

966

 

Total other comprehensive income

 

3,151

 

6,077

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

 

27,842

 

38,913

 

Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests

 

8,925

 

8,392

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO COMMON SHAREHOLDERS

 

$

18,917

 

$

30,521

 

 

See Notes to Pinnacle West’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

4



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

March 31,
2014

 

December 31,
2013

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CURRENT ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

103,421

 

$

9,526

 

Customer and other receivables

 

245,884

 

299,904

 

Accrued unbilled revenues

 

88,907

 

96,796

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

(2,504

)

(3,203

)

Materials and supplies (at average cost)

 

223,401

 

221,682

 

Fossil fuel (at average cost)

 

36,496

 

38,028

 

Deferred income taxes

 

58,630

 

91,152

 

Income tax receivable (Note 5)

 

4,647

 

135,517

 

Assets from risk management activities (Note 7)

 

16,951

 

17,169

 

Deferred fuel and purchased power regulatory asset (Note 3)

 

 

20,755

 

Other regulatory assets (Note 3)

 

76,317

 

76,388

 

Other current assets

 

45,780

 

39,895

 

Total current assets

 

897,930

 

1,043,609

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INVESTMENTS AND OTHER ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

Assets from risk management activities (Note 7)

 

21,626

 

23,815

 

Nuclear decommissioning trust (Note 13)

 

657,862

 

642,007

 

Other assets

 

60,753

 

60,875

 

Total investments and other assets

 

740,241

 

726,697

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

 

 

 

 

 

Plant in service and held for future use

 

15,256,945

 

15,200,464

 

Accumulated depreciation and amortization

 

(5,360,781

)

(5,300,219

)

Net

 

9,896,164

 

9,900,245

 

Construction work in progress

 

646,236

 

581,369

 

Palo Verde sale leaseback, net of accumulated depreciation (Note 6)

 

124,157

 

125,125

 

Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization

 

144,446

 

157,689

 

Nuclear fuel, net of accumulated amortization

 

144,048

 

124,557

 

Total property, plant and equipment

 

10,955,051

 

10,888,985

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DEFERRED DEBITS

 

 

 

 

 

Regulatory assets (Note 3)

 

719,596

 

711,712

 

Other

 

137,979

 

137,683

 

Total deferred debits

 

857,575

 

849,395

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL ASSETS

 

$

13,450,797

 

$

13,508,686

 

 

See Notes to Pinnacle West’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

5



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

March 31,
2014

 

December 31,
2013

 

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CURRENT LIABILITIES

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable

 

$

224,820

 

$

284,516

 

Accrued taxes (Note 5)

 

179,137

 

130,998

 

Accrued interest

 

47,392

 

48,351

 

Common dividends payable

 

 

62,528

 

Short-term borrowings (Note 2)

 

9,500

 

153,125

 

Current maturities of long-term debt (Note 2)

 

540,424

 

540,424

 

Customer deposits

 

75,999

 

76,101

 

Liabilities from risk management activities (Note 7)

 

19,907

 

31,892

 

Liabilities for asset retirements

 

25,536

 

32,896

 

Deferred fuel and purchased power regulatory liability (Note 3)

 

18,897

 

 

Other regulatory liabilities (Note 3)

 

116,903

 

99,273

 

Other current liabilities

 

136,128

 

158,540

 

Total current liabilities

 

1,394,643

 

1,618,644

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LONG-TERM DEBT LESS CURRENT MATURITIES (Note 2)

 

3,045,614

 

2,796,465

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DEFERRED CREDITS AND OTHER

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred income taxes

 

2,359,689

 

2,351,882

 

Regulatory liabilities (Note 3)

 

783,702

 

801,297

 

Liabilities for asset retirements

 

344,708

 

313,833

 

Liabilities for pension and other postretirement benefits (Note 4)

 

442,136

 

513,628

 

Liabilities from risk management activities (Note 7)

 

29,106

 

70,315

 

Customer advances

 

115,033

 

114,480

 

Coal mine reclamation

 

208,183

 

207,453

 

Deferred investment tax credit

 

152,114

 

152,361

 

Unrecognized tax benefits (Note 5)

 

13,502

 

42,209

 

Other

 

184,666

 

185,659

 

Total deferred credits and other

 

4,632,839

 

4,753,117

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (SEE NOTES)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EQUITY (Note 8)

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock, no par value; authorized 150,000,000 shares, 110,389,065 and 110,280,703 issued at respective dates

 

2,497,485

 

2,491,558

 

Treasury stock at cost; 34,828 and 98,944 shares at respective dates

 

(844

)

(4,308

)

Total common stock

 

2,496,641

 

2,487,250

 

Retained earnings

 

1,801,047

 

1,785,273

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss:

 

 

 

 

 

Pension and other postretirement benefits

 

(54,538

)

(54,995

)

Derivative instruments

 

(20,364

)

(23,058

)

Total accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

(74,902

)

(78,053

)

Total shareholders’ equity

 

4,222,786

 

4,194,470

 

Noncontrolling interests (Note 6)

 

154,915

 

145,990

 

Total equity

 

4,377,701

 

4,340,460

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

 

$

13,450,797

 

$

13,508,686

 

 

See Notes to Pinnacle West’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

6



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

24,691

 

$

32,836

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization including nuclear fuel

 

122,394

 

124,344

 

Deferred fuel and purchased power

 

31,630

 

31,194

 

Deferred fuel and purchased power amortization

 

8,022

 

1,122

 

Allowance for equity funds used during construction

 

(7,442

)

(6,864

)

Deferred income taxes

 

8,810

 

(9,265

)

Deferred investment tax credit

 

(247

)

21,428

 

Change in derivative instruments fair value

 

(13

)

333

 

Changes in current assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

Customer and other receivables

 

25,986

 

3,931

 

Accrued unbilled revenues

 

7,889

 

4,698

 

Materials, supplies and fossil fuel

 

(187

)

(9,386

)

Income tax receivable

 

130,870

 

(433

)

Other current assets

 

(10,669

)

(2,525

)

Accounts payable

 

(50,990

)

11,925

 

Accrued taxes

 

48,139

 

39,615

 

Other current liabilities

 

(15,864

)

(62,636

)

Change in margin and collateral accounts — assets

 

(290

)

933

 

Change in margin and collateral accounts — liabilities

 

(29,075

)

24,205

 

Change in other long-term assets

 

(9,636

)

(31,202

)

Change in other long-term liabilities

 

(34,861

)

37,904

 

Net cash flow provided by operating activities

 

249,157

 

212,157

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

 

 

Capital expenditures

 

(207,459

)

(182,859

)

Contributions in aid of construction

 

7,736

 

14,912

 

Allowance for borrowed funds used during construction

 

(3,770

)

(3,990

)

Proceeds from nuclear decommissioning trust sales

 

103,157

 

135,240

 

Investment in nuclear decommissioning trust

 

(107,470

)

(139,553

)

Other

 

(702

)

(470

)

Net cash flow used for investing activities

 

(208,508

)

(176,720

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

 

 

Issuance of long-term debt

 

250,000

 

104,307

 

Short-term borrowings and payments — net

 

(143,625

)

(92,175

)

Dividends paid on common stock

 

(62,520

)

(58,067

)

Common stock equity issuance

 

9,390

 

9,441

 

Other

 

1

 

(36

)

Net cash flow provided by (used for) financing activities

 

53,246

 

(36,530

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

 

93,895

 

(1,093

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD

 

9,526

 

26,202

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD

 

$

103,421

 

$

25,109

 

 

See Notes to Pinnacle West’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

7



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

1.             Consolidation and Nature of Operations

 

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Pinnacle West and our subsidiaries:  APS and El Dorado Investment Company (“El Dorado”).  Intercompany accounts and transactions between the consolidated companies have been eliminated.  The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for APS include the accounts of APS and the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station (“Palo Verde”) sale leaseback variable interest entities (“VIEs”) (see Note 6 for further discussion).  Our accounting records are maintained in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).  The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

Weather conditions cause significant seasonal fluctuations in our revenues; therefore, results for interim periods do not necessarily represent results expected for the year.

 

Our condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).  Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in conformity with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such regulations, although we believe that the disclosures provided are adequate to make the interim information presented not misleading.

 

The following table shows more detail of previously reported amounts for the changes in deferred investment tax credit and income tax receivable. Previously reported amounts were netted in the Statement of Cash Flows (dollars in thousands):

 

Statement of Cash Flows for the
Year Ended March 31, 2013

 

As previously
reported

 

Changes to conform to
current year
presentation

 

Amount reported after
changes to conform to
current year
presentation

 

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred income taxes

 

$

12,163

 

$

(21,428

)

$

(9,265

)

Deferred investment tax credit

 

 

21,428

 

21,428

 

Accrued taxes and income tax receivable

 

39,182

 

(39,182

)

 

Income tax receivable

 

 

(433

)

(433

)

Accrued taxes

 

 

39,615

 

39,615

 

 

Supplemental Cash Flow Information

 

The following table summarizes supplemental Pinnacle West cash flow information (dollars in thousands):

 

8



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

 

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

Cash paid (received) during the period for:

 

 

 

 

 

Income taxes, net of refunds

 

$

(131,078

)

$

425

 

Interest, net of amounts capitalized

 

49,147

 

49,038

 

Significant non-cash investing and financing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Accrued capital expenditures

 

$

24,908

 

$

6,575

 

 

2.             Long-Term Debt and Liquidity Matters

 

Pinnacle West and APS maintain committed revolving credit facilities in order to enhance liquidity and provide credit support for their commercial paper programs.

 

Pinnacle West

 

Pinnacle West’s $200 million credit facility matures in November 2016.  At March 31, 2014, the facility was available to refinance indebtedness of the Company and for other general corporate purposes, including credit support for its $200 million commercial paper program.  Pinnacle West has the option to increase the amount of the facility up to a maximum of $300 million upon the satisfaction of certain conditions and with the consent of the lenders.  At March 31, 2014, Pinnacle West had commercial paper borrowings of $10 million, no outstanding borrowings under its credit facility and no letters of credit outstanding.

 

APS

 

On July 12, 2013, APS purchased all $33 million of the Coconino County, Arizona Pollution Control Corporation Pollution Control Revenue Refunding Bonds, 1994 Series A, due 2029. On October 11, 2013, APS purchased all $32 million of the City of Farmington, New Mexico Pollution Control Revenue Bonds, 1994 Series C, due 2024.  On January 15, 2014, these series of bonds were canceled.

 

On January 10, 2014, APS issued $250 million of 4.70% unsecured senior notes that mature on January 15, 2044.  The proceeds from the sale were used to repay commercial paper which was used to fund the acquisition of Southern California Edison’s (“SCE”) 48% ownership interest in each of Units 4 and 5 of the Four Corners Power Plant (“Four Corners”) and to replenish cash used in 2013 to re-acquire two series of tax-exempt indebtedness.

 

At March 31, 2014, APS had two credit facilities totaling $1 billion, including a $500 million credit facility that matures in November 2016 and a $500 million facility that matures in April 2018.  APS may increase the amount of each facility up to a maximum of $700 million upon the satisfaction of certain conditions and with the consent of the lenders.  APS will use these facilities to refinance indebtedness and for other general corporate purposes.  Interest rates are based on APS’s senior unsecured debt credit ratings.

 

The facilities described above are available to support APS’s $250 million commercial paper program, for bank borrowings or for issuances of letters of credit.  At March 31, 2014, APS had no

 

9



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

commercial paper borrowings and no outstanding borrowings or outstanding letters of credit under these credit facilities.

 

On May 1, 2014, APS purchased a total of $100 million of the Maricopa County, Arizona, Pollution Control Corporation Pollution Control Revenue Refunding Bonds, 2009 Series A, D and E due 2029.  We expect to remarket these bonds within the next twelve months.  These bonds are classified as current maturities of long-term debt on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013.

 

See “Financial Assurances” in Note 9 for a discussion of APS’s separate outstanding letters of credit.

 

Debt Fair Value

 

Our long-term debt fair value estimates are based on quoted market prices for the same or similar issues, and are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.  Certain of our debt instruments contain third-party credit enhancements and, in accordance with GAAP, we do not consider the effect of these credit enhancements when determining fair value.  The following table represents the estimated fair value of our long-term debt, including current maturities (dollars in millions):

 

 

 

As of
March 31, 2014

 

As of
December 31, 2013

 

 

 

Carrying
Amount

 

Fair Value

 

Carrying
Amount

 

Fair Value

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pinnacle West

 

$

125

 

$

125

 

$

125

 

$

125

 

APS

 

3,461

 

3,794

 

3,212

 

3,454

 

Total

 

$

3,586

 

$

3,919

 

$

3,337

 

$

3,579

 

 

Debt Provisions

 

An existing ACC order requires APS to maintain a common equity ratio of at least 40%.  As defined in the ACC order, the common equity ratio is total shareholder equity divided by the sum of total shareholder equity and long-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt.  At March 31, 2014, APS was in compliance with this common equity ratio requirement.  Its total shareholder equity was approximately $4.3 billion, and total capitalization was approximately $7.8 billion.  APS would be prohibited from paying dividends if the payment would reduce its total shareholder equity below approximately $3.1 billion, assuming APS’s total capitalization remains the same.

 

3.             Regulatory Matters

 

Retail Rate Case Filing with the Arizona Corporation Commission

 

On June 1, 2011, APS filed an application with the ACC for a net retail base rate increase of $95.5 million.  APS requested that the increase become effective July 1, 2012.  The request would have increased the average retail customer bill by approximately 6.6%.  On January 6, 2012, APS and other parties to the general retail rate case entered into an agreement (the “2012 Settlement Agreement”)

 

10



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

detailing the terms upon which the parties agreed to settle the rate case.  On May 15, 2012, the ACC approved the 2012 Settlement Agreement without material modifications.

 

Settlement Agreement

 

The 2012 Settlement Agreement provides for a zero net change in base rates, consisting of:  (1) a non-fuel base rate increase of $116.3 million; (2) a fuel-related base rate decrease of $153.1 million (to be implemented by a change in the base fuel rate for fuel and purchased power costs (“Base Fuel Rate”) from $0.03757 to $0.03207 per kilowatt hour (“kWh”); and (3) the transfer of cost recovery for certain renewable energy projects from the Arizona Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff (“RES”) surcharge to base rates in an estimated amount of $36.8 million.

 

APS also agreed not to file its next general rate case before May 31, 2015, and not to request that its next general retail rate increase be effective prior to July 1, 2016.  The 2012 Settlement Agreement allows APS to request a change to its base rates during the stay-out period in the event of an extraordinary event that, in the ACC’s judgment, requires base rate relief in order to protect the public interest.  Nor is APS precluded from seeking rate relief, or any other party to the 2012 Settlement Agreement precluded from petitioning the ACC to examine the reasonableness of APS’s rates, in the event of significant regulatory developments that materially impact the financial results expected under the terms of the 2012 Settlement Agreement.

 

Other key provisions of the 2012 Settlement Agreement include the following:

 

·                                          An authorized return on common equity of 10.0%;

 

·                                          A capital structure comprised of 46.1% debt and 53.9% common equity;

 

·                                          A test year ended December 31, 2010, adjusted to include plant that is in service as of March 31, 2012;

 

·                                          Deferral for future recovery or refund of property taxes above or below a specified 2010 test year level caused by changes to the Arizona property tax rate as follows:

 

·                                          Deferral of increases in property taxes of 25% in 2012, 50% in 2013 and 75% for 2014 and subsequent years if Arizona property tax rates increase; and

 

·                                          Deferral of 100% in all years if Arizona property tax rates decrease;

 

·                                          A procedure to allow APS to request rate adjustments prior to its next general rate case related to APS’s acquisition of additional interests in Units 4 and 5 and the related closure of Units 1-3 of Four Corners (APS made its filing under this provision on December 30, 2013, which would result in an average bill impact to residential customers of approximately 2% if approved as requested);

 

·                                          Implementation of a “Lost Fixed Cost Recovery” rate mechanism to support energy efficiency and distributed renewable generation;

 

11



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

·                                          Modifications to the Environmental Improvement Surcharge (“EIS”) to allow for the recovery of carrying costs for capital expenditures associated with government-mandated environmental controls, subject to an existing cents per kWh cap on cost recovery that could produce up to approximately $5 million in revenues annually;

 

·                                          Modifications to the Power Supply Adjustor (“PSA”), including the elimination of the 90/10 sharing provision;

 

·                                          A limitation on the use of the RES surcharge and the Demand Side Management Adjustor Charge (“DSMAC”) to recoup capital expenditures not required under the terms of APS’s 2009 retail rate case settlement agreement (the “2009 Settlement Agreement”) discussed below;

 

·                                          Allowing a negative credit that existed in the PSA rate to continue until February 2013, rather than being reset on the anticipated July 1, 2012 rate effective date;

 

·                                          Modification of the  transmission cost adjustor (“TCA”) to streamline the process for future transmission-related rate changes; and

 

·                                          Implementation of various changes to rate schedules, including the adoption of an experimental “buy-through” rate that could allow certain large commercial and industrial customers to select alternative sources of generation to be supplied by APS.

 

The 2012 Settlement Agreement was approved by the ACC on May 15, 2012, with new rates effective on July 1, 2012.  This accomplished a goal set by the parties to the 2009 Settlement Agreement to process subsequent rate cases within twelve months of sufficiency findings from the ACC staff, which generally occurs within 30 days after the filing of a rate case.

 

Cost Recovery Mechanisms

 

APS has received regulatory decisions that allow for more timely recovery of certain costs through the following recovery mechanisms.

 

Renewable Energy Standard.  In 2006, the ACC approved the RES.  Under the RES, electric utilities that are regulated by the ACC must supply an increasing percentage of their retail electric energy sales from eligible renewable resources, including solar, wind, biomass, biogas and geothermal technologies.  In order to achieve these requirements, the ACC allows APS to include a RES surcharge as part of customer bills to recover the approved amounts for use on renewable energy projects.  Each year APS is required to file a five-year implementation plan with the ACC and seek approval for funding the upcoming year’s RES budget.

 

On July 12, 2013, APS filed its annual RES implementation plan, covering the 2014-2018 timeframe and requesting a 2014 RES budget of approximately $143 million.  In a final order dated January 7, 2014, the ACC approved the requested budget.  Also in 2013, the ACC conducted a hearing to consider APS’s proposal to establish compliance with distributed energy requirements by tracking and recording distributed energy, rather than acquiring and retiring renewable energy credits.  On February 6, 2014, the ACC established a proceeding to modify the renewable energy rules to establish a process for compliance with the renewable energy requirement that is not based solely on the use of renewable

 

12



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

energy credits.  On April 4, 2014, ACC staff submitted a proposal outlining various options which could be used to determine compliance with the renewable energy rules.  APS filed comments on the proposal and is awaiting the ACC’s selection of a proposal and modification of the rules to implement such proposal.

 

Demand Side Management Adjustor Charge.  The ACC Electric Energy Efficiency Standards require APS to submit a Demand Side Management Implementation Plan (“DSM Plan”) for review by and approval of the ACC.

 

On June 1, 2012, APS filed its 2013 DSM Plan.  In 2013, the standards require APS to achieve cumulative energy savings equal to 5% of its 2012 retail energy sales.  Later in 2012, APS filed a supplement to its plan that included a proposed budget for 2013 of $87.6 million.

 

On March 11, 2014, the ACC issued an order approving APS’s 2013 DSM Plan.  The ACC approved a budget of $68.9 million for each of 2013 and 2014.  The ACC also approved a Resource Savings Initiative that allows APS to count towards compliance with the ACC Electric Energy Efficiency Standards, savings for improvements to APS’s transmission and delivery system, generation and facilities that have been approved through a DSM Plan.

 

On June 27, 2013, the ACC voted to open a new docket investigating whether the Electric Energy Efficiency Rules should be modified.  The ACC held a series of three workshops in March and April 2014 to investigate methodologies used to determine cost effective energy efficiency programs, cost recovery mechanisms, incentives, and potential changes to the Electric Energy Efficiency and Resource Planning Rules.

 

PSA Mechanism and Balance.  The PSA provides for the adjustment of retail rates to reflect variations in retail fuel and purchased power costs.  The following table shows the changes in the deferred fuel and purchased power regulatory asset (liability) for 2014 and 2013 (dollars in millions):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

Beginning balance

 

$

21

 

$

73

 

Deferred fuel and purchased power costs — current period

 

(32

)

(31

)

Amounts charged to customers

 

(8

)

(1

)

Ending balance

 

$

(19

)

$

41

 

 

The PSA rate for the PSA year beginning February 1, 2014 is $0.001557 per kWh, as compared to $0.001329 per kWh for the prior year.  This new rate is comprised of a forward component of $0.001277 per kWh and a historical component of $0.000280 per kWh.  Any uncollected (overcollected) deferrals during the 2014 PSA year will be included in the calculation of the PSA rate for the PSA year beginning February 1, 2015.

 

Transmission Rates, Transmission Cost Adjustor and Other Transmission MattersIn July 2008, the United States Federal Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) approved an Open Access Transmission Tariff for APS to move from fixed rates to a formula rate-setting methodology in order to more accurately reflect and recover the costs that APS incurs in providing transmission services.  A large portion of the rate represents charges for transmission services to serve APS’s retail customers (“Retail

 

13



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Transmission Charges”).  In order to recover the Retail Transmission Charges, APS was previously required to file an application with, and obtain approval from, the ACC to reflect changes in Retail Transmission Charges through the TCA.  Under the terms of the 2012 Settlement Agreement (discussed above), however, an adjustment to rates to recover the Retail Transmission Charges will be made annually each June 1 and will go into effect automatically unless suspended by the ACC.

 

The formula rate is updated each year effective June 1 on the basis of APS’s actual cost of service, as disclosed in APS’s FERC Form 1 report for the previous fiscal year.  Items to be updated include actual capital expenditures made as compared with previous projections, transmission revenue credits and other items.  The resolution of proposed adjustments can result in significant volatility in the revenues to be collected.  APS reviews the proposed formula rate filing amounts with the ACC staff.  Any items or adjustments which are not agreed to by APS and the ACC staff can remain in dispute until settled or litigated at FERC.  Settlement or litigated resolution of disputed issues could require an extended period of time and could have a significant effect on the Retail Transmission Charge because any adjustment, though applied prospectively, may be calculated to account for previously over- or under-collected amounts.

 

Effective June 1, 2013, APS’s annual wholesale transmission rates for all users of its transmission system increased by approximately $26 million for the twelve-month period beginning June 1, 2013 in accordance with the FERC-approved formula.  An adjustment to APS’s retail rates to recover FERC-approved transmission charges went into effect automatically on June 1, 2013.

 

Lost Fixed Cost Recovery Mechanism.  The LFCR mechanism permits APS to recover on an after-the-fact basis a portion of its fixed costs that would otherwise have been collected by APS in the kWh sales lost due to APS energy efficiency programs and to distributed generation such as rooftop solar arrays.  The fixed costs recoverable by the LFCR mechanism were established in the 2012 Settlement Agreement and amount to approximately 3.1 cents per residential kWh lost and 2.3 cents per non-residential kWh lost.  The kWh’s lost from energy efficiency are based on a third-party evaluation of APS’s energy efficiency programs.  Distributed generation sales losses are determined from the metered output from the distributed generation units or if metering is unavailable, through accepted estimating techniques.

 

APS filed its first LFCR adjustment on January 15, 2013 and will file for a LFCR adjustment every January thereafter.  On February 12, 2013, the ACC approved a LFCR adjustment of $5.1 million, representing a pro-rated amount for 2012 since the 2012 Settlement Agreement went into effect on July 1, 2012.  APS filed its 2014 annual LFCR adjustment on January 15, 2014, requesting a LFCR adjustment of $25.3 million, effective March 1, 2014.  The ACC approved APS’s LFCR adjustment without change on March 11, 2014, which became effective April 1, 2014.

 

Deregulation

 

On May 9, 2013, the ACC voted to re-examine the facilitation of a deregulated retail electric market in Arizona.  The ACC subsequently opened a docket for this matter and received comments from a number of interested parties on the considerations involved in establishing retail electric deregulation in the state.  One of these considerations is whether various aspects of a deregulated market, including setting utility rates on a “market” basis, would be consistent with the requirements of the Arizona Constitution.  On September 11, 2013, after receiving legal advice from the ACC staff, the ACC voted 4-1 to close the current docket and await full Constitutional authority before any further examination of

 

14



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

this matter.  The motion approved by the ACC also included opening one or more new dockets in the future to explore options to offer more rate choices to customers and innovative changes within the existing cost-of-service regulatory model that could include elements of competition.  The ACC opened a new docket on November 4, 2013 to explore technological advances and innovative changes within the electric utility industry.  Workshops in this docket are being held in 2014.

 

Net Metering

 

On July 12, 2013, APS filed an application with the ACC proposing a solution to fix the cost shift brought by the current net metering rules.  On December 3, 2013, the ACC issued its order on APS’s net metering proposal.  The ACC instituted a charge on customers who install rooftop solar panels after December 31, 2013, and directed APS to provide quarterly reports on the pace of rooftop solar adoption to assist the ACC in considering further increases.  The charge of $0.70 per kilowatt became effective on January 1, 2014, and is estimated to collect $4.90 per month from a typical future rooftop solar customer to help pay for their use of the electricity grid.  The new policy will be in effect until the next APS rate case.

 

In making its decision, the ACC determined that the current net metering program creates a cost shift, causing non-solar utility customers to pay higher rates to cover the costs of maintaining the electrical grid.  ACC staff and the state’s Residential Utility Consumer Office, among other organizations, also agreed that a cost shift exists.  The fixed charge does not increase APS’s revenue because it is credited to the LFCR, but it will modestly reduce the impact of the cost shift on non-solar customers.  The ACC acknowledged that the new charge addresses only a portion of the cost shift.

 

Beginning in May 2014, the ACC will conduct a series of workshops to, among other things, evaluate the role and value of the electric grid as it relates to rooftop solar and other issues regarding net metering.

 

Four Corners

 

On December 30, 2013, APS purchased SCE’s 48% ownership interest in each of Units 4 and 5 of Four Corners.  The 2012 Settlement Agreement includes a procedure to allow APS to request rate adjustments prior to its next general rate case related to APS’s acquisition of the additional interests in Units 4 and 5 and the related closure of Units 1-3 of Four Corners.  APS made its filing under this provision on December 30, 2013.  If approved, these adjustments would result in an average bill impact to residential customers of approximately 2%.  This includes the deferral for future recovery of all non-fuel operating cost for the acquired SCE interest in Four Corners, net of the non-fuel operating costs savings resulting from the closure of Units 1-3 from the date of closing of the purchase.  The 2012 Settlement Agreement also provides for deferral for future recovery of all unrecovered costs incurred in connection with the closure of Units 1-3.  The deferral balance related to the acquisition of SCE’s interest in Units 4 and 5 and the closure of Units 1-3 was $47 million as of March 31, 2014.  A hearing on this matter is scheduled to begin August 4, 2014 and we anticipate a decision by the end of 2014.  APS cannot predict the outcome of this matter.

 

As part of APS’s acquisition of SCE’s interest in Units 4 and 5, APS and SCE agreed, via a “Transmission Termination Agreement,” that upon closing of the acquisition, the companies would terminate an existing transmission agreement (“Transmission Agreement”) between the parties that provides transmission capacity on a system (the “Arizona Transmission System”) for SCE to transmit its

 

15



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

portion of the output from Four Corners to California.  APS previously submitted a request to FERC related to this termination, which resulted in a FERC order denying rate recovery of $40 million that APS agreed to pay SCE associated with the termination.  APS and SCE negotiated an alternate arrangement under which SCE would assign its 1,555 MW capacity rights over the Arizona Transmission System to third-parties, including 300 MW to APS’s marketing and trading group.  However, this alternative arrangement was not approved by FERC.  In late March 2014, APS and SCE filed requests for rehearing with FERC.  We are unable to predict the timing or outcome of these requests.  Although APS and SCE continue to evaluate potential paths forward, it is possible that the terms of the Transmission Termination Agreement may again control.  As we previously disclosed, APS believes that the original denial by FERC of rate recovery under the Transmission Termination Agreement constitutes the failure of a condition that relieves APS of its obligations under that agreement.  If APS and SCE were unable to determine a resolution through negotiation, the Transmission Termination Agreement requires that disputes be resolved through arbitration.  APS is unable to predict the outcome of this matter if it proceeds to arbitration.

 

16



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Regulatory Assets and Liabilities

 

The detail of regulatory assets is as follows (dollars in millions):

 

 

 

Remaining
Amortization

 

March 31, 2014

 

December 31, 2013

 

 

 

Period

 

Current

 

Non-Current

 

Current

 

Non-Current

 

Pension and other postretirement benefits

 

(a)

 

$

 

$

313

 

$

 

$

314

 

Income taxes — allowance for funds used during construction (“AFUDC”) equity

 

2043

 

4

 

104

 

4

 

105

 

Deferred fuel and purchased power — mark-to-market (Note 7)

 

2016

 

 

26

 

5

 

29

 

Transmission vegetation management

 

2016

 

9

 

12

 

9

 

14

 

Coal reclamation

 

2038

 

8

 

16

 

8

 

18

 

Palo Verde VIEs (Note 6)

 

2046

 

 

42

 

 

41

 

Deferred compensation

 

2036

 

 

36

 

 

34

 

Deferred fuel and purchased power (b) (c)

 

2015

 

 

 

21

 

 

Tax expense of Medicare subsidy

 

2023

 

2

 

15

 

2

 

15

 

Loss on reacquired debt

 

2034

 

1

 

18

 

1

 

17

 

Income taxes — investment tax credit basis adjustment

 

2043

 

1

 

39

 

1

 

39

 

Pension and other postretirement benefits deferral

 

2015

 

8

 

2

 

8

 

4

 

Four Corners cost deferral

 

2024

 

 

47

 

 

37

 

Lost fixed cost recovery (b)

 

2015

 

32

 

 

25

 

 

Transmission cost adjustor (b)

 

2016

 

6

 

2

 

8

 

2

 

Retired power plant costs

 

2020

 

3

 

17

 

3

 

18

 

Other

 

Various

 

2

 

31

 

2

 

25

 

Total regulatory assets (d)

 

 

 

$

76

 

$

720

 

$

97

 

$

712

 

 


(a)                                 This asset represents the future recovery of under-funded pension and other postretirement benefit obligations through retail rates.  If these costs are disallowed by the ACC, this regulatory asset would be charged to Other Comprehensive Income (“OCI”) and result in lower future revenues.  See Note 4 for further discussion.

(b)                                 See “Cost Recovery Mechanisms” discussion above.

(c)                                  Subject to a carrying charge.

(d)                                 There are no regulatory assets for which the ACC has allowed recovery of costs, but not allowed a return by exclusion from rate base.  FERC rates are set using a formula rate as described in “Transmission Rates and Transmission Cost Adjustor.”

 

17



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The detail of regulatory liabilities is as follows (dollars in millions):

 

 

 

Remaining
Amortization

 

March 31, 2014

 

December 31, 2013

 

 

 

Period

 

Current

 

Non-Current

 

Current

 

Non-Current

 

Removal costs

 

(a)

 

$

28

 

$

298

 

$

28

 

$

303

 

Asset retirement obligations

 

(a)

 

 

253

 

 

266

 

Renewable energy standard (b)

 

2015

 

35

 

16

 

33

 

15

 

Income taxes — change in rates

 

2043

 

1

 

73

 

 

74

 

Spent nuclear fuel

 

2047

 

5

 

37

 

6

 

36

 

Deferred gains on utility property

 

2019

 

2

 

9

 

2

 

10

 

Income taxes — deferred investment tax credit

 

2043

 

3

 

79

 

3

 

79

 

Demand side management (b)

 

2015

 

34

 

 

27

 

 

Deferred fuel and purchased power (b) (c)

 

2015

 

19

 

 

 

 

Deferred fuel and purchased power — mark to market

 

2015

 

9

 

 

 

 

Other

 

Various

 

 

19

 

 

18

 

Total regulatory liabilities

 

 

 

$

136

 

$

784

 

$

99

 

$

801

 

 


(a)                                 In accordance with regulatory accounting guidance, APS accrues for removal costs for its regulated assets, even if there is no legal obligation for removal.

(b)                                 See “Cost Recovery Mechanisms” discussion above.

(c)                                  Subject to carrying charge.

 

4.                                      Retirement Plans and Other Benefits

 

Pinnacle West sponsors a qualified defined benefit and account balance pension plan, a non-qualified supplemental excess benefit retirement plan, and other postretirement benefit plans for the employees of Pinnacle West and our subsidiaries.  Pinnacle West uses a December 31 measurement date for its pension and other postretirement benefit plans.  The market-related value of our plan assets is their fair value at the measurement date.

 

Certain pension and other postretirement benefit costs in excess of amounts recovered in electric retail rates were deferred in 2011 and 2012 as a regulatory asset for future recovery, pursuant to APS’s 2009 retail rate case settlement.  Pursuant to this order, we began amortizing the regulatory asset over three years beginning in July 2012.  We amortized approximately $2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.  The following table provides details of the plans’ net periodic benefit costs and the portion of these costs charged to expense (including administrative costs and excluding amounts capitalized as overhead construction, billed to electric plant participants or charged or amortized to the regulatory asset) (dollars in millions):

 

18



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

 

 

Pension Benefits

 

Other Benefits

 

 

 

Three Months
Ended March 31,

 

Three Months
Ended March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

2014

 

2013

 

Service cost — benefits earned during the period

 

$

15

 

$

17

 

$

5

 

$

6

 

Interest cost on benefit obligation

 

32

 

29

 

11

 

10

 

Expected return on plan assets

 

(40

)

(37

)

(12

)

(11

)

Amortization of net actuarial loss

 

2

 

9

 

 

3

 

Net periodic benefit cost

 

$

9

 

$

18

 

$

4

 

$

8

 

Portion of cost charged to expense

 

$

5

 

$

10

 

$

3

 

$

5

 

 

Contributions

 

The minimum contributions for the pension plan total $141 million for the next three years under the recently enacted Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (zero in 2014, $19 million in 2015, and $122 million in 2016).  Instead, we expect to make voluntary contributions totaling $300 million for the next three years ($175 million in 2014, of which $105 million was already contributed in early 2014, up to $100 million in 2015, and up to $25 million in 2016).  The contributions to our other postretirement benefit plans for 2014, 2015 and 2016 are expected to be approximately $10 million each year.

 

5.                                      Income Taxes

 

During the first quarter of 2014, a $135 million cash refund was received from the IRS related to tax returns for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2009.  This refund was classified as a current income tax receivable at December 31, 2013.

 

Net Income associated with the Palo Verde sale leaseback variable interest entities is not subject to tax (see Note 6).  As a result, there is no income tax expense associated with the VIEs recorded on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.

 

In January 2014, we prospectively adopted guidance requiring unrecognized tax benefits to be presented as a reduction to any available deferred income tax asset for a net operating loss, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward.  As a result of this guidance, $29 million of unrecognized tax benefits were recorded as a reduction to net current deferred income tax assets on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and $16 million were recorded as an increase to net current deferred income tax liabilities on the APS Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2014.

 

As of March 31, 2014, the tax year ended December 31, 2010 and all subsequent tax years remain subject to examination by the IRS.  With few exceptions, we are no longer subject to state income tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2010.

 

6.                                      Palo Verde Sale Leaseback Variable Interest Entities

 

In 1986, APS entered into agreements with three separate VIE lessor trusts in order to sell and lease back interests in Palo Verde Unit 2 and related common facilities.  APS will pay approximately $49

 

19



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

million per year during 2014 and 2015 related to these leases.  The lease agreements include fixed rate renewal periods, which gives APS the ability to utilize the asset for a significant portion of the asset’s economic life, and therefore provide APS with the power to direct activities of the VIEs that most significantly impact the VIEs’ economic performance.  Predominately due to the fixed rate renewal periods, APS has been deemed the primary beneficiary of these VIEs and therefore consolidates the VIEs.

 

On December 31, 2012, APS notified the lessor trust entities that APS would retain the assets beyond 2015 by either exercising the fixed rate lease renewals or by purchasing the assets.  If APS elects to purchase the assets, the purchase price will be based on the fair market value of the assets at the end of 2015.  If APS elects to extend the leases, we will be required to make payments beginning in 2016 of approximately $23 million annually.  The length of the lease extensions is determined through an appraisal process.  During 2014, APS must notify the lessor trust which of these two options (lease renewal or purchasing the assets) it will exercise.

 

As a result of consolidation, we eliminate rent expense and recognize depreciation and interest expense, resulting in an increase in net income for the three months ended March 31, 2014 of $9 million and for the three months ended March 31, 2013 of $8 million, entirely attributable to the noncontrolling interests.  Income attributable to Pinnacle West shareholders remains the same.  Consolidation of these VIEs also results in changes to our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, but does not impact net cash flows.

 

Our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 include the following amounts relating to the VIEs (in millions):

 

 

 

March 31,
2014

 

December 31,
2013

 

Palo Verde sale leaseback property plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation

 

$

124

 

$

125

 

Current maturities of long-term debt

 

26

 

26

 

Long-term debt excluding current maturities

 

13

 

13

 

Equity — Noncontrolling interests

 

155

 

146

 

 

Assets of the VIEs are restricted and may only be used to settle the VIEs’ debt obligations and for payment to the noncontrolling interest holders.  Other than the VIEs’ assets reported on our consolidated financial statements, the creditors of the VIEs have no other recourse to the assets of APS or Pinnacle West, except in certain circumstances such as a default by APS under the leases.

 

APS is exposed to losses relating to these VIEs upon the occurrence of certain events that APS does not consider to be reasonably likely to occur.  Under certain circumstances (for example, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”) issuing specified violation orders with respect to Palo Verde or the occurrence of specified nuclear events), APS would be required to make specified payments to the VIEs’ noncontrolling equity participants, assume the VIEs’ debt, and take title to the leased Unit 2 interests, which, if appropriate, may be required to be written down in value.  If such an event had occurred as of March 31, 2014, APS would have been required to pay the noncontrolling equity participants approximately $133 million and assume $39 million of debt.  Since APS consolidates these VIEs, the debt APS would be required to assume is already reflected in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

 

20



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

For regulatory ratemaking purposes, the leases continue to be treated as operating leases and, as a result, we have recorded a regulatory asset relating to the arrangements.

 

7.                                      Derivative Accounting

 

We are exposed to the impact of market fluctuations in the commodity price and transportation costs of electricity, natural gas, coal, emissions allowances and in interest rates.  We manage risks associated with market volatility by utilizing various physical and financial derivative instruments, including futures, forwards, options and swaps.  As part of our overall risk management program, we may use derivative instruments to hedge purchases and sales of electricity and fuels.  Derivative instruments that meet certain hedge accounting criteria may be designated as cash flow hedges and are used to limit our exposure to cash flow variability on forecasted transactions.  The changes in market value of such instruments have a high correlation to price changes in the hedged transactions.  We also enter into derivative instruments for economic hedging purposes.  While we believe the economic hedges mitigate exposure to fluctuations in commodity prices, these instruments have not been designated as accounting hedges.  Contracts that have the same terms (quantities, delivery points and delivery periods) and for which power does not flow are netted, which reduces both revenues and fuel and purchased power costs in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income, but does not impact our financial condition, net income or cash flows.

 

On June 1, 2012, we elected to discontinue cash flow hedge accounting treatment for the significant majority of our contracts that had previously been designated as cash flow hedges.  This discontinuation is due to changes in PSA recovery (see Note 3), which now allows for 100% deferral of the unrealized gains and losses relating to these contracts.  For those contracts that were de-designated, all changes in fair value after May 31, 2012 are no longer recorded through OCI, but are deferred through the PSA.  The amounts previously recorded in accumulated OCI relating to these instruments will remain in accumulated OCI, and will transfer to earnings in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings or sooner if we determine it is probable that the forecasted transaction will not occur.  When amounts have been reclassified from accumulated OCI to earnings, they will be subject to deferral in accordance with the PSA.  Cash flow hedge accounting treatment will continue for a limited number of contracts that are not subject to PSA recovery.

 

Our derivative instruments, excluding those qualifying for a scope exception, are recorded on the balance sheet as an asset or liability and are measured at fair value.  See Note 12 for a discussion of fair value measurements.  Derivative instruments may qualify for the normal purchases and normal sales scope exception if they require physical delivery and the quantities represent those transacted in the normal course of business.  Derivative instruments qualifying for the normal purchases and sales scope exception are accounted for under the accrual method of accounting and excluded from our derivative instrument discussion and disclosures below.

 

Hedge effectiveness is the degree to which the derivative instrument contract and the hedged item are correlated and is measured based on the relative changes in fair value of the derivative instrument contract and the hedged item over time.  We assess hedge effectiveness both at inception and on a continuing basis.  These assessments exclude the time value of certain options.  For accounting hedges that are deemed an effective hedge, the effective portion of the gain or loss on the derivative instrument is reported as a component of OCI and reclassified into earnings in the same period during which the hedged transaction affects earnings.  We recognize in current earnings, subject to the PSA, the gains and losses representing hedge ineffectiveness, and the gains and losses on any hedge components

 

21



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

which are excluded from our effectiveness assessment.  As cash flow hedge accounting has been discontinued for the significant majority of our contracts, after May 31, 2012, effectiveness testing is no longer being performed for these contracts.

 

For its regulated operations, APS defers for future rate treatment 100% of the unrealized gains and losses on derivatives pursuant to the PSA mechanism that would otherwise be recognized in income.  Realized gains and losses on derivatives are deferred in accordance with the PSA to the extent the amounts are above or below the Base Fuel Rate (see Note 3).  Gains and losses from derivatives in the following tables represent the amounts reflected in income before the effect of PSA deferrals.

 

As of March 31, 2014, we had the following outstanding gross notional volume of derivatives, which represent both purchases and sales (does not reflect net position):

 

Commodity

 

Quantity

 

Power

 

5,503

 

GWh

 

Gas

 

107

 

Billion cubic feet

 

 

Gains and Losses from Derivative Instruments

 

The following table provides information about gains and losses from derivative instruments in designated cash flow accounting hedging relationships during the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (dollars in thousands):

 

 

 

Financial Statement

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

Commodity Contracts

 

Location

 

2014

 

2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gain Recognized in OCI on Derivative Instruments (Effective Portion)

 

OCI — derivative instruments

 

$

177

 

$

96

 

Loss Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income (Effective Portion Realized) (a)

 

Fuel and purchased power (b)

 

(4,439

)

(8,353

)

 


(a)                                 During the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, we had no amounts reclassified from accumulated OCI to earnings related to discontinued cash flow hedges.

(b)                                 Amounts are before the effect of PSA deferrals.

 

During the next twelve months, we estimate that a net loss of $19 million before income taxes will be reclassified from accumulated OCI as an offset to the effect of market price changes for the related hedged transactions.  In accordance with the PSA, substantially all of these amounts will be recorded as either a regulatory asset or liability and have no immediate effect on earnings.

 

22



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The following table provides information about gains and losses from derivative instruments not designated as accounting hedging instruments during the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (dollars in thousands):

 

 

 

Financial Statement

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

Commodity Contracts

 

Location

 

2014

 

2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Loss Recognized in Income

 

Operating revenues (a)

 

$

(92

)

$

(117

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Gain Recognized in Income

 

Fuel and purchased power (a)

 

18,107

 

17,350

 

Total

 

 

 

$

18,015

 

$

17,233

 

 


(a)                                 Amounts are before the effect of PSA deferrals.

 

Derivative Instruments in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

 

Our derivative transactions are typically executed under standardized or customized agreements, which include collateral requirements and, in the event of a default, would allow for the netting of positive and negative exposures associated with a single counterparty.  Agreements that allow for the offsetting of positive and negative exposures associated with a single counterparty are considered master netting arrangements.  Transactions with counterparties that have master netting arrangements are offset and reported net on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.  Transactions that do not allow for offsetting of positive and negative positions are reported gross on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

 

We do not offset a counterparty’s current derivative contracts with the counterparty’s non-current derivative contracts, although our master netting arrangements would allow current and non-current positions to be offset in the event of a default.  Additionally, in the event of a default, our master netting arrangements would allow for the offsetting of all transactions executed under the master netting arrangement.  These types of transactions may include non-derivative instruments, derivatives qualifying for scope exceptions, trade receivables and trade payables arising from settled positions, and other forms of non-cash collateral (such as letters of credit).  These types of transactions are excluded from the offsetting tables presented below.

 

The significant majority of our derivative instruments are not currently designated as hedging instruments.  The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, include gross liabilities of $4 million and $5 million, respectively, of derivative instruments designated as hedging instruments.

 

The following tables provide information about the fair value of our risk management activities reported on a gross basis, and the impacts of offsetting as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013.  These amounts relate to commodity contracts and are located in the assets and liabilities from risk management activities lines of our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

 

23



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

As of March 31, 2014:
(dollars in thousands)

 

Gross
Recognized
Derivatives
(a)

 

Amounts
Offset
 (b)

 

Net
Recognized
Derivatives

 

Other
(c)

 

Amount
Reported on
Balance Sheet

 

Current Assets

 

$

32,470

 

$

(15,816

)

$

16,654

 

$

297

 

$

16,951

 

Investments and Other Assets

 

23,913

 

(2,287

)

21,626

 

 

21,626

 

Total Assets

 

56,383

 

(18,103

)

38,280

 

297

 

38,577

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Liabilities

 

(42,161

)

30,897

 

(11,264

)

(8,643

)

(19,907

)

Deferred Credits and Other

 

(65,511

)

36,405

 

(29,106

)

 

(29,106

)

Total Liabilities

 

(107,672

)

67,302

 

(40,370

)

(8,643

)

(49,013

)

Total

 

$

(51,289

)

$

49,199

 

$

(2,090

)

$

(8,346

)

$

(10,436

)

 


(a)         All of our gross recognized derivative instruments were subject to master netting arrangements.

(b)         Includes cash collateral provided to counterparties of $49,199.

(c)          Represents cash collateral and margin that is not subject to offsetting.  Amounts relate to non-derivative instruments, derivatives qualifying for scope exceptions, or collateral and margin posted in excess of the recognized derivative instrument.  Includes cash collateral received from counterparties of $8,643, and cash margin provided to counterparties of $297.

 

As of December 31, 2013:
(dollars in thousands)

 

Gross
Recognized
Derivatives

(a)

 

Amounts
Offset
(b)

 

Net
Recognized
Derivatives

 

Other
(c)

 

Amount
Reported on
Balance Sheet

 

Current Assets

 

$

24,587

 

$

(7,425

)

$

17,162

 

$

7

 

$

17,169

 

Investments and Other Assets

 

25,364

 

(1,549

)

23,815

 

 

23,815

 

Total Assets

 

49,951

 

(8,974

)

40,977

 

7

 

40,984

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Liabilities

 

(50,540

)

26,166

 

(24,374

)

(7,518

)

(31,892

)

Deferred Credits and Other

 

(72,123

)

1,808

 

(70,315

)

 

(70,315

)

Total Liabilities

 

(122,663

)

27,974

 

(94,689

)

(7,518

)

(102,207

)

Total

 

$

(72,712

)

$

19,000

 

$

(53,712

)

$

(7,511

)

$

(61,223

)

 


(a)         All of our gross recognized derivative instruments were subject to master netting arrangements.

(b)         Includes cash collateral provided to counterparties of $19,000.

(c)          Represents cash collateral and margin that is not subject to offsetting.  Amounts relate to non-derivative instruments, derivatives qualifying for scope exceptions, or collateral and margin posted in excess of the recognized derivative instrument.  Includes cash collateral received from counterparties of $7,518, and cash margin provided to counterparties of $7.

 

24



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Credit Risk and Credit Related Contingent Features

 

We are exposed to losses in the event of nonperformance or nonpayment by counterparties.  We have risk management contracts with many counterparties, including two counterparties for which our exposure represents approximately 84% of Pinnacle West’s $39 million of risk management assets as of March 31, 2014.  This exposure relates to long-term traditional wholesale contracts with counterparties that have high credit quality.  Our risk management process assesses and monitors the financial exposure of all counterparties.  Despite the fact that the great majority of trading counterparties’ debt is rated as investment grade by the credit rating agencies, there is still a possibility that one or more of these companies could default, resulting in a material impact on consolidated earnings for a given period.  Counterparties in the portfolio consist principally of financial institutions, major energy companies, municipalities and local distribution companies.  We maintain credit policies that we believe minimize overall credit risk to within acceptable limits.  Determination of the credit quality of our counterparties is based upon a number of factors, including credit ratings and our evaluation of their financial condition.  To manage credit risk, we employ collateral requirements and standardized agreements that allow for the netting of positive and negative exposures associated with a single counterparty.  Valuation adjustments are established representing our estimated credit losses on our overall exposure to counterparties.

 

Certain of our derivative instrument contracts contain credit-risk-related contingent features including, among other things, investment grade credit rating provisions, credit-related cross-default provisions, and adequate assurance provisions.  Adequate assurance provisions allow a counterparty with reasonable grounds for uncertainty to demand additional collateral based on subjective events and/or conditions.  For those derivative instruments in a net liability position, with investment grade credit contingencies, the counterparties could demand additional collateral if our debt credit rating were to fall below investment grade (below BBB- for Standard & Poor’s or Fitch or Baa3 for Moody’s).

 

The following table provides information about our derivative instruments that have credit-risk-related contingent features at March 31, 2014 (dollars in millions):

 

 

 

March 31,
2014

 

Aggregate Fair Value of Derivative Instruments in a Net Liability Position

 

$

108

 

Cash Collateral Posted

 

49

 

Additional Cash Collateral in the Event Credit-Risk-Related Contingent Features were Fully Triggered (a)

 

50

 

 


(a)                                 This amount is after counterparty netting and includes those contracts which qualify for scope exceptions, which are excluded from the derivative details above.

 

We also have energy-related non-derivative instrument contracts with investment grade credit-related contingent features, which could also require us to post additional collateral of approximately $180 million if our debt credit ratings were to fall below investment grade.

 

25



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

8.             Changes in Equity

 

The following tables show Pinnacle West’s changes in shareholders’ equity and changes in equity of noncontrolling interests for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (dollars in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31, 2014

 

Three Months Ended March 31, 2013

 

 

 

Common
Shareholders

 

Noncontrolling
Interests

 

Total

 

Common
Shareholders

 

Noncontrolling
Interests

 

Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning balance, January 1

 

$

4,194,470

 

$

145,990

 

$

4,340,460

 

$

3,972,806

 

$

129,483

 

$

4,102,289

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

15,766

 

8,925

 

24,691

 

24,444

 

8,392

 

32,836

 

Other comprehensive income

 

3,151

 

 

3,151

 

6,077

 

 

6,077

 

Total comprehensive income

 

18,917

 

8,925

 

27,842

 

30,521

 

8,392

 

38,913

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Issuance of capital stock

 

2,592

 

 

2,592

 

2,574

 

 

2,574

 

Reissuance (purchase) of treasury stock — net

 

3,465

 

 

3,465

 

(6,271

)

 

(6,271

)

Other (primarily stock compensation)

 

3,342

 

 

3,342

 

14,825

 

 

14,825

 

Ending balance, March 31

 

$

4,222,786

 

$

154,915

 

$

4,377,701

 

$

4,014,455

 

$

137,875

 

$

4,152,330

 

 

9.             Commitments and Contingencies

 

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station

 

Spent Nuclear Fuel and Waste Disposal

 

On December 19, 2012, APS, acting on behalf of itself and the participant owners of Palo Verde, filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the United States Department of Energy (“DOE”) in the United States Court of Federal Claims (“Court of Federal Claims”).  The lawsuit seeks to recover damages incurred due to DOE’s breach of the Contract for Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and/or High Level Radioactive Waste (“Standard Contract”) for failing to accept Palo Verde spent nuclear fuel and high level waste from January 1, 2007 through June 30, 2011, as it was required to do pursuant to the terms of the Standard Contract and the Nuclear Waste Protection Act.  This lawsuit is currently pending in the Court of Federal Claims.

 

Nuclear Insurance

 

Public liability for incidents at nuclear power plants is governed by the Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act (“Price-Anderson Act”), which limits the liability of nuclear reactor owners to the amount of insurance available from both commercial sources and an industry retrospective payment plan.  In accordance with the Price-Anderson Act, the Palo Verde participants are insured against public liability for a nuclear incident up to $13.6 billion per occurrence.  Palo Verde maintains the maximum available nuclear liability insurance in the amount of $375 million, which is provided by commercial insurance carriers.  The remaining balance of $13.2 billion of liability coverage is provided through a mandatory industry-wide retrospective assessment program.  If losses at any nuclear power plant covered by the program exceed the accumulated funds, APS could be assessed retrospective premium

 

26



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

adjustments.  The maximum retrospective premium assessment per reactor under the program for each nuclear incident is approximately $127.3 million, subject to an annual limit of $19 million per incident, to be periodically adjusted for inflation.  Based on APS’s interest in the three Palo Verde units, APS’s maximum potential retrospective assessment per incident for all three units is approximately $111 million, with an annual payment limitation of approximately $16.5 million.

 

The Palo Verde participants maintain “all risk” (including nuclear hazards) insurance for property damage to, and decontamination of, property at Palo Verde in the aggregate amount of $2.75 billion, a substantial portion of which must first be applied to stabilization and decontamination.  APS has also secured insurance against portions of any increased cost of replacement generation or purchased power and business interruption resulting from a sudden and unforeseen accidental outage of any of the three units.  The property damage, decontamination, and replacement power coverages are provided by Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited (“NEIL”).  Effective April 1, 2014, a sublimit of $2.25 billion for non-nuclear property damage losses site-wide has been imposed on the NEIL property policies.  Effective April 1, 2013, a sublimit of $327.6 million per unit has been imposed on the non-nuclear losses covered by the NEIL accidental outage policy, potentially subject to further limitations.  APS is subject to retrospective assessments under all NEIL policies if NEIL’s losses in any policy year exceed accumulated funds.  The maximum amount APS could incur under the current NEIL policies totals approximately $20 million for each retrospective assessment declared by NEIL’s Board of Directors due to losses.  In addition, NEIL policies contain rating triggers that would result in APS providing approximately $54 million of collateral assurance within 20 business days of a rating downgrade to non-investment grade.  The insurance coverage discussed in this and the previous paragraph is subject to certain policy conditions, sublimits and exclusions.

 

Contractual Obligations

 

There have been no material changes outside the normal course of business in contractual obligations from the information provided in our 2013 Form 10-K.

 

Superfund-Related Matters

 

The Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (“Superfund”) establishes liability for the cleanup of hazardous substances found contaminating the soil, water or air.  Those who generated, transported or disposed of hazardous substances at a contaminated site are among those who are potentially responsible parties (“PRPs”).  PRPs may be strictly, and often are jointly and severally, liable for clean-up.  On September 3, 2003, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) advised APS that EPA considers APS to be a PRP in the Motorola 52nd Street Superfund Site, Operable Unit 3 (“OU3”) in Phoenix, Arizona.  APS has facilities that are within this Superfund site.  APS and Pinnacle West have agreed with EPA to perform certain investigative activities of the APS facilities within OU3.  In addition, on September 23, 2009, APS agreed with EPA and one other PRP to voluntarily assist with the funding and management of the site-wide groundwater remedial investigation and feasibility study work plan.  We estimate that our costs related to this investigation and study will be approximately $2 million.  We anticipate incurring additional expenditures in the future, but because the overall investigation is not complete and ultimate remediation requirements are not yet finalized, at the present time expenditures related to this matter cannot be reasonably estimated.

 

On August 6, 2013, the Roosevelt Irrigation District (“RID”) filed a lawsuit in Arizona District Court against APS and 24 other defendants, alleging that RID’s groundwater wells were contaminated by

 

27



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

the release of hazardous substances from facilities owned or operated by the defendants.  The lawsuit also alleges that, under Superfund laws, the defendants are jointly and severally liable to RID.  The allegations against APS arise out of APS’s current and former ownership of facilities in and around OU3.  We are unable to determine a range of potential losses that are reasonably possible of occurring.

 

Southwest Power Outage

 

Regulatory.  On September 8, 2011 at approximately 3:30 PM, a 500 kilovolt (“kV”) transmission line running between the Hassayampa and North Gila substations in southwestern Arizona tripped out of service due to a fault that occurred at a switchyard operated by APS.  Approximately ten minutes after the transmission line went off-line, generation and transmission resources for the Yuma area were lost, resulting in approximately 69,700 APS customers losing service.

 

Within the same time period that APS’s Yuma customers lost service, a series of transmission and generation disruptions occurred across the systems of several utilities that resulted in outages affecting portions of southern Arizona, southern California and northern Mexico.  A total of approximately 7,900 MW of firm load and 2.7 million customers were reported to have been affected.  Service to all affected APS customers was restored by 9:15 PM on September 8.  Service to customers affected by the wider regional outages was restored by approximately 3:25 AM on September 9.

 

FERC and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (“NERC”) conducted a joint inquiry into the outages and, on May 1, 2012, they issued a report (the “Joint Report”) with their analysis and conclusions as to the causes of the events.  The report includes recommendations to help industry operators prevent similar outages in the future, including increased data sharing and coordination among the western utilities and entities responsible for bulk electric system reliability coordination.  The Joint Report does not address potential reliability violations or an assessment of responsibility of the parties involved.  APS continues to analyze business practices and procedures related to the September 8 events.

 

On January 22, 2014, following non-public preliminary investigations, FERC Staff issued a Notice of Alleged Violations naming six entities involved in the event, including APS.  FERC Staff alleges that each of the named entities violated varying numbers of NERC Reliability Standards.  APS is alleged to have violated seven Reliability Standard Requirements.  The allegations of violations are preliminary determinations by FERC Staff and do not constitute findings by FERC itself that any violations have occurred.

 

APS intends to work with FERC Staff to resolve the matter.  If violations of the Reliability Standards are ultimately determined to have occurred, FERC has the legal authority to assert a possible fine of up to $1 million per violation per day that a violation is found to have been in existence.  APS cannot predict the timing or financial or operational impacts that may result from the Staff’s Notice of Alleged Violations, including any payments that may result from a settlement if one is reached, or any claims that may be made as a result of the outages.

 

Litigation.  On September 6, 2013, a purported consumer class action complaint was filed in Federal District Court in San Diego, California, naming APS and Pinnacle West as defendants and seeking damages for loss of perishable inventory and sales as a result of interruption of electrical service.  APS and Pinnacle West filed a motion to dismiss, which the court granted on December 9, 2013.  On January 13, 2014, the plaintiffs appealed the lower court’s decision.  The appeal is now pending before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  We are unable to determine a range of potential losses that are reasonably possible of occurring.

 

28



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Clean Air Act Citizen Lawsuit

 

On October 4, 2011, Earthjustice, on behalf of several environmental organizations, filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico against APS and the other Four Corners participants alleging violations of the New Source Review (“NSR”) provisions of the Clean Air Act.  Subsequent to filing its original Complaint, on January 6, 2012, Earthjustice filed a First Amended Complaint adding claims for violations of the Clean Air Act’s New Source Performance Standards (“NSPS”) program.  Among other things, the environmental plaintiffs seek to have the court enjoin operations at Four Corners until APS applies for and obtains any required NSR permits and complies with the NSPS.  The plaintiffs further request the court to order the payment of civil penalties, including a beneficial mitigation project.  On April 2, 2012, APS and the other Four Corners participants filed motions to dismiss.  The case is being held in abeyance while the parties seek to negotiate a settlement.  On March 30, 2013, upon joint motion of the parties, the court issued an order deeming the motions to dismiss withdrawn without prejudice during pendency of the stay.  At such time as the stay is lifted, APS and the other Four Corners participants may reinstate their motions to dismiss without risk of default.  We are unable to determine a range of potential losses that are reasonably possible of occurring.

 

Environmental Matters

 

APS is subject to numerous environmental laws and regulations affecting many aspects of its present and future operations, including air emissions, water quality, wastewater discharges, solid waste, hazardous waste, and coal combustion residuals (“CCRs”).  These laws and regulations can change from time to time, imposing new obligations on APS resulting in increased capital, operating, and other costs.  Associated capital expenditures or operating costs could be material.  APS intends to seek recovery of any such environmental compliance costs through our rates, but cannot predict whether it will obtain such recovery.  The following proposed and final rules involve material compliance costs to APS.

 

Regional Haze Rules.  APS has received the final rulemaking imposing new requirements on Four Corners and the Cholla Power Plant (“Cholla”) and is currently awaiting a final rulemaking from EPA that could impose new requirements on the Navajo Generating Station (“Navajo Plant.”)  EPA and Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (“ADEQ”) will require these plants to install pollution control equipment that constitutes the “best available retrofit technology” (“BART”) to lessen the impacts of emissions on visibility surrounding the plants.  Based on EPA’s final standards, APS’s 63% share of the cost of these controls for Four Corners Units 4 and 5 would be approximately $350 million.  APS’s share of costs for upgrades at Navajo, based on EPA’s Federal Implementation Plan (“FIP”) proposal, could be up to approximately $200 million.  APS has filed a Petition for Review of EPA’s rule as it applies to Cholla, which, if not successful, will require installation of controls with a cost to APS of approximately $200 million.

 

Mercury and Other Hazardous Air Pollutants.  In 2011, EPA issued rules establishing maximum achievable control technology standards to regulate emissions of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants from fossil-fired plants.  APS estimates that the cost for the remaining equipment necessary to meet these standards is approximately $130 million for Cholla Units 2 and 3.  No additional equipment is needed for Four Corners Units 4 and 5 to comply with these rules.  Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District (“SRP”), the operating agent for the Navajo Plant, is still evaluating compliance options under the rules.

 

29



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Other future environmental rules that could involve material compliance costs include those related to cooling water intake structures, coal combustion waste, effluent limitations, ozone national ambient air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and other rules or matters involving the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, the Navajo Nation, and water supplies for our power plants.  The financial impact of complying with these and other future environmental rules could jeopardize the economic viability of our coal plants or the willingness or ability of power plant participants to fund any required equipment upgrades or continue their participation in these plants.  The economics of continuing to own certain resources, particularly our coal plants, may deteriorate, warranting early retirement of those plants, which may result in asset impairments.  APS would seek recovery in rates for the book value of any remaining investments in the plants as well as other costs related to early retirement, but cannot predict whether it would obtain such recovery.

 

Regional Haze Rules — Cholla

 

APS believes that EPA’s final rule as it applies to Cholla is unsupported and that EPA had no basis for disapproving Arizona’s State Implementation Plan (“SIP”) and promulgating a FIP that is inconsistent with the state’s considered BART determinations under the regional haze program.  Accordingly, on February 1, 2013, APS filed a Petition for Review of the final BART rule in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  Briefing in the case was completed in February 2014, and the parties are waiting for the court to schedule oral argument.

 

New Mexico Tax Matter

 

On May 23, 2013, the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department issued a notice of assessment for coal severance surtax, penalty, and interest totaling approximately $30 million related to coal supplied under the coal supply agreement for Four Corners (the “Assessment”).  APS’s share of the Assessment is approximately $12 million.  For procedural reasons, on behalf of the Four Corners co-owners, including APS, the coal supplier made a partial payment of the Assessment and immediately filed a refund claim with respect to that partial payment in August 2013.  The New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department denied the refund claim.  On December 19, 2013, the coal supplier and APS, on its own behalf and as operating agent for Four Corners, filed a complaint with the New Mexico District Court contesting both the validity of the Assessment and the refund claim denial.  APS believes the Assessment and the refund claim denial are without merit, but cannot predict the timing or outcome of this litigation.

 

30



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Financial Assurances

 

APS has entered into various agreements that require letters of credit for financial assurance purposes.  At March 31, 2014, approximately $76 million of letters of credit were outstanding to support existing pollution control bonds of a similar amount.  The letters of credit are available to fund the payment of principal and interest of such debt obligations.  One of these letters of credit expires in 2015 and two expire in 2016.  APS has also entered into letters of credit to support certain equity participants in the Palo Verde sale leaseback transactions (see Note 6 for further details on the Palo Verde sale leaseback transactions).  These letters of credit will expire on December 31, 2015, and totaled approximately $24 million at March 31, 2014.  Additionally, APS has issued a letter of credit to support collateral obligations under a natural gas tolling contract entered into with third parties.  At March 31, 2014, that letter of credit totaled $5 million and will expire in 2014.

 

We enter into agreements that include indemnification provisions relating to liabilities arising from or related to certain of our agreements.  Most significantly, APS has agreed to indemnify the equity participants and other parties in the Palo Verde sale leaseback transactions with respect to certain tax matters.  Generally, a maximum obligation is not explicitly stated in the indemnification provisions and, therefore, the overall maximum amount of the obligation under such indemnification provisions cannot be reasonably estimated.  Based on historical experience and evaluation of the specific indemnities, we do not believe that any material loss related to such indemnification provisions is likely.

 

Pinnacle West has issued parental guarantees and surety bonds for APS which were not material at March 31, 2014.

 

10.          Other Income and Other Expense

 

The following table provides detail of other income and other expense for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (dollars in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

Other income:

 

 

 

 

 

Interest income

 

$

251

 

$

76

 

Miscellaneous

 

2,116

 

682

 

Total other income

 

$

2,367

 

$

758

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other expense:

 

 

 

 

 

Non-operating costs

 

$

(2,372

)

$

(1,932

)

Investment losses — net

 

(140

)

(112

)

Miscellaneous

 

(2,172

)

(1,708

)

Total other expense

 

$

(4,684

)

$

(3,752

)

 

11.          Earnings Per Share

 

The following table presents the calculation of Pinnacle West’s basic and diluted earnings per share (in thousands, except per share amounts):

 

31



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

 

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income attributable to common shareholders

 

$

15,766

 

$

24,444

 

Average common shares outstanding — basic

 

110,257

 

109,832

 

Net effect of dilutive securities:

 

 

 

 

 

Contingently issuable performance shares and restricted stock units

 

631

 

1,003

 

Average common shares outstanding — diluted

 

110,888

 

110,835

 

Earnings per average common share attributable to common shareholders — basic

 

$

0.14

 

$

0.22

 

Earnings per average common share attributable to common shareholders — diluted

 

$

0.14

 

$

0.22

 

 

12.          Fair Value Measurements

 

We classify our assets and liabilities that are carried at fair value within the fair value hierarchy.  This hierarchy ranks the quality and reliability of the inputs used to determine fair values, which are then classified and disclosed in one of three categories.  The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are:

 

Level 1 — Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that we have the ability to access at the measurement date.  Active markets are those in which transactions for the asset or liability occur in sufficient frequency and volume to provide information on an ongoing basis.  This category includes exchange traded equities, exchange traded derivative instruments, cash equivalents, and investments in U.S. Treasury securities.

 

Level 2 — Utilizes quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations whose inputs are observable (such as yield curves).  This category includes non-exchange traded contracts such as forwards, options, swaps and certain investments in fixed income securities.  This category also includes investments in common and collective trusts and commingled funds that are redeemable and valued based on net asset value (“NAV”).

 

Level 3 — Valuation models with significant unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity.  Instruments in this category include long-dated derivative transactions where valuations are unobservable due to the length of the transaction, options, and transactions in locations where observable market data does not exist.  The valuation models we employ utilize spot prices, forward prices, historical market data and other factors to forecast future prices.

 

Assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.  Thus, a valuation may be classified in Level 3 even though the valuation may include significant inputs that are readily observable.  We maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs.  We rely primarily on the market approach of using prices and other market information for identical and/or comparable assets and liabilities.  If market data is not readily available, inputs may reflect our own assumptions about the inputs market participants would use.  Our assessment of the inputs and the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment and may affect the valuation of fair value assets and liabilities as well as

 

32



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels.  We assess whether a market is active by obtaining observable broker quotes, reviewing actual market activity, and assessing the volume of transactions.  We consider broker quotes observable inputs when the quote is binding on the broker, we can validate the quote with market activity, or we can determine that the inputs the broker used to arrive at the quoted price are observable.

 

Recurring Fair Value Measurements

 

We apply recurring fair value measurements to certain cash equivalents, derivative instruments, investments held in our nuclear decommissioning trust and plan assets held in our retirement and other benefit plans.  See Note 8 in the 2013 Form 10-K for the fair value discussion of plan assets held in our retirement and other benefit plans.

 

Cash Equivalents

 

Cash equivalents represent short-term investments with original maturities of three months or less in exchange traded money market funds that are valued using quoted prices in active markets.

 

Risk Management Activities — Derivative Instruments

 

Exchange traded commodity contracts are valued using unadjusted quoted prices.  For non-exchange traded commodity contracts, we calculate fair value based on the average of the bid and offer price, discounted to reflect net present value.  We maintain certain valuation adjustments for a number of risks associated with the valuation of future commitments.  These include valuation adjustments for liquidity and credit risks.  The liquidity valuation adjustment represents the cost that would be incurred if all unmatched positions were closed out or hedged.  The credit valuation adjustment represents estimated credit losses on our net exposure to counterparties, taking into account netting agreements, expected default experience for the credit rating of the counterparties and the overall diversification of the portfolio.  We maintain credit policies that management believes minimize overall credit risk.

 

Certain non-exchange traded commodity contracts are valued based on unobservable inputs due to the long-term nature of contracts or the unique location of the transactions.  Our long-dated energy transactions consist of observable valuations for the near-term portion and unobservable valuations for the long-term portions of the transaction.  We rely primarily on broker quotes to value these instruments.  When our valuations utilize broker quotes, we perform various control procedures to ensure the quote has been developed consistent with fair value accounting guidance.  These controls include assessing the quote for reasonableness by comparison against other broker quotes, reviewing historical price relationships, and assessing market activity.  When broker quotes are not available, the primary valuation technique used to calculate the fair value is the extrapolation of forward pricing curves using observable market data for more liquid delivery points in the same region and actual transactions at more illiquid delivery points.

 

Option contracts are primarily valued using a Black-Scholes option valuation model, which utilizes both observable and unobservable inputs such as broker quotes, interest rates and price volatilities.

 

When the unobservable portion is significant to the overall valuation of the transaction, the entire transaction is classified as Level 3.  Our classification of instruments as Level 3 is primarily reflective of

 

33



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

the long-term nature of our energy transactions and the use of option valuation models with significant unobservable inputs.

 

Our energy risk management committee, consisting of officers and key management personnel, oversees our energy risk management activities to ensure compliance with our stated energy risk management policies.  We have a risk control function that is responsible for valuing our derivative commodity instruments in accordance with established policies and procedures.  The risk control function reports to the chief financial officer’s organization.

 

Investments Held in our Nuclear Decommissioning Trusts

 

The nuclear decommissioning trust invests in fixed income securities and equity securities. Equity securities are held indirectly through commingled funds.  The commingled funds are valued based on the concept of NAV, which is a value primarily derived from the quoted active market prices of the underlying equity securities.  We may transact in these commingled funds on a semi-monthly basis at the NAV, and accordingly classify these investments as Level 2.  The commingled funds, which are similar to mutual funds, are maintained by a bank and hold investments in accordance with the stated objective of tracking the performance of the S&P 500 Index.  Because the commingled fund shares are offered to a limited group of investors, they are not considered to be traded in an active market.

 

Cash equivalents reported within Level 2 represent investments held in a short-term investment commingled fund, valued using NAV, which invests in U.S. government fixed income securities.  We may transact in this commingled fund on a daily basis at the NAV.

 

Fixed income securities issued by the U.S. Treasury held directly by the nuclear decommissioning trust are valued using quoted active market prices and are classified as Level 1.  Fixed income securities issued by corporations, municipalities, and other agencies, including mortgage-backed instruments, are valued using quoted inactive market prices, quoted active market prices for similar securities, or by utilizing calculations which incorporate observable inputs such as yield curves and spreads relative to such yield curves.  These instruments are classified as Level 2.  Whenever possible, multiple market quotes are obtained which enables a cross-check validation.  A primary price source is identified based on asset type, class, or issue of securities.

 

We price securities using information provided by our trustee for our nuclear decommissioning trust assets.  Our trustee uses pricing services that utilize the valuation methodologies described to determine fair market value.  We have internal control procedures designed to ensure this information is consistent with fair value accounting guidance. These procedures include assessing valuations using an independent pricing source, verifying that pricing can be supported by actual recent market transactions, assessing hierarchy classifications, comparing investment returns with benchmarks, and obtaining and reviewing independent audit reports on the trustee’s internal operating controls and valuation processes.  See Note 13 for additional discussion about our nuclear decommissioning trust.

 

34



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Fair Value Tables

 

The following table presents the fair value at March 31, 2014 of our assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis (dollars in millions):

 

 

 

Quoted Prices
in Active
Markets for
Identical
Assets
(Level 1)

 

Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)

 

Significant
Unobservable
Inputs (a)
(Level 3)

 

Other

 

Balance at
March 31,
2014

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Risk management activities — derivative instruments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commodity contracts

 

$

 

$

21

 

$

36

 

$

(18)

(b)

$

39

 

Nuclear decommissioning trust:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. commingled equity funds

 

 

277

 

 

 

277

 

Fixed income securities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. Treasury

 

120

 

 

 

 

120

 

Cash and cash equivalent funds

 

 

14

 

 

(5)

(c)

9

 

Corporate debt

 

 

96

 

 

 

96

 

Mortgage-backed securities

 

 

79

 

 

 

79

 

Municipality bonds

 

 

64

 

 

 

64

 

Other

 

 

13

 

 

 

13

 

Subtotal nuclear decommissioning trust

 

120

 

543

 

 

(5

)

658

 

Total

 

$

120

 

$

564

 

$

36

 

$

(23

)

$

697

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Risk management activities — derivative instruments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commodity contracts

 

$

 

$

(23

)

$

(85

)

$

59

(b)

$

(49

)

 


(a)                                 Primarily consists of heat rate options and long-dated electricity contracts.

(b)                                 Primarily represents counterparty netting, margin and collateral (see Note 7).

(c)                                  Represents nuclear decommissioning trust net pending securities sales and purchases.

 

35



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The following table presents the fair value at December 31, 2013 of our assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis (dollars in millions):

 

 

 

Quoted Prices
in Active
Markets for
Identical
Assets
(Level 1)

 

Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)

 

Significant
Unobservable
Inputs (a)
(Level 3)

 

Other

 

Balance at
December 31,
2013

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Risk management activities — derivative instruments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commodity Contracts

 

$

 

$

9

 

$

41

 

$

(9)

 (b)

$

41

 

Nuclear decommissioning trust:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. commingled equity funds

 

 

272

 

 

 

272

 

Fixed income securities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. Treasury

 

107

 

 

 

 

107

 

Cash and cash equivalent funds

 

 

11

 

 

(3)

 (c)

8

 

Corporate debt

 

 

88

 

 

 

88

 

Mortgage-backed securities

 

 

85

 

 

 

85

 

Municipality bonds

 

 

71

 

 

 

71

 

Other

 

 

11

 

 

 

11

 

Subtotal nuclear decommissioning trust

 

107

 

538

 

 

(3

)

642

 

Total

 

$

107

 

$

547

 

$

41

 

$

(12

)

$

683

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Risk management activities — derivative instruments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commodity contracts

 

$

 

$

(33

)

$

(90

)

$

21

(b)

$

(102

)

 


(a)                                 Primarily consists of heat rate options and long-dated electricity contracts.

(b)                                 Represents counterparty netting, margin and collateral (see Note 7).

(c)                                  Represents nuclear decommissioning trust net pending securities sales and purchases.

 

Fair Value Measurements Classified as Level 3

 

The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of our energy derivative contracts include broker quotes that cannot be validated as an observable input primarily due to the long-term nature of the quote and option model inputs.  Significant changes in these inputs in isolation would result in significantly higher or lower fair value measurements.  Changes in our derivative contract fair values, including changes relating to unobservable inputs, typically will not impact net income due to regulatory accounting treatment (see Note 3).

 

Because our forward commodity contracts classified as Level 3 are currently in a net purchase position, we would expect price increases of the underlying commodity to result in increases in the net fair value of the related contracts.  Conversely, if the price of the underlying commodity decreases, the net fair value of the related contracts would likely decrease.

 

36



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Our option contracts classified as Level 3 primarily relate to purchase heat rate options.  The significant unobservable inputs for these instruments include electricity prices, gas prices and volatilities.  If electricity prices and electricity price volatilities increase, we would expect the fair value of these options to increase, and if these valuation inputs decrease, we would expect the fair value of these options to decrease.  If natural gas prices and natural gas price volatilities increase, we would expect the fair value of these options to decrease, and if these inputs decrease, we would expect the fair value of the options to increase.  The commodity prices and volatilities do not always move in corresponding directions.  The options’ fair values are impacted by the net changes of these various inputs.

 

Other unobservable valuation inputs include credit and liquidity reserves which do not have a material impact on our valuations; however, significant changes in these inputs could also result in higher or lower fair value measurements.

 

The following tables provide information regarding our significant unobservable inputs used to value our risk management derivative Level 3 instruments at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013:

 

 

 

March 31, 2014
Fair Value (millions)

 

Valuation

 

Significant

 

 

 

Weighted-

 

Commodity Contracts

 

Assets

 

Liabilities

 

Technique

 

Unobservable Input

 

Range

 

Average

 

Electricity:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forward Contracts (a)

 

$

34

 

$

60

 

Discounted cash flows

 

Electricity forward price (per MWh)

 

$23.13 — $67.47

 

$

42.28

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Option Contracts (b)

 

 

22

 

Option model

 

Electricity forward price (per MWh)

 

$40.32 — $93.94

 

$

60.49

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natural gas forward price (per MMbtu)

 

$3.64 — $3.84

 

$

3.76

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Electricity price volatilities

 

24% — 100%

 

52

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natural gas price volatilities

 

23% — 44%

 

30

%

Natural Gas:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forward Contracts (a)

 

2

 

3

 

Discounted cash flows

 

Natural gas forward price (per MMbtu)

 

$3.60 — $4.40

 

$

3.91

 

Total

 

$

36

 

$

85

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


(a)                                 Includes swaps and physical and financial contracts.

(b)                                 Electricity and natural gas price volatilities are estimated based on historical forward price movements due to lack of market quotes for implied volatilities.

 

37



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

 

 

December 31, 2013
Fair Value (millions)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commodity Contracts

 

Assets

 

Liabilities

 

Valuation
Technique

 

Significant
Unobservable Input

 

Range

 

Weighted-
Average

 

Electricity:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forward Contracts (a)

 

$

40

 

$

66

 

Discounted cash flows

 

Electricity forward price (per MWh)

 

$24.89 - $65.04

 

$

41.09

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Option Contracts (b)

 

 

19

 

Option model

 

Electricity forward price (per MWh)

 

$39.91 - $85.41

 

$

58.70

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natural gas forward price (per MMbtu)

 

$3.57 - $3.80

 

$

3.71

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Electricity price volatilities

 

35% - 94%

 

59

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natural gas price volatilities

 

22% - 36%

 

27

%

Natural Gas:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forward Contracts (a)

 

1

 

5

 

Discounted cash flows

 

Natural gas forward price (per MMbtu)

 

$3.47 - $4.31

 

$

3.87

 

Total

 

$

41

 

$

90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


(a)                                 Includes swaps and physical and financial contracts.

(b)                                 Electricity and gas price volatilities are based on historical forward price movements due to lack of market quotes for implied volatilities.

 

The following table shows the changes in fair value for our risk management activities assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis using Level 3 inputs for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (dollars in millions):

 

Commodity Contracts

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

Net derivative balance at beginning of period

 

$

(49

)

$

(48

)

Total net gains (losses) realized/unrealized:

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred as a regulatory asset or liability

 

4

 

(1

)

Settlements

 

 

(2

)

Transfers into Level 3 from Level 2

 

(3

)

(1

)

Transfers from Level 3 into Level 2

 

(1

)

(1

)

Net derivative balance at end of period

 

$

(49

)

$

(53

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net unrealized gains included in earnings related to instruments still held at end of period

 

$

 

$

 

 

Amounts included in earnings are either recorded in operating revenues or purchased power depending on the nature of the underlying contract.

 

Transfers reflect the fair market value at the beginning of the period and are triggered by a change in the lowest significant input as of the end of the period.  We had no significant Level 1 transfers

 

 

38



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

to or from any other hierarchy level.  Transfers in or out of Level 3 are typically related to our heat rate options and long-dated energy transactions that extend beyond available quoted periods.

 

Financial Instruments Not Carried at Fair Value

 

The carrying value of our net accounts receivable, accounts payable and any short-term borrowings approximate fair value.  Our short-term borrowings are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.  For our long-term debt fair values, see Note 2.

 

13.                               Nuclear Decommissioning Trusts

 

To fund the costs APS expects to incur to decommission Palo Verde, APS established external decommissioning trusts in accordance with NRC regulations.  Third-party investment managers are authorized to buy and sell securities per their stated investment guidelines.  The trust funds are invested in fixed income securities and equity securities.  APS classifies investments in decommissioning trust funds as available for sale.  As a result, we record the decommissioning trust funds at their fair value on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.  See Note 12 for a discussion of how fair value is determined and the classification of the nuclear decommissioning trust investments within the fair value hierarchy.  Because of the ability of APS to recover decommissioning costs in rates and in accordance with the regulatory treatment for decommissioning trust funds, we have deferred realized and unrealized gains and losses (including other-than-temporary impairments on investment securities) in other regulatory liabilitiesThe following table includes the unrealized gains and losses based on the original cost of the investment and summarizes the fair value of APS’s nuclear decommissioning trust fund assets at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 (dollars in millions):

 

 

 

Fair Value

 

Total
Unrealized
Gains

 

Total
Unrealized
Losses

 

March 31, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity securities

 

$

277

 

$

132

 

$

 

Fixed income securities

 

386

 

13

 

(3

)

Net payables (a)

 

(5

)

 

 

Total

 

$

658

 

$

145

 

$

(3

)

 


(a)                                 Net payables relate to pending securities sales and purchases.

 

 

 

Fair Value

 

Total
Unrealized
Gains

 

Total
Unrealized
Losses

 

December 31, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity securities

 

$

272

 

$

129

 

$

 

Fixed income securities

 

373

 

11

 

(6

)

Net payables (a)

 

(3

)

 

 

Total

 

$

642

 

$

140

 

$

(6

)

 


(a)                                 Net payables relate to pending securities sales and purchases.

 

39



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The costs of securities sold are determined on the basis of specific identification.  The following table sets forth approximate realized gains and losses and proceeds from the sale of securities by the nuclear decommissioning trust funds (dollars in millions):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

Realized gains

 

$

1

 

$

2

 

Realized losses

 

(2

)

(1

)

Proceeds from the sale of securities (a)

 

103

 

135

 

 


(a)                                 Proceeds are reinvested in the trust.

 

The fair value of fixed income securities, summarized by contractual maturities, at March 31, 2014 is as follows (dollars in millions):

 

 

 

Fair Value

 

Less than one year

 

$

17

 

1 year — 5 years

 

109

 

5 years — 10 years

 

111

 

Greater than 10 years

 

149

 

Total

 

$

386

 

 

14.                               New Accounting Standards

 

During 2014, we adopted, on a prospective basis, new guidance relating to the presentation of unrecognized tax benefits.  This guidance generally requires entities to present unrecognized tax benefits as a reduction to any available deferred tax asset for a net operating loss, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward.  Prior to adopting this guidance, we presented unrecognized tax benefits on a gross basis.  The adoption of this new guidance changed our balance sheet presentation of unrecognized tax benefits, but did not impact our operating results or cash flows.  See Note 5 for details regarding the impacts of adopting this guidance.

 

40



Table of Contents

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

15.                               Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

 

The following table shows the changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss, including reclassification adjustments, net of tax, by component for the three-months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (dollars in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31, 2014

 

Three Months Ended March 31, 2013

 

 

 

Derivative
Instruments

 

Pension and Other
Postretirement
Benefits

 

Total

 

Derivative
Instruments

 

Pension and Other
Postretirement
Benefits

 

Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning balance, January 1

 

$

(23,058

)

$

(54,995

)

$

(78,053

)

$

(49,592

)

$

(64,416

)

$

(114,008

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OCI (loss) before reclassifications

 

(422

)

 

(422

)

58

 

 

58

 

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

3,116

(a)

457

(b)

3,573

 

5,053

(a)

966

(b)

6,019

 

Net current period OCI

 

2,694

 

457

 

3,151

 

5,111

 

966

 

6,077

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ending balance, March 31

 

$

(20,364

)

$

(54,538

)

$

(74,902

)

$

(44,481

)

$

(63,450

)

$

(107,931

)

 


(a)                                 These amounts represent realized gains and losses and are included in the computation of fuel and purchased power costs and are subject to the PSA.  See Note 7.

(b)                                 These amounts primarily represent amortization of actuarial loss, and are included in the computation of net periodic pension cost.  See Note 4.

 

41



Table of Contents

 

ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ELECTRIC OPERATING REVENUES

 

$

685,545

 

$

685,827

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OPERATING EXPENSES

 

 

 

 

 

Fuel and purchased power

 

249,786

 

230,679

 

Operations and maintenance

 

208,285

 

220,752

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

101,748

 

103,706

 

Income taxes

 

10,478

 

16,060

 

Taxes other than income taxes

 

45,613

 

39,768

 

Total

 

615,910

 

610,965

 

OPERATING INCOME

 

69,635

 

74,862

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OTHER INCOME (DEDUCTIONS)

 

 

 

 

 

Income taxes

 

1,210

 

2,332

 

Allowance for equity funds used during construction

 

7,442

 

6,864

 

Other income (Note S-2)

 

2,762

 

1,343

 

Other expense (Note S-2)

 

(5,056

)

(6,296

)

Total

 

6,358

 

4,243

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTEREST EXPENSE

 

 

 

 

 

Interest on long-term debt

 

48,896

 

46,221

 

Interest on short-term borrowings

 

1,413

 

1,429

 

Debt discount, premium and expense

 

1,011

 

1,011

 

Allowance for borrowed funds used during construction

 

(3,770

)

(3,990

)

Total

 

47,550

 

44,671

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NET INCOME

 

28,443

 

34,434

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (Note 6)

 

8,925

 

8,392

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO COMMON SHAREHOLDER

 

$

19,518

 

$

26,042

 

 

See Notes to Pinnacle West’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplemental Notes to Arizona Public Service Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

42



Table of Contents

 

ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NET INCOME

 

$

28,443

 

$

34,434

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME, NET OF TAX

 

 

 

 

 

Derivative instruments:

 

 

 

 

 

Net unrealized gain (loss), net of tax benefit (expense) of $(599) and $(38)

 

(421

)

58

 

Reclassification of net realized loss, net of tax benefit of $1,323 and $3,300

 

3,116

 

5,052

 

Pension and other postretirement benefits activity, net of tax expense of $606 and $576

 

566

 

882

 

Total other comprehensive income

 

3,261

 

5,992

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

 

31,704

 

40,426

 

Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests

 

8,925

 

8,392

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO COMMON SHAREHOLDER

 

$

22,779

 

$

32,034

 

 

See Notes to Pinnacle West’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplemental Notes to Arizona Public Service Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

43



Table of Contents

 

ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

March 31,

 

December 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

 

 

 

 

 

Plant in service and held for future use

 

$

15,253,694

 

$

15,196,598

 

Accumulated depreciation and amortization

 

(5,357,699

)

(5,296,501

)

Net

 

9,895,995

 

9,900,097

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction work in progress

 

646,236

 

581,369

 

Palo Verde sale leaseback, net of accumulated depreciation (Note 6)

 

124,157

 

125,125

 

Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization

 

144,291

 

157,534

 

Nuclear fuel, net of accumulated amortization

 

144,048

 

124,557

 

Total property, plant and equipment

 

10,954,727

 

10,888,682

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INVESTMENTS AND OTHER ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

Nuclear decommissioning trust (Note 13)

 

657,862

 

642,007

 

Assets from risk management activities (Note 7)

 

21,626

 

23,815

 

Other assets

 

34,411

 

33,709

 

Total investments and other assets

 

713,899

 

699,531

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CURRENT ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

103,400

 

3,725

 

Customer and other receivables

 

245,272

 

299,055

 

Accrued unbilled revenues

 

88,907

 

96,796

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

(2,504

)

(3,203

)

Materials and supplies (at average cost)

 

223,401

 

221,682

 

Fossil fuel (at average cost)

 

36,496

 

38,028

 

Income tax receivable

 

289

 

135,179

 

Assets from risk management activities (Note 7)

 

16,951

 

17,169

 

Deferred fuel and purchased power regulatory asset (Note 3)

 

 

20,755

 

Other regulatory assets (Note 3)

 

76,317

 

76,388

 

Other current assets

 

45,176

 

39,153

 

Total current assets

 

833,705

 

944,727

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DEFERRED DEBITS

 

 

 

 

 

Regulatory assets (Note 3)

 

719,596

 

711,712

 

Unamortized debt issue costs

 

22,686

 

21,860

 

Other

 

114,437

 

114,865

 

Total deferred debits

 

856,719

 

848,437

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL ASSETS

 

$

13,359,050

 

$

13,381,377

 

 

See Notes to Pinnacle West’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplemental Notes to Arizona Public Service Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

44



Table of Contents

 

ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

March 31,

 

December 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAPITALIZATION

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock

 

$

178,162

 

$

178,162

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

2,379,696

 

2,379,696

 

Retained earnings

 

1,823,914

 

1,804,398

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss:

 

 

 

 

 

Pension and other postretirement benefits

 

(29,747

)

(30,313

)

Derivative instruments

 

(20,364

)

(23,059

)

Total shareholder equity

 

4,331,661

 

4,308,884

 

Noncontrolling interests (Note 6)

 

154,915

 

145,990

 

Total equity (Note S-1)

 

4,486,576

 

4,454,874

 

Long-term debt less current maturities (Note 2)

 

2,920,614

 

2,671,465

 

Total capitalization

 

7,407,190

 

7,126,339

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CURRENT LIABILITIES

 

 

 

 

 

Short-term borrowings (Note 2)

 

 

153,125

 

Current maturities of long-term debt (Note 2)

 

540,424

 

540,424

 

Accounts payable

 

219,910

 

281,237

 

Accrued taxes (Note 5)

 

173,040

 

122,460

 

Accrued interest

 

47,207

 

48,132

 

Common dividends payable

 

 

62,500

 

Customer deposits

 

75,999

 

76,101

 

Deferred income taxes

 

21,951

 

2,033

 

Liabilities from risk management activities (Note 7)

 

19,907

 

31,892

 

Liabilities for asset retirements

 

25,536

 

32,896

 

Deferred fuel and purchased power regulatory liability

 

18,897

 

 

Other regulatory liabilities (Note 3)

 

116,903

 

99,273

 

Other current liabilities

 

118,934

 

130,774

 

Total current liabilities

 

1,378,708

 

1,580,847

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DEFERRED CREDITS AND OTHER

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred income taxes

 

2,355,237

 

2,347,724

 

Regulatory liabilities (Note 3)

 

783,702

 

801,297

 

Liabilities for asset retirements

 

344,708

 

313,833

 

Liabilities for pension and other postretirement benefits (Note 4)

 

405,597

 

476,017

 

Liabilities from risk management activities (Note 7)

 

29,106

 

70,315

 

Customer advances

 

115,033

 

114,480

 

Coal mine reclamation

 

208,183

 

207,453

 

Deferred investment tax credit

 

152,114

 

152,361

 

Unrecognized tax benefits (Note 5)

 

26,284

 

42,209

 

Other

 

153,188

 

148,502

 

Total deferred credits and other

 

4,573,152

 

4,674,191

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (SEE NOTES)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

 

$

13,359,050

 

$

13,381,377

 

 

See Notes to Pinnacle West’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplemental Notes to Arizona Public Service Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

45



Table of Contents

 

ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

28,443

 

$

34,434

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization including nuclear fuel

 

122,370

 

124,320

 

Deferred fuel and purchased power

 

31,630

 

31,194

 

Deferred fuel and purchased power amortization

 

8,022

 

1,122

 

Allowance for equity funds used during construction

 

(7,442

)

(6,864

)

Deferred income taxes

 

8,696

 

(8,670

)

Deferred investment tax credit

 

(247

)

21,426

 

Change in derivative instruments fair value

 

(13

)

333

 

Changes in current assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

Customer and other receivables

 

25,749

 

2,464

 

Accrued unbilled revenues

 

7,889

 

4,698

 

Materials, supplies and fossil fuel

 

(187

)

(9,386

)

Income tax receivable

 

134,890

 

261

 

Other current assets

 

(10,807

)

(2,526

)

Accounts payable

 

(52,621

)

12,892

 

Accrued taxes

 

50,580

 

43,062

 

Other current liabilities

 

(5,257

)

(58,419

)

Change in margin and collateral accounts — assets

 

(290

)

933

 

Change in margin and collateral accounts — liabilities

 

(29,075

)

24,205

 

Change in other long-term assets

 

(10,439

)

(29,022

)

Change in other long-term liabilities

 

(28,083

)

41,760

 

Net cash flow provided by operating activities

 

273,808

 

228,217

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

 

 

Capital expenditures

 

(207,459

)

(182,859

)

Contributions in aid of construction

 

7,736

 

14,912

 

Allowance for borrowed funds used during construction

 

(3,770

)

(3,990

)

Proceeds from nuclear decommissioning trust sales

 

103,157

 

135,240

 

Investment in nuclear decommissioning trust

 

(107,470

)

(139,553

)

Other

 

(702

)

(470

)

Net cash flow used for investing activities

 

(208,508

)

(176,720

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

 

 

Issuance of long-term debt

 

250,000

 

104,307

 

Short-term borrowings — net

 

(153,125

)

(92,175

)

Dividends paid on common stock

 

(62,500

)

(59,800

)

Net cash flow provided by (used for) financing activities

 

34,375

 

(47,668

)

NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

 

99,675

 

3,829

 

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD

 

3,725

 

3,499

 

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD

 

$

103,400

 

$

7,328

 

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information

 

 

 

 

 

Cash paid (received) during the period for:

 

 

 

 

 

Income taxes, net of refunds

 

$

(134,323

)

$

 

Interest, net of amounts capitalized

 

$

47,464

 

$

48,146

 

Significant non-cash investing and financing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Accrued capital expenditures

 

$

24,908

 

$

6,575

 

 

See Notes to Pinnacle West’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplemental Notes to Arizona Public Service Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

46



Table of Contents

 

Certain notes to APS’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are combined with the Notes to Pinnacle West’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.  Listed below are the Condensed Consolidated Notes to Pinnacle West’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, the majority of which also relate to APS’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.  In addition, listed below are the Supplemental Notes that are required disclosures for APS and should be read in conjunction with Pinnacle West’s Condensed Consolidated Notes.

 

 

 

Condensed
Consolidated
Note
Reference

 

APS’s
Supplemental
Note
Reference

Consolidation and Nature of Operations

 

Note 1

 

Long-Term Debt and Liquidity Matters

 

Note 2

 

Regulatory Matters

 

Note 3

 

Retirement Plans and Other Benefits

 

Note 4

 

Income Taxes

 

Note 5

 

Palo Verde Sale Leaseback Variable Interest Entities

 

Note 6

 

Derivative Accounting

 

Note 7

 

Changes in Equity

 

Note 8

 

Note S-1

Commitments and Contingencies

 

Note 9

 

Other Income and Other Expense

 

Note 10

 

Note S-2

Earnings Per Share

 

Note 11

 

Fair Value Measurements

 

Note 12

 

Nuclear Decommissioning Trusts

 

Note 13

 

New Accounting Standards

 

Note 14

 

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

 

Note 15

 

Note S-3

 

 

 

 

 

 

47



Table of Contents

 

ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

S-1.                           Changes in Equity

 

The following tables show APS’s changes in shareholder equity and changes in equity of noncontrolling interests for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (dollars in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31, 2014

 

Three Months Ended March 31, 2013

 

 

 

Shareholder
Equity

 

Noncontrolling
Interests

 

Total

 

Shareholder
Equity

 

Noncontrolling
Interests

 

Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning balance, January 1

 

$

4,308,884

 

$

145,990

 

$

4,454,874

 

$

4,093,000

 

$

129,483

 

$

4,222,483

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

19,518

 

8,925

 

28,443

 

26,042

 

8,392

 

34,434

 

OCI

 

3,261

 

 

3,261

 

5,992

 

 

5,992

 

Total comprehensive income

 

22,779

 

8,925

 

31,704

 

32,034

 

8,392

 

40,426

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other

 

(2

)

 

(2

)

(2

)

 

(2

)

Ending balance, March 31

 

$

4,331,661

 

$

154,915

 

$

4,486,576

 

$

4,125,032

 

$

137,875

 

$

4,262,907

 

 

S-2.                           Other Income and Other Expense

 

The following table provides detail of APS’s other income and other expense for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (dollars in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

Other income:

 

 

 

 

 

Interest income

 

$

138

 

$

23

 

Miscellaneous

 

2,624

 

1,320

 

Total other income

 

$

2,762

 

$

1,343

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other expense:

 

 

 

 

 

Non-operating costs (a)

 

$

(2,587

)

$

(2,320

)

Asset dispositions

 

(183

)

(1,264

)

Miscellaneous

 

(2,286

)

(2,712

)

Total other expense

 

$

(5,056

)

$

(6,296

)

 


(a)                                 As defined by the FERC, includes below-the-line non-operating utility expense (items excluded from utility rate recovery).

 

48



Table of Contents

 

ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

S-3.                           Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

 

The following table shows the changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), including reclassification adjustments, net of tax, by component for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2014 and March 31, 2013 (dollars in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31, 2014

 

Three Months Ended March 31, 2013

 

 

 

Derivative
Instruments

 

Pension and Other
Postretirement
Benefits

 

Total

 

Derivative
Instruments

 

Pension and Other
Postretirement
Benefits

 

Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning balance, January 1

 

$

(23,059

)

$

(30,313

)

$

(53,372

)

$

(49,592

)

$

(39,503

)

$

(89,095

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OCI (loss) before reclassifications

 

(421

)

 

(421

)

58

 

 

58

 

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

3,116

(a)

566

(b)

3,682

 

5,052

(a)

882

(b)

5,934

 

Net current period OCI

 

2,695

 

566

 

3,261

 

5,110

 

882

 

5,992

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ending balance, March 31

 

$

(20,364

)

$

(29,747

)

$

(50,111

)

$

(44,482

)

$

(38,621

)

$

(83,103

)

 


(a)         These amounts represent realized gains and losses and are included in the computation of fuel and purchased power costs and are subject to the PSA.  See Note 7.

(b)         These amounts primarily represent amortization of actuarial loss, and are included in the computation of net periodic pension cost.  See Note 4.

 

49



Table of Contents

 

ITEM 2.                                                MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

INTRODUCTION

 

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with Pinnacle West’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and APS’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and the related Notes that appear in Item 1 of this report.  For information on factors that may cause our actual future results to differ from those we currently seek or anticipate, see “Forward-Looking Statements” at the front of this report and “Risk Factors” in Part 1, Item 1A of the 2013 Form 10-K.

 

OVERVIEW

 

Pinnacle West owns all of the outstanding common stock of APS.  APS is a vertically-integrated electric utility that provides either retail or wholesale electric service to most of the state of Arizona, with the major exceptions of about one-half of the Phoenix metropolitan area, the Tucson metropolitan area and Mohave County in northwestern Arizona.  APS accounts for essentially all of our revenues and earnings, and is expected to continue to do so.

 

Areas of Business Focus

 

Operational Performance, Reliability and Recent Developments.

 

Nuclear.  APS operates and is a joint owner of Palo Verde.  The March 2011 earthquake and tsunamis in Japan and the resulting accident at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station had a significant impact on nuclear power operators worldwide.  In the aftermath of the accident, the NRC conducted an independent assessment to consider actions to ensure that its regulations reflect lessons learned from the Fukushima events.  As a result of the Fukushima event, the NRC has directed nuclear power plants to implement the first tier recommendations of the NRC’s Near Term Task Force.  In response to these recommendations, Palo Verde expects to spend approximately $120 million for capital enhancements to the plant over the next several years (APS’s share is 29.1%).

 

Although the NRC has repeatedly affirmed its position that continued operation of U.S. commercial nuclear power plants does not impose an immediate risk to public health and safety, the NRC has proposed enhancements to U.S. commercial nuclear power plant equipment and emergency plans.  APS management continues to work closely with the NRC and others in the nuclear industry to ensure that the enhancements are implemented in an organized, sequential and structured way consistent with their safety benefit and significance of the issue being addressed.

 

Coal and Related Environmental Matters and Transactions.  APS is a joint owner of three coal-fired power plants and acts as operating agent for two of the plants.  APS is focused on the impacts on its coal fleet that may result from increased regulation and potential legislation concerning greenhouse gas emissions.  Concern over climate change and other emission-related issues could have a significant impact on our capital expenditures and operating costs in the form of taxes, emissions allowances or required equipment upgrades for these plants.  APS is closely monitoring its long-range capital management plans, understanding that any resulting regulation and legislation could impact the economic viability of certain plants, as well as the willingness or ability of power plant participants to fund any such equipment upgrades.

 

50



Table of Contents

 

Four Corners

 

Asset Purchase Agreement and Coal Supply Matters.  On December 30, 2013, APS purchased SCE’s 48% interest in each of Units 4 and 5 of Four Corners.  The final purchase price for the interest was approximately $182 million, subject to certain minor post-closing adjustments.  In connection with APS’s most recent retail rate case with the ACC, the ACC reserved the right to review the prudence of the Four Corners transaction for cost recovery purposes upon the closing of the transaction.  On December 30, 2013, APS filed an application with the ACC to request rate adjustments prior to its next general rate case related to APS’s acquisition of SCE’s interest in Four Corners.  If approved, these would result in an average bill impact to residential customers of approximately 2%.  A hearing on this matter is scheduled to begin August 4, 2014 and we anticipate a decision by the end of 2014.  APS cannot predict the outcome of this request.

 

Concurrently with the closing of the SCE transaction, BHP Billiton, New Mexico Coal, Inc. (“BHP Billiton”), the parent company of BHP Navajo Coal Company (“BNCC”), the coal supplier and operator of the mine that serves Four Corners, transferred its ownership of BNCC to Navajo Transitional Energy Company, LLC (“NTEC”), a company formed by the Navajo Nation to own the mine and develop other energy projects.  BHP Billiton will be retained by NTEC under contract as the mine manager and operator until July 2016.  Also occurring concurrently with the closing, the Four Corners’ co-owners executed a long-term agreement for the supply of coal to Four Corners from July 2016, when the current coal supply agreement expires, through 2031 (the “2016 Coal Supply Agreement”).  El Paso Electric Company (“EPE”), a 7% owner in Units 4 and 5 of Four Corners, did not sign the 2016 Coal Supply Agreement.  Under the 2016 Coal Supply Agreement, APS has agreed to assume the 7% shortfall obligation.  When APS ultimately acquires a right to EPE’s interest in Four Corners, by agreement or operation of law, NTEC will have an option to purchase the interest within a certain timeframe pursuant to an option granted by APS to NTEC.  The 2016 Coal Supply Agreement contains alternate pricing terms for the 7% shortfall obligations in the event NTEC does not exercise its option.

 

Pollution Control Investments and Shutdown of Units 1, 2 and 3.  EPA, in its final regional haze rule for Four Corners, required the Four Corners’ owners to elect one of two emissions alternatives to apply to the plant.  On December 30, 2013, APS, on behalf of the co-owners, notified EPA that they chose the alternative BART compliance strategy requiring the permanent closure of Units 1, 2 and 3 by January 1, 2014 and installation and operation of selective catalytic reduction (“SCR”) controls on Units 4 and 5 by July 31, 2018.  On December 30, 2013, APS retired Units 1, 2 and 3.

 

Lease Extension.  APS, on behalf of the Four Corners participants, negotiated amendments to an existing facility lease with the Navajo Nation, which extends the Four Corners leasehold interest from 2016 to 2041.  The Navajo Nation approved these amendments in March 2011.  The effectiveness of the amendments also requires the approval of the United States Department of the Interior (“DOI”), as does a related federal rights-of-way grant which the Four Corners participants are pursuing.  A federal environmental review is underway as part of the DOI review process.  In March 2014, APS received a draft of the environmental impact statement (“DEIS”) in connection with the DOI review process.  As a proponent of the Four Corners Power Plant and Navajo Mine Energy Project, APS, along with other members of the public, will submit comments on the DEIS by the May 27, 2014 public comment deadline.  APS will also require a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (“PSD”) permit from EPA to install SCR control technology at Four Corners.  APS cannot predict whether these

 

51



Table of Contents

 

federal approvals will be granted, and if so on a timely basis, or whether any conditions that may be attached to them will be acceptable to the Four Corners owners.

 

Transmission and Delivery.  APS is working closely with regulators to identify and plan for transmission needs that continue to support system reliability, access to markets and renewable energy development.  The capital expenditures table presented in the “Liquidity and Capital Resources” section below includes new transmission projects through 2016, along with other transmission costs for upgrades and replacements.  APS is also working to establish and expand smart grid technologies throughout its service territory to provide long-term benefits both to APS and its customers.  APS is strategically deploying a variety of technologies that are intended to allow customers to better monitor their energy use and needs, minimize system outage durations, as well as the number of customers that experience outages, and facilitate greater cost savings to APS through improved reliability and the automation of certain distribution functions, including remote meter reading and remote connects and disconnects.

 

Renewable Energy.  The ACC approved the RES in 2006.  The renewable energy requirement is 4.5% of retail electric sales in 2014 and increases annually until it reaches 15% in 2025.  In the 2009 Settlement Agreement, APS agreed to exceed the RES standards, committing to use APS’s best efforts to obtain 1,700 GWh of new renewable resources to be in service by year-end 2015, in addition to its 2008 renewable resource commitments.  Taken together, APS’s commitment is currently estimated to be approximately 12% of APS’s estimated retail energy sales by year-end 2015, which is more than double the existing RES target of 5% for that year.  A component of the RES targets development of distributed energy systems (generally speaking, small-scale renewable technologies that are located on customers’ properties).

 

On July 12, 2013, APS filed its annual RES implementation plan, covering the 2014-2018 timeframe and requesting a 2014 RES budget of approximately $143 million.  In a final order dated January 7, 2014, the ACC approved the requested budget.  Also in 2013, the ACC conducted a hearing to consider APS’s proposal to establish compliance with distributed energy requirements by tracking and recording distributed energy, rather than acquiring and retiring renewable energy credits.  On February 6, 2014, the ACC established a proceeding to modify the renewable energy rules to establish a process for compliance with the renewable energy requirement that is not based solely on the use of renewable energy credits.  On April 4, 2014, ACC staff submitted a proposal outlining various options which could be used to determine compliance with the renewable energy rules.  APS filed comments on the proposal and is awaiting the ACC’s selection of a proposal and modification of the rules to implement such proposal.

 

The following table summarizes APS’s renewable energy sources in operation and under development as of May 2, 2014.

 

52



Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

Net Capacity in Operation
(MW)

 

Net Capacity Planned / Under
Development (MW)

 

Total APS Owned: Solar (a)

 

137

 

32

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purchased Power Agreements:

 

 

 

 

 

Solar (b)

 

310

 

--

 

Wind

 

289

 

--

 

Geothermal

 

10

 

--

 

Biomass

 

14

 

--

 

Biogas

 

6

 

--

 

Total Purchased Power Agreements

 

629

 

--

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Distributed Energy: Solar (c)

 

335

 

35

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Renewable Portfolio

 

1,101

 

67

 

 


(a)         Included in these numbers is 150 MW of solar resources procured through the AZ Sun Program.

(b)         Includes 250 MW from the Solana Generating Station, which achieved commercial operation in October 2013.

(c)          Distributed generation is produced in DC and is converted to AC for reporting purposes.

 

APS is developing owned solar resources through the ACC-approved AZ Sun Program.  Under this program to date, APS estimates its investment commitment will be approximately $695 million.  Under the AZ Sun Program, an additional 20 MW has been approved to be contracted, but is not included in the table above since it is not yet under contract.  On April 15, 2014, APS filed an application with the ACC requesting permission to build an additional 20 MW of APS-owned solar under the program.  Agreements for the development and completion of future resources are subject to various conditions, including successful siting, permitting and interconnection of the project to the electric grid.

 

Demand Side Management.  In December 2009, Arizona regulators placed an increased focus on energy efficiency and other demand side management programs to encourage customers to conserve energy, while incentivizing utilities to aid in these efforts that ultimately reduce the demand for energy.  The ACC initiated an Energy Efficiency rulemaking, with a proposed EES of 22% cumulative annual energy savings by 2020.  The 22% figure represents the cumulative reduction in future energy usage through 2020 attributable to energy efficiency initiatives.  This ambitious standard became effective on January 1, 2011.

 

On June 1, 2012, APS filed its 2013 DSM Plan.  In 2013, the standards require APS to achieve cumulative energy savings equal to 5% of its 2012 retail energy sales.  Later in 2012, APS filed a supplement to its plan that included a proposed budget for 2013 of $87.6 million.

 

On March 11, 2014, the ACC issued an order approving APS’s 2013 DSM Plan.  The ACC approved a budget of $68.9 million for each of 2013 and 2014.  The ACC also approved a Resource Savings Initiative that allows APS to count towards compliance with the ACC Electric Energy

 

53



Table of Contents

 

Efficiency Standards, savings for improvements to APS’s transmission and delivery system, generation and facilities that have been approved through a DSM Plan.

 

On June 27, 2013, the ACC voted to open a new docket investigating whether the Electric Energy Efficiency Rules should be modified.  The ACC held a series of three workshops in March and April 2014 to investigate methodologies used to determine cost effective energy efficiency programs, cost recovery mechanisms, incentives, and potential changes to the Electric Energy Efficiency and Resource Planning Rules.

 

Rate Matters.  APS needs timely recovery through rates of its capital and operating expenditures to maintain its financial health.  APS’s retail rates are regulated by the ACC and its wholesale electric rates (primarily for transmission) are regulated by FERC.  On June 1, 2011, APS filed a rate case with the ACC.  APS and other parties to the retail rate case subsequently entered into the 2012 Settlement Agreement detailing the terms upon which the parties have agreed to settle the rate case.  See Note 3 for details regarding the 2012 Settlement Agreement terms and for information on APS’s FERC rates.

 

APS has several recovery mechanisms in place that provide more timely recovery to APS of its fuel and transmission costs, and costs associated with the promotion and implementation of its demand side management and renewable energy efforts and customer programs.  These mechanisms are described more fully in Note 3.

 

As part of APS’s acquisition of SCE’s interest in Units 4 and 5 of Four Corners, APS and SCE agreed, via a “Transmission Termination Agreement,” that upon closing of the acquisition, the companies would terminate an existing transmission agreement (“Transmission Agreement”) between the parties that provides transmission capacity on a system (the “Arizona Transmission System”) for SCE to transmit its portion of the output from Four Corners to California.  APS previously submitted a request to FERC related to this termination, which resulted in a FERC order denying rate recovery of $40 million that APS agreed to pay SCE associated with the termination.  APS and SCE negotiated an alternate arrangement under which SCE would assign its 1,555 MW capacity rights over the Arizona Transmission System to third-parties, including 300 MW to APS’s marketing and trading group.  However, this alternative arrangement was not approved by FERC.  In late March 2014, APS and SCE filed requests for rehearing with FERC.  We are unable to predict the timing or outcome of these requests.  Although APS and SCE continue to evaluate potential paths forward, it is possible that the terms of the Transmission Termination Agreement may again control.  APS believes that the original denial by FERC of rate recovery under the Transmission Termination Agreement constitutes the failure of a condition that relieves APS of its obligations under that agreement.  If APS and SCE were unable to determine a resolution through negotiation, the Transmission Termination Agreement requires that disputes be resolved through arbitration.  APS is unable to predict the outcome of this matter if it proceeds to arbitration.

 

Deregulation.  On May 9, 2013, the ACC voted to re-examine the facilitation of a deregulated retail electric market in Arizona.  The ACC subsequently opened a docket for this matter and received comments from a number of interested parties on the considerations involved in establishing retail electric deregulation in the state.  One of these considerations is whether various aspects of a deregulated market, including setting utility rates on a “market” basis, would be consistent with the requirements of the Arizona Constitution.  On September 11, 2013, after receiving legal advice from the ACC staff, the ACC voted 4-1 to close the current docket and await full Arizona Constitutional authority before any further examination of this matter.  The motion approved by the ACC also

 

54



Table of Contents

 

included opening one or more new dockets in the future to explore options to offer more rate choices to customers and innovative changes within the existing cost-of-service regulatory model that could include elements of competition.  The ACC opened a new docket on November 4, 2013 to explore technological advances and innovative changes within the electric utility industry.  Workshops in this docket are being held in 2014.

 

Net Metering.  On July 12, 2013, APS filed an application with the ACC proposing a solution to fix the cost shift brought by the current net metering rules.  On December 3, 2013, the ACC issued its order on APS’s net metering proposal.  The ACC instituted a charge on customers who install rooftop solar panels after December 31, 2013, and directed APS to provide quarterly reports on the pace of rooftop solar adoption to assist the ACC in considering further increases.  The charge of $0.70 per kilowatt became effective on January 1, 2014, and is estimated to collect $4.90 per month from a typical future rooftop solar customer to help pay for their use of the electricity grid. The new policy will be in effect until the next APS rate case.

 

In making its decision, the ACC determined that the current net metering program creates a cost shift, causing non-solar utility customers to pay higher rates to cover the costs of maintaining the electrical grid.  ACC staff and the state’s Residential Utility Consumer Office, among other organizations, also agreed that a cost shift exists.  The fixed charge does not increase APS’s revenue because it is credited to the LFCR, but it will modestly reduce the impact of the cost shift on non-solar customers.  The ACC acknowledged that the new charge addresses only a portion of the cost shift.

 

Beginning in May 2014, the ACC will conduct a series of workshops to, among other things, evaluate the role and value of the electric grid as it relates to rooftop solar and other issues regarding net metering.

 

Financial Strength and Flexibility.  Pinnacle West and APS currently have ample borrowing capacity under their respective credit facilities, and may readily access these facilities ensuring adequate liquidity for each company.  Capital expenditures will be funded with internally generated cash and external financings, which may include issuances of long-term debt and Pinnacle West common stock.

 

El Dorado.  The operations of El Dorado, our only other operating subsidiary, are not expected to have any material impact on our financial results, or to require any material amounts of capital, over the next three years.

 

Key Financial Drivers

 

In addition to the continuing impact of the matters described above, many factors influence our financial results and our future financial outlook, including those listed below.  We closely monitor these factors to plan for the Company’s current needs, and to adjust our expectations, financial budgets and forecasts appropriately.

 

Electric Operating Revenues.  For the years 2011 through 2013, retail electric revenues comprised approximately 93% of our total electric operating revenues.  Our electric operating revenues are affected by customer growth or decline, variations in weather from period to period, customer mix, average usage per customer and the impacts of energy efficiency programs, distributed energy additions, electricity rates and tariffs, the recovery of PSA deferrals and the operation of other recovery

 

55



Table of Contents

 

mechanisms.  These revenue transactions are affected by the availability of excess generation or other energy resources and wholesale market conditions, including competition, demand and prices.

 

Customer and Sales Growth.  Retail customers in APS’s service territory increased 1.3% for the three-month period ended March 31, 2014 compared with the prior year period.  For the three years 2011 through 2013, APS’s customer growth averaged 1.0% per year.  We currently expect annual customer growth to average about 2.5% for 2014 through 2016 based on our assessment of modestly improving economic conditions, both nationally and in Arizona.  Retail electricity sales in kWh, adjusted to exclude the effects of weather variations, increased 0.6% for the three-month period ended March 31, 2014 compared with the prior year period, reflecting the effects of customer conservation and energy efficiency and distributed renewable generation initiatives, offset by mildly improving economic conditions and customer growth.  For the three years 2011 through 2013, APS experienced annual increases in retail electricity sales averaging 0.1%, adjusted to exclude the effects of weather variations.  We currently estimate that annual retail electricity sales in kWh will increase on average about 1% during 2014 through 2016, including the effects of customer conservation and energy efficiency and distributed renewable generation initiatives, but excluding the effects of weather variations.  A failure of the Arizona economy to improve could further impact these estimates.

 

Actual sales growth, excluding weather-related variations, may differ from our projections as a result of numerous factors, such as economic conditions, customer growth, usage patterns and energy conservation, impacts of energy efficiency programs and growth in distributed generation, and responses to retail price changes.  Based on past experience, a reasonable range of variation in our kWh sales projection attributable to such economic factors under normal business conditions can result in increases or decreases in annual net income of up to $10 million.

 

Weather.  In forecasting the retail sales growth numbers provided above, we assume normal weather patterns based on historical data.  Historically, extreme weather variations have resulted in annual variations in net income in excess of $20 million.  However, our experience indicates that the more typical variations from normal weather can result in increases or decreases in annual net income of up to $10 million.

 

Fuel and Purchased Power Costs.  Fuel and purchased power costs included on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income are impacted by our electricity sales volumes, existing contracts for purchased power and generation fuel, our power plant performance, transmission availability or constraints, prevailing market prices, new generating plants being placed in service in our market areas, changes in our generation resource allocation, our hedging program for managing such costs and PSA deferrals and the related amortization.

 

Operations and Maintenance ExpensesOperations and maintenance expenses are impacted by customer and sales growth, power plant operations, maintenance of utility plant (including generation, transmission, and distribution facilities), inflation, outages, renewable energy and demand side management related expenses (which are offset by the same amount of operating revenues) and other factors.  In the 2009 Settlement Agreement, APS committed to operational expense reductions from 2010 through 2014, and received approval to defer certain pension and other postretirement benefit cost increases incurred in 2011 and 2012, which totaled $25 million, as a regulatory asset, until the most recent general retail rate case decision became effective on July 1, 2012.  In July 2012, we began amortizing the regulatory asset over a 36-month period.

 

56



Table of Contents

 

Depreciation and Amortization Expenses.  Depreciation and amortization expenses are impacted by net additions to utility plant and other property (such as new generation, transmission, and distribution facilities), and changes in depreciation and amortization rates.  See “Capital Expenditures” below for information regarding the planned additions to our facilities.  See Note 3 regarding deferral of certain costs pursuant to an ACC order.

 

Property Taxes.  Taxes other than income taxes consist primarily of property taxes, which are affected by the value of property in-service and under construction, assessment ratios, and tax rates.  The average property tax rate in Arizona for APS, which owns essentially all of our property, was 10.5% of the assessed value for 2013 and 9.6% for 2012.  We expect property taxes to increase as we add new generating units and continue with improvements and expansions to our existing generating units, transmission and distribution facilities.  (See Note 3 for property tax deferrals contained in the 2012 Settlement Agreement).

 

Income Taxes.  Income taxes are affected by the amount of pretax book income, income tax rates, certain deductions and non-taxable items, such as AFUDC.  In addition, income taxes may also be affected by the settlement of issues with taxing authorities.

 

Interest Expense.  Interest expense is affected by the amount of debt outstanding and the interest rates on that debt (see Note 2).  The primary factors affecting borrowing levels are expected to be our capital expenditures, long-term debt maturities, equity issuances and internally generated cash flow.  An allowance for borrowed funds used during construction offsets a portion of interest expense while capital projects are under construction.  We stop accruing AFUDC on a project when it is placed in commercial operation.

 

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

Pinnacle West’s only reportable business segment is our regulated electricity segment, which consists of traditional regulated retail and wholesale electricity businesses (primarily retail and wholesale sales supplied to traditional cost-based rate regulation (“Native Load”) customers) and related activities and includes electricity generation, transmission and distribution.

 

Operating ResultsThree-month period ended March 31, 2014 compared with three-month period ended March 31, 2013.

 

Our consolidated net income attributable to common shareholders for the three months ended March 31, 2014 was $16 million, compared with consolidated net income of $24 million for the prior-year period.  The results reflect a decrease of approximately $9 million for the regulated electricity segment primarily related to the effects of weather and higher property taxes.  These negative factors were partially offset by lower operations and maintenance expenses related to lower employee benefit costs and lower income taxes.

 

57



Table of Contents

 

The following table presents net income attributable to common shareholders compared with the prior-year period:

 

 

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

Net Change

 

 

 

(dollars in millions)

 

Regulated Electricity Segment:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating revenues less fuel and purchased power expenses

 

$

436

 

$

455

 

$

(19

)

Operations and maintenance

 

(213

)

(223

)

10

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

(102

)

(104

)

2

 

Taxes other than income taxes

 

(46

)

(40

)

(6

)

Other income (expenses), net

 

5

 

3

 

2

 

Interest charges, net of allowance for borrowed funds used during construction

 

(49

)

(45

)

(4

)

Income taxes

 

(6

)

(13

)

7

 

Less income related to noncontrolling interests (Note 6)

 

(9

)

(8

)

(1

)

Regulated electricity segment net income

 

16

 

25

 

(9

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All other

 

 

(1

)

1

 

Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders

 

$

16

 

$

24

 

$

(8

)

 

Operating revenues less fuel and purchased power expenses.  Regulated electricity segment operating revenues less fuel and purchased power expenses were $19 million lower for the three months ended March 31, 2014 compared with the prior-year period.  The following table summarizes the major components of this change:

 

 

 

Increase (Decrease)

 

 

 

Operating
revenues

 

Fuel and
purchased
power
expenses

 

Net change

 

 

 

(dollars in millions)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Effects of weather

 

$

(37

)

$

(14

)

$

(23

)

Lower net fuel and purchased power costs, including related deferrals and higher off-system sales

 

29

 

27

 

2

 

Miscellaneous items, net

 

8

 

6

 

2

 

Total

 

$

 

$

19

 

$

(19

)

 

58


Table of Contents

 

Operations and maintenance.  Operations and maintenance expenses decreased $10 million for the three months ended March 31, 2014 compared with the prior-year period primarily related to lower employee benefit costs partially offset by other miscellaneous factors.

 

Taxes other than income taxes.  Taxes other than income taxes were $6 million higher for the three months ended March 31, 2014 compared with the prior-year period primarily due to higher property tax rates and higher plant balances.

 

Income taxes.  Income taxes were $7 million lower for the three months ended March 31, 2014 compared with the prior-year period primarily due to lower pretax income.

 

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

 

Overview

 

Pinnacle West’s primary cash needs are for dividends to our shareholders and principal and interest payments on our indebtedness.  The level of our common stock dividends and future dividend growth will be dependent on declaration by our Board of Directors and based on a number of factors, including our financial condition, payout ratio, free cash flow and other factors.

 

Our primary sources of cash are dividends from APS and external debt and equity issuances.  An ACC order requires APS to maintain a common equity ratio of at least 40%.  As defined in the ACC order, the common equity ratio is total shareholder equity divided by the sum of total shareholder equity and long-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt.  At March 31, 2014, APS’s common equity ratio, as defined, was 56%.  Its total shareholder equity was approximately $4.3 billion, and total capitalization was approximately $7.8 billion.  Under this order, APS would be prohibited from paying dividends if such payment would reduce its total shareholder equity below approximately $3.1 billion, assuming APS’s total capitalization remains the same.  This restriction does not materially affect Pinnacle West’s ability to meet its ongoing cash needs or ability to pay dividends to shareholders.

 

APS’s capital requirements consist primarily of capital expenditures and maturities of long-term debt.  APS funds its capital requirements with cash from operations and, to the extent necessary, external debt financing and equity infusions from Pinnacle West.

 

Summary of Cash Flows

 

The following tables present net cash provided by (used for) operating, investing and financing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (dollars in millions):

 

59



Table of Contents

 

Pinnacle West Consolidated

 

 

 

Three Months Ended
March 31

 

Net

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

Change

 

Net cash flow provided by operating activities

 

$

249

 

$

212

 

$

37

 

Net cash flow used for investing activities

 

(208

)

(176

)

(32

)

Net cash flow provided by (used for) financing activities

 

53

 

(37

)

90

 

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

 

$

94

 

$

(1

)

$

95

 

 

Arizona Public Service Company

 

 

 

Three Months Ended
March 31

 

Net

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

Change

 

Net cash flow provided by operating activities

 

$

274

 

$

228

 

$

46

 

Net cash flow used for investing activities

 

(208

)

(176

)

(32

)

Net cash flow provided by (used for) financing activities

 

34

 

(48

)

82

 

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

 

$

100

 

$

4

 

$

96

 

 

Operating Cash Flows

 

Three-month period ended March 31, 2014 compared with three-month period ended March 31, 2013.  Pinnacle West’s consolidated net cash provided by operating activities was $249 million in the first quarter of 2014 compared to $212 million in the first quarter of 2013, an increase of $37 million in net cash provided.  The increase is primarily related to a $135 million income tax refund received in the first quarter of 2014, partially offset by a $55 million change in cash collateral posted, $44 million of higher pension contributions in the three month-period ended March 31, 2014 (approximately $7 million of which is reflected in capital expenditures), and other changes in working capital.

 

Other.  Pinnacle West sponsors a qualified defined benefit pension plan and a non-qualified supplemental excess benefit retirement plan for the employees of Pinnacle West and our subsidiaries.  The requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) require us to contribute a minimum amount to the qualified plan.  We contribute at least the minimum amount required under ERISA regulations, but no more than the maximum tax-deductible amount.  The minimum required funding takes into consideration the value of plan assets and our pension benefit obligations.  Under ERISA, the qualified pension plan was 107% funded as of January 1, 2013 and is estimated to be approximately 103% funded as of January 1, 2014.  The assets in the plan are comprised of fixed-income, equity, real estate, and short-term investments.  Future year contribution amounts are dependent on plan asset performance and plan actuarial assumptions.  The minimum contributions for the pension plan total $141 million for the next three years under the recently enacted Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (zero in 2014, $19 million in 2015 and $122 million in 2016).  Instead, we expect to make voluntary contributions totaling $300 million for the next three years ($175 million in 2014, of which $105 million was already contributed in early 2014, up to $100 million in 2015, and up to $25 million in 2016).  The contributions to our other postretirement benefit plans for 2014, 2015 and 2016 are expected to be approximately $10 million each year.

 

60



Table of Contents

 

During the first quarter of 2014, a $135 million cash refund was received from the IRS related to tax returns for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2009.  This refund was classified as a current income tax receivable at December 31, 2013.

 

Investing Cash Flows

 

Three-month period ended March 31, 2014 compared with three-month period ended March 31, 2013.  Pinnacle West’s consolidated net cash used for investing activities was $208 million in the first quarter of 2014, compared to $176 million in the first quarter of 2013, an increase of $32 million in net cash used primarily related to increased capital expenditures.

 

Capital Expenditures.  The following table summarizes the estimated capital expenditures for the next three years:

 

Capital Expenditures

(dollars in millions)

 

 

 

Estimated for the Year Ended
December 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2015

 

2016

 

APS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Generation:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nuclear Fuel

 

$

74

 

$

86

 

$

88

 

Renewables

 

130

 

7

 

 

Environmental

 

25

 

57

 

213

 

Other Generation

 

227

 

248

 

355

 

Distribution

 

240

 

374

 

363

 

Transmission

 

206

 

213

 

196

 

Other (a)

 

71

 

41

 

48

 

Total APS

 

$

973

 

$

1,026

 

$

1,263

 

 


(a)                                 Primarily information systems and facilities projects.

 

Generation capital expenditures are comprised of various improvements to APS’s existing fossil and nuclear plants.  Examples of the types of projects included in this category are additions, upgrades and capital replacements of various power plant equipment, such as turbines, boilers and environmental equipment.  The estimated Renewables expenditures include 20 MW of utility-scale solar projects which were approved by the ACC in the 2014 RES Implementation Plan.  We have not included estimated costs for Cholla’s compliance with the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards or EPA’s regional haze rule since we have challenged the regional haze rule judicially and are considering our future options with respect to that plant if the regional haze rule is upheld.  The portion of estimated costs through 2016 for installation of pollution control equipment needed to ensure Four Corners’ compliance with EPA’s regional haze rules have been included in the table above.  We are monitoring the status of other environmental matters, which, depending on their final outcome, could require modification to our planned environmental expenditures.

 

61



Table of Contents

 

Distribution and transmission capital expenditures are comprised of infrastructure additions and upgrades, capital replacements, and new customer construction.  Examples of the types of projects included in the forecast include power lines, substations, and line extensions to new residential and commercial developments.

 

Capital expenditures will be funded with internally generated cash and external financings, which may include issuances of long-term debt and Pinnacle West common stock.

 

Financing Cash Flows and Liquidity

 

Three-month period ended March 31, 2014 compared with three-month period ended March 31, 2013.  Pinnacle West’s consolidated net cash provided by financing activities was $53 million in the first quarter of 2014, compared to $37 million of net cash used in the first quarter of 2013, an increase of $90 million in net cash provided.  The increase in net cash provided by financing activities is primarily due to $146 million in higher issuances of long-term debt, partially offset by a $51 million net change in short-term borrowings (see below).

 

Significant Financing Activities.  On April 23, 2014, the Pinnacle West Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.5675 per share of common stock, payable on June 2, 2014 to shareholders of record in May 5, 2014.

 

On July 12, 2013, APS purchased all $33 million of the Coconino County, Arizona Pollution Control Corporation Pollution Control Revenue Refunding Bonds, 1994 Series A, due 2029. On October 11, 2013, APS purchased all $32 million of the City of Farmington, New Mexico Pollution Control Revenue Bonds, 1994 Series C, due 2024.  On January 15, 2014, these series of bonds were canceled.

 

On January 10, 2014, APS issued $250 million of 4.70% unsecured senior notes that mature on January 15, 2044.  The proceeds from the sale were used to repay commercial paper which was used to fund the acquisition of SCE’s 48% ownership interest in each of Units 4 and 5 of Four Corners and to replenish cash used to re-acquire two series of tax-exempt indebtedness (see Note 2).

 

On May 1, 2014, APS purchased a total of $100 million of the Maricopa County, Arizona, Pollution Control Corporation Pollution Control Revenue Refunding Bonds, 2009 Series A, D and E due 2029.  We expect to remarket these bonds within the next twelve months.  These bonds are classified as current maturities of long-term debt on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013.

 

Available Credit FacilitiesPinnacle West and APS maintain committed revolving credit facilities in order to enhance liquidity and provide credit support for their commercial paper programs.

 

Pinnacle West’s $200 million credit facility matures in November 2016.  At March 31, 2014, the facility was available to refinance indebtedness of the Company and for other general corporate purposes, including credit support for its $200 million commercial paper program.  Pinnacle West has the option to increase the amount of the facility up to a maximum of $300 million upon the satisfaction of certain conditions and with the consent of the lenders.  At March 31, 2014, Pinnacle West had commercial paper borrowings of $10 million, no outstanding borrowings under its credit facility and no letters of credit outstanding.

 

At March 31, 2014, APS had two credit facilities totaling $1 billion, including a $500 million credit facility that matures in November 2016 and a $500 million credit facility that matures in April 2018.  APS may increase the amount of each facility up to a maximum of $700 million upon the satisfaction of certain conditions and with the consent of the lenders.  APS can use these facilities to refinance indebtedness and for other general corporate purposes.  Interest rates are based on APS’s senior unsecured debt credit ratings.

 

The facilities described above are available to support APS’s $250 million commercial paper program, for bank borrowings or for issuances of letters of credit.  At March 31, 2014, APS had no

 

62



Table of Contents

 

commercial paper borrowings and no outstanding borrowings or letters of credit under its revolving credit facilities.

 

See “Financial Assurances” in Note 9 for a discussion of APS’s separate outstanding letters of credit.

 

Other Financing Matters.

 

See Note 3 for information regarding the PSA approved by the ACC.

 

See Note 7 for information related to the change in our margin and collateral accounts.

 

Debt Provisions

 

Pinnacle West’s and APS’s debt covenants related to their respective bank financing arrangements include maximum debt to capitalization ratios.  Pinnacle West and APS comply with this covenant.  For both Pinnacle West and APS, this covenant requires that the ratio of consolidated debt to total consolidated capitalization not exceed 65%.  At March 31, 2014, the ratio was approximately 47% for Pinnacle West and 46% for APS.  Failure to comply with such covenant levels would result in an event of default which, generally speaking, would require the immediate repayment of the debt subject to the covenants and could “cross-default” other debt.  See further discussion of “cross-default” provisions below.

 

Neither Pinnacle West’s nor APS’s financing agreements contain “rating triggers” that would result in an acceleration of the required interest and principal payments in the event of a rating downgrade.  However, our bank credit agreements contain a pricing grid in which the interest rates we pay for borrowings thereunder are determined by our current credit ratings.

 

All of Pinnacle West’s loan agreements contain “cross-default” provisions that would result in defaults and the potential acceleration of payment under these loan agreements if Pinnacle West or APS were to default under certain other material agreements.  All of APS’s bank agreements contain “cross-default” provisions that would result in defaults and the potential acceleration of payment under these bank agreements if APS were to default under certain other material agreements.  Pinnacle West and APS do not have a material adverse change restriction for credit facility borrowings.

 

See Note 2 for further discussions of liquidity matters.

 

Credit Ratings

 

The ratings of securities of Pinnacle West and APS as of April 25, 2014 are shown below.  We are disclosing these credit ratings to enhance understanding of our cost of short-term and long-term capital and our ability to access the markets for liquidity and long-term debt.  The ratings reflect the respective views of the rating agencies, from which an explanation of the significance of their ratings

 

63



Table of Contents

 

may be obtained.  There is no assurance that these ratings will continue for any given period of time.  The ratings may be revised or withdrawn entirely by the rating agencies if, in their respective judgments, circumstances so warrant.  Any downward revision or withdrawal may adversely affect the market price of Pinnacle West’s or APS’s securities and/or result in an increase in the cost of, or limit access to, capital.  Such revisions may also result in substantial additional cash or other collateral requirements related to certain derivative instruments, insurance policies, natural gas transportation, fuel supply, and other energy-related contracts.  At this time, we believe we have sufficient available liquidity resources to respond to a downward revision to our credit ratings.

 

 

 

Moody’s

 

Standard & Poor’s

 

Fitch

Pinnacle West

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate credit rating

 

Baa1

 

A-

 

BBB+

Commercial paper

 

P-2

 

A-2

 

F2

Outlook

 

Stable

 

Stable

 

Stable

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate credit rating

 

A3

 

A-

 

BBB+

Senior unsecured

 

A3

 

A-

 

A-

Secured lease obligation bonds

 

A3

 

A-

 

A-

Commercial paper

 

P-2

 

A-2

 

F2

Outlook

 

Stable

 

Stable

 

Stable

 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

See Note 6 for a discussion of the impacts on our financial statements of consolidating certain VIEs.

 

Contractual Obligations

 

There have been no material changes outside the normal course of business in contractual obligations from the information provided in our 2013 Form 10-K.

 

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

In preparing the financial statements in accordance with GAAP, management must often make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and related disclosures at the date of the financial statements and during the reporting period.  Some of those judgments can be subjective and complex, and actual results could differ from those estimates.  There have been no changes to our critical accounting policies since our 2013 Form 10-K.  See “Critical Accounting Policies” in Item 7 of the 2013 Form 10-K for further details about our critical accounting policies.

 

64



Table of Contents

 

OTHER ACCOUNTING MATTERS

 

During 2014, we have adopted new accounting guidance relating to the balance sheet presentation of certain unrecognized tax benefits. See Note 14.

 

MARKET AND CREDIT RISKS

 

Market Risks

 

Our operations include managing market risks related to changes in interest rates, commodity prices and investments held by our nuclear decommissioning trust fund and benefit plan assets.

 

Interest Rate and Equity Risk

 

We have exposure to changing interest rates.  Changing interest rates will affect interest paid on variable-rate debt and the market value of fixed income securities held by our nuclear decommissioning trust fund (see Note 12 and Note 13) and benefit plan assets.  The nuclear decommissioning trust fund and benefit plan assets also have risks associated with the changing market value of their equity and other non-fixed income investments.  Nuclear decommissioning and benefit plan costs are recovered in regulated electricity prices.

 

Commodity Price Risk

 

We are exposed to the impact of market fluctuations in the commodity price and transportation costs of electricity and natural gas.  Our risk management committee, consisting of officers and key management personnel, oversees company-wide energy risk management activities to ensure compliance with our stated energy risk management policies.  We manage risks associated with these market fluctuations by utilizing various commodity instruments that may qualify as derivatives, including futures, forwards, options and swaps.  As part of our risk management program, we use such instruments to hedge purchases and sales of electricity and fuels.  The changes in market value of such contracts have a high correlation to price changes in the hedged commodities.

 

The following table shows the net pretax changes in mark-to-market of our derivative positions for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 (dollars in millions):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

 

 

2014

 

2013

 

Mark-to-market of net positions at beginning of year

 

$

(73

)

$

(122

)

Decrease in regulatory asset

 

17

 

20

 

Recognized in OCI:

 

 

 

 

 

Mark-to-market losses realized during the period

 

5

 

8

 

Change in valuation techniques

 

 

 

Mark-to-market of net positions at end of year

 

$

(51

)

$

(94

)

 

65



Table of Contents

 

The table below shows the fair value of maturities of our derivative contracts (dollars in millions) at March 31, 2014 by maturities and by the type of valuation that is performed to calculate the fair values, classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.  See Note 1, “Derivative Accounting” and “Fair Value Measurements,” in Item 8 of our 2013 Form 10-K and Note 12 for more discussion of our valuation methods.

 

Source of Fair Value

 

2014

 

2015

 

2016

 

2017

 

2018

 

Years
thereafter

 

Total
fair
value

 

Observable prices provided by other external sources

 

$

 

$

(1

)

$

(2

)

$

1

 

$

 

$

 

$

(2

)

Prices based on unobservable inputs

 

(9

)

(14

)

(12

)

(5

)

(4

)

(5

)

(49

)

Total by maturity

 

$

(9

)

$

(15

)

$

(14

)

$

(4

)

$

(4

)

$

(5

)

$

(51

)

 

The table below shows the impact that hypothetical price movements of 10% would have on the market value of our risk management assets and liabilities included on Pinnacle West’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 (dollars in millions):

 

 

 

March 31, 2014
Gain (Loss)

 

December 31, 2013
Gain (Loss)

 

 

 

Price Up 10%

 

Price Down 10%

 

Price Up 10%

 

Price Down 10%

 

Mark-to-market changes reported in:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings (a)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natural gas

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

Regulatory asset (liability) or OCI (b)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Electricity

 

4

 

(4

)

6

 

(6

)

Natural gas

 

30

 

(30

)

26

 

(26

)

Total

 

$

34

 

$

(34

)

$

32

 

$

(32

)

 


(a)                                 Represents the amounts reflected in income after the effect of PSA deferrals.

(b)                                 These contracts are economic hedges of our forecasted purchases of natural gas and electricity.  The impact of these hypothetical price movements would substantially offset the impact that these same price movements would have on the physical exposures being hedged.  To the extent the amounts are eligible for inclusion in the PSA, the amounts are recorded as either a regulatory asset or liability.

 

Credit Risk

 

We are exposed to losses in the event of non-performance or non-payment by counterparties.  See Note 7 for a discussion of our credit valuation adjustment policy.

 

66



Table of Contents

 

Item 3.                   QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

 

See “Key Financial Drivers” and “Market and Credit Risks” in Item 2 above for a discussion of quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risks.

 

Item 4.                   CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

 

(a)                                 Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

The term “disclosure controls and procedures” means controls and other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.), is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC’s”) rules and forms.  Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to a company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

 

Pinnacle West’s management, with the participation of Pinnacle West’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, have evaluated the effectiveness of Pinnacle West’s disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2014.  Based on that evaluation, Pinnacle West’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of that date, Pinnacle West’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

 

APS’s management, with the participation of APS’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of APS’s disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2014.  Based on that evaluation, APS’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of that date, APS’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

 

(b)                                 Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

The term “internal control over financial reporting” (defined in SEC Rule 13a-15(f)) refers to the process of a company that is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP.

 

No change in Pinnacle West’s or APS’s internal control over financial reporting occurred during the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2014 that materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, Pinnacle West’s or APS’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

67



Table of Contents

 

PART II — OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 1.                   LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

 

See “Business of Arizona Public Service Company — Environmental Matters” in Item 1 of the 2013 Form 10-K with regard to pending or threatened litigation and other disputes.

 

See Note 3 for ACC and FERC-related matters.

 

See Note 9 for information regarding environmental matters, Superfund-related matters, matters related to a September 2011 power outage and a New Mexico tax matter.

 

Item 1A.                RISK FACTORS

 

In addition to the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully consider the factors discussed in Part I, Item 1A — Risk Factors in the 2013 Form 10-K, which could materially affect the business, financial condition, cash flows or future results of Pinnacle West and APS.  The risks described in the 2013 Form 10-K are not the only risks facing Pinnacle West and APS.  Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect the business, financial condition, cash flows and/or operating results of Pinnacle West and APS.

 

Item 2.                   UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS

 

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

The following table contains information about our purchases of our common stock during the first quarter of 2014.

 

Period

 

Total
Number of
Shares
Purchased
(a)

 

Average
Price Paid
per Share

 

Total Number of
Shares Purchased
as Part of Publicly
Announced Plans
or Programs

 

Maximum Number of
Shares that May Yet Be
Purchased Under the
Plans or Programs

 

January 1 — January 31, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 1 — February 28, 2014

 

82,474

 

$

54.99

 

 

 

 

 

March 1 — March 31, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

82,474

 

$

54.99

 

 

 

 


(a)         Represents shares of common stock withheld by Pinnacle West to satisfy tax withholding obligations upon the vesting of restricted stock.

 

68



Table of Contents

 

Item 5.                   OTHER INFORMATION

 

Physical Security Standards

 

On March 7, 2014, FERC issued an order requiring NERC to act within 90 days to develop standards that will require utilities to take steps, or to demonstrate that they have taken steps, to address physical security risks and vulnerabilities related to the reliable operation of the bulk-power system.  Among other things, FERC’s order states that facilities that are critical to the operation of the bulk-power system should be identified; potential threats and vulnerabilities should be evaluated; owners and operators should develop a security plan; confidential information should be protected; and a party other than the asset owner should verify owner risk assessment.  Until the NERC standards are established, we cannot predict the extent of any financial or operational impacts on APS.

 

Union Contract Extension

 

As previously disclosed in Part I, Item 1 “Business — Other Information” in the 2013 Form 10-K, APS and union representatives from the fossil generation, transmission and distribution, facilities maintenance, warehousing and transportation business areas were engaged in discussions to enter into an extension of their collective bargaining agreement that was to expire in April 2014.  The parties entered into a one-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement, which will now expire in April 2015.  The extension provides a wage increase of 2.25% effective April 1, 2014.

 

Amendment to Palo Verde Participation Agreement

 

APS, Public Service Company of New Mexico, SRP, SCE, EPE, Southern California Public Power Authority, and Department of Water and Power of the City of Los Angeles are parties to the Arizona Nuclear Power Project Participation Agreement, dated as of August 23, 1973, as amended by fifteen amendments (“Participation Agreement”). The Arizona Nuclear Power Project is also known as the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station. The Participation Agreement was further amended by Amendment Number 16, dated April 28, 2014. Amendment Number 16 extends the expiration date of the Participation Agreement to align with the license extensions granted by the NRC in April 2011 for each of the three units at Palo Verde. The latest expiration date of the original operating licenses had been November 25, 2027, which was extended by the NRC to November 25, 2047. Also, in accordance with Amendment Number 16, the term of the Participation Agreement will automatically extend in the event of future extensions of the NRC operating licenses.

 

69



Table of Contents

 

Item 6.                   EXHIBITS

 

(a)                                 Exhibits

 

Exhibit No.

 

Registrant(s)

 

Description

 

 

 

 

 

10.1*

 

Pinnacle West
APS

 

Second Amendment to the Pinnacle West Capital Corporation Supplemental Excess Benefit Retirement Plan of 2005

 

 

 

 

 

10.2

 

Pinnacle West
APS

 

Amendment No. 16, dated April 28, 2014, to  ANPP Participation Agreement, dated August 23, 1973, among APS, SRP, SCE, Public Service Company of New Mexico, El Paso Electric Company, Southern California Public Power Authority, and Department of Water and Power of the City of Los Angeles

 

 

 

 

 

10.3

 

Pinnacle West
APS

 

Four Corners Project Co-Tenancy Agreement Amendment No. 7, dated December 30, 2013, among APS, El Paso Electric Company, Public Service Company of New Mexico, SRP, SCE, and Tucson Electric Power Company

 

 

 

 

 

12.1

 

Pinnacle West

 

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

 

 

 

 

 

12.2

 

APS

 

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

 

 

 

 

 

12.3

 

Pinnacle West

 

Ratio of Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividend Requirements

 

 

 

 

 

31.1

 

Pinnacle West

 

Certificate of Donald E. Brandt, Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended

 

 

 

 

 

31.2

 

Pinnacle West

 

Certificate of James R. Hatfield, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended

 

 

 

 

 

31.3

 

APS

 

Certificate of Donald E. Brandt, Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended

 

 

 

 

 

31.4

 

APS

 

Certificate of James R. Hatfield, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended

 

 

 

 

 

32.1**

 

Pinnacle West

 

Certification of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

 

 

 

 

 

32.2**

 

APS

 

Certification of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

 

70



Table of Contents

 

Exhibit No.

 

Registrant(s)

 

Description

 

 

 

 

 

101.INS

 

Pinnacle West
APS

 

XBRL Instance Document

 

 

 

 

 

101.SCH

 

Pinnacle West
APS

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

 

 

 

 

 

101.CAL

 

Pinnacle West
APS

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

 

 

 

 

 

101.LAB

 

Pinnacle West
APS

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

 

 

 

 

 

101.PRE

 

Pinnacle West
APS

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

 

 

 

 

 

101.DEF

 

Pinnacle West
APS

 

XBRL Taxonomy Definition Linkbase Document

 


*Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement to be filed as an exhibit pursuant to Item 6 of Form 10-Q.

 

**Furnished herewith as an Exhibit.

 

71



Table of Contents

 

In addition, Pinnacle West and APS hereby incorporate the following Exhibits pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 12b-32 and Regulation §229.10(d) by reference to the filings set forth below:

 

Exhibit
No.

 

Registrant(s)

 

Description

 

Previously Filed as Exhibit(1)

 

Date
Filed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.1

 

Pinnacle West

 

Pinnacle West Capital Corporation Bylaws, amended as of May 19, 2010

 

3.1 to Pinnacle West/APS June 30, 2010 Form 10-Q Report, File Nos. 1-8962 and 1-4473

 

8-3-10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.2

 

Pinnacle West

 

Articles of Incorporation, restated as of May 21, 2008

 

3.1 to Pinnacle West/APS June 30, 2008 Form 10-Q Report, File Nos. 1-8962 and 1-4473

 

8-7-08

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.3

 

APS

 

Articles of Incorporation, restated as of May 25, 1988

 

4.2 to APS’s Form S-3 Registration Nos. 33-33910 and 33-55248 by means of September 24, 1993 Form
8-K Report, File No. 1-4473

 

9-29-93

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.4

 

APS

 

Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation of Arizona Public Service Company, amended May 16, 2012

 

3.1 to Pinnacle West/APS May 22, 2012 Form 8-K Report, File Nos. 1-8962 and 1-4473

 

5-22-12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.5

 

APS

 

Arizona Public Service Company Bylaws, amended as of December 16, 2008

 

3.4 to Pinnacle West/APS December 31, 2008 Form 10-K, File Nos. 1-8962 and 1-4473

 

2-20-09

 


(1)  Reports filed under File Nos. 1-4473 and 1-8962 were filed in the office of the Securities and Exchange Commission located in Washington, D.C.

 

72



Table of Contents

 

SIGNATURES

 

                Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

 

(Registrant)

 

 

 

 

Dated:   May 2, 2014

By:

/s/ James R. Hatfield

 

 

James R. Hatfield

 

 

Executive Vice President and

 

 

Chief Financial Officer

 

 

(Principal Financial Officer and

 

 

Officer Duly Authorized to sign this Report)

 

 

 

 

 

ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

 

(Registrant)

 

 

 

 

Dated:   May 2, 2014

By:

/s/ James R. Hatfield

 

 

James R. Hatfield

 

 

Executive Vice President and

 

 

Chief Financial Officer

 

 

(Principal Financial Officer and

 

 

Officer Duly Authorized to sign this Report)

 

73