10-K/A 1 a2155775z10-ka.htm 10-K/A (AMENDMENT NO. 1)
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


FORM 10-K/A
(Amendment No. 1)

FOR ANNUAL AND TRANSITION REPORTS
PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

(Mark One)  
ý ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004

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 No. 33-7591

logo

(An Electric Membership Corporation)
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Georgia
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
58-1211925
(I.R.S. employer
identification no.)

2100 East Exchange Place
Tucker, Georgia

(Address of principal executive offices)

30084-5336
(Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:

(770) 270-7600

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

None

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

       Indicate by check mark whether the 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. Yes ý No o

       Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. [X]

       Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2). Yes o No ý

       State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter. None

       Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant's classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date. The Registrant is a membership corporation and has no authorized or outstanding equity securities.

       Documents Incorporated by Reference: None





EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Amendment No. 1 to Oglethorpe Power Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 (which was filed with the SEC on March 31, 2005, the "Original Report") amends Item 2 – Properties. This amendment corrects the operating performance factors for the Doyle generating facility as reflected in the table under the section heading "Plant Performance". It does not affect any other portion of the Original Report, other than the filing of new Exhibits 31.1, 31.2, 32.1 and 32.2, which are being filed herewith. Additionally, this Amendment No. 1 does not reflect any event occurring after March 31, 2005, the filing date of the Original Report.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

Generating Facilities

    The following table sets forth certain information with respect to Oglethorpe's generating facilities, all of which are in commercial operation.


 
Facilities   Type of Fuel   Percentage Interest   Oglethorpe's Share of NamePlate Capacity (MW)   Commercial Operation Date   License Expiration Date  

 
Plant Hatch (near Baxley, Ga.)                      
  Unit No. 1   Nuclear   30   243.0   1975   2034  
  Unit No. 2   Nuclear   30   246.0   1979   2038  

Plant Vogtle (near Waynesboro, Ga.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  Unit No. 1   Nuclear   30   348.0   1987   2027  
  Unit No. 2   Nuclear   30   348.0   1989   2029  

Plant Wansley (near Carrollton, Ga.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  Unit No. 1   Coal   30   259.5   1976   N/A (1)
  Unit No. 2   Coal   30   259.5   1978   N/A (1)
  Combustion Turbine   Oil   30   14.8   1980   N/A (1)

Plant Scherer (near Forsyth, Ga.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  Unit No. 1   Coal   60   490.8   1982   N/A (1)
  Unit No. 2   Coal   60   490.8   1984   N/A (1)

Rocky Mountain (near Rome, Ga.)

 

Pumped Storage Hydro

 

74.61

 

632.5

 

1995

 

2027

 

Doyle (near Monroe, Ga.)

 

Gas

 

100

 

325.0

(2)

2000

 

N/A

(1)

Talbot (near Columbus, Ga.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  Units No. 1-4   Gas   100   412   2002   N/A (1)
  Units No. 5-6   Gas-Oil   100   206   2003   N/A (1)

Chattahoochee (near Carrollton, Ga.)

 

Gas

 

100

 

468

 

2003

 

N/A

(1)

 
  Total           4,743.9          

 
(1)
These plants do not operate under operating licenses similar to those granted to nuclear units by the NRC and to hydroelectric plants by FERC.

(2)
Nominal plant capacity identified in the Power Purchase and Sale Agreement with Doyle I, LLC. (See "The Plant Agreements – Doyle" below.)

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Plant Performance

    The following table sets forth certain operating performance information of each of Oglethorpe's generating facilities:


 
    Equivalent
Availability(1)
  Capacity Factor(2)  
Unit   2004   2003   2002   2004   2003   2002  

 
Plant Hatch                          
  Unit No. 1   89 % 94 % 87 % 91 % 95 % 88 %
  Unit No. 2   97   91   97   96   91   97  

Plant Vogtle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  Unit No. 1   99   91   84   100   93   86  
  Unit No. 2   89   95   82   91   97   84  

Plant Wansley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  Unit No. 1   99   87   88   81   79   80  
  Unit No. 2   89   87   79   75   80   74  

Plant Scherer(3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  Unit No. 1   86   72   95   76   58   78  
  Unit No. 2   90   73   83   80   59   66  

Rocky Mountain(4)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  Unit No. 1   98   92   99   26   15   15  
  Unit No. 2   90   99   91   8   20   18  
  Unit No. 3   98   91   100   25   28   27  

Doyle(4)(5)

 

100

 

100

 

100

 

0

 

0

 

9

 

Talbot(4)(6)

 

95

 

92

 

NA

 

1

 

1

 

NA

 

Chattahoochee(6)

 

73

 

58

 

NA

 

20

 

15

 

NA

 

 
(1)
Equivalent Availability is a measure of the percentage of time that a unit was available to generate if called upon, adjusted for periods when the unit is partially derated from the "maximum dependable capacity" rating.

(2)
Capacity Factor is a measure of the output of a unit as a percentage of the maximum output, based on the "maximum dependable capacity" rating, over the period of measure.

(3)
Plant Scherer's relatively low performance in 2003 was due to the outage time required for the conversion to use sub-bituminous coal, as described below.

(4)
Rocky Mountain, Doyle and Talbot primarily operate as peaking plants, which results in low capacity factors.

(5)
Equivalent Availability for each of Doyle's 5 units is measured only during the period May 15 – September 15, reflecting the contractual availability commitment of Doyle I, LLC. The units may be dispatched by Oglethorpe during other periods if the units are available.

(6)
Talbot Unit Nos. 1-4 began commercial operation in April-June 2002 and Unit Nos. 5-6 began commercial operation in May 2003. Chattahoochee began commercial operation in February 2003.

    The nuclear refueling cycle for Plants Hatch and Vogtle exceeds twelve months. Therefore, in some calendar years the units at these plants are not taken out of service for refueling, resulting in higher levels of equivalent availability and capacity factor.

Fuel Supply

    Coal.    Coal for Plant Wansley is currently purchased under term contracts and in spot market transactions, from coal mines in the eastern United States. As of February 28, 2005, Oglethorpe had a 52-day coal supply at Plant Wansley based on continuous operation.

    Coal for Scherer Units No. 1 and No. 2 is purchased under term contracts and in spot market transactions. As of February 28, 2005, Oglethorpe's coal stockpile at Plant Scherer contained a 24-day supply based on continuous operation. Plant Scherer burns sub-bituminous coal purchased from coal mines in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming. Oglethorpe's coal inventory at Plant Scherer is lower than normal due to recently developed rail transportation bottlenecks. Oglethorpe and the other co-owners are working with the rail transportation supplier to relieve the problem. Failure to relieve the problem may require Oglethope to burn higher cost fuel at its other generating plants or require the Members to purchase energy from higher cost sources.

    Oglethorpe currently leases approximately 1,200 rail cars to transport coal to Plants Scherer and Wansley.

    The Plant Scherer and Wansley ownership and operating agreements allow each co-owner (i) to dispatch separately its respective ownership interest in conjunction with contracting separately for long-term coal purchases procured by GPC and (ii) to procure separately long-term coal purchases. Oglethorpe separately dispatches Plant Scherer and Plant Wansley, but continues to use GPC as its agent for fuel procurement.

    For information relating to the impact that the Clean Air Act may have on Oglethorpe, see "BUSINESS – ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER REGULATION – Clean Air Act."

    Nuclear Fuel.    GPC, as operating agent, has the responsibility to procure nuclear fuel for Plants Hatch and Vogtle. GPC has contracted with Southern Nuclear Operating Company ("SNOC") to operate these plants, including nuclear fuel procurement. SNOC employs both spot purchases and long-term contracts to satisfy nuclear fuel requirements. The nuclear fuel supply and related services are expected to be adequate to satisfy current and future nuclear generation requirements.

    Natural Gas.    Oglethorpe purchases the natural gas, including transportation and other related services, needed to operate Doyle, Talbot and Chattahoochee and the combustion turbines owned by Hartwell Energy Limited Partnership. Oglethorpe purchases natural gas in the spot market and under agreements at indexed prices. Oglethorpe has entered into hedge agreements to manage a portion of its exposure to fluctuations in the market price of natural gas. Oglethorpe manages exposure to such risks only with respect to Members that elect to receive such services. Oglethorpe purchases transportation under long-term firm and short-term firm and non-firm contracts. (See "QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK – Commodity Price Risk.")

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Co-Owners of Plants

    Plants Hatch, Vogtle, Wansley and Scherer Units No. 1 and No. 2 are co-owned by Oglethorpe, GPC, MEAG and Dalton, and Rocky Mountain is co-owned by Oglethorpe and GPC. Each such co-owner owns or leases undivided interests in the amounts shown in the following table (which excludes the Plant Wansley combustion turbine). Oglethorpe is the operating agent for Rocky Mountain. GPC is the operating agent for each of the other plants.


    Nuclear
Plant Hatch
  Plant Vogtle
  Coal-Fired
Plant Wansley
  Scherer Units No. 1 & No. 2
  Pumped Storage
Rocky Mountain
  Total
    %   MW(1)   %   MW(1)   %   MW(1)   %   MW(1)   %   MW(1)   MW(1)

Oglethorpe   30.0   489   30.0   696   30.0   519   60.0   982   74.61   633   3,319
GPC   50.1   817   45.7   1,060   53.5   926   8.4   137   25.39   215   3,155
MEAG   17.7   288   22.7   527   15.1   261   30.2   494       1,570
Dalton   2.2   36   1.6   37   1.4   24   1.4   23       120

Total   100.0   1,630   100.0   2,320   100.0   1,730   100.0   1,636   100.00   848   8,164

(1)
Based on nameplate ratings.


    Georgia Power Company

    GPC is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Southern Company, a registered holding company under the Public Utility Holding Company Act, and is engaged primarily in the generation and purchase of electric energy and the transmission, distribution and sale of such energy. GPC distributes and sells energy within the State of Georgia at retail in over 600 communities (including Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, Rome and Valdosta), as well as in rural areas, and at wholesale to Oglethorpe, MEAG and two municipalities. GPC is the largest supplier of electric energy in the State of Georgia. (See "BUSINESS – OGLETHORPE POWER CORPORATION – Relationship with GPC.") GPC is subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and, in accordance therewith, files reports and other information with the Commission.

    Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia

    MEAG, an instrumentality of the State of Georgia, was created for the purpose of providing electric capacity and energy to those political subdivisions of the State of Georgia that owned and operated electric distribution systems at that time. MEAG, also known as MEAG Power, has wholesale power sales contracts with each of its 49 participants (including 48 cities and one county in the State of Georgia) that extend through 2054. Such political subdivisions, located in 39 of the State's 159 counties, collectively serve approximately 300,000 electric consumers (meters).

    City of Dalton, Georgia

    The City of Dalton, located in northwest Georgia, supplies electric capacity and energy to consumers in Dalton, and presently serves more than 10,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers.

The Plant Agreements

    Hatch, Wansley, Vogtle and Scherer

    Oglethorpe's rights and obligations with respect to Plants Hatch, Wansley, Vogtle and Scherer are contained in a number of contracts between Oglethorpe and GPC and, in some instances, MEAG and Dalton. Oglethorpe is a party to four Purchase and Ownership Participation Agreements ("Ownership Agreements") under which it acquired from GPC a 30% undivided interest in each of Plants Hatch, Wansley and Vogtle, a 60% undivided interest in Scherer Units No. 1 and No. 2 and a 30% undivided interest in those facilities at Plant Scherer intended to be used in common by Scherer Units No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 (the "Scherer Common Facilities"). Oglethorpe has also entered into four Operating Agreements ("Operating Agreements") relating to the operation and maintenance of Plants Hatch, Wansley, Vogtle and Scherer, respectively. The Ownership Agreements and Operating Agreements relating to Plants Hatch and Wansley are two-party agreements between Oglethorpe and GPC. The Ownership Agreements and Operating Agreements relating to Plants Vogtle and Scherer are agreements among Oglethorpe, GPC, MEAG and Dalton. The parties to each Ownership Agreement and Operating

20


Agreement are referred to as "participants" with respect to each such agreement.

    In 1985, in four transactions, Oglethorpe sold its entire 60% undivided ownership interest in Scherer Unit No. 2 to four separate owner trusts (the "Lessors") established by four different institutional investors. Oglethorpe retained all of its rights and obligations as a participant under the Ownership and Operating Agreements relating to Scherer Unit No. 2 for the term of the leases. Oglethorpe's leases expire in 2013, with options to renew for a total of 8.5 years. Oglethorpe also has fair market value purchase options at specified dates, including 2013 and the end of lease renewal terms. These transactions are treated as capital leases by Oglethorpe for financial reporting purposes. (See Note 4 of Notes to Financial Statements.) (In the following discussion, references to participants "owning" a specified percentage of interests include Oglethorpe's rights as a deemed owner with respect to its leased interests in Scherer Unit No. 2.)

    The Ownership Agreements appoint GPC as agent with sole authority and responsibility for, among other things, the planning, licensing, design, construction, renewal, addition, modification and disposal of Plants Hatch, Vogtle, Wansley and Scherer Units No. 1 and No. 2 and the Scherer Common Facilities. Each Operating Agreement gives GPC, as agent, sole authority and responsibility for the management, control, maintenance and operation of the plant to which it relates. Each Operating Agreement also provides for the use of power and energy from the plant and the sharing of the costs of the plant by the participants in accordance with their respective interests in the plant. In performing its responsibilities under the Ownership and Operating Agreements, GPC is required to comply with prudent utility practices. GPC's liabilities with respect to its duties under the Ownership and Operating Agreements are limited by the terms thereof.

    Under the Ownership Agreements, Oglethorpe is obligated to pay a percentage of capital costs of the respective plants, as incurred, equal to the percentage interest which it owns or leases at each plant. GPC has responsibility for budgeting capital expenditures for Scherer Units No. 1 and 2 subject to certain limited rights of the participants to disapprove capital budgets proposed by GPC and to substitute alternative capital budgets. GPC has responsibility for budgeting capital expenditures for Plants Hatch and Vogtle, subject to the right of any co-owner to disapprove large discretionary capital improvements.

    In 1993, the co-owners of Plants Hatch and Vogtle entered into the Amended and Restated Nuclear Managing Board Agreement, which provides for a managing board to coordinate the implementation and administration of the Plant Hatch and Plant Vogtle Ownership and Operating Agreements, provides for increased rights for the co-owners regarding certain decisions and allows GPC to contract with a third party for the operation of the nuclear units. In March 1997, GPC designated SNOC as the operator of Plants Hatch and Vogtle, pursuant to the Nuclear Operating Agreement between GPC and SNOC, which the co-owners had previously approved. In connection with the amendments to the Plant Scherer Ownership and Operating Agreements, the co-owners of Plant Scherer entered into the Plant Scherer Managing Board Agreement which provides for a managing board to coordinate the implementation and administration of the Plant Scherer Ownership and Operating Agreements and provides for increased rights for the co-owners regarding certain decisions, but does not alter GPC's role as agent with respect to Plant Scherer.

    The Operating Agreements provide that Oglethorpe is entitled to a percentage of the net capacity and net energy output of each plant or unit equal to its percentage undivided interest owned or leased in such plant or unit. GPC, as agent, schedules and dispatches Plants Hatch and Vogtle. Oglethorpe separately dispatches its ownership share of Scherer Units No. 1 and No. 2 and of Plant Wansley. (See "Fuel Supply" above.)

    For Plants Hatch and Vogtle, each participant is responsible for a percentage of Operating Costs (as defined in the Operating Agreements) and fuel costs of each plant or unit equal to the percentage of its undivided interest which is owned or leased in such plant or unit. For Scherer Units No. 1 and No. 2 and for Plant Wansley, each party is responsible for its fuel costs and for variable Operating Costs in proportion to the net energy output for its ownership interest, and is responsible for a percentage of fixed Operating Costs equal to the percentage of its undivided interest which is owned or leased in such plant or unit. GPC is required to furnish budgets for Operating Costs, fuel plans and scheduled maintenance plans. In the case of Scherer Units No. 1 and No. 2, the participants have limited rights to disapprove such budgets proposed by

21



GPC and to substitute alternative budgets. The Ownership Agreements and Operating Agreements provide that, should a participant fail to make any payment when due, among other things, such nonpaying participant's rights to output of capacity and energy would be suspended.

    The Operating Agreement for Plant Hatch will remain in effect with respect to Hatch Units No. 1 and No. 2 until 2009 and 2012, respectively. Oglethorpe has entered into an agreement with GPC, subject to RUS approval, to extend the Operating Agreement for so long as an NRC operating license exists for each unit. (See "ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER REGULATION – Nuclear Regulation.") The Operating Agreement for Plant Vogtle will remain in effect with respect to each unit at Plant Vogtle until 2018. The Operating Agreement for Plant Wansley will remain in effect with respect to Plant Wansley Units No. 1 and No. 2 until 2016 and 2018, respectively. The Operating Agreement for Scherer Units No. 1 and No. 2 will remain in effect with respect to Scherer Units No. 1 and No. 2 until 2022 and 2024, respectively. Upon termination of each Operating Agreement, following any extension agreed to by the parties, GPC will retain such powers as are necessary in connection with the disposition of the property of the applicable plant, and the rights and obligations of the parties shall continue with respect to actions and expenses taken or incurred in connection with such disposition.

    Rocky Mountain

    Oglethorpe owns a 74.61% undivided interest in Rocky Mountain and GPC owns the remaining 25.39% undivided interest.

    The Rocky Mountain Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Ownership Participation Agreement, by and between Oglethorpe and GPC (the "Rocky Mountain Ownership Agreement") appoints Oglethorpe as agent with sole authority and responsibility for, among other things, the planning, licensing, design, construction, operation, maintenance and disposal of Rocky Mountain. The Rocky Mountain Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project Operating Agreement (the "Rocky Mountain Operating Agreement") gives Oglethorpe, as agent, sole authority and responsibility for the management, control, maintenance and operation of Rocky Mountain.

    In general, each co-owner is responsible for payment of its respective ownership share of all Operating Costs and Pumping Energy Costs (as defined in the Rocky Mountain Operating Agreement) as well as costs incurred as the result of any separate schedule or independent dispatch. A co-owner's share of net available capacity and net energy is the same as its respective ownership interest under the Rocky Mountain Ownership Agreement. Oglethorpe and GPC have each elected to schedule separately their respective ownership interests. The Rocky Mountain Operating Agreement will terminate in 2035. The Rocky Mountain Ownership and Operating Agreements provide that, should a co-owner fail to make any payment when due, among other things, such non-paying co-owner's rights to output of capacity and energy or to exercise any other right of a co-owner would be suspended until all amounts due, with interest, had been paid. The capacity and energy of a non-paying co-owner may be purchased by a paying co-owner or sold to a third party.

    In late 1996 and early 1997, Oglethorpe completed lease transactions for its 74.61% undivided ownership interest in Rocky Mountain. The lease transactions are characterized as a sale and leaseback for income tax purposes, but not for financial reporting purposes. Under the terms of these transactions, Oglethorpe leased the facility to three institutional investors for the useful life of the facility, who in turn leased it back to Oglethorpe for a term of 30 years. Oglethorpe will continue to control and operate Rocky Mountain during the leaseback term. Oglethorpe intends to exercise its fixed price purchase option at the end of the leaseback period so as to retain all other rights of ownership with respect to the plant if it is advantageous for Oglethorpe to exercise such option. For more information about the structure of these lease transactions, see "MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS – Financial Condition – Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements."

    Doyle

    Oglethorpe has an agreement with Doyle I LLC, a limited liability company owned by one of Oglethorpe's Members, Walton EMC, to purchase the output of a gas-fired combustion turbine generating facility with a nominal contract rating of 325 MW over a 15-year term. Delivery commenced May 15, 2000.

    During the term of the agreement, Oglethorpe has the right and obligation to purchase all of the capacity and energy from the facility. Oglethorpe is obligated to pay to Doyle I, LLC each month a capacity charge based on

22



a performance rating and an energy charge equal to all costs of operating the facility. Oglethorpe is also obligated to pay the actual operation and maintenance costs and the costs of capital improvements. Oglethorpe is responsible for supplying all natural gas necessary to operate the facility. Oglethorpe has the right to dispatch the facility.

    Doyle I, LLC operates the facility. Doyle I, LLC must make the units available from May 15 to September 15 each year. Subject to air permit and other limitations, Oglethorpe may dispatch the facility at other times to the extent that the facility is available.

    Oglethorpe has an option to purchase the facility at the end of the term of the agreement at a fixed price. This agreement is treated as a capital lease of the facility by Oglethorpe for financial reporting purposes. (See Note 4 of Notes to Financial Statements.)

23



SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on the 13th day of April, 2005.

    OGLETHORPE POWER CORPORATION
(AN ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION)

 

 

By:

 

/s/  
THOMAS A. SMITH      
THOMAS A. SMITH
President and Chief Executive Officer

91



EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit
Number
      Description

31.1     Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification, by Thomas A. Smith (Principal Executive Officer).
31.2     Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification, by Elizabeth B. Higgins (Principal Financial Officer).
32.1     Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, by Thomas A. Smith (Principal Executive Officer).
32.2     Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, by Elizabeth B. Higgins (Principal Financial Officer).



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EXPLANATORY NOTE
SIGNATURES
EXHIBIT INDEX