Acquisitions, Development and Divestitures

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Mergers, Acquisitions and Dispositions Disclosures

9. Acquisitions, Development and Divestitures

(PPL)

Discontinued Operations

Share Purchase Agreement to Sell U.K. Utility Business

On March 17, 2021, PPL WPD Limited (WPD Limited) entered into a share purchase agreement (WPD SPA) to sell PPL's U.K. utility business to National Grid Holdings One plc (National Grid U.K.), a subsidiary of National Grid plc. Pursuant to the WPD SPA, National Grid U.K. will acquire 100% of the issued share capital of PPL WPD Investments Limited (WPD Investments) for £7.8 billion in cash. WPD Limited will also receive an additional amount of £548,000 for each day during the period from January 1, 2021 to the closing date if the dividends usually declared by WPD Investments to WPD Limited are not paid for that period.

The completion of the transaction, which is currently expected to occur by the end of July 2021, is subject to approval by National Grid plc's shareholders and receipt of regulatory approvals from the Financial Conduct Authority (the FCA), the Guernsey Financial Services Commission and, if applicable at the time of closing, from the U.K. Secretary of State in connection with the National Security and Investment Bill 2020. On April 22, 2021, National Grid plc’s shareholders approved the transaction pursuant to the listing rules of the FCA. On May 4, 2021, the Guernsey Financial Services Commission approved the transaction. The approval of the FCA is the sole remaining approval before the transaction can be consummated.

WPD Limited and National Grid U.K. have each made customary representations and warranties in the WPD SPA, as well as certain customary covenants by WPD Limited to conduct the businesses that are subject to the WPD SPA in the ordinary course between the execution of the WPD SPA and the closing of the sale. National Grid U.K., at its expense, has purchased warranty and indemnity insurance. The consummation of the transaction is not subject to a financing condition. PPL will not have any significant involvement with the U.K. utility business after completion of the sale.

Loss on Sale

In connection with entering into the WPD SPA, the U.K. utility business has met the accounting criteria to be classified as assets and liabilities held for sale and discontinued operations beginning with the first quarter of 2021. Accordingly, PPL’s investment in the U.K. utility business has been reported at its estimated fair value, less costs to sell, resulting in an estimated pre-tax loss on sale of $1.6 billion as of March 31, 2021, as determined below.


	Three Months
	2021
Sales proceeds (a)	$	10,806
Costs to sell (b)	48
Carrying value (c)	12,405
Loss on Sale (d)	(1,647)

(a)Amount represents a contractual selling price of £7.8 billion (a Level 1 fair value measurement) as well as accrued additional consideration of approximately £49 million converted at the March 31, 2021 spot rate of $1.38 per GBP.

(b)Estimated amounts incurred for bank advisory, legal and accounting fees to facilitate the transaction.

(c)The measurement of PPL’s carrying value of the U.K. utility business includes the realization of accumulated other comprehensive losses of $3.7 billion, which arose primarily from currency translation adjustments and defined benefit plans associated with the U.K. utility business.

(d)This loss has been recorded as a reduction to goodwill.

Summarized Results of Discontinued Operations

The operations of the U.K. utility business are included in "Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations (net of income taxes)" on the Statements of Income. Following are the components of discontinued operations in the Statements of Income for the periods ended March 31:


	Three Months
	2021		2020
Operating Revenues	$	634	$	614
Operating Expenses	252		222
Other Income (Expense) - net	66		130
Interest Expense (a)	93		93
Income before income taxes	355		429
Loss on sale	(1,647)		—
Income tax expense (b)	751		79
Income (loss) from Discontinued Operations (net of income taxes)	$	(2,043)	$	350

(a)No interest from corporate level debt was allocated to discontinued operations.

(b)2021 primarily includes a federal tax expense of $689 million for the recognition of the tax cost associated with the realization of the book-tax outside basis difference in PPL's investment in the U.K. utility business and foreign tax expense of $73 million on current year operations.

Summarized Assets and Liabilities Held for Sale

The assets and liabilities of PPL's U.K. utility business at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 are included in "Current assets held for sale" and "Current liabilities held for sale" on PPL's Balance Sheets. The following major classes of assets and liabilities were reclassified on PPL's Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020:


	Held for Sale at March 31, 2021		Held for Sale at December 31, 2020
Cash and cash equivalents	$	152	$	266
Accounts receivable and unbilled revenues	459		389
Price risk management assets	62		146
Property, plant and equipment, net (a)	15,236		14,392
Goodwill (b)	1,029		2,558
Other intangibles	434		413
Pension benefit asset	911		682
Other assets	142		137
Total Assets	$	18,425	$	18,983

Short-term debt and long-term debt due within one year	$	812	$	994
Accounts payable	199		220
Customer deposits	240		217
Accrued interest	178		190

Long-term debt	8,297		7,938
Total deferred income taxes	1,123		1,032
Price risk management liabilities	180		137
Other deferred credits and liabilities	347		295
Total Liabilities	$	11,376	$	11,023

Net assets (c)	$	7,049	$	7,960

(a)Depreciation of fixed assets ceased upon classification as held for sale.

(b)The change in Goodwill is due to the loss on sale of $1,647 million and a gain on foreign currency translation of $118 million.

(c)The net assets and liabilities held for sale exclude $3.7 billion of accumulated other comprehensive losses related to the U.K. utility business that are required to be included in the carrying value of the loss on sale calculation presented above. Accumulated other comprehensive losses related to the U.K. utility business will be reported as a component of PPL’s equity until the sale of the U.K. utility business occurs.

Acquisitions

Share Purchase Agreement to Acquire The Narragansett Electric Company

On March 17, 2021, PPL and its subsidiary, PPL Energy Holdings, entered into a share purchase agreement (Narragansett SPA) with National Grid USA (National Grid U.S.), a subsidiary of National Grid plc to acquire 100% of the outstanding shares of common stock of The Narragansett Electric Company (Narragansett Electric) for approximately $3.8 billion in cash. On May 3, 2021, an Assignment and Assumption Agreement was entered into by PPL, PPL Energy Holdings, PPL Rhode Island Holdings and National Grid U.S. whereby certain interests of PPL Energy Holdings in the Narragansett SPA were assigned to and assumed by PPL Rhode Island Holdings. Pursuant to that Assignment and Assumption Agreement, PPL Rhode Island Holdings became the purchasing entity under the Narragansett SPA. The acquisition is expected to be funded with proceeds from the sale of the U.K. utility business. PPL has agreed to guarantee all obligations of PPL Energy Holdings and PPL Rhode Island Holdings under the Narragansett SPA and the related Assignment and Assumption Agreement.

The closing of the acquisition, which is currently expected to occur by March 2022, is subject to the prior closing of the sale of WPD Investments to National Grid U.K. and is also subject to the receipt of certain U.S. regulatory approvals, including, among others, clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, receipt of the approvals, authorizations or waivers from the Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, the FERC and the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, as well as other customary conditions to closing, including the execution and delivery of certain related transaction documents. PPL Energy Holdings and PPL Rhode Island Holdings and National Grid U.S. have each made customary representations, warranties and covenants in the Narragansett SPA, including, among others, customary indemnification provisions and covenants by National Grid U.S. to conduct the Narragansett Electric business in the ordinary course between the execution of the Narragansett SPA and the closing of the acquisition. The consummation of the transaction is not subject to a financing condition.

In connection with the acquisition, National Grid U.S. and one or more of its subsidiaries and PPL Energy Holdings and/or one or more of its subsidiaries will enter into a transition services agreement, pursuant to which National Grid U.S. and/or one or more of its affiliates will agree to provide certain transition services to Narragansett Electric and its affiliates to facilitate the operation of Narragansett Electric following the consummation of the acquisition and the transition of operations to PPL, as agreed upon in the Narragansett SPA.