FORM 10-Q
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
Quarterly Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For Quarterly Period Ended September 30, 2003
Commission File Number: 333-79619
WEST PENN FUNDING LLC
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 25-1843349 | |
(State of Incorporation) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
2325-B Renaissance Drive, Suite 10, Las Vegas, NV 89119
Telephone Number (702) 895-6752
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 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. x Yes ¨ No
Indicate by checkmark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). ¨ Yes x No
West Penn Funding LLC (the Registrant) is a Delaware limited liability company, whose sole member is West Penn Funding Corporation.
Form 10-Q for Quarter Ended September 30, 2003
Contents
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Statements of Operations
Unaudited |
||||||||||||||
Three Months Ended September 30 |
Nine Months Ended September 30 |
|||||||||||||
(In thousands) |
2003 |
2002 |
2003 |
2002 |
||||||||||
Total operating revenues |
$ | 26,769 | $ | 27,594 | $ | 81,618 | $ | 79,504 | ||||||
Operating Expenses: |
||||||||||||||
Operation expense |
341 | 335 | 1,020 | 1,004 | ||||||||||
Amortization of intangible transition property |
19,693 | 19,265 | 59,407 | 53,831 | ||||||||||
Total operating expenses |
20,034 | 19,600 | 60,427 | 54,835 | ||||||||||
Operating income |
6,735 | 7,994 | 21,191 | 24,669 | ||||||||||
Other income |
32 | 35 | 111 | 110 | ||||||||||
Interest on transition bonds |
6,767 | 8,031 | 21,302 | 25,029 | ||||||||||
Income (loss) before income taxes |
| (2 | ) | | (250 | ) | ||||||||
Federal income tax (benefit) |
| | | (80 | ) | |||||||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | | $ | (2 | ) | $ | | $ | (170 | ) | ||||
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
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Statements of Cash Flows
Unaudited |
||||||||
Nine Months Ended September 30 |
||||||||
(In thousands) |
2003 |
2002 |
||||||
Cash flows from operations: |
||||||||
Net loss |
$ | | $ | (170 | ) | |||
Amortization of intangible transition property |
59,407 | 53,831 | ||||||
Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs |
648 | 760 | ||||||
Changes in certain assets and liabilities: |
||||||||
Accounts receivable from |
(52 | ) | (2,103 | ) | ||||
Interest accrued |
(63 | ) | (139 | ) | ||||
59,940 | 52,179 | |||||||
Cash flows (used in) financing: |
||||||||
Equity contribution from member |
10 | 53 | ||||||
Change in restricted funds |
(1,975 | ) | 606 | |||||
Retirement of transition bonds |
(57,436 | ) | (52,839 | ) | ||||
(59,401 | ) | (52,180 | ) | |||||
Net change in cash and temporary investments |
539 | (1 | ) | |||||
Cash and temporary cash investments at January 1 |
1,760 | 223 | ||||||
Cash and temporary cash investments at September 30 |
$ | 2,299 | $ | 222 | ||||
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
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Balance Sheets
Unaudited | ||||||
(In thousands) |
September 30 2003 |
December 31 2002 | ||||
ASSETS |
||||||
Current assets: |
||||||
Cash and temporary cash investments |
$ | 2,299 | $ | 1,760 | ||
Accounts receivable from West Penn Power Company |
14,885 | 14,833 | ||||
Restricted funds |
4,326 | 2,351 | ||||
Intangible transition property |
78,073 | 71,675 | ||||
99,583 | 90,619 | |||||
Noncurrent assets: |
||||||
Intangible transition property |
268,720 | 334,525 | ||||
Unamortized debt issuance expense |
2,028 | 2,676 | ||||
270,748 | 337,201 | |||||
Total assets |
$ | 370,331 | $ | 427,820 | ||
LIABILITIES AND MEMBERS EQUITY |
||||||
Current liabilities: |
||||||
Long-term debt due within one year |
$ | 74,551 | $ | 75,996 | ||
Transition Bonds, reclassified to current |
290,663 | 346,654 | ||||
Accounts payable to West Penn Power Company |
10 | 10 | ||||
Interest accrued |
419 | 482 | ||||
365,643 | 423,142 | |||||
Members equity |
4,688 | 4,678 | ||||
Total Liabilities and members equity |
$ | 370,331 | $ | 427,820 | ||
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
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NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(UNAUDITED)
NOTE 1: BASIS OF PRESENTATION
The accompanying unaudited interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Annual Report on Form 10-K of West Penn Funding LLC (the Company) for the year ended December 31, 2002. The Company is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Allegheny Energy, Inc. (Allegheny).
The interim financial statements included herein have been prepared by the Company, without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles of the United States of America (GAAP) have been condensed or omitted, and management believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading.
In the opinion of management, the unaudited interim financial statements reflect all normal recurring adjustments which are necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, and 2002; cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2003, and 2002; and financial position at September 30, 2003, and December 31, 2002.
NOTE 2: COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REVIEW
After Allegheny filed its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2002, Allegheny identified a miscalculation in its business segment information. Following the discovery of this miscalculation, and in light of Alleghenys prior restatements of reports filed with the SEC, Allegheny and the Company initiated a comprehensive review of its financial processes, records, and internal controls to ensure that its current and prior financial statements, including the financial statements of the Company, are fairly presented in accordance with GAAP.
NOTE 3: TRANSITION BONDS
In November 1999, the Company issued $600.0 million of Transition Bonds, Series 1999-A, Class A-1 through A-4. The Company used the proceeds from the Transition Bonds to purchase Intangible Transition Property (ITP) from West Penn Funding Corporation. The ITP and other assets of the Company collateralize the Transition Bonds. The principal balance of the Class A-1 series was paid in full on June 25, 2001.
Scheduled maturities and interest rates for the Transition Bonds at September 30, 2003, are:
(In thousands) |
Bond Rate |
Principal Balance |
Expected Final Payment Date |
Final Maturity Date | |||||||
Class A-2 |
6.630 | % | $ | 11,247 | December 26, 2003 * | December 26, 2005 | |||||
Class A-3 |
6.810 | % | 198,000 | September 25, 2006 | September 25, 2008 | ||||||
Class A-4 |
6.980 | % | 156,000 | June 25, 2008 | December 26, 2008 | ||||||
Total | 365,247 | ||||||||||
Current Maturities |
(74,551 | ) | |||||||||
Unamortized Discount |
(33 | ) | |||||||||
Transition Bonds, reclassified to current |
$ | 290,663 | |||||||||
* The Class A-2 6.630% Transition Bonds 2003 repayments were paid on their scheduled repayment due dates.
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The current maturities stated above are based on a combination of the expected final payment dates and scheduled repayments for the Class A-2 and Class A-3 Transition Bonds rather than the final maturity dates.
During the third quarter of 2003, the principal balance of the Transition Bonds was reduced to $365.2 million as a result of a $18.1 million repayment of Class A-2, 6.630% Transition Bonds. According to the agreement, principal payments will continue to be applied to Class A-2 until the issue is paid in full. Thereafter, principal payments will be applied to Class A-3 and Class A-4, respectively.
On the scheduled payment date in September, the Trustee made a quarterly payment of Bond principal, interest and related expenses. Payments and Intangible Transition Charge (ITC) collections were sufficient to pay interest of $6.6 million and the scheduled principal payment in the amount of $18.1 million.
The Company is required to file copies of its annual and quarterly reports as filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 with or for the debt holders. The Company is also required to deliver to the trustee under its indenture a certificate indicating that the Company has complied with all conditions and covenants under the agreement. On April 30, 2003, the Company provided certificates to the trustee under the indenture indicating that it was not in compliance with the covenants related to the Transition Bonds for filing its annual and quarterly reports. The covenant breaches with respect to the Transition Bonds are deemed defaults of the related agreements for the Companys financial reporting purposes in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 78 (SFAS No. 78), Classification of Obligations That Are Callable by the Creditor. Accordingly, the total debt related to the Transition Bonds, reclassified as current, was in the amount of $290.7 million. To date, none of the debt holders have provided the Company with any notices of default under the agreement. Such notices, if received, would allow the Company 30 days to cure its noncompliance before the debt holders could accelerate the due dates of the Transition Bonds.
The Company prepared its financial statements assuming that it will continue as a going concern. However, the Companys noncompliance with certain of its reporting obligations under its debt covenants and the resultant classification of the Transition Bonds as current has caused its independent auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, to issue a modified opinion on the 2002 financial statements within the 2002 Annual Report on Form 10-K that indicates there is substantial doubt about the Companys ability to continue as a going concern (a Going Concern opinion). The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the resolution of this uncertainty.
NOTE 4: SIGNIFICANT AGREEMENTS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Under an agreement between the Company and West Penn Power Company (West Penn) (the Servicing Agreement), West Penn, as Servicer, is required to manage and administer the ITP of the Company and to collect the ITC on behalf of the Company. The Company pays a maximum annual service fee of $1.25 million to West Penn. The Company recorded servicing fees of $0.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2003 and 2002. The Company recorded servicing fees of $0.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2003 and 2002.
At September 30, 2003, the Balance Sheet includes a receivable from West Penn of $14.9 million for ITC collections.
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The Company joins with Allegheny and its subsidiaries in filing a consolidated federal income tax return. The consolidated tax liability is allocated among the participants generally in proportion to the taxable income of each participant, except that no subsidiary pays tax in excess of its separate return tax liability.
ITEM 2. | MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (MD&A) |
The Notes to Financial Statements and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in the 2002 Annual Report on Form 10-K for West Penn Funding LLC (the Company) should be read in conjunction with the following Managements Discussion and Analysis information.
Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to historical information, this report contains a number of forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as anticipate, expect, project, intend, plan, believe, and words and terms of similar substance used in connection with any discussion of future plans, actions, or events identify forward-looking statements. These include statements with respect to:
| regulation and the status of retail electricity service in Pennsylvania; |
| regulatory action of the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission (Pennsylvania PUC) with respect to ITC; |
| sufficiency and recoverability of ITC revenues; |
| demand for energy; |
| results of operations; |
| regulatory matters; |
| internal controls and procedures and outstanding financial reporting obligations. |
Forward-looking statements involve estimates, expectations, and projections and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that actual results will not materially differ from expectations.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, the following:
| loss of revenue due to changes in usage, delinquencies, write-offs, or regulatory action of the Pennsylvania PUC; |
| changes in laws and regulations in Pennsylvania; |
| inaccuracies of projections; |
| delays in payment by customers; |
| changes in rate schedules or payment terms related to the collection of ITC revenues in Pennsylvania by West Penn Power Company (West Penn); |
| changes in billing policies and practices by West Penn; |
| general economic and business conditions; |
| the continuing effects of global instability, terrorism, and war; |
| changes in the weather and other natural phenomena; and |
| the effect of accounting policies issued periodically by accounting standard-setting bodies. |
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New Accounting Pronouncements
The Company expects that various new accounting pronouncements, effective in 2003, will not have a significant impact on its financial statements.
Review of Operations
The Company is a Delaware limited liability company whose sole member is West Penn Funding Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of West Penn. In November 1999, the Company issued Transition Bonds and transferred the proceeds in exchange for all rights, title, and interest in the Intangible Transition Property (ITP) from West Penn Funding Corporation.
Transition Bond principal, interest, fees, and funding of overcollateralization will be recovered through Intangible Transition Charges (ITC) payable by retail customers within West Penns service territory who receive electric delivery service from West Penn.
During the three months ended September 30, 2003, the Company recorded $26.77 million ITC revenue and $0.03 million interest income. The Company recorded $6.56 million interest expense on the Transition Bonds, amortized $0.21 million debt issuance expenses and discounts, and incurred $0.32 million servicing fees and $0.02 million other administrative expenses, and recorded $19.7 million ITP amortization.
In comparison, during the three months ended September 30, 2002, the Company recorded $27.59 million ITC revenue and $0.04 million interest income. The Company accrued $7.79 million interest expense on the Transition Bonds, amortized $0.24 million debt issuance expenses and discounts, incurred $0.32 million servicing fees and $0.02 million other administrative expenses, and recorded $19.27 million ITP amortization.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2003, the Company recorded $81.62 million ITC revenue and $0.11 million interest income. The Company recorded $20.65 million interest expense on the Transition Bonds, amortized $0.65 million debt issuance expenses and discounts, incurred $0.94 million servicing fees and $0.08 million other administrative expenses, and recorded $59.41 million ITP amortization.
In comparison, during the nine months ended September 30, 2002, the Company recorded $79.50 million ITC revenue and $0.11 million interest income. The Company recorded $24.25 million interest expense on the Transition Bonds, amortized $0.78 million debt issuance expenses and discounts, incurred $0.93 million servicing fees and $0.07 million other administrative expenses, and recorded $53.83 million ITP amortization.
West Penn as, Servicer, remitted to the Trustee $26.0 million of ITC collections for the period covering June, July, and August of 2003. The ITC collections for September 2003 are reflected in revenues for the third quarter of 2003 with a corresponding receivable from West Penn at September 30, 2003. ITC collections for June 2003 are reflected in second quarter revenues, with a corresponding receivable from West Penn at June 30, 2003.
As discussed in the 2002 Annual Report on Form 10-K, Item 7, Cash Flow, West Penn, as Servicer, remitted to the Trustee a total of $105.6 million of ITC collections during 2002. Payments and ITC collections were sufficient to pay interest of $31.8 million and principal payments in the amount of $70.3 million for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2002.
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During the second quarter ended June 30, 2002, principal payments were scheduled at $18.4 million, with principal payments issued at $18.3 million, creating a year to date shortfall of $0.1 million. During the third quarter ended September 30, 2002, principal payments were scheduled at $17.0 million, with principal payments issued at $17.1 million, which offset the shortfall created in the prior quarter. The scheduled principal payments were issued in full for the first and fourth quarters of 2002. The shortfall at June 30, 2002, did not constitute an event of default under the Indenture.
In accordance with the Qualified Rate Order for prior years, in order to reconcile under-collections and to recover expected interest and principal payments, fees, or expenses expected in 2003, West Penn, as Servicer, filed a request for an adjustment to the ITC with the Pennsylvania PUC on December 10, 2002. On December 19, 2002, the Pennsylvania PUC approved West Penns request and allowed West Penn to recover the required ITC amounts in rates effective January 1, 2003. West Penn has made its initial filing on October 1, 2003, in connection with its 2003 adjustment request for rates to become effective in 2004. The PUC approved West Penns request on December 18, 2003.
The Company is required to file copies of its annual and quarterly reports as filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 with or for the debt holders. The Company is also required to deliver to the trustee under its indenture a certificate indicating that the Company has complied with all conditions and covenants under the agreement. On April 30, 2003, the Company provided certificates to the trustee under the indenture indicating that it was not in compliance with the covenants related to the Transition Bonds for filing its annual and quarterly reports. The covenant breaches with respect to the Transition Bonds are deemed defaults of the related agreements for the Companys financial reporting purposes in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 78 (SFAS No. 78), Classification of Obligations That Are Callable by the Creditor. Accordingly, the total debt related to the Transition Bonds, reclassified as current, was in the amount of $290.7 million. To date, none of the debt holders have provided the Company with any notices of default under the agreement. Such notices, if received, would allow the Company 30 days to cure its noncompliance before the debt holders could accelerate the due dates of the Transition Bonds.
The Company prepared its financial statements assuming that it will continue as a going concern. However, the Companys noncompliance with certain of its reporting obligations under its debt covenants and the resultant classification of the Transition Bonds as current has caused its independent auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, to issue a modified opinion on the 2002 financial statements contained within the 2002 Annual Report on Form 10-K that indicates there is substantial doubt about the Companys ability to continue as a going concern (a Going Concern opinion). The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the resolution of this uncertainty.
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
The Companys exposure to market risk is de minimis.
Exposure to regulatory risks could be affected by inaccurate estimates of future revenue requirements necessary to meet debt obligations as filed in the annual adjustment requests or unforeseen changes in the Pennsylvania Competition Act or West Penns Qualified Rate Order.
ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
After Allegheny filed its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2002, Allegheny identified a miscalculation in its business segment information. Following the discovery of this miscalculation and in light of
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Alleghenys prior restatements of reports filed with the SEC, Allegheny initiated a comprehensive review of its financial processes, records, and internal controls to ensure that its current and prior financial statements, including the financial statements of the Company, are fairly presented in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles of the United States of America. As a result, Allegheny and the Company identified numerous accounting errors, including certain accounting errors related to financial statements of the Company.
Allegheny, including the Company, for itself and its subsidiaries, has implemented corrective actions to mitigate the risk that its internal control deficiencies could lead to material misstatements in the financial statements filed as part of this Form 10-Q. Allegheny developed and implemented a plan to perform significant additional procedures designed to mitigate the effects of the deficiencies in internal controls and hired outside professional services firms to assist in the performance of the additional procedures.
To address the weaknesses identified in Alleghenys and the Companys internal controls and disclosure practices, as discussed in Note 2 to the Companys financial statements filed in its 2002 Annual Report on Form 10-K, Allegheny and the Company substantially augmented and revised its procedures in connection with the preparation of this report. These augmented procedures involved the creation of a formal drafting group to comprehensively review, revise, and update disclosure over an iterative process. This exercise also involved a heightened degree of direct involvement by senior officers, including the Principal Executive Officer of the Company. The principal elements of these augmented procedures have formed the basis for the Companys written disclosure controls and procedures applicable to periodic reports and certain public communications.
Allegheny and the Company have created a Disclosure Committee, which is chaired by Alleghenys General Counsel and is currently comprised of executives, including Alleghenys Chief Risk Officer, Vice President and Controller, Director of Audit Services, and Manager, Communications, as well as the senior officers responsible for Alleghenys segments. The Disclosure Committees principal functions are to establish, maintain, monitor and evaluate Alleghenys and its subsidiaries written disclosure controls and procedures and to supervise and coordinate the preparation of their periodic reports and certain other public communications.
Following its formation, the Disclosure Committee adopted formal written disclosure controls and procedures. These newly adopted disclosure controls and procedures will be applicable to Alleghenys and the Companys periodic reports and certain public communications.
The Disclosure Committee, with the participation of the Companys management, including the Companys Principal Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, reviewed the augmented procedures implemented by Allegheny and the Company in connection with the preparation of this report and found them to be satisfactory. However, until Allegheny completes the actions described above to achieve improvements in its internal controls, Allegheny and the Company intend to devote additional resources to ensure that its public disclosures are accurate.
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None
ITEM 2. CHANGES IN SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
None
ITEM 3. DEFAULT UPON SENIOR SECURITIES
None
ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
None
None
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ITEM 6. EXHIBITS AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K
(a) Exhibits
Exhibit 31.1 |
Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under Securities Exchange Act of 1934 | |
Exhibit 31.2 |
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under Securities Exchange Act of 1934 | |
Exhibit 32.1 |
Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |
Exhibit 32.2 |
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |
Exhibit 99 |
Quarterly Servicers Certificates |
(b) Reports on Form 8-K
No reports on Form 8-K were filed on behalf of the Company for the quarter ended September 30, 2003.
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Pursuant to the requirements 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.
WEST PENN FUNDING LLC
/s/ Regis F. Binder
Regis F. Binder, President,
Chief Financial Officer and
Principal Executive Officer
January 23, 2004
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