form10k.htm
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
_________
FORM
10-K
_________
|
x
|
ANNUAL
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
|
For
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009
|
¨
|
TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
|
For
the transition period from ________ to ________
_________
DYNEGY
INC.
DYNEGY
HOLDINGS INC.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
|
Commission
|
State
of
|
I.R.S.
Employer
|
Entity
|
File Number
|
Incorporation
|
Identification No.
|
Dynegy
Inc.
|
001-33443
|
Delaware
|
20-5653152
|
Dynegy
Holdings Inc.
|
000-29311
|
Delaware
|
94-3248415
|
|
|
|
|
1000
Louisiana, Suite 5800
|
|
|
|
Houston,
Texas
|
|
|
77002
|
(Address
of principal
|
|
|
(Zip
Code)
|
executive
offices)
|
|
|
|
(713)
507-6400
(Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code)
_________
Securities
registered pursuant to Section12(b) of the Act:
Title
of each class
|
|
Name
of each exchange on which registered
|
Dynegy’s
Class A common stock, $0.01 par value
|
|
New
York Stock Exchange
|
Securities
registered pursuant to Section12(g) of the Act:
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in
Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
|
Dynegy
Inc.
|
Yes
x No ¨
|
|
|
Dynegy
Holdings Inc.
|
Yes
¨ No x
|
|
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to
Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
|
Dynegy
Inc.
|
Yes
¨ No x
|
|
|
Dynegy
Holdings Inc
|
Yes
¨ No x
|
|
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.
|
Dynegy
Inc.
|
Yes
x No ¨
|
|
|
Dynegy
Holdings Inc
|
Yes
x No ¨
|
|
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on
its corporate web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required be
submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this
chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required to submit and post such files).
|
Dynegy
Inc.
|
Yes
¨ No ¨
|
|
|
Dynegy
Holdings Inc
|
Yes
¨ No ¨
|
|
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.
|
Dynegy
Inc.
|
x
|
|
Dynegy
Holdings Inc.
|
x
|
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.
|
|
Large
accelerated filer
|
Accelerated
filer
|
Non-accelerated
filer (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
|
Smaller
reporting company
|
|
Dynegy
Inc.
|
x
|
¨
|
¨
|
¨
|
|
Dynegy
Holdings Inc.
|
¨
|
¨
|
x
|
¨
|
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
|
Dynegy
Inc.
|
Yes
¨ No x
|
|
|
Dynegy
Holdings Inc.
|
Yes
¨ No x
|
|
As of
June 30, 2009, the aggregate market value of the Dynegy Inc. common stock held
by non-affiliates of the registrant was $1,144,695,131 based on the closing sale
price as reported on the New York Stock Exchange.
Number of shares outstanding of each of
the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date: For
Dynegy Inc., Class A common stock, $0.01 par value per share, 601,240,118 shares outstanding as of February 19,
2010; Class B common stock, $0.01 par value, zero shares outstanding as of
February 19, 2010. All of Dynegy Holdings Inc.’s outstanding common stock
is owned indirectly by Dynegy Inc.
This
combined Form 10-K is separately filed by Dynegy Inc. and Dynegy Holdings
Inc. Information contained herein relating to any individual
registrant is filed by such registrant on its own behalf. Each
registrant makes no representation as to information relating to a registrant
other than itself.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY
REFERENCE-Dynegy Inc. Part III (Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14)
incorporates by reference portions of the Notice and Proxy Statement for the
registrant’s 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which the registrant intends
to file not later than 120 days after December 31, 2009.
REDUCED DISCLOSURE FORMAT-Dynegy
Holdings Inc. Dynegy Holdings Inc. meets the conditions set
forth in General Instruction (I)(1)(a) and (b) of Form 10-K and therefore is
filing this Form 10-K with the reduced disclosure format.
DYNEGY INC. and DYNEGY HOLDINGS INC.
FORM
10-K
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
|
Page
|
|
PART
I
|
|
|
2
|
Item
1.
|
|
4
|
Item
1A.
|
|
22
|
Item
1B.
|
|
32
|
Item
2.
|
|
32
|
Item
3.
|
|
32
|
Item
4.
|
|
32
|
|
|
|
|
PART
II
|
|
Item
5.
|
|
33
|
Item
6.
|
|
37
|
Item
7.
|
|
40
|
Item
7A.
|
|
86
|
Item
8.
|
|
89
|
Item
9.
|
|
89
|
Item
9A.
|
|
89
|
|
|
91
|
Item
9B.
|
|
92
|
|
|
|
|
PART
III
|
|
Item
10.
|
|
93
|
Item
11.
|
|
93
|
Item
12.
|
|
93
|
Item
13.
|
|
93
|
Item
14.
|
|
94
|
|
|
|
|
PART
IV
|
|
Item
15.
|
|
95
|
|
103
|
EXPLANATORY
NOTE
This
report includes the combined filing of Dynegy Inc. (“Dynegy”) and Dynegy
Holdings Inc. (“DHI”). DHI is the principal subsidiary of Dynegy,
providing approximately 100 percent of Dynegy’s total consolidated revenue for
the year ended December 31, 2009 and constituting approximately 100 percent of
Dynegy’s total consolidated asset base as of December 31, 2009.
Unless
the context indicates otherwise, throughout this report, the terms “the
Company”, “we”, “us”, “our” and “ours” are used to refer to both Dynegy and DHI
and their direct and indirect subsidiaries. Discussions or areas of
this report that apply only to Dynegy or DHI are clearly noted in such
discussions or areas.
DEFINITIONS
As used
in this Form 10-K, the abbreviations listed below have the following
meanings:
ANPR
|
Advanced
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
|
APB
|
Accounting
Principles Board
|
APIC
|
Additional
Paid-in-Capital
|
ARB
|
Accounting
Research Bulletin
|
ARO
|
Asset
retirement obligation
|
BACT
|
Best
Available Control Technology (air)
|
BART
|
Best
Available Retrofit Technology
|
BTA
|
Best
technology available (water intake)
|
CAA
|
Clean
Air Act
|
CAIR
|
Clean
Air Interstate Rule
|
CAISO
|
The
California Independent System Operator
|
CAMR
|
Clean
Air Mercury Rule
|
CARB
|
California
Air Resources Board
|
CAVR
|
The
Clean Air Visibility Rule
|
CCB
|
Coal
combustion byproducts
|
CERCLA
|
The
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of
1980, as amended
|
CO2
|
Carbon
dioxide
|
CO2e
|
The
climate change potential of other GHGs relative to the global warming
potential of CO2
|
COSO
|
Committee
of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission
|
CRM
|
Our
former customer risk management business segment
|
CWA
|
Clean
Water Act
|
CUSA
|
Chevron
U.S.A. Inc.
|
DHI
|
Dynegy
Holdings Inc., Dynegy’s primary financing subsidiary
|
DMSLP
|
Dynegy
Midstream Services L.P.
|
DMT
|
Dynegy
Marketing and Trade
|
DNE
|
Dynegy
Northeast Generation
|
EAB
|
The
Environmental Appeals Board of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency
|
EBITDA
|
Earnings
before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization
|
EITF
|
Emerging
Issues Task Force
|
EPA
|
United
States Environmental Protection Agency
|
ERISA
|
The
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended
|
EWG
|
Exempt
Wholesale Generator
|
FASB
|
Financial
Accounting Standards Board
|
FCM
|
Forward
Capacity Market
|
FERC
|
Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission
|
FIN
|
FASB
Interpretation
|
FIP
|
Federal
Implementation Plan
|
FSP
|
FASB
Staff Position
|
FTC
|
U.S.
Federal Trade Commission
|
FTR
|
Financial
Transmission Rights
|
GAAP
|
Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles of the United States of
America
|
GEN
|
Our
power generation business
|
GEN-MW
|
Our
power generation business—Midwest segment
|
GEN-NE
|
Our
power generation business—Northeast segment
|
GEN-WE
|
Our
power generation business—West segment
|
GHG
|
Greenhouse
gas
|
HAPs
|
Hazardous
air pollutants, as defined by the Clean Air Act
|
ICAP
|
Installed
capacity
|
ICC
|
Illinois
Commerce Commission
|
IMA
|
In-Market
Availability
|
IRS
|
Internal
Revenue Service
|
ISO
|
Independent
System Operator
|
ISO-NE
|
Independent
System Operator—New England
|
LMP
|
Locational
Marginal Pricing
|
LNG
|
Liquefied
natural gas
|
LPG
|
Liquefied
petroleum gas
|
LTIP
|
Long-Term
Incentive Plan
|
MACT
|
Maximum
Available Control Technology
|
MISO
|
Midwest
Independent Transmission System Operator
|
MGGA
|
Midwest
Greenhouse Gas Accord
|
MGGRP
|
Midwestern
Greenhouse Reduction Program
|
MMBtu
|
Millions
of British thermal units
|
MRTU
|
Market
Redesign and Technology Upgrade
|
MW
|
Megawatts
|
MWh
|
Megawatt
hour
|
NERC
|
North
American Electric Reliability Council
|
NGL
|
Our
natural gas liquids business segment
|
NOL
|
Net
operating loss
|
NOx
|
Nitrogen
oxide
|
NPDES
|
National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
|
NYISO
|
New
York Independent System Operator
|
NYDEC
|
New
York Department of Environmental Conservation
|
OCI
|
Other
Comprehensive Income
|
OTC
|
Over-the-counter
|
PCAOB
|
Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States)
|
PJM
|
PJM
Interconnection, LLC
|
PPA
|
Power
purchase agreement
|
PPEA
|
Plum
Point Energy Associates
|
PRB
|
Powder
River Basin coal
|
PSD
|
Prevention
of Significant Deterioration
|
PURPA
|
The
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978
|
QF
|
Qualifying
Facility
|
RCRA
|
The
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as
amended
|
RGGI
|
Regional
Greenhouse Gas Initiative
|
RMR
|
Reliability
Must Run
|
RPM
|
Reliability
Pricing Model
|
RTO
|
Regional
Transmission Organization
|
SCEA
|
Sandy
Creek Energy Associates, LP
|
SCH
|
Sandy
Creek Holdings, LLC
|
SEC
|
U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission
|
SFAS
|
Statement
of Financial Accounting Standards
|
SIP
|
State
Implementation Plan
|
SO2
|
Sulfur
dioxide
|
SPDES
|
State
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
|
VaR
|
Value
at Risk
|
VIE
|
Variable
Interest Entity
|
VLGC
|
Very
large gas carrier
|
WAPA
|
Western
Area Power Administration
|
WCI
|
Western
Climate Initiative
|
WECC
|
Western
Electricity Coordinating
Council
|
THE
COMPANY
We are
holding companies and conduct substantially all of our business operations
through our subsidiaries. Our primary business is the production and
sale of electric energy, capacity and ancillary services from our fleet of
eighteen operating power plants in six states totaling approximately 12,300 MW
of generating capacity.
Dynegy
began operations in 1985. DHI is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Dynegy. Dynegy became incorporated in the State of Delaware in
2007. Our principal executive office is located at 1000 Louisiana
Street, Suite 5800, Houston, Texas 77002, and our telephone number at that
office is (713) 507-6400.
We file
annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements (for Dynegy) and other
information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document we file
at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street N.E., Room 1580, Washington,
D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further
information on the SEC’s Public Reference Room. Our SEC filings are
also available to the public at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. No
information from such web site is incorporated by reference
herein. Our SEC filings are also available free of charge on our web
site at www.dynegy.com,
as soon as reasonably practicable after those reports are filed with or
furnished to the SEC. The contents of our website are not intended to
be, and should not be considered to be, incorporated by reference into this Form
10-K.
We sell
electric energy, capacity and ancillary services on a wholesale basis from our
power generation facilities. Energy is the actual output of
electricity and is measured in MWh. The capacity of a power
generation facility is its electricity production capability, measured in
MW. Wholesale electricity customers will, for reliability reasons and
to meet regulatory requirements, contract for rights to capacity from generating
units. Ancillary services are the products of a power generation
facility that support the transmission grid operation, follow real-time changes
in load and provide emergency reserves for major changes to the balance of
generation and load. We sell these products individually or in
combination to our customers under short-, medium- and long-term contractual
agreements or tariffs.
Our
customers include RTOs and ISOs, integrated utilities, municipalities, electric
cooperatives, transmission and distribution utilities, industrial customers,
power marketers, financial participants such as banks and hedge funds, other
power generators and commercial end-users. All of our products are
sold on a wholesale basis for various lengths of time from hourly to multi-year
transactions. Some of our customers, such as municipalities or
integrated utilities, purchase our products for resale in order to serve their
retail, commercial and industrial customers. Other customers, such as
some power marketers, may buy from us to serve their own wholesale or retail
customers or as a hedge against power sales they have made.
Our
Power Generation Portfolio
Our
current operating generating facilities are as follows:
Facility
|
|
Total Net Generating Capacity
(MW)(1)
|
|
Primary
Fuel Type
|
Dispatch
Type
|
Location
|
Region
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Baldwin
|
|
|
1,800 |
|
Coal
|
Baseload
|
Baldwin,
IL
|
MISO
|
Kendall
|
|
|
1,200 |
|
Gas
|
Intermediate
|
Minooka,
IL
|
PJM
|
Ontelaunee
|
|
|
580 |
|
Gas
|
Intermediate
|
Ontelaunee
Township, PA
|
PJM
|
Havana Units
1-5
|
|
|
228 |
|
Oil
|
Peaking
|
Havana,
IL
|
MISO
|
Unit
6
|
|
|
441 |
|
Coal
|
Baseload
|
Havana,
IL
|
MISO
|
Hennepin
|
|
|
293 |
|
Coal
|
Baseload
|
Hennepin,
IL
|
MISO
|
Oglesby
|
|
|
63 |
|
Gas
|
Peaking
|
Oglesby,
IL
|
MISO
|
Stallings
|
|
|
89 |
|
Gas
|
Peaking
|
Stallings,
IL
|
MISO
|
Vermilion Units
1-2
|
|
|
164 |
|
Coal/Gas
|
Baseload
|
Oakwood,
IL
|
MISO
|
Unit 3
|
|
|
12 |
|
Oil
|
Peaking
|
Oakwood,
IL
|
MISO
|
Wood
River (2)
|
|
|
446 |
|
Coal
|
Baseload
|
Alton,
IL
|
MISO
|
Total
Midwest
|
|
|
5,316 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Moss
Landing Units 1-2
|
|
|
1,020 |
|
Gas
|
Intermediate
|
Monterey
County, CA
|
CAISO
|
Units
6-7
|
|
|
1,509 |
|
Gas
|
Peaking
|
Monterey
County, CA
|
CAISO
|
Morro
Bay (3)
|
|
|
650 |
|
Gas
|
Peaking
|
Morro
Bay, CA
|
CAISO
|
South
Bay (4)
|
|
|
309 |
|
Gas
|
Peaking
|
Chula
Vista, CA
|
CAISO
|
Oakland
|
|
|
165 |
|
Oil
|
Peaking
|
Oakland,
CA
|
CAISO
|
Black
Mountain (5)
|
|
|
43 |
|
Gas
|
Baseload
|
Las
Vegas, NV
|
WECC
|
Total
West
|
|
|
3,696 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Independence
|
|
|
1,064 |
|
Gas
|
Intermediate
|
Scriba,
NY
|
NYISO
|
Roseton
(6)
|
|
|
1,185 |
|
Gas/Oil
|
Peaking
|
Newburgh,
NY
|
NYISO
|
Casco
Bay
|
|
|
540 |
|
Gas
|
Intermediate
|
Veazie,
ME
|
ISO-NE
|
Danskammer Units1-2
|
|
|
123 |
|
Gas/Oil
|
Peaking
|
Newburgh,
NY
|
NYISO
|
Units
3-4 (6)
|
|
|
370 |
|
Coal/Gas
|
Baseload
|
Newburgh,
NY
|
NYISO
|
Total
Northeast
|
|
|
3,282 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total
Fleet Capacity
|
|
|
12,294 |
|
|
|
|
|
___________
(1)
|
Unit
capabilities are based on winter
capacity.
|
(2)
|
Represents
Units 4 and 5 generating capacity. Units 1-3, with a combined
net generating capacity of 119 MW, are currently in lay-up status and out
of operation
|
(3)
|
Represents
Units 3 and 4 generating capacity. Units 1 and 2, with a
combined net generating capacity of 352 MW, are currently in lay-up status
and out of operation.
|
(4)
|
Represents
Units 1 and 2 and the combustion turbine generating
capacity. Units 3 and 4, with a combined net generating
capacity of 395 MW, were permanently retired on December 31,
2009.
|
(5)
|
We
own a 50 percent interest in this facility. Total output
capacity of this facility is 85 MW.
|
(6)
|
We
lease the Roseton facility and Units 3 and 4 of the Danskammer facility
pursuant to a leveraged lease arrangement that is further described in
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Disclosure of
Contractual Obligations and Contingent Financial Commitments—Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements—DNE Leveraged
Lease.
|
Our
Strategy
Our
business strategy seeks to create stockholder value through:
|
·
|
a
diverse portfolio of power generation
assets;
|
|
·
|
a
diverse commercial strategy that includes buying and selling electric
energy, capacity and ancillary services either short-, medium- or
long-term and sales and purchases of emissions credits, fuel supplies and
transportation services. In addition, our short- and
medium-term strategy attempts to capture the extrinsic value inherent in
our portfolio. We seek to strike a balance between contracting
for short- and medium-term stability of earnings and cash flows while
maintaining unhedged volumes to capitalize on expected increases in
commodity prices in the longer
term;
|
|
·
|
safe,
low cost plant operations, with a focus on having our plants available and
“in the market” when it is economical to do so;
and
|
|
·
|
a
simple, flexible capital structure to support our business and commercial
operations and to position us to pursue industry consolidation
opportunities.
|
Maintain a
Diverse Portfolio to Capitalize on Market Opportunities and Mitigate
Risk. We operate a portfolio of generation assets that is
diversified in terms of dispatch profile, fuel type and
geography. Baseload generation is generally low-cost and economically
attractive to dispatch around the clock throughout the year. A
baseload facility is usually expected to run in excess of 70 percent of the
hours in a given year. Intermediate generation may not be as
efficient and/or economical as baseload generation, but is typically intended to
be dispatched during higher load times such as during daylight hours and
sometimes on weekends. Peaking generation is the least efficient and
highest cost generation, and is generally dispatched to serve load during the
highest load times such as hot summer and cold winter days.
Power
prices have significantly declined since the summer of 2008. This
decline reflects a similar decline in natural gas prices and the impact of
general economic conditions, including a recessionary environment that has
negatively impacted the demand for electricity. Despite these
effects, we continue to believe that, over the longer term, power demand and
power pricing should increase. As a result, we believe our
substantial coal-fired, baseload fleet should benefit from the impact of higher
power prices in the Midwest and Northeast, allowing us to capture higher margins
over time. We anticipate that our combined cycle units also should
benefit from increased run-times as heat rates expand, with improved margins and
cash flows as demand increases in our key markets.
In
addition, we believe that our portfolio of assets helps to mitigate certain
risks inherent in our business. For example, weather patterns,
regulatory regimes and commodity prices often differ by region and
state. By maintaining geographic diversity, we lessen the impact of
an individual risk in any one region and are better positioned to improve the
level and consistency of our earnings and cash flows.
Employ a Flexible
Commercial Strategy to Maintain Long-Term Market Upside Potential While
Protecting Against Downside Risks. We expect to see tightening
reserve margins through time in the regions in which our assets are
located. As these reserve margins tighten, we expect to see our
generating assets increase in value through improved cash flows and earnings as
capacity utilization and power prices improve. Given current market
pricing and conditions, we see limited long-term attractive commercial
arrangements.
We plan
to continue to volumetrically hedge the expected output from our facilities over
a rolling 1-3 year time frame with the goal of achieving an efficient balance of
risk and reward. Keeping the portfolio completely open and selling in
the day-ahead market, for instance, would force us to take weather and general
economic-related risks, as well as price risk of correlated
commodities. These risks can cause significant swings in financial
performance in any one year and are not consistent with our efforts to improve
predictability of short- and medium-term earnings and cash flows.
Our
commercial strategy seeks to balance the goal of protecting cash flow in the
short- and medium-term with maintaining the ability to capture value longer term
as markets tighten. In order to maximize the value of our assets, we
seek to capture intrinsic and extrinsic value. Opportunities to capture
extrinsic value - that is, value beyond that ascribed to our generating capacity
based solely on a current price strip - arise from time to time in the form of
price volatility, differences in counterparties' views of forward prices and
other activities. In order to execute our strategy, we utilize a wide range of
products and contracts such as power purchase agreements, fuel supply contracts,
capacity auctions, bilateral capacity contracts, power and natural gas swap
agreements, power, heat rate and natural gas options and other
financial instruments.
We also
seek to balance predictability of earnings and cash flow with achieving the
highest level of earnings and cash flow. Short-term market volatility
can negatively impact our profitability; we will seek to reduce those negative
impacts through the disciplined use of short- and medium-term forward economic
hedging instruments. Through the use of forward economic hedging
instruments, including various products and contracts such as options and swaps,
we seek to capture the extrinsic value inherent in our portfolio. Due
to a number of variables – including changes in correlations between gas and
power, time decay, changes in commodity prices, volatility and liquidity – we
intend to actively and continuously balance our asset and hedge
portfolios.
We expect
to engage in less economic hedging activity beyond a three-year time frame in
order to realize the anticipated benefit of improved market prices over time as
the supply and demand balance tightens.
We set
specific limits for “gross margin at risk” for our assets and economic
hedges. These limits require power hedging above minimum levels,
while requiring that corresponding fuel supplies are appropriately hedged as we
progress through time. We also specifically attempt to manage basis
risk to hubs that are not the natural sales hub for a facility and maintain
focus on optimizing the commercial factors that we can control and mitigating
commodity risk where appropriate and possible.
Operate Our
Assets Safely and Cost-Efficiently to Maximize Revenue Opportunities and
Operating Margins. We have a history of strong plant
operations and are committed to operating our facilities in a safe, reliable,
low-cost and environmentally compliant manner. By maintaining and
operating our assets in an effort to ensure plant availability, high dispatch
and capacity factors and an increased focus on operating and capital costs, we
believe we are positioned to capture opportunities in the marketplace
effectively and to maximize our operating margins.
Our power
generation facilities are managed to require a relatively predictable level of
maintenance capital expenditures without compromising operational
integrity. Our capital expenditures are applied to the maintenance of
our facilities to ensure their continued reliability and to investment in new
equipment for either environmental compliance or increasing
profitability. We seek to operate and maintain our generation fleet
efficiently and safely, with an eye toward increased reliability and
environmental stewardship. This increased reliability impacts our
results to the extent that our generation units are available during times that
it is economically sound to run. For units that are subject to
contracts for capacity, our ability to secure availability payments from
customers is dependent on plant availability.
Maintain a
Simple, Flexible Capital Structure that is Integrated with our Operating
Strategy. We believe that the power industry is a commodity
cyclical business with significant commodity price volatility and considerable
capital investment requirements. Thus, maximizing economic returns in
this market environment requires a capital structure that can withstand fuel and
power price volatility as well as a commercial strategy that seeks to capture
the value associated with both medium- and long-term price trends. We
seek to maintain a capital structure, including debt amounts and maturities,
debt covenants and overall liquidity, that is suitable for our commercial
strategy and the commodity cyclical market in which we operate.
SEGMENT
DISCUSSION
Our
business operations are focused primarily on the wholesale power generation
sector of the energy industry. We report the results of our power
generation business, based on geographical location and how we allocate our
resources, as three separate segments in our consolidated financial statements:
(i) GEN-MW, (ii) GEN-WE and (iii) GEN-NE. The results of our legacy
operations, including CRM, are included in Other. Our consolidated
financial results also reflect corporate-level expenses such as general and
administrative and interest. Please read Note 24—Segment Information
for further information regarding the financial results of our business
segments.
NERC Regions,
RTOs and ISOs. In discussing our business, we often refer to
NERC regions. The NERC and its eight regional reliability councils
(as of December 31, 2009) were formed to ensure the reliability and security of
the electricity system. The regional reliability councils set
standards for reliable operation and maintenance of power generation facilities
and transmission systems. For example, each NERC region establishes a
minimum operating reserve requirement to ensure there is sufficient generating
capacity to meet expected demand within its region. Each NERC region
reports seasonally and annually on the status of generation and transmission in
each region.
Separately,
RTOs and ISOs administer the transmission infrastructure and markets across a
regional footprint in most of the markets in which we operate. They
are responsible for dispatching all generation facilities in their respective
footprints and are responsible for both maximum utilization and reliable and
efficient operation of the transmission system. RTOs and ISOs
administer energy and ancillary service markets in the short-term, usually day
ahead and real-time markets. Several RTOs and ISOs also ensure
long-term planning reserves through monthly, semi-annual, annual and multi-year
capacity markets. The RTOs and ISOs that oversee most of the
wholesale power markets currently impose, and will likely continue to impose,
both bid and price limits. They may also enforce caps and other
mechanisms to guard against the exercise of market dominance in these
markets. NERC regions and RTOs/ISOs often have different geographic
footprints, and while there may be geographic overlap between NERC regions and
RTOs/ISOs, their respective roles and responsibilities do not generally
overlap.
In RTO
and ISO regions with centrally dispatched market structures, all generators
selling into the centralized market receive the same price for energy sold based
on the bid price associated with the production of the last MWh that is needed
to balance supply with demand within a designated zone or at a given location
(different zones or locations within the same RTO/ISO may produce different
prices respective to other zones within the same RTO/ISO due to losses and
congestion). For example, a less-efficient and/or less economical
natural gas-fired unit may be needed in some hours to meet demand. If
this unit’s production is required to meet demand on the margin, its bid price
will set the market clearing price that will be paid for all dispatched
generation (although the price paid at other zones or locations may vary because
of congestion and losses), regardless of the price that any other unit may have
offered into the market. In RTO and ISO regions with centrally
dispatched market structures and location-based marginal pricing clearing
structures (e.g. PJM, NYISO, and ISO-NE), generators will receive the
location-based marginal price for their output. The location-based
marginal price, absent congestion, would be the marginal price of the most
expensive unit needed to meet demand. In regions that are outside the
footprint of RTOs/ISOs, prices are determined on a bilateral basis between
buyers and sellers.
Market-Based
Rates. Our ability to charge market-based rates for wholesale
sales of electricity, as opposed to cost-based rates, is governed by
FERC. We have been granted market-based rate authority for wholesale
power sales from our EWG facilities, as well as wholesale power sales by our
power marketing entities, Dynegy Power Marketing Inc. and Dynegy Marketing and
Trade LLC. The Dynegy EWG facilities include all of our facilities
except our investments in Nevada Cogeneration Associates #2 (“Black Mountain”),
Allegheny Hydro No. 8 Ltd. and Allegheny Hydro No. 9, Ltd. These
facilities are known as QFs, and have various exemptions from federal regulation
and sell electricity directly to purchasers under negotiated and previously
approved power purchase agreements.
Our
market-based rate authority is predicated on a finding by FERC that our entities
with market-based rates do not have market power, and a market power analysis is
generally conducted once every three years for each region on a rolling basis
(known as the triennial market power review). The triennial market
power review for our MISO facilities was filed with the FERC in June
2009. The triennial market power review for our GEN-NE and PJM
facilities was filed at FERC in August 2008. FERC issued an order
accepting this filing in December 2008. The triennial market power
reviews for our GEN-WE facilities will be filed pursuant to a FERC established
schedule.
Power
Generation—Midwest Segment
GEN-MW is
comprised of eight facilities in Illinois and one in Pennsylvania with a total
generating capacity of 5,316 MW. As of December 31, 2009, GEN-MW
operated entirely within either the MISO or the PJM.
RTO/ISO
Discussion
MISO. The
MISO market includes all of Wisconsin and Michigan and portions of Ohio,
Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North
Dakota, Montana and Manitoba, Canada. As of December 31, 2009, we
owned seven power generating facilities that sell into the MISO market and are
located in Illinois, with an aggregate net generating capacity of 3,536 MW
within MISO.
The MISO
market is designed to ensure that every electric industry participant has access
to the grid and that no entity has the ability to deny access to a
competitor. MISO also manages the use of transmission lines to make
sure that they do not become overloaded. MISO operates physical and
financial energy markets using a system known as LMP, which calculates a price
for every generator and load point within MISO. This system is
“price-transparent”, allowing generators and load serving entities to see
real-time price effects of transmission constraints and impacts of generation
and load changes to prices at each point. MISO operates day-ahead and
real-time markets into which generators can offer to provide
energy. MISO does not administer a centralized capacity
market.
FTRs
allow users to manage the cost of transmission congestion (as measured by LMP
differentials, between source and sink points on the transmission grid) and
corresponding price differentials across the market area. MISO
implemented the Ancillary Services Market (Regulation and Operating Reserves) on
January 6, 2009 and implemented an enforceable Planning Reserve Margin for each
planning year effective June 1, 2009. A feature of the Ancillary
Services Market is the addition of scarcity pricing that, during supply
shortages, can raise the combined price of energy and ancillary services
significantly higher than the previous cap of $1,000/MWh. An
independent market monitor is responsible for ensuring that MISO markets are
operating competitively and without exercise of market power.
PJM. The
PJM market includes all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky,
Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee,
Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. As of December
31, 2009, we owned two generating facilities that sell into the PJM market and
are located in Illinois and Pennsylvania with an aggregate net generating
capacity of 1,780 MW.
PJM
administers markets for wholesale electricity and provides transmission planning
for the region, utilizing the LMP system described above. PJM
operates day-ahead and real-time markets into which generators can bid to
provide electricity and ancillary services. PJM also administers
markets for capacity. An independent market monitor continually
monitors PJM markets for any exercise of market power or improper behavior by
any entity. PJM implemented a forward capacity auction, the RPM,
which established long-term markets for capacity in 2007. In addition
to entering into bilateral capacity transactions, we have participated in RPM
base residual auctions through PJM’s planning year 2012-2013, which ends May 31,
2013, as well as ongoing incremental auctions to balance positions and offer
residual capacity that may become available.
PJM, like
MISO, dispatches power plants to meet system energy and reliability needs, and
settles physical power deliveries at LMPs. This value is determined
by an ISO-administered auction process, which evaluates and selects the least
costly supplier offers or bids to create reliable and least-cost
dispatch. The ISO-sponsored LMP energy markets consist of two
separate and characteristically distinct settlement time frames. The
first is a security-constrained, financially firm, day-ahead unit commitment
market. The second is a security-constrained, financially settled,
real-time dispatch and balancing market. Prices paid in these LMP
energy markets, however, are affected by, among other things, (i) market
mitigation measures, which can result in lower prices associated with certain
generating units that are mitigated because they are deemed to have the
potential to exercise locational market power, and (ii) existing $1,000/MWh
energy market price caps that are in place.
Contracted
Capacity and Energy
MISO. Power
prices in MISO are a significant driver of our overall financial performance due
to the fact that a significant portion of our total power generating capacity is
located in MISO and is attributable to coal-fired baseload units. We
commercialize these assets through a combination of bilateral physical and
financial power, fuel and capacity contracts.
PJM. Our
generation assets in PJM are natural gas-fired combined cycle intermediate
dispatch facilities. We commercialize these assets through a
combination of bilateral power, fuel and capacity contracts. We
commercialize our capacity through either the RPM auction or on a bilateral
basis. Additionally, as of December 31, 2009, approximately 280 MW of
capacity at our Kendall facility was contracted under a tolling agreement
through 2017. In January 2010, we executed an agreement to terminate
the tolling arrangement.
Regulatory
Considerations
In July
2007, legislative leaders in the State of Illinois announced a comprehensive
transitional rate relief package that significantly altered the power
procurement process and provided rate relief for electric
consumers. The rate relief program provided approximately $1 billion
to help provide assistance to utility customers in Illinois and fund the power
procurement agency. As part of this rate relief package,
we made payments totaling $25 million over a 29-month period with the
final payment made in 2009.
MISO. Actual
reserve margins are substantially above MISO’s current required reserve margin
of 15.4 percent and are increasing year over year, largely due to increased wind
generation capacity and decreased demand. The reserve margin based on
available capacity was 43.8 percent during the 2009 summer season as compared to
32 percent during the 2008 summer season.
PJM. Actual
reserve margins are somewhat above PJM’s current required installed reserve
margin of 15 percent and are decreasing year over year. The reserve
margin based on deliverable capacity was 19.67 percent for Planning Year 2009/10
as compared to 21.03 percent for Planning Year 2008/09. PJM’s
required installed reserve margin is increasing year over year, and will
increase to 15.5 percent for Planning Year 2010/11.
Construction
Project
Plum
Point. We own an approximate 37 percent interest in PPEA
Holding Company LLC (“PPEA Holding”), which, through its wholly owned
subsidiary, PPEA, owns an approximate 57 percent undivided interest in the Plum
Point Energy Station (the “Plum Point Project”), a 665 MW coal-fired power
generation facility under construction in Mississippi County,
Arkansas. The Plum Point Project is currently expected to commence
commercial operations in August 2010. All of PPEA’s 378 MW have been
contracted for an initial 30-year period. The PPAs provide for a
pass-through of commodity, fuel, transportation and emissions
expenses. We consider our interest in PPEA Holding a non-core asset
and intend to pursue alternatives regarding our remaining ownership
interest.
Power
Generation—West Segment
GEN-WE is
comprised of four natural gas-fired power generation facilities located in
California (3) and Nevada (1) and one fuel oil-fired power generation facility
located in California, totaling 3,696 MW of electric generating
capacity.
RTO/ISO
Discussion
CAISO. CAISO
covers approximately 90 percent of the State of California. At
December 31, 2009, we owned four generating facilities in California within
CAISO. The South Bay and Oakland facilities are designated as RMR
units by the CAISO.
Contracted
Capacity and Energy
CAISO. In
CAISO, where our assets include intermediate dispatch and peaking facilities, we
seek to mitigate spark spread variability through RMR, tolling arrangements and
physical and financial bilateral power and fuel contracts. All of the
capacity of our Moss Landing Units 6 and 7 and Morro Bay facility are contracted
under tolling arrangements through 2013. Our Oakland and South Bay
facilities operate under RMR contracts.
Regulatory
Considerations
CAISO. CAISO
launched its new market design, MRTU, in April 2009. MRTU provides
more effective and transparent congestion management and a day-ahead market that
co-optimizes energy and reserve procurement.
On the
state level, there are numerous other ongoing market initiatives that impact
wholesale generation, principally the development of resource adequacy rules and
capacity markets.
The CPUC
requires a Resources Adequacy margin of 15 to 17 percent. The actual
reserve margin generally moves within, or close to, this range but seasonal and
regional fluctuations exist.
Equity
Investment
Black
Mountain. We have a 50 percent indirect ownership interest in
the Black Mountain facility, which is a PURPA QF located near Las Vegas, Nevada,
in the WECC. Capacity and energy from this facility are sold to
Nevada Power Company under a long-term PURPA QF contract that runs to
2023.
Power
Generation—Northeast Segment
GEN-NE is
comprised of four facilities located in New York (3) and Maine (1), with a total
capacity of 3,282 MW. We own and operate the Independence, Casco Bay
and Danskammer Units 1 and 2 power generating facilities, and we operate the
Roseton and Danskammer Units 3 and 4 facilities under long-term lease
arrangements. Our Roseton and Danskammer facility sites are adjacent
and share common resources such as fuel handling, a docking terminal, personnel
and systems.
RTO/ISO
Discussion
The
market in which GEN-NE resides is characterized by two interconnected and
actively traded competitive markets: the NYISO (an ISO) and the ISO-NE (an
RTO). In the GEN-NE markets, load-serving entities generally lack
their own generation capacity, with much of the generation base aging and the
current ownership of the generation spread among several unaffiliated
operators. Thus, commodity prices are more volatile on an
as-delivered basis than in other regions due to the distance and occasional
physical constraints that impact the delivery of fuel into the
region.
Although
both RTOs/ISOs and their respective energy markets are functionally,
administratively and operationally independent, they follow, to a certain
extent, similar market designs. Both the NYISO and the ISO-NE
dispatch power plants to meet system energy and reliability needs and settle
physical power deliveries at LMPs as discussed above. The energy
markets in both the NYISO and ISO-NE also have defined, but different,
mitigation protocols for bidding.
In
addition to energy delivery, the NYISO and ISO-NE administer markets for
installed capacity, ancillary services and FTRs.
NYISO. The
NYISO market includes virtually the entire state of New York. At
December 31, 2009, we operated three facilities within NYISO with an aggregate
net generating capacity of 2,742 MW.
Capacity
pricing is calculated as a function of NYISO’s annual required reserve margin,
the estimated net cost of “new entrant” generation, estimated peak demand and
the actual amount of capacity bid into the market at or below the demand
curve. The demand curve mechanism provides for incrementally higher
capacity pricing at lower reserve margins, such that “new entrant” economics
become attractive as the reserve margin approaches required minimum
levels. The intent of the demand curve mechanism is to ensure that
existing generation has enough revenue to recover their investment when capacity
revenues are coupled with energy and ancillary service
revenues. Additionally, the demand curve mechanism is intended to
attract new investment in generation in the general sector in which it is needed
most when that new capacity is needed. To calculate the price and
quantity of installed capacity, three ICAP demand curves are utilized: one for
Long Island, one for New York City and one for Statewide (commonly referred to
as Rest of State). Our facilities operate in the Rest of State
market.
Due to
transmission constraints, energy prices vary across New York and are generally
higher in the Southeastern part of New York, where our Roseton and Danskammer
facilities are located, and in New York City and Long Island. Our
Independence facility is located in the Northwest part of the
state.
ISO-NE. The
ISO-NE market includes the six New England states of Vermont, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine. As of December
31, 2009, we owned and operated one power generating facility (Casco Bay) within
the ISO-NE, with an aggregate net generating capacity of 540
MW. ISO-NE is in the process of implementing a FCM as described in
more detail below.
Contracted
Capacity and Energy
NYISO. We
commercialize these assets through a combination of bilateral physical and
financial power, fuel and capacity contracts.
At our
Independence facility, 740 MW of capacity is contracted under a capacity sales
agreement that runs through 2014. Revenue from this capacity
obligation is largely fixed with a variable discount that varies each month
based on the LMP at Pleasant Valley. Additionally, we supply steam
and up to 44 MW of electric energy from our Independence facility to a third
party at a fixed price.
For the
uncommitted portion of our NYISO fleet, due to the standard capacity market
operated by NYISO and liquid over-the-counter market for NYISO capacity
products, we are able to sell substantially all of our remaining capacity into
the market. This provides relatively stable capacity revenues at
market prices from our facilities in the short-term and is expected to for the
foreseeable future.
ISO-NE. Three
forward capacity auctions have been held to date with capacity clearing prices
ranging from $4.50 kW/month for the 2010/2011 market period to $2.95 kW/month
for the 2012/2013 market period. These capacity clearing prices
represent the floor price and the actual rate paid to market participants that
were affected by pro-rationing due to oversupply conditions. The
delivery of capacity under the forward capacity market will be fully effective
on June 1, 2010.
Regulatory
Considerations
NYISO. The
actual amount of installed capacity is somewhat above NYISO’s current required
margin of 16.5 percent. FERC recently accepted a proposed increase in
the required reserve margin to 18 percent in the New York Control Area, which is
effective for the period of May 2010 through April 2011. This
increase will require load-serving entities to procure more capacity relative to
the load forecast; however, due to lower demand related to, among other things,
weakness in the overall economy, the increase will likely result in little or no
change in the capacity market.
ISO-NE. The
ISO-NE is in the process of restructuring its capacity market and will be
transitioning from a fixed payment structure to a forward capacity structure
where capacity prices are determined through auctions. The delivery
of capacity under the forward capacity market will be fully effective June 1,
2010. Discussions to address improvements with the forward capacity
market design are currently underway by the ISO and its
stakeholders.
The
actual amount of installed capacity is significantly above the ISO-NE’s current
installed Capacity Requirement of 9.9%. ISO-NE, similar to other
periods, has proposed an installed Capacity Requirement of 9.7% for the period
of June 2010 through May 2011, which was accepted by FERC in February
2009. Generator additions, combined with increased demand response
participation in the capacity market and weakness in the overall economy, will
exert downward pressure on the capacity market.
Other
Corporate
governance roles and functions, which are managed on a consolidated basis, and
specialized support functions such as finance, accounting, commercial, risk
control, tax, legal, regulatory, human resources, administration and information
technology, are included in Other in our segment reporting. Corporate
general and administrative expenses, income taxes and interest expenses are also
included, as are corporate-related other income and expense
items. Results for our legacy CRM operations, which primarily consist
of a minimal number of power and natural gas trading positions, are also
included in Other.
ENVIRONMENTAL
MATTERS
Our
business is subject to extensive federal, state and local laws and regulations
governing discharge of materials into the environment. We are
committed to operating within these regulations and to conducting our business
in an environmentally responsible manner. The environmental, legal
and regulatory landscape is subject to change and has become more stringent over
time. The process for acquiring or maintaining permits or otherwise
complying with applicable rules and regulations may create unprofitable or
unfavorable operating conditions or require significant capital and operating
expenditures. Any failure to acquire or maintain permits or to
otherwise comply with applicable rules and regulations may result in fines and
penalties or negatively impact our ability to advance projects in a timely
manner, if at all. Further, changed interpretations of existing
regulations may subject historical maintenance, repair and replacement
activities at our facilities to claims of noncompliance.
Our
aggregate expenditures (both capital and operating) for compliance with laws and
regulations related to the protection of the environment were approximately $320
million in 2009 compared to approximately $245 million in 2008 and approximately
$108 million in 2007. The 2009 expenditures include approximately
$260 million for projects related to our Midwest Consent Decree (which is
discussed below) compared to $215 million for Midwest Consent Decree projects in
2008. We estimate that total environmental expenditures in 2010 will
be approximately $235 million, including approximately $200 million in capital
expenditures and approximately $35 million in operating
expenditures. Changes in environmental regulations or outcomes of
litigation and administrative proceedings could result in additional
requirements that would necessitate increased future spending and could create
adverse operating conditions. Please read Note 21—Commitments and
Contingencies for further discussion of this matter.
Climate
Change
For the
last several years, there has been a robust public debate about climate change
and the potential for regulations requiring lower emissions of GHG, primarily
CO2
and methane. We believe that the focus of any federal program
attempting to address climate change should include three critical, interrelated
elements: (i) the environment, (ii) the economy and (iii) energy
security.
We cannot
confidently predict the final outcome of the current debate on climate change
nor can we predict with confidence the ultimate requirements of proposed or
anticipated federal and state legislation and regulations intended to address
climate change. These activities, and the highly politicized nature
of climate change, suggest a trend toward increased regulation of
CO2 that could result in
a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and
cash flows. Existing and anticipated federal and state regulations
intended to address climate change may significantly increase the cost of
providing electric power, resulting in far-reaching and significant impacts on
us and others in the power generation industry over time. It is
possible that federal and state actions intended to address climate change could
result in costs assigned to GHG emissions
that we would not be able to fully recover through market pricing or
otherwise. If capital and/or operating costs related to compliance
with regulations intended to address climate change become great enough to
render the operations of certain plants uneconomical, we could, at our option
and subject to any applicable financing agreements or other obligations, reduce
operations or cease to operate such plants and forego such capital and/or
operating costs.
Power
generating facilities are a major source of GHG emissions – in 2009, our
facilities in GEN-MW, GEN-WE and GEN-NE emitted approximately 22.1 million, 3.7
million and 5.8 million tons of CO2,
respectively. The amounts of CO2 emitted
from our facilities during any time period will depend upon their dispatch rates
during the period.
Though we
consider our largest risk related to climate change to be legislative and
regulatory changes intended to slow or prevent it, we are subject to physical
risks inherent in industrial operations including severe weather events such as
hurricanes and tornadoes. To the extent that changes in climate
effect changes in weather patterns (such as more severe weather events) or
changes in sea level where we have generating facilities, we could be adversely
affected. To the extent that climate change results in changes in sea
level, we would expect such effects to be gradual and amenable to
structural mitigation during the useful life of the
facilities. However, if this is not the case it is possible that we
would be impacted in an adverse way, potentially materially so. We
could experience both risks and opportunities as a result of related physical
impacts. For example, more extreme weather patterns – namely, a
warmer summer or a cooler winter – could increase demand for our
products. However, we also could experience more
difficult operating conditions in that type of environment. We
maintain various types of insurance in amounts we consider appropriate for risks
associated with weather events.
Federal
Legislation Regarding Greenhouse Gases. Several bills have
been introduced in Congress since 2003 that if passed would compel reductions in
CO2
emissions from power plants, but only recently has a proposed bill
received majority support in the U.S. House of Representatives or U.S.
Senate. In June 2009, the House of Representatives passed the
American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (“H.R. 2454”). Title
III of H.R. 2454 would add a new Title VII to the CAA creating a Global Warming
Pollution Reduction Program. H.R. 2454 would also create a national
cap-and-trade program aimed at reducing CO2 emissions
to three percent below 2005 levels by 2012, 17 percent below 2005 levels by
2020, 42 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 and 83 percent below 2005 levels by
2050.
Several
bills have been introduced in the Senate; one bill similar to H.R. 2454, S.
1733, has been passed by the Senate Environment and Public Works
Committee.
Federal
Regulation of Greenhouse Gases. Recent court decisions and
interpretations of the CAA by the EPA have added complexity to the national
debate over the appropriate regulatory mechanisms for controlling and reducing
CO2
emissions. In April 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision
in Massachusetts v.
EPA, a case involving the regulation of GHG emissions from new motor
vehicles. The Court ruled that GHGs meet the definition of a
pollutant under the CAA and that regulation of GHG emissions is authorized by
the CAA. The Court ruled that the EPA had a duty to determine whether
or not GHG emissions from motor vehicles might reasonably be anticipated to
endanger public health or welfare within the meaning of the CAA. In
July 2008, the EPA issued an ANPR on Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions Under
the Clean Air Act. The ANPR sought comment on a wide range of issues
related to regulation of GHG under the present CAA. The then
Administrator of the EPA expressed his opinion in the ANPR that the CAA was
“ill-suited for the task of regulating” GHG.
With the
change in administration following the 2008 Presidential election, many policies
and interpretations of environmental laws and regulations by the former
administration are being reevaluated. In response to the ruling
in Massachusetts v.
EPA, the new Administrator of the EPA issued a proposed finding in April
2009 that GHG emissions from motor vehicles cause or contribute to air pollution
that endangers the public health and welfare. After a comment period,
the new Administrator of the EPA issued a final endangerment finding under
Section 202(a) of the CAA in December 2009. The decision found that
six GHGs in the atmosphere may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public
health and welfare. Subsequently, petitions for administrative
reconsideration of EPA’s endangerment finding were filed, and
sixteen petitions for review of the final EPA action have been filed
in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia by organizations
representing industry, an organization representing nine members of Congress,
and by the states of Alabama, Texas and Virginia.
In
anticipation of its final endangerment finding, the EPA issued several proposed
rules concerning GHGs in September 2009:
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The
EPA and the U.S. Department of Transportation proposed a joint rule that
would regulate GHG emissions from passenger cars and light trucks under
Section 202(a) of the CAA. While this proposed rule will not
directly affect us, if it becomes final it may render GHGs, including
CO2,
“subject to regulation” under the CAA, potentially triggering the
requirements of the PSD program including the requirement to implement
BACT for control of CO2 for
new and modified stationary sources such as power
plants.
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The
EPA released its final rule requiring mandatory reporting of GHG emissions
from all sectors of the economy. This rule requires that
certain sources, including our power generating facilities, monitor and
report GHG emissions. The rule went into effect in January 2010
and requires that reports of GHG emissions be filed annually
thereafter. We have implemented new processes and procedures to
report these emissions as required and intend to comply with this
rule.
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The
EPA proposed to “phase in” new GHG emissions applicability thresholds for
its PSD permit program and for the operating permit program under Title V
of the CAA. The proposed rule would establish a temporary GHG
applicability threshold for these programs at 25,000 tons per year of
CO2e for
new sources, and a temporary GHG significance level under the PSD Permit
Program between 10,000 and 25,000 tons per year CO2e for
modifications to major sources. Public debate is ongoing as to
the EPA’s legal authority to adopt this rule, making legal challenges to
the rule likely. We cannot predict with confidence the outcome
of this rulemaking process or a specific impact on our generating
portfolio.
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State Regulation
of Greenhouse Gases. Many states where we operate generation
facilities have, are considering, or are in some stage of implementing,
regulatory programs intended to reduce emissions of GHGs from stationary sources
as a means of addressing climate change. Beginning in 2009, our
generating facilities in New York and Maine were required to purchase CO2
allowances, from the states where they operate, in sufficient quantities
to cover CO2
emissions. Please see “Northeast” below for further
information. Beginning in 2012, our generating facilities in
California are also expected to be required to purchase CO2 allowances
in sufficient quantities to cover CO2
emissions. Please see “West” below for further
information.
Midwest. Our assets in
Illinois may become subject to a regional GHG cap and trade program being
developed under the MGGA. The MGGA is an agreement among six states
and the Province of Manitoba to create the MGGRP to establish GHG reduction
targets and timeframes consistent with member states’ targets and to develop a
market-based and multi-sector cap and trade mechanism to achieve the GHG
reduction targets. Illinois has set a goal of reducing GHG emissions
to 1990 levels by the year 2020, and to 60 percent below 1990 levels by
2050.
The MGGRP
is, however, still in an early stage of development and specific targets for GHG
emission reductions and regulations to achieve such targets have not yet been
agreed to by the members.
West. We
currently expect that our assets in California will be subject to the California
Global Warming Solutions Act (“AB 32”), which became effective in
January 2007. AB 32 requires the CARB to develop a GHG emission
control program that will reduce emissions of GHG in the state to their 1990
levels by 2020. Final regulations necessary to meet the 2020 GHG
emissions cap are required by January 2011, and a fully effective regulatory
program must be in place by January 2012. The CARB released
preliminary draft regulations to meet the AB 32 mandate through a cap
and trade program in November 2009. Initially, the program
is expected to apply to large stationary sources including power generation
facilities. GHG emission allowances are expected to be sold at
auctions beginning in the fall of 2011. The details of the auction
and other compliance rules will be outlined in draft rules expected to be
released in Spring 2010.
The State
of California is a party to a regional GHG cap and trade program being developed
under the WCI to reduce GHG emissions in the participating
states. The WCI is a collaborative effort among seven states and the
Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and
Quebec. California’s implementation of AB 32 is expected to
constitute the state’s contribution to the WCI and to form the model for other
participating jurisdictions.
Northeast. On
January 1, 2009, our assets in New York and Maine became subject to a
state-driven GHG emission control program known as RGGI. RGGI was
developed and implemented by ten New England and Mid-Atlantic states to reduce
CO2
emissions from power plants. The participating RGGI states
implemented rules regulating GHG emissions using a cap-and-trade program to
reduce CO2 emissions
by at least 10 percent of 2009 emission levels by the year
2018. Compliance with the allowance requirement under the RGGI
cap-and-trade program can be achieved by reducing emissions, purchasing or
trading allowances, or securing offset allowances from an approved offset
project. While allowances are sold by year, actual compliance is
measured across a three year control period. The first control period
is for the 2009-2011 timeframe.
In
December 2009, RGGI held its sixth auction, in which approximately 28 million
allowances for allocation year 2009, and 1.5 million allowances for allocation
year 2012, were sold at clearing prices of $2.05 and $1.86 per allowance,
respectively. We have participated in each of the quarterly RGGI
auctions (or in secondary markets, as appropriate) to secure some allowances for
our affected assets. We expect that the increased operating costs
resulting from purchase of CO2 allowances
will be at least partially reflected in market prices. The RGGI
states plan to continue to conduct quarterly auctions in 2010 and
2011.
Our
generating facilities in New York and Maine emitted approximately 5.8 million
tons of CO2
during 2009, this includes our Bridgeport facility which was sold in the
LS Power Transactions. Based on the average clearing price of $2.91
for 2009 allowances sold in all auctions held to date, we estimate our cost of
allowances required to operate these facilities during 2009 would be
approximately $16.9 million. The RGGI compliance period is three
years, so the actual cost of allowances required for our 2009 operations may
vary from this estimate as a result of purchases and/or sales of allowances
between now and 2012, which may result in a lower or higher average allowance
cost.
Climate Change
Litigation. There is a risk of litigation from those seeking
injunctive relief from or to impose liability on sources of GHG emissions,
including power generators, for claims of adverse effects due to climate
change. Recent court decisions disagree on whether the claims are
subject to resolution by the courts and whether the plaintiffs have standing to
sue.
In
September 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd
Circuit held that the U.S. District Court is an appropriate forum for resolving
claims by eight states and New York City against six electric power generators
related to climate change. Similarly, in October 2009,
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th
Circuit held that claims related to climate change by property owners along the
Mississippi Gulf Coast against energy companies could be resolved by the
courts. However, in September 2009, the U.S. District Court for the
Northern District of California dismissed claims related to climate change by an
Alaskan community against 24 companies in the energy industry, including us, in
Native Village of Kivalina and
City of Kivalina v. ExxonMobil Corporation, et al. Please read
Note 21—Commitments and Contingencies for further discussion of this
case.
The
conflict in recent court decisions illustrates the unsettled law related to
claims based on the effects of climate change. Nevertheless, the
decisions affirming the jurisdiction of the courts and the standing of the
plaintiffs to bring these claims could result in an increase in similar lawsuits
and associated expenditures by companies like ours.
Carbon
Initiatives. We participate in several programs that partially
offset or mitigate our GHG emissions. In the lower Mississippi River
Valley, we have partnered with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to restore
more than 45,000 acres of hardwood forests by planting more than 2 million
bottomland hardwood seedlings. In California, we are evaluating the
use of bio-fuels as a means of reducing reliance on traditional
fuels. In Illinois, we are funding prairie, bottomland hardwood and
savannah restoration projects in partnership with the Illinois Conservation
Foundation. We also have programs to reuse CCB produced at our
coal-fired generation units through agreements with cement manufacturers that
incorporate the material into cement products, helping to reduce CO2 emissions
from the cement manufacturing process.
Our Moss
Landing facility in California is involved in a pilot project with Calera
Corporation that treats flue gas emissions from the facility in a process that
produces materials similar to Portland cement and aggregate. The
Calera carbonate mineralization process binds CO2 with
minerals in brines or seawater in a manner that has the potential to permanently
sequester the CO2 in the
solid materials it produces. If this process can be developed on a
commercial scale, it would provide a means of capturing CO2 and
creating beneficial, marketable products for the building materials
industry.
Through
membership in organizations such as the Electric Power Research Institute, we
participate in research aimed at reducing or mitigating emissions of GHG from
electric power generation.
Other
Environmental Matters
Multi-Pollutant
Air Emission Initiatives
In recent
years, various federal and state legislative and regulatory multi-pollutant
initiatives have been introduced. In early 2005, the EPA finalized
several rules that would collectively require reductions of approximately 70
percent each in emissions of SO2 and
NOx by
2015 and mercury by 2018 from coal-fired power generation units.
CAIR,
which is intended to reduce SO2 and
NOx
emissions from power generation sources across the eastern United States (29
states and the District of Columbia) and to address fine particulate matter and
ground-level ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards, was issued as a final
rule in April 2006. CAIR was challenged and the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia has remanded the rule to the EPA to correct several
aspects of the rule determined by the Court to be unacceptable. The
rule remains effective until the EPA completes its rulemaking to replace
CAIR. Our facilities in Illinois and New York are subject to state
SO2
and NOx
limitations more stringent than those imposed by the currently effective
CAIR. The EPA is expected to propose a new CAIR rule in the spring of
2010 and it is possible that this new rule will require greater emissions
reductions, and therefore increased environmental expenditures, from power
generating facilities like ours.
CAVR
requires states to analyze and include BART requirements for individual
facilities in their SIPs to address regional haze. The requirements
apply to facilities built between 1962 and 1977 that emit more than 250 tons per
year of certain regulated pollutants in specific industrial categories,
including utility boilers. The State of New York has initiated
rulemaking to establish BART limits that may result in more stringent emission
control requirements, and significant expenditures for environmental control
equipment, for our Danskammer facility.
In March
2005, the EPA issued the CAMR for control of mercury emissions from coal-fired
power plants and established a cap and trade program requiring states to
promulgate rules at least as stringent as CAMR. In December 2006, the
Illinois Pollution Control Board approved a state rule for the control of
mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants that required additional capital
and O&M expenditures at each of our Illinois coal-fired plants beginning in
2007. The State of New York has also approved a mercury rule that
will likely require us to incur additional capital and operating
costs. In February 2008, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District
of Columbia Circuit vacated the CAMR; however, the Illinois and New York mercury
regulations remain in effect. In December 2009, the EPA issued
information requests under Section 114 of the CAA to many coal and oil fired
steam electric generating companies, including certain of our operating
companies. These requests require stack tests to develop information
on emissions of mercury and other HAPs and will be used by the EPA to develop
emission standards for HAPs under Section 112 of the CAA.
The
Clean Air Act
The CAA
and comparable state laws and regulations relating to air emissions impose
responsibilities on owners and operators of sources of air emissions, including
requirements to obtain construction and operating permits as well as compliance
certifications and reporting obligations. The CAA requires that
fossil-fueled plants have sufficient emission allowances to cover actual SO2 emissions
and in some regions NOX emissions,
and that they meet certain pollutant emission standards as well. Our
generation facilities, some of which have changed their operations to
accommodate new control equipment or changes in fuel mix, are presently in
compliance with these requirements. In order to ensure continued
compliance with the CAA and related rules and regulations, including
ozone-related requirements, we have plans to install emission reduction
technology. When our plans are complete, our four coal-fired units at
our Baldwin and Havana facilities will have dry flue gas desulphurization
systems for the control of SO2 emissions,
and electrostatic precipitators and baghouses for the control of particulate
emissions. Selective catalytic reduction technology for the control
of NOX
emissions has been installed and operated on three of these units for
several years; GEN-MW’s remaining units use low-NOX burners
and overfire air to lower NOX
emissions. Our coal-fired units at our Vermillion and Hennepin
facilities have electrostatic precipitators and baghouses for the control of
particulate matter. We anticipate that we will have activated carbon
injection technology for the control of mercury emissions installed and
operating on 95 percent of GEN-MW’s coal-fired capacity by mid-2010 and the
final unit by 2013.
Midwest Consent
Decree. In 2005, we settled a lawsuit filed by the EPA and the
U.S. Department of Justice that alleged violations of the CAA and related
federal and Illinois regulations concerning certain maintenance, repair and
replacement activities at our Baldwin generating facility. A consent
decree was finalized in July 2005 that would prohibit operation of certain of
our power generating facilities after certain dates unless specified emission
control equipment is installed (the “Midwest Consent Decree”). We
have achieved all emission reductions to date under the Midwest Consent Decree
and are in the process of installing additional emission control equipment to
meet future Midwest Consent Decree emission limits. We anticipate our
costs associated with the Midwest Consent Decree projects, which we expect to
incur through 2013, will be approximately $960 million, which includes
approximately $545 million spent to date. This estimate required a
number of assumptions about uncertainties that are beyond our control, including
an assumption that labor and material costs will increase at four percent per
year over the remaining project term. The following are the future
estimated capital expenditures required to comply with the Midwest Consent
Decree:
2010
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2011
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2012
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2013
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(in
millions)
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$ |
185 |
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$ |
140 |
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$ |
75 |
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$ |
15 |
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If the
costs of these capital expenditures become great enough to render operation of
the affected facility or facilities uneconomical, we could at our option, cease
to operate the facility or facilities and forego these expenditures without any
further obligations under the Midwest Consent Decree.
Information
Request under Section 114 of the Clean Air Act. In March 2009,
we received an information request from the EPA regarding maintenance, repair
and replacement projects undertaken between January 2000 and the present at the
Danskammer facility. We submitted responses to the information
request in April and July 2009 and are continuing to cooperate with the EPA to
provide additional information as requested. The information request
is related to a nationwide enforcement initiative by the EPA targeting electric
utilities. The EPA’s inquiry may lead to claims of CAA violations
that could result in an enforcement action, the scope of which cannot be
predicted with confidence at this time, but which could have a material adverse
effect on our financial condition, results and cash flows.
The
Clean Water Act
Our water
withdrawals and wastewater discharges are permitted under the CWA and analogous
state laws. The cooling water intake structures at several of our
facilities are regulated under section 316(b) of the CWA. This
provision generally directs that standards set for facilities require that the
location, design, construction and capacity of cooling water intake structures
reflect BTA for minimizing adverse environmental impact. These
standards are developed and implemented for power generating facilities through
NPDES permits or SPDES permits. Historically, standards for
minimizing adverse environmental impacts of cooling water intakes have been made
by permitting agencies on a case-by-case basis considering the best professional
judgment of the permitting agency.
In 2004,
the EPA issued the Cooling Water Intake Structures Phase II Rules (the “Phase II
Rules”), which set forth standards to implement the BTA requirements for cooling
water intakes at existing facilities. The rules were challenged by
several environmental groups and in 2007 were struck down by the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the 2nd
Circuit in Riverkeeper, Inc.
v. EPA. The Court’s decision remanded several provisions of
the rules to the EPA for further rulemaking. Several parties sought
review of the decision before the U.S. Supreme Court. In April 2009,
the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the EPA permissibly relied on cost-benefit
analysis in setting the national BTA performance standard and in providing for
cost-benefit variances from those standards as part of the Phase II
Rules.
In July
2007, following remand of the rules by the U.S. Court of Appeals, the EPA
suspended its Phase II Rules and advised that permit requirements for cooling
water intake structures at existing facilities should once more be established
on a case-by-case best professional judgment basis until replacement rules are
issued. The scope of requirements, timing for compliance and the
compliance methodologies that will ultimately be allowed by future rulemaking
may become more restrictive, resulting in potentially significantly increased
costs.
The
environmental groups that participate in our NPDES and SPDES permit proceedings
generally argue that only closed cycle cooling meets the BTA
requirement. The issuance and renewal of NPDES and or SPDES permits
for four of our facilities have been challenged on this basis.
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Danskammer
SPDES Permit – In January 2005, the NYSDEC issued a draft SPDES permit
renewal for the Danskammer power generation facility. Three
environmental groups sought to impose a permit requirement that the
Danskammer facility install a closed cycle cooling
system. Following a formal evidentiary hearing, the revised
Danskammer SPDES permit was issued in June 2006 without requiring
installation of a closed cycle cooling system. The permit was
upheld on appeal by the Appellate Division and petitions for leave to
appeal to the New York Court of Appeals were
denied.
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Roseton
SPDES Permit – In April 2005, the NYSDEC issued a draft SPDES permit
renewal for the Roseton power generation facility. The draft
Roseton SPDES permit would require the facility to actively manage its
water intake to substantially reduce mortality of aquatic
organisms. In July 2005, a public hearing was held to receive
comments on the draft Roseton SPDES permit. Three environmental
organizations filed petitions for party status in the permit renewal
proceeding. The petitioners are seeking to impose a permit
requirement that the Roseton facility install a closed cycle cooling
system. In September 2006, the administrative law judge issued
a ruling admitting the petitioners to party status and setting forth the
issues to be adjudicated in the permit renewal hearing. Various
holdings in the ruling have been appealed to the Commissioner of NYSDEC by
the petitioners, NYSDEC staff and us. The adjudicatory hearing
on the draft Roseton SPDES permit will be scheduled after the Commissioner
rules on the appeal. We believe that the petitioners’ claims
lack merit and we plan to continue to oppose those claims
vigorously.
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Moss
Landing NPDES Permit – The California Regional Water Quality Control Board
(“California Water Board”) issued an NPDES permit for the Moss Landing
power generation facility in 2000 in connection with modernization of the
facility. A local environmental group sought review of the
permit contending that the once through seawater-cooling system at the
Moss Landing power generation facility should be replaced with a
closed-cycle cooling system to meet the BTA
requirements. Following an initial remand from the courts, the
California Water Board affirmed its BTA finding. The
California Water Board’s decision was affirmed by the Superior Court in
2004 and by the Court of Appeals in 2007. The petitioners filed
a petition for review by the California Supreme Court, which was granted
in March 2008. The California Supreme Court deferred further
action pending final disposition of the U.S. Supreme Court challenge
regarding the Phase II Rules. The California Supreme Court has
since directed the parties to brief all issues raised by the
pleadings. The petitioner’s brief was filed in December 2009
and our response is due in March 2010. We believe that
petitioner’s claims lack merit and we plan to continue opposing those
claims vigorously.
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Due to
the nature of the claims, an adverse result in any of these proceedings could
have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations
and cash flows.
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South
Bay NPDES Permit – The California Regional Water Quality Control Board for
the San Diego Region (the “San Diego Regional Water Board”) recently
granted an administrative extension of the South Bay facility’s NPDES
permit until December 31, 2010. Under the terms of the
extension, operation of Units 3 and 4 was authorized through December 31,
2009. These units have ceased operation. The
administrative extension authorized operation of Units 1 and 2 only
through December 31, 2010, absent further action by the San Diego Regional
Water Board. The San Diego Regional Water Board has scheduled a
public hearing for March 2010 to receive evidence on the impacts of the
South Bay intake and discharge.
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In June
2009, the California Water Board issued its draft Statewide Water Quality
Control Policy on the Use of Coastal and Estuarine Waters for Power Plant
Cooling (the “Policy”). If the Policy becomes final in its present
form, it will require that existing power plants either: (i) reduce their water
intake flow rate to a level commensurate with that which can be achieved by a
closed cycle wet cooling system; or (ii) reduce impingement mortality and
entrainment to a level comparable to that achieved by such a reduced water
intake flow rate using operational or structural controls, or
both. The Policy may allow less stringent requirements under limited
circumstances for very efficient generating units, such as Moss Landing’s Units
1 and 2. Compliance with the Policy would be required at our South
Bay power generation facility by December 2012, at our Morro Bay power
generation facility by December 2015 and at our Moss Landing power generation
facility by December 2017. A public hearing was held on the policy in
September 2009 and public comments were taken through the end of September
2009. We filed substantial comments on the draft policy.
Given the
numerous variables and factors involved in calculating the potential costs
associated with closed cycle cooling, any decision to install such a system at
any of our facilities, should they be required, would be made on a case-by-case
basis considering all relevant factors at such time. If capital
expenditures related to cooling water systems become great enough to render the
operation of the plant uneconomical, we could, at our option, and subject to any
applicable financing agreements or other obligations, reduce operations or cease
to operate such facility and forego these capital expenditures.
The
requirements applicable to water quality are expected to increase in the
future. A number of efforts are under way within the EPA to evaluate
water quality criteria for parameters associated with the by-products of fossil
fuel combustion. These parameters relate primarily to arsenic,
mercury and selenium. Significant changes in these criteria could
impact discharge limits and could require us to spend significant environmental
capital to install additional water treatment equipment at our
facilities.
Coal
Combustion Byproducts
The
combustion of coal to generate electric power creates large quantities of ash
that are managed at power generation facilities in dry form in landfills and in
liquid or slurry form in surface impoundments. Each of our coal-fired
plants has at least one CCB management unit. At present, CCB
management is regulated by the states as solid waste. The EPA has
considered whether CCB should be regulated as a hazardous waste on two separate
occasions, including most recently in 2000, and both times has declined to do
so. The December 2008 failure of a CCB surface impoundment dike at
the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Kingston Plant in Tennessee accompanied by a
very large release of ash slurry has resulted in renewed scrutiny of CCB
management.
In
response to the Kingston ash slurry release, the EPA initiated an investigation
of the structural integrity of certain CCB surface impoundment dams including
those at our GEN-MW facilities. Our surface impoundment dams were
found to be in satisfactory condition, the highest
rating. Additionally, the EPA announced plans to develop regulations
regarding the handling and disposal of CCB by the end of 2009 to address the
management of CCB; while no proposed rule has been released to date, a proposed
rule is expected to be released in the first quarter 2010.
Certain
environmental organizations have advocated designation of CCB as a hazardous
waste; however, many state environmental agencies have expressed strong
opposition to such designation. The regulations being developed by
the EPA could lead to new requirements related to CCB management
units. The nature and scope of these requirements cannot be predicted
with confidence at this time, but could have a material adverse effect on our
financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Further,
public perception or new regulations regarding the reuse of coal ash may limit
or eliminate the market that currently exists for coal ash reuse, which could
have material adverse affects on our financial condition, results of operations
and cash flows.
Remedial
Laws
We are
subject to environmental requirements relating to handling and disposal of toxic
and hazardous materials, including provisions of CERCLA and RCRA and similar
state laws. CERCLA imposes strict liability for contributions to
contaminated sites resulting from the release of “hazardous substances” into the
environment. Those with potential liabilities include the current or
previous owner and operator of a facility and companies that disposed, or
arranged for disposal, of hazardous substances found at a contaminated
facility. CERCLA also authorizes the EPA and, in some cases, private
parties to take actions in response to threats to public health or the
environment and to seek recovery for costs of cleaning up hazardous substances
that have been released and for damages to natural resources from responsible
parties. Further, it is not uncommon for neighboring landowners and
other affected parties to file claims for personal injury and property damage
allegedly caused by hazardous substances released into the
environment. CERCLA or RCRA could impose remedial obligations with
respect to a variety of our facilities and operations.
As a
result of their age, a number of our facilities contain quantities of
asbestos-containing materials, lead-based paint and/or other regulated
materials. Existing state and federal rules require the proper
management and disposal of these materials. We have developed a
management plan that includes proper maintenance of existing non-friable
asbestos installations and removal and abatement of asbestos-containing
materials where necessary because of maintenance, repairs, replacement or damage
to the asbestos itself.
COMPETITION
Demand
for power may be met by generation capacity based on several competing
generation technologies, such as natural gas-fired, coal-fired or nuclear
generation, as well as power generating facilities fueled by alternative energy
sources, including hydro power, synthetic fuels, solar, wind, wood, geothermal,
waste heat and solid waste sources. Our power generation businesses
in the Midwest, West and Northeast compete with other non-utility generators,
regulated utilities, unregulated subsidiaries of regulated utilities, other
energy service companies and financial institutions. We believe that
our ability to compete effectively in these businesses will be driven in large
part by our ability to achieve and maintain a low cost of production, primarily
by managing fuel costs and to provide reliable service to our
customers. Our ability to compete effectively will also be impacted
by various governmental and regulatory activities designed to reduce GHG
emissions and to support the construction and operation of renewable-fueled
power generation facilities. For example, regulatory requirements for
load-serving entities to acquire a percentage of their energy from
renewable-fueled facilities will potentially reduce the demand for energy from
coal-fired facilities such as those we own and operate. We believe
our primary competitors consist of at least 20 companies in the power generation
business.
SIGNIFICANT
CUSTOMERS
For the
year ended December 31, 2009, approximately 19 percent, 12 percent and 11
percent of our consolidated revenues were derived from transactions with MISO,
NYISO and PJM, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2008,
approximately 25 percent and 11 percent of our consolidated revenues were
derived from transactions with MISO and NYISO, respectively. For the
year ended December 31, 2007, approximately 23 percent, 17 percent and 11
percent of our consolidated revenues were derived from transactions with MISO,
NYISO and Ameren, respectively. No other customer accounted for more
than 10 percent of our consolidated revenues during 2009, 2008 or
2007.
EMPLOYEES
At
December 31, 2009, we had approximately 472 employees at our corporate
headquarters and approximately 1,263 employees at our facilities, including
field-based administrative employees. Approximately 763 employees at
Dynegy-operated facilities are subject to collective bargaining agreements with
various unions that expire in August 2010, June 2011 and January
2013. We believe relations with our employees are
satisfactory.
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
This Form
10-K includes statements reflecting assumptions, expectations, projections,
intentions or beliefs about future events that are intended as “forward-looking
statements”. All statements included or incorporated by reference in
this annual report, other than statements of historical fact, that address
activities, events or developments that we or our management expect, believe or
anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking
statements. These statements represent our reasonable judgment on the
future based on various factors and using numerous assumptions and are subject
to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our
actual results and financial position to differ materially from those
contemplated by the statements. You can identify these statements by
the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current
facts. They use words such as “anticipate”, “estimate”, “project”,
“forecast”, “plan”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect” and other words of similar
meaning. In particular, these include, but are not limited to,
statements relating to the following:
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the
timing and anticipated benefits to be achieved through our 2010-2013
company-wide cost savings program;
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beliefs
and assumptions relating to liquidity, available borrowing capacity and
capital resources generally;
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expectations
regarding environmental matters, including costs of compliance,
availability and adequacy of emission credits, and the impact of ongoing
proceedings and potential regulations or changes to current regulations,
including those relating to climate change, air emissions, cooling water
intake structures, coal combustion byproducts, and other laws and
regulations to which we are, or could become,
subject;
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beliefs
about commodity pricing and generation
volumes;
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anticipated
liquidity in the regional power and fuel markets in which we transact,
including the extent to which such liquidity could be affected by poor
economic and financial market conditions or new regulations and any
resulting impacts on financial institutions and other current and
potential counterparties;
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sufficiency
of, access to and costs associated with coal, fuel oil and natural gas
inventories and transportation
thereof;
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beliefs
and assumptions about market competition, generation capacity and regional
supply and demand characteristics of the wholesale power generation
market, including the anticipation of a market recovery over the longer
term;
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the
effectiveness of our strategies to capture opportunities presented by
changes in commodity prices and to manage our exposure to energy price
volatility;
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beliefs
and assumptions about weather and general economic
conditions;
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beliefs
regarding the current economic downturn, its trajectory and its
impacts;
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projected
operating or financial results, including anticipated cash flows from
operations, revenues and
profitability;
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beliefs
and expectations regarding financing and associated credit ratings,
development and timing and disposition of the Plum Point
Project;
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expectations
regarding our revolver capacity, credit facility compliance, collateral
demands, capital expenditures, interest expense and other
payments;
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our
focus on safety and our ability to efficiently operate our assets so as to
maximize our revenue generating opportunities and operating
margins;
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beliefs
about the outcome of legal, regulatory, administrative and legislative
matters; and
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expectations
and estimates regarding capital and maintenance expenditures, including
the Midwest Consent Decree and its associated
costs.
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Any or
all of our forward-looking statements may turn out to be wrong. They
can be affected by inaccurate assumptions or by known or unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, including
those set forth below.
FACTORS
THAT MAY AFFECT FUTURE RESULTS
Risks
Related to the Operation of Our Business
Because
wholesale power prices are subject to significant volatility and because many of
our power generation facilities operate without long-term power sales
agreements, our revenues and profitability are subject to wide
fluctuations.
Because
we largely sell electric energy, capacity and ancillary services into the
wholesale energy spot market or into other power markets on a term basis, we are
not guaranteed any rate of return on our capital investments. Rather,
our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows will depend, in
large part, upon prevailing market prices for power and the fuel to generate
such power. Wholesale power markets are subject to significant price
fluctuations over relatively short periods of time and can be
unpredictable. Such factors that may materially impact the power
markets and our financial results include:
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the
continuing economic downturn, the existence and effectiveness of
demand-side management and conservation efforts and the extent to which
they impact electricity demand;
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regulatory
constraints on pricing (current or future) or the functioning of the
energy trading markets and energy trading
generally;
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fuel
price volatility; and
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increased
competition or price pressure driven by generation from renewable
sources.
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Many of
our facilities operate as “merchant” facilities without long-term power sales
agreements. Consequently, we cannot be sure that we will be able to
sell any or all of the electric energy, capacity or ancillary services from
those facilities at commercially attractive rates or that our facilities will be
able to operate profitably. This could lead to decreased financial
results as well as future impairments of our property, plant and equipment or to
the retirement of certain of our facilities resulting in economic losses and
liabilities.
Given the
volatility of power commodity prices, to the extent we do not secure long-term
power sales agreements for the output of our power generation facilities, our
revenues and profitability will be subject to increased volatility, and our
financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially
adversely affected.
Our
commercial strategy may result in lost opportunities and, in any case, may not
be executed as planned.
We seek
to commercialize our assets through sales arrangements of various
tenors. In doing so, we attempt to balance a desire for greater
predictability of earnings and cash flows in the short- and medium-term with a
belief that commodity prices will rise over the longer term, creating upside
opportunities for those with unhedged generation volumes. Our ability
to successfully execute this strategy is dependent on a number of factors, many
of which are outside our control, including market liquidity, the availability
of counterparties willing to transact at prices we believe are commercially
acceptable and the reliability of the people and systems comprising our
commercial operations function. The availability of market liquidity
and willing counterparties could be negatively impacted by continued poor
economic and financial market conditions, including impacts on financial
institutions and other current and potential counterparties. If we
are unable to transact in the short- and medium-term, our financial condition,
results of operations and cash flows will be subject to significant uncertainty
and volatility. Alternatively, significant contract execution for
this period may precede a run-up in commodity prices, resulting in lost upside
opportunities and mark-to-market accounting losses causing significant
variability in net income and other GAAP reported measures.
We
are exposed to the risk of fuel and fuel transportation cost increases and
interruptions in fuel supplies because some of our facilities do not have
long-term coal, natural gas or fuel oil supply agreements.
We
purchase the fuel requirements for many of our power generation facilities,
primarily those that are natural gas-fired, under short-term contracts or on the
spot market. As a result, we face the risks of supply interruptions
and fuel price volatility, as fuel deliveries may not exactly match those
required for energy sales, due in part to our need to pre-purchase fuel
inventories for reliability and dispatch requirements.
Moreover,
profitable operation of many of our coal-fired generation facilities is highly
dependent on our ability to procure coal at prices we consider
reasonable. Power generators in the Midwest and the Northeast have
experienced significant pressures on available coal supplies that are either
transportation or supply related. In the Midwest, a majority of our
coal supply is not contracted beyond 2010. Additionally, our Midwest
coal transportation agreement expires in 2013, and we expect any revision or
extension to result in higher coal transportation costs. We have
entered into term contracts for South American coal, which we use for our GEN-NE
coal facility, and for PRB, which we use for our GEN-MW coal
facilities. We cannot assure you that we will be able to renew our
coal procurement and transportation contracts when they terminate on terms that
are favorable to us or at all. Further, our and our suppliers’
ability to procure South American coal is subject to local political and other
factors that could have a negative impact on our coal deliveries regardless of
our contract situation. Permit limitations that restrict the sulfur
content of coal used at our coal facilities limit our options for coal fuel
supply, creating risk for us in terms of our ability to procure coal for periods
and at prices we believe are firm and favorable.
Further,
any changes in the costs of coal, fuel oil, natural gas or transportation rates
and changes in the relationship between such costs and the market prices of
power will affect our financial results. If we are unable to procure
fuel for physical delivery at prices we consider favorable, our financial
condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely
affected.
Our
costs of compliance with existing environmental requirements are significant,
and costs of compliance with new environmental requirements or factors could
materially adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and
cash flows.
Our
business is subject to extensive and frequently changing environmental
regulation by federal, state and local authorities. Such
environmental regulation imposes, among other things, restrictions, liabilities
and obligations in connection with the generation, handling, use,
transportation, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous substances and
waste and in connection with spills, releases and emissions of various
substances (including GHG) into the environment, and in connection with
environmental impacts associated with cooling water intake
structures. Existing environmental laws and regulations may be
revised or reinterpreted, new laws and regulations may be adopted or may become
applicable to us or our facilities, and litigation or enforcement proceedings
could be commenced against us. Proposals being considered by federal
and state authorities (including proposals regarding regulation of GHGs) could,
if and when adopted or enacted, require us to make substantial capital and
operating expenditures or consider retiring certain of our
facilities. If any of these events occur, our financial condition,
results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely
affected.
Many
environmental laws require approvals or permits from governmental authorities
before construction, modification or operation of a power generation facility
may commence. Certain environmental permits must be renewed
periodically in order for us to continue operating our
facilities. The process of obtaining and renewing necessary permits
can be lengthy and complex and can sometimes result in the establishment of
permit conditions that make the project or activity for which the permit was
sought unprofitable or otherwise unattractive. Even where permits are
not required, compliance with environmental laws and regulations can require
significant capital and operating expenditures. We are required to
comply with numerous environmental laws and regulations, and to obtain numerous
governmental permits when we construct, modify and operate our
facilities. If there is a delay in obtaining any required
environmental regulatory approvals or permits, if we fail to obtain any required
approval or permit, or if we are unable to comply with the terms of such
approvals or permits, the operation of our facilities may be interrupted or
become subject to additional costs. Further, changed interpretations
of existing regulations may subject historical maintenance, repair and
replacement activities at our facilities to claims of
noncompliance. As a result, our financial condition, results of
operations and cash flows could be materially adversely
affected. Certain of our facilities are also required to comply with
the terms of consent decrees or other governmental orders.
With the
continuing trend toward stricter environmental standards and more extensive
regulatory and permitting requirements, our capital and operating environmental
expenditures are likely to be substantial and may increase in the
future.
Our
business is subject to complex government regulation. Changes in
these regulations or in their implementation may affect costs of operating our
facilities or our ability to operate our facilities, or increase competition,
any of which would negatively impact our results of operations.
We are
subject to extensive federal, state and local laws and regulations governing the
generation and sale of energy commodities in each of the jurisdictions in which
we have operations. Compliance with these ever-changing laws and
regulations requires expenses (including legal representation) and monitoring,
capital and operating expenditures. Potential changes in laws and
regulations that could have a material impact on our business include:
re-regulation of the power industry in markets in which we conduct business; the
introduction, or reintroduction, of rate caps or pricing constraints; increased
credit standards, collateral costs or margin requirements, as well as reduced
market liquidity, as a result of potential OTC market regulation; or a variation
of these. Furthermore, these and other market-based rules and
regulations are subject to change at any time, and we cannot predict what
changes may occur in the future or how such changes might affect any facet of
our business.
The costs
and burdens associated with complying with the increased number of regulations
may have a material adverse effect on us, if we fail to comply with the laws and
regulations governing our business or if we fail to maintain or obtain
advantageous regulatory authorizations and exemptions. Moreover,
increased competition within the sector resulting from potential legislative
changes, regulatory changes or other factors may create greater risks to the
stability of our power generation earnings and cash flows
generally.
Availability
and cost of emission allowances could materially impact our costs of
operations.
We are
required to maintain, either through allocation or purchase, sufficient emission
allowances to support our operations in the ordinary course of operating our
power generation facilities. These allowances are used to meet our
obligations imposed by various applicable environmental laws and the trend
toward more stringent regulations (including regulations regarding GHG
emissions) will likely require us to obtain new or additional emission
allowances. If our operational needs require more than our allocated
quantity of emission allowances, we may be forced to purchase such allowances on
the open market, which could be costly. If we are unable to maintain
sufficient emission allowances to match our operational needs, we may have to
curtail our operations so as not to exceed our available emission allowances, or
install costly new emissions controls. As we use the emissions
allowances that we have purchased on the open market, costs associated with such
purchases will be recognized as operating expense. If such allowances
are available for purchase, but only at significantly higher prices, their
purchase could materially increase our costs of operations in the affected
markets and materially adversely affect our financial condition, results of
operations and cash flows.
Competition
in wholesale power markets, together with the age of certain of our generation
facilities and an oversupply of power generation capacity in certain regional
markets, may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results
of operations and cash flows.
We have
numerous competitors, and additional competitors may enter the
industry. Our power generation business competes with other
non-utility generators, regulated utilities, unregulated subsidiaries of
regulated utilities, other energy service companies and financial institutions
in the sale of electric energy, capacity and ancillary services, as well as in
the procurement of fuel, transmission and transportation
services. Moreover, aggregate demand for power may be met by
generation capacity based on several competing technologies, as well as power
generating facilities fueled by alternative or renewable energy sources,
including hydroelectric power, synthetic fuels, solar, wind, wood, geothermal,
waste heat and solid waste sources. Regulatory initiatives designed
to enhance renewable generation could increase competition from these types of
facilities. In addition, a buildup of new electric generation
facilities in recent years has resulted in an oversupply of power generation
capacity in certain regional markets we serve.
We also
compete against other energy merchants on the basis of our relative operating
skills, financial position and access to credit sources. Electric
energy customers, wholesale energy suppliers and transporters often seek
financial guarantees, credit support such as letters of credit, and other
assurances that their energy contracts will be satisfied. Companies
with which we compete may have greater resources in these areas. In
addition, certain of our current facilities are relatively old. Newer
plants owned by competitors will often be more efficient than some of our
plants, which may put these plants at a competitive
disadvantage. Over time, some of our plants may become unable to
compete, because of the construction of new plants which could have a number of
advantages including; more efficient equipment, newer technology that could
result in fewer emissions, or more advantageous locations on the electric
transmission system. Additionally, these competitors may be able to
respond more quickly to new laws and regulations because of the newer technology
utilized in their facilities or the additional resources derived from owning
more efficient facilities. Taken as a whole, the potential
disadvantages of our aging fleet could result in lower run-times or even early
asset retirement.
Other
factors may contribute to increased competition in wholesale power
markets. New forms of capital and competitors have entered the
industry in the last several years, including financial investors who perceive
that asset values are at levels below their true replacement
value. As a result, a number of generation facilities in the United
States are now owned by lenders and investment
companies. Furthermore, mergers and asset reallocations in the
industry could create powerful new competitors. Under any scenario,
we anticipate that we will face competition from numerous companies in the
industry, some of which have superior capital structures.
Moreover,
many companies in the regulated utility industry, with which the wholesale power
industry is closely linked, are also restructuring or reviewing their
strategies. Several of those companies have discontinued or are
discontinuing their unregulated activities and seeking to divest or spin-off
their unregulated subsidiaries. Some of those companies have had, or
are attempting to have, their regulated subsidiaries acquire assets out of their
or other companies’ unregulated subsidiaries. This may lead to
increased competition between the regulated utilities and the unregulated power
producers within certain markets. To the extent that competition
increases, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows may be
materially adversely affected.
We
do not own or control transmission facilities required to sell the wholesale
power from our generation facilities. If the transmission service is
inadequate, our ability to sell and deliver wholesale power may be materially
adversely affected. Furthermore, these transmission facilities are
operated by RTOs and ISOs, which are subject to changes in structure and
operation and impose various pricing limitations. These changes and
pricing limitations may affect our ability to deliver power to the market that
would, in turn, adversely affect the profitability of our generation
facilities.
We do not
own or control the transmission facilities required to sell the wholesale power
from our generation facilities. If the transmission service from
these facilities is unavailable or disrupted, or if the transmission capacity
infrastructure is inadequate, our ability to sell and deliver wholesale power
may be materially adversely affected. RTOs and ISOs provide
transmission services, administer transparent and competitive power markets and
maintain system reliability. Many of these RTOs and ISOs operate in
the real-time and day-ahead markets in which we sell energy. The RTOs
and ISOs that oversee most of the wholesale power markets impose, and in the
future may continue to impose, offer caps and other mechanisms to guard against
the potential exercise of market power in these markets as well as price
limitations. These types of price limitations and other regulatory
mechanisms may adversely affect the profitability of our generation facilities
that sell energy and capacity into the wholesale power
markets. Problems or delays that may arise in the formation and
operation of new or maturing RTOs and similar market structures, or changes in
geographic scope, rules or market operations of existing RTOs, may also affect
our ability to sell, the prices we receive or the cost to transmit power
produced by our generating facilities. Rules governing the various
regional power markets may also change from time to time, which could affect our
costs or revenues. Additionally, if the transmission service from
these facilities is unavailable or disrupted, or if the transmission capacity
infrastructure is inadequate, our ability to sell and deliver wholesale power
may be materially adversely affected. Furthermore, the rates for
transmission capacity from these facilities are set by others and thus are
subject to changes, some of which could be significant. As a result,
our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows may be materially
adversely affected.
Our
financial condition, results of operations and cash flows would be adversely
impacted by strikes or work stoppages by our unionized employees.
A
majority of the employees at our facilities are subject to collective bargaining
agreements with various unions that expire from 2010 through 2013. Additionally,
unionization activities, including votes for union certification, could occur at
our non-union generating facilities in our fleet. If union employees
strike, participate in a work stoppage or slowdown or engage in other forms of
labor strife or disruption, we could experience reduced power generation or
outages if replacement labor is not procured. The ability to procure
such replacement labor is uncertain. Strikes, work stoppages or an
inability to negotiate future collective bargaining agreements on commercially
reasonable terms could have a material adverse effect on our financial
condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Costs
of compliance with our Midwest Consent Decree may be materially adversely
impacted by unforeseen labor, material and equipment costs.
As a
result of the Midwest Consent Decree, we are required to not operate certain of
our most profitable power generating facilities after specified dates unless
certain emission control equipment is installed. We have incurred
significant costs in complying with the Midwest Consent Decree and anticipate
incurring additional significant costs over the course of the next three
years. We are exposed to the risk of substantial price increases in
the costs of materials, labor and equipment used in the construction of emission
control equipment. We are further exposed to risk in that
counterparties to the construction contracts may fail to perform, in which case
we would be forced to enter into alternative arrangements at then-current market
prices that may exceed our contractual prices and possibly cause delays to the
project timelines. If the costs of these capital expenditures become
great enough to render the operation of the facility uneconomical, we could, at
our option, cease to operate the facility or facilities and forego these capital
expenditures without incurring any further obligations under the Midwest Consent
Decree.
Risks
Related to Our Financial Structure, Level of Indebtedness and Access to Capital
Markets
An
event of loss and certain other events relating to our Dynegy Northeast
Generation facilities could trigger a substantial obligation that would be
difficult for us to satisfy.
We
acquired the DNE power generating facilities in January 2001 for $950
million. In May 2001, we entered into an asset-backed sale-leaseback
transaction relating to these facilities to provide us with long-term
acquisition financing. In this transaction, we sold four of the six
generating units comprising these facilities for approximately $920 million to
Danskammer OL LLC and Roseton OL LLC, and we concurrently agreed to lease them
back from these entities. We have no option to purchase the leased
facilities at Roseton or Danskammer at the end of their respective
lease terms, which end in 2035 and 2031, respectively. If one or more
of the leases were to be terminated prior to the end of its term because of an
event of loss (such as substantial damage to a facility or a condemnation or
similar governmental taking or action), because it becomes illegal for us to
comply with the lease, or because a change in law makes the facility
economically or technologically obsolete, we would be required to make a
termination payment in an amount sufficient to compensate the lessor for
termination of the lease, including redeeming the pass-through trust
certificates related to the unit or facility for which the lease is
terminated. As of December 31, 2009, the termination payment would be
approximately $853 million for all of our DNE facilities. It could be
difficult for us to raise sufficient funds to make this termination payment if a
termination of this type were to occur with respect to the DNE facilities,
resulting in a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of
operations and cash flows.
We
have significant debt that could negatively impact our business.
We have
and will continue to have a significant amount of debt
outstanding. As of December 31, 2009, we had total consolidated debt
of approximately $5.6 billion. Our significant level of debt
could:
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make
it difficult to satisfy our financial obligations, including debt service
requirements;
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limit
our ability to obtain additional financing to operate our
business;
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limit
our financial flexibility in planning for and reacting to business and
industry changes;
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impact
the evaluation of our creditworthiness by counterparties to commercial
agreements and affect the level of collateral we are required to post
under such agreements;
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place
us at a competitive disadvantage compared to less leveraged
companies;
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increase
our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions,
including changes in interest rates and volatility in commodity prices;
and
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require
us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flows to principal and
interest payments on our debt, thereby reducing the availability of our
cash flow for other purposes including our operations, capital
expenditures and future business
opportunities.
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Furthermore,
we may incur or assume additional debt in the future. If new debt is
added to our current debt levels and those of our subsidiaries, the related
risks that we and they face could increase significantly.
Our
financing agreements governing our debt obligations require us to meet specific
financial tests. Our failure to comply with those financial
covenants could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial
condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Our
financing agreements, including the Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Facility,
as amended (the “Credit Facility”), have terms that restrict our ability to take
specific actions in planning for and responding to changes in our business
without the consent of the lenders, even if such actions may be in our best
interest. The agreements governing our debt obligations require us to
meet specific financial tests both as a matter of course and as a precondition
to the incurrence of additional debt and to the making of restricted payments or
asset sales, among other things. Our obligations relating to ongoing
financial tests include the maintenance of specified financial ratios regarding
Secured Debt to EBITDA and EBITDA to Consolidated Interest Expense (as each such
term is defined in the Credit Facility). The financial tests set
forth as a precondition to the events described above include the demonstration,
on a pro forma basis, of a specified ratio of Total Indebtedness to EBITDA (as
each such term is defined in the Credit Facility). Any additional
long-term debt that we may enter into in the future may also contain similar
restrictions.
Our
ability to comply with the financial tests and other covenants in our financing
agreements, as they currently exist or as they may be amended, may be affected
by many events beyond our control, and our future operating results may not
allow us to comply with the covenants or, in the event of a default, to remedy
that default. Our failure to comply with those financial covenants or
to comply with the other restrictions in our financing agreements could result
in reduced borrowing capacity or even a default, causing our debt obligations
under such financing agreements (and by reason of cross-default or
cross-acceleration provisions, our other indebtedness) to become immediately due
and payable, which could have a material adverse impact on our business,
financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. If those
lenders accelerate the payment of such indebtedness, we cannot assure you that
we could pay off or refinance that indebtedness immediately and continue to
operate our business. If we are unable to repay those amounts,
otherwise cure the default, or obtain replacement financing, the holders of the
indebtedness under our secured debt obligations would be entitled to foreclose
on, and acquire control of substantially all of our assets, which would have a
material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and
cash flows.
Our
access to the capital markets may be limited.
We may
require additional capital from time to time. Because of our
non-investment grade credit rating and/or general conditions in the financial
and credit markets, our access to the capital markets may be
limited. Moreover, the timing of any capital-raising transaction may
be impacted by unforeseen events, such as legal or regulatory requirements,
which could require us to pursue additional capital at an inopportune
time. Our ability to obtain capital and the costs of such capital are
dependent on numerous factors, including:
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general
economic and capital market conditions, including the timing and magnitude
of market recovery;
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covenants
in our existing debt and credit
agreements;
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investor
confidence in us and the regional wholesale power
markets;
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our
financial performance and the financial performance of our
subsidiaries;
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our
requirements for posting collateral under various commercial
agreements;
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our
long-term business prospects.
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We may
not be successful in obtaining additional capital for these or other
reasons. An inability to access capital may limit our ability to
comply with regulatory requirements and, as a result, may have a material
adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash
flows.
Our
non-investment grade status may adversely impact our operations, increase our
liquidity requirements and increase the cost of refinancing
opportunities. We may not have adequate liquidity to post required
amounts of additional collateral.
Our
credit ratings are currently below investment grade. We cannot assure
you that our credit ratings will improve, or that they will not decline, in the
future. Our credit ratings may affect the evaluation of our
creditworthiness by trading counterparties and lenders, which could put us at a
disadvantage to competitors with higher or investment grade
ratings.
In
carrying out our commercial business strategy, our current non-investment grade
credit ratings have resulted and will likely continue to result in requirements
that we either prepay obligations or post significant amounts of collateral to
support our business. Various commodity trading counterparties make
collateral demands that reflect our non-investment grade credit ratings, the
counterparties’ views of our creditworthiness, as well as changes in commodity
prices. We use a portion of our capital resources, in the form of
cash, lien capacity, and letters of credit, to satisfy these counterparty
collateral demands. Our commodity agreements are tied to market
pricing and may require us to post additional collateral under certain
circumstances. If market conditions change such that counterparties
are entitled to additional collateral, our liquidity could be strained and may
have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations
and cash flows. Factors that could trigger increased demands for
collateral include changes in our credit rating or liquidity and changes in
commodity prices for power and fuel, among others.
Additionally,
our non-investment grade credit ratings may limit our ability to refinance our
debt obligations and to access the capital markets at the lower borrowing costs
that would presumably be available to competitors with higher or investment
grade ratings. Should our ratings continue at their current levels,
or should our ratings be further downgraded, we would expect these negative
effects to continue and, in the case of a downgrade, become more
pronounced.
We
conduct a substantial portion of our operations through our subsidiaries and may
be limited in our ability to access funds from these subsidiaries to service our
debt.
We
conduct a substantial portion of our operations through our subsidiaries and
depend to a large degree upon dividends and other intercompany transfers of
funds from our subsidiaries to meet our debt service and other
obligations. In addition, the ability of our subsidiaries to pay
dividends and make other payments to us may be restricted by, among other
things, applicable corporate and other laws, potentially adverse tax
consequences and agreements of our subsidiaries. If we are unable to
access the cash flow of our subsidiaries, we may have difficulty meeting our
debt obligations.
Risks
Related to Investing
We
may pursue acquisitions or combinations that could fail or present unanticipated
problems for our business in the future, which would adversely affect our
ability to realize the anticipated benefits of those transactions.
We may
seek to enter into transactions that may include acquiring or combining with
other businesses. We may not be able to identify suitable acquisition
or combination opportunities or finance and complete any particular acquisition
or combination successfully. Furthermore, acquisitions and
combinations involve a number of risks and challenges, including:
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diversion
of our management’s attention;
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the
ability to obtain required regulatory and other
approvals;
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the
need to integrate acquired or combined operations with our
operations;
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potential
loss of key employees;
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difficulty
in evaluating the power assets, operating costs, infrastructure
requirements, environmental and other liabilities and other factors beyond
our control;
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potential
lack of operating experience in new geographic/power markets or with
different fuel sources;
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an
increase in our expenses and working capital requirements;
and
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the
possibility that we may be required to issue a substantial amount of
additional equity or debt securities or assume additional debt in
connection with any such
transactions.
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Any of
these factors could adversely affect our ability to achieve anticipated levels
of cash flows or realize synergies or other anticipated benefits from a
strategic transaction. Furthermore, the market for transactions is
highly competitive, which may adversely affect our ability to find transactions
that fit our strategic objectives or increase the price we would be required to
pay (which could decrease the benefit of the transaction or hinder our desire or
ability to consummate the transaction). Consistent with industry
practice, we routinely engage in discussions with industry participants
regarding potential transactions, large and small. We intend to
continue to engage in strategic discussions and will need to respond to
potential opportunities quickly and decisively. As a result,
strategic transactions may occur at any time and may be significant in size
relative to our assets and operations.
If
Dynegy issues or acquires a material amount of its common stock in the future or
certain of its stockholders sell a material amount of Dynegy’s common stock,
Dynegy’s ability to use its federal net operating losses or alternative minimum
tax credits to offset its future taxable income may be limited under Sections
382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Dynegy’s
ability to utilize previously incurred federal NOLs and alternative minimum tax
(AMT) credits to offset future taxable income would be limited if it were to
undergo an “ownership change” within the meaning of Section 382 of the Internal
Revenue Code (the “Code”). In general, an ownership change occurs
whenever the percentage of the stock of a corporation owned by “5-percent
shareholders” (within the meaning of Section 382 of the Code) increases by more
than 50 percentage points over the lowest percentage of the stock of such
corporation owned by such “5-percent shareholders” at any time over the
preceding three years. Under certain circumstances, issuances or
acquisitions of our own common stock or sales or dispositions of our common
stock by stockholders could trigger an “ownership change,” and we will have
limited control over the timing of any such sales or dispositions of our common
stock. Any such future ownership change could result in limitations,
pursuant to Sections 382 and 383 of the Code, on Dynegy’s utilization of federal
NOLs and AMT credits to offset our future taxable income.
More
specifically, depending on prevailing interest rates and our market value at the
time of such future ownership change, an ownership change under Section 382 of
the Code would establish an annual limitation which might prevent full
utilization of the deferred tax assets attributable to our previously incurred
federal NOLs and AMT credits against the total future taxable income of a given
year. The LS Power Transactions and other recent stockholder activity
increase the likelihood that previously incurred federal NOLs and AMT credits
will become subject to the limitations set forth in Sections 382 and 383 of the
Code. If such an ownership change were to occur, our ability to raise
additional equity capital may be limited.
The
magnitude of such limitations and their effect on us are difficult to assess and
depend in part on our value at the time of any such ownership change and
prevailing interest rates. For accounting purposes, at December 31,
2009, Dynegy’s net operating loss deferred tax asset attributable to its
previously incurred federal NOLs was approximately $125 million and its AMT
credits were approximately $272 million.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff
Comments
Not
applicable.
We have
included descriptions of the location and general character of our principal
physical operating properties by segment in “Item 1. Business” for
further discussion, which is incorporated herein by
reference. Substantially all of our assets, including the power
generation facilities we own, are pledged as collateral to secure the repayment
of, and our other obligations under, the Credit Facility. Please read
Note 17—Debt for further discussion.
Our
principal executive office located in Houston, Texas is held under a lease that
expires in December 2017. We also lease additional offices or
warehouses in the states of California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, New York,
Pennsylvania and Texas.
Item 3. Legal
Proceedings
Please
read Note 21—Commitments and Contingencies—Legal Proceedings for a description
of our material legal proceedings, which is incorporated herein by
reference.
Item 4. Submission of Matters to
a Vote of Security Holders
Dynegy. No
matter was submitted to a vote of Dynegy’s security holders during the fourth
quarter 2009.
DHI. Omitted
pursuant to General Instruction (I)(2)(c) of Form 10-K.
Item
5. Market for
Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of
Equity Securities
Dynegy
Dynegy’s
Class A common stock, $0.01 par value per share, is listed and traded on the New
York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “DYN”. The number of
stockholders of record of its Class A common stock as of February 19, 2010,
based upon records of registered holders maintained by its transfer agent, was
18,883.
All of
the shares of Class B common stock that were previously owned by the LS Power
were cancelled as of November 30, 2009.
The
following table sets forth the high and low closing sales prices for Dynegy’s
Class A common stock for each full quarterly period during the fiscal years
ended December 31, 2009 and 2008 and during the elapsed portion of Dynegy’s
first fiscal quarter of 2010 prior to the filing of this Form 10-K, as reported
on the New York Stock Exchange Composite Tape.
Summary
of Dynegy’s Common Stock Price
|
|
High
|
|
|
Low
|
|
2010:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First
Quarter (through February 19, 2010)
|
|
$ |
1.99 |
|
|
$ |
1.57 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2009:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fourth
Quarter
|
|
$ |
2.63 |
|
|
$ |
1.81 |
|
Third
Quarter
|
|
|
2.55 |
|
|
|
1.78 |
|
Second
Quarter
|
|
|
2.47 |
|
|
|
1.45 |
|
First
Quarter
|
|
|
2.69 |
|
|
|
1.04 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2008:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fourth
Quarter
|
|
$ |
4.06 |
|
|
$ |
1.51 |
|
Third
Quarter
|
|
|
8.76 |
|
|
|
3.20 |
|
Second
Quarter
|
|
|
9.64 |
|
|
|
8.05 |
|
First
Quarter
|
|
|
8.26 |
|
|
|
6.44 |
|
During
the fiscal years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, Dynegy’s Board of Directors
did not elect to pay a common stock dividend. Please read “Item
7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Dividends on Dynegy Common
Stock” for further discussion of its dividend policy and the impact of dividend
restrictions contained in its financing agreements. Any decision to
pay a dividend will be at the discretion of Dynegy’s Board of Directors, and
subject to the terms of its then-outstanding indebtedness, but Dynegy does not
expect to pay a dividend on its common stock in the foreseeable
future. Dynegy has not paid a dividend on any class of its common
stock since 2002. Please read Note 22—Capital Stock—Common Stock for
further discussion.
Shareholder
Agreements. Dynegy entered into a shareholder agreement dated
as of September 14, 2006 (the “Old Shareholder Agreement”) with LSP
Gen Investors, L.P., LS Power Partners, L.P., LS Power Equity Partners PIE I,
L.P., LS Power Equity Partners, L.P. and LS Power Associates, L.P.
(collectively, “LS Power”) that imposed upon LS Power certain restrictions and
limitations but also provided them with special approval rights, board
representation and certain other rights.
On
November 30, 2009, as part of the LS Transactions, Dynegy and LS Power
terminated the Old Shareholder Agreement and entered into a second shareholder
agreement (the “New Shareholder Agreement”) which, among other things, generally
restricts LS Power from increasing its now-reduced ownership for a specified
period up to 30 months. Additionally, it provides that we will not
issue Dynegy’s equity securities for our own purposes until the earlier of (i)
March 31, 2010 or (ii) the first date following closing of the transaction in
which LS Power owns, in aggregate, less than 10 percent of Dynegy’s then
outstanding Class A common stock. The New Shareholder Agreement does
not, however, include any of the special rights (such as Board rights, special
approval rights or preemption rights) previously associated with LS Power’s
ownership. However, the LS Registration Rights Agreement as amended
remains in effect.
Amended LS
Registration Rights Agreement. In conjunction with the signing of
the Old Shareholder Agreement, Dynegy also entered into a Registration Rights
Agreement with LS Power on September 14, 2006 (the “Registration Rights
Agreement”). This Registration Rights Agreement required Dynegy to prepare
and file with the SEC a “shelf” registration statement covering the resale of
shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of shares of Class B
common stock owned by LS Power. This “shelf” registration statement was
filed with the SEC on April 5, 2007. On August 9, 2009 the Registration
Rights Agreement was amended (the “Amended Registration Rights
Agreement”). The Amended Registration Rights Agreement provides, in part,
that Dynegy will be obligated to undertake up to two underwritten offerings for
the benefit of LS Power in each twelve-month period, provided that the aggregate
proceeds to be received by LS Power under any such offering must not be less
than the lesser of $100 million and the then-current market value of 40 million
shares of Dynegy’s common stock. Dynegy will be able to defer an
underwritten offering by LS Power if Dynegy is conducting or about to conduct an
underwritten offering of common stock for its own account with aggregate
proceeds in excess of $100 million. However, Dynegy will not be permitted
to exercise its right to defer an underwritten offering by LS Power during the
period ending on the earlier of (i) March 31, 2010 and (ii) the first date on
which LS power owns, in aggregate, less than 10 percent of all of Dynegy’s Class
A common stock, and thereafter Dynegy’s deferral right can only be exercised
once per calendar year. The Amended Registration Rights Agreement also
provides certain “piggyback” rights for LS Power in connection with future
equity offerings Dynegy might conduct, subject to customary underwriter
limitations.
Stockholder
Return Performance Presentation. The graph below compares the
cumulative 5-year total return of holders of Dynegy Inc.’s common stock with the
cumulative total returns of the S&P 500 index, the S&P Midcap 400 index,
and two customized peer groups of companies. The first peer group
(“Peer Group No. 1”) includes: Mirant Corp., NRG Energy Inc. and RRI
Energy Inc.; and the second group (“Peer Group No. 2”) includes: Calpine Corp.,
Mirant Corp., NRG Energy Inc. and RRI Energy Inc. In 2008, Dynegy was
included in the S&P 500 and did not include Calpine Corp. in its peer group
because Calpine Corp. was still emerging from bankruptcy. In 2009,
Dynegy moved into the S&P Midcap 400 and included Calpine Corp. in its peer
group. The graph tracks the performance of a $100 investment in our
common stock, in each of the peer groups, and the two indices (with the
reinvestment of all dividends) from 12/31/2004 to 12/31/2009.
|
12/04
|
|
12/05
|
|
12/06
|
|
12/07
|
|
12/08
|
|
12/09
|
Dynegy
Inc.
|
100.00
|
|
104.76
|
|
156.71
|
|
154.55
|
|
43.29
|
|
39.18
|
S&P
500
|
100.00
|
|
104.91
|
|
121.48
|
|
128.16
|
|
80.74
|
|
102.11
|
S&P
Midcap 400
|
100.00
|
|
112.55
|
|
124.17
|
|
134.08
|
|
85.50
|
|
117.46
|
Peer
Group No.1
|
100.00
|
|
101.46
|
|
138.14
|
|
205.18
|
|
86.58
|
|
82.26
|
Peer
Group No.2
|
100.00
|
|
101.46
|
|
138.14
|
|
205.18
|
|
86.58
|
|
93.46
|
The stock
price performance included in this graph is not necessarily indicative of future
stock price performance.
The
above stock price performance comparison and related discussion is not to be
deemed incorporated by reference by any general statement incorporating by
reference this Form 10-K into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or otherwise, except to the extent
that we specifically incorporate this stock price performance comparison and
related discussion by reference, and is not otherwise deemed “filed” under the
Acts.
Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds. When
restricted stock awarded by Dynegy becomes taxable compensation to employees,
shares
may be withheld to cover the employees’ withholding
taxes. Information on Dynegy’s purchases of equity securities by
means of such share withholdings during the quarter follows:
Period
|
|
(a)
Total
Number of Shares Purchased
|
|
|
(b)
Average
Price
Paid
per Share
|
|
|
(c)
Total
Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs
|
|
|
(d)
Maximum
Number of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs
|
|
October
1 to October 31, 2009
|
|
|
8,567 |
|
|
$ |
2.50 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
November
1 to November 30, 2009
|
|
|
728 |
|
|
$ |
1.93 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
December
1 to December 31, 2009
|
|
|
1,712 |
|
|
$ |
1.88 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
11,007 |
|
|
$ |
2.37 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
These
were the only repurchases of equity securities made by Dynegy during the three
months ended December 31, 2009. Dynegy does not have a stock
repurchase program.
DHI
All of
DHI’s outstanding equity securities are held by its parent,
Dynegy. There is no established trading market for such securities
and they are not traded on any exchange.
Securities
Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
Please
read Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and
Management and Related Stockholder Matters—Dynegy for information regarding
securities authorized for issuance under our equity compensation
plans.
Item 6. Selected Financial
Data
The
selected financial information presented below was derived from, and is
qualified by, reference to our Consolidated Financial Statements, including the
notes thereto, contained elsewhere herein. The selected financial
information should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial
Statements and related notes and Item 7. Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Dynegy’s
Selected Financial Data
|
|
Year
Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
(in
millions, except per share data)
|
|
Statement
of Operations Data (1):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues
|
|
$ |
2,468 |
|
|
$ |
3,324 |
|
|
$ |
2,918 |
|
|
$ |
1,758 |
|
|
$ |
2,004 |
|
Depreciation
and amortization expense
|
|
|
(335 |
) |
|
|
(346 |
) |
|
|
(306 |
) |
|
|
(208 |
) |
|
|
(199 |
) |
Goodwill
impairment
|
|
|
(433 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Impairment
and other charges, exclusive of goodwill impairment shown separately
above
|
|
|
(538 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(9 |
) |
|
|
(46 |
) |
General
and administrative expenses
|
|
|
(159 |
) |
|
|
(157 |
) |
|
|
(203 |
) |
|
|
(196 |
) |
|
|
(468 |
) |
Operating
income (loss)
|
|
|
(834 |
) |
|
|
744 |
|
|
|
576 |
|
|
|
220 |
|
|
|
(826 |
) |
Interest
expense and debt extinguishment costs (2)
|
|
|
(461 |
) |
|
|
(427 |
) |
|
|
(384 |
) |
|
|
(631 |
) |
|
|
(389 |
) |
Income
tax (expense) benefit
|
|
|
315 |
|
|
|
(90 |
) |
|
|
(140 |
) |
|
|
116 |
|
|
|
391 |
|
Income
(loss) from continuing operations
|
|
|
(1,040 |
) |
|
|
188 |
|
|
|
105 |
|
|
|
(242 |
) |
|
|
(796 |
) |
Income
(loss) from discontinued operations (3)
|
|
|
(222 |
) |
|
|
(17 |
) |
|
|
166 |
|
|
|
(92 |
) |
|
|
891 |
|
Cumulative
effect of change in accounting principles
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
(5 |
) |
Net
income (loss)
|
|
$ |
(1,262 |
) |
|
$ |
171 |
|
|
$ |
271 |
|
|
$ |
(333 |
) |
|
$ |
90 |
|
Net
income (loss) attributable to Dynegy Inc. common
stockholders
|
|
|
(1,247 |
) |
|
|
174 |
|
|
|
264 |
|
|
|
(342 |
) |
|
|
68 |
|
Basic
earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations attributable to
Dynegy Inc. common stockholders
|
|
$ |
(1.25 |
) |
|
$ |
0.23 |
|
|
$ |
0.13 |
|
|
$ |
(0.55 |
) |
|
$ |
(2.11 |
) |
Basic
net income (loss) per share attributable to Dynegy Inc. common
stockholders
|
|
|
(1.52 |
) |
|
|
0.20 |
|
|
|
0.35 |
|
|
|
(0.75 |
) |
|
|
0.18 |
|
Diluted
earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations attributable to
Dynegy Inc. common stockholders
|
|
$ |
(1.25 |
) |
|
$ |
0.23 |
|
|
$ |
0.13 |
|
|
$ |
(0.55 |
) |
|
$ |
(2.11 |
) |
Diluted
net income (loss) per share attributable to Dynegy Inc. common
stockholders
|
|
|
(1.52 |
) |
|
|
0.20 |
|
|
|
0.35 |
|
|
|
(0.75 |
) |
|
|
0.18 |
|
Shares
outstanding for basic EPS calculation
|
|
|
822 |
|
|
|
840 |
|
|
|
752 |
|
|
|
459 |
|
|
|
387 |
|
Shares
outstanding for diluted EPS calculation
|
|
|
826 |
|
|
|
842 |
|
|
|
754 |
|
|
|
509 |
|
|
|
513 |
|
Cash
dividends per common share
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Cash
Flow Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
cash provided by (used in) operating activities
|
|
$ |
135 |
|
|
$ |
319 |
|
|
$ |
341 |
|
|
$ |
(194 |
) |
|
$ |
(30 |
) |
Net
cash provided by (used in) investing activities
|
|
|
251 |
|
|
|
(102 |
) |
|
|
(817 |
) |
|
|
358 |
|
|
|
1,824 |
|
Net
cash provided by (used in) financing activities
|
|
|
(608 |
) |
|
|
148 |
|
|
|
433 |
|
|
|
(1,342 |
) |
|
|
(873 |
) |
Cash
dividends or distributions to partners, net
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(17 |
) |
|
|
(22 |
) |
Capital
expenditures, acquisitions and investments
|
|
|
(594 |
) |
|
|
(640 |
) |
|
|
(504 |
) |
|
|
(163 |
) |
|
|
(315 |
) |
|
|
December
31,
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
(in
millions)
|
|
Balance
Sheet Data (4):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
assets
|
|
$ |
2,038 |
|
|
$ |
2,803 |
|
|
$ |
1,663 |
|
|
$ |
1,989 |
|
|
$ |
3,706 |
|
Current
liabilities
|
|
|
1,847 |
|
|
|
1,702 |
|
|
|
999 |
|
|
|
1,166 |
|
|
|
2,116 |
|
Property
and equipment, net
|
|
|
7,117 |
|
|
|
8,934 |
|
|
|
9,017 |
|
|
|
4,951 |
|
|
|
5,323 |
|
Total
assets
|
|
|
10,953 |
|
|
|
14,213 |
|
|
|
13,221 |
|
|
|
7,537 |
|
|
|
10,126 |
|
Long-term
debt (excluding current portion)
|
|
|
4,775 |
|
|
|
6,072 |
|
|
|
5,939 |
|
|
|
3,190 |
|
|
|
4,228 |
|
Notes
payable and current portion of long-term debt
|
|
|
807 |
|
|
|
64 |
|
|
|
51 |
|
|
|
68 |
|
|
|
71 |
|
Series
C convertible preferred stock
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
400 |
|
Capital
leases not already included in long-term debt
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Total
equity
|
|
|
2,979 |
|
|
|
4,485 |
|
|
|
4,529 |
|
|
|
2,267 |
|
|
|
2,140 |
|
(1)
|
The
LS Power Merger (April 2, 2007) and the Sithe Energies acquisition
(February 1, 2005) were each accounted for in accordance with the purchase
method of accounting and the results of operations attributable to the
acquired businesses are included in our financial statements and operating
statistics beginning on the acquisitions’ effective date for accounting
purposes.
|
(2)
|
Includes
$249 million of debt conversion costs for the twelve months ended December
31, 2006.
|
(3)
|
Discontinued
operations include the results of operations from the following
businesses:
|
|
·
|
The
Arlington Valley and Griffith power generation facilities (collectively,
the Arizona power generation facilities”) (sold fourth quarter
2009);
|
|
·
|
Bluegrass
power generating facility (sold fourth quarter
2009);
|
|
·
|
Heard
County power generating facility (sold second quarter
2009);
|
|
·
|
Calcasieu
power generating facility (sold first quarter
2008);
|
|
·
|
CoGen
Lyondell power generating facility (sold third quarter 2007);
and
|
|
·
|
DMSLP
(sold fourth quarter 2005).
|
(4)
|
The
LS Power Merger (April 2, 2007) and the Sithe Energies acquisition
(February 1, 2005) were each accounted for under the purchase method of
accounting. Accordingly, the purchase price was allocated to the
assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair
values as of the effective dates of each transaction. Please read
note (1) above for respective effective
dates.
|
Dynegy
Holdings’ Selected Financial Data
|
|
Year
Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
(in
millions, except per share data)
|
|
Statement
of Operations Data (1):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues
|
|
$ |
2,468 |
|
|
$ |
3,324 |
|
|
$ |
2,918 |
|
|
$ |
1,758 |
|
|
$ |
2,004 |
|
Depreciation
and amortization expense
|
|
|
(335 |
) |
|
|
(346 |
) |
|
|
(306 |
) |
|
|
(208 |
) |
|
|
(199 |
) |
Goodwill
impairment
|
|
|
(433 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Impairment
and other charges, exclusive of goodwill impairment shown separately
above
|
|
|
(538 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(
9 |
) |
|
|
(40 |
) |
General
and administrative expenses
|
|
|
(159 |
) |
|
|
(157 |
) |
|
|
(184 |
) |
|
|
(193 |
) |
|
|
(375 |
) |
Operating
income (loss)
|
|
|
(836 |
) |
|
|
744 |
|
|
|
595 |
|
|
|
223 |
|
|
|
(727 |
) |
Interest
expense and debt extinguishment costs (2)
|
|
|
(461 |
) |
|
|
(427 |
) |
|
|
(384 |
) |
|
|
(579 |
) |
|
|
(383 |
) |
Income
tax (expense) benefit
|
|
|
313 |
|
|
|
(138 |
) |
|
|
(105 |
) |
|
|
89 |
|
|
|
372 |
|
Income
(loss) from continuing operations
|
|
|
(1,046 |
) |
|
|
222 |
|
|
|
165 |
|
|
|
(217 |
) |
|
|
(723 |
) |
Income
(loss) from discontinued operations (3)
|
|
|
(222 |
) |
|
|
(17 |
) |
|
|
166 |
|
|
|
(91 |
) |
|
|
809 |
|
Cumulative
effect of change in accounting principles
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(5 |
) |
Net
income (loss)
|
|
$ |
(1,268 |
) |
|
$ |
205 |
|
|
$ |
331 |
|
|
$ |
(308 |
) |
|
$ |
81 |
|
Net
income (loss) attributable to Dynegy Holdings Inc.
|
|
$ |
(1,253 |
) |
|
$ |
208 |
|
|
$ |
324 |
|
|
$ |
(308 |
) |
|
$ |
81 |
|
Cash
Flow Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
cash provided by (used in) operating activities
|
|
$ |
152 |
|
|
$ |
319 |
|
|
$ |
368 |
|
|
$ |
(205 |
) |
|
$ |
(24 |
) |
Net
cash provided by (used in) investing activities
|
|
|
790 |
|
|
|
(87 |
) |
|
|
(688 |
) |
|
|
357 |
|
|
|
1,839 |
|
Net
cash provided by (used in) financing activities
|
|
|
(1,193 |
) |
|
|
146 |
|
|
|
369 |
|
|
|
(1,235 |
) |
|
|
(734 |
) |
Capital
expenditures, acquisitions and investments
|
|
|
(596 |
) |
|
|
(626 |
) |
|
|
(350 |
) |
|
|
(155 |
) |
|
|
(169 |
) |
|
|
December
31,
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
(in
millions)
|
|
Balance
Sheet Data (1):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
assets
|
|
$ |
1,988 |
|
|
$ |
2,780 |
|
|
$ |
1,614 |
|
|
$ |
1,828 |
|
|
$ |
3,457 |
|
Current
liabilities
|
|
|
1,848 |
|
|
|
1,681 |
|
|
|
999 |
|
|
|
1,165 |
|
|
|
2,212 |
|
Property
and equipment, net
|
|
|
7,117 |
|
|
|
8,934 |
|
|
|
9,017 |
|
|
|
4,951 |
|
|
|
5,323 |
|
Total
assets
|
|
|
10,903 |
|
|
|
14,174 |
|
|
|
13,107 |
|
|
|
8,136 |
|
|
|
10,580 |
|
Long-term
debt (excluding current portion)
|
|
|
4,775 |
|
|
|
6,072 |
|
|
|
5,939 |
|
|
|
3,190 |
|
|
|
4,003 |
|
Notes
payable and current portion of long-term debt
|
|
|
807 |
|
|
|
64 |
|
|
|
51 |
|
|
|
68 |
|
|
|
191 |
|
Capital
leases not already included in long-term debt
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Total
equity
|
|
|
3,003 |
|
|
|
4,583 |
|
|
|
4,620 |
|
|
|
3,036 |
|
|
|
3,331 |
|
(1)
|
The
Contributed Entities’ (as defined in Note 3) assets were contributed to
DHI contemporaneously with the LS Power Merger (April 2,
2007). This contribution was accounted for as a transaction
between entities under common control. As such, the assets and
liabilities were recorded by DHI at Dynegy’s historical cost on Dynegy’s
date of acquisition. Please read Note 3—Business Combination
and Acquisitions—LS Assets Contribution for further
discussion. Additionally, the Sithe Energies assets were
contributed to DHI on April 2, 2007. This contribution was
accounted for as a transaction between entities under common
control. As such, the assets and liabilities were recorded by
DHI at Dynegy’s historical cost on Dynegy’s date of acquisition, January
31, 2005. In addition, DHI’s historical financial statements
have been adjusted in all periods presented to reflect the contribution as
though DHI had owned these assets beginning January 31,
2005. Please read Note 3—Business Combination and
Acquisitions—LS Assets Contribution for further
discussion.
|
(2)
|
Includes
$204 million of debt conversion costs for the twelve months ended December
31, 2006.
|
(3)
|
Discontinued
operations include the results of operations from the following
businesses:
|
|
·
|
The
Arizona power generation facilities (sold fourth quarter
2009);
|
|
·
|
Bluegrass
power generating facility (sold fourth quarter
2009);
|
|
·
|
Heard
County power generating facility (sold second quarter
2009);
|
|
·
|
Calcasieu
power generating facility (sold first quarter
2008);
|
|
·
|
CoGen
Lyondell power generating facility (sold third quarter 2007);
and
|
|
·
|
DMSLP
(sold fourth quarter 2005).
|
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The
following discussion should be read together with the audited consolidated
financial statements and the notes thereto included in this report.
OVERVIEW
We are
holding companies and conduct substantially all of our business operations
through our subsidiaries. Our current business operations are focused
primarily on the power generation sector of the energy industry. We
report the results of our power generation business as three separate segments
in our consolidated financial statements: (i) GEN-MW; (ii) GEN-WE; and (iii)
GEN-NE. Because of the diversity among their respective operations
and how we allocate our resources, we report the results of each business as a
separate segment in our consolidated financial statements. Our
consolidated financial results also reflect corporate-level expenses such as
general and administrative, interest and depreciation and
amortization. Our 50 percent investment in SCH, which was sold in the
fourth quarter 2009, is included in GEN-WE for reporting
purposes. Dynegy’s 50 percent investment in DLS Power Development,
which was dissolved in the first quarter 2009, is included in Other for segment
reporting purposes.
In
addition to our operating generation facilities, we own an approximate 37
percent interest in PPEA Holding which is included in GEN-MW. PPEA
Holding, through its wholly owned subsidiary, PPEA, owns an approximate 57
percent undivided interest in the Plum Point Project.
The
following is a brief discussion of each of our power generation segments,
including a list of key factors that have affected, and are expected to continue
to affect, their respective earnings and cash flows. We also present
a brief discussion of our corporate-level expenses. This “Overview”
section concludes with a discussion of our 2009 company
highlights. Please note that this “Overview” section is merely a
summary and should be read together with the remainder of this Item 7.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations, as well as our audited consolidated financial statements, including
the notes thereto, and the other information included in this
report.
Business
Discussion
Power
Generation Business
We
generate earnings and cash flows in the three segments within our power
generation business through sales of electric energy, capacity and ancillary
services. Primary factors affecting our earnings and cash flows in
the power generation business include:
|
·
|
Prices
for power, natural gas, coal and fuel oil, which in turn are largely
driven by supply and demand. Demand for power can vary due to
weather and general economic conditions, among other
things. For example, a warm summer or a cold winter typically
increases demand for electricity. Conversely, the recessionary
economic environment has negatively impacted demand for
electricity. Power supplies similarly vary by region and are
impacted significantly by available generating capacity, transmission
capacity and federal and state
regulation;
|
|
·
|
The
relationship between prices for power and natural gas and prices for power
and coal, commonly referred to as the “spark spread” and “dark spread”,
respectively, which impacts the margin we earn on the electricity we
generate; and
|
|
·
|
Our
ability to enter into commercial transactions to mitigate short- and
medium- term earnings volatility and our ability to manage our liquidity
requirements resulting from potential changes in collateral requirements
as prices move.
|
Other
factors that have affected, and are expected to continue to affect, earnings and
cash flows for this business include:
|
·
|
Transmission
constraints, congestion, and other factors that can affect the price
differential between the locations where we deliver generated power and
the liquid market hub;
|
|
·
|
Our
ability to control capital expenditures, which primarily include
maintenance, safety, environmental and reliability projects, and to
control operating expenses through disciplined
management;
|
|
·
|
Our
ability to optimize our assets by maintaining a high in-market
availability, reliable run-time and safe, low-cost
operations;
|
|
·
|
The
cost of compliance with existing and future environmental requirements
that are likely to be more stringent and more comprehensive. Please see
Business—Environmental Matters for further discussion;
and
|
|
·
|
Market
supply conditions resulting from federal and regional renewable power
initiatives.
|
Please
read Item 1A. Risk Factors for additional factors that could affect our future
operating results, financial condition and cash flows.
In
addition to these overarching factors, other factors have influenced, and are
expected to continue to influence, earnings and cash flows for our three
reportable segments within the power generation business as further described
below.
Power
Generation—Midwest Segment. Our assets in GEN-MW include
coal-fired facilities and natural gas-fired facilities. The following
specific factors affect or could affect the performance of this reportable
segment:
|
·
|
Our
ability to maintain sufficient coal inventories, which is dependent upon
the continued performance of the railroads for deliveries of coal in a
consistent and timely manner, and its impact on our ability to serve the
critical winter and summer on-peak
loads;
|
|
·
|
Our
requirement to utilize a significant amount of cash for capital
expenditures required to comply with the Midwest Consent
Decree;
|
|
·
|
Regional
renewable energy mandates and initiatives that may alter supply conditions
within the ISO and our generating units’ positions in the aggregate supply
stack;
|
|
·
|
Changes
in the MISO market design or associated rules;
and
|
|
·
|
Changes
in the existing PJM RPM capacity markets or in the bilateral MISO capacity
markets and any resulting effect on future capacity
revenues.
|
Power
Generation—West Segment. Our assets in GEN-WE are all natural
gas-fired power generating facilities with the exception of our fuel oil-fired
Oakland facility. The following specific factors impact or could
impact the performance of this reportable segment:
|
·
|
The
continued need for reliability must-run services from the Oakland and
South Bay facilities;
|
|
·
|
The
results of the South Bay facility’s RMR rate negotiations, in which we
intend to collect additional funds equal to the cost of the plant closure
less the demolition and remediation costs collected in prior
year’s rates;
|
|
·
|
Our
ability to maintain and operate our plants in a manner that ensures we
receive full capacity payments under our various tolling agreements;
and
|
|
·
|
Our
ability to maintain the necessary permits to continue to operate our Moss
Landing, Morro Bay and South Bay facilities with once-through, seawater
cooling systems.
|
Power
Generation—Northeast Segment. Our assets in GEN-NE include
natural gas, fuel oil and coal-fired power generating facilities. The
following specific factors impact or could impact the performance of this
reportable segment:
|
·
|
Our
ability to maintain sufficient coal and fuel oil inventories, including
continued deliveries of coal in a consistent and timely manner, and
maintain access to natural gas, impacts our ability to serve the critical
winter and summer on-peak loads;
|
|
·
|
State-driven
programs aimed at capping mercury and/or reducing emission levels of other
constituents such as CO2, NOx
and SO2
will impose additional costs on our power generation
facilities;
|
|
·
|
Changes
in NYISO/ISO-NE market rules or state-specific mandates that favor and/or
subsidize renewable energy sources and demand response initiatives;
and
|
|
·
|
Our
ability to preserve and/or capture value around planned transmission
upgrades designed to improve transfer limits around known
constraints.
|
Other
Other
includes corporate-level expenses such as general and administrative and
interest. Significant items impacting future earnings and cash flows
include:
|
·
|
Interest
expense, which reflects debt with a weighted-average interest rate of
approximately seven percent;
|
|
·
|
General
and administrative costs, which will be impacted by, among other things,
(i) staffing levels and associated expenses; (ii) funding requirements
under our pension plans; (iii) any future corporate-level litigation
reserves or settlements and (iv) our ability to realize the planned cost
savings reflected in our 2010-2013 cost savings program;
and
|
|
·
|
Income
taxes, which will be impacted by our ability to realize our net operating
losses and alternative minimum tax
credits.
|
Other
also includes our legacy CRM operations, which primarily consists of a minimal
number of legacy power and natural gas trading positions that will remain until
2010 and 2017, respectively.
2009
Highlights
LS Power
Transactions. We consummated our
transactions (the “LS Power Transactions”) with LS Power in two parts, with the
issuance of notes by DHI on December 1, 2009, and the remainder of the
transactions closing on November 30, 2009. At closing, Dynegy
received: (i) $936 million in cash, net of closing costs (consisting, in
part, of (a) the release of $175 million of restricted cash on our consolidated
balance sheets that was used to support our funding commitment to the Sandy
Creek Project and (b) $214 million for the notes issued by DHI), and
(ii) 245 million shares of Dynegy’s Class B common stock from LS
Power. In exchange, Dynegy sold to LS Power five peaking and three
combined-cycle generation assets, as well as its remaining interest in the Sandy
Creek Project under construction in Texas (the “Sandy Creek Project”), and DHI
issued the notes to an affiliate of LS Power.
The
remaining 95 million shares of Dynegy’s Class B common stock held by LS
Power were converted into the same number of shares of Dynegy’s Class A
common stock, representing approximately 15 percent of Dynegy’s Class A
common stock outstanding.
In
connection with the LS Power Transactions, Dynegy and LS Power entered into the
New Shareholder Agreement, which, among other things, generally restricts LS
Power from increasing its now-reduced ownership for up to 30
months. Additionally, it provides that we will not issue Dynegy’s
equity securities for our own purposes until the earlier of (i) March 31, 2010
or (ii) the first date following closing of the transaction in which LS Power
owns, in aggregate, less than 10 percent of Dynegy’s then outstanding Class A
common stock. Dynegy and LS Power have also terminated the Old
Shareholder Agreement, which provided LS Power with special approval rights,
board representation and certain other rights associated with its former Class B
common stock. Please read Item 5. Market
for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases
of Equity Securities—Shareholder Agreements for further
discussion.
In
connection with our closing of the LS Power Transactions, we recorded pre-tax
charges of $312 million in the fourth quarter 2009. These charges
include $124 million in Gain (loss) on sale of assets, $104 million in Income
(loss) from discontinued operations and $84 million in Losses from
unconsolidated investments in our consolidated statements of
operations. Please read Note
4—Dispositions, Contract Terminations and Discontinued
Operations—Dispositions—LS Power Transactions for further
discussion.
We also
recorded pre-tax impairment charges of $579 million as a result of the
negotiations leading up to and entering into the LS Power
Transactions. Please read Note 6—Impairment Charges—2009 Impairment
Charges—Assets Included in LS Power Transactions for further
discussion.
Credit Facility
Amendment. On August 5, 2009, we entered into certain
amendments to the Credit Facility. Please read Note 17—Debt—Credit
Facility for further discussion.
Multi-Year Cost
Savings Initiative. On August 10, 2009, we announced an
extensive, multi-year program to eliminate certain costs throughout the
company. Cumulative savings, relative to our original plan, are
expected to be $400 million to $450 million over a four-year period beginning in
2010. Annual savings are expected to be generated through reduced
capital, operational and general and administrative expenditures.
Note Repurchase
Agreement. On December 31, 2009, DHI completed a note
repurchase with one of its larger fixed-income investors. DHI
repurchased approximately $833 million aggregate principal amount of its notes,
consisting of approximately $421 million of its 6.875% Senior Unsecured Notes
due 2011 and approximately $412 million of its 8.750% Senior Unsecured Notes due
2012. The total consideration to effect the note repurchase,
inclusive of consent fees, was $879 million. We recorded a charge of
$46 million on the extinguishment of this debt.
LIQUIDITY
AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Overview
In this
section, we describe our liquidity and capital requirements including our
sources and uses of liquidity and capital resources. Our liquidity
and capital requirements are primarily a function of our debt maturities and
debt service requirements, collateral requirements, fixed capacity payments and
contractual obligations, capital expenditures (including required environmental
expenditures), and working capital needs. Examples of working capital
needs include purchases and sales of commodities and associated margin and
collateral requirements, facility maintenance costs and other costs such as
payroll.
Our
primary sources of internal liquidity are cash flows from operations, cash on
hand, and available capacity under our Credit Facility, of which the revolver
capacity of $1,080 million is scheduled to mature in April 2012 and the term
letter of credit capacity of $850 million is scheduled to mature in April
2013. Secondarily, we expect to continue utilizing both lien-secured
commodity hedging arrangements, which reduce collateral requirements, and
commodity-contingent liquidity facilities, which increase potential liquidity
availability. Additionally, DHI may borrow money from time to time
from Dynegy. These internal liquidity sources are expected to be
sufficient to fund the operation of our business, potential requirements to post
additional collateral, as well as our planned capital expenditure program,
including expenditures in connection with the Midwest Consent Decree, and debt
service requirements over the next twelve months. Please read Note
17—Debt—Credit Facility for a discussion of the financial covenants contained in
the Credit Facility, as well as the discussion below regarding our Revolver
Capacity.
Our
primary sources of external liquidity are asset sales proceeds and proceeds from
capital market transactions to the extent we engage in these
transactions.
Current
Liquidity. The following table summarizes our consolidated
revolver capacity and liquidity position at February 19, 2010, December 31, 2009
and December 31, 2008:
|
|
February
19,
2010
|
|
|
December
31,
2009
|
|
|
December
31,
2008
|
|
|
|
(in
millions)
|
|
Revolver
capacity (1)
|
|
$ |
1,080 |
|
|
$ |
1,080 |
|
|
$ |
1,080 |
|
Borrowings
against revolver capacity
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Term
letter of credit capacity, net of required reserves
|
|
825
|
|
|
|
825 |
|
|
|
825 |
|
Plum
Point and Sandy Creek letter of credit capacity (2)
|
|
102
|
|
|
|
102 |
|
|
|
377 |
|
Outstanding
letters of credit (2)
|
|
(500
|
) |
|
|
(536 |
) |
|
|
(1,135 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unused
capacity
|
|
1,507
|
|
|
|
1,471 |
|
|
|
1,147 |
|
Cash—DHI
|
|
693
|
|
|
|
419 |
|
|
|
670 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
available liquidity—DHI
|
|
2,200
|
|
|
|
1,890 |
|
|
|
1,817 |
|
Cash—Dynegy
|
|
53
|
|
|
|
52 |
|
|
|
23 |
|
Total
available liquidity—Dynegy
|
|
$ |
2,253 |
|
|
$ |
1,942 |
|
|
$ |
1,840 |
|
|
(1)
|
We
currently have a syndicate of lenders participating in the revolving
portion of our Credit Facility with commitments ranging from $10 million
to $165 million.
|
|
(2)
|
Reflects reduction
of $275 million of capacity as of December 31, 2009 related to our
investment in the Sandy Creek Project. At the close of the LS
Power Transactions, this capacity was eliminated, and $175 million of the
$275 million of restricted cash supporting this letter of credit capacity
was released to us. See Note 4—Dispositions, Contract
Terminations and Discontinued Operations—Dispositions and Contract
Terminations—LS Power Transactions for further
discussion.
|
Cash on
Hand. At February 19, 2010 and December 31, 2009, Dynegy had
cash on hand of $746 million and $471
million, respectively, as compared to $693 million at the end of 2008. The
increase in cash on hand at February 19, 2010 compared with December 31, 2009 is
primarily related to return of cash from our broker margin account as a result
of commodity price changes. The decrease in cash on hand at December 31, 2009 as
compared to the end of 2008 is primarily attributable to cash used for debt
repayments and capital expenditures partially offset by proceeds from the LS
Power Transactions and the sale of Heard County as well as cash generated from
the operating activities of our generation business.
At
February 19, 2010 and December 31, 2009, DHI had cash on hand of
$693 million and $419 million, respectively, as compared to $670 million at the end of
2008. The increase in cash on hand at February 19, 2010 compared with
December 31, 2009 is primarily related to return of cash from our broker margin
account as a result of commodity price changes. The decrease in cash on hand at
December 31, 2009 as compared to the end of 2008 is primarily attributable
to cash used for
debt repayments, dividends to affiliates and capital expenditures partially
offset by proceeds from the LS Power Transactions and the sale of Heard County
as well as cash generated from the operating activities of our generation
business.
Revolver
Capacity. Based on management’s current 2010 forecast, DHI’s
available liquidity under the Credit Facility will likely be reduced during 2010
as a result of the application of the covenant regarding the ratio of
secured debt to adjusted EBITDA (as defined therein). The effect of
reduced availability under the Credit Facility would be less available liquidity
to DHI. However, even assuming such a reduction, we believe we have
sufficient liquidity and capital resources to support our operations for the
next twelve months. Please read Note 17—Debt—Credit Facility for
further discussion of our Credit Facility.
Operating
Activities
Historical
Operating Cash Flows. Dynegy’s cash flow provided by
operations totaled $135 million for the twelve months ended December 31,
2009. DHI’s cash flow provided by operations totaled $152 million for
the twelve months ended December 31, 2009. During the period, our
power generation business provided positive cash flow from operations of $719
million. Cash provided by the operations of our power generation
facilities was partly offset by a $173 million increase in cash collateral
postings. Other included a use of cash of approximately $584 million
and $567 million by Dynegy and DHI, respectively, primarily due to interest
payments to service debt and general and administrative
expenses. Dynegy’s operating cash flow also reflected the payment of
$19 million to LS Power in conjunction with the dissolution of DLS Power
Holdings and DLS Power Development.
Dynegy’s
and DHI’s cash flow provided by operations totaled $319 million for the twelve
months ended December 31, 2008. During the period, our power
generation business provided positive cash flow from the operations of our power
generation facilities of $869 million, reflecting positive earnings for the
period, partly offset by additional collateral requirements due to an increase
in the volume of our hedging positions and increased payments associated with
our DNE leveraged lease. Please read Item 7. Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—
Liquidity and Capital Resources—Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements—DNE Leveraged
Lease for further discussion of the DNE lease payments. Other
included a use of approximately $550 million in cash primarily due to interest
payments to service debt, general and administrative expenses and a $17 million
legal settlement payment previously reserved, partially offset by interest
income.
Dynegy’s
cash flow provided by operations totaled $341 million for the twelve months
ended December 31, 2007. DHI’s cash flow provided by operations
totaled $368 million for the twelve months ended December 31,
2007. During the period, our power generation business provided
positive cash flow from operations of $934 million primarily due to positive
earnings for the period, partly offset by an increased use of working
capital. Other included a use of approximately $593 million in cash
by Dynegy and approximately $566 million in cash by DHI relating to
corporate-level expenses and our former customer risk management
business.
Future Operating
Cash Flows. Our future operating cash
flows will vary based on a number of factors, many of which are beyond our
control, including the price of natural gas and its correlation to power prices,
the cost of coal and fuel oil, collateral requirements, the value of capacity
and ancillary services, the run time of our generating facilities, the
effectiveness of our commercial strategy, legal, environmental and regulatory
requirements, our ability to execute the cost savings contemplated in the
2010-2013 cost savings program and our ability to capture value associated
with commodity price volatility.
Collateral
Postings. We use a significant portion of our capital
resources, in the form of cash and letters of credit, to satisfy counterparty
collateral demands. These counterparty collateral demands reflect our
non-investment grade credit ratings and counterparties’ views of our financial
condition and ability to satisfy our performance obligations, as well as
commodity prices and other factors. The following table summarizes
our consolidated collateral postings to third parties by line of business at
February 19, 2010, December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008:
|
|
February 19,
2010
|
|
|
December 31,
2009
|
|
|
December 31,
2008
|
|
|
|
(in
millions)
|
|
By
Business:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Generation
business
|
|
$ |
515 |
|
|
$ |
638 |
|
|
$ |
1,064 |
|
Other
|
|
189
|
|
|
|
189 |
|
|
|
189 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$ |
704 |
|
|
$ |
827 |
|
|
$ |
1,253 |
|
By Type:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
(1)
|
|
$ |
204 |
|
|
$ |
291 |
|
|
$ |
118 |
|
Letters
of credit
|
|
500
|
|
|
|
536 |
|
|
|
1,135 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$ |
704 |
|
|
$ |
827 |
|
|
$ |
1,253 |
|
|
(1)
|
Includes
Broker margin account on our consolidated balance sheets as well as other
collateral postings included in Prepayments and other current assets on
our consolidated balance sheets.
|
The
changes in letters of credit postings from December 31, 2008 to December 31,
2009 and to February 19, 2010 are primarily related to a reduction of $275
million of capacity related to our former investment in the Sandy Creek Project
and lower commodity prices. The decreases were partially offset by an
increase in cash collateral postings largely due to an increased volume of
transactions executed through our futures clearing manager.
Going
forward, we expect counterparties’ collateral demands to continue to reflect
changes in commodity prices, including seasonal changes in weather-related
demand, as well as their views of our creditworthiness. We believe
that we have sufficient capital resources to satisfy counterparties’ collateral
demands, including those for which no collateral is currently posted, for the
foreseeable future.
Investing
Activities
Capital
Expenditures. We continue to tightly
manage our operating costs and capital expenditures. Our capital spending by
reportable segment during 2009, 2008 and 2007 was as follows:
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
|
(in
millions)
|
|
GEN-MW
|
|
$ |
533 |
|
|
$ |
530 |
|
|
$ |
300 |
|
GEN-WE
|
|
|
45 |
|
|
|
29 |
|
|
|
17 |
|
GEN-NE
|
|
|
28 |
|
|
|
36 |
|
|
|
47 |
|
Other
|
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
16 |
|
|
|
15 |
|
Total
|
|
$ |
612 |
|
|
$ |
611 |
|
|
$ |
379 |
|
Capital
spending in our GEN-MW segment primarily consisted of environmental and
maintenance capital projects, as well as approximately $104 million, $203
million and $161 million spent on development capital related to the Plum Point
Project during the years ended December 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007,
respectively. Capital spending in our GEN-WE and GEN-NE segments
primarily consisted of maintenance projects.
We expect
capital expenditures for 2010 to approximate $435 million, which is
comprised of $410 million, $5 million, $10 million and $10 million in GEN-MW,
GEN-WE, GEN-NE and other, respectively. The $410 million of spending
planned for GEN-MW includes approximately $200 million of environmental
expenditures, of which approximately $185 million is related to the Midwest
Consent Decree, approximately $95 million is related to maintenance on our coal
and natural gas facilities, approximately $90 million is related to the Plum
Point Project and approximately $25 million is related to capitalized
interest. The capital expenditures related to the Plum Point Project
will be largely funded by non-recourse project debt. Please read Note
17—Debt—Plum Point (Including PPEA Credit Agreement Facility and PPEA Tax Exempt
Bonds) for further discussion. Other spending primarily includes
maintenance capital projects and environmental projects. The capital
budget is subject to revision as opportunities arise or circumstances
change.
The
Midwest Consent Decree was finalized in July 2005. It prohibits us
from operating certain of our power generating facilities after certain dates
unless specified emission control equipment is installed. Our
long-term capital expenditures in the GEN-MW segment will be significantly
impacted by the Midwest Consent Decree. We anticipate our costs
associated with the Midwest Consent Decree projects, which we expect to incur
through 2013, to be approximately $960 million, which includes approximately
$545 million spent to date. This estimate, which is broken down by
year below, includes a number of assumptions about uncertainties that are beyond
our control. For instance, we have assumed for purposes of this
estimate that labor and material costs will increase at four percent per year
over the remaining project term. The following are the estimated
remaining capital expenditures required to comply with the Midwest Consent
Decree:
2010
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
2013
|
|
(in
millions)
|
|
$ |
185 |
|
|
$ |
140 |
|
|
$ |
75 |
|
|
$ |
15 |
|
If the
costs of these capital expenditures become great enough to render the operation
of the affected facility or facilities uneconomical, we could, at our option,
cease to operate the facility or facilities and forego these capital
expenditures without incurring any further obligations under the Midwest Consent
Decree. Please read Note 21—Commitments and Contingencies—Other
Commitments and Contingencies—Midwest Consent Decree for further
discussion.
Finally,
the SPDES permits renewal application at our Roseton power generating facility
and the NPDES permit at our Moss Landing power generating facility have been
challenged by local environmental groups which contend the existing
once-through, water cooling systems currently in place should be replaced with
closed-cycle cooling systems. A decision to install a closed-cycle
cooling system at the Roseton or Moss Landing facilities would be made on a
case-by-case basis considering all relevant factors at such time, including any
relevant costs or applicable remediation requirements. If mandated
installation of closed-cycle cooling systems at either of these facilities would
result in a material capital expenditure that renders the operation of a plant
uneconomical, we could, at our option, and subject to any applicable financing
agreements or other obligations, reduce operations or cease to operate such
facility and forego these capital expenditures.
Please
read Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Disclosure of Contractual
Obligations and Contingent Financial Commitments—Off-Balance Sheet
Arrangements—DNE Leveraged Lease for further discussion of early lease
termination payments. Please read Note 21—Commitments and
Contingencies—Legal Proceedings—Roseton State Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System Permit and —Commitments and Contingencies—Legal Proceedings—Moss Landing
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit for further
discussion.
Asset
Dispositions. Proceeds from asset sales in 2009 totaled $652
million and $1,095 million for Dynegy and DHI, respectively. Of the
total $936 million and $1,476 million in cash proceeds received by Dynegy and
DHI, respectively, at the closing of the LS Power Transactions, $547 million and $990 million
related to the disposition of assets, including our interest in the Sandy Creek
Project, for Dynegy and DHI, respectively. We also received $175
million from the release of restricted cash on our consolidated balance sheets
that was used to support our funding commitment to the Sandy Creek
Project. Please read Note 4—Dispositions, Contract Terminations and
Discontinued Operations—Dispositions—LS Power Transactions for further
information. The remaining $214 million of cash received upon closing
the LS Power Transactions relates to the issuance of $235 million notes payable,
and is included in Financing Activities. Please read “—Financing
Activities” below and Note 18—Related Party Transactions for further
discussion.
Additionally,
during 2009, we sold the Heard County power generation facility for
approximately $105 million, net of transaction costs. Please read
Note 4— Dispositions, Contract Terminations and Discontinued
Operations—Discontinued Operations—Heard County for further
discussion.
Proceeds
from asset sales in 2008 totaled $451 million, net of transaction costs, related
to the sales of the Rolling Hills power generating facility, Calcasieu power
generating facility, the NYMEX shares and seats, and the beneficial interest in
Oyster Creek.
Proceeds
from asset sales in 2007 totaled $558 million and primarily consisted of $472
million from the sale of our CoGen Lyondell power generation facility and $82
million received in connection with the sale of a portion of our interest in the
Plum Point Project. Please read Note 4—Dispositions, Contract
Terminations and Discontinued Operations for further discussion.
Consistent
with industry practice, we regularly evaluate our generation fleet based
primarily on geographic location, fuel supply, market structure and market
recovery expectations. We consider divestitures of non-core assets
where the balance of the above factors suggests that such assets’ earnings
potential is limited or that the value that can be captured through a
divestiture outweighs the benefits of continuing to own and operate such
assets. We have previously indicated that we consider our investment
in PPEA Holding a non-core asset and intend to pursue alternatives regarding our
remaining ownership interest.
Other Investing
Activities. Cash inflows related to short-term investments
during the year ended December 31, 2009 totaled $17 million and $16 million for
Dynegy and DHI, respectively, reflecting a distribution from our short-term
investments. Cash outflows related to short-term investments during
the year ended December 31, 2008 totaled $27 million and $25 million for Dynegy
and DHI, respectively, as a result of a reclassification from cash equivalents
to short-term investments.
Dynegy
made $16 million and $10 million in contributions to DLS Power Holdings during
the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively. We received
a distribution of approximately $7 million and repayment of approximately $3
million of an affiliate receivable upon the sale of a partial interest in Sandy
Creek during the year ended December 31, 2008. We received a
distribution of approximately $13 million upon the sale of a partial interest in
Sandy Creek during the year ended December 31, 2007. Please read Note
14—Variable Interest Entities—Sandy Creek for further discussion.
We paid
$128 million, net of cash acquired, during the year ended December 31, 2007 in
connection with the completion of the LS Power Merger. Please read
Note 3—Business Combinations and Acquisitions—LS Power Business Combination for
more information.
There was
a $190 million cash inflow during the year ended December 31, 2009 for both
Dynegy and DHI, related to changes in restricted cash balances primarily due to
the release of $175 million of restricted cash that was used to support our
funding commitment to the Sandy Creek Project. There was an $80
million cash inflow during the year ended December 31, 2008 due to changes in
restricted cash balances primarily due to a reduction of our cash collateral as
a result of SCEA’s sale of an 11 percent undivided interest in the Sandy Creek
Project, the release of restricted cash and the use of restricted cash for the
ongoing construction of the Plum Point project, partially offset by interest
income. The increase in restricted cash and investments of $871
million during the twelve months ended December 31, 2007 related primarily to a
$650 million deposit associated with our cash collateralized facility, and $323
million posted in support of our proportionate share of capital commitments in
connection with the Sandy Creek Project. These additional postings were
partially offset by the release of Independence restricted cash in exchange for
the posting of a letter of credit.
DHI’s
affiliate transactions during the year ended December 31, 2009 included $97
million related to the LS Power Transactions. Dynegy repurchased 245
million of its Class B shares with a fair value of $443 million (based on a
share price of $1.81 on November 30, 2009) from LS Power by exchanging assets
owned by DHI for the shares. In order to effect this exchange, Dynegy paid
$540 million cash to a subsidiary of LS Power in exchange for the shares,
immediately following which a separate subsidiary of LS Power paid $540 million
of cash to DHI in exchange for the assets. The $97 million
represents the difference between the $540 million cash received by DHI and the
$443 million fair value of the shares received by Dynegy.
Other
included $3 million of insurance proceeds received during the year ended
December 31, 2009. Other included $7 million of insurance proceeds
received during the year ended December 31, 2008. Additionally,
included in Other for Dynegy for the year ended December 31, 2008 is $4 million
of proceeds from the liquidation of an investment.
Financing
Activities
Historical Cash
Flow from Financing Activities. Dynegy’s net cash used in
financing activities during the twelve months ended December 31, 2009 totaled
$608 million. Repayments of borrowings were $890 million, and
consisted of the following:
|
·
|
$421
million in aggregate principal amount on our 6.875 percent senior
unsecured notes due 2011 (“2011
Notes”);
|
|
·
|
$412
million in aggregate principal amount on our 8.75 percent senior unsecured
notes due 2012 (“2012 Notes”); and
|
|
·
|
$57
million in aggregate principal amount on our Sithe 9.00 percent secured
bonds due 2013.
|
We also
paid debt extinguishment costs of $46 million in connection with the repayment
of the 2011 Notes and 2012 Notes.
These
payments were partially offset by $328 million of net proceeds from the
following borrowings:
|
·
|
$130
million under the PPEA Credit Agreement Facility;
and
|
|
·
|
$214
million of cash proceeds from the LS Power Transactions allocated to the
issuance of $235 million 7.5 percent senior unsecured notes due
2015.
|
These
borrowings were partly offset by $16 million of financing fees related to the
Credit Facility Amendment No. 4.
DHI’s net
cash used in financing activities during the twelve months ended December 31,
2009 totaled $1,193 million. This included the net $608 million used
in repayments and extinguishment costs, net of borrowings, incurred by Dynegy,
as set forth above, as well as $585 million in aggregate dividend payments to
Dynegy.
Dynegy’s
net cash provided by financing activities during the twelve months ended
December 31, 2008 totaled $148 million and DHI’s net cash provided by
financing activities during the twelve months ended December 31, 2008 totaled
$146 million. The cash provided by financing activities primarily
related to $192 million of proceeds from borrowings under the PPEA Credit
Agreement Facility, partly offset by a $45 million principal payment on our 9.00
percent Sithe secured bonds due 2013.
Dynegy’s
net cash provided by financing activities during the twelve months ended
December 31, 2007 totaled $433 million, which primarily related to $2,758
million of proceeds from long-term borrowings, net of approximately $35 million
of debt issuance costs, partially offset by $2,320 million of
payments. DHI’s net cash provided by financing activities during the
twelve months ended December 31, 2007 of $369 million also includes dividend
payments of $342 million to Dynegy.
Summarized Debt
and Other Obligations. The following table depicts our
consolidated third party debt obligations, including the present value of the
DNE leveraged lease payments discounted at 10 percent, and the extent to which
they are secured as of December 31, 2009 and 2008:
|
|
December 31,
2009
|
|
|
December 31,
2008
|
|
|
|
(in
millions)
|
|
First
secured obligations
|
|
$ |
918 |
|
|
$ |
919 |
|
Unsecured
obligations
|
|
|
3,645 |
|
|
|
4,245 |
|
Lease
obligations (1)
|
|
|
626 |
|
|
|
700 |
|
Total
corporate obligations
|
|
|
5,189 |
|
|
|
5,864 |
|
PPEA
and Sithe secured non-recourse obligations (2)
|
|
|
1,031 |
|
|
|
959 |
|
Total
obligations
|
|
|
6,220 |
|
|
|
6,823 |
|
Less:
Lease obligations (1)
|
|
|
(626 |
) |
|
|
(700 |
) |
Other
(3)
|
|
|
(12 |
) |
|
|
13 |
|
Total
notes payable and long-term debt (4)
|
|
$ |
5,582 |
|
|
|