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EPCOR Announces Quarterly Results

EDMONTON, ALBERTA — (Marketwired) — 05/09/13 — EPCOR Utilities Inc. (EPCOR) today filed its quarterly results for the period ended March 31, 2013.

“EPCOR–s core operations performed well in the first quarter of 2013, reflective of the hard work and dedication of our employees,” said David Stevens, EPCOR–s President & CEO.

Highlights of EPCOR–s financial performance are as follows:

Management–s discussion and analysis (MD&A) of the quarterly results are shown below. The MD&A and the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements are available on EPCOR–s website (), and SEDAR ().

EPCOR–s wholly owned subsidiaries build, own and operate electrical transmission and distribution networks, water and wastewater treatment facilities and infrastructure in Canada and the United States, and provide electricity and water services and products to residential and commercial customers. EPCOR, headquartered in Edmonton, is an Alberta top 60 employer. EPCOR–s website address is .

EPCOR Utilities Inc.

Interim Management–s Discussion and Analysis

March 31, 2013

This management–s discussion and analysis (MD&A) dated May 9, 2013, should be read in conjunction with the condensed consolidated interim financial statements of EPCOR Utilities Inc. and its subsidiaries for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, the consolidated financial statements and MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2012 and the cautionary statement regarding forward-looking information on pages 11 and 12 of this MD&A. In this MD&A, any reference to “the Company”, “EPCOR”, “it”, “its”, “we”, “our” or “us”, except where otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates, means EPCOR Utilities Inc., together with its subsidiaries. In this MD&A, Capital Power refers to Capital Power Corporation and its directly and indirectly owned subsidiaries including Capital Power L.P., except where otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates. Financial information in this MD&A is based on the condensed consolidated interim financial statements, which were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and is presented in Canadian dollars unless otherwise specified. In accordance with its terms of reference, the Audit Committee of the Company–s Board of Directors reviews the contents of the MD&A and recommends its approval by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors approved this MD&A.

Overview

EPCOR is wholly-owned by The City of Edmonton (the City). EPCOR builds, owns and operates electrical transmission and distribution networks in Canada as well as water and wastewater treatment facilities and infrastructure in Canada and the United States (U.S.). EPCOR also provides electricity and water services and products to residential and commercial customers. EPCOR–s electricity (collectively the Distribution and Transmission and Energy Services segments) and water (including wastewater treatment) businesses consist primarily of rate-regulated and long-term commercial contracted operations. EPCOR–s continuous improvement objective is to seek out ways of maximizing the efficiency of its electricity and water operations.

EPCOR–s net income was $57 million for the three months ended March 31, 2013 compared to $44 million for the comparative period in 2012.

EPCOR–s core operations performed well in the first quarter without any significant issues or disruptions to customers. Net income from core operations was $40 million for the three months ended March 31, 2013, $26 million higher than net income from core operations for the corresponding period in 2012. Net income from core operations is a non-IFRS financial measure; see Non-IFRS Financial Measure on page 8 of this MD&A.

Our 2013 capital expenditure plan includes work continued from 2012 on several significant upgrade projects within Edmonton such as the annual water main renewal program to improve Edmonton–s water distribution system, a new water laboratory and related office building, a project to replace the gaseous chlorine chemical system at the Rossdale water treatment plant with an on-site hypochlorite generation system, upgrades to a digester and pre-treatment and solids handling infrastructure project at the Gold Bar wastewater treatment facility (Gold Bar), a replacement and extension of underground electricity distribution cable program, and, in partnership with Altalink, L.P., construction of the Heartland electricity transmission line (Heartland). Our capital expenditure plan also includes various new capital projects. This plan is aimed towards better water management practices and improvement of electricity distribution and transmission infrastructure to replace aging infrastructure and meet the growing demand for electricity.

Consolidated results of operations

Net Income

Net income was higher for the three months ended March 31, 2013 compared with the corresponding period in 2012 primarily due to the net impact of the following:

Revenues

Consolidated revenues were lower for the three months ended March 31, 2013 compared with the corresponding period in 2012 primarily due to the net impact of the following:

Capital Spending and Investment

Total capital spending and investment was lower for the three months ended March 31, 2013 compared with the corresponding period in 2012 primarily due to the acquisition of the U.S. water businesses in 2012 with no similar acquisition in 2013. Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment were higher for the three months ended March 31, 2013 compared to the corresponding period in 2012 primarily due to increased construction activity on Heartland, reflecting EPCOR–s 50% share of the project.

Segment results

Water Services

Water Services– operating income increased by $14 million for the three months ended March 31, 2013 compared with the corresponding period in 2012 primarily due to higher approved customer rates and lower provisions. In 2012, we recorded a provision related to a water rate complaint by an Edmonton regional water customer group and required no similar provision in 2013.

Distribution and Transmission

Distribution and Transmission–s operating income increased $3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2013 compared with the corresponding period in 2012 primarily due to a refund received from the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) for the true-up of 2011 transmission flow-through charges which will be refunded to customers through rates commencing in the second half of 2013. Operating income also increased due to increased system access revenue as a result of customer growth.

Energy Services

Energy Services– operating income increased by $6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2013 compared with the corresponding period in 2012 primarily due to lower losses on selling excess electricity purchased in connection with the Company–s Energy Price Setting Plan (EPSP) and no contact centre consolidation costs incurred in 2013 compared with the corresponding period in 2012. Partially offsetting these increases were lower favorable fair value adjustments related to financial electricity purchase contracts in the current quarter compared to the same quarter last year.

Consolidated statements of financial position

Consolidated statements of cash flows

Liquidity and capital resources

The Company has credit facilities, which are used principally for the purpose of backing our commercial paper program and providing letters of credit, as outlined below:

(1) Restricted to letters of credit.

(1) Restricted to letters of credit.

Letters of credit are issued to meet the credit requirements of energy market participants and conditions of certain service agreements.

The Company has a Canadian base shelf prospectus under which it may raise up to $1 billion of debt with maturities of not less than one year. At March 31, 2013, the available amount remaining under this shelf prospectus was $700 million (December 31, 2012 – $700 million). The shelf prospectus expires in January 2014.

The Company–s working capital and contractual obligations for the remainder of 2013 will be funded from cash on hand, operating cash flows, limited partnership distributions from Capital Power, interest and principal payments related to the long-term receivable from Capital Power, and if necessary, commercial paper issuance, drawing upon existing credit facilities, public and private debt offerings or the sale of a portion of our interest in Capital Power.

No commercial paper was issued and outstanding at March 31, 2013 (December 31, 2012 – nil).

EPCOR is currently in compliance with all of its financial covenants as set out in its bank credit agreements and the financial covenants of its Canadian public medium-term notes and U.S. private-debt notes. Based on current financial covenant calculations, the Company has sufficient capacity to borrow to fund current and long-term requirements. Although the risk is low, breaching these covenants could potentially result in a revocation of EPCOR–s credit facility causing a significant loss of access to liquidity.

During the first quarter of 2013, Canadian and U.S. economies continued to show signs of modest recovery and the sovereign debt crisis in Europe remains unresolved. As a result, there is a continuing risk of a stalled economic recovery and a potential world-wide recession. If the economy were to deteriorate in the longer term, particularly in Canada and the U.S., the Company–s ability to renew credit facilities, arrange long-term financing for its capital expenditure programs and acquisitions, or refinance outstanding indebtedness when it matures could be adversely impacted. If market conditions worsen, the Company may be unable to renew its credit facilities or access the public debt markets and may suffer a credit rating downgrade. We continue to believe that these circumstances have a low probability of occurring, however, we continue to monitor EPCOR–s capital programs and operating costs to minimize the risk that the Company becomes short of cash or unable to honor its obligations.

Contractual obligations

During the first quarter of 2013, there were no material changes to the Company–s purchase obligations, including payments for the next five years and thereafter. For further information on the Company–s contractual obligations, refer to the 2012 annual MD&A.

Changes in accounting policies

Effective January 1, 2013, the Company adopted accounting policies in accordance with the following new and amended accounting standards relevant to EPCOR:

Of the new and amended accounting standards which became effective January 1, 2013, the following had an impact on the Company as a result of accounting policies adopted effective January 1, 2013:

IFRS 11 was issued to replace IAS 31 – Interest in Joint Ventures. The new standard classifies joint arrangements into two types, joint operations and joint ventures. The standard defines a joint operation as a joint arrangement whereby the parties that have joint control of the arrangement have rights to the assets, and obligations for the liabilities, relating to the arrangement and are required to recognize assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses in proportion to its interest in the joint arrangement. The standard defines a joint venture as a joint arrangement whereby the parties that have joint control of the arrangement have rights to the net assets of the arrangement and are required to recognize and account for the investment in the joint arrangement using the equity method. The Company applied the new standard effective January 1, 2013 and classified its interest in the Heartland Transmission project (Heartland) as a joint operation. As a result, the Company–s condensed consolidated interim financial statements for the period ended March 31, 2013, include EPCOR–s relative share of the joint operation–s assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses with items of a similar nature on a line-by-line basis. Unrealized gains and losses on transactions between EPCOR and the joint operation are eliminated to the extent of EPCOR–s interest in the joint operation and unrealized losses are eliminated only to the extent there is no evidence of impairment.

IFRS 13 replaced the fair value measurement guidance contained in individual IFRS with a single source of fair value measurement guidance. It defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and sets out disclosure requirements. The Company does not expect the standard to have a material impact on the annual financial statements. However, IAS 34 was amended as a result of IFRS 13, to require financial instrument fair value disclosure in an entity–s interim financial statements.

IAS 19 was amended to: (a) eliminate the option to defer the recognition of actuarial gains and losses associated with net defined benefit liabilities (assets); (b) require a new method of calculating finance costs on defined benefit plans whereby a single discount rate is applied to the net pension assets or obligations; and (c) enhance the disclosure requirements to provide better information about the characteristics of defined benefit plans and the risks that entities are exposed to through participation in these plans. In accordance with the transitional provisions of revised IAS 19, the Company applied the revised standard retrospectively commencing January 1, 2013 and recognized in retained earnings, $1 million of unrecognized actuarial gains related to 2012 and $6 million of unrecognized actuarial losses related to years prior to 2012, and in accumulated other comprehensive income, $8 million of remeasurement effects related to years prior to 2013. In addition, the Company increased non-current provisions by $13 million.

Critical accounting estimates

In preparing the condensed consolidated interim financial statements, management necessarily made estimates in determining transaction amounts and financial statement balances. The following are the items for which significant estimates were made in the condensed consolidated interim financial statements: electricity revenues and costs, unbilled consumption of electricity and water, fair values, allowance for doubtful accounts, useful lives of assets and income taxes. Interim results will fluctuate due to the seasonal demands for electricity and water, changes in electricity prices, and the timing and recognition of regulatory decisions. Consequently, interim results are not necessarily indicative of annual results.

For further information on the Company–s other critical accounting estimates, refer to the 2012 annual consolidated financial statements and 2012 annual MD&A.

Non-ifrs financial measure

Management uses net income from core operations to distinguish operating results from the Company–s core water and electricity businesses from results with respect to its investment in Capital Power. It is a non-IFRS financial measure, which does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and is unlikely to be comparable to similar measures published by other entities. However, it is presented since it provides a useful measure of the Company–s primary operations and it is referred to by debt holders and other interested parties in evaluating the Company–s financial position and in assessing its creditworthiness.

A reconciliation of net income from core operations to net income is as follows:

Risk management

This section should be read in conjunction with the Risk Management section of the most recent annual MD&A. EPCOR faces a number of risks including risks related to its investment in Capital Power, operational risks, political, legislative and regulatory risk, strategy execution risk, weather risk, financial liquidity risk, environment risk, electricity price and volume risk, project risk, availability of people, credit risk, health and safety risk, conflicts of interest, foreign exchange risk and general economic conditions and business environment risks. The Company employs active programs to manage these risks.

In a separate action related to Heartland, the citizens– group “Responsible Electricity Transmission for Albertans” (RETA) commenced an action in the Court of Queen–s Bench of Alberta against the Minister of Infrastructure requesting a judicial review of the Minister–s consent of construction of the 500 kilovolt transmission line through the East Transmission Utility Corridor between Edmonton and Sherwood Park. RETA asked the Court to reverse the Minister–s written consent to the project and suspend any further work. The judicial review application took place in January 2013. RETA–s application for judicial review was dismissed in March 2013.

As part of ongoing risk management practices, the Company reviews current and proposed transactions to consider their impact on the risk profile of the Company. There have been no material changes to the risk profile or risk management strategies of EPCOR as described in the 2012 annual MD&A that have affected the condensed consolidated interim financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2013.

Outlook

In 2013, the Company intends to focus on continued growth in water and electricity rate-regulated infrastructure in conjunction with further expansion of commercial water operations.

Demand for clean drinking water is expected to continue to increase as the population grows, and we anticipate increased requirements for better water management practices including watershed management and conservation. With municipal budgets under pressure, municipal governments are considering the opportunities presented by public-private partnerships. At the same time, the Alberta oil and gas industry continues to seek assistance with water treatment and management at sites where they operate. We will continue pursuing commercial water contract opportunities in Western Canada in 2013.

The AESO has outlined significant capital development for Alberta–s electricity transmission infrastructure and has received approval from the Alberta Utilities Commission to develop certain projects through a competitive bid process. The first project expected to go through the process is the proposed west Fort McMurray electricity transmission project. This would differ from the historic process whereby each transmission facility owner develops, owns and operates all transmission facilities within their designated service area. EPCOR now has the opportunity to bid on this project.

In April 2013, interim refundable rates under the new performance based regulation (PBR) applicable to the Distribution and Transmission–s electricity distribution business came into effect. The interim refundable rates allow Distribution and Transmission to include 60% of the capital applied for under the limited additional capital additions provisions of the PBR (K-Factor). The K-Factor is an adjustment for revenues over and above the capital-related revenues funded under the PBR formula for capital projects meeting specific criteria outlined in the PBR decision. In June and July 2013, Distribution and Transmission will be participating in a joint utility hearing regarding its K-Factor and is expecting a decision in the third quarter of 2013. The K-Factor hearing could have an impact on the final rates with any resulting true-up of the difference between interim rates and final rates expected to occur in 2014. The complete impact of the PBR plan decision on the Company will not be known until further clarity is provided relative to the K-Factor.

Following the decisions by the Alberta government regarding the Regulated Rate Option in January 2013, EPCOR reached an agreement in principle with its customer representatives to amend its EPSP to include a new procurement purchasing window (increased from 45 days to 120 days) in a revised EPSP. The revised EPSP agreement was signed in April 2013. The changes to the agreement are expected to be implemented in the second half of 2013, subject to approval by the Alberta Utilities Commission.

A decision on Distribution and Transmission–s 2012 electricity transmission and distribution general tariffs application re-filing was received in April 2013. An application for the final true-up of interim 2012 to final 2012 rates will be submitted in the second quarter of 2013. The true-up of electricity transmission rates is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2013 and the true-up of electricity distribution rates is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Quarterly results

Events for the past eight quarters compared to the same quarter of the prior year that have significantly impacted net income include:

Forward – looking information

Certain information in this MD&A is forward-looking within the meaning of Canadian securities laws as it relates to anticipated financial performance, events or strategies. When used in this context, words such as “will”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “plan”, “intend”, “target”, and “expect” or similar words suggest future outcomes.

The purpose of forward-looking information is to provide investors with management–s assessment of future plans and possible outcomes and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking information in this MD&A includes: (i) expectations regarding the Company–s 2013 capital expenditure plan; (ii) sources of funding for 2013 working capital and contractual obligations; (iii) the Company–s growth plans and expected future investment opportunities; (iv) expectations regarding demands for clean drinking water; (v) expectations regarding Alberta–s electricity transmission infrastructure project opportunities; and (vi) expectations regarding future regulatory proceedings, decisions and filings and their potential impact on the Company.

These statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate. The material factors and assumptions underlying this forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: (i) the operation of the Company–s facilities; (ii) the Company–s assessment of the markets and regulatory environments in which it operates; (iii) weather; (iv) availability and cost of labor and management resources; (v) performance of contractors and suppliers; (vi) availability and cost of financing; (vii) foreign exchange rates; (viii) management–s analysis of applicable tax legislation; (ix) the currently applicable and proposed tax laws will not change and will be implemented; (x) counterparties will perform their obligations; (xi) expected interest rates and related credit spreads; (xii) ability to implement strategic initiatives which will yield the expected benefits; (xiii) the Company–s assessment of capital markets; and (xiv) factors and assumptions in addition to the above related to the Company–s equity interest in Capital Power.

Whether actual results, performance or achievements will conform to the Company–s expectations and predictions is subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from EPCOR–s expectations. The primary risks and uncertainties relate to: (i) operation of the Company–s facilities; (ii) unanticipated maintenance and other expenditures; (iii) electricity load settlement; (iv) regulatory and government decisions including changes to environmental, financial reporting and tax legislation; (v) weather and economic conditions; (vi) competitive pressures; (vii) construction; (viii) availability and cost of financing; (ix) foreign exchange; (x) availability of labor and management resources; (xi) performance of counterparties, partners, contractors and suppliers in fulfilling their obligations to the Company; (xii) availability and price of electricity; (xiii) customer consumption volumes of water and electricity; and (xiv) risks in addition to the above related to the Company–s equity interest in Capital Power, including power plant availability and performance.

This MD&A does not include any updates to the previously issued forward-looking statements.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as actual results could differ materially from the plans, expectations, estimates or intentions expressed in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, EPCOR disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement even if new information becomes available, as a result of future events or for any other reason.

Additional information

Additional information relating to EPCOR including the Company–s 2012 Annual Information Form is available on SEDAR at .

Contacts:
EPCOR Utilities Inc.
Media Relations:
Tim le Riche
(780) 969-8238

EPCOR Utilities Inc.
Corporate Relations:
Claudio Pucci
(780) 969-8245 or Toll Free: (877) 969-8280

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