Capital Power announces first quarter 2024 results

Genesee Repowering project hits major milestones

EDMONTON, Alberta, May 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Capital Power Corporation (TSX: CPX) today released financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024.

Financial highlights

• Generated adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) of $142 million and net cash flows used in operating activities of $334 million
• Generated adjusted EBITDA of $279 million and a net income of $205 million

Strategic highlights

• Successful commissioning began on Genesee repower unit 1 simple cycle and retired Genesee 1, a significant milestone towards our net-zero by 2045 goal. Provided updated cost on Genesee repower project as completion nears.
• Discontinuing pursuit of $2.4 billion Genesee carbon capture and storage (CCS) project.
• Completed acquisition of 100% interest in the La Paloma facility in California and 50% interest in the Harquahala facility in Arizona for $1.5 billion (US $1.1 billion) in the U.S. Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) market and enabling further development opportunities in the region.
• Partnership with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to advance new nuclear in Alberta with agreement to assess feasibility of small modular reactors (SMRs) for Alberta grid.
• Announced large-scale 15-year virtual power purchase agreement signed with Saputo Inc.

“Capital Power continued to execute on its strategic focus in the first quarter,” said Avik Dey, President and CEO of Capital Power. “We delivered affordable and reliable power across our diverse and strategically positioned fleet of flexible generation assets. We continued to build decarbonized power through our Genesee Repowering project where we reached a key milestone with our startup of simple cycle unit 1 during Q1 2024. Once we startup simple cycle unit 2, expected in mid-2024, we will be fully off coal, achieving a significant carbon reduction target. We advanced our pursuit of low-carbon solutions by partnering with OPG to evaluate the deployment of small modular reactors in Alberta. Lastly, we closed the acquisition of the La Paloma and Harquahala generation assets, demonstrating our balanced approach to growth by diversifying our footprint into strategic regions where we provide reliable and affordable power,” stated Mr. Dey.

“During the quarter, strong contributions from our recent acquisitions of Frederickson 1, Harquahala, and La Paloma partially offset the impact of lower contributions from our Alberta commercial portfolio on adjusted EBITDA results, underscoring the benefits of a diversified fleet,” said Sandra Haskins, SVP Finance and CFO of Capital Power. “As indicated in our guidance presentation earlier this year, a decrease in contributions from the Alberta portfolio was expected throughout 2024 due to the lower power price environment and forecasted lower generation during the Genesee Repowering project commissioning process. The table below shows the incremental impacts in the quarter as prices settled below expectations, the first fire of simple cycle commissioning for Unit 1 was delayed, and a number of ill-timed forced outages were experienced on the existing, aging Genesee units. As we look out longer term, we are excited by how Capital Power is uniquely positioned to deliver growth and create shareholder value, driven by the macro trends that are increasing North American power demand. We look forward to sharing further insights into our strategic pathway to net zero at our 2024 Investor Day event on May 7 and 8 in Edmonton," stated Ms. Haskins.

Alberta Commercial Facilities Q1 Impacts

($ millions)
Q1-23 Alberta commercial facilities adjusted EBITDA	$	235
Q1-24 guidance reduction (volume and price)		(50)
Lower captured gross margin (below guidance)		(14)
Genesee repowering project - Unit 1 delay		(17)
Other outage costs and impacts		(19)
Q1-24 Alberta commercial facilities adjusted EBITDA	$	135

Operational and Financial Highlights¹

(unaudited, millions of dollars except per share and operational amounts)	Three months ended March 31
	2024				2023
Electricity generation (Gigawatt hours)		8,809				7,417
Generation facility availability		94	%			94	%
Revenues and other income	$	1,119			$	1,267
Adjusted EBITDA 2	$	279			$	401
Net income 3	$	205			$	285
Net income attributable to shareholders of the Company	$	205			$	286
Basic earnings per share	$	1.58			$	2.39
Diluted earnings per share	$	1.57			$	2.38
Net cash flows from operating activities	$	334			$	349
Adjusted funds from operations 2	$	142			$	210
Adjusted funds from operations per share 2	$	1.15			$	1.80
Purchase of property, plant and equipment and other assets, net	$	218			$	86
Dividends per common share, declared	$	0.6150			$	0.5800

1. The operational and financial highlights in this press release should be read in conjunction with the Management’s Discussion and Analysis and the audited condensed interim financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2024.
2. Earnings before net finance expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, impairments, foreign exchange gains or losses, finance expense and depreciation expense from joint venture interests, gains or losses on disposals and unrealized changes in fair value of commodity derivatives and emissions credits and other items that are not reflective of the long-term performance of the Company’s underlying business (adjusted EBITDA) and adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) are used as non-GAAP financial measures by the Company. The Company also uses AFFO per share which is a non-GAAP ratio. These measures and ratios do not have standardized meanings under GAAP and are, therefore, unlikely to be comparable to similar measures used by other enterprises. See Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Ratios.
3. Includes depreciation and amortization for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 of $122 million and $141 million, respectively. Forecasted depreciation and amortization for the remainder of 2024 is $116 million per quarter.

Significant Events

Large-scale virtual power purchase agreement with Saputo Inc.

On March 27, 2024, the Company announced it had entered into a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with Saputo Inc. The agreement pertains to the Company’s Canadian-based wind facility Halkirk 2 currently under construction. Subject to final regulatory approvals and once operational, the portion of the wind facility contracted by Saputo will generate approximately 206,300 MWh of renewable electricity per year.

Acquisition of CXA La Paloma LLC and New Harquahala Generating Company, LLC

The La Paloma Acquisition and the Harquahala Acquisition closed on February 9, 2024 and February 16, 2024, respectively.

On November 20, 2023, the Company announced that it had entered into two separate definitive agreements with CSG Investments, Inc., a subsidiary of Beal Financial Corporation, to acquire:

1. 100% of the equity interests in CXA La Paloma, LLC (La Paloma), which owns the 1,062 MW La Paloma natural gas-fired generation facility in Kern County, California (the La Paloma Acquisition); and
2. under a newly formed 50/50 partnership between Capital Power Investments, LLC and an affiliate of a fund managed by BlackRock’s Diversified Infrastructure business (BlackRock), 100% of the equity interests in New Harquahala Generating Company, LLC (Harquahala), which owns the 1,092 MW Harquahala natural gas-fired generation facility in Maricopa County, Arizona (the Harquahala Acquisition and together with the La Paloma Acquisition, the Acquisitions).

Under the newly established 50/50 partnership, Capital Power and BlackRock are each responsible for funding 50% of the cash consideration for the Harquahala Acquisition. Capital Power is responsible for the operations and maintenance and asset management for which it will receive an annual management fee.

La Paloma and Harquahala are critical infrastructure assets, which support the reliability of California and Arizona’s electricity grids and add further growth opportunities in the attractive WECC market while balancing the Company’s geographical footprint across North America. La Paloma is contracted under various resource adequacy contracts through 2029 with multiple investment grade utilities and load serving entities. Harquahala is 100% contracted under a tolling agreement through 2031 with an investment grade utility.

The Acquisitions are expected to generate average annual Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $265 million (US$197 million) for the 2024-2028 period and are estimated to be, on average, 8% accretive to AFFO per share over the same period.

The purchase price of the Acquisitions attributable to Capital Power was $1.5 billion (US$1.1 billion), subject to working capital and other customary closing adjustments. The Acquisitions were partially funded by a $400 million subscription receipt offering and $850 million medium term notes offering.

Updates to Genesee Repowering project

On January 16, 2024, the Company updated our Genesee repowering timelines. Commissioning of simple cycle Unit 1 occurred in the first quarter of 2024 and Unit 2 is expected to be completed in third quarter of 2024. During the commissioning phase, unit dispatch will be driven by project needs rather than economic dispatch therefore output during commissioning of simple cycle will range between 0 and 411 MWs. Combined cycle for Unit 1 and Unit 2 is expected to be completed in Q4 2024 and output will range between 0 and 466 MWs during commissioning. Both units are expected to reach 566 MWs in the first half of 2025. Due to incremental costs related to outages required for tie in and ongoing productivity challenges, the project is expected to come in at the updated cost of $1.55 to $1.65 billion.

Partnered with Ontario Power Generation to advance new nuclear in Alberta

On January 15, 2024, the Company announced that it had entered into an agreement with OPG to jointly assess the development and deployment of grid-scale SMRs to provide clean, reliable nuclear energy for Alberta.

Pursuant to the agreement, the two companies will examine the feasibility of developing SMRs in Alberta, including possible ownership and operating structures. SMRs are being pursued by jurisdictions in Canada and around the world to power the growing demand for clean electricity and energy security.

Capital Power and OPG will complete the feasibility assessment within two years, while continuing to work on the next stages of SMR development.

Subsequent Event

Discontinuation of $2.4 billion Genesee CCS project

Capital Power is discontinuing pursuit of the Genesee CCS project. Through our development of the project, we have confirmed that CCS is a technically viable technology and potential pathway to decarbonization for thermal generation facilities including Genesee. However, at this time, the project is not economically feasible and as a result we will be turning our time, attention, and resources to other opportunities to serve our customers with balanced energy solutions. Capital Power looks forward to exploring CCS at Genesee and certain assets in our North American fleet in the future as economics improve.

Analyst conference call and webcast

Capital Power will be hosting a conference call and live webcast with analysts on May 1, 2024 at 9:00 am (MT) to discuss the first quarter financial results. The webcast can be accessed at: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/sdxtbcnm/.

Conference call details will be sent directly to analysts.

An archive of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website at www.capitalpower.com following the conclusion of the analyst conference call.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Ratios

Capital Power uses (i) earnings before net finance expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, impairments, foreign exchange gains or losses, finance expense and depreciation expense from our joint venture interests, gains or losses on disposals and unrealized changes in fair value of commodity derivatives and emission credits (adjusted EBITDA), and (ii) AFFO as financial performance measures.

Capital Power also uses AFFO per share as a performance measure. This measure is a non-GAAP ratio determined by applying AFFO to the weighted average number of common shares used in the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share.

These terms are not defined financial measures according to GAAP and do not have standardized meanings prescribed by GAAP and, therefore, are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures used by other enterprises. These measures should not be considered alternatives to net income, net income attributable to shareholders of Capital Power, net cash flows from operating activities or other measures of financial performance calculated in accordance with GAAP. Rather, these measures are provided to complement GAAP measures in the analysis of our results of operations from management’s perspective.

Adjusted EBITDA

Capital Power uses adjusted EBITDA to measure the operating performance of facilities and categories of facilities from period to period. Management believes that a measure of facility operating performance is more meaningful if results not related to facility operations are excluded from the adjusted EBITDA measure such as impairments, foreign exchange gains or losses, gains or losses on disposals and other transactions, unrealized changes in fair value of commodity derivatives and emission credits and other items that are not reflective of the long-term performance of the Company’s underlying business.

A reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss) is as follows:

($ millions)	Three months ended
	Mar 2024		Dec 2023		Sep 2023		Jun 2023		Mar 2023		Dec 2022		Sep 2022		Jun 2022
Revenues and other income	1,119		984		1,150		881		1,267		929		786		713
Energy purchases and fuel, other raw materials and operating charges, staff costs and employee benefits expense, and other administrative expense	(677	)	(694	)	(626	)	(614	)	(723	)	(909	)	(543	)	(429	)
Remove unrealized changes in fair value of commodity derivatives and emission credits included within revenues and energy purchases and fuel	(200	)	(14	)	(151	)	23		(179	)	247		136		28
Remove other non-recurring items	-		1		4		-		-		-		-		-
Adjusted EBITDA from joint ventures 1	37		36		37		37		36		36		4		7
Adjusted EBITDA	279		313		414		327		401		303		383		319
Depreciation and amortization	(122	)	(142	)	(148	)	(143	)	(141	)	(139	)	(133	)	(139	)
Unrealized changes in fair value of commodity derivatives and emission credits	200		14		151		(23	)	179		(247	)	(136	)	(28	)
Other non-recurring items	-		(1	)	(4	)	-		-		-		-		-
Foreign exchange (losses) gains	(10	)	(2	)	(9	)	4		1		3		(12	)	(7	)
Net finance expense	(42	)	(49	)	(35	)	(34	)	(48	)	(44	)	(40	)	(35	)
Gains (losses) on acquisition and disposal transactions	2		(5	)	5		(3	)	-		(33	)	(3	)	(1	)
Other items 1,2	(25	)	(22	)	(19	)	(19	)	(21	)	(17	)	(4	)	(1	)
Income tax (expense) recovery	(77	)	(11	)	(83	)	(24	)	(86	)	75		(24	)	(31	)
Net income (loss)	205		95		272		85		285		(99	)	31		77
Net income (loss) attributable to:
Non-controlling interests	-		(2	)	(2	)	(2	)	(1	)	(1	)	(3	)	(3	)
Shareholders of the Company	205		97		274		87		286		(98	)	34		80
Net income (loss)	205		95		272		85		285		(99	)	31		77

1. Total income from joint ventures as per our consolidated statements of income (loss).
2. Includes finance expense, depreciation expense and unrealized changes in fair value of derivative instruments from joint ventures.

Adjusted funds from operations and adjusted funds from operations per share

AFFO and AFFO per share are measures of the Company’s ability to generate cash from its operating activities to fund growth capital expenditures, the repayment of debt and the payment of common share dividends.

AFFO represents net cash flows from operating activities adjusted to:

• remove timing impacts of cash receipts and payments that may impact period-to-period comparability which include deductions for net finance expense and current income tax expense, the removal of deductions for interest paid and income taxes paid and removing changes in operating working capital,
• include the Company’s share of the AFFO of its joint venture interests and exclude distributions received from the Company’s joint venture interests which are calculated after the effect of non-operating activity joint venture debt payments,
• include cash from off-coal compensation that will be received annually,
• remove the tax equity financing project investors’ shares of AFFO associated with assets under tax equity financing structures so only the Company’s share is reflected in the overall metric,
• deduct sustaining capital expenditures and preferred share dividends,
• exclude the impact of fair value changes in certain unsettled derivative financial instruments that are charged or credited to the Company’s bank margin account held with a specific exchange counterparty, and
• exclude other typically non-recurring items affecting cash from operations that are not reflective of the long-term performance of the Company’s underlying business.
  

A reconciliation of net cash flows from operating activities to adjusted funds from operations is as follows:

($ millions)	Three months ended March 31
		2024				2023
Net cash flows from operating activities per condensed interim consolidated statements of cash flows		334				349
Add (deduct) items included in calculation of net cash flows from operating activities per condensed interim consolidated statements of cash flows:
Interest paid		48				50
Change in fair value of derivatives reflected as cash settlement		(12	)			(111	)
Distributions received from joint ventures		(8	)			(9	)
Miscellaneous financing charges paid 1		(7	)			2
Income taxes paid		15				14
Change in non-cash operating working capital		(162	)			3
		(126	)			(51	)
Net finance expense 2		(35	)			(35	)
Current income tax expense		(16	)			(51	)
Sustaining capital expenditures 3		(25	)			(15	)
Preferred share dividends paid		(9	)			(7	)
Remove tax equity interests’ respective shares of adjusted funds from operations		(1	)			(2	)
Adjusted funds from operations from joint ventures		21				22
Other non-recurring items4		(1	)			-
Adjusted funds from operations		142				210
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)		123.7				116.9
Adjusted funds from operations per share ($)		1.15				1.80

1. Included in other cash items on the condensed interim consolidated statements of cash flows to reconcile net income to net cash flows from operating activities.
   
2. Excludes unrealized changes on interest rate derivative contracts, amortization, accretion charges and non-cash implicit interest on tax equity investment structures.
3. Includes sustaining capital expenditures net of partner contributions of $5 million and $3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
4. Reflects current income tax expenses of $1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 related to other non-recurring items recognized in prior periods.

Forward-looking Information

Forward-looking information or statements included in this press release are provided to inform the Company’s shareholders and potential investors about management’s assessment of Capital Power’s future plans and operations. This information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The forward-looking information in this press release is generally identified by words such as will, anticipate, believe, plan, intend, target, and expect or similar words that suggest future outcomes.

Material forward-looking information in this press release includes disclosures regarding (i) status of the Company’s 2024 AFFO and adjusted EBITDA guidance, (ii) forecasted 2024 depreciation, (iii) the timing of, funding of, generation capacity of, costs of technologies selected for, environmental benefits or commercial and partnership arrangements regarding existing, planned and potential development projects and acquisitions (including the repowering of Genesee 1 and 2, La Paloma and Harquahala acquisitions, and Halkirk 2, (iv) the financial impacts of the La Paloma and Harquahala acquisitions, and (v) the timing of the nuclear feasibility assessment between Capital Power and Ontario Power Generation.

These statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company considering its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate including its review of purchased businesses and assets. The material factors and assumptions used to develop these forward-looking statements relate to: (i) electricity, other energy and carbon prices, (ii) performance, (iii) business prospects (including potential re-contracting of facilities) and opportunities including expected growth and capital projects, (iv) status of and impact of policy, legislation and regulations and (v) effective tax rates.

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 the Company’s expectations. Such material risks and uncertainties are: (i) changes in electricity, natural gas and carbon prices in markets in which the Company operates and the use of derivatives, (ii) regulatory and political environments including changes to environmental, climate, financial reporting, market structure and tax legislation, (iii) disruptions, or price volatility within our supply chains, (iv) generation facility availability, wind capacity factor and performance including maintenance expenditures, (v) ability to fund current and future capital and working capital needs, (vi) acquisitions and developments including timing and costs of regulatory approvals and construction, (vii) changes in the availability of fuel, (viii) ability to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions, (ix) limitations inherent in the Company’s review of acquired assets, (x) changes in general economic and competitive conditions and (xi) changes in the performance and cost of technologies and the development of new technologies, new energy efficient products, services and programs. See Risks and Risk Management in the Company’s Integrated Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2023, prepared as of February 27, 2024, for further discussion of these and other risks.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the specified approval date. The Company does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.

Territorial Acknowledgement

In the spirit of reconciliation, Capital Power respectfully acknowledges that we operate within the ancestral homelands, traditional and treaty territories of the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, or North America. Capital Power’s head office is located within the traditional and contemporary home of many Indigenous Peoples of the Treaty 6 region and Métis Nation of Alberta Region 4. We acknowledge the diverse Indigenous communities that are located in these areas and whose presence continues to enrich the community.

About Capital Power

Capital Power is a growth-oriented power producer committed to net zero by 2045, with approximately 9,300 MW of power generation at 32 facilities across North America.

We prioritize delivering reliable, affordable and decarbonized power that communities can depend on, building decarbonized power systems needed for tomorrow, and creating real net zero solutions for customers. We are powering change by changing power.

For more information, please contact:

Media Relations: Katherine Perron [phone] [e-mail]

Investor Relations: Roy Arthur [phone] [e-mail]