Algonquin Power News - AQN

Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. Announces 2024 Second Quarter Financial Results (8/09/24)

Continuing Ongoing Strategic Transition to a Pure-Play Regulated Utility

Company to Hold Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call at 8:30 am E.T.

OAKVILLE, ON, Aug. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (TSX: AQN) (NYSE: AQN) ("AQN" or the "Company") announced today financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024. All amounts are shown in United States dollars ("U.S. $" or "$"), unless otherwise noted.

"In the second quarter we continued to make significant progress on our path towards a pure play regulated utility, which we expect to enable us to create long term value and increase our quality of earnings," said Chris Huskilson, CEO of AQN. "As announced separately today, we have entered into an agreement with LS Power to sell our renewable energy business for up to $2.5 billion in cash, a compelling value for a business with strong assets and scale. This major milestone, coupled with our previously announced agreement to support the sale of our Atlantica shares, delivers on our plan to transform AQN into a pure play regulated utility, optimize our regulated business activities, strengthen our balance sheet, and enhance our quality of earnings. With these key objectives in mind, we have also reduced our expected capital expenditures and dividend to enable even greater financial flexibility. As we look forward, we are committed to reducing our need for external funding, improving returns on significant investments already made, and supporting a healthy dividend payout. We are confident that all of these measures strongly support our objective to create long term value for our customers and shareholders."

Second Quarter Financial Results

- Second Quarter Net Utility Sales and Net Energy Sales1 of $474.9 million, no percentage change;
- Second Quarter Adjusted EBITDA1 of $311.0 million, an increase of 12%;
- Second Quarter Adjusted Net Earnings1 of $65.2 million, an increase of 16%; and
- Second Quarter Adjusted Net Earnings1 per common share of $0.09, an increase of 13%, in each case on a year-over-year basis.

[tables deleted]

Second Quarter 2024 Highlights

Regulated Services Group saw second consecutive quarter of growth due to implementation of new rates and higher HLBV income – The Regulated Services Group recorded second quarter year-over-year growth in Divisional Operating Profit of 6% (see "Non-GAAP Measures" below). The increase was primarily due to the implementation of new rates at several of the Company's electric, gas and water systems, as well as higher Hypothetical Liquidation at Book Value ("HLBV") income of approximately $13.8 million at the Empire Electric System as a result of normalized wind resources and higher production tax credit ("PTC") rates. This growth was partially offset by higher operating expenses and one-time revenues in the second quarter of 2023 from a retroactive rate increase at CalPeco Electric.

Year-over-year growth in the Renewable Energy Group was led by contributions from new facilities – The Renewable Energy Group recorded second quarter year-over-year growth in Divisional Operating Profit of 33% (see "Non-GAAP Measures" below). The increase was primarily due to the resumption of weather-normalized production across the Canadian and U.S. wind facilities, higher equity income from the Texas Coastal Wind Facilities, and contributions from new wind facilities, Deerfield II and Sandy Ridge II. This growth was partially offset by the sale of the Windsor Locks Thermal Facility and development costs due to the consolidation of development activities as part of the Company's business simplification initiative.

Optimizes investment of Atlantica, through its sale to Energy Capital Partners – On May 27, 2024, the Company entered into a support agreement (the "Support Agreement") with a private limited company ("Bidco"), which is controlled by Energy Capital Partners, and Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure plc ("Atlantica"). Pursuant to the Support Agreement, the Company and its subsidiary Liberty (AY Holdings) B.V., which holds approximately 42.2% of the outstanding ordinary shares of Atlantica, agreed, subject to the terms of the Support Agreement, to cause such shares to be voted in favour of the proposed acquisition by Bidco of 100% of the ordinary shares of Atlantica for $22.00 per share in cash. The purchase price represents an 18.9% premium to Atlantica's closing share price on April 22, 2024, the last trading day prior to the emergence of market rumours regarding a potential acquisition of Atlantica. The Company expects to use the proceeds to help reduce debt and recapitalize the Company's balance sheet as part of its ongoing strategic transition to a pure play regulated utility. On August 8, 2024, Atlantica announced that it had completed the requisite meetings of its shareholders to approve its acquisition by Energy Capital Partners and a group of co-investors. Based upon the preliminary results of these meetings, the Transaction received all requisite approvals of Atlantica's shareholders.

Successfully remarketed green equity units to further reduce debt levels – On March 28, 2024, the Company successfully remarketed its $1.15 billion aggregate principal amount of 1.18% Senior Notes due June 15, 2026 (the "Notes"). The Notes were originally issued in June 2021, together with the related purchase contracts (the "Purchase Contracts"), as a component of the Company's corporate units. The proceeds from the remarketing of the Notes were used to purchase a portfolio of treasury securities that matured on June 13, 2024. The funds generated upon maturity of the treasury portfolio were used on June 17, 2024 to settle the Purchase Contracts. In connection with the settlement of the Purchase Contracts, the Company issued approximately 76.9 million common shares for proceeds of $1.15 billion. The Company used the proceeds to reduce existing indebtedness of the Company and its subsidiaries and for general corporate purposes.

New Customer First system implemented - AQN recently completed the implementation of an integrated customer solution platform, which includes customer billing, enterprise resource planning systems and asset management systems.
Corporate Actions

Common share dividend adjusted to a more sustainable level – The Company has declared a third quarter 2024 dividend of $0.065, representing a reduction of approximately 40% compared to its second quarter 2024 dividend, and representing an annualized dividend of $0.26 per common share. This decision is intended to create longer term value for shareholders as the Company focuses on improving its earnings and capital sustainability in a higher cost of capital environment.

Capital spending to be reduced in the near-term – AQN plans to restrain its Regulated Services Group capital expenditures to slightly above maintenance requirements while pursuing timely recovery of and on current investments made on behalf of customers.

Active rate case calendar continues - 2024 represents the most active rate case schedule in the Company's history. In addition to already filed rate cases, AQN plans to make additional filings at its Empire Electric (Missouri) Utility System, CalPeco Electric System, St. Lawrence Gas System, Litchfield Park Water & Sewer System, and New England Natural Gas System in the second half of 2024 or the first half of 2025. The timing of filing of these rate cases is dependent on, among other things, the successful adoption and use of the recently deployed customer solution technology platform.

Renewable Energy Group Sale to LS Power

In a separately issued press release, AQN today announced that it has entered into an agreement with LS Power to sell the Company's renewable energy business (excluding hydro) for up to $2.5 billion in cash. The press release, as well as AQN's unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 and management discussion and analysis for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 (the "Interim MD&A") will be available on its website at www.AlgonquinPower.com and in its corporate filings on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com (for Canadian filings) and EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar (for U.S. filings).

Earnings Conference Call

AQN will hold an earnings conference call at 8:30 a.m. eastern time on Friday, August 9, 2024, hosted by Chief Executive Officer, Chris Huskilson, and Chief Financial Officer, Darren Myers.

Date:

Friday, August 9, 2024

Time:

8:30 a.m. ET

Conference Call:

Toll Free Dial-In Number

1 (800) 715-9871

Toll Dial-In Number

1 (647) 932-3411

Conference ID

9608227

Webcast:

https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/q3hkjcp5

Presentation also available at: www.algonquinpower.com

About Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. and Liberty

Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp., parent company of Liberty, is a diversified international generation, transmission, and distribution utility with approximately $18 billion of total assets. AQN is committed to providing safe, secure, reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable energy and water solutions through its portfolio of generation, transmission, and distribution utility investments to over one million customer connections, largely in the United States and Canada. In addition, AQN owns, operates, and/or has net interests in over 4 GW of installed renewable energy capacity. AQN's common shares, preferred shares, Series A, and preferred shares, Series D are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols AQN, AQN.PR.A, and AQN.PR.D, respectively. AQN's common shares and Series 2019-A subordinated notes are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols AQN and AQNB, respectively.

Visit AQN at www.algonquinpower.com and follow us on X.com @AQN_Utilities.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/algonquin-power--utilities-corp-announces-2024-second-quarter-financial-results-302218797.html

Starboard Value Nominates Three Highly Qualified and Independent Candidates for Election to Algonquin Power’s Board of Directors (3/22/24)

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starboard Value LP (together with its affiliates, “Starboard” or “we”) is the largest shareholder of Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (NYSE: AQN) (TSE: AQN) (“Algonquin” or the “Company”) with an ownership stake of approximately 9.0%. Today, Starboard announced that it has nominated three highly qualified candidates (the “Starboard Nominees”) for election to the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) at the 2024 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”), which has been scheduled for June 4, 2024. The Starboard Nominees are Brett Carter, Chris Lopez and Rob Schriesheim.

In connection with its nominations, Starboard sent the below letter to the members of the Board.

March 21, 2024

Board of Directors
Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.
354 Davis Road
Oakville, Ontario
Canada L6J 2X1

Dear Members of the Board,

As you know, Starboard Value LP (together with its affiliates, “Starboard”) is the largest shareholder of Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (“Algonquin” or the “Company”), with an ownership stake of approximately 9.0%. We have spent a significant amount of time with certain members of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) and management over the past year. After substantial work on our part, the Company has made several important changes, such as a Chief Executive Officer change and initiating a strategic review that has not yet yielded a positive result. However, this has not been an easy engagement, with certain influential members of the Board impeding progress and the majority of the Board either passive or complicit.

Algonquin is at a critical juncture – it is currently in the process of selecting its next CEO and is exploring a sale of its Renewable Energy Group (the “Unregulated Renewables” business). It is therefore essential that Algonquin have directors with the expertise, fresh perspective and shareholder-focused mindset to properly evaluate what may be a wide range of strategic options.

Unfortunately, the current Board has a long history of making value-destructive decisions. This is most clearly evidenced by the Board’s poor succession planning around former CEO Ian Robertson’s departure, the pursuit of the Kentucky Power acquisition (which, thankfully, was terminated because it could not receive regulatory approval), and careless management of the Company’s balance sheet, which led to a material reduction in the dividend. As a result, Algonquin’s stock has drastically underperformed its peers.1

Given the critical decisions and processes currently underway to recruit the next CEO and explore a sale of the Unregulated Renewables business, we have urged Board leadership for the better part of a year to work with us to refresh the Board with highly credentialed directors, including shareholder representatives and directors with relevant expertise unburdened by the poor decisions of the past. Unfortunately, these conversations with the Board have only confirmed our strong view that substantial change is necessary.

Therefore, we delivered a notice to the Company nominating highly-qualified director candidates for election at the upcoming Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, which the Company recently scheduled for June 4, 2024. At the meeting, we will be seeking to remove several long-serving directors with a history of presiding over some of the Company’s most value-destructive decisions and replace them with new highly-qualified directors who we believe would add substantial experience in best-in-class utility operations and complex financial and business transformations, and who bring a shareholder-focused mindset. Importantly, our proposed nominees would be acutely focused on smooth execution of the Unregulated Renewables and Atlantica processes, and would not, in any way, interfere with a value accretive transaction. To be clear, we are NOT looking to remove interim-CEO Chris Huskilson from his position as interim-CEO or from the Board.

We remain open to a constructive resolution, but our engagement with the Company over the past year has proven to us that new Board leadership is urgently required. We look forward to working with the Board and management to renew and strengthen the Board to oversee the Company’s exciting transformation.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey C. Smith
Managing Member
Starboard Value LP

Biographies of Starboard Nominees

Brett C. Carter most recently served as the Executive Vice President and Group President, Utilities and Chief Customer Officer of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: XEL) (“Xcel”), a major U.S. electric and natural gas delivery company, from March 2022 to October 2023. He served as Xcel’s Executive Vice President and Chief Customer and Innovation Officer from May 2018 to March 2022. Prior to that, Mr. Carter served as Senior Vice President and Shared Services Executive, Global Technology and Operations, at Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC) (“BAC”), a global financial services firm, from October 2015 to May 2018, and as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Global Technology and Operations, at BAC from March 2015 to October 2015. Before joining BAC, Mr. Carter held several leadership roles at Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE: DUK) (“Duke”), a major U.S. energy company, from 2005 to 2015, including most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Distribution Officer, Duke Energy Operations, from 2013 to March 2015. Prior to that, he served as President, Duke Energy Carolinas, as Senior Vice President, Customer Origination and Customer Service, and Vice President, Residential and Small Business Customers at Duke. Mr. Carter currently serves as a director of Graco Inc. (NYSE: GGG), a multi-national manufacturing company, since February 2021. Mr. Carter holds a B.S. in accounting from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and an MBA with a concentration in marketing from the University of Pittsburgh. He also completed the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.

Christopher Lopez currently serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial and Regulatory Officer at Hydro One Limited (TSX: H) (“Hydro One”), an electricity transmission and distribution company, since April 2023. Mr. Lopez joined Hydro One in 2016 and served as its Chief Financial Officer from May 2019 to April 2023, Acting Chief Financial Officer from September 2018 to May 2019 and Senior Vice President, Finance, from 2016 to 2018. Prior to that, Mr. Lopez served as Vice President, Corporate Planning and Mergers & Acquisitions at TransAlta Corporation (TSX: TA) (“TransAlta”), a clean energy solutions company, from 2011 to 2015, as Director of Operations Finance at TransAlta from 2007 to 2011, and in various senior financial roles with TransAlta from 1999 to 2007. At the start of his career, he worked as a financial accountant following the completion of the Graduate Leadership Development Program, with Rio Tinto Group. Mr. Lopez received a Bachelor of Business degree from Edith Cowan University in Australia, and he holds a Chartered Accountant designation. He is a Graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has completed the CFO Leadership Program at Harvard Business School.

Robert A. Schriesheim is a multiple time public company director, CFO and corporate strategist who is an expert in restructuring and complex financial transactions. Mr. Schriesheim is currently the Lead Independent Director and Chair of the Audit Committee at Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE: HLI), a global investment bank, and serves on the board of directors of Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: SWKS), a leading semiconductor products design and manufacturing company. Mr. Schriesheim has served as chairman of Truax Partners LLC, a consulting firm, since 2018, through which he partners with, and advises, boards, CEOs and institutional investors while serving as a director of public and private companies undergoing complex transformations. From 2018 until 2021, he served as a director of Frontier Communications Corporation (formerly NASDAQ: FTR) (n/k/a Frontier Communications Parent, Inc. (NASDAQ: FYBR)), a provider of communications services (“Frontier”), where he served as a member of the Audit Committee and as chairman of the Finance Committee, overseeing Frontier’s financial restructuring and reorganization, including its emergence from Chapter 11 in 2021. Mr. Schriesheim previously served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Sears Holdings Corporation (formerly NASDAQ: SHLD), an American holding company, from 2011 until 2016, and as the Chief Financial Officer of Hewitt Associates, Inc. (formerly NYSE: HEW), a global human resources consulting and outsourcing company, from 2010 until its sale in 2010. From 2006 to 2009, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Lawson Software, Inc. (formerly NASDAQ: LWSN), an ERP software provider and as a board member from 2006 until its sale in 2011. Prior to that, he was affiliated with ARCH Development Partners, LLC, a seed stage venture capital fund and earlier he held executive positions at Global TeleSystems, SBC Equity Partners, Ameritech, AC Nielsen and Brooke Group Ltd. From 2015 until its sale in 2019, he served as a director of NII Holdings, Inc. (formerly NASDAQ: NIHD), a wireless communications company. From 2018 to 2018, he also served as a director of Forest City Realty Trust, Inc. (formerly NYSE: FCE.A), a real estate investment trust, and served as the chair of its audit committee until its sale to Brookfield Asset Management. From 2007 until its sale in 2009 he served as a director, including as Co-Chairman, of MSC Software (NASDAQ: MSCS), a provider of simulation software and from 2004 until its sale in 2007 he served as a director of Dobson Communications (NASDAQ: DCEL), a rural cellular provider. He also currently serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Finance at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business concentrating in the area of corporate governance. Mr. Schriesheim earned an AB in Chemistry from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

About Starboard Value LP

Starboard Value LP is an investment adviser with a focused and differentiated fundamental approach to investing in publicly traded companies. Starboard invests in deeply undervalued companies and actively engages with management teams and boards of directors to identify and execute on opportunities to unlock value for the benefit of all shareholders.

Information in Support of Public Broadcast Solicitation

Starboard is relying on the exemption under section 9.2(4) of National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations (“NI 51-102”) to make this public broadcast solicitation. The following information is provided in accordance with corporate and securities laws applicable to public broadcast solicitations.

This solicitation is being made by Starboard, and not by or on behalf of the management of Algonquin. The participants in the solicitation are anticipated to be Starboard Value and Opportunity Master Fund III LP, Starboard Value and Opportunity S LLC, Starboard Value and Opportunity C LP, Starboard X Master Fund II LP, Starboard Value R LP, Starboard Value and Opportunity Master Fund L LP, Starboard Value L LP, Starboard Value R GP LLC, Starboard G Fund, L.P., Starboard Value G GP, LLC, Starboard Value A LP, Starboard Value A GP LLC, Starboard Value LP, Starboard Value GP LLC, Starboard Principal Co LP, Starboard Principal Co GP LLC, Peter A. Feld, Jeffrey C. Smith (which persons are collectively referred to in this section as “Starboard”), and the Starboard Nominees. The address of Algonquin is 354 Davis Road, Suite 100 Oakville, Ontario L6J 2X1.

Starboard has filed this news release containing the information required by section 9.2(4)(c) of NI 51-102 and has filed a separate document containing the information required by Form 51-102F5 – Information Circular in respect of the Starboard Nominees, as required by section 9.2(6) of NI 51-102, on Algonquin’s company profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

In connection with the Annual Meeting, Starboard may file a dissident information circular in due course in compliance with applicable securities laws and intends to solicit proxies primarily by mail, but proxies may also be solicited personally by telephone, e-mail or other electronic means, as well as by newspaper or other media advertising or in person, by Starboard, certain of its members, partners, directors, officers and employees, the Starboard Nominees or Starboard’s agents, including a third party proxy solicitation agent and tabulation agent to assist with Starboard’s solicitation and to provide certain advisory and related services. Such solicitation agent has not yet been retained by Starboard. It is expected that, upon engagement of such agent, such agent’s responsibilities will include advising Starboard on governance best practices, liaising with proxy advisory firms, developing and implementing shareholder communication and engagement strategies, advising with respect to meeting and proxy protocol, developing and implementing shareholder communication and engagement strategies, mailing of the Annual Meeting materials and vote tabulation. Starboard will pay such agent a fee to be determined, plus related expenses. In addition, Starboard may solicit proxies in reliance upon the public broadcast exemption to the solicitation requirements under applicable Canadian corporate and securities laws, conveyed by way of public broadcast, including press release, speech or publication and any other manner permitted under applicable Canadian laws. Any members, partners, directors, officers or employees of Starboard and its affiliates or other persons who solicit proxies on behalf of Starboard will do so for no additional compensation.

The costs incurred in the solicitation will be borne by Starboard. However, to the extent permitted under applicable law, Starboard may seek reimbursement from Algonquin for Starboard’s out-of-pocket expenses, including proxy solicitation expenses and legal fees, incurred in connection with the Annual Meeting.

Although no forms of proxy have been provided at this time, a registered holder of common shares of Algonquin that gives a proxy may revoke it by: (a) completing and signing a valid proxy bearing a later date and returning it in accordance with the instructions contained in the form of proxy to be provided by Starboard, or as otherwise provided in the applicable information circular; (b) depositing an instrument in writing executed by the shareholder or by the shareholder's attorney authorized in writing, as the case may be (i) at the registered office of Algonquin at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the day the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof is to be held, or (ii) with the chairman of the Annual Meeting prior to its commencement on the day of the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof; or (c) revoking their proxy in any other manner permitted by law.

Although no forms of proxy have been provided at this time, a non-registered holder of common shares of Algonquin will be entitled to revoke a form of proxy or voting instruction form given to an intermediary at any time by written notice to the intermediary in accordance with the instructions given to the non-registered holder by its intermediary. It should be noted that revocation of proxies or voting instructions by a non-registered holder can take several days or even longer to complete and, accordingly, any such revocation should be completed well in advance of the deadline prescribed in the form of proxy or voting instruction form to ensure it is given effect in respect of the Annual Meeting.

To the knowledge of Starboard, none of Starboard, or any of its partners, managing members, directors or officers or any of its associates or affiliates, nor any of the Starboard Nominees or their respective associates or affiliates, has any material interest, direct or indirect, (i) in any transaction since the beginning of Algonquin's most recently completed financial year or in any proposed transaction that has materially affected or would materially affect Algonquin or any of its subsidiaries; or (ii) by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise and subject to Algonquin disclosing the matters proposed to be acted on at the Annual Meeting, in any matter proposed to be acted on at the Annual Meeting, other than the election of directors to the Board or the appointment of the auditors.

_____________________________________
1Source: Capital IQ. Market data as of March 20, 2024. Performance is measured as total shareholder return adjusted for dividends across a 1Y, 3Y, and 5Y period for AQN vs. the average of its Regulated utility peer group. Regulated utility peer group includes AEE, AGR, AEP, CMS, CNP, CU, D, DTE, DUK, ED, EMA, ES, FTS, H, LNT, NEE, PNW, SO, SR, SRE, WEC, and XEL. Starboard has identified the aforementioned peers as the relevant peer set. Starboard believes these peers provide appropriate peer comparisons and align with the Company’s self-selected peer set as of its January 12, 2023 Investor Update presentation. This determination is subject to a certain degree of subjectivity. As the full universe of potential peers is not listed here, the comparisons made herein may differ materially if other firms had been included.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240321229237/en/

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