FILE NO. 70-
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM U-1
APPLICATION/DECLARATION UNDER THE
PUBLIC UTILITY HOLDING COMPANY ACT OF 1935
WITH RESPECT TO THE PAYMENT OF DIVIDENDS AND SHARE REPURCHASES
BY NORTHEAST NUCLEAR ENERGY COMPANY
NORTHEAST NUCLEAR ENERGY COMPANY
107 Selden Street
Berlin, CT 06037
(Names of companies filing this statement and addresses of principal
executive offices)
NORTHEAST UTILITIES
(Name of top registered holding company)
Gregory B. Butler
Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel
Northeast Utilities Service Company
107 Selden Street
Berlin, CT 06037
(Name and address of agent for service)
The Commission is requested to mail signed copies of all orders,
notices and communications to:
Jeffrey C. Miller, Esq. David R. McHale
Assistant General Counsel Vice President and Treasurer
Northeast Utilities Service Company Northeast Utilities Service Company
107 Selden Street 107 Selden Street
Berlin, CT 06037 Berlin, CT 06037
DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS
Introduction
1. Northeast Utilities ("NU"), a public utility holding
company registered under the Public Utility Holding Company
Act of 1935, as amended ("the Act"), with offices at 174
Brush Hill Avenue, West Springfield, Massachusetts 01090,
and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Northeast Nuclear Energy
Company, located at 107 Selden Street, Berlin, CT 06037,
("NNECO" and collectively with NU, the "Applicants"), hereby
submit this application/declaration (the "Application")
pursuant to Sections 6(a), 7, and 12(c) of the Act and Rules
26(c)(3), 42, 43, 44 and 46(a) thereunder with respect to
the payment of dividends to, and/or the repurchase of stock
from, NU out of capital or unearned surplus by NNECO through
December 31, 2004.
2. NNECO is a service company under the Act whose sole
activity was to act as agent for the NU System companies and
other New England utilities in operating the Millstone
Nuclear generating facilities located in Waterford,
Connecticut ("Millstone"). Up until March 2001, such
facilities were owned jointly by The Connecticut Light and
Power Company ("CL&P") and Western Massachusetts Electric
Company ("WMECO"), two public utility subsidiaries of NU and
affiliates of NNECO, and other nonaffiliated utility
companies. In March 2001, CL&P and WMECO, along with most
of the other joint owners of Millstone, sold their interests
in Millstone to a subsidiary of Dominion Resources,
Inc.
3. As a result of such sale, NNECO is now largely inactive
and winding up its role in managing Millstone. NU, in an
effort to simplify its corporate structure intends to
eventually liquidate and dissolve NNECO. NNECO, as of
September 30, 2002, had accumulated paid in capital surplus
in the amount of approximately $15 million and retained
earnings in the amount of approximately $850 thousand, and
holds approximately $50.1 million in cash, the majority of
which is currently invested in the NU System money pool.
The Applicants now request authorization from the Commission
for NNECO to pay dividends to and repurchase its common
stock from NU out of capital and unearned surplus, to the
fullest extent allowed by law, in order to reduce cash to
the minimum needed to carry out its remaining obligations.
4. The Commission has previously approved the payment of
dividends out of capital or unearned surplus by subsidiaries
of a registered holding company when the payment would not
impair the subsidiary's ability to meet its obligations and
the subsidiary's assets would be sufficient to meet any
anticipated expenses or liabilities. See, e.g., AEP
Generating Co., H.C.A. Rel. No. 26754 (August 12, 1997),
Northeast Utilities H.C.A. Rel. No. 27529, (May 16, 2002),
Northeast Utilities, H.C.A. Rel. No. 27147 (March 7, 2000),
Excel Energy, H.C.A. Rel. No. 27597 (November 7, 2002).
5. State law allows payments of dividends by corporations
provided that such payments do not render the company
insolvent. . Any capital distributed by NNECO
pursuant to the authorization sought hereunder would be paid
in accordance with state law and thus would not cause NNECO
to face adverse financial consequences as a result.
Other Matters
1. Except in accordance with the Act, neither NU nor any
subsidiary thereof (a) has acquired an ownership interest in
an EWG or a FUCO, as defined in Sections 32 and 33 of the
Act, or (b) now is or as a consequence of the transactions
proposed herein will become a party to, or has or will as a
consequence of the transactions proposed herein have a right
under, a service, sales, or construction contract with an
EWG or a FUCO. None of the proceeds from the transactions
proposed herein will be used by NU and its subsidiaries to
acquire any securities of, or any interest in, an EWG or a
FUCO.
2. NU currently meets all of the conditions of Rule 53(a),
except for clause (1). At September 30, 2002, NU's "aggregate
investment," as defined in Rule 53(a)(1), in EWGs and FUCOs was
approximately $448.2 million, or approximately 65% of NU's
average "consolidated retained earnings," also as defined in Rule
53(a)(1), for the four quarters ended March 31, 2002 ($691.3
million). With respect to Rule 53(a)(1), however, the Commission
has determined that NU's financing of its investment in Northeast
Generation Company ("NGC"), NU's only current EWG or FUCO, in an
amount not to exceed $481 million or 83% of its "average
consolidated retained earnings" would not have either of the
adverse effects set forth in Rule 53(c). See Northeast Utilities,
Holding Company Act Release No. 27148, dated March 7, 2000 (the
"Rule 53(c) Order"). NU continues to assert that its EWG
investment in NGC will not adversely affect the System.
3. In addition, NU and its subsidiaries are in compliance
and will continue to comply with the other provisions of
Rule 53(a) and (b), as demonstrated by the following
determinations:
(i) NGC maintains books and records, and prepares
financial statements, in accordance with Rule 53(a)(2).
Furthermore, NU has undertaken to provide the Commission
access to such books and records and financial statements,
as it may request;
(ii) No employees of NU's public utility subsidiaries
have rendered services to NGC;
(iii) NU has submitted (a) a copy of each Form U-1 and
Rule 24 certificate that has been filed with the Commission
under Rule 53 and (b) a copy of Item 9 of the Form U5S and
Exhibits G and H thereof to each state regulator having
jurisdiction over the retail rates of NU's public utility
subsidiaries;
(iv) Neither NU nor any subsidiary has been the subject
of a bankruptcy or similar proceeding unless a plan of
reorganization has been confirmed in such proceeding;
(v) NU's average CREs for the four most recent
quarterly periods have not decreased by 10% or more from the
average for the previous four quarterly periods; and
(vi) In the previous fiscal year, NU did not report
operating losses attributable to its investment in
EWGs/FUCOs exceeding 3 percent of NU's consolidated retained
earnings.
4. The proposed transactions, considered in conjunction
with the effect of the capitalization and earnings of NU's
EWGs and FUCOs, would not have a material adverse effect on
the financial integrity of the NU system, or an adverse
impact on NU's public-utility subsidiaries, their customers,
or the ability of State commissions to protect such public-
utility customers. The Rule 53(c) Order was predicated, in
part, upon an assessment of NU's overall financial condition
which took into account, among other factors, NU's
consolidated capitalization ratio and its retained earnings,
both of which have improved since the date of the order.
NU's EWG investment (it has no FUCO investment) has been
profitable for all quarterly periods ending June 30, 2000
through September 30, 2002 (NGC was acquired in March 2000).
As of December 31, 1999, the most recent period for which
financial statement information was evaluated in the Rule
53(c) Order, NU's consolidated capitalization consisted of
35.3% common equity and 64.7% debt (including long and short-
term debt, preferred stock, capital leases and guarantees).
As of June 30, 2000, the end of the first quarter after the
issuance of the Rule 53(c) Order, the consolidated
capitalization ratios of NU, with consolidated debt
including all short-term debt and non-recourse debt of the
EWG, were as follows:
As of June 30, 2000
(thousands
of dollars) %
Common shareholders' equity 2,365,854 36.9
Preferred stock 277,700 4.3
Long-term and short-term debt 3,768,353 58.8
6,411,907 100.0
5. The consolidated capitalization ratios of NU as of
September 30, 2002, with consolidated debt including all
short-term debt and non-recourse debt of the EWG, were as
follows:
As of September 30, 2002
(thousands
of dollars) %
Common shareholders' equity 2,189,251 31.8
Preferred stock 116,200 1.7
Long-term and short-term debt 2,640,574 38.4
Rate Reduction Bonds 1,935,467 28.1
6,881,492 100.0
6. As of June 30, 2000, the end of the first quarter after
the issuance of the Rule 53(c) Order, NU's consolidated
retained earnings were $593.6 million. As of September 30,
2002, NU's consolidated retained earnings were $727.2
million. NGC has made a positive contribution to earnings
by contributing $126.8 million in revenues in the 12-month
period ending September 30, 2002 and net income of $29.0
million for the same period. Accordingly, since the date of
the Rule 53(c) Order, the capitalization and earnings
attributable to NU's investments in EWGs and FUCOs has not
had an adverse impact on NU's financial integrity.
ITEM 2
FEES, COMMISSIONS AND EXPENSES
The fees, commissions and expenses paid or incurred, or to
be paid or incurred, directly or indirectly, in connection
with the proposed transactions by the Applicants are not
expected to exceed $10,000 and are expected to be comprised
primarily of fees for ordinary legal and accounting. None
of such fees, commissions or expenses will be paid to any
associate company or affiliate of the Applicants except for
payments to Northeast Utilities Service Company for
financial and other services.
ITEM 3
APPLICABLE STATUTORY PROVISIONS
Sections 6(a), 7 and 12(c) of the Act and Rules 26(c)(3),
42, 43, 44 and 46(a) thereunder are or may be applicable to
the proposed transactions. To the extent any other sections
of the Act or Rules thereunder may be applicable to the
proposed transaction, the Applicants request appropriate
orders thereunder.
ITEM 4
REGULATORY APPROVALS
No state or Federal regulatory approval, other than the
approval of the Commission pursuant to this Application, is
required to consummate the transactions described herein.
ITEM 5
PROCEDURE
The Applicants respectfully request the Commission's
approval, pursuant to this Application, of all transactions
described herein, whether under the sections of the Act and
Rules thereunder enumerated in Item 3 or otherwise. It is
further requested that the Commission issue an order
authorizing the transactions proposed herein at the earliest
practicable date, but in any event no later than March 30,
2003. Additionally, the Applicants (i) request that there
not be any recommended decision by a hearing officer or by
any responsible officer of the Commission, (ii) consent to
the Office of Public Utility Regulation within the Division
of Investment Management assisting in the preparation of the
Commission's decision, and (iii) waive the 30-day waiting
period between the issuance of the Commission's order and on
the date on which it is to become effective, since it is
desired that the Commission's order when issued, become
effective immediately.
ITEM 6
EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(a) Exhibits
F. Opinion of Counsel
H. Proposed Form of Notice
(b) Financial Statements
1. Northeast Nuclear Energy Company
1.1 Balance Sheet, per books and pro forma, as of
September 30, 2002.
1.2 Statement of Income, per books and pro forma, for
12 months ended September 30, 2002 and capital structure,
per books and pro forma, as of September 30, 2002.
ITEM 7
INFORMATION AS TO ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
(a) The financial transactions described herein do not
involve a major Federal action significantly affecting the
quality of the human environment.
(b) No other federal agency has prepared or is preparing an
environmental impact statement with regard to the proposed
transaction.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Public Utility Holding
Company Act of 1935, as amended, the undersigned companies have
duly caused this statement to be signed on their behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
NORTHEAST UTILITIES
NORTHEAST NUCLEAR ENERGY COMPANY
By: /s/ Randy A. Shoop
Name: Randy A. Shoop
Title: Assistant Treasurer - Finance of
Northeast Utilities Service Company
as agent for the above companies
Date: January 15, 2003
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CL&P and WMECO sold their 100% interests in Millstone 1 and
2 and, with other
selling owners, 94% of Millstone 3.
Section 33-687(c) of the General Statutes of Connecticut
states: "(c) No distribution may be made if, after giving it
effect: (1) The corporation would not be able to pay its debts as
they become due in the usual course of business; or (2) the
corporation's total assets would be less than the sum of its
total liabilities plus, unless the certificate of incorporation
permits otherwise, the amount that would be needed, if the
corporation were to be dissolved at the time of the distribution,
to satisfy the preferential rights upon dissolution of
shareholders whose preferential rights are superior to those
receiving the distribution." In making its decision to authorize
a distribution, the board of directors is permitted to base its
decision "on financial statements prepared on the basis of
accounting practices and principles that are reasonable in the
circumstances, or on a fair valuation or other method that is
reasonable in the circumstances." Sec. 33-687(d).
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