Table of Contents

 

 

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-Q

 

(Mark One)

 

x      QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2015

 

or

 

o         TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from               to              

 

Commission file number 1-13883

 

CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE GROUP

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware

 

77-0448994

(State or other jurisdiction

 

(I.R.S. Employer identification No.)

of incorporation or organization)

 

 

 

1720 North First Street, San Jose, CA.

 

95112

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

(Zip Code)

 

408-367-8200

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

Not Applicable

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

 

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.  Yes x  No o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes x  No o

 

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. (Check one):

 

Large accelerated Filer x

 

Accelerated filer o

 

 

 

Non-accelerated filer o

 

Smaller reporting company o

(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

 

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act)  Yes o  No x

 

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date. Common shares outstanding as of July 22, 2015 — 47,878,659

 

 

 



Table of Contents

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

Page

PART I Financial Information

3

Item 1 Financial Statements

3

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited) as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014

3

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (unaudited) For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2015 and 2014

4

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (unaudited) For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2015 and 2014

5

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2015 and 2014

6

Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

7

Item 2 Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

22

Item 3 Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure about Market Risk

34

Item 4 Controls and Procedures

35

PART II Other Information

36

Item 1 Legal Proceedings

36

Item 1A Risk Factors

36

Item 6 Exhibits

36

Signatures

37

Index to Exhibits

38

 

2



Table of Contents

 

PART I FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 1.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The condensed consolidated financial statements presented in this filing on Form 10-Q have been prepared by management and are unaudited.

 

CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE GROUP

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 

Unaudited

(In thousands, except shares and per share data)

 

 

 

June 30,
2015

 

December 31,
2014

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

Utility plant:

 

 

 

 

 

Utility plant

 

$

2,419,050

 

$

2,342,471

 

Less accumulated depreciation and amortization

 

(782,374

)

(752,040

)

Net utility plant

 

1,636,676

 

1,590,431

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

24,515

 

19,587

 

Receivables:

 

 

 

 

 

Customers

 

29,519

 

25,803

 

Regulatory balancing accounts

 

42,941

 

53,199

 

Other

 

14,279

 

14,136

 

Unbilled revenue

 

25,985

 

23,740

 

Materials and supplies at average cost

 

6,078

 

6,041

 

Taxes, prepaid expense, and other assets

 

6,889

 

11,618

 

Total current assets

 

150,206

 

154,124

 

Other assets:

 

 

 

 

 

Regulatory assets

 

403,042

 

390,331

 

Goodwill

 

2,615

 

2,615

 

Other assets

 

50,510

 

49,850

 

Total other assets

 

456,167

 

442,796

 

 

 

$

2,243,049

 

$

2,187,351

 

CAPITALIZATION AND LIABILITIES

 

 

 

 

 

Capitalization:

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock, $.01 par value; 68,000 shares authorized, 47,880 and 47,806 outstanding in 2015 and 2014, respectively

 

$

479

 

$

478

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

331,574

 

330,558

 

Retained earnings

 

290,983

 

295,590

 

Total common stockholders’ equity

 

623,036

 

626,626

 

Long-term debt, less current maturities

 

416,779

 

419,233

 

Total capitalization

 

1,039,815

 

1,045,859

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

Current maturities of long-term debt

 

6,556

 

6,607

 

Short-term borrowings

 

126,615

 

79,115

 

Accounts payable

 

68,677

 

59,395

 

Regulatory balancing accounts

 

2,647

 

6,126

 

Accrued interest

 

4,212

 

4,194

 

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

 

61,708

 

62,269

 

Total current liabilities

 

270,415

 

217,706

 

Unamortized investment tax credits

 

2,032

 

2,032

 

Deferred income taxes, net

 

221,333

 

214,842

 

Pension and postretirement benefits other than pensions

 

276,591

 

270,865

 

Regulatory liabilities and other

 

81,873

 

83,279

 

Advances for construction

 

181,615

 

182,284

 

Contributions in aid of construction

 

169,375

 

170,484

 

Commitments and contingencies (Note 10)

 

 

 

 

 

$

2,243,049

 

$

2,187,351

 

 

See Accompanying Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

 

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Table of Contents

 

CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE GROUP

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

 

Unaudited

(In thousands, except per share data)

 

For the three months ended

 

June 30,
2015

 

June 30,
2014

 

Operating revenue

 

$

144,414

 

$

158,416

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

Operations:

 

 

 

 

 

Water production costs

 

53,022

 

61,915

 

Administrative and general

 

26,637

 

23,796

 

Other operations

 

17,512

 

16,004

 

Maintenance

 

5,326

 

4,988

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

15,354

 

16,087

 

Income taxes

 

5,102

 

7,190

 

Property and other taxes

 

4,968

 

5,144

 

Total operating expenses

 

127,921

 

135,124

 

Net operating income

 

16,493

 

23,292

 

Other income and expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

Non-regulated revenue

 

3,479

 

3,474

 

Non-regulated expenses, net

 

(3,504

)

(2,253

)

Income tax benefit (expense) on other income and expenses

 

10

 

(481

)

Net other (loss) income

 

(15

)

740

 

Interest expense:

 

 

 

 

 

Interest expense

 

7,061

 

7,077

 

Less: capitalized interest

 

(428

)

(215

)

Net interest expense

 

6,633

 

6,862

 

Net Income

 

$

9,845

 

$

17,170

 

Net income per share

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

$

0.21

 

$

0.36

 

Diluted

 

0.21

 

0.36

 

Weighted average shares outstanding

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

47,880

 

47,804

 

Diluted

 

47,892

 

47,837

 

Dividends declared per share of common stock

 

$

0.1675

 

$

0.1625

 

 

See Accompanying Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

 

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CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE GROUP

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

 

Unaudited

(In thousands, except per share data)

 

For the six months ended

 

June 30,
2015

 

June 30,
2014

 

Operating revenue

 

$

266,399

 

$

268,931

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

Operations:

 

 

 

 

 

Water production costs

 

98,224

 

107,317

 

Administrative and general

 

54,332

 

48,937

 

Other operations

 

33,355

 

32,380

 

Maintenance

 

9,783

 

9,993

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

30,673

 

32,140

 

Income taxes

 

5,715

 

3,351

 

Property and other taxes

 

10,327

 

10,369

 

Total operating expenses

 

242,409

 

244,487

 

Net operating income

 

23,990

 

24,444

 

Other income and expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

Non-regulated revenue

 

6,726

 

7,754

 

Non-regulated expenses, net

 

(5,747

)

(6,372

)

Income tax (expense) on other income and expenses

 

(393

)

(560

)

Net other income

 

586

 

822

 

Interest expense:

 

 

 

 

 

Interest expense

 

14,130

 

14,152

 

Less: capitalized interest

 

(974

)

(580

)

Net interest expense

 

13,156

 

13,572

 

Net Income

 

$

11,420

 

$

11,694

 

Net income per share

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

$

0.24

 

$

0.24

 

Diluted

 

0.24

 

0.24

 

Weighted average shares outstanding

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

47,853

 

47,780

 

Diluted

 

47,873

 

47,818

 

Dividends declared per share of common stock

 

$

0.3350

 

$

0.3250

 

 

See Accompanying Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

 

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CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE GROUP

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 

Unaudited

(In thousands)

 

For the six months ended:

 

June 30,
2015

 

June 30,
2014

 

Operating activities

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

11,420

 

$

11,694

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash:

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

31,652

 

33,162

 

Change in value of life insurance contracts

 

50

 

(721

)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

Receivables

 

(7,511

)

(17,161

)

Accounts payable

 

1,458

 

12,802

 

Other current assets

 

(1,014

)

(4,384

)

Other current liabilities

 

3,664

 

(16,336

)

Other changes in noncurrent assets and liabilities

 

8,630

 

24,128

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

48,349

 

43,184

 

Investing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Utility plant expenditures

 

(75,827

)

(57,047

)

Purchase of life insurance contracts

 

(214

)

(1,707

)

Change in restricted cash

 

46

 

313

 

Net cash used in investing activities

 

(75,995

)

(58,441

)

Financing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Short-term borrowings

 

52,500

 

39,400

 

Repayment of short-term borrowings

 

(5,000

)

(5,000

)

Proceeds from long-term debt

 

50

 

 

Repayment of long-term debt

 

(2,554

)

(4,163

)

Advances and contributions in aid of construction

 

6,921

 

5,950

 

Refunds of advances for construction

 

(3,316

)

(3,203

)

Dividends paid

 

(16,027

)

(15,527

)

Net cash provided by financing activities

 

32,574

 

17,457

 

Change in cash and cash equivalents

 

4,928

 

2,200

 

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

 

19,587

 

27,506

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

 

$

24,515

 

$

29,706

 

Supplemental information

 

 

 

 

 

Cash paid for interest (net of amounts capitalized)

 

$

12,664

 

$

13,032

 

Income tax refunds

 

 

(6,000

)

Supplemental disclosure of non-cash activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Accrued payables for investments in utility plant

 

$

21,890

 

$

12,244

 

Utility plant contribution by developers

 

3,246

 

4,319

 

 

See Accompanying Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

 

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CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE GROUP

Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

June 30, 2015

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

 

Note 1. Organization and Operations and Basis of Presentation

 

California Water Service Group (the Company) is a holding company that provides water utility and other related services in California, Washington, New Mexico and Hawaii through its wholly-owned subsidiaries. California Water Service Company (Cal Water), Washington Water Service Company (Washington Water), New Mexico Water Service Company (New Mexico Water), and Hawaii Water Service Company, Inc. (Hawaii Water) provide regulated utility services under the rules and regulations of their respective state’s regulatory commissions (jointly referred to herein as the commissions). CWS Utility Services and HWS Utility Services LLC provide non-regulated water utility and utility-related services.

 

The Company operates in one reportable segment, providing water and related utility services.

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The unaudited interim financial information has been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) for interim financial information and in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and therefore do not contain all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP and the SEC for annual financial statements. The condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014, included in its annual report on Form 10-K as filed with the SEC on February 26, 2015.

 

The preparation of the Company’s condensed consolidated unaudited interim financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the balance sheet dates and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses for the periods presented. These include, but are not limited to, estimates and assumptions used in determining the Company’s regulatory asset and liability balances based upon probability assessments of regulatory recovery, revenues earned but not yet billed, asset retirement obligations, allowance for doubtful accounts, pension and other employee benefit plan liabilities, and income tax-related assets and liabilities.  Actual results could differ from these estimates.

 

In the opinion of management, the accompanying condensed consolidated unaudited interim financial statements reflect all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring transactions that are necessary to provide a fair presentation of the results for the periods covered. The results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results for any future period.

 

Due to the seasonal nature of the water business, the results for interim periods are not indicative of the results for a 12-month period. Revenue and income are generally higher in the warm, dry summer months when water usage and sales are greater. Revenue and income are generally lower in the winter months when cooler temperatures and rainfall curtail water usage and sales.

 

Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

Revenue

 

Revenue generally includes monthly cycle customer billings for regulated water and wastewater services at rates authorized by the commissions (plus an estimate for water used between the customer’s last meter reading and the end of the accounting period) and billings to certain non-regulated customers at rates authorized by contract with government agencies.

 

The Company’s regulated water and waste water revenue requirements are authorized by the commissions in the states in which it operates. The revenue requirements are intended to provide the Company an opportunity to recover its operating costs and earn a reasonable return on investments.

 

For metered customers, Cal Water recognizes revenue from rates which are designed and authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Under the Water Revenue Adjustment Mechanism (WRAM), Cal Water records the adopted level of volumetric revenues, which would include recovery of cost of service and a return on investments, as established by the CPUC for metered accounts (adopted volumetric revenues). In addition to volumetric-based revenues, the revenue requirements approved by the CPUC include service charges, flat rate charges, and other items not subject to the WRAM. The adopted volumetric revenue considers the seasonality of consumption of water based upon historical averages. The variance between adopted volumetric revenues and actual billed volumetric revenues for metered accounts is recorded as a component of revenue with an offsetting entry to a regulatory asset or liability balancing account (tracked individually for each Cal Water district) subject to certain criteria under the accounting for regulated operations being met. The variance amount may be positive or negative and represents amounts that will be billed or refunded to customers in the future.

 

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Cost-recovery rates are designed to permit full recovery of certain costs. Cost-recovery rates such as the Modified Cost Balancing Account (MCBA) provides for recovery of adopted expense levels for purchased water, purchased power and pump taxes, as established by the CPUC. In addition, cost-recovery rates include recovery of cost related to water conservation programs and certain other operation expenses adopted by the CPUC. There is no markup for return or profit for cost-recovery expenses and such costs are generally recognized when expenses are incurred.  Variances (which include the effects of changes in both rate and volume for the MCBA) between adopted and actual costs are recorded as a component of revenue, as the amount of such variances will be recovered from or refunded to our customers at a later date.  The off-setting entries are recorded to a regulatory asset or liability balancing account (transferred individually for each Cal Water District) subject to certain criteria under the accounting for regulated operations being met.

 

The balances in the WRAM and MCBA assets and liabilities accounts will fluctuate on a monthly basis depending upon the variance between adopted and actual results. The recovery or refund of the WRAM is netted against the MCBA over or under-recovery for the corresponding district and is interest bearing at the current 90 day commercial paper rate. At the end of any calendar year, Cal Water files with the CPUC to refund or collect the balance in the accounts. Most undercollected net WRAM and MCBA receivable balances are collected over 12 or 18 months. Cal Water defers net WRAM and MCBA operating revenues and associated costs whenever the net receivable balances are estimated to be collected more than 24 months after the respective reporting periods in which it was recognized. The deferred net WRAM and MCBA revenues and associated costs were determined using forecasts of rate payer consumption trends in future reporting periods and the timing of when the CPUC will authorize Cal Water’s filings to recover the undercollected balances. Deferred net WRAM and MCBA revenues and associated costs will be recognized as revenues and costs in future periods when collection is within twenty-four months of the respective reporting period.

 

Flat rate customers are billed in advance at the beginning of the service period. The revenue is prorated so that the portion of revenue applicable to the current period is included in that period’s revenue, with the balance recorded as unearned revenue on the balance sheet and recognized as revenue when earned in the subsequent accounting period. The unearned revenue liability was $1.4 million and $1.5 million as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. This liability is included in “accrued expenses and other liabilities” on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

Cash equivalents include highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less.  Cash and cash equivalents was $24.5 million and $19.6 million as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.  Restricted cash of $0.8 million was presented on the condensed consolidated balance sheet as “taxes, prepaid expenses and other assets” as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014.

 

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

 

On May 28, 2014 the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued an Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.  This update creates a single, principles based framework for revenue recognition and is based on principles that govern the recognition of revenue at an amount an entity expects to be entitled when goods or services are transferred to customers.  ASU 2014-09 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017.  Early adoption is permitted.  The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting the new revenue standard on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

 

On April 7, 2015 the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs.  This update requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the associated debt liability because these costs provide no future economic benefit.  ASU 2015-03 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years.  The new accounting standard will be applied on a retrospective basis.  The Company completed a review of all debt issuance costs and concluded this change will not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

 

Note 3. Stock-based Compensation

 

Equity Incentive Plan

 

During the six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, the Company granted annual Restricted Stock Awards (RSAs) of 60,997 and 58,378 shares, respectively, of common stock to officers and directors of the Company and 13,220 and 5,376 shares of RSAs were cancelled during the six months ended June 30, 2015 and June 30, 2014, respectively. The Company granted 1,846 shares of RSAs and 2,573 shares of RSAs were cancelled during the three months ended June 30, 2015. The Company did not grant RSAs and no RSAs were cancelled during the three months ended June 30, 2014.  Employee RSAs granted in 2015 and 2014 vest over 36 months.  Director RSAs generally vest at the end of 12 months. During the first six months of 2015 and 2014, the RSAs granted were valued at $24.29 and $23.61 per share, respectively, based upon the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant.

 

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During the six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, the Company granted performance-based Restricted Stock Unit Awards (RSUs) of 38,983 shares and 37,143 shares of common stock, respectively, to officers.  The Company granted 1,846 shares of RSUs during the three months ended June 30, 2015 and did not grant RSUs during the three months ended June 30, 2014.  Each award reflects a target number of shares that may be issued to the award recipient.  The 2015 and 2014 awards may be earned upon the completion of the three-year performance period ending on March 3, 2018 and March 4, 2017, respectively.  Whether RSUs are earned at the end of the performance period will be determined based on the achievement of certain performance objectives set by the Board of Director Compensation Committee in connection with the issuance of the RSUs.  The performance objectives are based on the Company’s business plan covering the performance period.  The performance objectives include achieving the budgeted return on equity, budgeted investment in utility plant, customer service standards, water quality standards, and safety standards.  Depending on the results achieved during the three-year performance period, the actual number of shares that a grant recipient receives at the end of the performance period may range from 0% to 200% of the target shares granted, provided that the grantee is continuously employed by the Company through the vesting date.  If prior to the vesting date employment is terminated by reason of death, disability or normal retirement, then a pro rata portion of this award will vest.  RSUs are not included in diluted shares for financial reporting until authorized by the Board of Director Compensation Committee.  The 2015 and 2014 RSUs are recognized as expense ratably over the three year performance period using a fair market value of $24.28 per share and $23.61 per share, respectively, and an estimate of RSUs earned during the performance period.

 

The Company has recorded compensation costs for the RSAs and RSUs in administrative and general operating expenses in the amount of $1.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and June 30, 2014.

 

Note 4. Equity

 

The Company’s changes in total common stockholders’ equity for the six months ended June 30, 2015 were as follows:

 

 

 

Total Common
Stockholders’ Equity

 

Balance at December 31, 2014

 

$

626,626

 

Common stock issued

 

1

 

Share-based compensation expense

 

1,016

 

Common stock dividends declared

 

(16,027

)

Net income

 

11,420

 

Balance at June 30, 2015

 

$

623,036

 

 

Note 5. Net Income Per Share Calculations

 

The computations of basic and diluted net income per weighted average common share are noted below. Basic net income per share is computed by dividing the net income available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts were exercised or converted into common stock. RSAs are included in the weighted average common shares outstanding because the shares have all the same voting and dividend rights as issued and unrestricted common stock.

 

A total of 65,436 shares and 212,920 shares of Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) were vested and outstanding and all were dilutive as of June 30, 2015 and June 30, 2014, respectively, as shown in the table below.

 

 

 

Three Months Ended June 30

 

 

 

2015

 

2014

 

Net income available to common stockholders

 

$

9,845

 

$

17,170

 

Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic

 

47,880

 

47,804

 

Dilutive SARs (treasury method)

 

12

 

33

 

Weighted average common shares outstanding, dilutive

 

47,892

 

47,837

 

Net income per share - basic

 

$

0.21

 

$

0.36

 

Net income per share - diluted

 

$

0.21

 

$

0.36

 

 

 

 

Six Months Ended June 30

 

 

 

2015

 

2014

 

Net income available to common stockholders

 

$

11,420

 

$

11,694

 

Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic

 

47,853

 

47,780

 

Dilutive SARs (treasury method)

 

20

 

38

 

Weighted average common shares outstanding, dilutive

 

47,873

 

47,818

 

Net income per share - basic

 

$

0.24

 

$

0.24

 

Net income per share - diluted

 

$

0.24

 

$

0.24

 

 

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Note 6. Pension Plan and Other Postretirement Benefits

 

The Company provides a qualified, defined-benefit, non-contributory pension plan for substantially all employees. The Company makes annual contributions to fund the amounts accrued for in the qualified pension plan. The Company also maintains an unfunded, non-qualified, supplemental executive retirement plan. The costs of the plans are charged to expense or are capitalized in utility plant as appropriate.

 

The Company offers medical, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits for retirees and their spouses and dependents. Participants are required to pay a premium, which offsets a portion of the cost.

 

Cash contributions by the Company related to pension plans were $14.1 million and $14.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and June 30, 2014, respectively. Cash contributions by the Company related to other postretirement benefit plans were $3.7 million and $2.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and June 30, 2014, respectively. The 2015 estimated cash contribution to the pension plans is $31.2 million and to the other postretirement benefit plans is $15.0 million.

 

The following table lists components of net periodic benefit costs for the pension plans and other postretirement benefits. The data listed under “pension plan” includes the qualified pension plan and the non-qualified supplemental executive retirement plan. The data listed under “other benefits” is for all other postretirement benefits.

 

 

 

Three Months Ended June 30

 

 

 

Pension Plan

 

Other Benefits

 

 

 

2015

 

2014

 

2015

 

2014

 

Service cost

 

$

5,632

 

$

4,217

 

$

2,500

 

$

1,620

 

Interest cost

 

5,003

 

4,726

 

1,614

 

1,337

 

Expected return on plan assets

 

(4,792

)

(4,179

)

(876

)

(754

)

Amortization of prior service cost

 

1,502

 

1,510

 

11

 

11

 

Recognized net actuarial loss

 

2,400

 

1,003

 

1,458

 

775

 

Net periodic benefit cost

 

$

9,745

 

$

7,277

 

$

4,707

 

$

2,989

 

 

 

 

Six Months Ended June 30

 

 

 

Pension Plan

 

Other Benefits

 

 

 

2015

 

2014

 

2015

 

2014

 

Service cost

 

$

11,265

 

$

8,434

 

$

5,001

 

$

3,239

 

Interest cost

 

10,006

 

9,453

 

3,227

 

2,674

 

Expected return on plan assets

 

(9,584

)

(8,358

)

(1,752

)

(1,507

)

Amortization of prior service cost

 

3,004

 

3,020

 

22

 

22

 

Recognized net actuarial loss

 

4,800

 

2,006

 

2,917

 

1,550

 

Net periodic benefit cost

 

$

19,491

 

$

14,555

 

$

9,415

 

$

5,978

 

 

Note 7. Short-term and Long-term Borrowings

 

On March 10, 2015, the Company and Cal Water entered into Syndicated Credit Agreements, which provide for unsecured revolving credit facilities of up to an initial aggregate amount of $450 million for a term of five years.  The Syndicated Credit Facilities amend, expand, and replace the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ existing credit facilities originally entered into on June 29, 2011.  The new credit facilities extended the terms until March 10, 2020, and increased the Company’s unsecured revolving line of credit. The Company and subsidiaries that it designates may borrow up to $150 million under the Company’s revolving credit facility. Cal Water may borrow up to $300 million under its revolving credit facility; however, all borrowings need to be repaid within 12-months unless otherwise authorized by the CPUC.  The credit facilities may each be expanded by up to $50 million subject to certain conditions.  The proceeds from the revolving credit facilities may be used for working capital purposes, including the short-term financing of capital projects.  The base loan rate may vary from LIBOR plus 72.5 basis points to LIBOR plus 95 basis points, depending on the Company’s total capitalization ratio.  Likewise, the unused commitment fee may vary from 8 basis points to 12.5 basis points based on the same ratio.

 

Both short-term unsecured credit agreements contain affirmative and negative covenants and events of default customary for credit facilities of this type including, among other things, limitations and prohibitions relating to additional indebtedness, liens, mergers, and asset sales. Also, these unsecured credit agreements contain financial covenants governing the Company and its subsidiaries’ consolidated total capitalization ratio and interest coverage ratio.

 

The outstanding borrowings on the Company lines of credit were $64.2 million and $61.7 million as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. The outstanding borrowings on the Cal Water lines of credit were $62.4 million and $17.4 million as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.  The average borrowing rate for borrowings on the Company and Cal Water lines of credit during the six months ended June 30, 2015 was 1.07% compared to 1.20% for the same period last year.

 

Note 8. Income Taxes

 

The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Measurement of the deferred tax assets and liabilities is at enacted tax rates expected to be applied to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the period that includes the enactment date.

 

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We anticipate that future rate actions by the commissions will reflect revenue requirements for the tax effects of temporary differences recognized, which have previously flowed through to customers. The commissions have granted the Company rate increases to reflect the normalization of the tax benefits of the federal accelerated methods and available Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) for all assets placed in service after 1980. ITCs are deferred and amortized over the lives of the related properties for book purposes.

 

During 2012, the Company filed an application for a change in tax accounting method with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regarding the classification of expenditures related to tangible property as deductible repairs and capitalizable improvements deductible over time as tax depreciation.  In September 2013, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (U.S. Treasury) and the IRS issued the final regulations for repairs and maintenance deductions with an effective date of January 1, 2014.  In August 2014, the U.S. Treasury and IRS issued the final regulations regarding dispositions of tangible property with an effective date of January 1, 2014. These tax regulations allow the Company to deduct a significant amount of costs to maintain its depreciable plant that were previously capitalized for tax purposes and continue to be capitalizable for book purposes.  The Company intends to implement the final regulations on its 2014 tax return.

 

As of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company had unrecognized tax benefits of approximately $9.2 million and $7.9 million respectively.  Included in the balance of unrecognized tax benefits as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 is approximately $1.9 million and $1.6 million respectively of tax benefits that, if recognized, would result in an adjustment to the Company’s effective tax rate. The Company does not expect its unrecognized tax benefits to change significantly within the next twelve months.

 

The State of California Franchise Tax Board is presently auditing the Company’s 2008 through 2011 enterprise zone filings.  The State of Hawaii Department of Taxation is presently auditing the Company’s 2013 sales tax filing.  It is uncertain when the state audits will be completed.  The Company believes that the final resolution of the state audits will not have a material impact on its financial condition or results of operations.

 

Note 9. Regulatory Assets and Liabilities

 

Regulatory assets and liabilities were comprised of the following as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014:

 

 

 

June 30, 2015

 

December 31, 2014

 

Regulatory Assets

 

 

 

 

 

Pension and retiree group health

 

$

244,679

 

$

245,008

 

Property-related temporary differences (tax benefits flowed through to ratepayers)

 

73,797

 

72,350

 

Other accrued benefits

 

31,453

 

32,959

 

Net WRAM and MCBA long-term accounts receivable

 

21,675

 

14,449

 

Asset retirement obligations, net

 

14,478

 

13,863

 

Interim rates long-term accounts receivable

 

7,057

 

10,627

 

Tank coating

 

5,762

 

 

Health care balancing account

 

2,469

 

1,075

 

Other regulatory assets

 

1,672

 

 

Total Regulatory Assets

 

$

403,042

 

$

390,331

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regulatory Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

Future tax benefits due ratepayers

 

$

26,620

 

$

26,114

 

Conservation program

 

3,975

 

2,669

 

Pension balancing account

 

2,341

 

4,291

 

Other regulatory liabilities

 

2,321

 

3,373

 

Total Regulatory Liabilities

 

$

35,257

 

$

36,447

 

 

Short-term regulatory assets and liabilities are excluded from the above table. The short-term regulatory assets were $42.9 million as of June 30, 2015 and $53.2 million as of December 31, 2014. The short-term regulatory assets were primarily interim rates and net WRAM and MCBA accounts receivable as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014. The short-term portions of regulatory liabilities were $2.6 million as of June 30, 2015 and $6.1 million as of December 31, 2014. The short-term regulatory liabilities were primarily short term net WRAM payables and net refund balances to rate payers for the water conservation program from the 2009 General Rate Case (GRC).

 

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Note 10. Commitment and Contingencies

 

Commitments

 

The Company has significant commitments to lease certain office spaces and water systems and to purchase water from water wholesalers. These commitments are described in Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.  As of June 30, 2015, there were no significant changes from December 31, 2014.

 

Contingencies

 

Groundwater Contamination

 

The Company has undertaken litigation against third parties to recover past and anticipated costs related to groundwater contamination in our service areas. The cost of litigation is expensed as incurred and any settlement is first offset against such costs. The CPUC’s general policy requires all proceeds from groundwater contamination litigation to be used first to pay transactional expenses, then to make ratepayers whole for water treatment costs to comply with the CPUC’s water quality standards. The CPUC allows for a risk-based consideration of contamination proceeds which exceed the costs of the remediation described above and may result in some sharing of proceeds with the shareholder, determined on a case by case basis. The CPUC has authorized various memorandum accounts that allow the Company to track significant litigation costs to request recovery of these costs in future filings and uses of proceeds to comply with CPUC’s general policy.

 

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

 

From time to time, the Company has been named as a co-defendant in asbestos-related lawsuits. Several of these cases against the Company have been dismissed without prejudice. In other cases, Company’s contractors and insurance policy carriers have settled the cases with no effect on the Company’s financial statements. As such, the Company does not currently believe there is any potential loss that is probable to occur related to these matters and therefore no accrual has been recorded.

 

Other Legal Matters

 

From time to time, the Company is involved in various disputes and litigation matters that arise in the ordinary course of business. The status of each significant matter is reviewed and assessed for potential financial exposure. If the potential loss from any claim or legal proceeding is considered probable and the amount of the range of loss can be estimated, a liability is accrued for the estimated loss in accordance with the accounting standards for contingencies. Legal proceedings are subject to uncertainties, and the outcomes are difficult to predict. Because of such uncertainties, accruals are based on the best information available at the time. While the outcome of these disputes and litigation matters cannot be predicted with any certainty, management does not believe when taking into account existing reserves the ultimate resolution of these matters will materially affect the Company’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.  The Company recognized a liability of $2.0 million and $3.2 million for known legal matters as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.  The reasonably possible losses in excess of the amounts accrued were $1.5 million. The cost of litigation is expensed as incurred and any settlement is first offset against such costs.  Any settlement in excess of the cost to litigate is accounted for on a case by case basis, dependent on the nature of the settlement.

 

Note 11. Fair Value of Financial Assets and Liabilities

 

The accounting guidance for fair value measurements and disclosures provides a single definition of fair value and requires certain disclosures about assets and liabilities measured at fair value. A hierarchical framework for disclosing the observability of the inputs utilized in measuring assets and liabilities at fair value is established by this guidance. The three levels in the hierarchy are as follows:

 

Level 1 -  Quoted prices are available in active markets for identical assets or liabilities as of the reporting date. The types of assets and liabilities included in Level 1 are highly liquid and actively traded instruments with quoted prices.

 

Level 2 -  Pricing inputs are other than quoted prices inactive markets, but are either directly or indirectly observable as of the reporting date. The types of assets and liabilities included in Level 2 are typically either comparable to actively traded securities or contracts, or priced with discounted cash flow or option pricing models using highly observable inputs.

 

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Table of Contents

 

Level 3 -  Significant inputs to pricing have little or no observability as of the reporting date. The types of assets and liabilities included in Level 3 are those valued with models requiring significant management judgment or estimation.

 

Specific valuation methods include the following:

 

Cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable carrying amounts approximated the fair value because of the short-term maturity of the instruments.

 

Long-term debt fair values were estimated using the published quoted market price, if available, or the discounted cash flow analysis, based on the current rates available using a risk-free rate (a U.S. Treasury securities yield curve) plus a risk premium of 1.19%.

 

Advances for construction fair values were estimated using broker quotes from companies that frequently purchase these investments.

 

 

 

June 30, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

Fair Value

 

 

 

Cost

 

Level 1

 

Level 2

 

Level 3

 

Total

 

Long-term debt, including current maturities

 

$

423,335

 

 

$

514,064

 

 

$

514,064

 

Advances for construction

 

181,615

 

 

73,899

 

 

73,899

 

Total

 

$

604,950

 

$

 

$

587,963

 

$

 

$

587,963

 

 

 

 

December 31, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

Fair Value

 

 

 

Cost

 

Level 1

 

Level 2

 

Level 3

 

Total

 

Long-term debt, including current maturities

 

$

425,840

 

$

 

$

534,068

 

$

 

$

534,068

 

Advances for construction

 

182,284

 

 

72,571

 

 

72,571

 

Total

 

$

608,124

 

 

$

606,639

 

$

 

$

606,639

 

 

Note 12. Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements

 

On April 17, 2009, Cal Water issued $100 million aggregate principal amount of 5.875% First Mortgage Bonds due 2019, and on November 17, 2010, Cal Water issued $100 million aggregate principal amount of 5.500% First Mortgage Bonds due 2040, all of which are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Company.  As a result of these guarantee arrangements, the Company is required to present the following condensed consolidating financial information.  The investments in affiliates are accounted for and presented using the “equity method” of accounting.

 

The following tables present the condensed consolidating balance sheets as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the condensed consolidating statements of income for the three months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, condensed consolidating statements of income for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, and the condensed consolidating statements of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014 of (i) California Water Service Group, the guarantor of the first mortgage bonds and the parent company; (ii) California Water Service Company, the issuer of the first mortgage bonds and a 100% owned consolidated subsidiary of California Water Service Group; and (iii) the other 100% owned non-guarantor consolidated subsidiaries of California Water Service Group.

 

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Table of Contents

 

CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE GROUP

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET

As of June 30, 2015

(In thousands)

 

 

 

Parent
Company

 

Cal Water

 

All Other
Subsidiaries

 

Consolidating
Adjustments

 

Consolidated

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utility plant:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utility plant

 

$

1,318

 

$

2,228,013

 

$

196,916

 

$

(7,197

)

$

2,419,050

 

Less accumulated depreciation and amortization

 

(491

)

(738,379

)

(45,276

)

1,772

 

(782,374

)

Net utility plant

 

827

 

1,489,634

 

151,640

 

(5,425

)

1,636,676

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

3,219

 

19,973

 

1,323

 

 

24,515

 

Receivables and unbilled revenue, net

 

 

108,363

 

4,361

 

 

112,724

 

Receivables from affiliates

 

24,265

 

723

 

134

 

(25,122

)

 

Other current assets

 

284

 

11,490

 

1,193

 

 

12,967

 

Total current assets

 

27,768

 

140,549

 

7,011

 

(25,122

)

150,206

 

Other assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regulatory assets

 

 

399,621

 

3,421

 

 

403,042

 

Investments in affiliates

 

634,127

 

 

 

(634,127

)

 

Long-term affiliate notes receivable

 

24,716

 

 

 

(24,716

)

 

Other assets

 

832

 

48,661

 

5,057

 

(1,425

)

53,125

 

Total other assets

 

659,675

 

448,282

 

8,478

 

(660,268

)

456,167

 

 

 

$

688,270

 

$

2,078,465

 

$

167,129

 

$

(690,815

)

$

2,243,049

 

CAPITALIZATION AND LIABILITIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capitalization:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common stockholders’ equity

 

$

623,036

 

$

565,038

 

$

74,487

 

$

(639,525

)

$

623,036

 

Affiliate long-term debt

 

 

 

24,716

 

(24,716

)

 

Long-term debt, less current maturities

 

 

415,555

 

1,224

 

 

416,779

 

Total capitalization

 

623,036

 

980,593

 

100,427

 

(664,241

)

1,039,815

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current maturities of long-term debt

 

 

6,191

 

365

 

 

6,556

 

Short-term borrowings

 

64,215

 

62,400

 

 

 

126,615

 

Payables to affiliates

 

102

 

2,347

 

22,673

 

(25,122

)

 

Accounts payable

 

 

65,847

 

2,830

 

 

68,677

 

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

 

95

 

64,969

 

3,503

 

 

68,567

 

Total current liabilities

 

64,412

 

201,754

 

29,371

 

(25,122

)

270,415

 

Unamortized investment tax credits

 

 

2,032

 

 

 

2,032

 

Deferred income taxes, net

 

822

 

221,963

 

 

(1,452

)

221,333

 

Pension and postretirement benefits other than pensions

 

 

276,591

 

 

 

276,591

 

Regulatory liabilities and other

 

 

72,784

 

9,089

 

 

81,873

 

Advances for construction

 

 

181,101

 

514

 

 

181,615

 

Contributions in aid of construction

 

 

141,647

 

27,728

 

 

169,375

 

 

 

$

688,270

 

$

2,078,465

 

$

167,129

 

$

(690,815

)

$

2,243,049

 

 

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CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE GROUP

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET

As of December 31, 2014

(In thousands)

 

 

 

Parent
Company

 

Cal Water

 

All Other
Subsidiaries

 

Consolidating
Adjustments

 

Consolidated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utility plant:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utility plant

 

$

1,318

 

$

2,154,146

 

$

194,204

 

$

(7,197

)

$

2,342,471

 

Less accumulated depreciation and amortization

 

(377

)

(710,840

)

(42,545

)

1,722

 

(752,040

)

Net utility plant

 

941

 

1,443,306

 

151,659

 

(5,475

)

1,590,431

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

4,108

 

13,929

 

1,550

 

 

19,587

 

Receivables

 

 

108,815

 

9,114

 

(1,051

)

116,878

 

Receivables from affiliates

 

20,001

 

3,608

 

 

(23,609

)

 

Other current assets

 

 

16,443

 

1,216

 

 

17,659

 

Total current assets

 

24,109

 

142,795

 

11,880

 

(24,660

)

154,124

 

Other assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regulatory assets

 

 

387,387

 

2,944

 

 

390,331

 

Investments in affiliates

 

637,998

 

 

 

(637,998

)

 

Long-term affiliate notes receivable

 

25,263

 

 

 

(25,263

)

 

Other assets

 

891

 

47,617

 

4,278

 

(321

)

52,465

 

Total other assets

 

664,152

 

435,004

 

7,222

 

(663,582

)

442,796

 

 

 

$

689,202

 

$

2,021,105

 

$

170,761

 

$

(693,717

)

$

2,187,351

 

CAPITALIZATION AND LIABILITIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capitalization:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common stockholders’ equity

 

$

626,626

 

$

569,319

 

$

74,107

 

$

(643,426

)

$

626,626

 

Affiliate long-term debt

 

 

 

25,263

 

(25,263

)

 

Long-term debt, less current maturities

 

 

417,884

 

1,349

 

 

419,233

 

Total capitalization

 

626,626

 

987,203

 

100,719

 

(668,689

)

1,045,859

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current maturities of long-term debt

 

 

6,173

 

434

 

 

6,607

 

Short-term borrowings

 

61,715

 

17,400

 

 

 

79,115

 

Payables to affiliates

 

 

270

 

23,339

 

(23,609

)

 

Accounts payable

 

 

56,666

 

2,930

 

(201

)

59,395

 

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

 

861

 

71,203

 

1,281

 

(756

)

72,589

 

Total current liabilities

 

62,576

 

151,712

 

27,984

 

(24,566

)

217,706

 

Unamortized investment tax credits

 

 

2,032

 

 

 

2,032

 

Deferred income taxes, net

 

 

210,789

 

4,515

 

(462

)

214,842

 

Pension and postretirement benefits other than pensions

 

 

270,865

 

 

 

270,865

 

Regulatory and other liabilities

 

 

74,282

 

8,997

 

 

83,279

 

Advances for construction

 

 

181,763

 

521

 

 

182,284

 

Contributions in aid of construction

 

 

142,459

 

28,025

 

 

170,484

 

 

 

$

689,202

 

$

2,021,105

 

$

170,761

 

$

(693,717

)

$

2,187,351

 

 

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CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE GROUP

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF INCOME

For the three months ended June 30, 2015

 

(In thousands)

 

 

 

Parent
Company

 

Cal Water

 

All Other
Subsidiaries

 

Consolidating
Adjustments

 

Consolidated

 

Operating revenue

 

$

 

$

135,440

 

$

8,974

 

$

 

$

144,414

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water production costs

 

 

51,044

 

1,978

 

 

53,022

 

Administrative and general

 

 

23,796

 

2,841

 

 

26,637

 

Other operations

 

 

16,033

 

1,606

 

(127

)

17,512

 

Maintenance

 

 

5,162

 

164

 

 

5,326

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

57

 

14,225

 

1,098

 

(26

)

15,354

 

Income tax (benefit) expense

 

(119

)

4,886

 

37

 

298

 

5,102

 

Property and other taxes

 

 

4,304

 

664

 

 

4,968

 

Total operating (income) expenses

 

(62

)

119,450

 

8,388

 

145

 

127,921

 

Net operating income

 

62

 

15,990

 

586

 

(145

)

16,493

 

Other Income and Expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-regulated revenue

 

455

 

3,312

 

392

 

(680

)

3,479

 

Non-regulated expenses, net

 

 

(3,193

)

(311

)

 

(3,504

)

Income tax (expense) benefit on other income and expense

 

(183

)

(48

)

(46

)

287

 

10

 

Total other income (loss)

 

272

 

71

 

35

 

(393

)

(15

)

Interest:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest expense

 

240

 

6,922

 

452

 

(553

)

7,061

 

Less: capitalized interest

 

 

(417

)

(11

)

 

(428

)

Net interest expense

 

240

 

6,505

 

441

 

(553

)

6,633

 

Equity from subsidiaries

 

9,751

 

 

 

(9,751

)

 

Net income

 

$

9,845

 

$

9,556

 

$

180

 

$

(9,736

)

$

9,845

 

 

16



Table of Contents

 

CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE GROUP

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF INCOME

For the three months ended June 30, 2014

 

(In thousands)

 

 

 

Parent
Company

 

Cal Water

 

All Other
Subsidiaries

 

Consolidating
Adjustments

 

Consolidated

 

Operating revenue

 

$

 

$

150,340

 

$

8,076

 

$

 

$

158,416

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water production costs

 

 

59,514

 

2,401

 

 

61,915

 

Administrative and general

 

33

 

21,090

 

2,673

 

 

23,796

 

Other

 

 

14,363

 

1,767

 

(126

)

16,004

 

Maintenance

 

 

4,833

 

155

 

 

4,988

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

57

 

14,961

 

1,095

 

(26

)

16,087

 

Income tax (benefit) expense

 

(55

)

7,429

 

(421

)

237

 

7,190

 

Taxes other than income taxes

 

 

4,493

 

651

 

 

5,144

 

Total operating expenses

 

35

 

126,683

 

8,321

 

85

 

135,124

 

Net operating (loss) income

 

(35

)

23,657

 

(245

)

(85

)

23,292

 

Other Income and Expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-regulated revenue

 

450

 

3,208

 

370

 

(554

)

3,474

 

Non-regulated expenses, net

 

 

(2,109

)

(144

)

 

(2,253

)

Income tax (expense) on other income and expense

 

(184

)

(447

)

(76

)

226

 

(481

)

Net other income

 

266

 

652

 

150

 

(328

)

740

 

Interest:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest expense

 

46

 

6,984

 

476

 

(429

)

7,077

 

Less: capitalized interest

 

 

(197

)

(18

)

 

(215

)

Net interest expense

 

46

 

6,787

 

458

 

(429

)

6,862

 

Equity earnings of subsidiaries

 

16,985

 

 

 

(16,985

)

 

Net income (loss)

 

$

17,170

 

$

17,522

 

$

(553

)

$

(16,969

)

$

17,170

 

 

17



Table of Contents

 

CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE GROUP

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF INCOME

For the six months ended June 30, 2015

 

(In thousands)

 

 

 

Parent
Company

 

Cal Water

 

All Other
Subsidiaries

 

Consolidating
Adjustments

 

Consolidated

 

Operating revenue

 

$

 

$

249,947

 

$

16,452

 

$

 

$

266,399

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water production costs

 

 

94,420

 

3,804

 

 

98,224

 

Administrative and general

 

 

48,651

 

5,681

 

 

54,332

 

Other operations

 

 

30,303

 

3,305

 

(253

)

33,355

 

Maintenance

 

 

9,426

 

357

 

 

9,783

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

114

 

28,428

 

2,182

 

(51

)

30,673

 

Income tax (benefit) expense

 

(187

)

5,816

 

(416

)

502

 

5,715

 

Property and other taxes

 

 

9,054

 

1,273

 

 

10,327

 

Total operating (income) expenses

 

(73

)

226,098

 

16,186

 

198

 

242,409

 

Net operating income

 

73

 

23,849

 

266

 

(198

)

23,990

 

Other Income (expense):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-regulated revenue

 

909

 

6,185

 

790

 

(1,158

)

6,726

 

Non-regulated expenses, net

 

 

(5,225

)

(522

)

 

(5,747

)

Income tax (expense) benefit on other income and expense

 

(368

)

(391

)

(115

)

481

 

(393

)

Total other income

 

541

 

569

 

153

 

(677

)

586

 

Interest:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest expense

 

350

 

13,782

 

903

 

(905

)

14,130

 

Less: capitalized interest

 

 

(950

)

(24

)

 

(974

)

Net interest expense

 

350

 

12,832

 

879

 

(905

)

13,156

 

Equity earnings of subsidiaries

 

11,156

 

 

 

(11,156

)

 

Net income (loss)

 

$

11,420

 

$

11,586

 

$

(460

)

$

(11,126

)

$

11,420

 

 

18



Table of Contents

 

CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE GROUP

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF INCOME

For the six months ended June 30, 2014

 

(In thousands)

 

 

 

Parent
Company

 

Cal Water

 

All Other
Subsidiaries

 

Consolidating
Adjustments

 

Consolidated

 

Operating revenue

 

$

 

$

254,089

 

$

14,842

 

$

 

$

268,931

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water production costs

 

 

102,882

 

4,435

 

 

107,317

 

Administrative and general

 

33

 

43,862

 

5,042

 

 

48,937

 

Other

 

 

29,025

 

3,607

 

(252

)

32,380

 

Maintenance

 

 

9,656

 

337

 

 

9,993

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

100

 

29,915

 

2,178

 

(53

)

32,140

 

Income tax (benefit) expense

 

(105

)

4,081

 

(1,079

)

454

 

3,351

 

Taxes other than income taxes

 

 

9,143

 

1,226

 

 

10,369

 

Total operating expenses

 

28

 

228,564

 

15,746

 

149

 

244,487

 

Net operating (loss) income

 

(28

)

25,525

 

(904

)

(149

)

24,444

 

Other Income and Expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-regulated revenue

 

917

 

7,237

 

747

 

(1,147

)

7,754

 

Non-regulated expenses, net

 

 

(5,748

)

(624

)

 

(6,372

)

Income tax (expense) on other income and expense

 

(374

)

(606

)

(12

)

432

 

(560

)

Net other income

 

543

 

883

 

111

 

(715

)

822

 

Interest:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest expense

 

125

 

13,944

 

979

 

(896

)

14,152

 

Less: capitalized interest

 

 

(538

)

(42

)

 

(580

)

Net interest expense

 

125

 

13,406

 

937

 

(896

)

13,572

 

Equity earnings of subsidiaries

 

11,304

 

 

 

(11,304

)

 

Net income (loss)

 

$

11,694

 

$

13,002

 

$

(1,730

)

$

(11,272

)

$

11,694

 

 

19



Table of Contents

 

CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE GROUP

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

For the six months ended June 30, 2015

 

(In thousands)

 

 

 

Parent
Company

 

Cal Water

 

All Other
Subsidiaries

 

Consolidating
Adjustments

 

Consolidated

 

Operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income (loss)

 

$

11,420

 

$

11,586

 

$

(460

)

$

(11,126

)

$

11,420

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity earnings of subsidiaries

 

(11,156

)

 

 

11,156

 

 

Dividends received from affiliates

 

16,027

 

 

 

(16,027

)

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

114

 

29,170

 

2,419

 

(51

)

31,652

 

Changes in value of life insurance contracts

 

 

50

 

 

 

50

 

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

 

(1,049

)

(9,161

)

6,901

 

(94

)

(3,403

)

Other changes in noncurrent assets and liabilities

 

1,897

 

12,057

 

(5,439

)

115

 

8,630

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

17,253

 

43,702

 

3,421

 

(16,027

)

48,349

 

Investing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utility plant expenditures

 

 

(72,872

)

(2,955

)

 

(75,827

)

Investment in affiliates

 

(1,000

)

 

 

 

1,000

 

 

Changes in affiliate advances

 

(4,234

)

2,885

 

(118

)

1,467

 

 

Proceeds from affiliates long-term debt

 

517

 

 

 

(517

)

 

Purchase of life insurance contracts

 

 

(214

)

 

 

(214

)

Changes in restricted cash

 

 

46

 

 

 

46

 

Net cash (used in) investing activities

 

(4,717

)

(70,155

)

(3,073

)

1,950

 

(75,995

)

Financing Activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Short-term borrowings

 

2,500

 

50,000

 

 

 

52,500

 

Repayment of short-term borrowings

 

 

(5,000

)

 

 

(5,000

)

Investment from affiliates

 

 

 

1,000

 

(1,000

)

 

Changes in affiliate advances

 

102

 

2,077

 

(712

)

(1,467

)

 

Repayment of affiliates long-term borrowings

 

 

 

(517

)

517

 

 

Proceeds from long-term debt

 

 

 

50

 

 

50

 

Repayment of long-term debt

 

 

(2,310

)

(244

)

 

(2,554

)

Advances and contributions in aid for construction

 

 

6,881

 

40

 

 

6,921

 

Refunds of advances for construction

 

 

(3,284

)

(32

)

 

(3,316

)

Dividends paid to non-affiliates

 

(16,027

)

 

 

 

(16,027

)

Dividends paid to affiliates

 

 

(15,867

)

(160

)

16,027

 

 

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

 

(13,425

)

32,497

 

(575

)

14,077

 

32,574

 

Change in cash and cash equivalents

 

(889

)

6,044

 

(227

)

 

4,928

 

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

 

4,108

 

13,929

 

1,550

 

 

19,587

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

 

$

3,219

 

$

19,973

 

$

1,323

 

$

 

$

24,515

 

 

20



Table of Contents

 

CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE GROUP

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

For the six months ended June 30, 2014

 

(In thousands)

 

 

 

Parent
Company

 

Cal Water

 

All Other
Subsidiaries

 

Consolidating
Adjustments

 

Consolidated

 

Operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income (loss)

 

$

11,694

 

$

13,002

 

$

(1,730

)

$

(11,272

)

$

11,694

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity earnings of subsidiaries

 

(11,304

)

 

 

11,304

 

 

Dividends received from affiliates

 

15,527

 

 

 

(15,527

)

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

100

 

30,852

 

2,263

 

(53

)

33,162

 

Change in value of life insurance contracts

 

 

(721

)

 

 

(721

)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities

 

(249

)

(26,137

)

1,307

 

 

(25,079

)

Other changes in noncurrent assets and liabilities

 

1,570

 

23,088

 

(551

)

21

 

24,128

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

17,338

 

40,084

 

1,289

 

(15,527

)

43,184

 

Investing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utility plant expenditures

 

 

(53,437

)

(3,610

)

 

(57,047

)

Changes in affiliate advances

 

(6,175

)

1,092

 

 

 

5,083

 

 

Proceeds from affiliates long-term debt

 

462

 

 

 

(462

)

 

Purchase of life insurance contracts

 

 

(1,707

)

 

 

(1,707

)

Changes in restricted cash

 

 

313

 

 

 

313

 

Net cash (used in) investing activities

 

(5,713

)

(53,739

)

(3,610

)

4,621

 

(58,441

)

Financing Activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Short-term borrowings

 

4,400

 

35,000

 

 

 

39,400

 

Repayment of short-term borrowings

 

(5,000

)

 

 

 

(5,000

)

Changes in affiliate advances

 

(47

)

1,087

 

4,043

 

(5,083

)

 

Repayment of affiliates long-term borrowings

 

 

 

(462

)

462

 

 

Repayment of long-term debt

 

 

(2,607

)

(1,556

)

 

(4,163

)

Advances and contributions in aid for construction

 

 

5,427

 

523

 

 

5,950

 

Refunds of advances for construction

 

 

(3,158

)

(45

)

 

(3,203

)

Dividends paid to non-affiliates

 

(15,527

)

 

 

 

(15,527

)

Dividends paid to affiliates

 

 

(15,238

)

(289

)

15,527

 

 

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

 

(16,174

)

20,511

 

2,214

 

10,906

 

17,457

 

Change in cash and cash equivalents

 

(4,549

)

6,856

 

(107

)

 

2,200

 

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

 

5,280

 

20,790

 

1,436

 

 

27,506

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

 

$

731

 

$

27,646

 

$

1,329

 

$

 

$

29,706

 

 

21



Table of Contents

 

Item 2

 

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF

FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

(Dollar amounts in thousands, except where otherwise noted and per share amounts)

 

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This quarterly report, including all documents incorporated by reference, contains forward-looking statements within the meaning established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (Act). Forward-looking statements in this quarterly report are based on currently available information, expectations, estimates, assumptions and projections, and our management’s beliefs, assumptions, judgments and expectations about us, the water utility industry and general economic conditions. These statements are not statements of historical fact. When used in our documents, statements that are not historical in nature, including words like “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “may,” “estimates,” “assumes,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “predicts,” “forecasts,” “should,” “seeks,” or variations of these words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. They are based on numerous assumptions that we believe are reasonable, but they are open to a wide range of uncertainties and business risks. Consequently, actual results may vary materially from what is contained in a forward-looking statement.

 

Factors which may cause actual results to be different than those expected or anticipated include, but are not limited to:

 

·                  governmental and regulatory commissions’ decisions, including decisions on proper disposition of property;

 

·                  changes in regulatory commissions’ policies and procedures;

 

·                  the timeliness of regulatory commissions’ actions concerning rate relief;

 

·                  changes in the capital markets and access to sufficient capital on satisfactory terms;

 

·                  new legislation;

 

·                  changes in California Department of Public Health water quality standards;

 

·                  changes in environmental compliance and water quality requirements;

 

·                  changes in accounting valuations and estimates;

 

·                  changes in accounting treatment for regulated companies, including adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards, if required;

 

·                  electric power interruptions;

 

·                  increases in suppliers’ prices and the availability of supplies including water and power;

 

·                  fluctuations in interest rates;

 

·                  litigation that may result in damages or costs not recoverable from third parties;

 

·                  acquisitions and the ability to successfully integrate acquired companies;

 

·                  the ability to successfully implement business plans;

 

·                  civil disturbances or terrorist threats or acts, or apprehension about the possible future occurrences of acts of this type;

 

·                  the involvement of the United States in war or other hostilities;

 

·                  our ability to attract and retain qualified employees;

 

·                  labor relations matters as we negotiate with the unions;

 

22



Table of Contents

 

·                  federal health care law changes that could result in increases to Company health care costs and additional income tax expenses in future years;

 

·                  changes in federal and state income tax regulations and treatment of such by regulatory commissions;

 

·                  implementation of new information technology systems;

 

·                  changes in operations that result in an impairment to acquisition goodwill;

 

·                  restrictive covenants in or changes to the credit ratings on current or future debt that could increase financing costs or affect the ability to borrow, make payments on debt, or pay dividends;

 

·                  general economic conditions, including changes in customer growth patterns and our ability to collect billed revenue from customers;

 

·                  changes in customer water use patterns and the effects of conservation;

 

·                  the impact of weather and climate on water sales and operating results;

 

·                  the unknown impact of contagious diseases, such as Ebola, avian flu, H1N1 flu and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), on the Company’s operations;

 

·                  the impact of cyber security breaches on the Company’s financial, human resources, and operational information systems;

 

·                  the ability to satisfy requirements related to the Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank Acts and other regulations on internal controls; and

 

·                  the risks set forth in “Risk Factors” included elsewhere in this quarterly report.

 

In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this quarterly report or as of the date of any document incorporated by reference in this report, as applicable. When considering forward-looking statements, investors should keep in mind the cautionary statements in this quarterly report and the documents incorporated by reference. We are not under any obligation, and we expressly disclaim any obligation, to update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

We maintain our accounting records in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) and as directed by the commissions to which our operations are subject. The process of preparing financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires the use of estimates on the part of management. The estimates used by management are based on historic experience and an understanding of current facts and circumstances. Management believes that the following accounting policies are critical because they involve a higher degree of complexity and judgment, and can have a material impact on our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows of the business. These policies and their key characteristics are discussed in detail in the 2014 Form 10-K. They include:

 

·                  revenue recognition;

 

·                  regulated utility accounting;

 

·                  income taxes;

 

·                  pension benefits;

 

·                  workers’ compensation and other claims; and

 

·                  goodwill accounting and evaluation for impairment.

 

23



Table of Contents

 

For the six-month period ended June 30, 2015, there were no changes in the methodology for computing critical accounting estimates, no additional accounting estimates met the standards for critical accounting policies, and there were no material changes to the important assumptions underlying the critical accounting estimates.

 

RESULTS OF SECOND QUARTER 2015 OPERATIONS

COMPARED TO SECOND QUARTER 2014 OPERATIONS

Amounts in thousands except share data

 

Overview

 

Net income for the three months period ended June 30, 2015, was $9.8 million or $0.21 per diluted common share compared to net income of $17.2 million or $0.36 per diluted common share for the three months period ended June 30, 2014. Net income decreased $7.4 million during the second quarter of 2015 compared to the second quarter of 2014. The decrease in net income was attributable primarily to a decrease in estimated unbilled operating revenue, increases in administrative and general, other operations, and maintenance expenses that was partially offset by rate increases from the approval of the 2012 General Rate Case (GRC) during the third quarter of 2014 for the Company’s largest subsidiary, Cal Water, as well as reductions in depreciation and amortization, income taxes, and net interest expenses.  The decrease in the unbilled operating revenue estimate resulted in a decrease in pre-tax income of $10.1 million for the three months period ended June 30, 2015 as compared to the prior year and was driven by a reduction in customer consumption associated with the drought and mandatory conservation at the end of the quarter.  Unbilled operating revenue does not affect the WRAM calculation or balance until it is billed.  The $4.3 million increases in administrative and general and other operations expense in 2015 were driven by employee pension and other postretirement benefits, employee wage, California drought program cost and conservation program cost increases.  During the three months period ended June 30, 2014, there were $2.5 million of tax benefits associated with the final tax regulations for repairs and maintenance deductions.  Net other income decreased $0.8 million in 2015 due primarily to a decrease in unrealized gains on our benefit plan insurance investments.

 

Operating Revenue

 

Operating revenue decreased $14.0 million, or 9%, to $144.4 million in the second quarter of 2015.  The decrease was due primarily to a decrease in estimated unbilled operating revenue, which was partially offset by the authorized rate design in the Cal Water 2012 GRC, whereby Cal Water’s revenue shifted from quantity based WRAM revenue to fixed rate charge revenue.  Fixed rate charge revenue is primarily service fee revenue but also includes unmetered flat revenue.  The factors that impacted the operating revenue for the second quarter of 2015 as compared to 2014 are as follows:

 

Net change in service, flat, and other revenue

 

$

(2,085

)

Health care balancing account

 

594

 

Pension balancing account

 

1,866

 

Conservation balancing account

 

(93

)

Deferral of revenue

 

(270

)

Net effect of WRAM

 

(14,014

)

Net operating revenue decrease

 

$

(14,002

)

 

The net change in service, flat and other revenue in the above table was mainly driven by a decrease in unbilled revenue of $10.1 million due to a decrease in consumption associated with the drought and mandatory conservation at the end of the second quarter of 2015 as compared to the same period in 2014.  This was offset by an increase in service charge revenue related to the 2012 GRC and an associated shift from quantity to service charge revenue.

 

The health care balancing account in the above table refers to the difference between actual expenses and adopted rate recovery.  The increase of $0.6 million is due to higher actual health care expenses as compared to adopted rate recovery in the second quarter of 2015.

 

The pension balancing account in the above table refers to the difference between actual expenses and adopted rate recovery.  The increase of $1.9 million is due to higher actual pension expenses as compared to adopted rate recovery in the second quarter of 2015.

 

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The conservation balancing account in the above table refers to the difference between actual expenses and adopted rate recovery.  The decrease of $0.1 million is due to lower actual conservation expenses as compared to adopted rate recovery in the second quarter of 2015.

 

The deferral of revenue in the table above occurs whenever a district’s net regulatory balancing account receivable is expected to be collected more than 24 months after the respective reporting period in which it was recognized.  The deferral in the second quarter of 2015 increased because of the recording of the interim revenue memorandum account receivable in the third quarter of 2014, which has caused an increase in the net regulatory balancing account receivables that are expected to be collected more than 24 months after the respective reporting period in which it was recognized.

 

The net effect of WRAM in the above table is the revenue changes recognized by the WRAM and MCBA. The WRAM is impacted by changes in consumption patterns from our historical trends as well as an increase in conservation efforts. The MCBA, which records the differences in production costs from the adopted costs, is recorded as an adjustment to revenue as it represents pass through costs which are billed to customers. The MCBA is impacted by changes in total production quantities, the production mix of the source of water, the price paid for purchased water and power, and the amount of pump taxes paid.  The WRAM decrease of $7.3 million during the three months ended June 30, 2015 compared to the three months ended June 30, 2014 was mainly driven by a shift from quantity to service charge revenue in the rate design of the 2012 GRC and was partially offset by rate increases of $2.8 million.  The MCBA decrease of $6.7 million during the three months ended June 30, 2015 compared to the three months ended June 30, 2014 was mainly driven by a decrease in consumption due to the conservation program efforts and the drought and an associated decrease in production costs.

 

The components of the rate increases are as follows:

 

Purchased water offset increases

 

$

1,668

 

Escalation rate increases

 

1,178

 

Total increase in rates

 

$

2,846

 

 

Total Operating Expenses

 

Total operating expenses were $127.9 million for the second quarter of 2015, compared to $135.1 million for the same period in 2014, a 5% decrease.

 

Water production costs consists of purchased water, purchased power, and pump taxes. It represents the largest component of total operating expenses, accounting for approximately 41% of total operating expenses in the second quarter of 2015, as compared to 46% of total operating expenses in the second quarter of 2014.  Water production decreased 14% compared to the same period last year mainly due to a decrease in customer usage offset by a blended 11% increase in purchase water wholesaler rates.

 

Sources of water as a percent of total water production are listed in the following table:

 

 

 

Three Months Ended June 30

 

 

 

2015

 

2014

 

Well production

 

52

%

51

%

Purchased

 

45

%

46

%

Surface

 

3

%

3

%

Total

 

100

%

100

%

 

The components of water production costs are shown in the table below:

 

 

 

Three Months Ended June 30

 

 

 

2015

 

2014

 

Change

 

Purchased water

 

$

42,672

 

$

49,150

 

$

(6,478

)

Purchased power

 

7,277

 

9,133

 

(1,856

)

Pump taxes

 

3,073

 

3,632

 

(559

)

Total

 

$

53,022

 

$

61,915

 

$

(8,893

)

 

Total water production, measured in acre feet, decreased by 21% during the second quarter of 2015 as compared to the second quarter of 2014.

 

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Administrative and general and other operations expenses increased $4.3 million, or 11%, to $44.1 million in the second quarter of 2015 compared to $39.8 million in the second quarter of 2014.  The increase was due primarily to increases in employee pension and other postretirement benefit costs of $2.9 million, the California drought program expense increases of $0.9 million, employee wage increases of $0.4 million, and conservation program expense increases of $0.5 million.  These cost increases were partially offset by a $1.5 million decrease in uninsured loss expenses. Changes in employee pension and other postretirement benefit costs, water conservation program costs, and employee health care costs for regulated California operations do not affect earnings, because the Company is allowed by the CPUC to track employee pension and other postretirement benefit costs, water conservation program costs, and employee health care costs in balancing accounts for future recovery, which creates a corresponding change to operating revenue.  Employee wage increases became effective January 1, 2015.  At June 30, 2015, there were 1,137 employees and at June 30, 2014, there were 1,128 employees.

 

Maintenance expense increased by $0.3 million, or 7%, to $5.3 million in the second quarter of 2015 compared to $5.0 million in the second quarter of 2014, mostly due to increases in transmission and distribution mains repair costs.

 

Depreciation and amortization expense decreased $0.7 million, or 5%, to $15.4 million mostly due to a decrease in depreciation rates for regulated California operations which were authorized last year in the 2012 GRC which was partially offset by 2014 capital additions.

 

Income taxes decreased $2.1 million to $5.1 million in the second quarter of 2015 as compared to second quarter of 2014 due primarily to an $8.7 million decrease to pre-tax income in the second quarter of 2015 which was partially offset by $2.5 million of tax benefits in the second quarter of 2014.  We estimate the Company’s fiscal year 2015 effective tax rate to be 38%.

 

Property and other taxes decreased $0.2 million, or 3%, to $5.0 million in the second quarter of 2015 as compared to the prior year due primarily to a $0.2 million refund of property taxes in the second quarter of 2015.

 

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Other Income and Expenses

 

Net other (loss) income decreased $0.8 million in the second quarter of 2015 due primarily to a $0.2 million unrealized loss on our benefit plan insurance investments during the second quarter of 2015 compared to an unrealized gain of $0.6 million during the second quarter of 2014.

 

Interest Expense

 

Net interest expense decreased $0.2 million, or 3%, to $6.6 million during the second quarter of 2015 compared to the same period last year.  The decrease was due primarily to an increase in capitalized interest charged to construction projects and a decrease in interest expense driven by decreased short-term borrowing rates partially offset by an increase in short-term borrowings during the second quarter of 2015.

 

RESULTS OF THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2015 OPERATIONS

COMPARED TO THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2014 OPERATIONS

Amounts in thousands except share data

 

Overview

 

Net income for the six months period ended June 30, 2015, was $11.4 million, or $0.24 per diluted common share compared to a net income of $11.7 million or $0.24 per diluted common share for the six months period ended June 30, 2014. Net income decreased $0.3 million during the first six months of 2015 compared to the first six months of 2014. The decrease in net income was attributable primarily to a decrease in estimated unbilled operating revenue, increases in administrative and general, other operations, and income tax expenses that was partially offset by rate increases from the approval of the 2012 General Rate Case (GRC) during the third quarter of 2014 for the Company’s largest subsidiary, Cal Water, and reductions in depreciation and amortization, maintenance, and net interest expenses. The decrease in the unbilled operating revenue estimate resulted in a decrease in pre-tax income of $8.8 million for the six months period ended June 30, 2015 as compared to the prior year and was driven by a reduction in customer consumption associated with the drought and mandatory conservation at the end of the second quarter.  Unbilled operating revenue does not affect the WRAM calculation or balance until it is billed.  The $6.4 million increases in administrative and general and other operations expense in 2015 were driven by employee pension and other postretirement benefits, employee wage, and California drought program cost increases.  The increase in income tax expense was due primarily to $2.5 million of tax benefits associated with the final tax regulations for repairs and maintenance deductions in the same period in 2014.  Net other income decreased $0.2 million for the six months period ended June 30, 2015.

 

Operating Revenue

 

Operating revenue decreased $2.5 million or 1% to $266.4 million in the first six months of 2015.  The decrease was due primarily to a decrease in estimated unbilled operating revenue which was partially offset by the authorized rate design in the Cal Water 2012 GRC, whereby Cal Water’s revenue shifted from quantity based WRAM revenue to fixed rate charge revenue.  Fixed rate charge revenue is primarily service fee revenue but also includes unmetered flat revenue.  The factors that impacted the operating revenue for the first six months of 2015 as compared to 2014 are as follows:

 

Net change in service, flat, and other revenue

 

$

7,380

 

Health care balancing account

 

1,394

 

Pension balancing account

 

4,017

 

Conservation balancing account

 

(820

)

Deferral of revenue

 

21

 

Net effect of WRAM

 

(14,524

)

Net operating revenue decrease

 

$

(2,532

)

 

The net change in service, flat and other revenue in the above table was mainly driven by a $14.7 million increase in service charge revenue related to the 2012 GRC and an associated shift from quantity to service charge revenue. This increase was offset by a $8.8 million decrease in unbilled revenue due to a decrease in consumption associated with the drought and mandatory conservation at the end of the second quarter of 2015 as compared to the same period in 2014.

 

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The health care balancing account in the above table refers to the difference between actual expenses and adopted rate recovery.  The increase of $1.4 million is due to higher actual health care expenses as compared to adopted rate recovery in 2015.

 

The pension balancing account in the above table refers to the difference between actual expenses and adopted rate recovery.  The increase of $4.0 million is due to higher actual pension expenses as compared to adopted rate recovery in 2015.

 

The conservation balancing account in the above table refers to the difference between actual expenses and adopted rate recovery.  The decrease of $0.8 million is due to lower actual conservation expenses as compared to adopted rate recovery in 2015.

 

The net effect of WRAM in the above table was the revenue changes recognized by the WRAM and MCBA. The WRAM is impacted by changes in consumption patterns from our historical trends as well as an increase in conservation efforts. The MCBA, which records the differences in production costs from the adopted costs, is recorded as an adjustment to revenue as it represents pass through costs which are billed to customers. The MCBA is impacted by changes in total production quantities, the production mix of the source of water, the price paid for purchased water and power, and the amount of pump taxes paid.  The WRAM decrease of $11.2 million during the six months ended June 30, 2015 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2014 was mainly driven by a shift from quantity to service charge revenue in the 2012 GRC and was partially offset by rate increases of $4.6 million.  The MCBA decrease of $3.3 million during the six months ended June 30, 2015 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2014 was mainly driven by a decrease in consumption due to the conservation program efforts and the drought and an associated decrease in production costs.

 

The components of the rate increases are as follows:

 

Purchased water offset increases

 

$

2,902

 

Escalation rate increases

 

1,733

 

Total increase in rates

 

$

4,635

 

 

Total Operating Expenses

 

Total operating expenses were $242.4 million for the first six months of 2015 as compared to $244.5 million for the same period in 2014, a 1% decrease.

 

Water production costs consists of purchased water, purchased power, and pump taxes. It represents the largest component of total operating expenses, accounting for approximately 41% of total operating expenses in the first six months of 2015, as compared to 44% of total operating expenses in the first six months of 2014.  Water production costs decreased 8% compared to the same period last year mainly due to a decrease in customer usage offset by a blended 12% increase in purchase water wholesaler rates.

 

Sources of water as a percent of total water production are listed in the following table:

 

 

 

Six Months Ended June 30

 

 

 

2015

 

2014

 

Well production

 

51

%

49

%

Purchased

 

46

%

48

%

Surface

 

3

%

3

%

Total

 

100

%

100

%

 

The components of water production costs are shown in the table below:

 

 

 

Six Months Ended June 30

 

 

 

2015

 

2014

 

Change

 

Purchased water

 

$

79,031

 

$

86,428

 

$

(7,397

)

Purchased power

 

12,866

 

14,706

 

(1,840

)

Pump taxes

 

6,327

 

6,183

 

144

 

Total

 

$

98,224

 

$

107,317

 

$

(9,093

)

 

Total water production, measured in acre feet, decreased by 16% during the first six months of 2015 as compared to the first six months of 2014.

 

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Table of Contents

 

Administrative and general and other operations expenses increased $6.4 million, or 8%, to $87.7 million in the first six months of 2015 compared to $81.3 million in the first six months of 2014.  The increase was due primarily to increases in employee pension and other postretirement benefit costs of $5.9 million, employee wage increases of $1.8 million, and the California drought program expense increases of $0.9 million. These cost increases were partially offset by decreases in employee health care costs of $1.6 million, uninsured loss costs of $1.5 million and water conservation program costs of $0.8 million. Changes in employee pension and other postretirement benefit costs, water conservation program costs, and employee health care costs for regulated California operations do not affect earnings, because the Company is allowed by the CPUC to track employee pension and other postretirement benefit costs, water conservation program costs, and employee health care costs in balancing accounts for future recovery, which creates a corresponding change to operating revenue.

 

Maintenance expense decreased $0.2 million, or 2%, to $9.8 million during the first six months of 2015 compared to $10.0 million during the first six months of 2014, due to a decrease in well and pumping equipment repair costs.

 

Depreciation and amortization expense decreased $1.5 million, or 5%, to $30.7 million mostly due to a decrease in depreciation rates for regulated California operations which were authorized last year in the 2012 GRC, partially offset by the depreciation expense increase due to the 2014 capital additions.

 

Income taxes increased $2.4 million to $5.7 million in the first six months of 2015 as compared to the first six months of 2014 due primarily to $2.5 million of tax benefits in the first six months of 2014 and a $2.3 million increase in pre-tax income in the first six months of 2015.  We estimate the Company’s fiscal year 2015 effective tax rate to be 38%.

 

Property and other taxes remained consistent during the first six months of 2015 as compared to the prior year.

 

Other Income and Expenses

 

Net other income decreased $0.2 million to $0.6 million in the first six months of 2015 due primarily to a decrease in unrealized gains on our benefit plan insurance investments.

 

Interest Expense

 

Net interest expense decreased $0.4 million, or 3%, to $13.2 million during the first six months of 2015 compared to the same period last year. The decrease was due primarily to an increase in capitalized interest charged to construction projects.

 

REGULATORY MATTERS

 

Rates and Regulation

 

The state regulatory commissions have plenary powers setting rates and operating standards. As such, state commission decisions significantly impact the Company’s revenues, earnings, and cash flows. The amounts discussed herein are generally annual amounts, unless specifically stated, and the financial impact to recorded revenue is expected to occur over a 12-month period from the effective date of the decision. In California, water utilities are required to make several different types of filings. Most filings result in rate changes that remain in place until the next GRC. As explained below, surcharges and surcredits to recover balancing and memorandum accounts as well as general rate case interim rate relief are temporary rate changes, which have specific time frames for recovery.

 

GRCs, escalation rate increase filings, and offset filings change rates to amounts that will remain in effect until the next GRC. The CPUC follows a rate case plan, which requires Cal Water to file a GRC for each of its regulated operating districts every three years. In a GRC proceeding, the CPUC not only considers the utility’s rate setting requests, but may also consider other issues that affect the utility’s rates and operations. The CPUC is generally required to issue its GRC decision prior to the first day of the test year or authorize interim rates. In accordance with the CPUC’s rate case plan for Class A water utilities, Cal Water filed a GRC on July 5, 2012 that is applicable to all of its regulated California districts.  The CPUC issued a Decision 14-08-011 resolving the rate case in the third quarter of 2014 with rates effective back to January 1, 2014.  Under the CPUC’s rate case plan, Cal Water filed its next GRC application on July 3, 2015.

 

Between GRC filings, Cal Water may file escalation rate increases that allow Cal Water to recover cost increases, primarily from inflation and incremental investment, during the second and third years of the rate case cycle. However, escalation rate increases are subject to a weather-normalized earnings test on a district-by-district basis. Under the earnings test, the CPUC may reduce the escalation rate increase if, in the most recent 12-month period, this earnings test reflects earnings in excess of what was authorized for that district.

 

In addition, California water utilities are entitled to make offset filings. Offset filings may be filed to adjust revenues for construction projects authorized in GRCs when the plant is placed in service (referred to as “ratebase offsets”), or for rate changes charged to Cal Water for purchased water, purchased power, and pump taxes (referred to as “offsettable expenses”). Such rate changes approved in offset filings remain in effect until the next GRC is approved.

 

In pursuit of the CPUC’s water conservation goals, the CPUC decoupled Cal Water’s revenue requirement from customer consumption levels in 2008 by authorizing WRAM and MCBA for each ratemaking area. The WRAM and MCBA ensure that Cal Water recovers all of the quantity revenues authorized by the CPUC regardless of customer consumption. This removes the Company’s historical disincentive against the promotion of lower water usage among customers. Through an annual advice letter filing, Cal Water recovers any uncollected quantity revenue amounts authorized, or refunds over-collected quantity revenues, via surcharges and surcredits. The advice letters are filed between February and April of each year and address the net WRAM and MCBA balances collected for the previous calendar year. Most WRAM and MCBA balances have been revenue under- collections that are amortized through surcharges for a period of 12 or 18 months. The WRAM and MCBA amounts are cumulative, so if they are not amortized in a given calendar year, the balance will be carried forward and included with the following year balance.

 

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Table of Contents

 

2015 California Regulatory Activity

 

California GRC filing

 

On July 3, 2015, Cal Water filed a GRC application seeking rate increases in all regulated operating districts in California beginning January 1, 2017. The 2015 GRC application requested an increase of $94.8 million in rates for 2017, $23.0 million in rates for 2018 and $22.6 million in rates for 2019. As part of its application, Cal Water requested to invest $693.0 million in districts throughout California over the three-year period from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2018 in order to provide a safe and reliable water supply to its customers.

 

Escalation Increase filings

 

As a part of the decision of the 2012 GRC, Cal Water was authorized to file annual escalation rate increases for 2015 and 2016. In January 2015, Cal Water filed for escalation rate increases in 16 districts. The annual adopted gross revenue associated with the January 2015 filing was $4.8 million.

 

California Drought Memorandum Account

 

In 2014, the CPUC authorized Cal Water to track its incremental expenses related to its drought program in a drought memorandum account. On April 1, 2015, the Governor of the State of California issued Executive Order B-29-15 due to severe drought conditions. The Executive Order, among other requirements, directs the State Water Resources Control Board (“Water Board”) to impose restrictions on urban water suppliers like Cal Water to achieve a statewide 25% reduction in potable urban usage, as compared with the amount used in 2013, through February 2016.  On April 28, 2015, Cal Water filed Schedule 14.1 with the CPUC to establish household and business water budgets and associated enforcement measures in order to achieve state-mandated water use reductions and it was authorized and effective June 1, 2015.  All monies collected by Cal Water through drought surcharges, as established by the Mandatory Water Budgets in Schedule 14.1, will be recorded in the appropriate WRAM account and used to offset under-collected revenues. All monies collected by Cal Water through waste of water penalties established in this schedule shall be recorded in the appropriate drought memorandum account and used to offset the incremental expenses.  During the second quarter of 2015 and first six months of 2015 drought memorandum account incremental costs were $1.0 million, which included $0.1 million of capital spending.  There were no customer drought surcharges or penalties during the first six months of 2015.  As of June 30, 2015, the drought memorandum account incremental costs were $1.4 million.

 

Federal Income Tax Bonus Depreciation

 

In 2011, Cal Water filed for and received approval to track the benefits from federal income tax accelerated depreciation in a memorandum account due to the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. Additional federal income tax deductions for assets placed in service after September 8, 2010, and before December 31, 2011, were $41.6 million, of which $0.1 million, $16.5 million, $14.4 million, and $10.6 million were taken in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, respectively. The memorandum account may result in a surcredit because of the impact to Cal Water’s revenue requirement for changes to working cash estimates, reductions to federal income tax qualified U.S. production activities deductions (QPAD), and changes to contributions-in-aid-of-construction. As of June 30, 2015, the estimated surcredit range is between $1.0 million and $1.5 million. The CPUC will determine the disposition of amounts recorded in the memorandum account in Cal Water’s next GRC proceeding.

 

Selma Groundwater Surcharges

 

In January 2014, Cal Water and the City of Selma jointly filed an application to apply groundwater surcharges to customers in the Selma District.  The surcharges will be used by the City of Selma and the Consolidated Irrigation District for groundwater recharge projects in the Upper Kings River Basin.  The ORA, the City of Selma, and Cal Water reached a settlement of all issues that would apply groundwater surcharges, over 8 years, to eventually collect approximately $0.5 million a year for remittance to the City of Selma. The CPUC approved the settlement in March 2015.  The groundwater surcharge was effective April 15, 2015.  An estimated $0.2 million in surcharges will be collected in 2015, and will be provided to the City of Selma in the first quarter of 2016.

 

Asbestos Memorandum Account Application

 

On September 3, 2014, Cal Water filed an application with the CPUC requesting an asbestos litigation memorandum account to record costs associated with current and future asbestos lawsuits against Cal Water.  On February 6, 2015, Cal Water and the ORA filed a settlement resolving all issues, and authorized Cal Water to track all uninsured losses on asbestos litigation cases, settlements, and judgments in an Asbestos Litigation Memorandum Account for a 5-year period beginning January 1, 2015.  The parties are awaiting the CPUC’s issuance of a proposed decision.

 

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Table of Contents

 

WRAM and MCBA filings

 

In April 2015, Cal Water filed two advice letters to true up the revenue over- and under-collections in the 2014 annual WRAMs/MCBAs of its regulated districts. A net under-collection of $30.5 million is being recovered from customers in the form of 12, 18 or 20+ month surcharges.  This surcharge is in some cases in addition to surcharges authorized in prior years which have not yet expired.

 

Ratebase Offset filings

 

For construction projects that are authorized in GRCs as advice letter projects, companies are allowed to file rate base offsets to increase revenues after the plant is placed into service. Cal Water filed $2.7 million of annual revenue increases for rate base offsets in the second quarter of 2015.

 

2015 Regulatory Activity—Other States

 

2014 Washington Water GRC Filing

 

On August 14, 2014, Washington Water filed a GRC requesting $1.5 million. On January 15, 2015, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approved the rate case authorizing annual revenue increase of $1.7 million, in part due to updated information.  New rates were effective February 1, 2015.

 

2014 Kona (Hawaii) GRC Filing

 

In August 2014, Hawaii Water filed a GRC for Kona water and wastewater requesting $3.3 million.  On June 29, 2015, Hawaii Water received a Decision and Order from the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (HPUC) for the Kona water and wastewater rate case approving $2.1 million in additional annual revenues to be phased in over a six month period. Hawaii Water reached a comprehensive and conceptual settlement with the Consumer Advocate. The new rates are scheduled to be effective in August, 2015.

 

2012 Waikoloa (Hawaii) GRC Filings

 

In August 2012, Hawaii Water filed GRCs for the Waikoloa Village Water, Waikoloa Village Wastewater, and Waikoloa Resort Utilities requesting $6.3 million in additional annual revenues. The GRCs were processed on separate schedules.  Hawaii Water and the Consumer Advocate reached settlements on the rate filings for Waikoloa Village Water, Waikoloa Village Wastewater, and Waikoloa Resort Utilities. On June 22, 2015, the HPUC approved a rate increase for the Waikoloa Village Wastewater rate case authorizing annual revenue increase of $0.7 million and the new rates are scheduled to be effective in August, 2015.  On July 23, 2014, the HPUC approved the Waikoloa Resort Utilities, Inc. rate case authorizing annual revenue increase of $2.0 million phased in over a two year period. On March 2, 2015, the HPUC issued an order approving the Waikoloa Village Water rate case and then on April 17, 2015, the HPUC issued a corrected order approving an annual revenue increase of $0.1 million effective May 1, 2015.

 

2011 Pukalani (Hawaii) GRC Filing

 

In August 2011, Hawaii Water filed a GRC for Pukalani wastewater system. On January 15, 2014, Hawaii Water received a Decision and Order for the GRC for the Pukalani wastewater system rate case approving $0.59 million in additional annual revenues. Hawaii Water reached a comprehensive and conceptual settlement with the Consumer Advocate. This decision approved an increase of $0.28 million in 2014, another increase of $0.15 million in 2015, and another increase of $0.15 million in 2016. Each increase is separated by one year. The new rates for 2015 were effective February 1, 2015.

 

LIQUIDITY

 

Cash flow from Operations

 

Cash flow from operations for the first six months of 2015 was $48.3 million compared to $43.2 million for the same period of 2014. Cash generated by operations varies during the year due to customer billings, timing of contributions to our benefit plans, and timing of estimated tax payments.

 

During the first six months of 2015 we made contributions of $14.1 million to our employee pension plan compared to contributions of $14.0 million made during the first six months of 2014.  During the first six months of 2015 we made contributions of $3.7 million to the other postretirement benefit plans compared to contributions of $2.4 million during the first six months of 2014.  The 2015 estimated cash contribution to the pension plans is $31.2 million and to the other postretirement benefit plans is $15.0 million.

 

The water business is seasonal. Billed revenue is lower in the cool, wet winter months when less water is used compared to the warm, dry summer months when water use is highest. This seasonality results in the possible need for short-term borrowings under the bank lines of credit in the event cash is not available to cover operating and capital costs during the winter period. The increase in cash flows during the summer allows short-term borrowings to be paid down. Customer water usage can be lower than normal in years when more than normal precipitation falls in our service areas or temperatures are lower than normal, especially in the summer months. The reduction in water usage reduces cash flows from operations and increases the need for short-term bank borrowings. In addition, short-term borrowings are used to finance capital expenditures until long-term financing is arranged.

 

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Investing Activities

 

During the first six months of 2015 and 2014, we used $75.8 million and $57.0 million, respectively, of cash for both company-funded and developer-funded capital expenditures. The 2015 budget estimates capital expenditures to be between $125 and $145 million.  Annual expenditures fluctuate each year due to the availability of construction resources and our ability to obtain construction permits in a timely manner.

 

Financing Activities

 

Net cash provided by financing activities was $32.6 million during the first six months of 2015 compared to $17.5 million for the same period in 2014.

 

During the first six months of 2015 and 2014, we borrowed $52.5 million and $39.4 million, respectively, on our unsecured revolving credit facilities.

 

During the first six months of 2015 and 2014 we paid down $5.0 million for both years, on our unsecured revolving credit facilities.

 

The undercollected net WRAM and MCBA receivable balances were $47.9 million and $47.1 million as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. The undercollected balances were primarily financed by Cal Water using short-term and long-term financing arrangements to meet operational cash requirements. Interest on the undercollected balances, the interest recoverable from ratepayers, is limited to the current 90-day commercial paper rates which is significantly lower than Cal Water’s short and long-term financing rates.

 

Short-Term and Long-Term Financing

 

Short-term liquidity is provided by our unsecured revolving credit facilities and internally generated funds. Long-term financing is accomplished through the use of both debt and equity.  On September 23, 2010, the CPUC authorized Cal Water to issue $350 million of debt and common stock to finance capital projects and operations.

 

On March 10, 2015, the Company and Cal Water entered into Syndicated Credit Agreements, which provided for unsecured revolving credit facilities of up to an initial aggregate amount of $450 million for a term of five years.  The Syndicated Credit Facilities amend, expand, and replace the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ existing credit facilities originally entered into on June 29, 2011.  The new credit facilities extended the terms until March 10, 2020 and increased the Company’s unsecured revolving line of credit.  The credit facilities may each be expanded by up to $50 million subject to certain conditions.  The Company and subsidiaries that it designates may borrow up to $150 million under the Company’s revolving credit facility.  Cal Water may borrow up to $300 million under its revolving credit facility; however, all borrowings need to be repaid within 12-months unless otherwise authorized by the CPUC.  The proceeds from the revolving credit facilities may be used for working capital purposes, including the short-term financing of capital projects.  The base loan rate may vary from LIBOR plus 72.5 basis points to LIBOR plus 95 basis points, depending on the Company’s total capitalization ratio.  Likewise, the unused commitment fee may vary from 8 basis points to 12.5 basis points based on the same ratio.

 

During the first six months of 2015, we utilized cash generated from operations and borrowings on the unsecured revolving credit facilities. We did not issue Company common stock or first mortgage bonds during the first six months of 2015. In future periods, management anticipates funding our capital needs through a relatively balanced approach between long term debt and equity.

 

As of June 30, 2015, there were short-term borrowings of $126.6 million outstanding on the unsecured revolving credit facilities compared to $79.1 million as of December 31, 2014.  The increase in short-term borrowings during the first six months of 2015 was used to fund capital expenditures and general operations.

 

Given our ability to access our lines of credit on a daily basis, cash balances are managed to levels required for daily cash needs and excess cash is invested in short-term or cash equivalent instruments. Minimal operating levels of cash are maintained for Washington Water, New Mexico Water, and Hawaii Water.

 

Both short-term credit agreements contain affirmative and negative covenants and events of default customary for credit facilities of this type including, among other things, limitations and prohibitions relating to additional indebtedness, liens, mergers, and asset sales. Also, these unsecured credit agreements contain financial covenants governing the Company and its subsidiaries’ consolidated total capitalization ratio not to exceed 66.7% and an interest coverage ratio of three or more.  As of June 30, 2015, we are in compliance with all of the covenant requirements and are eligible to use the full amount of our credit facilities.

 

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Bond principal and other long-term debt payments were $2.6 million during the first six months of 2015 compared to $4.2 million during the first six months of 2014.

 

Long-term financing, which includes senior notes, other debt securities, and common stock, has typically been used to replace short-term borrowings and fund capital expenditures. Internally generated funds, after making dividend payments, provide positive cash flow, but have not been at a level to meet the needs of our capital expenditure requirements. Management expects this trend to continue given our capital expenditures plan for the next five years. Some capital expenditures are funded by payments received from developers for contributions in aid of construction or advances for construction. Funds received for contributions in aid of construction are non-refundable, whereas funds classified as advances in construction are refundable. Management believes long-term financing is available to meet our cash flow needs through issuances in both debt and equity instruments.

 

Dividends

 

During the first six months of 2015, our quarterly common stock dividend payments were $0.1675 per share compared to $0.1625 during the first six months of 2014. This was our 281st consecutive quarterly dividend. For the full year 2014, the payout ratio was 55% of net income. On a long-term basis, our goal is to achieve a dividend payout ratio of 60% of net income accomplished through future earnings growth.

 

At its July 29, 2015 meeting, the Board declared the third quarter dividend of $0.1675 per share payable on August 21, 2015, to stockholders of record on August 10, 2015. This was our 282nd consecutive quarterly dividend.

 

2015 Financing Plan

 

We intend to fund our capital needs in future periods through a relatively balanced approach between long-term debt and equity. The Company and Cal Water have a syndicated unsecured revolving line of credit of $150 million and $300 million, respectively for short-term borrowings. As of June 30, 2015, the Company’s and Cal Water’s availability on these unsecured revolving lines of credit was $85.8 million and $237.6 million, respectively.

 

Book Value and Stockholders of Record

 

Book value per common share was $13.01 at June 30, 2015 compared to $13.11 at December 31, 2014.  There were approximately 2,130 stockholders of record for our common stock as of July 22, 2015.

 

Utility Plant Expenditures

 

During the first six months of 2015, capital expenditures totaled $75.8 million for company-funded and developer-funded projects. The 2015 budget estimates company-funded capital expenditures to be between $125 and $145 million. The actual amount may vary from the budget number due to timing of actual payments related to current year and prior year projects. We do not control third-party-funded capital expenditures and therefore are unable to estimate the amount of such projects for 2015.

 

As of June 30, 2015, construction work in progress was $134.7 million compared to $116.8 million as of June 30, 2014. Work in progress includes projects that are under construction but not yet complete and placed in service.

 

WATER SUPPLY

 

Our source of supply varies among our operating districts. Certain districts obtain all of their supply from wells; some districts purchase all of their supply from wholesale suppliers; and other districts obtain supply from a combination of wells and wholesale suppliers. A small portion of supply comes from surface sources and is processed through Company-owned water treatment plants. To the best of management’s knowledge, we are meeting water quality, environmental, and other regulatory standards for all company-owned systems.

 

Historically, approximately 48 percent of our annual water supply is pumped from wells.  State groundwater management agencies operate differently in each state.  Some of our wells extract ground water from water basins under state ordinances.   These are adjudicated groundwater basins, in which a court has settled the dispute between landowners or other parties over how much annual groundwater can be extracted by each party.  All of our adjudicated groundwater basins are located in the State of California.  Our annual groundwater extraction from adjudicated groundwater basins approximates 6,500 million gallons or 11% of our total annual

 

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water supply pumped from wells.  Historically, we have extracted less than 100% of our annual adjudicated groundwater rights and have the right to carry forward up to 20% of the unused amount to the next annual period.  All of our remaining wells extract ground water from managed or unmanaged water basins.   There are no set limits for the ground water extracted from these water basins; however, the state or local water management agencies have the authority to regulate the groundwater extraction quantity whenever there are unforeseen large decreases to water basin levels.  Our annual groundwater extraction from managed groundwater basins approximates 35,600 million gallons or 61% of our total annual water supply pumped from wells.  Our annual groundwater extraction from unmanaged groundwater basins approximates 16,100 million gallons or 29 percent of our total annual water supply pumped from wells.  Most of the managed groundwater basins we extract water from have groundwater recharge facilities.  We are required to pay well pump taxes to financially support these groundwater recharge facilities.  Well pump taxes were $6.3 million and $6.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively.  Well pump taxes were $3.1 million and $3.6 million for the three months ended June 30, 2015 and June 30, 2014, respectively.

 

California’s normal weather pattern yields little precipitation between mid-spring and mid-fall. The Washington Water service areas receive precipitation in all seasons, with the heaviest amounts during the winter. New Mexico Water’s rainfall is heaviest in the summer monsoon season. Hawaii Water receives precipitation throughout the year, with the largest amounts in the winter months. Water usage in all service areas is highest during the warm and dry summers and declines in the cool winter months. Rain and snow during the winter months replenish underground water aquifers and fill reservoirs, providing the water supply for subsequent delivery to customers. As of July 1, 2015, the State of California snowpack water content and rainfall accumulation during the 2014 - 2015 water year is 72% of normal (per the California Department of Water Resources, Northern Sierra Precipitation Accumulation report). Precipitation in California during the first six months of 2015 was below normal. Management believes that supply pumped from underground aquifers and purchased from wholesale suppliers will be adequate to meet customer demand during 2015 and beyond. Long-term water supply plans are developed for each of our districts to help assure an adequate water supply under various operating and supply conditions. Some districts have unique challenges in meeting water quality standards, but management believes that supplies will meet current standards using current treatment processes.

 

CALIFORNIA DROUGHT

 

On April 1, 2015, California’s Governor issued an executive order mandating an aggregate 25% reduction in urban water use through February 2016. The California State Water Resources Control Board (Board) issued draft regulations on April 18, 2015 to implement the Governor’s executive order for all water suppliers. The CPUC approved Cal Water’s Schedule 14.1 filing with a June 1, 2015 effective date, which established household and business water budgets and associated enforcement measures in order to achieve state mandated water use reductions necessitated by historic drought conditions.  All incremental expenses related to the drought, as well as customer penalties for overuse or violation of usage restrictions will be recorded in a memorandum account for future recovery.  Also, the CPUC authorized reducing district WRAM and MCBA net receivable balances with drought surcharges and to reduce drought memorandum expenses with customer penalties. During the second quarter of 2015 and first six months of 2015 drought memorandum account incremental costs were $1.0 million.  There were no customer drought surcharges or penalties during the first six months of 2015.  As of June 30, 2015, the drought memorandum account incremental costs were $1.4 million.

 

CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS

 

During the six months ended June 30, 2015, there were no material changes in contractual obligations outside the normal course of business.

 

Item 3.

 

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURE ABOUT MARKET RISK

 

We do not hold, trade in or issue derivative financial instruments and therefore are not exposed to risks these instruments present. Our market risk to interest rate exposure is limited because the cost of long-term financing and short-term bank borrowings, including interest costs, is covered in consumer water rates as approved by the commissions. We do not have foreign operations; therefore, we do not have a foreign currency exchange risk. Our business is sensitive to commodity prices and is most affected by changes in purchased water and purchased power costs.

 

Historically, the CPUC’s balancing account or offsetable expense procedures allowed for increases in purchased water and purchased power costs to be flowed through to consumers. Traditionally, a significant percentage of our net income and cash flows comes from California regulated operations; therefore the CPUC’s actions have a significant impact on our business. See Item 2, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Critical Accounting Policies -Expense Balancing and Memorandum Accounts” and “Regulatory Matters”.

 

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Item 4.

 

CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

 

(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(c) under the Exchange Act) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our CEO and CFO, as appropriate, to allow for timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

 

In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and management is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Accordingly, our disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives.

 

Our management, with the participation of our CEO and our CFO, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of June 30, 2015. Based on that evaluation, we concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.

 

(b) Changes to Internal Control over Financial Reporting

 

There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the last fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

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PART II OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 1.

 

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

 

From time to time, the Company has been named as a co-defendant in asbestos-related lawsuits. Several of these cases against the Company have been dismissed without prejudice. In other cases the Company’s contractors and insurance policy carriers have settled the cases with no effect on the Company’s financial statements. As such, the Company does not currently believe there is any potential loss that is probable to occur related to these matters and therefore no accrual has been recorded.

 

From time to time, the Company is involved in various disputes and litigation matters that arise in the ordinary course of business. The status of each significant matter is reviewed and assessed for potential financial exposure. If the potential loss from any claim or legal proceeding is considered probable and the amount of the range of loss can be estimated, a liability is accrued for the estimated loss in accordance with the accounting standards for contingencies. Legal proceedings are subject to uncertainties, and the outcomes are difficult to predict. Because of such uncertainties, accruals are based on the best information available at the time. While the outcome of these disputes and litigation matters cannot be predicted with any certainty, management does not believe when taking into account existing reserves the ultimate resolution of these matters will materially affect the Company’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. In the future, we may be involved in disputes and litigation related to a wide range of matters, including employment, construction, environmental issues and operations. Litigation can be time consuming and expensive and could divert management’s time and attention from our business. In addition, if we are subject to additional lawsuits or disputes, we might incur significant legal costs and it is uncertain whether we would be able to recover the legal costs from ratepayers or other third parties.  For more information refer to footnote 10.

 

Item 1A.

 

RISK FACTORS

 

There have been no material changes to the Company’s risk factors set forth in Part I, Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year-ended December 31, 2014, filed with the SEC on February 26, 2015.

 

Item 6.

 

EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit

 

Description

10.1

 

Credit Agreement dated as of March 10, 2015 among California Water Service Group and certain of its subsidiaries from time to time party thereto, as borrowers, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, swing line lender and letter of credit issuer, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner& Smith incorporated, as sole lead arranger and sole bookrunner, CoBank, ACB and U.S. Bank National Association, as co-syndication agents, and Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch, as documentation agent, and the other lender parties thereto (Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed March 11, 2015)

 

 

 

10.2

 

Credit Agreement dated as of March 10, 2015 among California Water Service Company, as borrower, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, swing line lender and letter of credit issuer, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner& Smith Incorporated, as sole lead arranger and sole bookrunner, CoBank, ACB and U.S. Bank National Association, as co-syndication agents, and Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch, as documentation agent, and the other lender parties thereto (Exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed March 11, 2015)

 

 

 

31.1

 

Chief Executive Officer certification of financial statements pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act of 2002

 

 

 

31.2

 

Chief Financial Officer certification of financial statements pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act of 2002

 

 

 

32

 

Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act of 2002

 

 

 

101.INS

 

XBRL Instance Document

 

 

 

101.SCH

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

 

 

 

101.CAL

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

 

 

 

101.DEF

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

 

 

 

101.LAB

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

 

 

 

101.PRE

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirement of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE GROUP

 

Registrant

 

 

July 30, 2015

By:

/s/ Thomas F. Smegal III

 

 

Thomas F. Smegal III

 

 

Vice President,

 

 

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

 

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Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit

 

Description

10.1

 

Credit Agreement dated as of March 10, 2015 among California Water Service Group and certain of its subsidiaries from time to time party thereto, as borrowers, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, swing line lender and letter of credit issuer, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner& Smith incorporated, as sole lead arranger and sole bookrunner, CoBank, ACB and U.S. Bank National Association, as co-syndication agents, and Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch, as documentation agent, and the other lender parties thereto (Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed March 11, 2015)

 

 

 

10.2

 

Credit Agreement dated as of March 10, 2015 among California Water Service Company, as borrower, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, swing line lender and letter of credit issuer, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner& Smith Incorporated, as sole lead arranger and sole bookrunner, CoBank, ACB and U.S. Bank National Association, as co-syndication agents, and Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch, as documentation agent, and the other lender parties thereto (Exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed March 11, 2015)

 

 

 

31.1

 

Chief Executive Officer certification of financial statements pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act of 2002

 

 

 

31.2

 

Chief Financial Officer certification of financial statements pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act of 2002

 

 

 

32

 

Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act of 2002

 

 

 

101.INS

 

XBRL Instance Document

 

 

 

101.SCH

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

 

 

 

101.CAL

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

 

 

 

101.DEF

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

 

 

 

101.LAB

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

 

 

 

101.PRE

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

 

38