James Lynch
Analyst · Seaport Research. Your line is open
Thank you, Eric. Yesterday at the close of business, we released our second quarter 2022 operating results reporting net income for the quarter of $11.6 million, or $0.38 per diluted share on revenues of $149 million. This compares to 2021 quarterly net income of $20.8 million or $0.69 per share on revenue of $152.2 million. Our quarterly operating results reflect the impact of a change at our Connecticut Water Utility, Connecticut Water Company or CWC and its approved water revenue adjustment mechanism or WRA (ph) to update the timing of consumption resulting in a shift of $3.8 million from the second quarter of 2022 to the second half of the year. The total 2022 authorized revenue in Connecticut, including the $3.8 million second quarter shortfall will be fully recovered in 2022. In addition, our California Water Utility, San Jose Water Company or SJWC is expecting a decision in its general rate case or its GRC in the fourth quarter of 2022. In a separate proceeding, the California Public Utilities Commission approved interim rates allowing the company to fully recover revenues authorized in the GRC proceeding retroactive to January 1, 2022. In terms of the GRC settlement agreement reached with the California Public Advocates Office then adopted in the CPUC decision, quarterly revenues would have increased by an estimated $6 million or $7 million. Also recall that in the second quarter of 2021, the company recognized a $3 million gain on the release of a holdback on our 2017 sale of Texas Water Alliance or TWA. No similar gain was recorded in 2022. The change in diluted earnings per share for the quarter was primarily driven by cumulative rate increases of $0.27 per share, a $0.25 per share production cost savings due to lower customer usage and $0.07 per share from an increase in California surface water production. These increases were offset by production cost increases of $0.24 per share, a decrease of $0.24 per share due to lower water consumption, a $0.16 per share decrease as a result of changes in the WRA in Connecticut and $0.09 per share related to the TWA holdback release that was recognized in the second quarter of 2021. Turning to our comparative analysis of revenue for the quarter. The $3.2 million decrease was primarily attributable to $7.5 million in cumulative water rate increases and $400,000 due to new customers, offset by a $6.6 million decrease in customer usage and a decrease of $4.6 million related to Connecticut's WRA mechanism. As noted during our first quarter earnings call, in California, we are operating under a mandatory call for conservation declared by Valley Water, our wholesale water supplier. The declaration costs for a 15% reduction in 2022 water consumption as compared to 2019. Andrew will discuss the regulatory mechanisms in place to help manage the drought impact in his comments to follow. Water production expenses decreased $1.3 million compared to the second quarter of 2021. The expense decrease included $6.9 million in lower customer usage and $1.8 million due to a production increase in California's surface water. These decreases were partially offset by $6.6 million in higher average per unit water cost and an $800,000 decrease in cost recovery balancing and memorandum accounts. Other operating expenses increased $4.4 million during the quarter, primarily due to an increase in depreciation expense of $1.7 million and a $1.9 million increase in general and administrative expenses, primarily due to increases in labor and group insurance costs. The change in other income for the quarter reflects the 2021 $3 million TWA purchase price holdback, which I discussed earlier. The effective income tax rate for the second quarter was 17% compared to 14% for the second quarter of 2021. The effective tax rate increase was primarily due to discrete tax items. Turning to the first six months of 2022, revenue was $273.3 million, a 2% increase over the same period last year. Net income for the first six months of 2022 was $15.3 million or $0.50 per diluted share, compared to $23.4 million or $0.79 per diluted share during the same period a year ago. Our year-to-date results reflect the impact of the previously discussed change in CWC, WRA to update the timing of consumption, which resulted in the shifting of $4.6 million from 2022 year-to-date revenue to the second half of the year. Again, the total authorized revenue in Connecticut including the $4.6 million year-to-date shortfall will be fully recovered in 2022. In addition, had a decision in our California rate case been approved by the CPUC consistent with terms of our settlement agreement with the California Public Advocates Office, year-to-date revenues would have increased between $12 million and $13 million. Also, the 2022 year-to-date results reflect a $5.5 million gain on the sale of non-utility property whereas no similar sale occurred in 2021. In 2021, we recorded the $3 million gain on release of the TWA purchase price holdback whereas no similar gain -- or no similar release occurred in 2022. The change in diluted earnings per share for the first half of 2022 was primarily due to cumulative rate increases of $0.50 per share, a $0.28 per share in production cost savings attributable to lower usage and a non-recurring gain on the sale of non-utility property of $0.21 per share. In addition, the increase in California surface water production added $0.14 per share and new customers added $0.11 per share. These increases were primarily offset by production cost price increases of $0.43 per share, an increase in depreciation of $0.23 per share, a $0.21 per share decrease in the net recognition of the WRA regulatory mechanism in Connecticut and a decrease of $0.19 per share in customer consumption. In addition, general and administrative expenses increased $0.14 per share and cost recovery balancing and memorandum accounts decreased $0.10 per share. Lastly, the TWA purchase price holdback that was discussed previously resulted in a $0.09 per share gain in 2021, as I discussed earlier. Our 2022 first half revenue increase was primarily due to $12.7 million in cumulative rate increases, $2.9 million in revenue from new customers and $754,000 in balancing and memorandum accounts changes. This increase was partially offset by a decrease in the net recognition of Connecticut's WRA mechanism totaling $5.4 million and a decrease in customer usage of $4.8 million. Water production expense increased $1.4 million in the first half of 2022. The increase in water production expenses was primarily due to $11.1 million in higher average per unit water supply cost and $1.2 million in cost recovery balancing and memorandum accounts. These increases were partially offset by a $7.2 million decrease in customer usage and a $3.7 million increase in our California surface water production. Other operating expenses increased $7.6 million in the first half of 2022, primarily due to a $5.9 million increase in depreciation expense, $5.2 million in higher general and administrative expenses, including $1.6 million related to cost recovery, balancing and memorandum accounts and taxes other than income taxes, which increased by $1.2 million. In addition, in 2022, the company recorded a $5.5 million gain on the sale of a non-utility property. The change in other income and expense was primarily attributable to the TWA holdback, which I discussed previously. Turning to our capital expenditures program. We added $57.9 million in company funded utility plant in the second quarter of 2022, bringing our total company funded additions for the first half of the year to $101.6 million. Our first half cash flows from operations increased approximately $16.5 million over the same period of 2021. The increase was primarily due to an increase of $25.5 million in regulatory assets, primarily due to balancing and memorandum account activity, partially offset by a decrease in general working capital and net income, and adjusted for non-cash items of $5.1 million. In addition, taxes payable increased $2.7 million and payments of amounts previously invoicing accrued, including accrued production costs decreased by $1.2 million. At the end of the quarter, we had $118.7 million available on our bank lines of credit for short term financing of utility plant additions and operating activities. The average borrowing rate online of credit advances during the first six months 2022 was approximately 1.44%. With that, I will stop and turn the call over to Andrew.