Earnings Labs

OGE Energy Corp. (OGE)

Q2 2016 Earnings Call· Thu, Aug 4, 2016

$47.43

-0.34%

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Transcript

Operator

Operator

Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Q2 2016 OGE Energy Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. Later, we will conduct a question-and-answer session and instructions will be given at that time. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, this conference call may be recorded. I'd now like to introduce your host for today's conference, Mr. Todd Tidwell, you may begin.

Todd Tidwell

Analyst

Thank you, operator. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to OGE Energy Corp's second quarter 2016 earnings call. I'm Todd Tidwell, Director of Investor Relations and with me today I have Sean Trauschke, Chairman, President, and CEO of OGE Energy Corp; and Steve Merrill, CFO of OGE Energy Corp. In terms of the call today, we will first hear from Sean, followed by an explanation from Steve of second quarter results and finally as always, we will answer your questions. I would like to remind you that this conference is being webcast and you may follow along on our website at oge.com. In addition, the conference call and accompanying slides will be archived following the call on that same website. Before we begin the presentation, I would like to direct your attention to the Safe Harbor statement regarding forward-looking statements. This is an SEC requirement for financial statements and simply states that we cannot guarantee forward-looking financial results, but this is our best estimate today. I would also like to remind you that there is a Regulation G reconciliation for gross margin in the appendix along with projected capital expenditures. I will now turn the call over to Sean for his opening remarks. Sean?

Sean Trauschke

Analyst

Thank you, Todd. Good morning everyone and thank you for joining us on today's call. This morning, we reported second quarter consolidated earnings of $0.35 per share; our utility OG&E contributed $0.36 per share. We received approximately $70 million in distributions from Enable year-to-date and I'll speak more about Enable a bit later followed by Steve to provide greater detail on our financial results. As a company, OGE is doing quite well and has accomplished a great deal this year. I've been pleased and actually very pleased with our members’ commitment to continually moving the company forward and remaining focused on the day-to-day operations of the company. For environmental compliance, we've now completed the construction of our ACI systems as well as six of the seven low NOx burners. They were all completed on time and budget. We've managed the restoration efforts of several major storms and connected thousands of new customers all in a safe manner. On the regulatory front in Oklahoma, we gained approval of our scrubbers and successfully completed our annual fuel cost review. In Arkansas, we completed our second 310 filing to recovering rates, another low NOx burner as well as all of the ACI systems. The utility had a solid quarter with many accomplishments. On the operations front, the team did a great job of maintaining the fleet and the grid this quarter. Last month, we had two rounds of destructive wind and lightning storms that moved through our service territory. The storms resulted in more than 120,000 unique outages, the majority of which were restored within 24 hours and I should say without injury. This is significant because more than 800 personnel were involved in the restoration efforts. This is just another example of the dedication and performance that recently earned OG&E the EEI…

Steve Merrill

Analyst

Thank you, Sean and good morning everyone. For the second quarter, we reported net income of $72 million or $0.35 per share, as compared to net income of $88 million or $0.44 per share in 2015. The contribution by business unit on a comparative basis is listed on the slide. At OG&E, net income for the quarter was $72 million or $0.36 per share, as compared to net income of $69 million or $0.34 per share in 2015. Second quarter gross margin at the utility increased approximately $15 million, which I will discuss on the next slide. O&M is on plan for the year, the increase of $9 million is due in part to the timing of both plant maintenance and vegetation management. Our goal is to keep O&M growth no higher than the rate of inflation. Depreciation increased $4 million, due to additional assets being placed into service. AFUDC has increased $2 million due to higher construction work-in-progress related to our environmental compliance projects. And finally, income tax expense increased $6 million on higher pre-tax income and lower production tax credits from decreased wind production. Turning to the second quarter gross margin, utility margins increased approximately $15 million for the second quarter of 2016, compared to 2015. There were a few primary drivers for the change in gross margin. First, wholesale transmission revenues increased $7 million compared to the second quarter of 2015. Second, warmer weather translated into $2 million of higher gross margin as cooling degree days were 2% higher compared to the second quarter of 2015. While gross margin for weather was slightly higher than last quarter, compared to normal, weather has reduced gross margin by approximately $4 million for the quarter. Finally, the expiration of our wholesale contract last summer has reduced margin this quarter by…

Operator

Operator

Thank you. [Operator Instructions] And our first question comes from Paul Ridzon, you may proceed.

Paul Ridzon

Analyst

Good morning.

Steve Merrill

Analyst

Hi, good morning Paul.

Paul Ridzon

Analyst

So Midstream was down $0.10, $0.06 is explained by hedge timing and the tax item at Enogex. What were the drivers on the other $0.04.

Steve Merrill

Analyst

It's really just the downturn in commodity prices and just operating results from Enable for the most part.

Paul Ridzon

Analyst

Can you just give more detail on this tax item?

Steve Merrill

Analyst

It's really a change in the tax law in Louisiana and its taxes that flow through from Enable. If you recall, back in 2013, we setup an employment company and we booked, we increased what we booked, a deferred tax liability of about $17 million and this really just brings that down and it's just a change that they made in their apportionment calculation.

Paul Ridzon

Analyst

And this is kind of a one-time event?

Steve Merrill

Analyst

Yes, until some other change would be made in the tax code, but yes, one-time.

Paul Ridzon

Analyst

And we’re not going to see this come back after we're going to probably, eventually the head will unwind, but this is permanent.

Steve Merrill

Analyst

That's correct.

Paul Ridzon

Analyst

Okay, thank you.

Steve Merrill

Analyst

Thanks Paul.

Operator

Operator

And our next question comes from Charles Fishman. You may proceed.

Charles Fishman

Analyst

Assuming normal weather, you said OG&E was on track, but July was pretty good, wasn't it in Oklahoma?

Steve Merrill

Analyst

July weather was slightly above normal, it was pretty humid. So yes, it helped us get back on track. If you recall from the first quarter, we were down a little more on weather and we made up some of that or we will make up more of that in July, it was pretty good.

Charles Fishman

Analyst

Okay. And then my second question is, Sean on your comments on CapEx for 2019 and 2020, I sense that you feel the total CapEx at OG&E is likely to go up, but unlikely to go down. Is that a fair assessment of what you said?

Sean Trauschke

Analyst

Yes, I think that's accurate.

Charles Fishman

Analyst

Okay and then I guess a follow-up would be a tougher question is does the fact that your CapEx is likely to go down with the completion of the environmental expenditures? Would that enter into the Board's thinking with respect to other investments i.e., increasing your investment in Enable?

Sean Trauschke

Analyst

No, I think we look at those independent and so that's not going to factor into that. My comments around the CapEx were really focused on what value we could bring to those communities and those customers. I want to see that customer benefit and then I want to make sure that we have clear line of sight of how we're going to recover that. And that's how we think about that piece of the business and again Enable is a separate discussion and as we've talked about, we like the way this is working where they're actually flowing cash to us.

Charles Fishman

Analyst

Okay. That’s very helpful. Thank you. That’s all I had.

Sean Trauschke

Analyst

Take Care. Have a great day.

Operator

Operator

And our next question comes from Anthony Crowdell. You may proceed.

Anthony Crowdell

Analyst

Good morning, John. Good morning, Steve.

Sean Trauschke

Analyst

Hi, how you’re doing.

Anthony Crowdell

Analyst

Just another day in sell side paradise?

Sean Trauschke

Analyst

All right. Good to hear you. One question first on page 13, the CapEx slide, it looks like you've added another line item, the AFUDC and the Ad Valorem I'm not familiar with that.

Steve Merrill

Analyst

The Ad Valorem is really property taxes. That's just what they call it in Oklahoma. So we just added that. If you recall, when we were in the rate case, we were looking for [Seawip]. We're just adding in the AFUDC and the property taxes now given how we'll be recovering that going forward.

Anthony Crowdell

Analyst

But do you get recovery of that or you get a return on?

Steve Merrill

Analyst

We get both. We get a return on and we anticipate we'll get recovery as well. We just haven't included that in our CapEx up to this point.

Anthony Crowdell

Analyst

Okay, and now if I just to make sure my math is correct, if I added up the first quarter CapEx each year versus now, actually there's been a slight increase, is that accurate?

Steve Merrill

Analyst

That's correct.

Anthony Crowdell

Analyst

Okay and Sean, I guess more of a bigger picture question is we view OGE Energy as a utility. I'm curious on how you view it and what you think the right mix of regulated utility earnings to commodity earnings is acceptable or reasonable for OGE and its shareholder base?

Sean Trauschke

Analyst

Sure, thanks Anthony. I think your description, we are utility, we've got that and we've actually removed a lot of that commodity exposure. Recall, we used to have 25% of our business was Enogex. Now, it's a much smaller piece, but we positioned Enogex not for earnings, but for cash – I mean Enable, not for earnings, but for cash. And that's how we're thinking about Enable. So OGE is a utility. It just has a cash flow stream coming out of Enable.

Anthony Crowdell

Analyst

And in CenterPoint and I don't know if you could talk about it. If CenterPoint, the right of first refusal, is that for [their] LP and GP shares or one of the two, is there any like clarity on what you have the right of first refusal on?

Sean Trauschk

Analyst

Yes. So, generally speaking, they are ROFO and ROFR rights, okay, and it's for any of the pieces, meaning the GP or the LP individually or combined for both. That's just how it works.

Anthony Crowdell

Analyst

Okay and it's 30 days and so I think they had approached you, you had said sometime in July or July 18 I guess. When it's get to August 18, do you put out an 8-K or how do we know what OGE decided?

Sean Trauschke

Analyst

Yes, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. I'm not exactly sure how we're going to handle all that as far as what ultimate decision we make, but obviously we'll address that in some way.

Anthony Crowdell

Analyst

Great. Thanks for taking my question guys.

Sean Trauschke

Analyst

Take care.

Operator

Operator

And our next question comes from Greg Reese. You may proceed.

Greg Reese

Analyst

Hey, guys. How are you?

Sean Trauschke

Analyst

Great. How are you?

Greg Reese

Analyst

I have follow-up question on the ROFO, kind of a two-part question. First, I guess, what exactly prompted CenterPoint at this point to ask on the ROFO. Was it that they had something inbound that basically resulted in them having to present you with the ROFO and then the second part of the question is what happens after the 30-day period, if after that period, there is some sort of inbound on Enable. Do you still have a ROFO to kind of match whatever that inbound would be?

Sean Trauschke

Analyst

Yes, so let me – Greg, the first question I think to be perfectly honest, you need to address that with CenterPoint. Their decision criteria is something that they ought to speak to, but as far as the way this works is on August 17. That is the date when the 30 days is up. If we make an offer for any or a piece of this or whatever it is, CenterPoint will have 30 days to respond. If it's not accepted, they will have 120 days to sell that interest for a value not less than 105% of what we offered. Then again, if we don't make an offer, that's a different issue. They have 120 days to go pursue their transactions. Okay?

Greg Reese

Analyst

Got you and if they find a superior transaction, can you still match that down the road?

Steve Merrill

Analyst

Yes, the ROFR provisions, they work kind of mirror of each other. So, if they were to receive an unsolicited offer, we have a ROFR right on that as well.

Greg Reese

Analyst

And that doesn't expire within 30 days.

Steve Merrill

Analyst

Right.

Operator

Operator

[Operator Instructions] And our next question comes from Brian Russo. You may proceed.

Brian Russo

Analyst

Good. Can you hear me?

Steve Merrill

Analyst

Yes.

Brian Russo

Analyst

Just curious, I'm wondering how does the GAAP accounting work for the interim rates that you implemented July 1. Are you able to book that revenue or do you have to wait for a commission decision?

Steve Merrill

Analyst

Yes, what we're really doing is we're deferring recording any income off of that. So we're effectively setting up a regulatory liability. We are receiving the cash, but we will wait until an order before we book any earnings associated with that.

Brian Russo

Analyst

Okay, great. And then also did staff make a recommendation in the Oklahoma GRC?

Steve Merrill

Analyst

Yes, they did.

Brian Russo

Analyst

Okay, all right, I will check that filing. And then lastly, are there any regional haze legacy legal issues? Any appeals et cetera like we saw in Texas?

Steve Merrill

Analyst

No, we've exhausted those outcomes and we have the compliance deadline of January of 2019 and unfortunately we have to meet those deadlines.

Brian Russo

Analyst

Okay, thank you.

Steve Merrill

Analyst

Thanks, Brian.

Operator

Operator

Next question comes from Paul Ridzon. You may proceed.

Paul Ridzon

Analyst

Was there first quarter hedge impact at midstream? A mark-to-market impact?

Steve Merrill

Analyst

No, I do not believe there was.

Paul Ridzon

Analyst

And you said you expect most of this to reverse by year-end, but some could bleed into 2017 obviously depending on what prices do?

Steve Merrill

Analyst

Yes, Enable's hedges are really for the balance of 2016 and they do have some for 2017. They're significantly hedged as it relates to 2016 and rough numbers, about half of that amount would be in 2017.

Paul Ridzon

Analyst

Half of the $0.03?

Steve Merrill

Analyst

Yes, they don't say specifically how would unwinds, I don't necessarily want to comment on that. I'm just saying of their hedge position, they are about half as much hedged in 2017 as they are in 2016. It all depends on when they put the hedges on and what month they were specifically hedging at what prices.

Paul Ridzon

Analyst

Got it. Thank you again.

Steve Merrill

Analyst

You are welcome.

Operator

Operator

I would now like to turn the call back to Sean Trauschke for further remarks.

Sean Trauschke

Analyst

Well, just in closing, I want to thank you for your time this morning. Thank you for your interest and support in OGE. We're excited about the future and really pleased with the progress we're making today. So have a great day and we will speak to you soon.

Operator

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for participating in today's conference. This does conclude the program. You may all disconnect. Everyone have a great day.