UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
(Mark One) | |
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 | |
For the quarterly period ended | |
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 | |
For the transition period from to |
Commission |
| Exact Name of Registrant |
| State or Other Jurisdiction of |
| IRS Employer |
EDISON INTERNATIONAL | SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Address of principal executive offices) |
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code) | (Registrant's telephone number, including area code) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Edison International:
Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered |
Southern California Edison Company: None.
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.
Edison International | Southern California Edison Company |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted 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 such files).
Edison International | Southern California Edison Company |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-12 of the Exchange Act.
Edison International |
|
| Accelerated Filer |
| Non-accelerated Filer |
| Smaller Reporting Company |
| Emerging growth company | |
☑ | ☐ | ☐ | ||||||||
Southern California Edison Company | Large Accelerated Filer | Accelerated Filer | Smaller Reporting Company | Emerging growth company | ||||||
☐ | ☐ | ☑ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Edison International | ☐ | Southern California Edison Company | ☐ |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Edison International | Yes | Southern California Edison Company | Yes |
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer's classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date:
Common Stock outstanding as of July 18, 2024: | |
Edison International | |
Southern California Edison Company |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SEC Form 10-Q | ||
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS | 4 | |
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Edison International Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income | 22 | |
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Purchases of Equity Securities by Edison International and Affiliated Purchasers | 64 | |
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This combined Form 10-Q is separately filed by Edison International and SCE. Information contained in this document relating to SCE is filed by Edison International and separately by SCE. SCE makes no representation as to information relating to Edison International or its subsidiaries, except as it may relate to SCE and its subsidiaries.
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GLOSSARY
The following terms and abbreviations appearing in the text of this report have the meanings indicated below.
2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events |
| the Thomas Fire, the Koenigstein Fire, the Montecito Mudslides and the Woolsey Fire, collectively |
2023 Form 10-K | Edison International's and SCE's combined Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 | |
2023 MD&A | Edison International's and SCE's MD&A for the calendar year 2023, which was included in the 2023 Form 10-K | |
AB 1054 | California Assembly Bill 1054, executed by the governor of California on July 12, 2019 | |
AB 1054 Excluded Capital Expenditures |
| $1.6 billion in wildfire risk mitigation capital expenditures that SCE has excluded from the equity portion of SCE's rate base as required under AB 1054 |
AB 1054 Liability Cap | a cap on the aggregate requirement to reimburse the Wildfire Insurance Fund over a trailing three calendar year period which applies if certain conditions are met and is equal to 20% of the equity portion of the utility's transmission and distribution rate base, excluding general plant and intangibles, in the year of the applicable prudency determination | |
ARO(s) | asset retirement obligation(s) | |
CAISO |
| California Independent System Operator |
Capistrano Wind | a group of wind projects referred to as Capistrano Wind | |
Capital Structure Compliance Period | January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025, the current compliance period for SCE's CPUC authorized capital structure | |
CCAs |
| community choice aggregators which are cities, counties, and certain other public agencies with the authority to generate and/or purchase electricity for their local residents and businesses |
CPUC | California Public Utilities Commission | |
CSRP | Customer Service Re-platform, a customer service system implemented in April 2021 | |
DGC | the decommissioning general contractor engaged by SCE to undertake a significant scope of decommissioning activities at San Onofre | |
ECS | SCE commercial telecommunications services operated under the name of Edison Carrier Solutions | |
EIS | Edison Insurance Services, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Edison International licensed to provide insurance to Edison International and its subsidiaries | |
Electric Service Provider |
| an entity other than an investor-owned utility or CCA that provides electric power and ancillary services to retail customers |
ERRA |
| Energy Resource Recovery Account |
Fast curve settings | protective settings, used to mitigate the risk of wildfires in high fire risk areas, that enable SCE to more quickly shut off power when an electrical fault occurs than under traditional settings | |
FERC |
| Federal Energy Regulatory Commission |
Fitch | Fitch Ratings, Inc. | |
GAAP | generally accepted accounting principles in the United States | |
GHG | greenhouse gas | |
GRC | general rate case | |
IRA |
| Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 |
Koenigstein Fire | a wind-driven fire that originated near Koenigstein Road in the City of Santa Paula in Ventura County, California, on December 4, 2017 | |
MD&A | Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations | |
Montecito Mudslides | the debris flows and flooding in Montecito, Santa Barbara County, California, that occurred in January 2018 | |
Moody's | Moody's Investors Service, Inc. |
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MW | Megawatt(s) | |
NDCTP | Nuclear Decommissioning Cost Triennial Proceeding, a CPUC proceeding to review decommissioning costs | |
NERC | North American Electric Reliability Corporation | |
NRC | United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission | |
OEIS | Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety of the California Natural Resources Agency | |
Other 2017/2018 Wildfires | Collectively, all the wildfires that originated in Southern California in 2017 or 2018 where SCE's equipment has been or may be alleged to be associated with the fire's ignition, except for the Thomas Fire, the Koenigstein Fire and the Woolsey Fire | |
Other Wildfires | Collectively, the Other 2017/2018 Wildfires and the Post-2018 Wildfires | |
PABA | Portfolio Allocation Balancing Account | |
Palo Verde | nuclear electric generating facility located near Phoenix, Arizona in which SCE holds a 15.8% ownership interest | |
PBOP(s) | postretirement benefits other than pension(s) | |
PG&E | Pacific Gas & Electric Company | |
Post-2018 Wildfires | Collectively, all the wildfires that originated in Southern California after 2018 where SCE's equipment has been or may be alleged to be associated with the fire's ignition | |
PSPS | Public Safety Power Shutoff(s) | |
ROE | return on common equity | |
RPS | California's Renewables Portfolio Standard | |
S&P | Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC | |
San Onofre | retired nuclear generating facility located in south San Clemente, California in which SCE holds a 78.21% ownership interest | |
SCE | Southern California Edison Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Edison International | |
SCE Recovery Funding LLC | a bankruptcy remote, wholly owned special purpose subsidiary, consolidated by SCE | |
SDG&E | San Diego Gas & Electric Company | |
SEC | U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission | |
SED | Safety and Enforcement Division of the CPUC | |
SED Agreement | an agreement dated October 21, 2021 between SCE and the SED regarding the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events and three other 2017 wildfires | |
Thomas Fire | a wind-driven fire that originated in the Anlauf Canyon area of Ventura County, California, on December 4, 2017 | |
TKM | collectively, the Thomas Fire, the Koenigstein Fire and the Montecito Mudslides | |
Track 4 | Track 4 of the 2021 GRC, which addressed SCE's revenue requirement for 2024 | |
Trio | Edison Energy, LLC, an indirect wholly-owned non-utility subsidiary of Edison International, a global energy advisory firm providing integrated sustainability and energy solutions to commercial, industrial and institutional customers doing business as "Trio" | |
WCCP | Wildfire Covered Conductor Program | |
WMP | a wildfire mitigation plan required to be filed under AB 1054 to describe a utility's plans to construct, operate, and maintain electrical lines and equipment that will help minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfires caused by such electrical lines and equipment | |
Wildfire Insurance Fund | the insurance fund established under AB 1054 | |
Woolsey Fire | a wind-driven fire that originated in Ventura County in November 2018 |
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This quarterly report on Form 10-Q contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect Edison International's and SCE's current expectations and projections about future events based on Edison International's and SCE's knowledge of present facts and circumstances and assumptions about future events and include any statements that do not directly relate to a historical or current fact. Other information distributed by Edison International and SCE that is incorporated in this report, or that refers to or incorporates this report, may also contain forward-looking statements. In this report and elsewhere, the words "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "estimates," "projects," "intends," "plans," "probable," "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "targets," and variations of such words and similar expressions, or discussions of strategy or plans, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements necessarily involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Some of the risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause results to differ from those currently expected, or that otherwise could impact Edison International and SCE, include, but are not limited to the:
● | ability of SCE to recover its costs through regulated rates, timely or at all, including uninsured wildfire-related and debris flow-related costs (including amounts paid for self-insured retention and co-insurance), costs incurred to mitigate the risk of utility equipment causing future wildfires, and increased costs due to supply chain constraints, inflation and rising interest rates; |
● | impact of affordability of customer rates on SCE's ability to execute its strategy, including the impact of affordability on the regulatory approval of operations and maintenance expenses, and proposed capital investment projects; |
● | ability of SCE to implement its operational and strategic plans, including its WMP and capital program; |
● | risks of regulatory or legislative restrictions that would limit SCE's ability to implement operational measures to mitigate wildfire risk, including PSPS and fast curve settings, when conditions warrant or would otherwise limit SCE's operational practices relative to wildfire risk mitigation; |
● | ability of SCE to obtain safety certifications from OEIS; |
● | risk that AB 1054 does not effectively mitigate the significant exposure faced by California investor-owned utilities related to liability for damages arising from catastrophic wildfires where utility facilities are alleged to be a substantial cause, including the longevity of the Wildfire Insurance Fund and the CPUC's interpretation of and actions under AB 1054, including its interpretation of the prudency standard clarified by AB 1054; |
● | risks associated with the operation of electrical facilities, including worker and public safety issues, the risk of utility assets causing or contributing to wildfires, failure, availability, efficiency, and output of equipment and facilities, and availability and cost of spare parts; |
● | physical security of Edison International's and SCE's critical assets and personnel and the cybersecurity of Edison International's and SCE's critical information technology systems for grid control, and business, employee and customer data; |
● | ability of Edison International and SCE to effectively attract, manage, develop and retain a skilled workforce, including its contract workers; |
● | decisions and other actions by the CPUC, the FERC, the NRC and other governmental authorities, including decisions and actions related to nationwide or statewide crisis, determinations of authorized rates of return or return on equity, the recoverability of wildfire-related and debris flow-related costs, issuance of SCE's wildfire safety certification, wildfire mitigation efforts, approval and implementation of electrification programs, and delays in executive, regulatory and legislative actions; |
● | potential for penalties or disallowances for non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including fines, penalties and disallowances related to wildfires where SCE's equipment is alleged to be associated with ignition; |
● | extreme weather-related incidents (including events caused, or exacerbated, by climate change, such as wildfires, debris flows, flooding, droughts, high wind events and extreme heat events) and other natural disasters (such as |
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earthquakes), which could cause, among other things, public safety issues, property damage, rotating outages and other operational issues (such as issues due to damaged infrastructure), PSPS activations and unanticipated costs; |
● | cost and availability of labor, equipment and materials, including as a result of supply chain constraints and inflation; |
● | ability of Edison International or SCE to borrow funds and access bank and capital markets on reasonable terms; |
● | risks associated with the decommissioning of San Onofre, including those related to worker and public safety, public opposition, permitting, governmental approvals, on-site storage of spent nuclear fuel and other radioactive material, delays, contractual disputes, and cost overruns; |
● | risks associated with cost allocation resulting in higher rates for utility bundled service customers because of possible customer bypass or departure for other electricity providers such as CCAs and Electric Service Providers; |
● | risks inherent in SCE's capital investment program, including those related to project site identification, public opposition, environmental mitigation, construction, permitting, contractor performance, changes in the CAISO's transmission plans, and governmental approvals; |
● | actions by credit rating agencies to downgrade Edison International or SCE's credit ratings or to place those ratings on negative watch or negative outlook; |
● | changes in tax laws and regulations, at both the state and federal levels, or changes in the application of those laws, that could affect recorded deferred tax assets and liabilities, effective tax rates and cash flows; |
● | changes in future taxable income, or changes in tax law, that would limit Edison International's and SCE's realization of expected net operating loss and tax credit carryover benefits prior to expiration; |
● | changes in interest rates and potential future adjustments to SCE's ROE based on changes in Moody's utility bond rate index; |
● | changes in rates of inflation (including whether inflation-related adjustments to SCE's authorized revenues allowed by the public utility regulators are commensurate with inflation rates); |
● | governmental, statutory, regulatory, or administrative changes or initiatives affecting the electricity industry, including the market structure rules applicable to each market adopted by the NERC, CAISO, Western Electricity Coordinating Council, and similar regulatory bodies in adjoining regions, and changes in the United States' and California's environmental priorities that lessen the importance placed on GHG reduction and other climate related priorities; |
● | availability and creditworthiness of counterparties and the resulting effects on liquidity in the power and fuel markets and/or the ability of counterparties to pay amounts owed in excess of collateral provided in support of their obligations; and |
● | cost of fuel for generating facilities and related transportation, which could be impacted by, among other things, disruption of natural gas storage facilities, to the extent not recovered, timely or at all, through regulated rate cost escalation provisions or balancing accounts. |
Additional information about risks and uncertainties, including more detail about the factors described in this report, is contained throughout this report and in the 2023 Form 10-K, including the "Risk Factors" section. Readers are urged to read this entire report, including information incorporated by reference, as well as the 2023 Form 10-K, and carefully consider the risks, uncertainties, and other factors that affect Edison International's and SCE's businesses. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and neither Edison International nor SCE are obligated to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements. Readers should review future reports filed by Edison International and SCE with the SEC. Edison International and SCE post or provide direct links to (i) certain SCE and other parties' regulatory filings and documents with the CPUC and the FERC and certain agency rulings and notices in open proceedings in a section titled "SCE Regulatory Highlights," (ii) certain documents and information related to Southern California wildfires which may be of interest to investors in a section titled "Southern California Wildfires," and (iii) presentations, documents and information that may be of interest to investors in a section titled "Presentations and Updates" at www.edisoninvestor.com in order to
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publicly disseminate such information. The reports, presentations, documents and information contained on, or connected to, the Edison International investor website are not deemed part of, and are not incorporated by reference into, this report.
The MD&A for the six months ended June 30, 2024 discusses material changes in the consolidated financial condition, results of operations and other developments of Edison International and SCE since December 31, 2023 and as compared to the six months ended June 30, 2023. This discussion presumes that the reader has read or has access to the 2023 MD&A.
Except when otherwise stated, references to each of Edison International or SCE mean each such company with its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis. References to "Edison International Parent and Other" mean Edison International Parent and its subsidiaries other than SCE and its subsidiaries and "Edison International Parent" mean Edison International on a stand-alone basis, not consolidated with its subsidiaries. Unless otherwise described, all the information contained in this report relates to both filers.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW
Highlights of Operating Results
Edison International is the ultimate parent holding company of SCE and Edison Energy, LLC, doing business as Trio ("Trio"). SCE is an investor-owned public utility primarily engaged in the business of supplying and delivering electricity to an approximately 50,000 square mile area across Southern, Central and Coastal California. Trio is a global energy advisory firm providing integrated sustainability and energy solutions to commercial, industrial and institutional customers. Trio's business activities are currently not material to report as a separate business segment.
Edison International's earnings are prepared in accordance with GAAP. Management uses core earnings (loss) internally for financial planning and for analysis of performance. Core earnings (loss) are also used when communicating with investors and analysts regarding Edison International's earnings results to facilitate comparisons of the company's performance from period to period. Core earnings (loss) are a non-GAAP financial measure and may not be comparable to those of other companies. Core earnings (loss) are defined as earnings attributable to Edison International shareholders less non-core items. Non-core items include income or loss from discontinued operations and income or loss from significant discrete items that management does not consider representative of ongoing earnings, such as write downs, asset impairments and other income and expense related to changes in law, outcomes in tax, regulatory or legal proceedings, and exit activities, including sale of certain assets and other activities that are no longer continuing.
Beginning July 1, 2023, SCE implemented a customer-funded wildfire self-insurance program. With the commencement of this program, Edison International and SCE no longer consider claims-related losses for wildfires to be representative of ongoing earnings and are treating such costs as non-core items prospectively. For additional information on the customer-funded self-insurance program, see "Management Overview—Customer-Funded Self-Insurance" in the 2023 MD&A.
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Three months ended | Six months ended | |||||||||||||||||
June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||||||||
(in millions) | 2024 |
| 2023 |
| Change |
| 2024 | 2023 | Change | |||||||||
Net income (loss) available to Edison International |
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SCE | $ | 523 | $ | 420 | $ | 103 | $ | 588 | $ | 790 | $ | (202) | ||||||
Edison International Parent and Other |
| (84) |
| (66) |
| (18) |
| (160) |
| (126) |
| (34) | ||||||
Edison International |
| 439 |
| 354 |
| 85 | 428 | 664 | (236) | |||||||||
Less: Non-core items |
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SCE |
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2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events claims and expenses, net of recoveries | (11) | (12) | 1 | (478) | (102) | (376) | ||||||||||||
Other Wildfires claims and expenses, net of recoveries1 | (2) | — | (2) | (121) | — | (121) | ||||||||||||
Wildfire Insurance Fund expense |
| (37) | (53) |
| 16 |
| (73) | (105) |
| 32 | ||||||||
2021 NDCTP probable disallowance | — | — | — | — | (30) | 30 | ||||||||||||
Customer cancellations of certain ECS data services | — | (17) | 17 | — | (17) | 17 | ||||||||||||
Insurance recovery related to employment litigation matter | — | 10 | (10) | — | 10 | (10) | ||||||||||||
Income tax benefit2 | 14 | 21 | (7) | 188 | 69 | 119 | ||||||||||||
Edison International Parent and Other |
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Customer revenues for EIS insurance contract, net of (claims) | — | 22 | (22) | (1) | 44 | (45) | ||||||||||||
Income tax expense2 | — | (5) | 5 | — | (9) | 9 | ||||||||||||
Total non-core items |
| (36) |
| (34) |
| (2) | (485) | (140) | (345) | |||||||||
Core earnings (loss) |
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SCE |
| 559 |
| 471 |
| 88 |
| 1,072 |
| 965 |
| 107 | ||||||
Edison International Parent and Other |
| (84) |
| (83) |
| (1) |
| (159) |
| (161) |
| 2 | ||||||
Edison International | $ | 475 | $ | 388 | $ | 87 | $ | 913 | $ | 804 | $ | 109 |
1 | Charges of $4 million related to claims from wildfires ignited prior to July 1, 2023 are included in core earnings for the six months ended June 30, 2023. Core earnings in periods before the third quarter of 2023 have not been recast to exclude these charges. |
2 | SCE and Edison International Parent and Other non-core items are tax-effected at an estimated statutory rate of approximately 28%; customer revenues (claims) for EIS insurance contract are tax-effected at the federal statutory rate of 21%. |
Edison International's second quarter 2024 earnings increased $85 million from the second quarter of 2023, resulting from an increase in SCE's earnings of $103 million and an increase in Edison International Parent and Other's loss of $18 million. SCE's higher net income consisted of $88 million of higher core earnings and $15 million of lower non-core loss. Edison International Parent and Other's loss increased due to $1 million of higher core loss and $17 million of lower earnings from non-core items. Edison International's earnings for the six months ended June 30, 2024 decreased $236 million from the six months ended June 30, 2023, resulting from a decrease in SCE's earnings of $202 million and an increase in Edison International Parent and Other's loss of $34 million. SCE's lower net income consisted of $309 million of higher losses in non-core items, partially offset by $107 million of higher core earnings. Edison International Parent and Other's increased losses consisted of $36 million of lower earnings in non-core items, partially offset by a $2 million reduction of core losses.
The increase in SCE's core earnings for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 from the same period in 2023 was primarily due to higher revenue authorized in Track 4, an increase in the authorized rate of return resulting from the cost of capital adjustment mechanism and recognition of previously unrecognized return on rate base related to wildfire restoration efforts, partially offset by higher interest expense.
Edison International Parent and Other's core loss for the three months ended June 30, 2024 was in line with the same period in the prior year. The decrease in Edison International Parent and Other's core loss for the six months ended June 30, 2024 was primarily due to lower preferred dividends.
Consolidated non-core items for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 primarily included:
● | Charges of $478 million ($344 million after-tax) recorded in 2024 and $102 million ($73 million after-tax) recorded in 2023 for 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events claims and related legal expenses, net of expected FERC recoveries. See "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 12. Commitments and Contingencies" for further information. |
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● | Charges of $121 million ($88 million after-tax) recorded in 2024 for Other Wildfires claims and related legal expenses, net of expected insurance and regulatory recoveries. See "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 12. Commitments and Contingencies" for further information. |
● | Charges of $73 million ($52 million after-tax) recorded in 2024 and $105 million ($76 million after-tax) recorded in 2023 from the amortization of SCE's contributions to the Wildfire Insurance Fund. See "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" for further information. |
● | A charge of $30 million ($21 million after-tax) recorded in 2023 for a probable disallowance related to the reasonableness review of recorded San Onofre Units 2 and 3 decommissioning costs in the 2021 NDCTP. |
● | A charge of $17 million ($12 million after-tax) recorded in 2023 related to customer cancellations of certain ECS data services. |
● | Insurance recovery of $10 million ($7 million after-tax) recorded in 2023 related to settlement of an employment litigation matter. SCE and Edison International settled the matter following an atypical jury award. |
● | Expected wildfire claims of $1 million ($1 million after-tax) insured by EIS recorded in 2024 and customer revenues of $44 million ($35 million after-tax) related to an EIS insurance contract recorded in 2023. See "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements— Note 12. Commitments and Contingencies" for further information. |
See "Results of Operations" for discussion of SCE's and Edison International Parent and Other's results of operations.
2025 General Rate Case
As discussed in the 2023 Form 10-K, SCE filed its 2025 GRC application with the CPUC in May 2023, for the four-year period 2025 – 2028. In its application, SCE requested that the CPUC authorize a test year 2025 revenue requirement of approximately $10.3 billion. This represents a $1.9 billion, or 23% increase over the approximately $8.4 billion 2024 revenue requirement adopted in Track 4, prior to adjustments for updated operations and maintenance escalation rates, the CPUC's decisions to adopt SCE's 2023 to 2025 cost of capital, and the expanded customer-funded self-insurance for wildfire-related claims.
In February 2024, intervenors to the 2025 GRC proceeding, including the CPUC Public Advocates Office ("Cal Advocates") and The Utility Reform Network ("TURN"), submitted testimony in response to SCE's application. Cal Advocates and TURN recommended reductions to SCE's requests for load growth investments, infrastructure replacement, targeted undergrounding of conductors, and other areas of SCE's application.
Cal Advocates in their testimony proposed a test year 2025 revenue requirement of approximately $9.3 billion, representing an increase of approximately 11% over the 2024 revenue requirement adopted in Track 4, before the adjustments described above. While TURN did not calculate a test year 2025 revenue requirement in connection with its proposals in their testimony, SCE estimates that TURN's proposals would result in a test year 2025 revenue requirement of approximately 12% over the 2024 revenue requirement adopted in Track 4, before the adjustments described above.
In June 2024, following amendments and other revisions to rebuttal testimony, SCE updated its 2025 revenue requirement request to $10.5 billion, which includes a $220 million increase associated with the cost of capital adjustment authorized by CPUC in a separate proceeding. The amended and revised rebuttal testimony also proposed post-test year revenue requirement increases of approximately $670 million, $750 million and $730 million in 2026, 2027 and 2028, respectively.
SCE and certain parties have entered into stipulations to resolve certain contested areas in the 2025 GRC. In July 2024, the CPUC issued a decision approving SCE's request in the 2025 GRC to extend the wildfire customer-funded self-insurance through the 2025 GRC period.
Capital Program
Total capital expenditures (including accruals) were $2.5 billion and $2.6 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. As discussed in the 2023 Form 10-K, SCE forecasts total capital expenditures ranging from $32.2 billion to $37.5 billion for 2024 – 2028, and weighted average annual rate base from $43.0 billion to $60.6 billion for 2024 – 2028. These capital program and rate base projections incorporate the amounts requested in the 2025 GRC application and do not reflect subsequent updates included in SCE's amended and revised rebuttal testimony. For further information regarding the
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capital expenditures, see "Liquidity and Capital Resources—SCE—Capital Investment Plan" below and "Management Overview—Capital Program" in the 2023 MD&A.
In May 2023, CAISO released its 2022 – 2023 Transmission Plan based on the CPUC's projections that it needs to add more than 40 gigawatts of new resources by 2032. As the incumbent transmission owner for a portion of these transmission projects, SCE expects to construct projects representing at least $2.0 billion of expenditures, most of which will be incurred beyond 2028. In May 2024, the CAISO released its 2023 – 2024 Transmission Plan which identified four additional transmission projects expected to be constructed by SCE with anticipated capital expenditures of approximately $40 million in 2027 and $48 million in 2029.
In addition to projects awarded to incumbent transmission owners, CAISO identified projects eligible for competitive solicitation. On May 20, 2024, SCE, in association with Lotus Infrastructure Global Operations, LLC ("Lotus"), was selected as the approved project sponsor for a 30-mile overhead transmission line project connecting San Diego and Orange Counties. The project is expected to be completed and in-service in 2032. Subject to contract finalization with the CAISO and Lotus, under the terms of the commercial arrangement with Lotus, Lotus will finance and construct the project. Upon the in-service date, SCE will purchase the entire project from Lotus for approximately $325 million, subject to certain adjustments, and lease 25% of the transmission capability to Lotus. Under the proposed lease agreement, Lotus will pay approximately $81 million in prepaid rent as well as 25% of the ongoing operations and maintenance costs. As a result, SCE expects to place approximately $244 million into its transmission rate base in 2032.
Southern California Wildfires and Mudslides
2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events
As discussed in the 2023 Form 10-K, multiple lawsuits and investigations related to the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events have been initiated against SCE and Edison International. SCE has previously entered into settlements with a number of local public entities, subrogation and individual plaintiffs in the TKM and Woolsey litigations and under the SED Agreement. As of July 18, 2024, in addition to the outstanding claims of approximately 840 of the approximately 15,000 initial individual plaintiffs, there were alleged and potential claims of certain public entity plaintiffs, including CAL OES, outstanding.
Through June 30, 2024, SCE has accrued estimated losses of $9.9 billion, recoveries from insurance of $2.0 billion, all of which have been collected, and expected recoveries through FERC electric rates of $440 million, $376 million of which has been collected, related to the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events claims. The after-tax net charges to earnings recorded through June 30, 2024 have been $5.4 billion.
Estimated losses for the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events litigation are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to change as additional information becomes available. Actual losses incurred may be higher or lower than estimated based on several factors, including the uncertainty in estimating damages that have been or may be alleged. For instance, SCE will receive additional information with respect to damages claimed as the claims mediation and trial processes progress. Other factors that can cause actual losses incurred to be higher or lower than estimated include the ability to reach settlements and the outcomes of settlements reached through the ongoing claims mediation processes, uncertainties related to the impact of outcomes of wildfire litigation against other parties and increasingly negative jury sentiments in general litigation, uncertainties related to the sufficiency of insurance held by plaintiffs, uncertainties related to the litigation processes, including whether plaintiffs will ultimately pursue claims, uncertainty as to the legal and factual determinations to be made during litigation, including uncertainty as to the contributing causes of the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events, the complexities associated with fires that merge and whether inverse condemnation will be held applicable to SCE with respect to damages caused by the Montecito Mudslides, and the uncertainty as to how these factors impact future settlements.
As of June 30, 2024, SCE had paid $9.2 billion under executed settlements and had $71 million to be paid under executed settlements, including $58 million to be paid under the SED Agreement, related to the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events. After giving effect to all payment obligations under settlements entered into through June 30, 2024, Edison International's and SCE's best estimate of expected losses for remaining alleged and potential claims related to the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events was $598 million. Edison International and SCE may incur a material loss in excess of amounts accrued in connection with the remaining alleged and potential claims related to the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events.
SCE will seek CPUC-jurisdictional rate recovery of prudently incurred losses and related costs realized in connection with the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events in excess of available insurance and FERC-jurisdictional recoveries, other than for any obligations under the SED Agreement. Based on Edison International's and SCE's current best estimate of expected
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losses for the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events, SCE currently expects to seek CPUC-jurisdictional rate recovery of approximately $6.9 billion of uninsured claims by filing applications with the CPUC. In August 2023, SCE filed the first of such cost recovery applications to seek rate recovery of $2.4 billion of prudently incurred losses related to the Thomas Fire, the Koenigstein Fire and the Montecito Mudslides, consisting of $2.0 billion of uninsured claims and $0.4 billion of associated costs, including legal fees and financing costs. SCE is also seeking capital recovery of approximately $65 million in restoration costs in the proceeding. SCE targets the third quarter of 2024 for the filing of its application to seek CPUC-jurisdictional rate recovery of approximately $5 billion of uninsured claims related to the Woolsey Fire. In its application, SCE will also seek associated costs, including legal fees, financing costs and restoration costs. SCE's plans with respect to this filing may be delayed or modified. Because the CPUC's decision in a cost recovery proceeding involving SDG&E arising from several 2007 wildfires in SDG&E's service area is the only directly comparable precedent available, SCE believes that there is substantial uncertainty regarding how the CPUC will interpret and apply its prudency standard to an investor-owned utility in wildfire claims related cost-recovery proceedings for fires ignited prior to the adoption of AB 1054 on July 12, 2019. Accordingly, while the CPUC has not made a determination regarding SCE's prudency relative to any of the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events, SCE is unable to conclude, at this time, that uninsured CPUC-jurisdictional wildfire-related costs related to the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events are probable of recovery through electric rates.
For further information on Southern California Wildfires and Mudslides, see "Risk Factors," "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies—Initial and annual contributions to the wildfire insurance fund established pursuant to California Assembly Bill 1054," "Business—Southern California Wildfires" in the 2023 Form 10-K and "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 12. Commitments and Contingencies—Contingencies—Southern California Wildfires and Mudslides" in this report.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
SCE
SCE's results of operations are derived mainly through two sources:
● | Earning activities – representing revenue authorized by the CPUC and the FERC, which is intended to provide SCE with a reasonable opportunity to recover its costs and earn a return on its net investment in generation, transmission and distribution assets. The annual revenue requirements are comprised of authorized operation and maintenance costs, depreciation, taxes and a return consistent with the capital structure. Also, included in earnings activities are revenue or penalties related to incentive mechanisms, other operating revenue, and regulatory charges or disallowances. |
● | Cost-recovery activities – representing CPUC- and FERC- authorized balancing accounts, which allow for recovery of specific project or program costs, subject to reasonableness review or compliance with upfront standards, as well as non-bypassable rates collected for SCE Recovery Funding LLC. Cost-recovery activities include rates which provide recovery, subject to reasonableness review of, among other things, fuel costs, purchased power costs, public purpose related-program costs (including energy efficiency and demand-side management programs), certain operation and maintenance expenses (including vegetation management and wildfire insurance), and repayment of bonds and financing costs of SCE Recovery Funding LLC. SCE earns no return on these activities. |
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The following table is a summary of SCE's results of operations for the periods indicated.
Three months ended June 30, 2024 versus June 30, 2023
| Three months ended June 30, 2024 | Three months ended June 30, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
Cost- | Cost- | |||||||||||||||||||
Earning | Recovery | Total | Earning | Recovery | Total | |||||||||||||||
(in millions) |
| Activities |
| Activities |
| Consolidated |
|
| Activities |
| Activities |
| Consolidated | |||||||
Operating revenue | $ | 2,607 | $ | 1,717 | $ | 4,324 | $ | 2,167 | $ | 1,782 | $ | 3,949 | ||||||||
Purchased power and fuel | — | 1,234 |
| 1,234 | — | 1,147 |
| 1,147 | ||||||||||||
Operation and maintenance | 784 | 474 |
| 1,258 | 606 | 629 |
| 1,235 | ||||||||||||
Wildfire Insurance Fund expense | 37 | — |
| 37 | 53 | — |
| 53 | ||||||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 713 | 12 |
| 725 | 638 | 10 |
| 648 | ||||||||||||
Property and other taxes | 149 | 5 |
| 154 | 135 | 13 |
| 148 | ||||||||||||
Total operating expenses |
| 1,683 |
| 1,725 | 3,408 |
| 1,432 |
| 1,799 | 3,231 | ||||||||||
Operating income (loss) |
| 924 |
| (8) | 916 |
| 735 |
| (17) | 718 | ||||||||||
Interest expense |
| (394) | (14) | (408) |
| (320) |
| (8) | (328) | |||||||||||
Other income, net |
| 125 | 22 | 147 |
| 102 |
| 25 | 127 | |||||||||||
Income before income taxes |
| 655 |
| — | 655 |
| 517 |
| — | 517 | ||||||||||
Income tax expense |
| 83 | — | 83 |
| 68 |
| — | 68 | |||||||||||
Net income |
| 572 |
| — | 572 |
| 449 |
| — | 449 | ||||||||||
Less: Preference stock dividend requirements |
| 49 | — | 49 |
| 29 |
| — | 29 | |||||||||||
Net income available to common stock | $ | 523 | $ | — | $ | 523 | $ | 420 | $ | — | $ | 420 |
Earning Activities
Earning activities were primarily affected by the following:
● | Higher operating revenue of $440 million is primarily due to: |
● | An increase in CPUC-related revenue of $171 million due to the higher revenue authorized in Track 4 and an increase in the authorized rate of return resulting from the cost of capital adjustment mechanism. See "Liquidity and Capital Resources—SCE" for more information. |
● | An increase in CPUC-related revenue of $267 million due to higher wildfire mitigation and emergency restoration expenses authorized for recovery in 2024. See "Liquidity and Capital Resources—SCE—Regulatory Proceedings" for more information. |
● | Higher operation and maintenance expenses of $178 million is primarily due to: |
● | Increased expenses of $200 million related to higher emergency wildfire restoration expenses authorized for recovery in 2024 (offset in revenue above). |
● | In 2023, SCE recorded a charge of $17 million related to customer cancellations of certain ECS data services. |
● | Lower wildfire insurance fund amortization expense of $16 million due to the change in the estimated life of the Wildfire Insurance Fund in the first quarter of 2024, which increased the amortization period of SCE's contributions in 2024. See "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" for further information. |
● | Increase in depreciation and amortization expense of $75 million primarily due to higher plant balances and recognition of $29 million of previously deferred emergency wildfire restoration related depreciation expense in 2024 (offset in revenue above). |
● | Increase in property and other taxes of $14 million primarily due to higher assessed property value and the recognition of $6 million of previously deferred emergency wildfire restoration related property tax in 2024 (offset in revenue above). |
● | Increase in interest expense of $74 million primarily due to higher interest rates on long-term debt and balancing account overcollections, as well as increased long-term borrowings. |
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● | Increase in other income of $23 million primarily due to higher equity allowance for funds used during construction and a higher interest rate applied to balancing account undercollections. |
● | See "Income Taxes" below for the explanation of the $15 million increase in income tax expense. |
● | Higher preference stock dividend requirements of $20 million primarily due to increased preference stock outstanding. |
Cost-Recovery Activities
Operating revenue and the corresponding operating expenses in cost-recovery activities were primarily affected by the following:
● | Higher purchased power and fuel costs of $87 million, primarily due to an increase in purchased power volume and increased losses from hedging activities, partially offset by lower purchased power prices. |
● | Lower operation and maintenance costs of $155 million primarily due to: |
● | In May 2023, SCE recognized $205 million of previously deferred Wildfire Expense Memorandum Account ("WEMA") costs related to incremental wildfire insurance premium that provided coverage for the last six months of 2020. |
● | Lower insurance costs of $97 million due to SCE's expanded use of customer-funded self-insurance. See "Management Overview—Customer-Funded Self-Insurance" in the 2023 Form 10-K. |
● | Higher expenses of $38 million related to public purpose programs. |
● | Higher expenses of $34 million due to increased expected uncollectible expenses in 2024. |
● | Higher expenses of $33 million related to vegetation management. |
● | Higher expenses of $31 million related to transmission access charges. |
Six months ended June 30, 2024 versus June 30, 2023
| Six months ended June 30, 2024 | Six months ended June 30, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
Cost- | Cost- | |||||||||||||||||||
Earning | Recovery | Total | Earning | Recovery | Total | |||||||||||||||
(in millions) |
| Activities |
| Activities |
| Consolidated |
|
| Activities |
| Activities |
| Consolidated | |||||||
Operating revenue | $ | 5,056 | $ | 3,332 | $ | 8,388 | $ | 4,400 | $ | 3,499 | $ | 7,899 | ||||||||
Purchased power and fuel |
| — | 2,242 |
| 2,242 | — | 2,465 |
| 2,465 | |||||||||||
Operation and maintenance |
| 1,474 | 1,075 |
| 2,549 | 1,276 | 1,040 |
| 2,316 | |||||||||||
Wildfire-related claims, net of insurance recoveries |
| 614 | — |
| 614 | 96 | — |
| 96 | |||||||||||
Wildfire Insurance Fund expense |
| 73 | — |
| 73 | 105 | — |
| 105 | |||||||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
| 1,403 | 23 |
| 1,426 | 1,287 | 17 |
| 1,304 | |||||||||||
Property and other taxes |
| 298 | 9 |
| 307 | 272 | 15 |
| 287 | |||||||||||
Total operating expenses |
| 3,862 |
| 3,349 | 7,211 |
| 3,036 |
| 3,537 | 6,573 | ||||||||||
Operating income (loss) |
| 1,194 |
| (17) | 1,177 |
| 1,364 |
| (38) | 1,326 | ||||||||||
Interest expense |
| (754) | (28) | (782) |
| (615) | (13) | (628) | ||||||||||||
Other income, net |
| 237 | 45 | 282 |
| 196 | 51 | 247 | ||||||||||||
Income before income taxes |
| 677 |
| — | 677 |
| 945 |
| — | 945 | ||||||||||
Income tax (benefit) expense |
| (1) | — | (1) |
| 97 | — | 97 | ||||||||||||
Net income |
| 678 |
| — | 678 |
| 848 |
| — | 848 | ||||||||||
Less: Preference stock dividend requirements |
| 90 | — | 90 |
| 58 | — | 58 | ||||||||||||
Net income available to common stock | $ | 588 | $ | — | $ | 588 | $ | 790 | $ | — | $ | 790 |
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Earning Activities
Earning activities were primarily affected by the following:
● | Higher operating revenue of $656 million is primarily due to: |
● | An increase in CPUC-related revenue of $344 million due to the higher revenue authorized in Track 4 and an increase in the authorized rate of return resulting from the cost of capital adjustment mechanism. See "Liquidity and Capital Resources—SCE" for more information. |
● | An increase in CPUC-related revenue of $331 million due to higher wildfire mitigation and emergency restoration expenses authorized for recovery in 2024 as compared to 2023. See "Liquidity and Capital Resources—SCE—Regulatory Proceedings" for more information. |
● | An increase in FERC-related revenue of $28 million due to higher wildfire-related claims and expenses to be recovered in FERC revenues. |
● | A decrease in CPUC-related revenue of $27 million related to lower CSRP revenue requirements recorded in 2024 as compared to 2023. |
● | Higher operation and maintenance expense of $198 million is primarily due to: |
● | Increased expenses of $245 million related to wildfire mitigation and emergency restoration costs authorized for recovery in 2024 as compared to 2023 (offset in revenue above). |
● | Lower expenses of $30 million related to CSRP revenue requirement approved in 2023 (offset in revenue above). |
● | In 2023, SCE recognized a probable disallowance of $30 million related to the 2021 NDCTP. |
● | In 2023, SCE recorded a charge of $17 million related to customer cancellations of certain ECS data services. |
● | Charges for wildfire-related claims, net of insurance recoveries, were $614 million and $96 million in 2024 and 2023, respectively, related to the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events and Other Wildfires. See "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 12. Commitments and Contingencies—Contingencies—Southern California Wildfires and Mudslides." |
● | Lower wildfire insurance fund amortization expense of $32 million due to the change in the estimated life of the Wildfire Insurance Fund, which increased the amortization period of SCE's contributions in 2024. See "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" for further information. |
● | Increase in depreciation and amortization expense of $116 million primarily due to higher plant balances and the recognition of $45 million of previously deferred wildfire mitigation and emergency restoration related depreciation expense in 2024 (offset in revenue above). |
● | Increase in property and other taxes of $26 million primarily due to higher assessed property value and the recognition of $8 million of previously deferred wildfire mitigation and emergency restoration related property tax in 2024 (offset in revenue above). |
● | Increase in interest expense of $139 million primarily due to higher interest rates on long-term debt and balancing account overcollections, as well as increased long-term borrowings. |
● | Increase in other income of $41 million primarily due to higher equity allowance for funds used during construction and a higher interest rate applied to balancing account undercollections. |
● | See "Income Taxes" below for the explanation of the $98 million decrease in income tax expense. |
● | Higher preference stock dividend requirements of $32 million primarily due to increased preference stock outstanding. |
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Cost-Recovery Activities
Operating revenue and the corresponding operating expenses in cost-recovery activities were primarily affected by the following:
● | Lower purchased power and fuel costs of $223 million, primarily due to lower purchased power and gas prices, partially offset by increase in purchased power volume and higher losses from hedging activities. |
● | Higher operation and maintenance costs of $35 million primarily due to: |
● | Higher expenses of $229 million due to the recognition of previously deferred wildfire mitigation expenses in 2024. |
● | Higher expenses of $72 million primarily due to higher expected uncollectible expenses in 2024. |
● | Higher expenses of $57 million related to transmission access charges. |
● | Higher expenses of $40 million related to public purpose programs. |
● | Higher expenses of $27 million related to vegetation management. |
● | In May 2023, SCE recognized $205 million of previously deferred WEMA costs related to incremental wildfire insurance premium that provide coverage for the last six months of 2020. |
● | Lower insurance costs of $194 million due to SCE's expanded use of customer-funded self-insurance. See "Management Overview—Customer-Funded Self-Insurance" in the 2023 Form 10-K. |
● | Higher interest expense of $15 million primarily due to recovery of expense associated with AB 1054 Excluded Capital Expenditures financed through securitization. |
Supplemental Operating Revenue Information
As a result of the CPUC-authorized decoupling mechanism, SCE revenues are not affected by changes in volume of retail electricity sales.
Income Taxes
Compared to the same period in 2023, SCE's income tax expense increased by $15 million for the quarter ending June 30, 2024 and decreased by $98 million for six months ended June 30, 2024. The higher tax expense for the quarter is primarily due to higher pre-tax income, partly offset by higher flow-through tax benefits. The lower income tax expense for the six months ended June 30, 2024 is mainly because of lower pre-tax income, along with higher flow-through tax benefits. The effective tax rates were 12.7% and 13.2% for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The effective tax rates were (0.1)% and 10.3% for the six months ended June 30, 2024, and 2023, respectively. SCE's effective tax rate is below the federal statutory rate of 21% for 2024 and 2023 primarily due to the CPUC's flow-through ratemaking treatment for the current tax benefit arising from certain property-related and other temporary differences, which reverse over time. The accounting treatment for these temporary differences results in recording regulatory assets and liabilities for amounts that would otherwise be recorded to deferred tax expense/benefit.
See "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 8. Income Taxes" for a reconciliation of the federal statutory rate to the effective income tax rates.
Edison International Parent and Other
Results of operations for Edison International Parent and Other include amounts from other subsidiaries that are not reportable segments, as well as intercompany eliminations.
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Loss from Operations
The following table summarizes the results of Edison International Parent and Other:
Three months ended June 30, | Six months ended June 30, | ||||||||||||
(in millions) |
| 2024 |
| 2023 |
| 2024 |
| 2023 | |||||
Edison International Parent and Other net loss | $ | (63) | $ | (40) | $ | (117) | $ | (74) | |||||
Less: Preferred stock dividend requirements | 21 | 26 | 43 | 52 | |||||||||
Edison International Parent and Other net loss attributable to common shareholders | $ | (84) | $ | (66) | $ | (160) | $ | (126) |
The net loss attributable to common shareholders from operations of Edison International Parent and Other increased $18 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024, and increased $34 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024 compared to the same periods in 2023, primarily due to lack of earnings from an EIS insurance contract.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
SCE
SCE's ability to operate its business, fund capital expenditures, and implement its business strategy is dependent upon its cash flow and access to the bank and capital markets. SCE's overall cash flows fluctuate based on, among other things, its ability to recover its costs in a timely manner from its customers through regulated rates, changes in commodity prices and volumes, collateral requirements, interest obligations, dividend payments to and equity contributions from Edison International, obligations to preference shareholders, and the outcome of tax, regulatory and legal matters.
In the next 12 months, SCE expects to fund its cash requirements through operating cash flows, and capital market and bank financings. SCE also has availability under its credit facility to fund cash requirements. SCE also expects to issue additional debt for general corporate purposes, and to finance and refinance debt issued for payment of claims and expenses related to the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events.
During the first six months of 2024, SCE issued a total of $3.8 billion of first and refunding mortgage bonds. For further details, see "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 5. Debt and Credit Agreements." In May 2024, SCE issued $350 million of preference stock. The proceeds were used in June 2024 to redeem all outstanding shares of SCE's Series E Preference Stock. For further details, see "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 13. Equity."
SCE's credit ratings may be affected if, among other things, regulators fail to successfully implement AB 1054 in a consistent and credit supportive manner, or the Wildfire Insurance Fund is depleted by claims from catastrophic wildfires. Credit rating downgrades increase the cost and may impact the availability of short-term and long-term borrowings, including commercial paper, credit facilities, bond financings or other borrowings. In addition, some of SCE's power procurement contracts and environmental remediation obligations would require SCE to pay related liabilities or post additional collateral if SCE's credit rating were to fall below investment grade. For further details, see "—Margin and Collateral Deposits."
As discussed in the 2023 Form 10-K, the cost of capital adjustment mechanism set by the CPUC provides for an adjustment to SCE's authorized cost of capital that, when triggered, will impact SCE's results of operations and cash flows. In 2023, the cost of capital adjustment mechanism was triggered and resulted in an increase to SCE's 2024 GRC-related revenue requirement by $201 million. SCE currently does not expect the adjustment mechanism to be triggered for 2025. For further information about the adjustment mechanism, see "Business—SCE— Overview of Ratemaking Process" in the 2023 Form 10-K.
For restrictions on SCE's ability to pay dividends, see "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies—SCE Dividends" in the 2023 Form 10-K.
Available Liquidity
At June 30, 2024, SCE had cash on hand of $68 million and approximately $1.8 billion available to borrow on its $3.4 billion revolving credit facility. In May 2024, SCE extended its credit facility through May 2028. The aggregate maximum principal amount may be increased up to $4.0 billion, provided that additional lender commitments are obtained. SCE also has standby letters of credit with total capacity of $625 million, and the unused amount was $521 million as of June 30, 2024. For further details, see "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 5. Debt and Credit Agreements."
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SCE may finance balancing account undercollections and working capital requirements to support operations and capital expenditures with commercial paper, its credit facilities or other borrowings, subject to availability in the bank and capital markets. As necessary, SCE will utilize its available liquidity, capital market financings, other borrowings or parent company contributions to SCE equity in order to meet its obligations as they become due, including costs related to the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events. For further information, see "Management Overview—Southern California Wildfires and Mudslides."
Debt Covenant
SCE's credit facilities and term loan require a debt to total capitalization ratio as defined in the applicable agreements of less than or equal to 0.65 to 1. At June 30, 2024, SCE's debt to total capitalization ratio was 0.58 to 1.
At June 30, 2024, SCE was in compliance with all financial covenants that affect access to capital.
Regulatory Proceedings
Wildfire-related Regulatory Proceedings
In response to the increase in wildfire activity, and faster progression of and increased damage from wildfires across SCE's service area and throughout California, SCE has incurred wildfire mitigation, wildfire insurance and wildfire and drought restoration related spending at levels significantly exceeding amounts authorized in SCE's GRCs.
2021 GRC Wildfire Mitigation Memorandum Account Balances
In June 2022, SCE filed an application with the CPUC requesting reasonableness review of the incremental costs incurred in 2021 related to non-WCCP wildfire mitigation and vegetation management activities, requesting a total revenue requirement of approximately $327 million plus ongoing capital-related revenue requirement. In March 2024, the CPUC issued a decision fully authorizing SCE's requested revenue requirement. The revenue requirement is being recovered in rates over 12 months starting June 1, 2024.
In October 2023, SCE requested authority to recover a revenue requirement of $384 million, including interest, associated with 2022 operations and maintenance and capital expenditures above levels authorized in wildfire mitigation accounts and the vegetation management balancing account. In July 2024, the CPUC approved SCE's request for interim rate recovery of $210 million of this revenue requirement, subject to refund. The revenue requirement for the interim rate recovery will be recovered in rates over 17 months starting October 1, 2024. A final decision for the total authorized revenue requirement is expected in the second quarter of 2025.
2020 Emergency Wildfire Restoration
As discussed in the 2023 MD&A, SCE filed a catastrophic event memorandum account application in 2022 primarily related to restoration efforts related to multiple 2020 wildfires. In May 2024, the CPUC issued a decision approving the recovery of SCE's capital request of $312 million and operation and maintenance expenses of $200 million, resulting in a revenue requirement of $191 million plus ongoing capital-related revenue requirement. The revenue requirement will be recovered in rates over a 12-month period starting October 1, 2024.
Multi-year Wildfire Mitigation and Catastrophic Events Filing ("WMCE Filing")
In April 2024, SCE filed its WMCE Filing, seeking to recover incremental operating and maintenance expenses of $320 million and incremental capital expenditures of $702 million, primarily associated with 2019 – 2023 WCCP capital expenditures recorded in the wildfire risk mitigation balancing account, 2023 operations and maintenance and capital expenditures incremental to amounts authorized in wildfire mitigation accounts and the vegetation management balancing account, storm-related costs associated with certain 2020 – 2022 events recorded in the catastrophic event memorandum account, and certain wildfire liability insurance premium expenses recorded to the wildfire expense memorandum account, which were denied without prejudice in a previous decision. In July 2024, the CPUC adopted a schedule for the WMCE Filing with a proposed decision expected in the third quarter of 2025.
ERRA Trigger Application
SCE's cost recovery mechanism for its fuel and purchased power-related costs is primarily facilitated by three balancing accounts, one of which is the ERRA. SCE sets rates based on an annual forecast of the costs that it expects to incur during the
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subsequent year. The overcollection in the ERRA at April 30, 2024 resulted in SCE triggering an established mechanism, which required SCE to file an expedited application on May 30, 2024, requesting CPUC approval to reduce bundled service generation rates by up to $742 million over a 12-month period starting October 1, 2024, to address the overcollection trigger (see "Business—SCE—Overview of Ratemaking Process" in the 2023 Form 10-K for further information about the trigger mechanism).
2025 FERC Formula Rate Annual Update
In June 2024, SCE provided its preliminary 2025 annual transmission revenue requirement update to interested parties. The update proposes a 2025 transmission revenue requirement of $1.3 billion, which is a $221 million, or 20% increase from the 2024 annual rates. The increase is primarily due to 2024 rates including a return of a prior year overcollection. SCE expects to file its 2025 annual update with the FERC by December 1, 2024, with the proposed rates effective January 1, 2025.
Capital Investment Plan
Major Transmission and Utility Owned Storage Projects
Riverside Transmission Reliability Project
As discussed in the 2023 MD&A, the City of Norco filed a petition for modification ("PFM") to modify the CPUC decision approving the project and reopen the record to reconsider full undergrounding during 2023. In March 2024, the CPUC denied the PFM. In May 2024, the Riverside City Council voted to move forward with the original scope of the project and SCE is restarting its work on the project.
Alberhill System Project
As discussed in the 2023 MD&A, a final CPUC decision remains pending. In June 2024, the CPUC issued an addendum to its 2017 Final Environmental Impact Report, concluding its California Environmental Quality Act review. The project is now seeking final CPUC approval to begin construction. SCE is expecting the final CPUC decision in mid-2025.
Eldorado-Lugo-Mohave Upgrade Project
As discussed in the 2023 MD&A, additional work is required to mitigate the impact of the project on nearby natural gas transmission lines and a further PFM is expected to be filed to include reasonable and prudent costs of the mitigation work. SCE expects the project to be in service in 2025, subject to the completion of environmental agency review of the mitigation work. See "Liquidity and Capital Resources—SCE—Capital Investment Plan" in the 2023 Form 10-K for further information.
Utility Owned Storage
As discussed in the 2023 MD&A, in October 2021, SCE contracted with Ameresco, Inc. ("Ameresco") for the construction of utility owned energy storage projects at three sites in SCE's service territory that have an aggregate capacity of 537.5 MW, consisting of a 225 MW project, a 200 MW project and a 112.5 MW project, with an in-service date of August 1, 2022. Ameresco has advised SCE that it currently expects all three projects to be in-service before the end of the third quarter of 2024. SCE believes that there is risk of delay beyond Ameresco's projected in-service dates.
Decommissioning of San Onofre
As discussed in the 2023 Form 10-K, in February 2022, SCE filed the 2021 NDCTP with the CPUC to request reasonableness review of approximately $570 million (SCE share in 2022 dollars) of recorded San Onofre Units 2 and 3 decommissioning costs incurred during the period 2018 to 2020. In May 2023, SCE entered into a settlement with the relevant intervenors under which, subject to CPUC approval, SCE agreed to a disallowance in the 2021 NDCTP of approximately $30 million. SCE has accrued for this disallowance. In May 2024, the CPUC issued a proposed decision that, if adopted, will approve the settlement.
Margin and Collateral Deposits
Certain derivative instruments, power and energy procurement contracts and other contractual arrangements contain collateral requirements. In addition, certain environmental remediation obligations require financial assurance that may be in the form of collateral postings. Future collateral requirements may differ from the requirements at June 30, 2024 due to the
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addition of incremental power and energy procurement contracts with collateral requirements, if any, the impact of changes in wholesale power and natural gas prices on SCE's contractual obligations, and the impact of SCE's credit ratings falling below investment grade.
The table below provides the amount of collateral posted by SCE to its counterparties as well as the potential collateral that would have been required as of June 30, 2024, if SCE's credit rating had been downgraded to below investment grade as of that date. The table also provides the potential collateral that could be required due to adverse changes in wholesale power and natural gas prices over the remaining lives of existing power and fuel derivative contracts.
In addition to amounts shown in the table, power and fuel contract counterparties may also institute new collateral requirements, applicable to future transactions to allow SCE to continue trading in power and fuel contracts at the time of a downgrade or upon significant increases in market prices. Furthermore, SCE may also be required to post up to $50 million in collateral in connection with its environmental remediation obligations, within 120 days of the end of the fiscal year in which a downgrade below investment grade occurs.
(in millions) |
| ||
Collateral posted as of June 30, 20241 | $ | 288 | |
Incremental collateral requirements for purchased power and fuel contracts resulting from a potential downgrade of SCE's credit rating to below investment grade2 |
| 90 | |
Incremental collateral requirements for SCE's financial hedging activities resulting from adverse market price movement3 |
| 113 | |
Posted and potential collateral requirements | $ | 491 |
1 | Net collateral provided to counterparties and other brokers consisted of $119 million in letters of credit and surety bonds and $169 million of cash collateral. |
2 | Represents potential collateral requirements for accounts payable and mark-to-market valuation at June 30, 2024. The requirements vary throughout the period and are generally lower at the end of the month. |
3 | Incremental collateral requirements were based on potential changes in SCE's forward positions as of June 30, 2024 due to adverse market price movements over the remaining lives of the existing power and fuel derivative contracts using a 95% confidence level. |
Edison International Parent and Other
In the next 12 months, Edison International expects to fund its net cash requirements through cash on hand, dividends from SCE, and capital market and bank financings. Edison International may finance its ongoing cash requirements, including dividends, working capital requirements, payment of obligations, and capital investments, including capital contributions to subsidiaries, with short-term or other financings, subject to availability in the bank and capital markets.