New York, January 04, 2013 -- Moody's Investors Service today assigned a B2 Corporate Family Rating,
B2 Probability of Default Rating and SGL-3 Speculative Grade Liquidity
Rating to Dynegy Inc. (Dynegy). The rating outlook for Dynegy
is stable.
Concurrently, Moody's affirmed Dynegy Power, LLC's
(GasCo) senior secured term loan rating at B2 and revised its rating outlook
to stable from positive.
RATINGS RATIONALE
"The ratings assigned today consider headwinds facing Dynegy,
including the current low power price environment in which it operates,
the near-term maturity of two in-the-money power
contracts and an indication that consolidated cash flows will decline
over the near-term" said Moody's Vice President Scott
Solomon. "Voluntary debt reduction completed late last year
and anticipated future revenue from the sale of generating capacity provides
support for the B2 rating," added Solomon.
Dynegy indirectly owns approximately 10,000 megawatts of generating
capacity through two wholly-owned operating subsidiaries.
Specifically, GasCo owns approximately 7,000 megawatts of
gas-fired generation in four distinct geographical power markets,
while Dynegy Midwest Generation, LLC (CoalCo) owns 3,000 megawatts
of coal-fired capacity in Illinois. The only debt outstanding
are term loans at these legal entities totaling approximately $1.4
billion, down from $1.7 billion at September 30,
2012. This debt may be refinanced at the Dynegy level during 2013.
Dynegy primarily sells the electricity generated by its coal-fired
generation into the Midwest Independent System Operator or MISO wholesale
power market at market-determined price levels. The MISO
power pool remains fairly oversupplied which, combined with weak
electric demand and low fuel costs, has resulted in price levels
at-or-near historical lows. This has resulted in
poor historical financial performance; Dynegy's coal portfolio
generated negative cash flow during the first nine months of 2012.
Moreover, two significant contractual sources of cash flow are scheduled
to mature over the next 24 months. This includes California-based
Moss Landing (Units 6&7), which has one -year remaining
on its long-term tolling arrangement, while its New York-based
Independence plant has a contractual arrangement expiring in late 2014.
In our opinion, Dynegy will be hard pressed to re-contract
these assets which is the primary driver for an expected declining cash
flow trend. Our current expectation is for Dynegy to generate consolidated
cash flows before changes in working capital items (CFO pre-WC)
in a range of $155-175 million in 2013, $60-80
million in 2014 and a potentially lower amount in 2015. These results
are expected to yield key financial metrics of CFO pre-WC to debt
and interest coverage in a range of 5-7% and 1.5-1.7
times, respectively, in 2014, levels which we view commensurate
with a B2 Corporate Family Rating. We would need to see key consolidated
financial metrics of CFO pre-WC to debt and interest coverage in
excess of 8% and 1.8 times, respectively, on
a sustainable basis to consider an upgrade of Dynegy's Corporate
Family Rating.
The revision of GasCo's rating outlook to stable from positive reflects
the expected decline in its cash flow and key financial metrics given
the expiration of the above cited contracts.
Dynegy's speculative grade liquidity rating of SGL-3 reflects
our expectation that the company will maintain an adequate liquidity profile
over the next 4-quarter period as a result of the maintenance of
acceptable cash balances given the current lack of an external committed
source of liquidity. Unrestricted consolidated cash balances currently
stand at approximately $400 million.
Issuer: Dynegy Inc.
..Ratings Assigned:
Probability of Default Rating, B2;
Corporate Family Rating, B2
Speculative Grade Liquidity Rating, SGL-3
Issuer: Dynegy Power, LLC
..Ratings Affirmed:
Senior Secured Term Loan rating, B2
..Ratings Withdrawn:
Probability of Default Rating, B2
Corporate Family Rating, B2
Speculative Grade Liquidity Rating, SGL-3
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
The Global Scale Credit Ratings on this press release that are issued
by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU are endorsed by Moody's
Investors Service Ltd., One Canada Square, Canary Wharf,
London E 14 5FA, UK, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph
3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies.
Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's
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the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued
the rating.
Scott Solomon
Vice President - Senior Analyst
Infrastructure Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
William L. Hess
MD - Utilities
Infrastructure Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Moody's assigns a B2 Corporate Family Rating to Dynegy Inc.