AMP Issues Revenue Bonds for Natural Gas Fired Fremont Energy Center
New York, June 12, 2012 --
Moody's Rating
Issue: AMP Fremont Energy Center Project Revenue Bonds, Series
2012 A (Federally Taxable); Rating: A1; Sale Amount:
$21,000,000; Expected Sale Date: 6/19/2012;
Rating Description: Revenue: Government Enterprise
Issue: AMP Fremont Energy Center Project Revenue Bonds, Series
2012 B (Tax-Exempt); Rating: A1; Sale Amount:
$519,000,000; Expected Sale Date: 6/19/2012;
Rating Description: Revenue: Government Enterprise
Opinion
Moody's Investors Service has assigned an A1 rating with a stable
outlook to the American Municipal Power Inc.'s (AMP) $21
million AMP Fremont Energy Center Project Revenue Bonds Series 2012 A
(Taxable) and $519 million AMP Fremont Energy Center Project Revenue
Bonds, Series 2012 B (Tax-Exempt). The bonds are scheduled
to sell in mid-June 2012.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The rating takes into consideration the AMP Fremont Energy Center (AFEC)'s
87 project participants average weighted credit quality in the A2-A1
range; broad diversity of participants; the strong take-or-pay
power contracts and tested and monitored cost recovery process; the
fully funded maximum annual debt service reserve and AMP's sound
strategic planning to manage power supply for its participants.
Most of the participants in this project are located in Ohio. The
state's unemployment rate and personal income growth reflect some
improvement in the economy.
The AFEC is an already operating 675 MW natural gas fired combined cycle
power plant. AMP's acquisition of the two unit facility provides
power resource diversity for its members with the highly efficient plant
that went into commercial operation in January 2012. Reasonable
third-party assumptions have been put forward regarding the expected
sound AFEC plant operation and economic performance. AMP's
objective on behalf of its members is to diversify the power supply to
reduce the significant dependence on volatile wholesale energy market
purchases replacing it with diverse owned generation assets. The
AMP participant's Fremont Energy Center generation will supply on
average 20-25% of the participant's peak load requirements
in 2015.
AMP has an A1 issuer rating reflecting its key role in power supply management
for numerous municipal electric systems in the Midwest; its strong
cost recovery process and sound liquidity position. AMP has 129
members overall representing about 3,512 MW of peak demand located
in seven states.
AMP has had a sound liquidity level, largely through lines of credit
with highly rated banks; and a record of sound management.
Each of AMP's project bonds stand alone, have indentured reserves
and many participants are in more than one project. There is no
cross default among the projects.
The rating on AFEC Project Revenue Bonds also takes into consideration
the significant new leverage resulting from the current offering;
the need in Moody's opinion for AMP to develop fuel procurement
skills since no firm gas supply contracts are yet in place for the natural
gas fired AFEC and generally AMP's exposure to generation ownership
risks. There is also limited water storage facilities for backup
purposes at the AFEC which AMP has a plan to resolve. Also considered
as a risk is the more complicated restructured energy markets (PJM and
MISO) AMP and its participants have to operate in and manage.
Strengths
*AFEC is an already operating 675MW unit which diversifies AMP's
power resource mix
*Certainty in cost recovery due to sound AMP power supply contracts
with its members; the unregulated rate setting authority of almost
all AMP member municipal utilities, including AMP's statutory authority
to increase its wholesale rates on a timely basis and members' ability
to pass on purchased power costs to retail customers. Non-Ohio
participants have sound state statutes regarding take-or-pay
contracts
*No material direct retail competition for municipal electric utilities
in each state served (except for Cleveland Public Power)
*Average weighted credit quality of the diverse group of AMP's
participating member cities is in A2-A1 range
*Strong contract enforcement provisions including AMP's authority
in the event of a contract default by a participating member, in
addition to AMP's credit monitoring system which provides an early warning
of fiscal stress
*The level and availability of internal and external financial liquidity
with bank line agreements with satisfactory terms and conditions
*Demonstrated record of success in managing power supply for AMP's
member municipal electric utilities
*Fully funded debt service reserves for individual separately-secured
generation project debt including AFEC Revenue bonds. No cross
default between projects
Challenges
*Single project risk
*Commodity market risks in management of natural gas supplies for
AFEC
*Strategic plan to shift from market to generation ownership has increased
leverage
*Managing operations of a wholesale electric power utility in restructured
wholesale electricity market
*Some member utilities have customer dominance and above average retail
rates
Outlook:
The stable credit outlook reflects expectations of solid operating performance
and AFEC's expected value to AMP participants with forecasted competitive
power supply and diversity. The two-unit natural gas fired
plants represents a competitive part of the AMP's participants overall
power supply. AMP does have the challenge of navigating commodity
markets and also the restructured energy markets. Strong take-or-pay
contracts that are monitored by AMP for compliance is a major factor underlying
our expectation of stability.
What Could Change the Rating Down:
Any non-compliance with the take-or-pay contracts
would cause the credit rating to be downgraded. Significant deterioration
in the generation asset performance or in the credit quality of participants
could also factor in a downgrade.
What Could Change the Rating Up:
The rating could be upgraded should participant credit quality improve
significantly.
Fundamentals
RATING METHODOLOGY
The principal methodology used in this rating was U.S. Public
Power Electric Utilities With Generation Ownership Exposure published
in November 2011. Please see the Credit Policy page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
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London E 14 5FA, UK, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph
3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies.
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Dan Aschenbach
Senior Vice President
Public Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
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JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Chee Mee Hu
MD - Project Finance
Public Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Releasing Office:
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JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Moody's Assigns A1 to American Municipal Power's (OH) Fremont Energy Center Project Revenue Bonds, Series 2012 A&B; Outlook Stable