Filings Under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as Amended (“Act”), 68481-68484 [05-22453]
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 217 / Thursday, November 10, 2005 / Notices
ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE
SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND
THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
See Blanket Routine Uses, 44 FR
18572, Mar. 28, 1979, and 53 FR 36142,
Sept. 16, 1988. Also, the information in
this system of records is routinely used
to maintain a record of all holders of
identification cards and to identify
those cards that are lost or stolen.
DISCLOSURE TO CONSUMER REPORTING
AGENCIES:
Not applicable.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING,
RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, AND
DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
Individuals who wish to contest their
records should notify: Patricia Randle,
Executive Director, OSHRC, 1120 20th
Street, NW., Ninth Floor, Washington,
DC 20036–3457. For an explanation on
the specific procedures for contesting
the content of a record, refer to 29 CFR
2400.7 (procedures for requesting
amendment).
RETRIEVABILITY:
November 4, 2005.
I. Background
Notice is hereby given that the
following filing(s) has/have been made
with the Commission pursuant to
provisions of the Act and rules
promulgated under the Act. All
interested persons are referred to the
application(s) and/or declaration(s) for
complete statements of the proposed
transaction(s) summarized below. The
application(s) and/or declaration(s) and
any amendment(s) is/are available for
public inspection through the
Commission’s Branch of Public
Reference.
Interested persons wishing to
comment or request a hearing on the
application(s) and/or declaration(s)
should submit their views in writing by
November 29, 2005, to the Secretary,
Securities and Exchange Commission,
100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC
20549–9303, and serve a copy on the
relevant applicant(s) and/or declarant(s)
at the address(es) specified below. Proof
of service (by affidavit or, in the case of
an attorney at law, by certificate) should
be filed with the request. Any request
for hearing should identify specifically
the issues of facts or law that are
A.The Ameren System
EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED FOR THE SYSTEM:
Records are retrievable by (1) An
individual’s name, (2) the identification
card number, and (3) the date on which
the card was issued or destroyed.
SAFEGUARDS:
Records are maintained in a file
cabinet. During duty hours, the file
cabinet is under surveillance of
personnel charged with custody of the
records and, after duty hours, the
records are stored in a locked file
cabinet behind locked doors. Access to
the cabinet is limited to personnel
having a need for access to perform their
official functions.
RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:
The records will be maintained for the
life of the system of records.
SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:
The Administrative Officer at the
following OSHRC locations: 1120 20th
Street, NW., Ninth Floor, Washington,
DC 20036–3457; 100 Alabama Street,
SW., Building 1924, Room 2R90,
Atlanta, GA 30303–3104; and 1244
North Speer Boulevard, Room 250,
Denver, CO 80204–3582.
NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:
Individuals interested in inquiring
about their records should notify:
Patricia Randle, Executive Director,
OSHRC, 1120 20th Street, NW., Ninth
Floor, Washington, DC 20036–3457. For
an explanation on how such requests
should be drafted, refer to 29 CFR
2400.5 (notification), and 29 CFR 2400.6
(procedures for requesting records).
RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
Individuals who wish to gain access
to their records should notify: Patricia
Randle, Executive Director, OSHRC,
1120 20th Street, NW., Ninth Floor,
Washington, DC 20036–3457. For an
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Ameren Corp., et al. (70–8945)
Filings Under the Public Utility Holding
Company Act of 1935, as Amended
(‘‘Act’’)
Information contained in the system
is obtained from individuals who have
been issued OSHRC identification cards.
Stored on paper in a file cabinet.
disputed. A person who so requests will
be notified of any hearing, if ordered,
and will receive a copy of any notice or
order issued in the matter. After
November 29, 2005, the application(s)
and/or declaration(s), as filed or as
amended, may be granted and/or
permitted to become effective.
Ameren Corporation (‘‘Ameren’’), a
registered holding company, 1901
Chouteau Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri
63103, CIPSCO Investment Company
(‘‘CIPSCO Investment’’), a wholly
owned subsidiary of Ameren, and
CIPSCO Investment’s wholly owned
subsidiary, CIPSCO Leasing Company
(‘‘CIPSCO Leasing’’), both of 607 East
Adams Street, Springfield, Illinois
62739, and AmernEnergy Resources
Generating Company (‘‘AERG’’), a
wholly owned indirect electric utility
company subsidiary of Ameren, 300
Liberty Street, Peoria, Illinois 61602,
have filed an application-declaration
under Sections 6(a), 7, 9(a),10, 11(b)(1),
12(b) and 12(f) of the Act and Rules 45
and 54 under the Act (‘‘Application’’).
Applicants seek a divestiture order for
tax purposes that would require the
divestiture of CIPSCO Leasing’s whollyowned subsidiary, CLC Aircraft Leasing
Company (‘‘CLC’’) or of CLC’s 100%
interest in an MD–88 commercial
passenger aircraft that is leased to Delta
Air Lines, Inc. (‘‘Delta’’).
RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
STORAGE:
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explanation on how such requests
should be drafted, refer to 29 CFR
2400.6 (procedures for requesting
records).
68481
None.
Dated: November 3, 2005.
W. Scott Railton,
Chairman.
[FR Doc. 05–22409 Filed 11–9–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7600–01–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 35–28057]
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Ameren directly owns all of the
issued and outstanding common stock
of Union Electric Company, doing
business as ‘‘AmerenUE,’’ Central
Illinois Public Service Company, doing
business as ‘‘AmerenCIPS,’’ and Illinois
Power Company doing business as
‘‘AmerenIP,’’ and indirectly through
CILCORP Inc., an exempt holding
company, owns all of the issued and
outstanding common stock of Central
Illinois Light Company, doing business
as ‘‘AmerenCILCO.’’
Together, AmerenUE, AmerenCIPS,
AmerenIP and AmerenCILCO provide
retail and wholesale electric service to
approximately 2.3 million customers
and retail natural gas service to
approximately 935,000 customers in
parts of Missouri and Illinois. In
addition, AmerenCILCO holds all of the
outstanding common stock of AERG.
AERG is a non-exempt electric utility
generating subsidiary to which
AmerenCILCO transferred substantially
all of its generating assets in October
2003.
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 217 / Thursday, November 10, 2005 / Notices
Ameren also directly owns all of the
issued and outstanding common stock
of CIPSCO Investment, a non-utility
subsidiary that in turn owns all of the
issued and outstanding common stock
of, among other subsidiaries, CIPSCO
Leasing. CIPSCO Leasing, directly or
through subsidiaries, invests in certain
long-term leveraged lease transactions.
As relevant to this Post-Effective
Amendment, CIPSCO Leasing’s whollyowned subsidiary, CLC, holds a 100%
interest as the owner participant in an
MD–88 commercial passenger aircraft
that is leased to Delta (the ‘‘Aircraft
Lease Interest’’).
B. Relevant History
By order dated December 30, 1997, in
this proceeding (Holding Co. Act
Release No. 26809) (the ‘‘Merger
Order’’), the Commission authorized
Ameren to acquire all of the issued and
outstanding common stock of
AmerenUE and CIPSCO Incorporated,
which was then the parent company of
AmerenCIPS, to organize a service
company subsidiary, and to issue and
sell common stock pursuant to certain
stock plans. In addition, the
Commission authorized Ameren to
retain the direct and indirect non-utility
subsidiaries and investments of
AmerenUE and CIPSCO Incorporated,
subject to certain exceptions.
Specifically as it relates to the instant
Application, the Commission
determined that the Aircraft Lease
Interest was retainable under Section
9(c)(3) of the Act.
Although the Aircraft Lease Interest is
a ‘‘passive’’ investment, CIPSCO Leasing
has already captured the tax benefits (in
the form of accelerated depreciation)
associated with the leased equipment.
Thus, the economic characteristics
associated with this investment are no
longer the same as they were at the time
of the Merger Order. Ameren has
concluded, therefore, that the Aircraft
Lease Interest is not retainable under the
standards of either Section 11(b)(1) of
the Act or under Commission
precedents interpreting Section 9(c)(3)
of the Act.
Accordingly, Ameren requests that
the Commission issue a supplemental
order in this proceeding to: (i) Require
Ameren to sell or otherwise dispose of
the Aircraft Lease Interest or of the
equity securities of CLC Aircraft not
later than February 8, 2006; (ii) recite
that such sale or disposition of the
Aircraft Lease Interest or of the equity
securities of CLC Aircraft is necessary or
appropriate to the integration or
simplification of the Ameren holding
company system and to effectuate the
provisions of Section 11(b)(1); (iii)
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require that the net proceeds from such
sale or disposition be utilized within 24
months of the receipt thereof to retire or
cancel securities representing
indebtedness of the transferor or
otherwise expended for property other
than ‘‘nonexempt property’’ within the
meaning of section 1083 of the Internal
Revenue Code, as amended (the ‘‘Code’’)
or invested as a contribution to the
capital, or as paid-in surplus, of another
direct or indirect subsidiary of Ameren
in a manner that satisfies the
nonrecognition provisions of Code
section 1081; and (iv) recite that such
expenditure or investment by the
transferor is necessary or appropriate to
the integration or simplification of the
Ameren holding company system.
C. Summary of Relevant Provisions of
the Code
Ameren explains that Code section
1081(b)(1) provides for the
nonrecognition of gain or loss from a
sale or exchange of property made in
obedience to a Commission order. Code
section 1082(a)(2) requires that any
unrecognized gain under Code section
1081(b)(1) be applied to reduce the basis
of the transferor’s remaining assets in a
specified manner.
Ameren submits that an exception
from this nonrecognition treatment
exists under Code section 1081(b)(2),
which specifies that if property received
in connection with any sale or
disposition is ‘‘nonexempt property,’’
then such ‘‘nonexempt property’’ or an
amount equal to the fair market value of
such ‘‘nonexempt property’’ must,
within 24 months of the time of the
transfer, in accordance with an order of
the Commission, be expended for
property other than ‘‘nonexempt
property’’ or invested as a contribution
to the capital, or as paid-in surplus, of
another corporation, and the
Commission’s order recites that such
expenditure or investment by the
transferor corporation is necessary or
appropriate to the integration or
simplification of the holding company
system of which the transferor
corporation is a member. Code section
1081(b)(3) provides that an appropriate
expenditure for property other than
‘‘nonexempt property’’ for purposes of
Code section 1081(b)(2) includes each of
(1) a payment in complete or partial
retirement or cancellation of securities
representing indebtedness of the
transferor and (2) the amount of any
liability of the transferor that is assumed
(or to which transferred property is
subject) in connection with any transfer
of property in obedience to a
Commission order.
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Ameren further submits that Code
section 1081(d) provides for the
nonrecognition of gain or loss from
certain intercompany transactions
within the same system group if such
transactions are made in obedience to a
Commission order.
D. Sale of the Lease Interests
CIPSCO Leasing intends to seek a
buyer or buyers for the Aircraft Lease
Interest or of the equity securities of
CLC Aircraft in a privately negotiated
transaction. Alternatively, as a result of
the bankruptcy of Delta,1 CLC Aircraft,
as owner participant under the lease,
may, in the bankruptcy proceeding,
forfeit its beneficial interest (as owner
participant) in the leased aircraft if the
indenture trustee, on behalf of the debt
participants in the leveraged lease
transaction, exercises its remedy to take
title to the aircraft.2 Such transfer of the
beneficial interest in the leased aircraft
to the indenture trustee would be
treated as a ‘‘sale’’ for federal income tax
purposes for an amount equal to the
outstanding balance of the leveraged
lease debt. In either event, Ameren
expects that such transfer will result in
a significant amount of gain for federal
income tax purposes. Accordingly,
CIPSCO Leasing will structure any such
transfer in a manner that will enable it
to utilize the non-recognition provisions
of Code section 1081.
In order to achieve this result, the
Applicants will engage in a series of
essentially simultaneous intercompany
transactions the purpose of which is to
structure the sale of the Aircraft Lease
Interest or of the equity securities of
CLC Aircraft to occur from a subsidiary
of Ameren (in this case AERG) that has
sufficient tax basis in similar classes of
property to absorb the basis reductions
required by Code section 1082(b).
More specifically, CIPSCO Leasing
intends to engage in the following
transactions (the ‘‘Proposed
Transactions’’):
1. On or prior to the closing date with
respect to the sale of the Aircraft Lease
Interest or of the equity securities of CLC
Aircraft (the ‘‘Closing Date’’), CIPSCO
1 On September 14, 2005, Delta and its
subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions for
reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S.
Bankruptcy Code. The matter is pending before the
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of
New York.
2 Any such transfer would be qualified by and
subject to any restriction or limitations on transfer
set forth in the operative lease documents, the
Bankruptcy Code, and other applicable law,
including the Revised Interim Order Pursuant to
Sections 105(a) and 362 of the Bankruptcy Code
Establishing Notification Procedures and Approving
Restriction on Certain Transfers of Claims against
and Interests in the Debtors’ Estates entered in the
Delta bankruptcy case on September 16, 2005.
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 217 / Thursday, November 10, 2005 / Notices
Leasing will transfer the stock of CLC Aircraft
to AERG in exchange for a promissory note
in the form of Exhibit B–7 (the ‘‘AERG Note’’)
and/or cash (together, the AERG Note and the
cash are referred to herein as the ‘‘AERG
Consideration’’).
2. On or prior to the Closing Date, Ameren
will cause CLC Aircraft to convert into a
Delaware limited liability company.3
3. On the Closing Date, AERG will either
sell the Aircraft Lease Interest or the
membership interests of CLC Aircraft to a
buyer or buyers in exchange for
consideration (which is expected to be
nominal) or transfer the Aircraft Lease
Interest and/or the membership interests of
CLC Aircraft to the indenture trustee for the
benefit of the debt participants in the existing
leveraged lease structure, which, for federal
income tax purposes, will be treated as a
deemed sale of the Aircraft Lease Interest.
4. Within 24 months after such Closing
Date, AERG will expend the consideration
received from the buyer or buyers to reduce
the AERG Note (if any) or will otherwise
expend or invest such cash in accordance
with Code section 1081(b).
As indicated, the Proposed
Transactions are intended to allow
Ameren to match the unrecognized gain
from the sale of the Aircraft Lease
Interest or of the membership interests
of CLC Aircraft under Code section
1081(b) to AERG since AERG is one of
the subsidiaries of Ameren that has a
sufficiently high tax basis in other
similar classes of property such that the
unrecognized gain can be fully absorbed
by the basis reductions required by
Code section 1082(a)(2).
II. Requests for Authority
Ameren requests that the Commission
authorize (a) AERG to acquire the stock
of CLC Aircraft from CIPSCO Leasing
and (b) AERG to issue and CIPSCO
Leasing to acquire the AERG Note, in
each case prior to February 8, 2006. The
aggregate amount of the AERG
Consideration (i.e., AERG Note and/or
cash) will be fixed on or before the
Closing Date to be equal to or less than
the amount of consideration (which may
be nominal) agreed to be paid by the
buyer or buyers of the Aircraft Lease
Interest or of the membership interests
of CLC Aircraft, such that the proceeds
of the sale will be at least sufficient to
enable AERG to retire the AERG Note (if
any) on or shortly after the Closing Date;
and, in any event will not exceed $10
million. The AERG Note (if any) will
bear interest at a daily floating rate per
annum (computed on the basis of a 360day year consisting of twelve 30 day
3 By order dated December 18, 2003 (Holding Co.
Act Release No. 27777) (the ‘‘December 2003
Order’’), the Commission authorized Ameren and
its non-utility subsidiaries to, among other things,
convert the capital structure of non-utility
subsidiaries from one business form to another.
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months) equal to the ‘‘1-Month
Nonfinancial Commercial Paper’’ rate
published by the Federal Reserve in its
H.15 Selected Interest Rates publication.
In addition, in accordance with Code
section 1081(f), Ameren requests that
the Commission’s supplemental order in
this proceeding confirm that (1) The
proposed disposition of the Aircraft
Lease Interest or of the membership
interests of CLC Aircraft through the
Proposed Transactions will be a
disposition for cash or cash equivalents
in compliance with the supplemental
order, (2) the application of the net
proceeds to retire all or part of the
AERG Note will be a complete or partial
retirement of securities representing
indebtedness of AERG, (3) the amount
of liabilities assumed and the amount of
liabilities to which transferred property
is subject upon the disposition of the
Aircraft Lease Interest or membership
interests of CLC Aircraft through the
Proposed Transactions will be an
expenditure for property other than
‘‘nonexempt property’’ in compliance
with the supplemental order, and (4)
accordingly, each of the Proposed
Transactions is necessary or appropriate
to the integration or simplification of
the Ameren holding company system
and will effectuate the provisions of
Section 11(b)(1) of the Act.
FirstEnergy Corp., et al. (70–10122)
FirstEnergy Corp. (‘‘FirstEnergy’’), a
registered holding company, and the
following subsidiaries of FirstEnergy
(together with FirstEnergy,
‘‘Applicants’’), Ohio Edison Company, a
wholly-owned public-utility company
subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its nonutility
company subsidiaries, The Cleveland
Electric Illuminating Company, a
wholly-owned public-utility company
subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its nonutility
subsidiary companies, The Toledo
Edison Company, a wholly-owned
public-utility company subsidiary of
FirstEnergy, its nonutility subsidiary
companies, Pennsylvania Power
Company (‘‘Penn Power’’), a whollyowned public-utility company
subsidiary of FirstEnergy, American
Transmission Systems, Incorporated
(‘‘ATSI’’), a wholly-owned public-utility
company subsidiary of FirstEnergy,
Jersey Central Power & Light Company
(‘‘JCP&L’’), a wholly-owned publicutility company subsidiary of
FirstEnergy, its nonutility subsidiary
companies, Pennsylvania Electric
Company (‘‘Penelec’’), a wholly-owned
public-utility company subsidiary of
FirstEnergy, its nonutility subsidiary
companies, Metropolitan Edison
Company (‘‘Met-Ed’’), a wholly-owned
public-utility company subsidiary of
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68483
FirstEnergy, its nonutility subsidiary
companies, York Haven Power
Company, a wholly-owned publicutility company subsidiary of
FirstEnergy, The Waverly Electric Power
& Light Company, a wholly-owned
public-utility company subsidiary of
FirstEnergy, FE Acquisition Corp., a
wholly-owned nonutility subsidiary of
FirstEnergy, its nonutility subsidiary
companies, FirstEnergy Properties, Inc.,
a wholly-owned nonutility subsidiary of
FirstEnergy, its nonutility subsidiary
companies, FirstEnergy Facilities
Services Group, LLC, a wholly-owned
nonutility subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its
nonutility subsidiary companies,
FELHC, Inc., a wholly-owned nonutility
subsidiary of FirstEnergy, FirstEnergy
Securities Transfer Company, a whollyowned nonutility subsidiary of
FirstEnergy, FirstEnergy Nuclear
Operating Company, a wholly-owned
nonutility subsidiary of FirstEnergy,
FirstEnergy Solutions Corp., a whollyowned nonutility subsidiary of
FirstEnergy, its nonutility subsidiary
companies, FirstEnergy Ventures Corp.,
a wholly-owned nonutility subsidiary of
FirstEnergy, its nonutility subsidiary
companies, Marbel Energy Corporation,
a wholly-owned nonutility subsidiary of
FirstEnergy, its nonutility subsidiary
companies, FirstEnergy Service
Company (‘‘Service Company’’), a
wholly-owned service company
subsidiary of FirstEnergy, GPU Capital,
Inc., a wholly-owned nonutility
subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its nonutility
subsidiary companies, GPU Electric,
Inc., a wholly-owned nonutility
subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its nonutility
subsidiary companies, GPU Diversified
Holdings, LLC, a wholly-owned
nonutility subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its
nonutility subsidiary companies, GPU
Power, Inc., a wholly-owned nonutility
subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its nonutility
subsidiary companies, FirstEnergy
Telecom Services, Inc., a wholly-owned
nonutility subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its
nonutility subsidiary companies, GPU
Nuclear, Inc., a wholly-owned
nonutility subsidiary of FirstEnergy,
MYR Group, Inc. (‘‘MYR’’), a whollyowned nonutility subsidiary of
FirstEnergy, and its nonutility
subsidiary companies, all 76 South
Main Street, Akron, Ohio 44308, have
filed a post-effective amendment (‘‘PostEffective Amendment’’) to a previously
filed application-declaration under
sections 6(a), 7, 9(a), 10, 12 and 13(b) of
the Act and rules 42, 43, 45, 46, 53, 54,
87(b), and 90–92 under the Act.
By order dated June 30, 2003 (HCAR
No. 27694, as modified ‘‘Current
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 217 / Thursday, November 10, 2005 / Notices
Financing Order’’),4 the Commission
authorized FirstEnergy Corp., an Ohio
corporation (‘‘FirstEnergy’’) and its
subsidiaries to engage in a program of
external financing, intrasystem
financing, and other related transactions
for the period through and including
December 31, 2005 (‘‘Prior
Authorization Period’’). FirstEnergy and
its subsidiaries request by this PostEffective Amendment a further order
extending through February 8, 2006
(‘‘New Authorization Period’’) 5: (1)
Their existing financing authority under
the Current Financing Order; and (2) the
Commission’s reservations of
jurisdiction over various matters,
described below.
Generally, by the Current Financing
Order, the Commission authorized
Applicants to engage in the following
transactions during the Authorization
Period:
(1) FirstEnergy may issue and sell directly
or indirectly through one or more special
purpose financing entities (‘‘Financing
Subsidiaries’’): (a) Common stock and/or
options, warrants, equity-linked securities or
stock purchase contracts convertible into or
exercisable for common stock, (b) preferred
stock and other forms of preferred securities
(including trust preferred securities), (c) new
long-term debt securities having maturities of
one year or more up to 50 years, and (d)
commercial paper, promissory notes and
other forms of short-term indebtedness
having maturities of less than one year
(‘‘Short-term Debt’’) in an aggregate amount
not to exceed $4.5 billion, excluding
securities issued for purposes of refunding or
replacing other outstanding securities where
FirstEnergy’s capitalization is not increased
as a result thereof, provided that the
aggregate amount of Short-term Debt at any
time outstanding shall not exceed $1.5
billion;
(2) FirstEnergy may enter into and perform
interest rate hedging transactions (‘‘Hedge
Instruments’’) and with respect to anticipated
debt offerings (‘‘Anticipatory Hedges’’) to
manage volatility of interest rates associated
with its and its subsidiaries’ outstanding
indebtedness and anticipated debt offerings;
(3) FirstEnergy may issue and/or purchase
on the open market for purposes of
reissuance up to 30 million shares of
common stock and/or stock options or other
stock-based awards exercisable for common
stock pursuant to its dividend reinvestment
and stock-based management incentive and
employee benefits plans (‘‘Stock Plans’’)
maintained by FirstEnergy for the benefit of
shareholders, officers, directors and
employees;
(4) FirstEnergy may issue one purchase
right together with each new share of
common stock issued in accordance with the
authority requested; (5) JCP&L, Penn Power,
4 The
Commission modified HCAR No. 27694 by
order dated November 25, 2003 (HCAR No. 27769).
5 February 8, 2006 is the effective date of repeal
of the Act.
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Met-Ed, Penelec and ATSI may issue and sell
Short-term Debt in aggregate principal
amounts at any time outstanding not to
exceed: (a) in the case of JCP&L and Penn
Power, the limitation on short-term
indebtedness contained in their respective
charters ($414 million and $49 million,
respectively, as of June 30, 2005), (b) $250
million in the cases of Penelec and Met-Ed,
and (c) $500 million in the case of ATSI;
(5) FirstEnergy may guarantee and provide
other forms of credit support (‘‘FirstEnergy
Guarantees’’) on behalf of its subsidiaries in
an aggregate amount which, taking into
account any guarantees provided by
FirstEnergy’s nonutility subsidiaries
(‘‘Nonutility Subsidiaries’’), will not exceed
$4.0 billion outstanding at any time;
(6) FirstEnergy may maintain and continue
funding a money pool (‘‘Utility Money Pool’’)
for its public-utility company subsidiaries
(‘‘Utility Subsidiaries’’) and a separate money
pool (‘‘Nonutility Money Pool’’) for the
benefit of the Nonutility Subsidiaries
(together, ‘‘Money Pools’’) and, to the extent
not exempt under rule 52, FirstEnergy’s
subsidiaries may borrow and extend credit to
each other through the Money Pools by
issuing and acquiring demand notes
evidencing those borrowings and extensions
of credit; 6
(7) Applicants are authorized to make
loans Nonutility Subsidiaries that are less
than wholly-owned (directly or indirectly) by
FirstEnergy at interest rates and maturities
designed to provide a return to the lending
company of not less than its effective cost of
capital;
(8) FirstEnergy and the Subsidiaries may
enter into a tax allocation agreement with
respect to tax year 2002 and later years that
does not conform in all respects to the
requirements of rule 45(c);
(9) FirstEnergy and the Subsidiaries may
change the capitalization of any Subsidiary
50% or more of whose stock is held by
FirstEnergy or any other intermediate parent
company;
(10) Nonutility Subsidiaries may declare
and pay dividends out of capital or unearned
surplus, subject to certain restrictions;
(11) FirstEnergy may acquire interests in
certain companies (‘‘Energy Related
Companies’’) that would qualify as ‘‘energyrelated companies,’’ as defined in rule 58, but
for the fact that a substantial portion of their
revenues are derived from activities outside
the United States,7 subject to certain
reservations of jurisdiction described below;
(12) FirstEnergy may invest, directly or
through Nonutility Subsidiaries, up to $300
million at any time on preliminary
development activities relating to potential
new investments in nonutility businesses;
(13) FirstEnergy may consolidate the direct
and indirect ownership interests in certain
6 The Nonutility Subsidiaries and Utility
Subsidiaries are referred to collectively as
‘‘Subsidiaries.’’
7 More specifically, Energy Related Companies
may engage in energy management and consulting
activities anywhere outside the United States and
energy marketing and related activities in Canada
and Mexico. Under the Current Financing Order,
investments in Energy Related Companies count
toward FirstEnergy’s limit under rule 58 on
investments in ‘‘energy-related companies.’’
PO 00000
Frm 00093
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
existing nonutility businesses and former
subsidiaries of GPU, Inc. (‘‘GPU’’) under one
or more existing or future nonutility holding
companies; and
(14) to the extent not exempt under rule
90(d), Nonutility Subsidiaries may provide
services and sell goods to certain specified
types of Nonutility Subsidiaries at market
prices determined without regard to cost.
The authorized securities are subject
to numerous terms, conditions, and
limitations, including: Limitations on
interest rate, maturity, issuance
expenses, and use of proceeds;
commitments by FirstEnergy and each
of the Utility Subsidiaries to maintain
common equity equal to at least 30% of
consolidated capitalization; and certain
investment grade rating criteria as
applicable to securities (other than
common stock of FirstEnergy and
Money Pool borrowings) to be issued
pursuant to the authority granted under
the Current Financing Order and to
other outstanding securities of the issuer
and of FirstEnergy.
By the Current Financing Order, the
Commission reserved jurisdiction,
pending completion of the record, over:
(1) Issuances of securities in those
circumstances where FirstEnergy or a
Utility Subsidiary does not comply with
the 30% common equity criteria
(described above); (2) issuances of
securities where one or more of
investment grade ratings criteria are not
met; (3) entering into Hedge Instruments
and Anticipatory Hedges by FirstEnergy
that do not qualify for hedge accounting
treatment by the Financial Accounting
Standards Board; (4) issuances by
FirstEnergy of guarantees on behalf of
its Subsidiaries for the benefit of nonaffiliated third parties; (5) the ability of
FirstEnergy to make certain additional
investments in ‘‘exempt wholesale
generators’’ and ‘‘foreign utility
companies,’’ as those terms are defined
by sections 32 and 33 of the Act,
respectively, in an amount over $1.5
billion; (6) the ability of Energy Related
Companies to engage in energy
marketing outside of the United States,
Canada and Mexico; and (7) the ability
of Energy Related Companies to engage
in the sale of infrastructure services
anywhere outside the United States.8
For the Commission, by the Division of
Investment Management, pursuant to
delegated authority.
Jonathan G. Katz,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 05–22453 Filed 11–9–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010–01–P
8 In a separate, pending post-effective
amendment, FirstEnergy is requesting that the
Commission release jurisdiction over the sale of
infrastructure services by MYR and other Energy
Related Companies in Canada.
E:\FR\FM\10NON1.SGM
10NON1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 217 (Thursday, November 10, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68481-68484]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-22453]
=======================================================================
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 35-28057]
Filings Under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as
Amended (``Act'')
November 4, 2005.
Notice is hereby given that the following filing(s) has/have been
made with the Commission pursuant to provisions of the Act and rules
promulgated under the Act. All interested persons are referred to the
application(s) and/or declaration(s) for complete statements of the
proposed transaction(s) summarized below. The application(s) and/or
declaration(s) and any amendment(s) is/are available for public
inspection through the Commission's Branch of Public Reference.
Interested persons wishing to comment or request a hearing on the
application(s) and/or declaration(s) should submit their views in
writing by November 29, 2005, to the Secretary, Securities and Exchange
Commission, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549-9303, and serve a
copy on the relevant applicant(s) and/or declarant(s) at the
address(es) specified below. Proof of service (by affidavit or, in the
case of an attorney at law, by certificate) should be filed with the
request. Any request for hearing should identify specifically the
issues of facts or law that are disputed. A person who so requests will
be notified of any hearing, if ordered, and will receive a copy of any
notice or order issued in the matter. After November 29, 2005, the
application(s) and/or declaration(s), as filed or as amended, may be
granted and/or permitted to become effective.
Ameren Corp., et al. (70-8945)
Ameren Corporation (``Ameren''), a registered holding company, 1901
Chouteau Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, CIPSCO Investment Company
(``CIPSCO Investment''), a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameren, and
CIPSCO Investment's wholly owned subsidiary, CIPSCO Leasing Company
(``CIPSCO Leasing''), both of 607 East Adams Street, Springfield,
Illinois 62739, and AmernEnergy Resources Generating Company
(``AERG''), a wholly owned indirect electric utility company subsidiary
of Ameren, 300 Liberty Street, Peoria, Illinois 61602, have filed an
application-declaration under Sections 6(a), 7, 9(a),10, 11(b)(1),
12(b) and 12(f) of the Act and Rules 45 and 54 under the Act
(``Application'').
Applicants seek a divestiture order for tax purposes that would
require the divestiture of CIPSCO Leasing's wholly-owned subsidiary,
CLC Aircraft Leasing Company (``CLC'') or of CLC's 100% interest in an
MD-88 commercial passenger aircraft that is leased to Delta Air Lines,
Inc. (``Delta'').
I. Background
A.The Ameren System
Ameren directly owns all of the issued and outstanding common stock
of Union Electric Company, doing business as ``AmerenUE,'' Central
Illinois Public Service Company, doing business as ``AmerenCIPS,'' and
Illinois Power Company doing business as ``AmerenIP,'' and indirectly
through CILCORP Inc., an exempt holding company, owns all of the issued
and outstanding common stock of Central Illinois Light Company, doing
business as ``AmerenCILCO.''
Together, AmerenUE, AmerenCIPS, AmerenIP and AmerenCILCO provide
retail and wholesale electric service to approximately 2.3 million
customers and retail natural gas service to approximately 935,000
customers in parts of Missouri and Illinois. In addition, AmerenCILCO
holds all of the outstanding common stock of AERG. AERG is a non-exempt
electric utility generating subsidiary to which AmerenCILCO transferred
substantially all of its generating assets in October 2003.
[[Page 68482]]
Ameren also directly owns all of the issued and outstanding common
stock of CIPSCO Investment, a non-utility subsidiary that in turn owns
all of the issued and outstanding common stock of, among other
subsidiaries, CIPSCO Leasing. CIPSCO Leasing, directly or through
subsidiaries, invests in certain long-term leveraged lease
transactions. As relevant to this Post-Effective Amendment, CIPSCO
Leasing's wholly-owned subsidiary, CLC, holds a 100% interest as the
owner participant in an MD-88 commercial passenger aircraft that is
leased to Delta (the ``Aircraft Lease Interest'').
B. Relevant History
By order dated December 30, 1997, in this proceeding (Holding Co.
Act Release No. 26809) (the ``Merger Order''), the Commission
authorized Ameren to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common
stock of AmerenUE and CIPSCO Incorporated, which was then the parent
company of AmerenCIPS, to organize a service company subsidiary, and to
issue and sell common stock pursuant to certain stock plans. In
addition, the Commission authorized Ameren to retain the direct and
indirect non-utility subsidiaries and investments of AmerenUE and
CIPSCO Incorporated, subject to certain exceptions. Specifically as it
relates to the instant Application, the Commission determined that the
Aircraft Lease Interest was retainable under Section 9(c)(3) of the
Act.
Although the Aircraft Lease Interest is a ``passive'' investment,
CIPSCO Leasing has already captured the tax benefits (in the form of
accelerated depreciation) associated with the leased equipment. Thus,
the economic characteristics associated with this investment are no
longer the same as they were at the time of the Merger Order. Ameren
has concluded, therefore, that the Aircraft Lease Interest is not
retainable under the standards of either Section 11(b)(1) of the Act or
under Commission precedents interpreting Section 9(c)(3) of the Act.
Accordingly, Ameren requests that the Commission issue a
supplemental order in this proceeding to: (i) Require Ameren to sell or
otherwise dispose of the Aircraft Lease Interest or of the equity
securities of CLC Aircraft not later than February 8, 2006; (ii) recite
that such sale or disposition of the Aircraft Lease Interest or of the
equity securities of CLC Aircraft is necessary or appropriate to the
integration or simplification of the Ameren holding company system and
to effectuate the provisions of Section 11(b)(1); (iii) require that
the net proceeds from such sale or disposition be utilized within 24
months of the receipt thereof to retire or cancel securities
representing indebtedness of the transferor or otherwise expended for
property other than ``nonexempt property'' within the meaning of
section 1083 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended (the ``Code'') or
invested as a contribution to the capital, or as paid-in surplus, of
another direct or indirect subsidiary of Ameren in a manner that
satisfies the nonrecognition provisions of Code section 1081; and (iv)
recite that such expenditure or investment by the transferor is
necessary or appropriate to the integration or simplification of the
Ameren holding company system.
C. Summary of Relevant Provisions of the Code
Ameren explains that Code section 1081(b)(1) provides for the
nonrecognition of gain or loss from a sale or exchange of property made
in obedience to a Commission order. Code section 1082(a)(2) requires
that any unrecognized gain under Code section 1081(b)(1) be applied to
reduce the basis of the transferor's remaining assets in a specified
manner.
Ameren submits that an exception from this nonrecognition treatment
exists under Code section 1081(b)(2), which specifies that if property
received in connection with any sale or disposition is ``nonexempt
property,'' then such ``nonexempt property'' or an amount equal to the
fair market value of such ``nonexempt property'' must, within 24 months
of the time of the transfer, in accordance with an order of the
Commission, be expended for property other than ``nonexempt property''
or invested as a contribution to the capital, or as paid-in surplus, of
another corporation, and the Commission's order recites that such
expenditure or investment by the transferor corporation is necessary or
appropriate to the integration or simplification of the holding company
system of which the transferor corporation is a member. Code section
1081(b)(3) provides that an appropriate expenditure for property other
than ``nonexempt property'' for purposes of Code section 1081(b)(2)
includes each of (1) a payment in complete or partial retirement or
cancellation of securities representing indebtedness of the transferor
and (2) the amount of any liability of the transferor that is assumed
(or to which transferred property is subject) in connection with any
transfer of property in obedience to a Commission order.
Ameren further submits that Code section 1081(d) provides for the
nonrecognition of gain or loss from certain intercompany transactions
within the same system group if such transactions are made in obedience
to a Commission order.
D. Sale of the Lease Interests
CIPSCO Leasing intends to seek a buyer or buyers for the Aircraft
Lease Interest or of the equity securities of CLC Aircraft in a
privately negotiated transaction. Alternatively, as a result of the
bankruptcy of Delta,\1\ CLC Aircraft, as owner participant under the
lease, may, in the bankruptcy proceeding, forfeit its beneficial
interest (as owner participant) in the leased aircraft if the indenture
trustee, on behalf of the debt participants in the leveraged lease
transaction, exercises its remedy to take title to the aircraft.\2\
Such transfer of the beneficial interest in the leased aircraft to the
indenture trustee would be treated as a ``sale'' for federal income tax
purposes for an amount equal to the outstanding balance of the
leveraged lease debt. In either event, Ameren expects that such
transfer will result in a significant amount of gain for federal income
tax purposes. Accordingly, CIPSCO Leasing will structure any such
transfer in a manner that will enable it to utilize the non-recognition
provisions of Code section 1081.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ On September 14, 2005, Delta and its subsidiaries filed
voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S.
Bankruptcy Code. The matter is pending before the U.S. Bankruptcy
Court for the Southern District of New York.
\2\ Any such transfer would be qualified by and subject to any
restriction or limitations on transfer set forth in the operative
lease documents, the Bankruptcy Code, and other applicable law,
including the Revised Interim Order Pursuant to Sections 105(a) and
362 of the Bankruptcy Code Establishing Notification Procedures and
Approving Restriction on Certain Transfers of Claims against and
Interests in the Debtors' Estates entered in the Delta bankruptcy
case on September 16, 2005.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In order to achieve this result, the Applicants will engage in a
series of essentially simultaneous intercompany transactions the
purpose of which is to structure the sale of the Aircraft Lease
Interest or of the equity securities of CLC Aircraft to occur from a
subsidiary of Ameren (in this case AERG) that has sufficient tax basis
in similar classes of property to absorb the basis reductions required
by Code section 1082(b).
More specifically, CIPSCO Leasing intends to engage in the
following transactions (the ``Proposed Transactions''):
1. On or prior to the closing date with respect to the sale of
the Aircraft Lease Interest or of the equity securities of CLC
Aircraft (the ``Closing Date''), CIPSCO
[[Page 68483]]
Leasing will transfer the stock of CLC Aircraft to AERG in exchange
for a promissory note in the form of Exhibit B-7 (the ``AERG Note'')
and/or cash (together, the AERG Note and the cash are referred to
herein as the ``AERG Consideration'').
2. On or prior to the Closing Date, Ameren will cause CLC
Aircraft to convert into a Delaware limited liability company.\3\
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\3\ By order dated December 18, 2003 (Holding Co. Act Release
No. 27777) (the ``December 2003 Order''), the Commission authorized
Ameren and its non-utility subsidiaries to, among other things,
convert the capital structure of non-utility subsidiaries from one
business form to another.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. On the Closing Date, AERG will either sell the Aircraft Lease
Interest or the membership interests of CLC Aircraft to a buyer or
buyers in exchange for consideration (which is expected to be
nominal) or transfer the Aircraft Lease Interest and/or the
membership interests of CLC Aircraft to the indenture trustee for
the benefit of the debt participants in the existing leveraged lease
structure, which, for federal income tax purposes, will be treated
as a deemed sale of the Aircraft Lease Interest.
4. Within 24 months after such Closing Date, AERG will expend
the consideration received from the buyer or buyers to reduce the
AERG Note (if any) or will otherwise expend or invest such cash in
accordance with Code section 1081(b).
As indicated, the Proposed Transactions are intended to allow
Ameren to match the unrecognized gain from the sale of the Aircraft
Lease Interest or of the membership interests of CLC Aircraft under
Code section 1081(b) to AERG since AERG is one of the subsidiaries of
Ameren that has a sufficiently high tax basis in other similar classes
of property such that the unrecognized gain can be fully absorbed by
the basis reductions required by Code section 1082(a)(2).
II. Requests for Authority
Ameren requests that the Commission authorize (a) AERG to acquire
the stock of CLC Aircraft from CIPSCO Leasing and (b) AERG to issue and
CIPSCO Leasing to acquire the AERG Note, in each case prior to February
8, 2006. The aggregate amount of the AERG Consideration (i.e., AERG
Note and/or cash) will be fixed on or before the Closing Date to be
equal to or less than the amount of consideration (which may be
nominal) agreed to be paid by the buyer or buyers of the Aircraft Lease
Interest or of the membership interests of CLC Aircraft, such that the
proceeds of the sale will be at least sufficient to enable AERG to
retire the AERG Note (if any) on or shortly after the Closing Date;
and, in any event will not exceed $10 million. The AERG Note (if any)
will bear interest at a daily floating rate per annum (computed on the
basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30 day months) equal to
the ``1-Month Nonfinancial Commercial Paper'' rate published by the
Federal Reserve in its H.15 Selected Interest Rates publication.
In addition, in accordance with Code section 1081(f), Ameren
requests that the Commission's supplemental order in this proceeding
confirm that (1) The proposed disposition of the Aircraft Lease
Interest or of the membership interests of CLC Aircraft through the
Proposed Transactions will be a disposition for cash or cash
equivalents in compliance with the supplemental order, (2) the
application of the net proceeds to retire all or part of the AERG Note
will be a complete or partial retirement of securities representing
indebtedness of AERG, (3) the amount of liabilities assumed and the
amount of liabilities to which transferred property is subject upon the
disposition of the Aircraft Lease Interest or membership interests of
CLC Aircraft through the Proposed Transactions will be an expenditure
for property other than ``nonexempt property'' in compliance with the
supplemental order, and (4) accordingly, each of the Proposed
Transactions is necessary or appropriate to the integration or
simplification of the Ameren holding company system and will effectuate
the provisions of Section 11(b)(1) of the Act.
FirstEnergy Corp., et al. (70-10122)
FirstEnergy Corp. (``FirstEnergy''), a registered holding company,
and the following subsidiaries of FirstEnergy (together with
FirstEnergy, ``Applicants''), Ohio Edison Company, a wholly-owned
public-utility company subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its nonutility
company subsidiaries, The Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company, a
wholly-owned public-utility company subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its
nonutility subsidiary companies, The Toledo Edison Company, a wholly-
owned public-utility company subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its nonutility
subsidiary companies, Pennsylvania Power Company (``Penn Power''), a
wholly-owned public-utility company subsidiary of FirstEnergy, American
Transmission Systems, Incorporated (``ATSI''), a wholly-owned public-
utility company subsidiary of FirstEnergy, Jersey Central Power & Light
Company (``JCP&L''), a wholly-owned public-utility company subsidiary
of FirstEnergy, its nonutility subsidiary companies, Pennsylvania
Electric Company (``Penelec''), a wholly-owned public-utility company
subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its nonutility subsidiary companies,
Metropolitan Edison Company (``Met-Ed''), a wholly-owned public-utility
company subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its nonutility subsidiary companies,
York Haven Power Company, a wholly-owned public-utility company
subsidiary of FirstEnergy, The Waverly Electric Power & Light Company,
a wholly-owned public-utility company subsidiary of FirstEnergy, FE
Acquisition Corp., a wholly-owned nonutility subsidiary of FirstEnergy,
its nonutility subsidiary companies, FirstEnergy Properties, Inc., a
wholly-owned nonutility subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its nonutility
subsidiary companies, FirstEnergy Facilities Services Group, LLC, a
wholly-owned nonutility subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its nonutility
subsidiary companies, FELHC, Inc., a wholly-owned nonutility subsidiary
of FirstEnergy, FirstEnergy Securities Transfer Company, a wholly-owned
nonutility subsidiary of FirstEnergy, FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating
Company, a wholly-owned nonutility subsidiary of FirstEnergy,
FirstEnergy Solutions Corp., a wholly-owned nonutility subsidiary of
FirstEnergy, its nonutility subsidiary companies, FirstEnergy Ventures
Corp., a wholly-owned nonutility subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its
nonutility subsidiary companies, Marbel Energy Corporation, a wholly-
owned nonutility subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its nonutility subsidiary
companies, FirstEnergy Service Company (``Service Company''), a wholly-
owned service company subsidiary of FirstEnergy, GPU Capital, Inc., a
wholly-owned nonutility subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its nonutility
subsidiary companies, GPU Electric, Inc., a wholly-owned nonutility
subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its nonutility subsidiary companies, GPU
Diversified Holdings, LLC, a wholly-owned nonutility subsidiary of
FirstEnergy, its nonutility subsidiary companies, GPU Power, Inc., a
wholly-owned nonutility subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its nonutility
subsidiary companies, FirstEnergy Telecom Services, Inc., a wholly-
owned nonutility subsidiary of FirstEnergy, its nonutility subsidiary
companies, GPU Nuclear, Inc., a wholly-owned nonutility subsidiary of
FirstEnergy, MYR Group, Inc. (``MYR''), a wholly-owned nonutility
subsidiary of FirstEnergy, and its nonutility subsidiary companies, all
76 South Main Street, Akron, Ohio 44308, have filed a post-effective
amendment (``Post-Effective Amendment'') to a previously filed
application-declaration under sections 6(a), 7, 9(a), 10, 12 and 13(b)
of the Act and rules 42, 43, 45, 46, 53, 54, 87(b), and 90-92 under the
Act.
By order dated June 30, 2003 (HCAR No. 27694, as modified ``Current
[[Page 68484]]
Financing Order''),\4\ the Commission authorized FirstEnergy Corp., an
Ohio corporation (``FirstEnergy'') and its subsidiaries to engage in a
program of external financing, intrasystem financing, and other related
transactions for the period through and including December 31, 2005
(``Prior Authorization Period''). FirstEnergy and its subsidiaries
request by this Post-Effective Amendment a further order extending
through February 8, 2006 (``New Authorization Period'') \5\: (1) Their
existing financing authority under the Current Financing Order; and (2)
the Commission's reservations of jurisdiction over various matters,
described below.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ The Commission modified HCAR No. 27694 by order dated
November 25, 2003 (HCAR No. 27769).
\5\ February 8, 2006 is the effective date of repeal of the Act.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Generally, by the Current Financing Order, the Commission
authorized Applicants to engage in the following transactions during
the Authorization Period:
(1) FirstEnergy may issue and sell directly or indirectly
through one or more special purpose financing entities (``Financing
Subsidiaries''): (a) Common stock and/or options, warrants, equity-
linked securities or stock purchase contracts convertible into or
exercisable for common stock, (b) preferred stock and other forms of
preferred securities (including trust preferred securities), (c) new
long-term debt securities having maturities of one year or more up
to 50 years, and (d) commercial paper, promissory notes and other
forms of short-term indebtedness having maturities of less than one
year (``Short-term Debt'') in an aggregate amount not to exceed $4.5
billion, excluding securities issued for purposes of refunding or
replacing other outstanding securities where FirstEnergy's
capitalization is not increased as a result thereof, provided that
the aggregate amount of Short-term Debt at any time outstanding
shall not exceed $1.5 billion;
(2) FirstEnergy may enter into and perform interest rate hedging
transactions (``Hedge Instruments'') and with respect to anticipated
debt offerings (``Anticipatory Hedges'') to manage volatility of
interest rates associated with its and its subsidiaries' outstanding
indebtedness and anticipated debt offerings;
(3) FirstEnergy may issue and/or purchase on the open market for
purposes of reissuance up to 30 million shares of common stock and/
or stock options or other stock-based awards exercisable for common
stock pursuant to its dividend reinvestment and stock-based
management incentive and employee benefits plans (``Stock Plans'')
maintained by FirstEnergy for the benefit of shareholders, officers,
directors and employees;
(4) FirstEnergy may issue one purchase right together with each
new share of common stock issued in accordance with the authority
requested; (5) JCP&L, Penn Power, Met-Ed, Penelec and ATSI may issue
and sell Short-term Debt in aggregate principal amounts at any time
outstanding not to exceed: (a) in the case of JCP&L and Penn Power,
the limitation on short-term indebtedness contained in their
respective charters ($414 million and $49 million, respectively, as
of June 30, 2005), (b) $250 million in the cases of Penelec and Met-
Ed, and (c) $500 million in the case of ATSI;
(5) FirstEnergy may guarantee and provide other forms of credit
support (``FirstEnergy Guarantees'') on behalf of its subsidiaries
in an aggregate amount which, taking into account any guarantees
provided by FirstEnergy's nonutility subsidiaries (``Nonutility
Subsidiaries''), will not exceed $4.0 billion outstanding at any
time;
(6) FirstEnergy may maintain and continue funding a money pool
(``Utility Money Pool'') for its public-utility company subsidiaries
(``Utility Subsidiaries'') and a separate money pool (``Nonutility
Money Pool'') for the benefit of the Nonutility Subsidiaries
(together, ``Money Pools'') and, to the extent not exempt under rule
52, FirstEnergy's subsidiaries may borrow and extend credit to each
other through the Money Pools by issuing and acquiring demand notes
evidencing those borrowings and extensions of credit; \6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ The Nonutility Subsidiaries and Utility Subsidiaries are
referred to collectively as ``Subsidiaries.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(7) Applicants are authorized to make loans Nonutility
Subsidiaries that are less than wholly-owned (directly or
indirectly) by FirstEnergy at interest rates and maturities designed
to provide a return to the lending company of not less than its
effective cost of capital;
(8) FirstEnergy and the Subsidiaries may enter into a tax
allocation agreement with respect to tax year 2002 and later years
that does not conform in all respects to the requirements of rule
45(c);
(9) FirstEnergy and the Subsidiaries may change the
capitalization of any Subsidiary 50% or more of whose stock is held
by FirstEnergy or any other intermediate parent company;
(10) Nonutility Subsidiaries may declare and pay dividends out
of capital or unearned surplus, subject to certain restrictions;
(11) FirstEnergy may acquire interests in certain companies
(``Energy Related Companies'') that would qualify as ``energy-
related companies,'' as defined in rule 58, but for the fact that a
substantial portion of their revenues are derived from activities
outside the United States,\7\ subject to certain reservations of
jurisdiction described below;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ More specifically, Energy Related Companies may engage in
energy management and consulting activities anywhere outside the
United States and energy marketing and related activities in Canada
and Mexico. Under the Current Financing Order, investments in Energy
Related Companies count toward FirstEnergy's limit under rule 58 on
investments in ``energy-related companies.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(12) FirstEnergy may invest, directly or through Nonutility
Subsidiaries, up to $300 million at any time on preliminary
development activities relating to potential new investments in
nonutility businesses;
(13) FirstEnergy may consolidate the direct and indirect
ownership interests in certain existing nonutility businesses and
former subsidiaries of GPU, Inc. (``GPU'') under one or more
existing or future nonutility holding companies; and
(14) to the extent not exempt under rule 90(d), Nonutility
Subsidiaries may provide services and sell goods to certain
specified types of Nonutility Subsidiaries at market prices
determined without regard to cost.
The authorized securities are subject to numerous terms,
conditions, and limitations, including: Limitations on interest rate,
maturity, issuance expenses, and use of proceeds; commitments by
FirstEnergy and each of the Utility Subsidiaries to maintain common
equity equal to at least 30% of consolidated capitalization; and
certain investment grade rating criteria as applicable to securities
(other than common stock of FirstEnergy and Money Pool borrowings) to
be issued pursuant to the authority granted under the Current Financing
Order and to other outstanding securities of the issuer and of
FirstEnergy.
By the Current Financing Order, the Commission reserved
jurisdiction, pending completion of the record, over: (1) Issuances of
securities in those circumstances where FirstEnergy or a Utility
Subsidiary does not comply with the 30% common equity criteria
(described above); (2) issuances of securities where one or more of
investment grade ratings criteria are not met; (3) entering into Hedge
Instruments and Anticipatory Hedges by FirstEnergy that do not qualify
for hedge accounting treatment by the Financial Accounting Standards
Board; (4) issuances by FirstEnergy of guarantees on behalf of its
Subsidiaries for the benefit of non-affiliated third parties; (5) the
ability of FirstEnergy to make certain additional investments in
``exempt wholesale generators'' and ``foreign utility companies,'' as
those terms are defined by sections 32 and 33 of the Act, respectively,
in an amount over $1.5 billion; (6) the ability of Energy Related
Companies to engage in energy marketing outside of the United States,
Canada and Mexico; and (7) the ability of Energy Related Companies to
engage in the sale of infrastructure services anywhere outside the
United States.\8\
For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management,
pursuant to delegated authority.
Jonathan G. Katz,
Secretary.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ In a separate, pending post-effective amendment, FirstEnergy
is requesting that the Commission release jurisdiction over the sale
of infrastructure services by MYR and other Energy Related Companies
in Canada.
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[FR Doc. 05-22453 Filed 11-9-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-P