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Prepared By R.R. Donnelley Financial -- Form 8-K
 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington D.C., 20549
 
Form 8-K
 
Current Report
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 
Date Of Report (Date Of Earliest Event Reported):  04/01/2004
 
CENTERPOINT ENERGY HOUSTON ELECTRIC LLC
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
 
Commission File Number:  001-3187
 
TX
  
22-3865106
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
  
(I.R.S. Employer
Incorporation or Organization)
  
Identification No.)
 
1111 Louisiana
Houston, TX 77002
(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Including Zip Code)
 
713-207-7451
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
 

Items to be Included in this Report

 
Item 5.    Other events
 
On March 31, 2004, CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC ("CenterPoint Houston"), a wholly owned subsidiary of CenterPoint Energy, Inc. ("CenterPoint Energy"), Texas Genco LP and Reliant Energy Retail Services LLC filed with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (the "Texas Utility Commission") the final true-up application required by the 1999 Texas Electric Choice Law (the "Texas electric restructuring law"). The Texas electric restructuring law authorizes public utilities to recover in 2004 a true-up balance composed of stranded power plant costs, the cost of environmental controls and certain other transition costs. CenterPoint Energy's true-up balance is $3.8 billion. An additional $631 million in interest could be added if approved in a pending court proceeding.
The Texas electric restructuring law requires a final order to be issued by the Texas Utility Commission not more than 150 days after a proper filing is made by the regulated utility, although under its r ules the Texas Utility Commission can extend the 150-day deadline for good cause. The true-up proceeding will result in either additional charges being assessed on, or credits being issued to, retail electric customers.
 
 
Item 7.    Financial statements and exhibits
 
The exhibit listed below is furnished pursuant to Item 9 of this Form 8-K.

(c)        Exhibits.

99.1        CenterPoint Energy, Inc. true-up balance slide

 
 
Item 9.    Regulation FD Disclosure
 
A copy of the true-up balance slide that CenterPoint Energy expects will be presented to various members of the financial and investment community from time to time is attached to this report as Exhibit 99.1.

The slide is being furnished, not filed, pursuant to Regulation FD. Accordingly, the slide will not be incorporated by reference into any registration statement filed by CenterPoint Energy or CenterPoint Houston under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, unless specifically identified therein as being incorporated therein by reference. The furnishing of the slide is not intended to, and does not, constitute a determination or admission by CenterPoint Energy or CenterPoint Houston that the information in the slide is material or complete, or that investors should consider this information before making an investment decision with respect to any security of CenterPoint Energy, CenterPoint Houston or any of their affiliates.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Some of the statements in this report and in the exhibit attached hereto are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements. You can generally identify our forward-looking statements by the words "could," "will" or other similar words.

We have based our forward-looking statements on our management's beliefs and assumptions based on information available to our management at the time the statements are made. We caution you that assumptions, beliefs, expectations, intentions and projections about future events may and often do vary materially from actual results. Therefore, we cannot assure you that actual results will not differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements.
CenterPoint Energy's inability to recover the full value of its true-up balance could cause actual resu lts to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement.
 

 

Signature(s)
 
Pursuant to the Requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the Undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
 
      
 
    CENTERPOINT ENERGY HOUSTON ELECTRIC LLC
 
 
Date: April 01, 2004.
     
By:
 
/s/    James S. Brian
               
        James S. Brian
               
Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer
 
 

 

Exhibit Index
 
CenterPoint Energy True-Up Balance
Exhibit No.
  
Description
EX-99.1
  
True Up Filing Chart

CenterPoint Energy True-Up Balance

As filed March 31, 2004 (1)

Stranded Costs

($ in millions)

Net Book Value of Generation Assets (2)

$ 4,561

Regulatory assets and deferred debits

175

Above Market Purchase Power Costs

48

Market Value of Generation Assets (3)

(2,908)

$ 1,876

Environmental Costs

$ 718

Other Transition Charges/ Credits

Final Fuel Under-recovery Balance (4)

$ 20

Capacity Auction True-up (ECOM)

1,357

Price to Beat Retail Clawback

$ (177)

$ 1,200

Total True-up Balance - Without interest

$ 3,794

Interest on Stranded Costs (5)

$631

(1) Not conformed to PUC required filing format. All calculations assume a final order is issued on August 28, 2004, with payments of Excess Mitigation Credits (EMCs) discontinued as of that date.

(2) Reflects the reversal of T&D redirected depreciation and excess mitigation credits through August 2004 and excludes all environmental costs.

(3) Based on $36.26 per share of Texas Genco, plus debt, without inclusion of a control premium.

(4) Does not reflect disallowance of $117 million, including interest, recommended in PUC Docket 26195, Proposal for Decision. Final fuel balance could range from $20 million under-recovery to $106 million over-recovery, depending on final PUC decision.

(5) To be added to the total if approved on appeal.

 

 

Exhibit 99.1