tbc2form10_q.htm
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-Q
(Mark
One)
þ QUARTERLY REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
FOR THE
QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2008
OR
o TRANSITION REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
FOR THE
TRANSITION PERIOD FROM ____________ TO _______________.
Commission
File Number 333-121505
CenterPoint
Energy Transition Bond Company II, LLC
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
|
59-3790472
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
|
(I.R.S.
Employer Identification Number)
|
|
|
1111
Louisiana, Suite 4655B
Houston,
Texas 77002
|
(713)
207-5222
|
(Address
and zip code of principal executive offices)
|
(Registrant’s
telephone number, including area
code)
|
______________________________
The
registrant meets the conditions set forth in General Instruction H(1)(a) and (b)
of Form 10-Q and is therefore filing this Form 10-Q with the reduced disclosure
format.
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. Yes R No
£
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See
definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer” and “smaller
reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check
one):
Large
accelerated filer o
|
Accelerated
filer o
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Non-accelerated
filer þ
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Smaller
reporting company o
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(Do
not check if a smaller reporting company)
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|
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes £ No R
As of
October 31, 2008, all outstanding membership interests in CenterPoint Energy
Transition Bond Company II, LLC were held by CenterPoint Energy Houston
Electric, LLC.
CenterPoint
Energy Transition Bond Company II, LLC
PART
I.
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FINANCIAL
INFORMATION
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Item
1.
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1 |
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Three
and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2007 and 2008
(unaudited)
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1 |
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December
31, 2007 and September 30, 2008 (unaudited)
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2 |
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Nine
Months Ended September 30, 2007 and 2008 (unaudited)
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3 |
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4 |
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Item
2.
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8 |
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Item 4T.
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9 |
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PART
II.
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OTHER
INFORMATION
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Item 1A.
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9 |
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Item
6.
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10 |
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CAUTIONARY
STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
From time
to time we make statements concerning our expectations, beliefs, plans,
objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance and underlying
assumptions and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements
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. In some cases, you can identify our
forward-looking statements by the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,”
“could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,”
“plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “projection,” “should,” “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.
The
following are some of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from
those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements:
·
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changes
in market demand and demographic
patterns;
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·
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weather
variations and other natural phenomena affecting retail electric customer
energy usage;
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·
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the
operating performance of CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC’s
(CenterPoint Houston) facilities and third-party suppliers of electric
energy in CenterPoint Houston’s service
territory;
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·
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state
and federal legislative and regulatory actions or developments, including
deregulation, re-regulation, changes in or application of laws or
regulations applicable to the various aspects of CenterPoint Houston’s
business;
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·
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the
accuracy of the servicer’s forecast of electrical consumption or the
payment of transition charges;
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·
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non-payment
of transition charges by retail electric
providers;
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·
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the
reliability of the systems, procedures and other infrastructure necessary
to operate the retail electric business in CenterPoint Houston’s service
territory, including the systems owned and operated by the independent
system operator in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc.;
and
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·
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other
factors we discuss in “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of Part I of our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, which is
incorporated herein by reference, and our other Securities and Exchange
Commission filings.
|
You
should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each
forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular
statement.
PART
I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
(A
WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF CENTERPOINT ENERGY HOUSTON ELECTRIC,
LLC)
STATEMENTS
OF INCOME
AND
CHANGES IN MEMBER’S EQUITY
(Unaudited)
|
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Three
Months Ended September 30,
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Nine
Months Ended September 30,
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2007
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2008
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2007
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2008
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(in
thousands)
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Revenues:
|
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|
|
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Transition charge
revenue
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$ |
57,116 |
|
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$ |
55,014 |
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$ |
144,667 |
|
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$ |
140,963 |
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Investment
income
|
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479 |
|
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349 |
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1,752 |
|
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1,148 |
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Total operating
revenues
|
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57,595 |
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55,363 |
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146,419 |
|
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142,111 |
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Expenses:
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Interest expense
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22,502 |
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21,384 |
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68,286 |
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65,002 |
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Amortization of transition
property
|
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33,956 |
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32,648 |
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75,062 |
|
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73,057 |
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Amortization of transition bond
discount and issuance costs
|
|
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481 |
|
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401 |
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1,499 |
|
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1,264 |
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Administrative and general
expenses
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656 |
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930 |
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1,572 |
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2,788 |
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Total operating
expenses
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57,595 |
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55,363 |
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146,419 |
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142,111 |
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Net
Income
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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Member’s
Equity at Beginning of Period
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9,256 |
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9,256 |
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9,256 |
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9,256 |
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Contributed
Capital
|
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|
— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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Member’s
Equity at End of Period
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$ |
9,256 |
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$ |
9,256 |
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$ |
9,256 |
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$ |
9,256 |
|
See Notes
to the Company’s Interim Unaudited Financial Statements
(A
WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF CENTERPOINT ENERGY HOUSTON ELECTRIC,
LLC)
BALANCE
SHEETS
(Unaudited)
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December
31, 2007
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September
30, 2008
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(in
thousands)
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ASSETS
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Current
Assets:
|
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Cash and cash
equivalents
|
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$ |
97,891 |
|
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$ |
47,912 |
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Restricted funds
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34,198 |
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33,653 |
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Transition charge
receivable
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25,352 |
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32,631 |
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Current Assets
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157,441 |
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114,196 |
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Intangible transition
property
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1,651,080 |
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1,578,023 |
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Unamortized debt issuance
costs
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8,522 |
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7,294 |
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Total Assets
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$ |
1,817,043 |
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$ |
1,699,513 |
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LIABILITIES
AND MEMBER’S EQUITY
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Current
Liabilities:
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Current portion of long-term
debt
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$ |
93,696 |
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$ |
101,758 |
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Accrued interest
|
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37,267 |
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14,151 |
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Customer
deposits
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24,701 |
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24,196 |
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Fees payable to
servicer
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|
451 |
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|
202 |
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Current
Liabilities
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156,115 |
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140,307 |
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Long-term debt:
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Transition bonds, net of
unamortized discount
|
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1,651,672 |
|
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1,549,950 |
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Total
Liabilities
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1,807,787 |
|
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1,690,257 |
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Member’s
Equity:
|
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Contributed
capital
|
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9,256 |
|
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|
9,256 |
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Retained
earnings
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|
— |
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|
— |
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Total Member’s
Equity
|
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|
9,256 |
|
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9,256 |
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Total Liabilities and Member’s
Equity
|
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$ |
1,817,043 |
|
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$ |
1,699,513 |
|
See Notes
to the Company’s Interim Unaudited Financial Statements
(A
WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF CENTERPOINT ENERGY HOUSTON ELECTRIC,
LLC)
STATEMENTS
OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
|
|
Nine
Months Ended September 30,
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2007
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2008
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|
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(in
thousands)
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Cash
Flows from Operating Activities:
|
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|
|
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Net income
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Adjustments for non-cash
items:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Amortization of transition
property
|
|
|
75,062 |
|
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|
73,057 |
|
Amortization of transition bond
discount and issuance costs
|
|
|
1,499 |
|
|
|
1,264 |
|
Changes in other assets and
liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Transition charge
receivable
|
|
|
(10,572 |
) |
|
|
(7,279 |
) |
Accrued
interest
|
|
|
(24,112 |
) |
|
|
(23,116 |
) |
Customer
deposits
|
|
|
685 |
|
|
|
(505 |
) |
Fees payable to
servicer
|
|
|
(948 |
) |
|
|
(249 |
) |
Net cash provided by operating
activities
|
|
|
41,614 |
|
|
|
43,172 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Cash
Flows from Investing Activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Restricted
funds
|
|
|
(565 |
) |
|
|
545 |
|
Net cash provided by (used in)
investing activities
|
|
|
(565 |
) |
|
|
545 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
Flows from Financing Activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Payments of long-term
debt
|
|
|
(86,864 |
) |
|
|
(93,696 |
) |
Net cash used in financing
activities
|
|
|
(86,864 |
) |
|
|
(93,696 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents
|
|
|
(45,815 |
) |
|
|
(49,979 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Period
|
|
|
90,827 |
|
|
|
97,891 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
and Cash Equivalents, End of Period
|
|
$ |
45,012 |
|
|
$ |
47,912 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental
Disclosure of Cash Flow Information:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash Payments:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
|
|
$ |
92,398 |
|
|
$ |
88,119 |
|
See Notes
to the Company’s Interim Unaudited Financial Statements
NOTES
TO UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(1)
|
Background and
Basis of Presentation
|
General. Included
in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Form 10-Q) of CenterPoint Energy
Transition Bond Company II, LLC (the Company) are the Company’s interim
financial statements and notes (Interim Financial Statements). The
Interim Financial Statements are unaudited, omit certain financial statement
disclosures and should be read with the Company’s Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007.
Background. The Company is a
special purpose Delaware limited liability company whose sole member is
CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC (CenterPoint Houston). The Company has
no commercial operations and was formed for the principal purpose of purchasing
and owning transition property, issuing transition bonds and performing
activities incidental thereto. CenterPoint Houston is a regulated utility
engaged in the transmission and distribution of electric energy in a 5,000
square mile area located along the Texas Gulf Coast, including the City of
Houston.
Basis of
Presentation. The preparation of financial statements in
conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the
reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets
and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts
of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results
could differ from those estimates.
The
Company’s Interim Financial Statements reflect all normal recurring adjustments
that are, in the opinion of management, necessary to present fairly the
financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the respective
periods. Amounts reported in the Company’s Statements of Income and
Changes in Member’s Equity are not necessarily indicative of amounts expected
for a full-year period due to the effects of, among other things, seasonal
variations in energy consumption.
Amortization. The
transition property was recorded at acquired cost and is being amortized over 14
years, the expected life of the transition bonds, based on estimated revenue
from transition charges, interest accruals and other expenses. The financing
order authorizing the imposition of the transition charges and the issuance of
the transition bonds limits the terms of the transition bonds to no greater than
15 years. In accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards (SFAS) No. 71, “Accounting for the Effects of Certain Types of
Regulation,” amortization is adjusted for over/under collection of transition
charges. The transition charges are reviewed and adjusted at least annually, and
semi-annually as necessary, by the Public Utility Commission of Texas to correct
prospectively any overcollections or undercollections that occurred during the
preceding 12 months and to provide for the expected recovery of amounts
sufficient to timely provide all payment of debt service and other required
amounts and charges in connection with the transition bonds.
The
following table shows the aggregate amount of transition charges remitted by
CenterPoint Houston to the trustee under the indenture pursuant to which the
transition bonds were issued (the trustee) during each month from the date of
issuance of the transition bonds through September 30, 2008 (in
thousands):
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2008
|
|
January
|
|
$ |
402 |
|
|
$ |
13,525 |
|
|
$ |
14,309 |
|
February
|
|
|
8,525 |
|
|
|
12,489 |
|
|
|
12,599 |
|
March
|
|
|
13,257 |
|
|
|
14,582 |
|
|
|
12,589 |
|
April
|
|
|
11,862 |
|
|
|
12,956 |
|
|
|
12,409 |
|
May
|
|
|
12,589 |
|
|
|
13,322 |
|
|
|
13,406 |
|
June
|
|
|
16,704 |
|
|
|
12,987 |
|
|
|
12,808 |
|
July
|
|
|
16,302 |
|
|
|
16,309 |
|
|
|
18,171 |
|
August
|
|
|
19,329 |
|
|
|
19,958 |
|
|
|
17,690 |
|
September
|
|
|
18,528 |
|
|
|
17,331 |
|
|
|
17,781 |
|
October
|
|
|
18,118 |
|
|
|
20,728 |
|
|
|
|
|
November
|
|
|
17,263 |
|
|
|
17,227 |
|
|
|
|
|
December
|
|
|
13,646 |
|
|
|
13,999 |
|
|
|
|
|
(3)
|
Cash and Cash
Equivalents/Restricted Funds
|
For
purposes of the Balance Sheet and Statement of Cash Flows, the Company considers
investments purchased with a maturity of three months or less to be the
equivalent of cash. The administrative agent for the trustee has established, as
provided in the indenture, the following subaccounts for the Company’s cash
balances related to its transition bonds:
·
|
The
General Subaccount is comprised of
collections of transition charges remitted to the trustee’s administrative
agent by the servicer with respect to the transition bonds. These amounts
accumulate in the General Subaccount until they are transferred from the
General Subaccount on each transition bond payment date. The
General Subaccount had a balance of $36.7 million at September 30,
2008.
|
·
|
The
Excess Funds Subaccount is maintained for
the purpose of holding any collected transition charges and earnings on
amounts in the collection account (other than earnings on amounts
allocated to the Capital Subaccount) not otherwise used on the payment
dates of the transition bonds for payment of principal, interest, fees or
expenses, or for funding the Capital Subaccount. The Excess
Funds Subaccount had a balance of $11.3 million at September 30,
2008.
|
·
|
The
Capital Subaccount received a deposit of approximately $9.3 million
(0.5% of the initial principal amount of the transition bonds) on the date
of issuance of the transition bonds. CenterPoint Houston contributed this
amount to the Company. If amounts available in the General and Excess
Funds Subaccounts are not sufficient on any payment date to make scheduled
payments on the transition bonds and payments of certain fees and
expenses, the trustee’s administrative agent will draw on amounts in the
Capital Subaccount. As of September 30, 2008, the Capital Subaccount had a
balance of $9.5 million and is classified as Restricted Funds in the
Balance Sheets.
|
As of
September 30, 2008, cash deposits provided by retail electric providers (REPs)
totaled $24.2 million and are classified as Restricted Funds in the Balance
Sheets.
(4)
|
New Accounting
Pronouncements
|
Effective
January 1, 2008, the Company adopted SFAS No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements”
(SFAS No. 157), which requires additional disclosures about the Company’s
financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value. FASB
Staff Position No. FAS 157-2 delays the effective date for SFAS No. 157 for
nonfinancial assets and liabilities, except for items that are recognized or
disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis, to
fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after
November 15, 2008. Beginning in
January
2008, assets and liabilities recorded at fair value in the Balance Sheet are
categorized based upon the level of judgment associated with the inputs used to
measure their value. Hierarchical levels, as defined in SFAS No. 157 and
directly related to the amount of subjectivity associated with the inputs to
fair valuations of these assets and liabilities, are as
follows:
Level 1:
Inputs are unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or
liabilities at the measurement date. The types of assets carried at Level 1
fair value are investments. At September 30, 2008, the Company held
Level 1 investments of $33.6 million.
Level
2: Inputs, other than quoted prices included in Level 1, are observable
for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 2 inputs
include quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, and inputs
other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or
liability. The Company had no Level 2 assets and liabilities during the
nine months ended September 30, 2008.
Level 3:
Inputs are unobservable for the asset or liability, and include situations where
there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or liability. In certain
cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of
the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, the level in the fair value hierarchy
within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls has been
determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value
measurement in its entirety. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a
particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires
judgment, and considers factors specific to the asset. The Company had no
Level 3 assets and liabilities during the nine months ended September 30,
2008.
Principal
and interest payments on the transition bonds are due semi-annually on February
1 and August 1 of each year and are paid from funds deposited with the trustee’s
administrative agent by CenterPoint Houston as servicer of the transition
property.
The
source of repayment for the transition bonds is the transition
charges. The servicer collects this non-bypassable charge from REPs
in CenterPoint Houston’s service territory. The servicer deposits
transition charge collections into the Company’s General Subaccount maintained
by the trustee’s administrative agent.
Scheduled
final payment dates, final maturity dates and interest rates for the transition
bonds outstanding at September 30, 2008, are as follows:
Tranche
|
|
Scheduled
Final
Payment Date
|
|
Final
Maturity Date
|
|
Interest
Rate
|
|
Amount
(in
millions)
|
|
A-1
|
|
February
1, 2009
|
|
February
1, 2011
|
|
4.84
% |
|
$ |
51 |
|
A-2 |
|
August
1, 2012
|
|
August
1, 2014
|
|
4.97
%
|
|
|
368 |
|
A-3
|
|
February
1, 2014
|
|
August
1, 2015
|
|
5.09
%
|
|
|
252 |
|
A-4
|
|
August
1, 2017
|
|
August
1, 2019
|
|
5.17
%
|
|
|
519 |
|
A-5
|
|
August
1, 2019
|
|
August
1, 2020
|
|
5.302 %
|
|
|
462 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,652 |
|
Less:
Current Maturities (scheduled payments)
|
|
|
(102 |
) |
Total
Long-Term Debt, net
|
|
$ |
1,550 |
|
The
following table shows scheduled and actual principal payments on the transition
bonds from the issuance date through September 30, 2008 (in
thousands):
|
|
Tranche A-1
|
|
|
Tranche A-2
|
|
|
Tranche A-3
|
|
|
Tranche A-4
|
|
|
Tranche A-5
|
|
|
|
Scheduled
|
|
|
Actual
|
|
|
Scheduled
|
|
|
Actual
|
|
|
Scheduled
|
|
|
Actual
|
|
|
Scheduled
|
|
|
Actual
|
|
|
Scheduled
|
|
|
Actual
|
|
August
1, 2006
|
|
$ |
18,565 |
|
|
$ |
18,565 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
February
1, 2007
|
|
|
51,527 |
|
|
|
51,527 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
August
1, 2007
|
|
|
35,337 |
|
|
|
35,337 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
February
1, 2008
|
|
|
54,655 |
|
|
|
54,655 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
August
1, 2008
|
|
|
39,041 |
|
|
|
39,041 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
(6)
|
Related Party
Transactions and Major Customers
|
Related Party Transactions.
As the servicer, CenterPoint Houston manages and administers the
transition property of the Company and collects the transition charges on behalf
of the Company. The Company pays a fixed annual servicing fee to
CenterPoint Houston for these services. Pursuant to an administration
agreement entered into between the Company and CenterPoint Houston, CenterPoint
Houston also provides administrative services to the Company. The Company pays
CenterPoint Houston a fixed fee for performing these services, plus all
reimbursable expenses. The Company recorded administrative and servicing fees of
$0.3 million and $0.8 million, respectively, during each of the three
months and nine months ended September 30, 2007 and 2008,
respectively.
Major Customers. Subsidiaries
of Reliant Energy, Inc. (formerly named Reliant Resources, Inc.) (RRI) collect
the majority of the transition charges from retail electric customers in
CenterPoint Houston’s service territory. At September 30, 2008, subsidiaries of
RRI had approximately $18.1 million of cash on deposit with the trustee’s
administrative agent. As with any REP that may default in its payment
obligations in respect of transition charges, the servicer is expected to direct
the trustee to seek recourse against such cash deposits or alternate form of
credit support as a remedy for any payment default that may occur.
This
analysis should be read in combination with the Interim Financial Statements
included in Item 1 of this Form 10-Q and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2007 (2007 Form 10-K).
We meet
the conditions specified in General Instruction H(1)(a) and (b) to Form 10-Q and
therefore are providing the following analysis of our results of operations
using the reduced disclosure format for wholly owned subsidiaries of reporting
companies. Accordingly, we have omitted from this report the
information called for by Item 2 (Management’s Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations) and Item 3 (Quantitative and
Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk) of Part I and the following Part II
items of Form 10-Q: Item 2 (Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of
Proceeds), Item 3 (Defaults Upon Senior Securities) and Item 4 (Submission of
Matters to a Vote of Security Holders).
We are a
Delaware limited liability company established in December 2004 for limited
purposes. We issued $1.851 billion aggregate principal amount of
transition bonds on December 16, 2005 and used the net proceeds to purchase the
transition property from CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC (CenterPoint
Houston). As we are restricted by our organizational documents from
engaging in activities other than those described under “Business” in Item 1 of
our 2007 Form 10-K, income statement effects are limited primarily to revenue
generated from the transition charges, interest expense on the transition bonds,
amortization of the transition property, debt issuance expenses and the discount
on the transition bonds, transition property servicing and administration fees
and incidental investment interest income. Net income is expected to
be zero for each reporting period.
For the
three months ended September 30, 2008, revenue from transition charges was
$55.0 million and investment income was $0.3 million. Amortization of
transition property was $32.6 million. Interest expense was
$21.4 million related to interest on the transition bonds and amortization
expense was $0.4 million related to amortization of debt issuance expenses
and the discount on the transition bonds. We recorded administrative
expenses of $0.9 million for the three months ended September 30,
2008.
For the
three months ended September 30, 2007, revenue from transition charges was
$57.1 million and investment income was $0.5 million. Amortization of
transition property was $34.0 million. Interest expense was
$22.5 million related to interest on the transition bonds and amortization
expense was $0.5 million related to amortization of debt issuance expenses
and the discount on the transition bonds. We recorded administrative
expenses of $0.7 million for the three months ended September 30,
2007.
For the
nine months ended September 30, 2008, revenue from transition charges was
$141.0 million and investment income was $1.1 million. Amortization of
transition property was $73.0 million. Interest expense was
$65.0 million related to interest on the transition bonds and amortization
expense was $1.3 million related to amortization of debt issuance expenses
and the discount on the transition bonds. We recorded administrative
expenses of $2.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2008,
including $0.5 million related to the annual bad debt true-up.
For the
nine months ended September 30, 2007, revenue from transition charges was
$144.6 million and investment income was $1.8 million. Amortization of
transition property was $75.1 million. Interest expense was
$68.3 million related to interest on the transition bonds and amortization
expense was $1.5 million related to amortization of debt issuance expenses
and the discount on the transition bonds. We recorded administrative
expenses of $1.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2007,
including a reduction of $0.2 million related to the annual bad debt
true-up in the second quarter of 2007.
During
the nine months ended September 30, 2008, several retail electric providers
(REPs) that made retail sales in the CenterPoint Houston service territory
defaulted on their payment obligations. Amounts provided by those REPs as
security against defaults covered substantially all transition charges
outstanding as of the dates of default. During the next true-up
proceeding, any uncollected amounts will be taken into account in setting
transition charges for the next 12 months. These defaults are not expected
to adversely affect our ability to make scheduled payments on the transition
bonds.
We use
collections of transition charges to make scheduled principal and interest
payments on the transition bonds. Transition charges, together with
interest earned on collected transition charges, are expected to offset (1)
interest expense on the transition bonds, (2) the principal amount of the
transition bonds scheduled to be paid and (3) fees and expenses, including fees
charged by CenterPoint Houston for servicing the transition property and
providing administrative services to us and expenses related to such
administrative services.
The
transition charges are reviewed and adjusted at least annually by the Public
Utility Commission of Texas (Texas Utility Commission) to correct prospectively
any overcollections or undercollections that occurred during the preceding 12
months and to provide for the expected recovery of amounts sufficient to timely
provide all payment of debt service and other required amounts and charges in
connection with the transition bonds.
CenterPoint
Houston is required to true-up transition charges annually on December 1 in
compliance with the financing order. CenterPoint Houston’s most recent true-up
filing to adjust transition charges was filed with the Texas Utility Commission
on September 2, 2008 and will become effective December 1 ,
2008. The adjusted transition charges are designed to collect
$183.9 million during the twelve-month period ending November 30, 2009.
Such adjusted transition charges consider the impact of an estimated
over-collection of $14.2 million for the twelve-month period ended November
30, 2008.
In all
material respects, each materially significant REP (i) has been billed in
accordance with the financing order, (ii) has made all payments in compliance
with the requirements outlined in the financing order, and (iii) has satisfied
the creditworthiness requirements of the financing order.
In
accordance with Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15, we carried out an
evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of management,
including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, of
the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the
period covered by this report. Based on that evaluation, our
principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that our
disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of September 30, 2008 to
provide assurance that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed
or submitted under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and
reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange
Commission’s rules and forms and such information is accumulated and
communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and
principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding
disclosure.
There has
been no change in our internal controls over financial reporting that occurred
during the three months ended September 30, 2008 that has materially affected,
or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal controls over
financial reporting.
PART
II. OTHER INFORMATION
There
have been no material changes from the risk factors disclosed in our 2007 Form
10-K.
The
following exhibits are filed herewith:
Exhibits
not incorporated by reference to a prior filing are designated by a cross (+);
all exhibits not so designated are incorporated by reference to a prior filing
of CenterPoint Energy Transition Bond Company II, LLC.
Exhibit
Number
|
|
Description
|
|
Report
or Registration
Statement
|
|
SEC
File or
Registration
Number
|
|
Exhibit
References
|
4.1
|
—
|
Amended
and Restated Certificate of Formation of CenterPoint Energy Transition
Bond Company II, LLC
|
|
Current
Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 16, 2005
|
|
333-121505
|
|
3.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.2
|
—
|
Amended
and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of CenterPoint Energy
Transition Bond Company II, LLC
|
|
Current
Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 16, 2005
|
|
333-121505
|
|
3.2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.1
|
—
|
Semiannual
Servicer’s Certificate, dated as of July 30, 2008, as to the transition
bond balances, the balances of the collection account and its
sub-accounts, and setting forth transfers and payments to be made on the
August 1, 2008 payment date
|
|
Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2008
|
|
333-121505
|
|
10.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+31.1
|
—
|
Section
302 Certification of Gary L. Whitlock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+31.2
|
—
|
Section
302 Certification of Marc Kilbride
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+32.1
|
—
|
Section
906 Certification of Gary L. Whitlock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+32.2
|
—
|
Section
906 Certification of Marc Kilbride
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+99.1
|
—
|
Items
incorporated by reference from the CenterPoint Energy Transition Bond
Company II, LLC Form 10-K. Item 1A “Risk
Factors.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SIGNATURES
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 thereunto
duly authorized.
CENTERPOINT
ENERGY TRANSITION BOND COMPANY II, LLC
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: /s/ Walter L.
Fitzgerald
|
|
Walter
L. Fitzgerald
|
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer
|
|
|
Date: November
12, 2008
Index to
Exhibits
The
following exhibits are filed herewith:
Exhibits
not incorporated by reference to a prior filing are designated by a cross (+);
all exhibits not so designated are incorporated by reference to a prior filing
of CenterPoint Energy Transition Bond Company II, LLC.
Exhibit
Number
|
|
Description
|
|
Report
or Registration
Statement
|
|
SEC
File or
Registration
Number
|
|
Exhibit
References
|
4.1
|
—
|
Amended
and Restated Certificate of Formation of CenterPoint Energy Transition
Bond Company II, LLC
|
|
Current
Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 16, 2005
|
|
333-121505
|
|
3.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.2
|
—
|
Amended
and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of CenterPoint Energy
Transition Bond Company II, LLC
|
|
Current
Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 16, 2005
|
|
333-121505
|
|
3.2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.1
|
—
|
Semiannual
Servicer’s Certificate, dated as of July 30, 2008, as to the transition
bond balances, the balances of the collection account and its
sub-accounts, and setting forth transfers and payments to be made on the
August 1, 2008 payment date
|
|
Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2008
|
|
333-121505
|
|
10.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+31.1
|
—
|
Section
302 Certification of Gary L. Whitlock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+31.2
|
—
|
Section
302 Certification of Marc Kilbride
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+32.1
|
—
|
Section
906 Certification of Gary L. Whitlock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+32.2
|
—
|
Section
906 Certification of Marc Kilbride
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+99.1
|
—
|
Items
incorporated by reference from the CenterPoint Energy Transition Bond
Company II, LLC Form 10-K. Item 1A “Risk
Factors.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ex31-1.htm
Exhibit
31.1
CERTIFICATIONS
I, Gary
L. Whitlock, certify that:
1. I
have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of CenterPoint Energy
Transition Bond Company II, LLC;
2. Based
on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in
light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading
with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based
on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information
included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial
condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and
for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The
registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing
and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act
Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as
defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and
have:
|
(a)
|
Designed
such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure
controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure
that material information relating to the registrant, including its
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being
prepared;
|
|
(b)
|
Designed
such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal
control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to
provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial
reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external
purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles;
|
|
(c)
|
Evaluated
the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures
and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of
the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period
covered by this report based on such evaluation;
and
|
|
(d)
|
Disclosed
in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over
financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent
fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an
annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial
reporting; and
|
5. The
registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most
recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of
directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
|
(a)
|
All
significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record,
process, summarize and report financial information;
and
|
|
(b)
|
Any
fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control
over financial reporting.
|
Date:
November 12, 2008
|
/s/
Gary L. Whitlock
|
|
Gary
L. Whitlock
|
|
President
and Manager (Principal Executive
Officer)
|
ex31-2.htm
Exhibit
31.2
CERTIFICATIONS
I, Marc
Kilbride, certify that:
1. I
have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of CenterPoint Energy
Transition Bond Company II, LLC;
2. Based
on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in
light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading
with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based
on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information
included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial
condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and
for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The
registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing
and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act
Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as
defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and
have:
|
(a)
|
Designed
such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure
controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure
that material information relating to the registrant, including its
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being
prepared;
|
|
(b)
|
Designed
such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal
control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to
provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial
reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external
purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles;
|
|
(c)
|
Evaluated
the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures
and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of
the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period
covered by this report based on such evaluation;
and
|
|
(d)
|
Disclosed
in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over
financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent
fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an
annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial
reporting; and
|
5. The
registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most
recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of
directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
|
(a)
|
All
significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record,
process, summarize and report financial information;
and
|
|
(b)
|
Any
fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control
over financial reporting.
|
Date:
November 12, 2008
|
/s/
Marc Kilbride
|
|
Marc
Kilbride
|
|
Vice
President, Treasurer and Manager
|
|
(Principal
Financial Officer)
|
ex32-1.htm
Exhibit
32.1
CERTIFICATION
PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C.
SECTION 1350,
AS
ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906
OF THE
SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Quarterly Report
of CenterPoint Energy Transition Bond Company II, LLC (the “Company”) on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2008 (the “Report”), as filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof, I, Gary L. Whitlock,
certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, to the best of my knowledge,
that:
1. The
Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and
2. The
information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects,
the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
/s/
Gary L. Whitlock
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Gary
L. Whitlock
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President
and Manager
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(Principal
Executive Officer)
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November
12, 2008
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ex32-2.htm
Exhibit
32.2
CERTIFICATION
PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C.
SECTION 1350,
AS
ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906
OF THE
SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Quarterly Report
of CenterPoint Energy Transition Bond Company II, LLC (the “Company”) on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2008 (the “Report”), as filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof, I, Marc Kilbride,
certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, to the best of my knowledge,
that:
1. The
Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and
2. The
information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects,
the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
/s/
Marc Kilbride
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Marc
Kilbride
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Vice
President and Treasurer
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(Principal
Financial Officer)
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November
12, 2008
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ex99-1.htm
Exhibit
99.1
Item 1A. Risk
Factors
Material payment delays or a loss on
investments in the transition bonds may occur because the source of funds for
payment is limited.
The only source of funds for payment of
transition bonds are our assets, which consist of the transition property
securing the transition bonds, including:
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the
right to impose, collect and receive related transition
charges;
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the
funds on deposit in the accounts held by the
trustee;
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our
rights under various contracts; and
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the
credit enhancement.
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The transition bonds are not a charge
on the full faith and credit or taxing power of the State of Texas or any
governmental agency or instrumentality, nor are the transition bonds insured or
guaranteed by CenterPoint Houston, including in its capacity as the servicer, or
by its ultimate parent, CenterPoint Energy, Inc., any of its affiliates (other
than us), the trustee or by any other person or entity. Thus, holders of
transition bonds (bondholders) must rely for payment of transition bonds
solely upon collections of the transition charges, funds on deposit in the
related accounts held by the trustee and the credit enhancement described under
“Business—Transition Property” in Item 1. Our organizational documents
restrict our right to acquire other assets unrelated to the transactions
described under “Business—General” in Item 1.
Risks
Associated with Potential Judicial, Legislative or Regulatory
Actions
Future
judicial action could reduce the value of the transition bonds.
The transition property is the creation
of the 1999 utility restructuring amendments to the Public Utility Regulatory
Act of Texas (Restructuring Act) and the financing order. There is uncertainty
associated with investing in bonds payable from an asset that depends for its
existence on legislation because there is limited judicial or regulatory
experience implementing and interpreting the legislation. Because the transition
property is a creation of the Restructuring Act, any judicial determination
affecting the validity of or interpreting the Restructuring Act, the transition
property or our ability to make payments on the transition bonds might have an
adverse effect on the transition bonds.
Other states have passed electric
utility deregulation laws similar to the Restructuring Act, and some of these
laws have been challenged by judicial actions. To date, none of these challenges
has succeeded, but future judicial challenges might be made. An unfavorable
decision regarding another state’s law would not automatically invalidate the
Restructuring Act or the financing order, but it might provoke a challenge to
the Restructuring Act, establish a legal precedent for a successful challenge to
the Restructuring Act or heighten awareness of the political and other risks of
the transition bonds, and in that way may limit the liquidity and value of the
transition bonds. Therefore, legal activity in other states may indirectly
affect the value of the transition bonds.
The
federal government might preempt the Restructuring Act without full
compensation.
In the past, bills have been introduced
in Congress that would prohibit the recovery of all or some types of stranded
costs, but none of those bills was enacted. Congress could, however, pass a law
or adopt a rule or regulation negating the existence of or reducing the value of
the transition property.
If federal legislation preempting the
Restructuring Act or the financing order is enacted, there is no assurance that
the courts would consider it a “taking” under the United States Constitution for
which the government would be required to pay just compensation or, if it is
considered a “taking,” that any amount provided as
compensation
would be sufficient to pay the full amount of principal of and interest on the
transition bonds or to pay these amounts on a timely basis.
Future state
legislative action could reduce the value of the transition
bonds.
Despite its pledge in the Restructuring
Act not to take or permit certain actions that would impair the value of the
transition property or the transition charges, the Texas legislature might
attempt to repeal or amend the Restructuring Act in a manner that limits or
alters the transition property so as to reduce its value. It might be possible
for the Texas legislature to repeal or amend the Restructuring Act
notwithstanding the State’s pledge if the legislature acts in order to serve a
significant and legitimate public purpose. Any such action, as well as the
costly and time-consuming litigation that likely would ensue, might adversely
affect the price and liquidity, the dates of payment of interest and principal
and the weighted average lives of the transition bonds. Moreover, the outcome of
any litigation cannot be predicted. Accordingly, bondholders might incur a loss
on or delay in recovery of their investment in the transition
bonds.
If an action of the Texas legislature
adversely affecting the transition property or the ability to collect transition
charges were considered a “taking” under the United States or Texas
Constitutions, the State of Texas might be obligated to pay compensation for the
taking. However, even in that event, there is no assurance that any amount
provided as compensation would be sufficient for bondholders to recover fully
their investment in the transition bonds or to offset interest lost pending such
recovery.
The Texas Utility
Commission might take actions that could reduce the value of the transition
bonds.
The Restructuring Act provides that a
financing order is irrevocable and that the Texas Utility Commission may not
directly or indirectly, by any subsequent action, rescind or amend a financing
order or reduce or impair the transition charges authorized under a financing
order, except for the true-up adjustments to the transition charges. However,
the Texas Utility Commission retains the power to adopt, revise or rescind rules
or regulations affecting CenterPoint Houston. The Texas Utility Commission also
retains the power to interpret the financing order, and in that capacity might
be called upon to rule on the meanings of provisions of the order that might
need further elaboration. Any new or amended regulations or orders from the
Texas Utility Commission might affect the ability of the servicer to collect the
transition charges in full and on a timely basis, the rating of the transition
bonds or their price and, accordingly, the amortization of the transition bonds
and their weighted average lives.
The servicer is required to file with
the Texas Utility Commission, on our behalf, certain adjustments of the
transition charges. True-up adjustment procedures have been challenged in the
past and may be challenged in the future. Challenges to or delays in the true-up
process might adversely affect the market perception and valuation of the
transition bonds. Also, any litigation might materially delay transition charge
collections due to delayed implementation of true-up adjustments and might
result in missing payments or payment delays and lengthened weighted average
life of the transition bonds.
Servicing Risks
Inaccurate
consumption forecasting or unanticipated delinquencies or charge-offs might
reduce scheduled payments on the transition bonds.
The transition charges are generally
assessed based on forecasted customer usage. The amount and the rate of
transition charge collections depend in part on actual electricity usage and the
amount of collections and write-offs for each customer class. If the servicer
inaccurately forecasts electricity consumption or uses inaccurate customer
delinquency or charge-off data when setting or adjusting the transition charges,
there could be a shortfall or material delay in transition charge collections,
which might result in missed or delayed payments of principal and interest and
lengthened weighted average life of the transition bonds.
The servicer has experienced
difficulties from time to time in making accurate forecasts of electricity
consumption because of unexpected weather conditions. Inaccurate forecasting of
electricity consumption by the servicer might result from, among other things,
unanticipated weather or economic conditions, resulting in less electricity
consumption than forecast; general economic conditions being worse than
expected, causing retail electric
customers
to migrate from CenterPoint Houston’s service territory or reduce their
electricity consumption; the occurrence of a natural disaster or an act of
terrorism or other catastrophic event; changes in the market structure of the
electric industry; customers consuming less electricity because of increased
energy prices or conservation effort; or customers switching to alternative
sources of energy, including self-generation of electric power.
The servicer’s use of inaccurate
delinquency or charge-off rates might result also from, among other things,
unexpected deterioration of the economy or the declaration of a moratorium on
terminating electric service to customers in the event of extreme weather,
either of which would cause greater delinquencies or charge-offs than expected
or force CenterPoint Houston or REPs to grant additional payment relief to more
customers, or any other change in law that makes it more difficult for
CenterPoint Houston or REPs to terminate service to non-paying customers or that
requires CenterPoint Houston or REPs to apply more lenient credit standards in
accepting retail electric customers.
We depend on
CenterPoint Houston or its successor or assignee, acting as servicer of the
transition property.
CenterPoint Houston, as servicer, is
responsible for, among other things, calculating, billing and collecting the
transition charges from REPs, submitting requests to the Texas Utility
Commission to adjust these charges, monitoring the collateral for the transition
bonds and taking certain actions in the event of non-payment by a REP. The
trustee’s receipt of collections in respect of the transition charges, which are
used to make payments on the transition bonds, depends in part on the skill and
diligence of the servicer in performing these functions. The systems the State
of Texas and the servicer have in place for transition charge billings and
collections might, in particular circumstances, cause the servicer to experience
difficulty in performing these functions in a timely and completely accurate
manner. If the servicer fails to make collections for any reason, then the
servicer’s payments to the trustee in respect of the transition charges might be
delayed or reduced. In that event, our payments on the transition bonds might be
delayed or reduced.
If we replace
CenterPoint Houston as the servicer, we may experience difficulties finding and
using a replacement servicer.
If CenterPoint Houston ceases to
service the transition property, it might be difficult to find a successor
servicer. Also, any successor servicer might have less experience and ability
than CenterPoint Houston and might experience difficulties in collecting
transition charges and determining appropriate adjustments to the transition
charges and billing and/or payment arrangements may change, resulting in
collection disruption. A successor servicer might charge fees that, while
permitted under the financing order, are substantially higher than the fees paid
to CenterPoint Houston as servicer. In the event of the commencement of a case
by or against the servicer under the United States Bankruptcy Code or similar
laws, we and the trustee might be prevented from effecting a transfer of
servicing due to operation of the bankruptcy code. Any of these factors and
others might delay the timing of payments and may reduce the value of the
transition bonds.
It might be
difficult to collect transition charges from REPs.
As required by the Restructuring Act,
retail electric customers pay the transition charges to REPs who supply them
with electric power. The REPs are obligated to remit payments of the transition
charges, less a specified percentage allowance for charge-offs of delinquent
customer accounts, within 35 days of billing from the servicer, even if
they do not collect the transition charges from retail electric customers.
Because the REPs bill most retail electric customers for the transition charges,
we have to rely on a relatively small number of entities for the collection of
the bulk of the transition charges. As of December 31, 2007, CenterPoint
Houston did business with 74 REPs. Reliant Energy, Inc. (RRI) through its
subsidiaries, is CenterPoint Houston’s largest customer, accounting for
approximately 48% of CenterPoint Houston’s outstanding receivables from REPs as
of December 31, 2007.
Failure by the REPs to remit transition
charges to the servicer might cause delays in payments on the transition bonds
and adversely affect the value of the transition bonds. The servicer does not
pay any shortfalls resulting from the failure of any REP to forward transition
charge collections.
Adjustments to the transition charges
and any credit support provided by a REP, while available to compensate for a
failure by a REP to pay the transition charges to the servicer, might not be
sufficient to protect the value of the transition bonds.
The Restructuring Act provides for one
or more REPs in each area to be designated the “provider of last resort” for
that area or a specified customer class. The provider of last resort is required
to offer basic electric service to retail electric customers in its designated
area, regardless of the creditworthiness of the customers. The provider of last
resort might face greater difficulty in bill collection than other REPs and
therefore the servicer may face greater difficulty in collecting transition
charges from the provider of last resort.
REPs may issue a single bill to retail
customers that include all charges related to the purchase of electricity,
without separately itemizing the transition charge component of the bill. A
REP’s use of a consolidated bill might increase the risk that customers who have
claims against the REP will attempt to offset those claims against transition
charges or increase the risk that, in the event of a bankruptcy of a REP, a
bankruptcy court would find that the REP has an interest in the transition
property and would make it more difficult to terminate the services of a
bankrupt REP or collect transition charges from its customers.
Competitive
metering services might result in unexpected problems in receiving accurate
metering data.
Under the Restructuring Act, commercial
and industrial retail customers that are required by the Electric Reliability
Council of Texas to have an interval data recorder meter may choose to own the
settlement and billing meters that are used to measure electric energy delivered
to their location or to have those meters owned by a REP, the transmission and
distribution utility or another person authorized by the customer. As of
December 31, 2007, CenterPoint Houston continued to provide metering
services related to the installation and removal of meters, meter testing and
calibration, data collection and data management. Should the Texas Utility
Commission allow third parties to perform those metering services in CenterPoint
Houston’s service territory, there might be problems converting to the third
party’s metering system, taking accurate meter readings and collecting and
processing accurate metering data. Inaccurate metering data might lead to
inaccuracies in the calculation and imposition of transition charges and might
give rise to disputes between the servicer and REPs regarding payments and
payment shortfalls resulting in missing or delayed payments of principal and
interest and lengthened weighted average life of the transition
bonds.
Changes to
billing and collection practices might reduce the value of the transition
bonds.
The financing order specifies the
methodology for determining the amount of the transition charges we may impose.
The servicer may not change this methodology without approval from the Texas
Utility Commission. However, the servicer may set its own billing and collection
arrangements with REPs and retail electric customers, if any, from whom it
collects transition charges directly, provided that these arrangements comply
with the Texas Utility Commission’s customer safeguards. For example, to recover
part of an outstanding bill, the servicer may agree to extend a REP’s payment
schedule or to write off the remaining portion of the bill, including the
transition charges. Also, the servicer may change billing and collection
practices, which might adversely impact the timing and amount of retail electric
customer payments and might reduce transition charge collections, thereby
limiting our ability to make scheduled payments on the transition bonds.
Separately, the Texas Utility Commission might require changes to these
practices. Any changes in billing and collection practices regulations might
make it more difficult for the servicer to collect the transition charges and
adversely affect the value of the transition bonds.
Limits on rights
to terminate service might make it more difficult to collect the transition
charges.
Texas statutory requirements and the
rules and regulations of the Texas Utility Commission, which may change from
time to time, regulate and control the right of the REP to initiate
disconnection of service. For example, REPs generally may not terminate service
to a customer (1) on a holiday or weekend day or the day immediately preceding a
holiday or weekend, (2) during certain extreme weather conditions,
(3) if such disconnection would cause a person to become seriously ill or
more seriously ill, (4) if such customer is an energy assistance client
under certain circumstances or (5) if the customer is a master-metered
apartment complex unless certain notices are given. To the extent these retail
electric customers do not pay for their electric service, REPs will not be able
to collect
transition
charges from these retail electric customers. Although REPs have to pay the
servicer the transition charges on behalf of those customers (subject to any
charge-off allowance and reconciliation rights), required service to non-paying
customers could affect the ability of REPs to make such payment.
Future
adjustments to transition charges by customer class might result in insufficient
collections.
The customers who pay transition
charges are divided into customer classes. Transition charges are allocated
among customer classes and assessed in accordance with the formula required
under the Restructuring Act and specified in the financing order. A shortfall in
collections of transition charges in one customer class may be corrected by
making adjustments to the transition charges payable by that customer class and
any other customer class. If customers in a class fail to pay transition charges
or cease to be customers, the servicer might have to substantially increase the
transition charges for the remaining customers in that customer class and for
other customer classes. This effect might be more extreme in the case of the
large industrial and the interruptible customer classes, which consist of a
small number of large customers. These increases could lead to further failures
by the remaining customers to pay transition charges, thereby increasing the
risk of a shortfall in funds to pay debt service on the transition
bonds.
Risks Associated with the Unusual
Nature of the Transition Property
We will not
receive transition charges in respect of electric service provided more than
15 years from the date of issuance of the transition
bonds.
CenterPoint Houston will not be
entitled to charge transition charges for electricity delivered after the
fifteenth anniversary of the issuance of the transition bonds. If transition
charges collected for electricity delivered through the fifteenth anniversary of
the transition bonds, or from any credit enhancement funds, are not sufficient
to repay the transition bonds in full, no other funds will be available to pay
the unpaid balance due on the transition bonds.
Foreclosure of
the trustee’s lien on the transition property might not be practical, and
acceleration of the transition bonds before maturity might have little practical
effect.
Under the Restructuring Act and the
indenture, the trustee or the bondholders have the right to foreclose or
otherwise enforce the lien on the transition property securing the transition
bonds. However, in the event of foreclosure, there is likely to be a limited
market, if any, for the transition property. Therefore, foreclosure might not be
a realistic or practical remedy. Moreover, although principal of the transition
bonds will be due and payable upon acceleration of the transition bonds before
maturity, the transition charges likely would not be accelerated and the nature
of our business will result in principal of the transition bonds being paid as
funds become available. If there is an acceleration of the transition bonds, all
tranches of the transition bonds will be paid pro rata; therefore, some tranches
might be paid earlier than expected and some tranches might be paid later than
expected.
Risks Associated with Potential
Bankruptcy Proceedings of CenterPoint Houston or a Successor
Servicer
The servicer will
commingle the transition charges with other revenues it collects, which might
obstruct access to the transition charges in case of the servicer’s bankruptcy
and reduce the value of the transition bonds.
The servicer is required to remit
collections to the trustee within two business days of receipt. The servicer
does not segregate the transition charges from the other funds it collects from
retail electric customers or REPs or its general funds. The transition charges
are segregated only when the servicer pays them to the trustee.
Despite this requirement, the servicer
might fail to pay the full amount of the transition charges to the trustee or
might fail to do so on a timely basis. This failure, whether voluntary or
involuntary, might materially reduce the amount of transition charge collections
available to make payments on the transition bonds.
The Restructuring Act provides that our
rights to the transition property are not affected by the commingling of these
funds with any other funds of the servicer. In a bankruptcy of the servicer,
however, a
bankruptcy
court might rule that federal bankruptcy law does not recognize our right to
collections of the transition charges that are commingled with other funds of
the servicer as of the date of bankruptcy. If so, the collections of the
transition charges held by the servicer as of the date of bankruptcy would not
be available to pay amounts owing on the transition
bonds. In this case, we would have only a general unsecured claim against the
servicer for those amounts. This decision could cause material delays in
payments of principal or interest, or losses, on the transition bonds and could
materially reduce the value of the transition bonds, particularly if it occurred
in the fifteenth year of the transition bonds after the completion of which no
transition charges can be charged.
The bankruptcy of
CenterPoint Houston, as seller of the transition property, might result in
losses or delays in payments on the transition bonds.
The Restructuring Act and the financing
order provide that as a matter of Texas state law:
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the
rights and interests of a selling utility under a financing order,
including the right to impose, collect and receive transition charges, are
contract rights of the seller;
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the
seller may make a present transfer of its rights under a financing order,
including the right to impose, collect and receive future transition
charges that retail customers do not yet
owe;
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upon
the transfer to us, the rights became transition property, and transition
property constitutes a present property right, even though the imposition
and collection of transition charges depend on further acts that have not
yet occurred; and
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a
transfer of the transition property from the seller, or its affiliate, to
us that expressly states the transfer is a sale or other absolute transfer
is a true sale of the transition property, not a pledge of the transition
property to secure a financing by the
seller.
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These
provisions are important to maintaining payments on the transition bonds in
accordance with their terms during any bankruptcy of CenterPoint
Houston.
A bankruptcy court generally follows
state property law on issues such as those addressed by the state law provisions
described above. However, a bankruptcy court does not follow state law if it
determines that the state law is contrary to a paramount federal bankruptcy
policy or interest. If a bankruptcy court in a CenterPoint Houston bankruptcy
refused to enforce one or more of the state property law provisions described
above, the effect of this decision on beneficial owners of the transition bonds
might be similar to the treatment they would receive in a CenterPoint Houston
bankruptcy if the transition bonds had been issued directly by CenterPoint
Houston. A decision by the bankruptcy court that, despite our separateness from
CenterPoint Houston, our assets and liabilities and those of CenterPoint Houston
should be consolidated would have a similar effect on bondholders.
We have taken steps together with
CenterPoint Houston, as seller of the transition property, to reduce the risk
that in the event the seller or an affiliate of the seller were to become the
debtor in a bankruptcy case, a court would order that our assets and liabilities
be substantively consolidated with those of CenterPoint Houston or an affiliate.
Nonetheless, these steps might not be completely effective, and thus if
CenterPoint Houston or one of its affiliates were to become a debtor in a
bankruptcy case, a court might order that our assets and liabilities be
consolidated with those of CenterPoint Houston or such affiliate. This might
cause material delays in payment of, or losses on, the transition bonds and
might materially reduce the value of the transition bonds. For
example:
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without
permission from the bankruptcy court, the trustee might be prevented from
taking actions against CenterPoint Houston or recovering or using funds on
behalf of bondholders or replacing CenterPoint Houston as the
servicer;
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the
bankruptcy court might order the trustee to exchange the transition
property for other property, of lower
value;
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tax
or other government liens on CenterPoint Houston’s property might have
priority over the trustee’s lien and might be paid from collected
transition charges before payments on the transition
bonds;
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the
trustee’s lien might not be properly perfected in the collected transition
property collections prior to or as of the date of CenterPoint Houston’s
bankruptcy, with the result that the transition bonds would represent only
general unsecured claims against CenterPoint
Houston;
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the
bankruptcy court might rule that neither our property interest nor the
trustee’s lien extends to transition charges in respect of electricity
consumed after the commencement of CenterPoint Houston’s bankruptcy case,
with the result that the transition bonds would represent only general
unsecured claims against CenterPoint
Houston;
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we
and CenterPoint Houston might be relieved of any obligation to make any
payments on the transition bonds during the pendency of the bankruptcy
case and might be relieved of any obligation to pay interest accruing
after the commencement of the bankruptcy
case;
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CenterPoint
Houston might be able to alter the terms of the transition bonds as part
of its plan of reorganization;
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the
bankruptcy court might rule that the transition charges should be used to
pay, or that we should be charged for, a portion of the cost of providing
electric service; or
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the
bankruptcy court might rule that the remedy provisions of the transition
property sale agreement are unenforceable, leaving us with an unsecured
claim for actual damages against CenterPoint Houston that may be difficult
to prove or, if proven, to collect in
full.
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Furthermore, if CenterPoint Houston
enters bankruptcy proceedings, it might be permitted to stop acting as servicer
and it may be difficult to find a third party to act as servicer. The failure of
the servicer to perform its duties or the inability to find a successor servicer
might cause payment delays or losses on the transition bonds. Also, the mere
fact of a servicer or seller bankruptcy proceeding might have an adverse effect
on the resale market for the transition bonds and on the value of the transition
bonds.
The sale of the
transition property might be construed as a financing and not a sale in a case
of CenterPoint Houston’s bankruptcy which might delay or limit payments on the
transition bonds.
The Restructuring Act provides that the
characterization of a transfer of transition property as a sale or other
absolute transfer will not be affected or impaired by treatment of the transfer
as a financing for federal or state tax purposes or financial reporting
purposes. We and CenterPoint Houston treated the transaction as a sale under
applicable law, although for financial reporting and state income and franchise
tax purposes the transaction was intended to be treated as a financing. In the
event of a bankruptcy of CenterPoint Houston, a party in interest in the
bankruptcy might assert that the sale of the transition property to us was a
financing transaction and not a “sale or other absolute transfer” and that the
treatment of the transaction for financial reporting and tax purposes as a
financing and not a sale lends weight to that position. If a court were to
characterize the transaction as a financing, we expect that we would, on behalf
of ourselves and the trustee, be treated as a secured creditor of CenterPoint
Houston in the bankruptcy proceedings, although a court might determine that we
only have an unsecured claim against CenterPoint Houston. See “—The servicer
will commingle the transition charges with other revenues it collects, which
might obstruct access to the transition charges in case of the servicer’s
bankruptcy and reduce the value of the transition bonds” above. Even if we had a
security interest in the transition property, we would not likely have access to
the related transition charge collections during the bankruptcy and would be
subject to the risks of a secured creditor in a bankruptcy case, including the
possible bankruptcy risks described in the immediately preceding risk factor. As
a result, repayment of the transition bonds might be significantly delayed and a
plan of reorganization in the bankruptcy might permanently modify the amount and
timing of payments to us of the related transition charge collections and
therefore the amount and timing of funds available to us to pay
bondholders.
If the servicer
enters bankruptcy proceedings, the collections of the transition charges held by
the servicer as of the date of bankruptcy might constitute preferences, which
means these funds might be unavailable to pay amounts owing on the transition
bonds.
In the event of a bankruptcy of the
servicer, a party in interest might take the position that the remittance of
funds prior to bankruptcy of the servicer, pursuant to the servicing agreement
or intercreditor agreement, constitutes a preference under bankruptcy law if the
remittance of those funds was deemed to be paid on account of a pre-existing
debt. If a court were to hold that the remittance of funds constitutes a
preference, any such remittance within 90 days of the filing of the
bankruptcy petition could be avoidable, and the funds could be required to be
returned to the bankruptcy estate of the servicer. To the extent that transition
charges have been commingled with the general funds of the servicer, the risk
that a court would hold that a remittance of funds was a preference would
increase. Also, we or the servicer may be considered an “insider” with any REP
that is affiliated with us or the servicer. If the servicer or we are considered
to be an “insider” of the REP, any such remittance made within one year of the
filing of the bankruptcy petition could be avoidable as well if the court were
to hold that such remittance constitutes a preference. In either case, we or the
trustee would merely be an unsecured creditor of the servicer.
Claims against
CenterPoint Houston might be limited in the event of its
bankruptcy.
If CenterPoint Houston were to become a
debtor in a bankruptcy case, claims, including indemnity claims, by us against
it, as seller, under the transition property sale agreement and the other
documents executed in connection with the transition property sale agreement
would be unsecured claims and would be disposed of in the bankruptcy case. In
addition, the bankruptcy court might estimate any contingent claims that we have
against the seller and, if it determines that the contingency giving rise to
these claims is unlikely to occur, estimate the claims at a lower amount. A
party in interest in the bankruptcy of the seller might challenge the
enforceability of the indemnity provisions in the transition property sale
agreement. If a court were to hold that the indemnity provisions were
unenforceable, we would be left with a claim for actual damages against the
seller based on breach of contract principles, which would be subject to
estimation and/or calculation by the court. We cannot give any assurance as to
the result if any of the above-described actions or claims were made.
Furthermore, we cannot give any assurance as to what percentage of their claims,
if any, unsecured creditors would receive in any bankruptcy proceeding involving
the seller.
The bankruptcy of
CenterPoint Houston might limit the remedies available to the
trustee.
Upon an event of default under the
indenture, the Restructuring Act permits the trustee to enforce the security
interest in the transition property in accordance with the terms of the
indenture. In this capacity, the trustee is permitted to request the Texas
Utility Commission or a Travis County, Texas district court to order the
sequestration and payment to bondholders of all revenues arising with respect to
the transition property. There can be no assurance, however, that the Texas
Utility Commission or the Travis County, Texas district court would issue this
order after a CenterPoint Houston bankruptcy in light of the automatic stay
provisions of Section 362 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. In that
event, the trustee would be required to seek an order from the bankruptcy court
lifting the automatic stay to permit this action by the Texas court, and an
order requiring an accounting and segregation of the revenues arising from the
transition property. There can be no assurance that a court would grant either
order.
Risks Associated with Potential
Bankruptcy Proceedings of REPs
REPs may
commingle the transition charges with other revenues they collect. This may
cause losses on or reduce the value of the transition bonds in the event a REP
enters bankruptcy proceedings.
A REP is not required to segregate from
its general funds the transition charges it collects but is required to remit to
the servicer amounts billed to it for transition charges, less an amount
relating to expected customer charge-offs, within 35 days of the billing by
the servicer. A REP nevertheless might fail to remit the full amount of the
transition charges owed to the servicer or might fail to do so on a timely
basis. This failure, whether voluntary or involuntary, might materially reduce
the amount of transition charge collections available on the next payment date
to make timely payments on the transition bonds.
The Restructuring Act provides that our
rights to the transition property are not affected by the commingling of these
funds with other funds. In a bankruptcy of a REP, however, a bankruptcy court
might rule that federal bankruptcy law takes precedence over the Restructuring
Act and does not recognize our right to receive the collected transition charges
that are commingled with other funds of a REP as of the date of bankruptcy. If
so, the collections of the transition charges held by a REP as of the date of
bankruptcy would not be available to pay amounts owing on the transition bonds.
In this case, we would have only a general unsecured claim against the REP for
those amounts. This decision might cause material delays in payments of
principal or interest or losses on the transition bonds and could materially
reduce the value of the transition bonds, particularly if it occurred in the
fifteenth year of the transition bonds after the completion of which no
transition charges can be charged.
If a REP enters
bankruptcy proceedings, any cash deposit of the REP held by the trustee might
not be available to cover amounts owed by the REP.
If a REP does not have the credit
rating required by the financing order, it may nevertheless qualify to act as a
REP if, among other alternatives, it provides a cash deposit equal to two
months’ maximum expected transition charge collections. That cash deposit will
be held by the trustee under the indenture. However, it is unclear whether the
Restructuring Act creates a lien on the cash deposit in favor of the trustee. If
the REP becomes bankrupt, the trustee would be stayed from applying that cash
deposit to cover amounts owed by the REP, and the trustee might be required to
return that cash deposit to the REP’s bankruptcy estate if the bankruptcy court
determines there is no valid right of set-off or recoupment. In that case, the
issuer might only have an unsecured claim for any amounts owed by the REP in the
REP’s bankruptcy proceedings. Several REPs with which CenterPoint Houston has
done business have filed for bankruptcy. CenterPoint Houston, as servicer of the
transition bonds, was able to recover the full amount or a substantial majority
of the transition charges from cash deposits or a combination of cash deposits
and payments from these REPs, but there is no assurance that CenterPoint Houston
will be able to recover such amounts from any bankrupt REPs in the
future.
If a REP enters
bankruptcy proceedings, transition charge payments made by that REP to the
servicer might constitute preferences, and the servicer may be required to
return such funds to the bankruptcy estate of the REP.
In the event of a bankruptcy of a REP,
a party in interest might take the position that the remittance of funds by the
REP to the servicer, pursuant to the financing order, prior to bankruptcy
constitutes a preference under bankruptcy law if the remittance of those funds
was deemed to be paid on account of a pre-existing debt. If a court were to hold
that the remittance of funds constitutes preferences, any remittance of such
funds made within 90 days of the filing of the bankruptcy petition might be
avoidable, and the funds might be required to be returned to the bankruptcy
estate of the REP by us or the servicer. To the extent that transition charges
have been commingled with the general funds of the REP, the risk that a court
would hold that a remittance of funds was a preference would increase. Also, we
or the servicer might be considered an “insider” with any REP that is affiliated
with us or the servicer. If the servicer or we are considered to be an “insider”
of the REP, any such remittance made within one year of the filing of the
bankruptcy petition could be avoidable as well if the court were to hold that
such remittance constitutes a preference. In either case, we or the servicer
would merely be an unsecured creditor of the REP.
Furthermore, the mere fact of a REP
bankruptcy proceeding could have an adverse effect on the resale market for the
transition bonds and on the value of the transition bonds.
Other Risks Associated with an
Investment in the Transition Bonds
We may incur
expenses in excess of caps on such expenses provided in the financing
order.
Under the financing order, transition
charges may not be imposed for certain of our ongoing expenses to the extent
they exceed caps provided in the financing order for such amounts. In addition,
our other assets, substantially all of which are pledged to the trustee under
the indenture, may not be used by the trustee to pay such excess amounts.
Examples of these caps include payment of specified fees and expenses of the
trustee and the servicer and other specified operating expenses. We cannot be
sure that we will not incur expenses for these purposes in excess of the cap
levels and, if this were to occur, we would not have funds to make payments for
these
excess
amounts. Creditors of ours which are owed these amounts and not paid may obtain
judgment liens against our assets or seek to place us in
bankruptcy.
CenterPoint
Houston’s indemnification obligations under the transition property sale and
servicing agreements are limited and might not be sufficient to protect the
value of the transition bonds.
CenterPoint Houston is obligated under
the transition property sale agreement to indemnify us and the trustee, for
itself and on behalf of the bondholders, only in specified circumstances and
will not be obligated to repurchase the transition property in the event of a
breach of any of its representations, warranties or covenants regarding the
transition property. Similarly, CenterPoint Houston is obligated under the
transition property servicing agreement to indemnify us, the trustee, for itself
and on behalf of the bondholders, and the Texas Utility Commission only in
specified circumstances.
Neither the trustee nor the bondholders
have the right to accelerate payments on the transition bonds as a result of a
breach under the transition property sale agreement or the transition property
servicing agreement, absent an event of default under the indenture.
Furthermore, CenterPoint Houston might not have sufficient funds available to
satisfy its indemnification obligations under these agreements, and the amount
of any indemnification paid by CenterPoint Houston might not be sufficient for
bondholders to recover all of their investment in the transition bonds. In
addition, if CenterPoint Houston becomes obligated to indemnify bondholders, the
ratings on the transition bonds will likely be downgraded as a result of the
circumstances causing the breach and the fact that bondholders will be unsecured
creditors of CenterPoint Houston with respect to any of these indemnification
amounts.
CenterPoint
Houston’s ratings might affect the market value of the transition
bonds.
A downgrading of the credit ratings on
the debt of CenterPoint Houston might have an adverse effect on the market value
of the transition bonds.
Alternatives to
purchasing electricity through CenterPoint Houston’s distribution facilities may
be more widely utilized by retail electric customers in the
future.
Broader use of distributed generation
by retail electric customers may result from customers’ changing perceptions of
the merits of utilizing existing generation technology or from technological
developments resulting in smaller-scale, more fuel efficient, more
environmentally friendly and/or more cost effective distributed generation.
Electric customers within CenterPoint Houston’s service territory whose load is
served by an on-site power production facility with a rated capacity of 10
megawatts or less are not required to pay transition charges under the
Restructuring Act except for transition charges associated with services
actually provided by the transmission and distribution utility. Therefore, more
widespread use of distributed generation might allow greater numbers of retail
customers to reduce or eliminate their payment of transition charges causing
transition charges to remaining customers to increase.
Bondholders might
receive principal payments on the transition bonds later than
expected.
The amount and the rate of collection
of the transition charges, together with the related transition charge
adjustments, will generally determine whether there is a delay in the scheduled
repayments of transition bond principal. If the servicer collects the transition
charges at a slower rate than expected from any REP, it might have to request
adjustments of the transition charges. If those adjustments are not timely and
accurate, bondholders might experience a delay in payments of principal and
interest and a decrease in the value of the transition bonds.