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EDMONTON, Alberta – Capital Power Corporation (TSX: CPX) today released financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024.

“Capital Power continued to execute on its strategic focus in the first quarter,” said Avik Dey, President and CEO of Capital Power. “We delivered affordable and reliable power across our diverse and strategically positioned fleet of flexible generation assets. We continued to build decarbonized power through our Genesee Repowering project where we reached a key milestone with our startup of simple cycle unit 1 during Q1 2024. Once we startup simple cycle unit 2, expected in mid-2024, we will be fully off coal, achieving a significant carbon reduction target. We advanced our pursuit of low-carbon solutions by partnering with OPG to evaluate the deployment of small modular reactors in Alberta. Lastly, we closed the acquisition of the La Paloma and Harquahala generation assets, demonstrating our balanced approach to growth by diversifying our footprint into strategic regions where we provide reliable and affordable power,” stated Mr. Dey.

“During the quarter, strong contributions from our recent acquisitions of Frederickson 1, Harquahala, and La Paloma partially offset the impact of lower contributions from our Alberta commercial portfolio on adjusted EBITDA results, underscoring the benefits of a diversified fleet,” said Sandra Haskins, SVP Finance and CFO of Capital Power. “As indicated in our guidance presentation earlier this year, a decrease in contributions from the Alberta portfolio was expected throughout 2024 due to the lower power price environment and forecasted lower generation during the Genesee Repowering project commissioning process. The table below shows the incremental impacts in the quarter as prices settled below expectations, the first fire of simple cycle commissioning for Unit 1 was delayed, and a number of ill-timed forced outages were experienced on the existing, aging Genesee units. As we look out longer term, we are excited by how Capital Power is uniquely positioned to deliver growth and create shareholder value, driven by the macro trends that are increasing North American power demand. We look forward to sharing further insights into our strategic pathway to net zero at our 2024 Investor Day event on May 7 and 8 in Edmonton,” stated Ms. Haskins.

Alberta Commercial Facilities Q1 Impacts

($ millions)
Q1-23 Alberta commercial facilities adjusted EBITDA	$235
Q1-24 guidance reduction (volume and price)	(50)
Lower captured gross margin (below guidance)	(14)
Genesee repowering project – Unit 1 delay	(17)
Other outage costs and impacts	(19)
Q1-24 Alberta commercial facilities adjusted EBITDA	$135

 

Operational and Financial Highlights¹

(unaudited, millions of dollars except per share and operational amounts)	Three months ended March 31
	2024	2023
Electricity generation (Gigawatt hours)	8,809	7,417
Generation facility availability	94%	94%
Revenues and other income	$1,119	$1,267
Adjusted EBITDA 2	$279	$401
Net income 3	$205	$285
Net income attributable to shareholders of the Company	$205	$286
Basic earnings per share	$1.58	$2.39
Diluted earnings per share	$1.57	$2.38
Net cash flows from operating activities	$334	$349
Adjusted funds from operations 2	$142	$210
Adjusted funds from operations per share 2	$1.15	$1.80
Purchase of property, plant and equipment and other assets, net	$218	$86
Dividends per common share, declared	$0.6150	$0.5800

1. The operational and financial highlights in this press release should be read in conjunction with the Management’s Discussion and Analysis and the audited condensed interim financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2024.
2. Earnings before net finance expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, impairments, foreign exchange gains or losses, finance expense and depreciation expense from joint venture interests, gains or losses on disposals and unrealized changes in fair value of commodity derivatives and emissions credits and other items that are not reflective of the long-term performance of the Company’s underlying business (adjusted EBITDA) and adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) are used as non-GAAP financial measures by the Company. The Company also uses AFFO per share which is a non-GAAP ratio. These measures and ratios do not have standardized meanings under GAAP and are, therefore, unlikely to be comparable to similar measures used by other enterprises. See Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Ratios.
3. Includes depreciation and amortization for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 of $122 million and $141 million, respectively. Forecasted depreciation and amortization for the remainder of 2024 is $116 million per quarter.

Significant Events

Large-scale virtual power purchase agreement with Saputo Inc.

On March 27, 2024, the Company announced it had entered into a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with Saputo Inc. The agreement pertains to the Company’s Canadian-based wind facility Halkirk 2 currently under construction. Subject to final regulatory approvals and once operational, the portion of the wind facility contracted by Saputo will generate approximately 206,300 MWh of renewable electricity per year.

Acquisition of CXA La Paloma LLC and New Harquahala Generating Company, LLC

The La Paloma Acquisition and the Harquahala Acquisition closed on February 9, 2024 and February 16, 2024, respectively.

On November 20, 2023, the Company announced that it had entered into two separate definitive agreements with CSG Investments, Inc., a subsidiary of Beal Financial Corporation, to acquire:

1.  100% of the equity interests in CXA La Paloma, LLC (La Paloma), which owns the 1,062 MW La Paloma natural gas-fired generation facility in Kern County, California (the La Paloma Acquisition); and
2. under a newly formed 50/50 partnership between Capital Power Investments, LLC and an affiliate of a fund managed by BlackRock’s Diversified Infrastructure business (BlackRock), 100% of the equity interests in New Harquahala Generating Company, LLC (Harquahala), which owns the 1,092 MW Harquahala natural gas-fired generation facility in Maricopa County, Arizona (the Harquahala Acquisition and together with the La Paloma Acquisition, the Acquisitions).

Under the newly established 50/50 partnership, Capital Power and BlackRock are each responsible for funding 50% of the cash consideration for the Harquahala Acquisition. Capital Power is responsible for the operations and maintenance and asset management for which it will receive an annual management fee.

La Paloma and Harquahala are critical infrastructure assets, which support the reliability of California and Arizona’s electricity grids and add further growth opportunities in the attractive WECC market while balancing the Company’s geographical footprint across North America. La Paloma is contracted under various resource adequacy contracts through 2029 with multiple investment grade utilities and load serving entities. Harquahala is 100% contracted under a tolling agreement through 2031 with an investment grade utility.

The Acquisitions are expected to generate average annual Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $265 million (US$197 million) for the 2024-2028 period and are estimated to be, on average, 8% accretive to AFFO per share over the same period.

The purchase price of the Acquisitions attributable to Capital Power was $1.5 billion (US$1.1 billion), subject to working capital and other customary closing adjustments. The Acquisitions were partially funded by a $400 million subscription receipt offering and $850 million medium term notes offering.

Updates to Genesee Repowering project

On January 16, 2024, the Company updated our Genesee repowering timelines. Commissioning of simple cycle Unit 1 occurred in the first quarter of 2024 and Unit 2 is expected to be completed in third quarter of 2024. During the commissioning phase, unit dispatch will be driven by project needs rather than economic dispatch therefore output during commissioning of simple cycle will range between 0 and 411 MWs. Combined cycle for Unit 1 and Unit 2 is expected to be completed in Q4 2024 and output will range between 0 and 466 MWs during commissioning. Both units are expected to reach 566 MWs in the first half of 2025. Due to incremental costs related to outages required for tie in and ongoing productivity challenges, the project is expected to come in at the updated cost of $1.55 to $1.65 billion.

Partnered with Ontario Power Generation to advance new nuclear in Alberta

On January 15, 2024, the Company announced that it had entered into an agreement with OPG to jointly assess the development and deployment of grid-scale SMRs to provide clean, reliable nuclear energy for Alberta.

Pursuant to the agreement, the two companies will examine the feasibility of developing SMRs in Alberta, including possible ownership and operating structures. SMRs are being pursued by jurisdictions in Canada and around the world to power the growing demand for clean electricity and energy security.

Capital Power and OPG will complete the feasibility assessment within two years, while continuing to work on the next stages of SMR development.

Subsequent Event

Discontinuation of $2.4 billion Genesee CCS project

Capital Power is discontinuing pursuit of the Genesee CCS project. Through our development of the project, we have confirmed that CCS is a technically viable technology and potential pathway to decarbonization for thermal generation facilities including Genesee. However, at this time, the project is not economically feasible and as a result we will be turning our time, attention, and resources to other opportunities to serve our customers with balanced energy solutions. Capital Power looks forward to exploring CCS at Genesee and certain assets in our North American fleet in the future as economics improve.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Ratios

Capital Power uses (i) earnings before net finance expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, impairments, foreign exchange gains or losses, finance expense and depreciation expense from our joint venture interests, gains or losses on disposals and unrealized changes in fair value of commodity derivatives and emission credits (adjusted EBITDA), and (ii) AFFO as financial performance measures.

Capital Power also uses AFFO per share as a performance measure. This measure is a non-GAAP ratio determined by applying AFFO to the weighted average number of common shares used in the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share.

These terms are not defined financial measures according to GAAP and do not have standardized meanings prescribed by GAAP and, therefore, are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures used by other enterprises. These measures should not be considered alternatives to net income, net income attributable to shareholders of Capital Power, net cash flows from operating activities or other measures of financial performance calculated in accordance with GAAP. Rather, these measures are provided to complement GAAP measures in the analysis of our results of operations from management’s perspective.

Forward-looking Information

Forward-looking information or statements included in this press release are provided to inform the Company’s shareholders and potential investors about management’s assessment of Capital Power’s future plans and operations. This information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The forward-looking information in this press release is generally identified by words such as will, anticipate, believe, plan, intend, target, and expect or similar words that suggest future outcomes.

Material forward-looking information in this press release includes disclosures regarding (i) status of the Company’s 2024 AFFO and adjusted EBITDA guidance, (ii) forecasted 2024 depreciation, (iii) the timing of, funding of, generation capacity of, costs of technologies selected for, environmental benefits or commercial and partnership arrangements regarding existing, planned and potential development projects and acquisitions (including the repowering of Genesee 1 and 2, La Paloma and Harquahala acquisitions, and Halkirk 2, (iv) the financial impacts of the La Paloma and Harquahala acquisitions, and (v) the timing of the nuclear feasibility assessment between Capital Power and Ontario Power Generation.

These statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company considering its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate including its review of purchased businesses and assets. The material factors and assumptions used to develop these forward-looking statements relate to: (i) electricity, other energy and carbon prices, (ii) performance, (iii) business prospects (including potential re-contracting of facilities) and opportunities including expected growth and capital projects, (iv) status of and impact of policy, legislation and regulations and (v) effective tax rates.

Whether actual results, performance or achievements will conform to the Company’s expectations and predictions is subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the Company’s expectations. Such material risks and uncertainties are: (i) changes in electricity, natural gas and carbon prices in markets in which the Company operates and the use of derivatives, (ii) regulatory and political environments including changes to environmental, climate, financial reporting, market structure and tax legislation, (iii) disruptions, or price volatility within our supply chains, (iv) generation facility availability, wind capacity factor and performance including maintenance expenditures, (v) ability to fund current and future capital and working capital needs, (vi) acquisitions and developments including timing and costs of regulatory approvals and construction, (vii) changes in the availability of fuel, (viii) ability to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions, (ix) limitations inherent in the Company’s review of acquired assets, (x) changes in general economic and competitive conditions and (xi) changes in the performance and cost of technologies and the development of new technologies, new energy efficient products, services and programs. See Risks and Risk Management in the Company’s Integrated Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2023, prepared as of February 27, 2024, for further discussion of these and other risks.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the specified approval date. The Company does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.

Territorial Acknowledgement

In the spirit of reconciliation, Capital Power respectfully acknowledges that we operate within the ancestral homelands, traditional and treaty territories of the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, or North America. Capital Power’s head office is located within the traditional and contemporary home of many Indigenous Peoples of the Treaty 6 region and Métis Nation of Alberta Region 4. We acknowledge the diverse Indigenous communities that are located in these areas and whose presence continues to enrich the community.

About Capital Power

Capital Power is a growth-oriented power producer committed to net zero by 2045, with approximately 9,300 MW of power generation at 32 facilities across North America.

We prioritize delivering reliable, affordable and decarbonized power that communities can depend on, building decarbonized power systems needed for tomorrow, and creating real net zero solutions for customers. We are powering change by changing power.

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Supporting Document

• Full 2024 Q1 Report