"We're pleased with our results, especially considering the number of factors that worked against us in the third quarter," said Michael G. Morris, AEP chairman, president and chief executive officer, in a prepared statement. "This was the coolest summer in 30 years for the Eastern states that we serve and the fourth-coolest summer in 30 years for our customers in the Southwest Power Pool - Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and northeast Texas. The cool summer weather reduced both retail and wholesale sales.
"Of course, the economy remains a significant factor," Morris said. "Our sales to industrial customers in the third quarter were down 17 percent from a year ago, but that's a slight improvement from second quarter, when industrial sales were down 20 percent. We did see an increase in sales to several large metals customers from second quarter to third quarter. We hope that's a sign of better things to come, but we don't see it as a cause for celebration yet."
Morris noted that states served by AEP are more industrialized and export oriented than many other areas of the United States, so the impact of the worldwide economic decline on industrial production was more severe in these regions than in other parts of the country.
"The economy will improve, but it's going to take some time," Morris said. "Fortunately, the export market may recover more rapidly. Until then, we will continue to keep tight control on our spending."
Ongoing earnings from Utility Operations increased by $88 million in third-quarter 2009 compared with the same period last year, reflecting increased rates throughout AEP's utility footprint and lower operation and maintenance expenses. These favorable items were somewhat offset by a reduction in both sales to industrial customers and off-system sales and the increase in capital-driven other expenses, such as depreciation and interest expenses, from the prior period.
Retail Sales - Results for third-quarter 2009 improved from the same period last year, primarily because of the impact of rate changes in both AEP's Eastern and Western service areas. The positive impact of the rate changes was somewhat offset by lower sales to industrial customers. Unfavorable weather, primarily in AEP's Eastern service area, decreased margins by $42 million compared with the same period in 2008; cooling degree-days in third-quarter 2009 were 28 percent below normal and 23 percent below the total for the same period in 2009. In AEP's Western service area, cooling degree-days in third-quarter 2009 were 17 percent below normal and 7 percent below the prior period.
Transmission Revenues - Revenues from transmission increased $10 million in third-quarter 2009 from the prior period.
American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation's largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation's largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765-kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP's transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas. AEP's utility units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP's headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.
No comments:
Post a Comment