CANADIAN UTILITIES REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2023 EARNINGS

CALGARY, AB, April 27, 2023  /CNW/ - Canadian Utilities Limited (TSX: CU) (TSX: CU.X)  

Canadian Utilities Limited (Canadian Utilities or the Company) today announced first quarter 2023 adjusted earnings of $217 million ($0.81 per share), $2 million ($nil per share) lower compared to $219 million ($0.81 per share) in the first quarter of 2022.

CANADIAN UTILITIES REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2023 EARNINGS (CNW Group/Canadian Utilities Limited)

First quarter earnings attributable to equity owners of the Company reported in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS earnings) were $292 million ($1.01 per Class A and Class B share), $65 million ($0.23 per Class A and Class B share) higher compared to $227 million ($0.78 per Class A and Class B share) in the first quarter of 2022.

IFRS earnings include timing adjustments related to rate-regulated activities, unrealized gains or losses on mark-to-market forward and swap commodity contracts, one-time gains and losses, impairments, and items that are not in the normal course of business or a result of day-to-day operations. These items, as well as dividends on equity preferred shares of the Company, are not included in adjusted earnings.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

• Invested $304 million in capital expenditures in the first quarter of 2023, of which 86 per cent was invested in regulated utilities and 14 per cent mainly in Energy Infrastructure.
• Closed the acquisition of the renewable generation portfolio on January 3, 2023. The 232-MW of operating Forty Mile and Adelaide wind assets have contributed revenues of $27 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023. Uprating work is currently underway for the Forty Mile wind assets with expected completion in the fourth quarter of 2023. This uprating is expected to increase Forty Mile Wind generation capacity from 202-MW to 225-MW.
• In 2023, the Electricity Distribution and Natural Gas Distribution businesses, following the conclusion of the second performance-based regulation (PBR) term, began a one-year cost-of-service rebasing. The cost efficiencies generated over the second generation PBR term are now being passed along to customers, providing lower rates and creating long-term savings for Albertans. Following a one-year cost-of-service rebasing in 2023, these businesses will move to a third generation of performance-based regulation (PBR3) beginning in 2024.
• On April 13, 2023, Canadian Utilities declared a second quarter dividend of 44.86 cents per share or $1.79 per Class A non-voting and Class B common share on an annualized basis.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY AND RECONCILIATION OF ADJUSTED EARNINGS 

A financial summary and reconciliation of adjusted earnings to earnings attributable to equity owners of the Company is provided below:

	Three Months Ended March 31
($ millions except share data)	2023	2022
Adjusted Earnings	217	219
Unrealized gains (losses) on mark-to-market forward and swap commodity contracts ^(1)	61	(12)
Rate-regulated activities ^(2)	9	36
IT Common Matters decision ^(3)	(5)	(4)
Transition of managed IT services ^(4)	(9)	—
Dividends on equity preferred shares of Canadian Utilities Limited	19	18
AUC enforcement proceeding ^(5)	—	(27)
Workplace COVID-19 vaccination standard ^(6)	—	(8)
Gain on sale of ownership interest in a subsidiary company ^(7)	—	5
Earnings attributable to equity owners of the Company	292	227
Weighted average shares outstanding (millions of shares)	269.5	268.9

(1)	The Company's retail electricity and natural gas business in Alberta enters into fixed-price swap commodity contracts to manage exposure to electricity and natural gas prices and volumes. These contracts are measured at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses due to changes in the fair value of the fixed-price swap commodity contracts are recognized in the earnings of the Corporate & Other segment. Realized gains or losses are recognized in adjusted earnings when the commodity contracts are settled.
(2)	The Company records significant timing adjustments as a result of the differences between rate-regulated accounting and International Financial Reporting Standards with respect to additional revenues billed in the current year, revenues to be billed in future years, regulatory decisions received, and settlement of regulatory decisions and other items.
(3)	Consistent with the treatment of the gain on sale in 2014 from the IT services business by the Company, financial impacts associated with the IT Common Matters decision are excluded from adjusted earnings.
(4)	In the first quarter of 2023, the Company recognized legal and other costs of $9 million (after-tax) related to the Wipro Ltd. master services agreements matter that was concluded on February 26, 2023.
(5)	On April 14, 2022, the AUC Enforcement branch and ATCO Electric Transmission filed a settlement with the AUC regarding a sole source contract for the Jasper interconnection project. On June 29, 2022, the AUC issued its decision approving the settlement in its entirety. In the first quarter of 2022, the Company recognized costs of $27 million (after-tax) related to the proceeding.
(6)	In the first quarter of 2022, the Company incurred $8 million (after-tax) in severance and related costs associated with its Workplace COVID-19 vaccination standard.
(7)	On March 31, 2022, the Company sold 36 per cent of its ownership interest in a subsidiary, Northland Utilities Enterprises Ltd., for $8 million, net of cash disposed. The transaction resulted in a gain on sale of $5 million (after-tax). With this transaction, ATCO Electric Ltd. and Denendeh Investments Incorporated (DII) each have a 50 per cent ownership interest.

This news release should be read in concert with the full disclosure documents. Canadian Utilities' unaudited consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the quarter ended March 31, 2023 will be available on the Canadian Utilities website (www.canadianutilities.com), via SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or can be requested from the Company.

TELECONFERENCE AND WEBCAST

Canadian Utilities will hold a live teleconference and webcast at 9:00 am Mountain Time (11:00 am Eastern Time) on Thursday, April 27, 2023 at 1-800-319-4610. No pass code is required.

Brian Shkrobot, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, will discuss first quarter 2023 financial results and recent developments. Opening remarks will be followed by a question and answer period with investment analysts. Participants are asked to please dial-in 10 minutes prior to the start and request to join the Canadian Utilities teleconference.

Management invites interested parties to listen via live webcast at:  https://www.canadianutilities.com/en-ca/investors/events-presentations.html

A replay of the teleconference will be available approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call until May 27, 2023. Please call 1-800-319-6413 and enter pass code 0025. An archive of the webcast will be available on April 28, 2023 and a transcript of the call will be posted on   
https://www.canadianutilities.com/en-ca/investors/events-presentations.html within a few business days.

With approximately 5,000 employees and assets of $23 billion, Canadian Utilities Limited is an ATCO company. Canadian Utilities is a diversified global energy infrastructure corporation delivering essential services and innovative business solutions in Utilities (electricity and natural gas transmission and distribution, and international operations); Energy Infrastructure (energy storage, energy generation, industrial water solutions, and clean fuels); and Retail Energy (electricity and natural gas retail sales, and whole-home solutions). More information can be found at  www.canadianutilities.com.

Investor & Analyst Inquiries:
Colin Jackson
Senior Vice President, Finance, Treasury & Sustainability
[email protected]
[phone]

Media Inquiries:
Kurt Kadatz
Director, Corporate Communications
[email protected]
[phone]

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Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures

This news release includes references to "adjusted earnings" which is a "total of segments measure" as that term is defined in National Instrument 52-112 Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Disclosure. The most directly comparable measure that is reported in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards is "earnings attributable to equity owners of the Company". For additional information, see "Financial Summary and Reconciliation of Adjusted Earnings" in this news release, and "Other Financial and Non-GAAP Measures" and "Reconciliation of Adjusted Earnings to Earnings Attributable to Equity Owners of the Company" in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2023, which is available on www.sedar.com.

Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", "goals", "targets", "strategy", "future", and similar expressions. In particular, forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, references to: the expected electricity generation capacity of wind assets, including the expected increase in generation capacity following uprating work on the Forty Mile Wind assets.

Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable based on the information available on the date such statements are made and processes used to prepare the information, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. Forward looking information should not be unduly relied upon. By their nature, these statements involve a variety of assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, and other factors, which may cause actual results, levels of activity, and achievements to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information reflects the Company's beliefs and assumptions with respect to, among other things, the development and performance of technology and technological innovations; continuing collaboration with certain regulatory and environmental groups; the performance of assets and equipment; the ability to meet current project schedules, and other assumptions inherent in management's expectations in respect of the forward-looking information identified herein.

The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of, among other things, risks inherent in the performance of assets; capital efficiencies and cost savings; applicable laws and government policies; regulatory decisions; competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates; prevailing economic conditions; credit risk; interest rate fluctuations; the availability and cost of labour, materials, services, and infrastructure; the development and execution of projects; prices of electricity, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and renewable energy; the development and performance of technology and new energy efficient products, services, and programs including but not limited to the use of zero-emission and renewable fuels, carbon capture, and storage, electrification of equipment powered by zero-emission energy sources and utilization and availability of carbon offsets; the termination or breach of contracts by contract counterparties; the occurrence of unexpected events such as fires, severe weather conditions, explosions, blow-outs, equipment failures, transportation incidents, and other accidents or similar events; and other risk factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Due to the interdependencies and correlation of these factors, the impact of any one material assumption or risk on a forward-looking statement cannot be determined with certainty. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing lists are not exhaustive. For additional information about the principal risks that the Company faces, see "Business Risks and Risk Management" in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the Company's expectations as of the date hereof, and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation.

SOURCE Canadian Utilities Limited