PPL Corp
For the period ended Jun 30, 2024. Filed Aug 2, 2024.
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A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.
Jun 30, 2024 · Filed Aug 2, 2024
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Financial and Operational Developments
Transfer of Certain Credits under the Inflation Reduction Act(PPL)
The IRS released the final Internal Revenue Code Section 6418 regulations related to the transfer of certain credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. The regulations became effective on July 1, 2024. PPL has reviewed the final regulations and does not anticipate a material impact to the financial statements regarding prior or future credit transfers.
Regulatory Requirements
The Registrants cannot predict the impact that future regulatory requirements may have on their financial condition or results of operations.
Environmental Considerations for Coal-Fired Generation
The businesses of LG&E and KU are subject to extensive federal, state and local environmental laws, rules and regulations, including those pertaining to CCRs, GHG, and ELGs. See Notes 6, 10 and 15 to the Financial Statements for a discussion ofthese significant environmental matters. These and other environmental requirements led PPL, LG&E and KU to retire approximately 1,200 MW of coal-fired generating plants in Kentucky since 2010. As part of the long-term generation planning process, LG&E and KU evaluate a range of factors including the impact of potential stricter environmental regulations, fuel price scenarios, the cost and availability of replacement generation, continued operations and major maintenance costs and the risk of major equipment failures in determining when to retire generation assets.
As a result of environmental requirements and aging infrastructure, LG&E has sought and obtained approval to retire two older coal-fired units at the Mill Creek Plant. Mill Creek Unit 1, with 300 MW of capacity, is expected to be retired in 2024. Mill Creek Unit 2, with 297 MW of capacity, is expected to be retired in 2027, subject to certain conditions.
FERC Transmission Rate Filing
In 2018, LG&E and KU applied to the FERC requesting elimination of certain on-going waivers and credits to a sub-set of transmission customers relating to the 1998 merger of LG&E's and KU's parent entities and the 2006 withdrawal of LG&E and KU from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. (MISO), a regional transmission operator and energy market. The application sought termination of LG&E's and KU's commitment to provide certain Kentucky municipalities mitigation for certain horizontal market power concerns arising out of the 1998 LG&E and KU merger and 2006 MISO withdrawal. The amounts at issue are generally waivers or credits granted to a limited number of Kentucky municipalities for either certain LG&E and KU or MISO transmission charges incurred for transmission service received. In 2019, the FERC granted LG&E's and KU's request to remove the ongoing credits, conditioned upon the implementation by LG&E and KU of a transition mechanism for certain existing power supply arrangements, which was subsequently filed, modified, and approved by the FERC in 2020 and 2021. In 2020, LG&E and KU and other parties filed appeals with the U.S. Court of Appeals - D.C. Circuit (D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals) regarding the FERC's orders on the elimination of the mitigation and required transition mechanism. In August 2022, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order remanding the proceedings back to the FERC. On May 18, 2023, the FERC issued an order on remand reversing its 2019 decision and requiring LG&E and KU to refund credits previously withheld, including under such transition mechanism. LG&E and KU filed a petition for review of the FERC's May 18, 2023 order with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and provided refunds in accordance with the FERC order on December 1, 2023. The FERC issued an order on LG&E's and KU's compliance filing on November 16, 2023, and LG&E and KU filed a petition for review of this November 16, 2023 order on February 14, 2024. FERC issued the substantive order on rehearing on March 21, 2024, reaffirming its prior decision. LG&E and KU filed their opening brief with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on June 24, 2024. LG&E and KU cannot predict the ultimate outcome of the proceedings or any other post decision process but do not expect the annual impact to have a material effect on their operations or financial condition. LG&E and KU currently receive recovery of certain waivers and credits primarily through base rates increases, provided, however, that increases associated with the FERC's May 18, 2023 order are expected to be subject to future rate proceedings.
(PPL)
FY 2025 Gas ISR Plan
On December 22, 2023, RIE filed its FY 2025 Gas ISR Plan with the RIPUC with a budget that includes $185 million of capital investment spend, plus up to an additional $11 million of contingency plan spend in light of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's potential enactment of regulations during FY 2025 that, if enacted, would significantly alter RIE's leak detection and repair obligations under such regulations. RIE also filed its proposed gas ISR plan budgetary and reconciliation framework, addressing issues raised in connection with its FY 2024 submission, with its FY 2025 ISR Plan. The RIPUC held hearings in March 2024, andon March 26, 2024, approved the plan, including the proposed budgetary and reconciliation framework, with a total approved FY 2025 Gas ISR Plan of $180 million of which $168 million is for capital investment spendand $12 million spend for paving costs as operations and maintenance (O&M), plus the potential additional$11 million available if the above-mentioned regulations are implemented by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. On March 28, 2024, the RIPUC approved RIE's compliance filing for rates effective April 1, 2024.
FY 2025 Electric ISR Plan
On December 21, 2023, RIE filed its FY 2025 Electric ISR Plan with the RIPUC with a budget that includes $141 million of capital investment spend, $13 million of vegetation O&M spend and $1 million of Other O&M spend. RIE also filed its proposed electric ISR plan budgetary and reconciliation framework, addressing issues raised in connection with its FY 2024 submission, with its FY 2025 ISR Plan. The RIPUC held hearings in March 2024, and on March 26, 2024, approved the plan, including the proposed budgetary and reconciliation framework, with modifications to the proposed capital investment spend, resulting in a total approved FY 2025 Electric ISR Plan of $132 million for capital investment spend, $13 million for vegetation management O&M spend, and $1 million for Other O&M spend. On March 28, 2024, the RIPUC approved RIE's compliance filing for rates effective April 1, 2024.
Advanced Metering Functionality (AMF)
In 2021, RIE filed its Updated AMF Business Case and Grid Modernization Plan (GMP) with the RIPUC in accordance with the ASA approved by the RIPUC in August 2018, and which, among other things, sought approval to deploy smart meters throughout the service territory. After PPL completed the acquisition of RIE, RIE filed a new AMF Business Case with the RIPUC in 2022, consisting of a detailed proposal for full-scale deployment of AMF across its electric service territory.
On September 27, 2023, the RIPUC unanimously approved RIE to deploy an AMF-based metering system for the electric distribution business. RIE is authorized to seek recovery of the approved capital investment through the ISR process with an overall multi-year cap on recovery at approximately $153 million, subject to certain terms, conditions and limitations with respect to the potential offsets and recoverability of certain costs. RIE is required to continue spending, even if above the recovery cap, until it achieves the functionalities outlined in the AMF Business Case. RIE filed with the RIPUC (i) an updated electric Service Quality Plan on December 27, 2023 for RIPUC approval and (ii) additional compliance tariff provisions regarding recovery and updated cost schedules to reflect the RIPUC's decision on December 22, 2023 for RIPUC approval. RIE cannot predict the outcome of these matters.
Rate Case Proceedings(KU)
On April 30, 2024, KU filed a request with the VSCC for an annual increase in Virginia base electricity rates of approximately $9 million. KU's request is based on an authorized 10.5 % return on equity. Subject to regulatory review and approval, new rates would become effective February 1, 2025. Discovery from VSCC staff has begun. The deadline for requests for intervention is August 9, 2024 with written testimony from VSCC staff, intervenor witnesses and KU rebuttal to follow. A public hearing on the matter is scheduled to start on November 13, 2024.
DSIC Petition(PPL and PPL Electric)
On April 26, 2024, PPL Electric filed a Petition with the PAPUC requesting that the PAPUC waive PPL Electric's DSIC cap of 5% of billed revenues and increase the maximum allowable DSIC to 9% for bills rendered on or after January 1, 2025. The publicly available procedural and litigation schedule currently contemplates that the PAPUC would issue a final order at its January 23, 2025 Public Meeting. PPL Electric cannot predict the outcome of this matter.
Long-Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan Petition (LTIIP)(PPL and PPL Electric)
On January 17, 2024, PPL Electric filed a petition with the PAPUC seeking to modify its LTIIP, which covers the period from 2023 through 2027, to increase the total projected capital spending for existing LTIIP programs and to add a new LTIIP program. On July 11, 2024, the PAPUC approved the petition in part, allowing for an increase of $203 million for existing LTIIP programs. The proposed new LTIIP program was determined not to be eligible for recovery under the DSIC. However, investments in such program are potentially recoverable through a base rate proceeding.
Labor Union Agreements
(PPL)
In May 2024, PPL and the Rhode Island UWUA locals ratified a five-year labor agreement through May 2029. The agreement covers over 530 employees. The terms of the new labor agreement are not expected to have a significant impact on the financial results of PPL.
(PPL and KU)
In July 2024, KU and the IBEW local reached, and local members subsequently ratified, a new three-year labor agreement through July 2027. The agreement covers approximately 60 employees. The terms of the new labor agreement are not expected to have a significant impact on the financial results of KU or PPL.
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