Southern California Edison on Thursday priced its first series of recovery bonds in nearly a quarter century, raising funds through a stranded-cost securitization to recoup capital expenses for wildfire mitigation efforts.
According to S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings, SoCal Edison was marketing $337.8 million in bonds that will be secured by the fixed recovery charges that will be imposed on the monthly bills of about 5.2 million customers in its 50,000 square-mile service territory.
SoCal Edison is permitted to securitize its expenses to fortify and strengthen its powerline equipment from wildfire spread in the state. According to Fitch, SoCal has been allocated $1.58 billion of the $5 billion wildfire mitigation fund. SCE may issue further bonds to recoup costs, according to Fitch.
SoCal Edison estimates "the net present value benefits from securitization financing would be approximately $173.5 million, compared with SCE ratemaking and the $52.5 million financing under its authorized capital structure," Fitch's Feb. 10 report states.
The bonds pricing this week included a $137.78 million Class A-1 tranche due November 2033 at a fixed rate of 0.86%; a $100 million Class A-2 tranche due May 2040 at 1.94%; and a $100 million Class A-3 tranche due November 2025 at 2.51%. Each tranche carries an AAA rating from S&P and Fitch.
It is the first rated recovery bond transaction for SoCal Edison since 1997, Fitch's report stated.
The securitization was authorized by the California Public Utility Commission last November, and permitted under provisions of 2019 legislation aimed at providing utilities relief from wildfire-related expenses (Assembly Bill 1054) that was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom that fall.
The bill's priority measure established a $21 billion fund to stabilize the finances of state's electric utilities following catastrophic losses from wildfires in 2017 and 2018, including litigation costs. But the SCE Senior Secured Recovery Bonds, Series 2021, were made possible by the securitization provision in AB 1054. SoCal is the first of California’s electric utilities to tap into the wildfire mitigation fund.
The SCE Series 2021-1 deal was arranged by Barclays and RBC.
Glen Fest