POS AMC 1 poseff22.htm POST EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 22 File No

File No. 70-7888
(Request to Re-authorize Money Pool)

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549

POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 22

FORM U-1

APPLICATION / DECLARATION

UNDER

THE PUBLIC UTILITY HOLDING COMPANY ACT OF 1935

Allegheny Energy, Inc.
10435 Downsville Pike
Hagerstown, MD 21740

Allegheny Energy Service Corp.
800 Cabin Hill Drive
Greensburg, PA 15601

Allegheny Generating Company
10435 Downsville Pike
Hagerstown, MD 21740

Monongahela Power Company
1310 Fairmont Avenue
Fairmont, WV 26554

The Potomac Edison Company
10435 Downsville Pike
Hagerstown, MD 21740

West Penn Power Company
800 Cabin Hill Drive
Greensburg, PA 15601

Allegheny Energy Supply Company, LLC
10435 Downsville Pike
Hagerstown, MD 21740

(Name of company or companies filing this statement and addresses of principal executive offices)

Allegheny Energy, Inc.

(Name of top registered holding company parent of each applicant or declarant)

The Commission is requested to send copies of all notices, orders
and communications in connection with this Application / Declaration to:

Thomas K. Henderson, Esq.
Vice President and General Counsel
Allegheny Energy, Inc.
10435 Downsville Pike
Hagerstown, MD 21740

Anthony Wilson, Esq.
Senior Counsel
Allegheny Energy Service Corporation
10435 Downsville Pike
Hagerstown, MD 21740

Carol G. Russ, Esq.
Senior Counsel
Allegheny Energy Service Corporation
800 Cabin Hill Drive
Greensburg, PA 15601

Applicants hereby amend the application replacing Items 1 through 7 with the following:

Table of Contents

Item 1

Item 2

Item 3

Item 4

Item 5

Item 6

Item 7

Description of Proposed Transactions

Fees, Commissions and Expenses

Applicable Statutory Provisions

Regulatory Approval

Procedure

Exhibits and Financial Statements

Information as to Environmental Effects

Signature

3

7

8

8

8

9

9

10

 

 

Item 1. Description of Proposed Transactions


          Now comes Allegheny Energy, Inc. ("Allegheny"), a Maryland corporation located in Hagerstown, Maryland, a registered holding company, together with its wholly-owned direct public-utility subsidiary companies, Monongahela Power Company ("Monongahela"), a Ohio corporation located in Fairmont, West Virginia, The Potomac Edison Company ("Potomac Edison"), a Maryland and Virginia corporation located in Hagerstown, Maryland, West Penn Power Company ("West Penn"), a Pennsylvania corporation located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Allegheny Generating Company ("AGC"),1 a Virginia corporation located in Hagerstown, Maryland; Allegheny Energy Supply Company, LLC, ("AE Supply")2 a Delaware limited liability corporation located in Hagerstown, Maryland; and Allegheny Energy Service Corporation ("AESC"), a direct service company subsidiary of Allegheny, a Maryland corporation located in, Hagerstown, Maryland (collectively "Applicants") seek authorization, through December 31, 2004 for the continuation of: (a) short-term financing programs previously authorized; and (b) the continuation of the Money Pool. Applicants are not seeking any change to the Money Pool Agreement previously approved by this Commission. The transactions proposed herein fall within Sections 6, 7, 9(a)(1), 12(d), 12(f), and 13 of the Act, and Rules 45, 53 and 54 under the Act.

     A.     Short-Term Debt Programs

          In a series of orders issued in File No. 70-7888, dated January 29, 1992, February 28, 1992, July 14, 1992, November 5, 1993, November 28, 1995, April 18, 1996, December 23, 1997, May 19, 1999, and October 8, 1999 (Holding Co. Act Release Nos. 25462, 25481, 25581, 25919, 26418, 26506, 26804, 27030, and 27084 ("Prior Orders"), among other things, the Allegheny system companies were authorized to establish and participate in a Money Pool. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Prior Orders, the applicants request authority to continue the aforementioned programs through the end of 2006. Allegheny, Monongahela, Potomac Edison, West Penn, and AGC hereby request authorization from December 31, 2001 to December 31, 2004, to the extent necessary to cover the issuance of short-term debt in aggregate amounts not to exceed the following amounts outstanding at any one time for each of the following Applicants:

                    Allegheny
                    Monongahela
                    Potomac Edison
                    West Penn
                    AGC

$750 Million
$106 Million
$130 Million
$500 Million
$100 Million




______________________________________
1   AGC, and indirect subsidiary of Allegheny, is jointly owned by Monongahela Power and AE Supply both
     direct wholly owned public utility subsidiaries of Allegheny.

2 AE Supply is a public utility company within the meaning of section 2(a)(3) of the Act, but is not a
      public utility for purposes of state regulation.

 

 

   

            (1)     Bank Lines of Credit

          Allegheny and its affiliates, Monongahela, Potomac Edison, West Penn, and AGC, have established bank lines of credit for short-term borrowings as follows:

             Chase Manhattan Bank
             New York, NY

             Citibank, N.A.
             New York, NY

             Pittsburgh National Bank
             Pittsburgh, PA

             Bank of America
             Charlotte, NC

             Mellon Bank
             Pittsburgh, PA

             Suntrust
             New York, NY

             The Bank of Nova Scotia
             New York, NY

             Huntington Bank
             Charleston, WV

             Southwest Bank
             Greensburg, PA

             BB&T
             Fairmont, WV

             National City
             Pittsburgh, PA

             Hagerstown Trust
             Hagerstown, MD

             Total

$ 30 million*


$ 70 million*


$ 50 million*


$ 40 million*


$ 70 million*1


$ 20 million*


$ 50 million*


$ 10 million


$ 10 million


$ 10 million


$ 25 million*


$ 25 million*


$410 million

 

 

 

*Lines available to AGC, totaling $340 million of the $410 million.
1Only $30 million available to AGC.


          Allegheny and its affiliates have agreed to pay for each of the lines of credit above with an annual cash fee no greater than 10 basis points on all or the balance of the line of credit, depending on the line of credit. Allegheny and its affiliates have secured bilateral lines of credit totaling $410 million with a group of twelve banks to support their commercial paper programs and to borrow against. At present, the fees paid to any of the banks are no greater than 10 basis points on an annual basis. Every attempt is made to negotiate the lowest cost possible to the companies, however, no assurance can be given that the banks will not require higher fees in the future. Fees on all proposed issuances will not exceed 20 basis points over the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR").

               (2)     Notes to Banks and Commercial Paper

          Allegheny, Monongahela, Potomac Edison, West Penn, and AGC each propose to borrow short-term funds through the issuance of notes to banks and dealers in commercial paper in aggregate amounts not to exceed the following amounts outstanding at any one time:

             Allegheny

             Monongahela

             Potomac Edison

             West Penn

             AGC

$750 Million

$106 Million

$130 Million

$500 Million

$100 Million

 

     A.  Money Pool 

         Applicants hereby seek to continue the Allegheny Power System Money Pool from December 31, 2001 to December 31, 2004. The operation of the Money Pool is designed to match, on a daily basis, the available cash and short-term borrowing requirements of the Applicants, thereby minimizing the need for short-term borrowings to be made by the Applicants from external sources. Allegheny is a participant in the Money Pool only insofar as it has funds available for lending through the Money Pool. Allegheny may not borrow from the Money Pool. AGC will be allowed to borrow from, but not invest in, the Money Pool. Applicants are filing the Allegheny Energy System Money Pool Agreement as Exhibit B hereto.


         Applicants believe that the cost of the proposed borrowings through the Money Pool will generally be more favorable to the borrowing participants than the comparable cost of external short-term borrowings, and the yield to the participants contributing available funds to the Pool will generally be higher than the typical yield on short-term investments.


     B.  Borrowings

          Applicants propose to issue notes and commercial paper from time-to-time prior to December 31, 2004 provided that no such notes or commercial paper shall mature after June 30, 2005.

          Each note payable to a bank will be dated as of the date of the borrowing which it evidences, will mature not more than two hundred-seventy (270) days after the date of issuance or renewal thereof, will bear interest at a mutually agreed upon rate, provided that the effective rate for any 30-day period, on an annualized basis, will not exceed prime plus 2 percentage points and may or may not have prepayment privileges. Each note payable shall have such other terms and be subject to such other conditions as are set forth in the initial Application or Declaration at file number 70-7888.

          The commercial paper will be in the form of promissory notes and will be of varying maturities, with no maturity more than 270 days after the date of issue. The commercial paper shall have such other terms and be subject to such other conditions as are set forth in the initial Application or Declaration at file number 70-7888.

          Applicants hereby request authority to continue to file Certificates under Rule 24 with respect to the issuance and sale of short-term debt hereafter consummated pursuant to this Application or Declaration on a semiannual basis.


     C.  Application of Proceeds


          Allegheny will use the proceeds of its proposed short-term borrowings to acquire common stock of its subsidiaries and for other general corporate purposes including the financing of construction and property acquisitions. Allegheny will also make capital contributions to its direct and advances to its indirect subsidiaries or other types of loans to its subsidiaries. Additionally,

 

 

Allegheny will use the proceeds of such proposed borrowings to purchase shares of Allegheny common stock in order to fund its Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan and Employee Stock Option and Stock Purchase Plan in lieu of issuing additional new shares of common stock pursuant to such plans.


          Monongahela, Potomac Edison, and West Penn will each use the proceeds of their proposed short-term borrowings to operate their respective business as an electric utility company, including the financing of construction and property acquisitions. AGC will use the proceeds of its proposed short-term borrowings to operate its business as an electric generating company, including the financing of construction projects.


          Except as described herein, no associate company or affiliate of the Applicants or any affiliate of any such associate company has any material interest, directly or indirectly, in the proposed transactions. All transactions to be effected using the proceeds from the sale of any of the proposed short-term debt securities will be exempt from the Act by Rule or authorized by prior or subsequent Commission orders.


     D.  Rule 54

           Rule 53 limits the use of proceeds from the issuance of any securities (including any guarantees) by a registered holding company to finance investments in any EWG, as defined in Section 32 of the Act, and Rule 54 provides that, in determining whether to approve any transaction that does not relate to an EWG or FUCO, as defined in Section 33, the Commission shall not consider the effect of the capitalization or earnings of any subsidiary that is an EWG or FUCO upon the registered holding company system if paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of Rule 53 are satisfied.

Allegheny is in compliance with all requirements of Rule 53(a). Allegheny's aggregate investment (as defined in Rule 53(a)(1)(i) in EWGs and FUCOs at September 30, 2001 was approximately $462 million, or approximately 45% of Allegheny's consolidated retained earnings of $1,020 million for the four quarters ended September 30, 2001 as defined in Rule 53(a)(1)(ii). In addition, Allegheny has complied and will comply with the record-keeping requirements of Rule 53(a)(2), the employee limitation under Rule 53(a)(3), and the limitation under Rule 53(a)(4) concerning the submission of copies of certain filings under the Act to retail regulatory commissions. Finally, none of the circumstances described in Rule 53(b) has occurred or is continuing. Accordingly, Rule 53(c) is by its terms inapplicable to the transactions proposed herein that do not involve the issue and sale of securities (including guarantees) to finance an acquisition of an EWG or FUCO.

           In File No. 9897 (filed June 12, 2001, as amended November 29, 2001) Allegheny has pending before this Commission an application to modify the Rule 53 limitation, if the Applicants' request therein to permit Allegheny to increase its "aggregate investment" in EWGs and FUCOs is granted, it is likely that the conditions of Rule 53(a)(1) will not be met.

 

         E.     Compliance With Debt to Equity Requirement

         Attached hereto as Exhibit FS-3, Capital Structure Analysis Charts, are charts analyzing the pro forma consolidated capital structure of the Applicants as of September 30, 2001.3 Applicants will be in compliance with the Commission's policy requiring a debt to common stock equity ratio of 70/30, Allegheny on a consolidated basis and each utility subsidiary individually.4


Item 2.  Fees, Commissions and Expenses


          Applicants anticipate that total fees, commissions and expenses in connection with the preparation of this Application shall not exceed $500,000.


Item 3.  Applicable Statutory Provisions


          Short-term borrowings by APS and its affiliates are subject to Sections 6 and 7 of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 (the "Act"). Borrowings from the Pool are subject to the requirements of Sections 6, 7, 9(a)(1), 10 and 12 of the Act and Rules 43 and 45 thereunder. Loans to the Pool are subject to the requirements of Sections 9(a), 10 and 12 of the Act, but are exempted from Rule 45(a) pursuant to paragraph (b)(1) of Rule 45. Investments of funds by the Pool are subject to Sections 9(a) and 10 of the Act.


Item 4. Regulatory Approval

          No state commission and no other federal agency other than this Commission has jurisdiction over the extension of time.


Item 5. Procedure


          It is requested, pursuant to Rule 23(c) of the Rules and Regulations of the Commission, that the Commissions' Order permitting this application or declaration to become effective be issued on or before December 19, 2001. Applicants waive any recommended decision by hearing officer or by any other responsible officer of the Commission and waive the 30-day waiting period between the issuance of the Commission's Order and the date it is to become effective since it is desired that the Commission's Order, when issued, become effective forthwith. Applicants consent to the office of Public Utility Regulation assisting in the preparation of the Commission's decision and/or Order in this matter unless the Office opposes the matter covered by this application or declaration.


Item 6.  Exhibits and Financial Statements


          (a)     Exhibits

__________________________

See Exhibit FS-4, Capital Structure Analysis Charts.

Id.

 

 

           F        Opinion of Counsel (filed December 14, 2001)


           H       Form of Notice (filed August 17, 2001)


           FS-1   Balance sheet, per books and pro forma for Allegheny Energy, Inc., Allegheny
                     Energy Supply Company, LLC Monongahela Power, Potomac Edison, West Penn
                     Power, Allegheny Generating Company,
and, Allegheny Energy Supply Co.
                     (incorporated by reference to File no. 70-9897 Form SE (November 30, 2001))


           FS-2   Statement of income and retained earnings, per books and pro forma for
                     Allegheny Energy, Inc., Monongahela Power, Potomac Edison, West Penn
                     Power, and Allegheny Generating Company
and, Allegheny Energy Supply Co.
                     (incorporated by reference to File no. 70-9897 Form SE (November 30, 2001))

Item 7.  Information as to Environmental Effects


          (a)     For the reasons set forth in Item 1 above, the authorization applied for herein does not
                    require major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human
                    environment for purposes of Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy
                    Act (42 U.S.C. 4232(2)(C)).


          (b)     Not applicable.

 

 

SIGNATURE

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, the undersigned Applicants have duly caused this statement to be signed on their behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

Allegheny Energy Service Corporation
Allegheny Energy, Inc.
Allegheny Generating Company
The Potomac Edison Company
Monongahela Power Company
West Penn Power Company

Allegheny Energy Supply Company, LLC



By /S/ THOMAS K. HENDERSON

     Thomas K. Henderson

 

Dated  December 17, 2001