Acquisitions

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Note 3 – Acquisitions

Peoples Gas Acquisition

On March 16, 2020 (the “Closing Date”), the Company completed the Peoples Gas Acquisition and paid cash consideration of $3,465,344, which is subject to adjustment based upon the terms of the purchase agreement. Purchase price adjustments include the completion of a closing balance sheet, which was provided to the seller, and the finalization of an adjustment for utility capital expenditures made by the seller during the period between November 1, 2018 and closing. There is a dispute between the parties regarding this adjustment for utility capital expenditures. It is expected the matter will be resolved in accordance with the provisions of the purchase agreement or by the competent court of law with jurisdiction over the matter. The estimated purchase price paid by the Company was determined as follows:


Base purchase price	$	4,275,000
Adjustments:
Estimated change in working capital		43,935
Certain estimated capital expenditures		247,500
Assumption of indebtedness		(1,101,091)
Cash consideration	$	3,465,344

The assumption of $1,101,091 of indebtedness as of the Closing Date, consisted of $920,091 of senior notes and $181,000 of short-term debt. The acquisition was financed through a series of financing transactions which included the issuance of common stock from a public offering and a private placement, a tangible equity unit offering, and short and long-term debt. Refer to Note 6 – Capitalization for further information on these financings.

The Company accounted for the Peoples Gas Acquisition as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting. The estimated purchase price is allocated to the net tangible and intangible assets based upon their estimated fair values at the date of the acquisition. The purchase price allocation is preliminary and subject to revision. The Company has not completed the allocation of the purchase price as we are finalizing the valuation of the net assets acquired, including the evaluation of certain acquired contracts and asset retirement obligations, among others. Additionally, we are finalizing the purchase price for the capital expenditures adjustments provided for in the purchase agreement. During the third quarter of 2020, the Company recorded an adjustment to reduce goodwill by $2,127 primarily reflecting an adjustment to deferred income taxes. The Company expects to finalize the purchase price allocation no later than the first quarter of 2021. Additionally, in the event we identify changes to acquired deferred tax asset valuation allowances or liabilities related to uncertain tax positions during the one year measurement period, and they are related to new information obtained about facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date, those changes are considered a measurement-period adjustment, and we record the offset to goodwill. The preliminary purchase price allocation is as follows:


	March 16,
	2020
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	2,476,551
Current assets		242,531
Regulatory assets		283,794
Goodwill		2,267,310
Other long-term assets		75,069
Total assets acquired		5,345,255

Current portion of long-term debt		5,136
Loans payable		181,000
Other current liabilities		183,971
Long-term debt		999,460
Deferred income taxes		229,581
Regulatory liabilities		123,029
Other long-term liabilities		157,734
Total liabilities assumed		1,879,911

Net assets acquired	$	3,465,344

The fair value of long-term debt was determined based on prevailing market prices for similar debt issuances as of March 16, 2020, which resulted in an adjustment to increase the carrying amount by $84,569. The fair value adjustment will be amortized over the remaining life of the debt.

Goodwill is attributable to the assembled workforce of Peoples, planned growth in new markets, and planned growth in rate base through continued investment in utility infrastructure. Goodwill recorded for the Peoples Gas Acquisition is not expected to be deductible for tax purposes.

The Company incurred transaction-related expenses for the Peoples Gas Acquisition, which consists of costs recorded as operations and maintenance expenses in the first quarter of 2020 of $25,397, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 of $2,496 and $21,886, respectively, primarily representing expenses associated with investment banking fees, including bridge financing, employee related costs, obtaining regulatory approvals, legal expenses, and integration planning. There were no further transaction-related expenses for the Peoples Gas Acquisition in the second and third quarter of 2020. Additionally, for the year to date 2019 period through settlement on April 24, 2019, the change in fair value of interest rate swap agreements of $23,742 represents expense recognized from the mark-to-market adjustment. The interest rate swap agreements were settled on April 24, 2019, which coincided with debt financings to partially fund the Peoples Gas Acquisition.

The results of Peoples have been included in our consolidated financial statements as of the Closing Date. Peoples contributed revenues of $280,300 and earnings of $6,131 for the period from the Closing Date to September 30, 2020. The following pro forma summary presents consolidated information as if the Peoples Gas Acquisition had occurred on January 1, 2019:


	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
	September 30,				September 30,
		2020		2019		2020		2019
Operating revenues	$	348,647	$	341,636	$	1,269,768	$	1,292,057
Net income		55,732		75,461		264,785		198,066

The supplemental pro forma information is not necessarily representative of the actual results that may have occurred for these periods or of the results that may occur in the future. This supplemental pro forma information is based upon the historical operating results of Peoples for periods prior to the Closing Date, and is adjusted to reflect the effect of non-recurring acquisition-related costs, incurred in 2020 and 2019 as if they occurred on January 1, 2019, including $20,628 ($25,197 pre-tax) and $16,464 ($21,406 pre-tax) of expenses incurred in 2020 and 2019, respectively, primarily associated with investment banking fees, obtaining regulatory approvals, legal expenses and other direct costs of the Peoples Gas Acquisition, adjustments to reflect net acquisition financing as of January 1, 2019 of $39,567 ($50,883 pre-tax), the elimination of interest on debt that was not assumed in the acquisition of $7,971 ($11,210 pre-tax), and the elimination of a management fee charged quarterly to Peoples by its former parent company of $885 ($1,245 pre-tax).

On October 22, 2018, the Company obtained a commitment (the “Bridge Commitment”) from certain banks to provide senior unsecured bridge loans in an aggregate amount of up to $5,100,000 to, among other things, backstop the Peoples Gas Acquisition purchase price and refinancing of certain debt of the Company and Peoples. On March 16, 2020, as a result of our completion of the Peoples Gas Acquisition, the Company terminated the Bridge Commitment.

Associated with the approval of the Peoples Gas Acquisition from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the Company has committed to addressing the replacement of gathering pipe over a seven year timeframe for an estimated cost of $120,000, which will be recoverable through customer rates. Additionally, the Company has committed to provide $23,000 of customer rate credits before the end of 2020 to its natural gas utility customers and water and wastewater customers served by Aqua Pennsylvania, Inc. (“Aqua Pennsylvania”). The Company granted $4,080 of customer rate credits to its water and wastewater customers during the third quarter of 2020, and natural gas utility customers will be granted credits of $18,920 in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Water and Wastewater Utility Acquisitions - Completed

In October 2020, the Company acquired the water and wastewater utility system of Rockwell Utilities, which serves 256 customers in the Village of Lakemoor in Lake County, Illinois. The total cash purchase price for the utility system was $4,815. The purchase price allocation for this acquisition consisted primarily of property, plant and equipment.

In June 2020, the Company acquired the wastewater utility system assets of East Norriton Township, Pennsylvania, which serves 4,947 customers. The total cash purchase price for the utility system was $21,000. The purchase price allocation for this acquisition consisted primarily of property, plant and equipment.

In January 2020, the Company acquired the water utility system assets of the City of Campbell, Ohio, which serves 3,126 customers. The total cash purchase price for the utility system was $7,500. The purchase price allocation for this acquisition consisted primarily of acquired property, plant and equipment.

In December 2019, the Company acquired the wastewater utility system assets of Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, which serves 9,887 customers for $50,250. The preliminary purchase price allocation for this acquisition consisted primarily of property, plant and equipment of $44,440 and goodwill of $5,810. Additionally, in 2019, the Company completed seven acquisitions of water and wastewater utility systems in three states adding 2,393 customers. The total purchase price of these utility systems consisted of $9,437 in cash. The purchase price allocation for these acquisitions consisted primarily of acquired property, plant and equipment and goodwill of $2,478. The pro forma effect of the utility systems acquired is not material either individually or collectively to the Company’s results of operations.

Water and Wastewater Utility Acquisitions – Pending Completion

In September 2020, the Company entered into a purchase agreement to acquire the wastewater utility system assets of Lower Makefield Township, Pennsylvania, which consists of approximately 11,000 customers for $53,000. The purchase price for this pending acquisition is subject to certain adjustments at closing, and is subject to regulatory approval, including the final determination of the fair value of the rate based acquired. We plan to finance the purchase price of this acquisition by utilizing our revolving credit facility until permanent debt is secured. Closing of our acquisition of the wastewater assets of Lower Makefield Township is expected to occur in the second half of 2021, subject to the timing of the regulatory approval process

In September 2019, the Company entered into a purchase agreement to acquire the wastewater utility system assets of the Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority (“DELCORA”), which consists of approximately 16,000 customers, or the equivalent of 198,000 retail customers, in 42 municipalities in Southeast Pennsylvania for $276,500. In May 2020, Delaware County, Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit alleging that DELCORA does not have the legal authority to establish and fund a customer trust with the net proceeds of the transaction. The purchase price for this pending acquisition is subject to certain adjustments at closing, and is subject to regulatory approval, including the final determination of the fair value of the rate base acquired. We plan to finance the purchase price of this acquisition by the issuance of common stock upon settlement of our forward equity sale agreement (refer to Note 6 – Capitalization for further info) and by utilizing our revolving credit facility until permanent debt is secured. Closing of our acquisition of DELCORA is expected to occur in the first half of 2021, subject to the timing of the regulatory approval process and DELCORA’s litigation with Delaware County.

In addition to the Company’s pending acquisition of Lower Makefield Township and DELCORA, the Company has a purchase agreement to acquire the wastewater utility system assets of New Garden Township, Pennsylvania, which will add approximately 2,106 customers, for a total purchase price in cash of $29,500. We plan to finance the purchase price of this acquisition utilizing our revolving credit facility until permanent debt is secured. The purchase price for this acquisition is subject to certain adjustments at closing, and is subject to regulatory approval, including the final determination of the fair value of the rate base acquired. Closing of our acquisition of New Garden Township is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2020, subject to the timing of the regulatory approval process.