03-30054. Filings Under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as Amended (“Act”)  

  • Start Preamble November 26, 2003.

    Notice is hereby given that the following filing(s) has/have been made with the Commission pursuant to provisions of the Act and rules promulgated under the Act. All interested persons are referred to the application(s) and/or declaration(s) for complete statements of the proposed transaction(s) summarized below. The application(s) and/or declaration(s) and any amendment(s) is/are available for public inspection through the Commission's Branch of Public Reference.

    Interested persons wishing to comment or request a hearing on the application(s) and/or declaration(s) should submit their views in writing by December 22, 2003, to the Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-0609, and serve a copy on the relevant applicant(s) and/or declarant(s) at the address(es) specified below. Proof of service (by affidavit or, in the case of an attorney at law, by certificate) should be filed with the request. Any request for hearing should identify specifically the issues of facts or law that are disputed. A person who so requests will be notified of any hearing, if ordered, and will receive a copy of any notice or order issued in the matter. After December 22, 2003, the application(s) and/or declaration(s), as filed or as amended, may be granted and/or permitted to become effective.

    SCANA Corporation, et al. (70-9533)

    SCANA Corporation (“SCANA”), a registered public-utility holding company under the Act, its three public-utility subsidiaries, South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (“SCE&G”), South Carolina Generating Company, Inc. (“GENCO”) and Public Service Company of North Carolina, Incorporated (“PSNC”) and its nonutility subsidiaries, South Carolina Fuel Company, Inc. (“SC Fuel”), South Carolina Pipeline Corporation (“SCPC”), SCG Pipeline, Inc., SCANA Energy Marketing, Inc. (“SCANA Marketing”), SCANA Energy Trading, LLC, SCANA Public Service Company, LLC, SCANA Communications, Inc., an exempt telecommunications company under section 34 of the Act, Servicecare, Inc. (“ServiceCare”), Primesouth, Inc., Palmark, Inc., SCANA Resources, Inc., SCANA Development Corporation, SCANA Petroleum Resources, Inc., SCANA Services, Inc. (“SCANA Services”), PSNC Blue Ridge Corporation, PSNC Cardinal Pipeline Company, LLC, and Clean Energy Enterprises Inc. (collectively “Applicants”), all located at 1426 Main Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29201, have filed a post-effective amendment to their application-declaration (“Application”) under sections 12(b) and (c) of the Act and rules 45, 46 and 54. Start Printed Page 67707

    SCANA and PSNC now seek authorization for PSNC to pay dividends out of capital or unearned surplus before taking into consideration any impairment of goodwill recognized as a result of the merger between the companies (“Merger”),[1] in addition to previous authorizations in prior financing orders (“Prior Orders”),[2] which permitted PSNC to pay dividends out of additional paid-in-capital to the amount of its aggregate retained earnings immediately prior to the Merger and out of earnings before the amortization of goodwill.

    On February 9, 2000, in the Merger Order, the Commission authorized SCANA to acquire PSNC. SCANA registered as a holding company under the Act on February 11, 2000. SCANA now owns directly three public-utility companies, PSNC, SCE&G (which generates, transmits, distributes and sells electricity and purchases and sells natural gas in South Carolina) and GENCO (which owns and operates a 580 MW generating facility in Goose Creek, South Carolina and sells all of the power generated by the facility to SCE&G).

    In the Prior Orders,[3] the Commission authorized SCANA, the three utility subsidiaries and the nonutility subsidiaries to engage, subject to certain limitations, in certain financing and related activities. Authorization for these financing related activities under the Prior Orders expired February 11, 2003.[4] PSNC's authorization, however, to pay dividends out of capital or unearned surplus was not subject to this expiration date.

    PSNC was authorized to pay dividends out of the additional paid-in-capital account up to the amount of its aggregate retained earnings immediately prior to the Merger and out of earnings before the amortization of the goodwill arising from the Merger.[5] The authorization was granted to take into consideration (1) the application of the purchase method of accounting to the Merger that caused PSNC's retained earnings, from before the Merger, to be recharacterized as additional paid-in-capital and (2) the substantial level of goodwill resulting from the Merger, which was to be “pushed-down” to PSNC and reflected as additional paid-in-capital after the Merger (effectively leaving PSNC with no retained earnings, the traditional source of dividend payments, but a balance sheet showing a significant equity level).

    In connection with the Merger, SCANA obtained Commission approval for PSNC to pay dividends (1) out of the additional paid-in-capital account up to the amount of its aggregate retained earnings immediately prior to the Merger and (2) out of earnings before the amortization of the goodwill arising from the Merger.[6]

    In 2001, after the Merger in 2000, Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (“SFAS”) 142 (Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets) was issued. SFAS 142 eliminated the previously permitted amortization of goodwill and provides for, at least, an annual assessment to determine whether goodwill amounts are impaired. If the annual analysis determines that goodwill (or other intangibles) is impaired, the company must take an impairment charge in that year. SCANA did such an analysis and, as of January 1, 2002, PSNC was required to take an impairment charge of $230 million against the value of its goodwill. For the years 2000 and 2001, PSNC amortized goodwill, as previously authorized.

    Applicants now request that PSNC be authorized to pay dividends out of earnings before any deductions resulting from any impairment of either goodwill recognized as a result of the Merger. SCANA asserts that, based on anticipated earnings and dividend levels, as well as its estimated debt, PSNC will not have common equity below 30% over the next several years. Moreover, SCANA states that, through control of debt and dividend levels, PSNC's common equity can be maintained at a 30% level, at least (even if PSNC were to incur additional goodwill impairment charges). In no case will dividends be paid if the equity of PSNC, as a percentage of total capital, is below 30% on a consolidated basis.

    Start Signature

    For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, pursuant to delegated authority.

    Margaret H. McFarland,

    Deputy Secretary.

    End Signature End Preamble

    Footnotes

    1.  By order dated February 9, 2000 (the “Merger Order”), the Commission authorized SCANA, a South Carolina corporation, to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common stock of PSNC. See Holding Co. Act Release No. 27133.

    Back to Citation

    2.  See Holding Co. Act Release Nos. 27135 and 27137 (Feb. 14, 2000). In Holding Co. Act Release Nos. 27341 and 27476 (Jan. 31, and Dec. 19, 2001, respectively) the Commission issued supplemental orders increasing various financing limitations throughout the authorization period.

    Back to Citation

    3.  See supra note 2.

    Back to Citation

    4.  New financing authorization was granted in Holding Co. Act Release No. 27649 (Feb. 12, 2003) (the “Current Financing Order”).

    Back to Citation

    5.  The only intangible in the Merger was goodwill.

    Back to Citation

    6.  See the Prior Orders, supra note 2.

    Back to Citation

    [FR Doc. 03-30054 Filed 12-2-03; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 8010-01-P

Document Information

Published:
12/03/2003
Department:
Securities and Exchange Commission
Entry Type:
Notice
Document Number:
03-30054
Pages:
67706-67707 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Release No. 35-27770
EOCitation:
of 2003-11-26
PDF File:
03-30054.pdf