Fortis Inc. announced today that it has entered into an agreement and plan of merger to acquire UNS Energy Corporation for US$60.25 per common share in cash, representing an aggregate purchase price of approximately US$4.3 billion, including the assumption of approximately US$1.8 billion of debt on closing. The closing of the Acquisition, which is expected to occur by the end of 2014, is subject to receipt of UNS Energy common shareholder approval and certain regulatory and government approvals, including approval by the Arizona Corporation Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and compliance with any applicable requirements under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
UNS Energy is a vertically integrated utility services holding company, headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, engaged through three subsidiaries in the regulated electric generation and energy delivery business, primarily in the State of Arizona. UNS Energy's fiscal 2012 operating revenues totalled approximately US$1.5 billion and, as at September 30, 2013, UNS Energy had total assets of approximately US$4.3 billion. UNS Energy serves approximately 654,000 electricity and gas customers.
Following the Acquisition, based on pro forma financial information as at September 30, 2013, total assets of Fortis will increase by approximately 33.5% to approximately $23.5 billion and regulated utility assets will comprise approximately 92% of total assets. Regulated assets in Canada and the United States will comprise approximately 55% and 34%, respectively, of total assets. The Corporation's consolidated rate base is expected to increase by approximately US$3 billion at the time of closing of the Acquisition. Following the Acquisition, Fortis utilities will serve more than 3,000,000 electricity and gas customers.
"These are significant regulated utility assets located in the U.S. South West, a region experiencing above-average economic growth," says Stan Marshall, President and Chief Executive Officer, Fortis Inc. "The Acquisition of UNS Energy is consistent with our strategy of investing in high-quality regulated Canadian and U.S. utility assets and is expected to be accretive to earnings per common share in the first full year after closing, excluding one-time Acquisition-related costs. The Acquisition further mitigates business risk for Fortis by enhancing the geographic diversification of our businesses, resulting in no more than one-third of total assets being located in any one regulatory jurisdiction."
"The Corporation's pre-Acquisition six-year utility capital spending program through 2018 is expected to be $7.5 billion. Capital investment over that period is expected to allow utility rate base and hydroelectric generation investment to grow at a combined compound annual growth rate of approximately 7%," says Marshall.
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