Talen Energy Reports Fourth Quarter and Annual 2023 Results in Line with 2023 Guidance and Raises 2024 Guidance
- Record financial performance in 2023 with over $1.1 billion in Adjusted EBITDA and $587 million in Adjusted Free Cash Flow.
- Sale of Cumulus data center campus to AWS for $650 million results in an increase in 2024 guidance ranges.
- Settlement with PPL on litigation, repurchase of shares, and strong balance sheet with ample liquidity.
- None.
"Talen achieved its strongest financial performance ever in 2023, with over
"Proceeds from the Cumulus Data sale were used to pay off the Orion Energy Partners ("Orion") term loan borrowings at Cumulus Digital ("Cumulus Digital TLF"), unlocking earnings from our interest in the Nautilus operations that were previously used to service that debt. Furthermore, earnings and cash flow uplift from the AWS agreements start in 2024. Thus, we are raising our 2024 Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Free Cash Flow guidance ranges to include these incremental earnings," McFarland continued.
Key Highlights
- For the year ended December 31, 2023, reported Adjusted EBITDA of
and Adjusted Free Cash Flow of$1.12 1 billion .$587 million - For fourth quarter 2023, reported Adjusted EBITDA of
and Adjusted Free Cash Flow of$123 million .$(22) million - On March 4, 2024, announced the sale of Cumulus data center campus in northeast
Pennsylvania to AWS for gross proceeds (approximately$650 million net to Talen, after certain related transactions, as described further below) and long-term contracts with AWS.$361 million - Raising 2024 guidance ranges for Adjusted EBITDA to
-$640 and Adjusted Free Cash Flow to$840 million -$185 .$335 million - In December 2023, reached settlement with PPL on the Talen Montana litigation and received
gross proceeds.$115 million - Of the previously announced
share repurchase program, 225,000 shares have been repurchased to date for approximately$300 million .$14 million
Summary of Financial and Operating Results (Unaudited) | ||
Three Months | Year Ended | |
(Millions of Dollars Unless Otherwise Stated) | 2023 | 2023 |
Adjusted EBITDA | $ 123 | $ 1,121 |
Adjusted Free Cash Flow | $ (22) | $ 587 |
Total Generation (a) | 7.7 TWh | 32.5 TWh |
Carbon-Free Generation | 60 % | 55 % |
Equivalent Forced Outage Factor ("EFOF") (b) | 11.5 % | 5.5 % |
__________________ | |
(a) | Generated MWhs sold after consumption for station use where applicable. |
(b) | EFOF is defined as the percentage of a given period in which a generating unit is not available due to forced outages and forced deratings. Represents all generation facilities, including our portion of partially-owned facilities. |
Given the impacts of fresh start accounting and the implementation of the plan of reorganization on GAAP earnings in 2023, Talen believes its non-GAAP financial measures of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Free Cash Flow are more meaningful in evaluating its performance. Talen's management team evaluates its financial and operating results utilizing these non-GAAP measures.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, Talen reported Adjusted EBITDA of
Talen achieved solid operational performance and a continued emphasis on safety throughout 2023, with an OSHA Total Recordable Incident Rate of 0.6 (defined as the number of recordable incidents x 200,000 / total number of manhours worked). Fleet EFOF was
Raising 2024 Guidance | ||
($ in millions) | Range | |
Adjusted EBITDA | ||
Adjusted Free Cash Flow | ||
Talen is raising 2024 Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Free Cash Flow guidance ranges above the amounts announced in our third quarter 2023 earnings. The increase is driven by adding earnings from the AWS agreements and our existing Nautilus operations, along with incremental expected capacity revenues from the recent PJM secondary auction for 2024/2025. The new range for 2024 Adjusted EBITDA is
Data Center Campus Sale
On March 1, 2024, Talen sold the physical and intangible assets of Cumulus Data, which includes a zero-carbon data center campus currently being developed adjacent to
In connection with the sale, Talen entered into a power purchase agreement to supply up to 960 MW of long-term, carbon-free power to the data center campus from
PPL/Talen Montana Litigation Settlement
In December 2023, Talen reached a litigation settlement with PPL. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, PPL paid Talen Montana
Update on Share Repurchase Program
In October 2023, the Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program authorizing Talen to repurchase up to
Balance Sheet and Liquidity
Talen is focused on maintaining a strong balance sheet, targeting a net leverage ratio of less than 3.5x net debt-to-Adjusted EBITDA, along with maintaining ample liquidity. As of March 8, 2024, Talen had total available liquidity of approximately
Update on Hedging Activities and Nuclear Fuel Supply
As of February 29, 2024, Talen had hedged approximately
As an update on nuclear fuel supply activities, Talen has eliminated its exposure to all
Earnings Call
The Company will hold an earnings call on Thursday, March 14, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. EDT (2:00 p.m. CDT). To participate in the call, please register for the webcast here. Participants can also join by phone by registering here prior to the start time of the call to receive a conference call dial-in number. For those unable to participate in the live event, a digital replay of the earnings call will be archived for approximately one year and will be available on Talen's Investor Relations website at https://talenenergy.investorroom.com/financials-presentations.
About Talen
Talen owns and operates approximately12.4 gigawatts of power infrastructure in
Talen trades on the OTCQX® Best Market under the ticker "TLNE." OTCQX companies meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, demonstrate compliance with
Additional Information
For additional information and updates about Talen, please visit our Investor Relations webpage at https://talenenergy.investorroom.com, or contact:
Investor Relations:
Ellen Liu
Senior Director, Investor Relations
InvestorRelations@talenenergy.com
Media:
Taryne Williams
Director, Corporate Communications
Taryne.Williams@talenenergy.com
TALEN ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS | ||||||
Successor | Successor | Predecessor | ||||
Three Months | May 18 through | January 1 | ||||
(Millions of Dollars, except share data) | 2023 | 2023 | 2023 | |||
Capacity revenues | $ 63 | $ 133 | $ 108 | |||
Energy and other revenues | 368 | 1,156 | 1,042 | |||
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivative instruments | 96 | 55 | 60 | |||
Operating Revenues | 527 | 1,344 | 1,210 | |||
Energy Expenses | ||||||
Fuel and energy purchases | (114) | (424) | (176) | |||
Nuclear fuel amortization | (36) | (108) | (33) | |||
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivative instruments | (1) | (3) | (123) | |||
Total Energy Expenses | (151) | (535) | (332) | |||
Operating Expenses | ||||||
Operation, maintenance and development | (149) | (358) | (285) | |||
General and administrative | (38) | (93) | (51) | |||
Depreciation, amortization and accretion | (71) | (165) | (200) | |||
Impairments | (1) | (3) | (381) | |||
Other operating income (expense), net | (19) | (30) | (37) | |||
Operating Income (Loss) | 98 | 160 | (76) | |||
Nuclear decommissioning trust funds gain (loss), net | 93 | 108 | 57 | |||
Interest expense and other finance charges | (75) | (176) | (163) | |||
Reorganization income (expense), net | — | — | 799 | |||
Other non-operating income (expense), net | 120 | 102 | 60 | |||
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes | 236 | 194 | 677 | |||
Income tax benefit (expense) | (48) | (51) | (212) | |||
Net Income (Loss) | 188 | 143 | 465 | |||
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest | 6 | 9 | (14) | |||
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Stockholders (Successor) / | $ 182 | $ 134 | $ 479 | |||
Per Common Share (Successor) | ||||||
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Stockholders - Basic | $ 3.08 | $ 2.27 | N/A | |||
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Stockholders - Diluted | $ 3.08 | $ 2.26 | N/A | |||
Weighted-Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding - | 59,029 | 59,029 | N/A | |||
Weighted-Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding - | 59,029 | 59,399 | N/A |
TALEN ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS | |
Successor | |
December 31, | |
(Millions of Dollars. except share data) | 2023 |
Assets | |
Cash and cash equivalents | $ 400 |
Restricted cash and cash equivalents (Note 20) | 501 |
Accounts receivable, net (Note 6) | 137 |
Inventory, net (Note 8) | 375 |
Derivative instruments (Notes 5 and 14) | 89 |
Other current assets | 52 |
Total current assets | 1,554 |
Property, plant and equipment, net (Note 10) | 3,839 |
Nuclear decommissioning trust funds (Notes 9 and 14) | 1,575 |
Derivative instruments (Notes 5 and 14) | 6 |
Other noncurrent assets | 147 |
Total Assets | $ 7,121 |
Liabilities and Equity | |
Long-term debt, due within one year (Notes 13 and 14) | 9 |
Accrued interest | 32 |
Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities | 344 |
Derivative instruments (Notes 5 and 14) | 32 |
Other current liabilities | 69 |
Total current liabilities | 486 |
Long-term debt (Notes 13 and 14) | 2,811 |
Derivative instruments (Notes 5 and 14) | 11 |
Postretirement benefit obligations (Note 15) | 368 |
Asset retirement obligations and accrued environmental costs (Note 11) | 469 |
Deferred income taxes (Note 7) | 407 |
Other noncurrent liabilities | 35 |
Total Liabilities | 4,587 |
Stockholders' (Successor) / Member's (Predecessor) Equity | |
Common stock - | — |
Additional paid-in capital | 2,346 |
Accumulated retained earnings (deficit) | 134 |
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) | (23) |
Total Stockholders'(Successor) / Member's (Predecessor) Equity | 2,457 |
Noncontrolling interests | 77 |
Total Equity | 2,534 |
Total Liabilities and Equity | $ 7,121 |
__________________ | |
(a) | As of December 31, 2023: 350,000,000 shares authorized; 59,028,843 shares issued and outstanding. |
TALEN ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS | ||||
Successor | Predecessor | |||
May 18 through | January 1 through | |||
(Millions of Dollars) | 2023 | 2023 | ||
Operating Activities | ||||
Net income (loss) | $ 143 | $ 465 | ||
Non-cash reconciliation adjustments: | ||||
Unrealized (gains) losses on derivative instruments | (40) | 65 | ||
Nuclear fuel amortization | 108 | 33 | ||
Depreciation, amortization and accretion | 157 | 208 | ||
Impairments | 3 | 381 | ||
Nuclear decommissioning trust funds (gain) loss, net (excluding interest and | (78) | (43) | ||
Deferred income taxes | 55 | 195 | ||
Reorganization (income) expense, net | — | (933) | ||
Other | — | (43) | ||
Changes in assets and liabilities: | ||||
Accounts receivable, net | 8 | 261 | ||
Inventory, net | (68) | 10 | ||
Other assets | 147 | 103 | ||
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | (49) | (74) | ||
Accrued interest | 28 | (124) | ||
Other liabilities | (12) | (42) | ||
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities | 402 | 462 | ||
Investing Activities | ||||
Property, plant and equipment expenditures | (116) | (138) | ||
Nuclear fuel expenditures | (45) | (49) | ||
Nuclear decommissioning trust funds investment sale proceeds | 1,265 | 949 | ||
Nuclear decommissioning trust funds investment purchases | (1,290) | (959) | ||
Equity investments in affiliates | (5) | (8) | ||
Proceeds from the sale of non-core assets | 8 | 46 | ||
Other investing activities | 12 | 2 | ||
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | (171) | (157) | ||
Financing Activities | ||||
Contributions from member | — | 1,393 | ||
Exit Financings proceeds, net of discount | — | 2,219 | ||
Repayment of Prepetition Secured Indebtedness | — | (3,898) | ||
Payment of make-whole premiums on Prepetition Secured Indebtedness | — | (152) | ||
TLB proceeds, net | 288 | — | ||
LMBE-MC TLB payments | (294) | (7) | ||
Deferred finance costs | (7) | (74) | ||
Repurchase of warrants | (40) | — | ||
Repurchase of Riverstone noncontrolling interest | (19) | — | ||
Derivatives with financing elements | — | (20) | ||
Other | 3 | — | ||
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | (84) | (539) | ||
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash | 147 | (234) | ||
Beginning of period cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and cash | 754 | 988 | ||
End of period cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and cash equivalents | $ 901 | $ 754 |
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We include Adjusted EBITDA, which the Company uses as a measure of its performance and is not a financial measure prepared under GAAP, in these Interim Financial Statements. Non-GAAP financial measures do not have definitions under GAAP and may be defined and calculated differently by, and not be comparable to, similarly titled measures used by other companies. Non-GAAP measures are not intended to replace the most comparable GAAP measures as indicators of performance. Generally, non-GAAP financial measures are numerical measures of financial performance, financial position, or cash flows that exclude (or include) amounts that are included in (or excluded from) the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Management cautions readers of this financial information not to place undue reliance on this non-GAAP financial measure, but to also consider them along with their most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. Non-GAAP measures have limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analyzing our results as reported under GAAP.
Adjusted EBITDA
We use Adjusted EBITDA to: (i) assist in comparing operating performance and readily view operating trends on a consistent basis from period to period without certain items that may distort financial results; (ii) plan and forecast overall expectations and evaluate actual results against such expectations; (iii) communicate with our Board of Directors, shareholders, creditors, analysts, and the broader financial community concerning our financial performance; (iv) set performance metrics for the Company's annual short-term incentive compensation; and (v) assess compliance with our indebtedness.
Adjusted EBITDA is computed as net income (loss) adjusted, among other things, for certain: (i) nonrecurring charges; (ii) non-recurring gains; (iii) non-cash and other items; (iv) unusual market events; (v) any depreciation, amortization, or accretion; (vi) mark-to-market gains or losses; (vii) gains and losses on the NDT; (viii) gains and losses on asset sales, dispositions, and asset retirement; (ix) impairments, obsolescence, and net realizable value charges; (x) interest expense; (xi) income taxes; (xii) legal settlements, liquidated damages, and contractual terminations; (xiii) development expenses; (xiv) Cumulus Digital and noncontrolling interests, except where otherwise noted; and (xv) other adjustments. Such adjustments are computed consistently with the provisions of our indebtedness to the extent that they can be derived from the financial records of the business.
Additionally, we believe investors commonly adjust net income (loss) information to eliminate the effect of nonrecurring restructuring expenses, and other non-cash charges which vary widely from company to company, from period to period, and impair comparability. We believe Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors and other users of the financial statements to evaluate our operating performance because it provides an additional tool to compare business performance across companies and across periods. Adjusted EBITDA is widely used by investors to measure a company's operating performance without regard to such items described above. These adjustments can vary substantially from company to company depending upon accounting policies, book value of assets, capital structure and the method by which assets were acquired.
Adjusted Free Cash Flow
Adjusted Free Cash Flow, a key non-GAAP financial measure, is a useful metric utilized by our chief operating decision makers to evaluate cash flow activities. Adjusted Free Cash Flow is computed by Adjusted EBITDA reduced by capital expenditures including nuclear fuel but excluding development, growth and (or) conversion capital expenditures, cash payments for interest and finance charges, cash payments for taxes (excluding income taxes paid from the nuclear facility decommissioning trust ("NDT") and pension contributions.
We believe Adjusted Free Cash Flow is useful to investors and other users of our financial statements in evaluating our operating performance because it provides them with an additional tool to determine a company's ability to meet future obligations and to compare business performance across companies and across periods. Adjusted Free Cash Flow is widely used by investors to measure a company's levered cash flow without regard to items such as ARO settlements; income taxes paid from the NDT; nonrecurring development, growth and conversion expenditures; and cash proceeds or payments for the sale or purchase of assets, which can vary substantially from company to company and period to period depending upon accounting methods and book value of assets, capital structure and the method by which assets were acquired.
For a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to the most comparable GAAP financial measure, please refer to the reconciliations at the end of this earnings release. Adjusted EBITDA is not intended to replace "Net Income Attributable to Stockholders (Successor) / Member (Predecessor)," which is the most comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.
Forward Looking Statements
This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this communication, or incorporated by reference into this communication, are forward-looking statements. Throughout this communication, we have attempted to identify forward-looking statements by using words such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecasts," "goal," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "seek," "should," "will," or other forms of these words or similar words or expressions or the negative thereof, although not all forward-looking statements contain these terms. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions concerning, among other things capital expenditures, earnings, litigation, regulatory matters, hedging, liquidity and capital resources and accounting matters. Forward-looking statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause our future business, financial condition, results of operations or performance to differ materially from our historical results or those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement contained in this communication. All of our forward-looking statements include assumptions underlying or relating to such statements that may cause actual results to differ materially from expectations, and are subject to numerous factors that present considerable risks and uncertainties.
The reconciliation from "Net Income (Loss)" presented on the Consolidated Statements of Operations to Adjusted EBITDA for the periods were:
Three Months December 31, | Year Ended | ||
2023 | 2023 | ||
Net Income (Loss) | $ 188 | $ 608 | |
Less: Bankruptcy, Liability Management, and Restructuring Activities | |||
Reorganization (gain) loss, net (a) | — | (799) | |
Operational and other restructuring activities (b) | 17 | 55 | |
Bankruptcy exit fees | 1 | 10 | |
Total Bankruptcy, Liability Management, and Restructuring Activities | $ 18 | $ (734) | |
Other Adjustments | |||
Interest expense and other finance charges | 75 | 344 | |
Income tax (benefit) expense | 48 | 263 | |
Depreciation, amortization and accretion | 71 | 365 | |
Nuclear fuel amortization | 36 | 141 | |
Unrealized (gain) loss on commodity derivative contracts | (95) | 11 | |
Nuclear decommissioning trust funds (gain) loss, net | (93) | (165) | |
Stock-based and other long-term incentive compensation expense | 10 | 21 | |
Environmental and ARO revisions on fully depreciated property, plant and | 5 | 5 | |
(Gain) loss on non-core asset sales, net (d) | (7) | (57) | |
Non-cash impairments (e) | 1 | 384 | |
Legal settlements and litigation costs (f) | (101) | (83) | |
Unusual market events (g) | (20) | (5) | |
Net periodic defined benefit cost (h) | 1 | (1) | |
Development expenses | — | 17 | |
Non-cash fuel inventory net realizable value and obsolescence charges (i) | 3 | 60 | |
Cumulus Digital activities and noncontrolling interest | (20) | (56) | |
Other | 3 | 3 | |
Total Adjusted EBITDA | $ 123 | $ 1,121 | |
Capital expenditures, net | (41) | (208) | |
Interest and finance charge payments | (96) | (305) | |
Tax payments | (2) | (10) | |
Pension contributions | (6) | (11) | |
Total Adjusted Free Cash Flow | $ (22) | $ 587 |
_______________ | |
(a) | See Note 3 in Notes to the Annual Financial Statements for additional information. |
(b) | See Note 3 in Notes to the Annual Financial Statements for additional information. |
(c) | See Note 11 in Notes to the Annual Financial Statements for additional information. |
(d) | See Note 22 in Notes to the Annual Financial Statements for additional information. |
(e) | See Note 10 in Notes to the Annual Financial Statements for additional information. |
(f) | See Note 12 in Notes to the Annual Financial Statements for additional information. |
(g) | Represents the effect of market losses and settlements for Winter Storm Elliott that occurred in 2022. |
(h) | Consists of postretirement benefits service cost and postretirement benefits gain (loss). |
(i) | See Note 8 in Notes to the Annual Financial Statements for additional information. |
Adjusted EBITDA / Adjusted Free Cash Flow Reconciliation: 2024 Guidance | ||
2024E | ||
(Millions of dollars) | Low | High |
Net Income (Loss) | $ 20 | $ 220 |
Adjustments | ||
Interest expense and other finance charges | $ 270 | $ 270 |
Income tax (benefit) expense | 25 | 25 |
Depreciation, amortization and accretion | 290 | 290 |
Nuclear fuel amortization | 90 | 90 |
Unrealized (gain) loss on commodity derivative contracts | (45) | (45) |
Other | (10) | (10) |
Adjusted EBITDA | $ 640 | $ 840 |
Capital expenditures, net (a) | $ (165) | $ (195) |
Interest and finance charge payments (b) | (245) | (245) |
Tax payments | (10) | (20) |
Pension contributions | (35) | (45) |
Adjusted Free Cash Flow | $ 185 | $ 335 |
_______________ | |
(a) | Updated guidance includes our interest in Nautilus operations but there are no go-forward capital expenditures expected. |
(b) | Excluding income taxes paid from the NDT. |
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SOURCE Talen Energy Corporation
FAQ
What were Talen Energy Corporation's reported Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Free Cash Flow for the year ended December 31, 2023?
What was the gross proceeds from the sale of Cumulus data center campus to AWS?
What is the new range for Talen's 2024 Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Free Cash Flow guidance?
What was the settlement amount Talen received from PPL in December 2023?
How much did Talen repurchase in shares as part of the share repurchase program approved by the Board of Directors?
What is Talen's current net leverage ratio as of March 8, 2024?
What percentage of Talen's expected generation volumes for the balance of 2024 has been hedged?