COVID-19
As a critical infrastructure provider of electricity transmission and distribution services, Oncor’s operations have continued throughout the pandemic. Early on, Oncor implemented its pandemic response plan and took various precautionary actions under the plan to protect its workforce and critical operations. In April, Oncor also announced $1.7 million in donations to communitynon-profit organizations across its service territory that serve those most affected by theCOVID-19 pandemic.
To aid residential customers unable to pay their electricity bills due to the impact ofCOVID-19, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (“PUCT”) established theCOVID-19 Electricity Relief Program(“COVID-19 ERP”). In April, Oncor began collecting a surcharge on customer bills to fund the program. Oncor also received a $7.3 million interest free unsecured loan from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to be used for initial funding of theCOVID-19 ERP. The PUCT also authorized the creation of regulatory assets with respect to theCOVID-19 ERP and other costs resulting from the pandemic, and as a result, Oncor has been recording incremental costs incurred as a result of the pandemic as a regulatory asset.
To date, theCOVID-19 pandemic has not had a material adverse impact on Oncor’s business, financial condition, or results of operations. Based on preliminary April 2020 results, distribution base revenues are currently estimated to be approximately 1% higher than April 2019 distribution base revenues, with an estimated 10% increase in residential revenue partially offset by an estimated 5.5% decrease in large commercial and industrial revenue as compared to the same period last year. On a weather normalized basis, distribution base revenues are currently estimated to be approximately 1.7% lower than April 2019 distribution base revenues. Consistent with previous years, we expect weather to continue to be the largest driver of revenues for the remainder of 2020. However, the length and severity of the pandemic are difficult to forecast, and Oncor cannot predict whether, or to what extent, the pandemic will have a material adverse impact on Oncor’s business, financial condition, or results of operations in the future.
Liquidity
Oncor’s available liquidity as of May 1, 2020 totaled $2.5 billion, consisting of cash on hand and available credit capacity. Oncor believes it has sufficient liquidity to fund current obligations, projected working capital requirements, maturities of long-term debt and capital spending for at least the next twelve months.
Capital Expenditures
Last year, Oncor announced the largest five-year capital expenditure plan in its history, expecting to spend $11.9 billion from 2020-2024. In the first quarter of 2020, Oncor continued to execute on that plan, spending $628 million of its planned $2.5 billion of capital expenditures for the year and connecting approximately 18,000 new premises. Over half of the planned five-year capital budget relates to transmission projects, and approximately 90% of the planned transmission projects through 2021 require no further regulatory approvals to begin construction. Oncor is monitoring the impacts ofCOVID-19 and reduced oil prices on its service territory and planned capital expenditures, but currently does not expect material decreases to its five-year capital expenditure plan.
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