Pinnacle West Capital 10-K 2015-12-31

10-K 1 pnw2015123110-k.htm 10-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015

OR

o TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY Common Stock, Par Value $2.50 per share

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or in any amendment to this Form 10-K.x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Indicate by check mark whether each registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes o No x

State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates, computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of each registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter:

The number of shares outstanding of each registrant’s common stock as of February 12, 2016

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of Pinnacle West Capital Corporation’s definitive Proxy Statement relating to its Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 18, 2016 are incorporated by reference into Part III hereof.

Arizona Public Service Company meets the conditions set forth in General Instruction I(1)(a) and (b) of Form 10-K and is therefore filing this form with the reduced disclosure format allowed under that General Instruction.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

This combined Form 10-K is separately filed by Pinnacle West and APS. Each registrant is filing on its own behalf all of the information contained in this Form 10-K that relates to such registrant and, where required, its subsidiaries. Except as stated in the preceding sentence, neither registrant is filing any information that does not relate to such registrant, and therefore makes no representation as to any such information. The information required with respect to each company is set forth within the applicable items. Item 8 of this report includes Consolidated Financial Statements of Pinnacle West and Consolidated Financial Statements of APS. Item 8 also includes Combined Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

i

GLOSSARY OF NAMES AND TECHNICAL TERMS

ii

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This document contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations. These forward-looking statements are often identified by words such as “estimate,” “predict,” “may,” “believe,” “plan,” “expect,” “require,” “intend,” “assume” and similar words. Because actual results may differ materially from expectations, we caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements. A number of factors could cause future results to differ materially from historical results, or from outcomes currently expected or sought by Pinnacle West or APS. In addition to the Risk Factors described in Item 1A and in Item 7 — “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” these factors include, but are not limited to:

These and other factors are discussed in the Risk Factors described in Item 1A of this report, which readers should review carefully before placing any reliance on our financial statements or disclosures. Neither Pinnacle West nor APS assumes any obligation to update these statements, even if our internal estimates change, except as required by law.

PART I

Pinnacle West

Pinnacle West is a holding company that conducts business through its subsidiaries. We derive essentially all of our revenues and earnings from our wholly-owned subsidiary, APS. APS is a vertically-integrated electric utility that provides either retail or wholesale electric service to most of the State of Arizona, with the major exceptions of about one-half of the Phoenix metropolitan area, the Tucson metropolitan area and Mohave County in northwestern Arizona.

Pinnacle West’s other subsidiaries are El Dorado and BCE. Additional information related to these subsidiaries is provided later in this report.

Our reportable business segment is our regulated electricity segment, which consists of traditional regulated retail and wholesale electricity businesses (primarily electric service to Native Load customers) and related activities, and includes electricity generation, transmission and distribution.

BUSINESS OF ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

APS currently provides electric service to approximately 1.2 million customers. We own or lease 6,186 MW of regulated generation capacity and we hold a mix of both long-term and short-term purchased power agreements for additional capacity, including a variety of agreements for the purchase of renewable energy. During 2015, no single purchaser or user of energy accounted for more than 1.3% of our electric revenues.

The following map shows APS’s retail service territory, including the locations of its generating facilities and principal transmission lines.

Energy Sources and Resource Planning

To serve its customers, APS obtains power through its various generation stations and through purchased power agreements. Resource planning is an important function necessary to meet Arizona’s future energy needs. APS’s sources of energy by type used to supply energy to Native Load customers during 2015 were as follows:

Generation Facilities

APS has ownership interests in or leases the coal, nuclear, gas, oil and solar generating facilities described below. For additional information regarding these facilities, see Item 2.

Coal-Fueled Generating Facilities

Four Corners — Four Corners was originally a 5-unit coal-fired power plant, which is located in the northwestern corner of New Mexico. APS operates the plant and owns 100% of Four Corners Units 1, 2 and 3 and 63% of Four Corners Units 4 and 5 following the acquisition of SCE’s interest in Units 4 and 5 described below. As of December 30, 2013, APS retired Units 1, 2 and 3. APS has a total entitlement from Four Corners of 970 MW.

On December 30, 2013, APS purchased SCE's 48% interest in each of Units 4 and 5 of Four Corners. The final purchase price for SCE’s interest was approximately $182 million. In connection with APS’s most recent retail rate case with the ACC, the ACC reserved the right to review the prudence of the Four Corners

transaction for cost recovery purposes upon the closing of the transaction. On December 23, 2014, the ACC approved rate adjustments related to APS’s acquisition of SCE’s interest in Four Corners resulting in a revenue increase of $57.1 million on an annual basis. On February 23, 2015, the ACC decision approving the rate adjustment was appealed. APS has intervened and is actively participating in the proceeding. The Arizona Court of Appeals has suspended the appeal pending the Arizona Supreme Court's decision in the SIB matter discussed in Note 3, which could have an effect on the outcome of this Four Corners proceeding. We cannot predict when or how this matter will be resolved.

Concurrently with the closing of the SCE transaction, BHP Billiton, the parent company of BNCC, the coal supplier and operator of the mine that serves Four Corners, transferred its ownership of BNCC to NTEC, a company formed by the Navajo Nation to own the mine and develop other energy projects. BHP Billiton will be retained by NTEC under contract as the mine manager and operator until July 2016. Also occurring concurrently with the closing, the Four Corners’ co-owners executed a long-term agreement for the supply of coal to Four Corners from July 2016, when the current coal supply agreement expires, through 2031 (the “2016 Coal Supply Agreement”). El Paso, a 7% owner in Units 4 and 5 of Four Corners, did not sign the 2016 Coal Supply Agreement. Under the 2016 Coal Supply Agreement, APS has agreed to assume the 7% shortfall obligation. On February 17, 2015, APS and El Paso entered into an asset purchase agreement providing for the purchase by APS, or an affiliate of APS, of El Paso’s 7% interest in each of Units 4 and 5 of Four Corners. The cash purchase price, which will be subject to certain adjustments at closing, is immaterial in amount, and the purchaser will assume El Paso's reclamation and decommissioning obligations associated with the 7% interest. Completion of the purchase is subject to the receipt of certain regulatory approvals and is expected to occur in July 2016.

When APS, or an affiliate of APS, ultimately acquires El Paso's interest in Four Corners, NTEC has the option to purchase the interest within a certain timeframe pursuant to an option granted by APS to NTEC. On December 29, 2015, NTEC notified APS of its intent to exercise the option. APS is negotiating a definitive purchase agreement with NTEC for the purchase of the 7% interest. The 2016 Coal Supply Agreement contains alternate pricing terms for the 7% shortfall obligations in the event NTEC does not purchase the interest.

EPA, in its final regional haze rule for Four Corners, required the Four Corners’ owners to elect one of two emissions alternatives to apply to the plant. On December 30, 2013, APS, on behalf of the co-owners, notified EPA that they chose the alternative BART compliance strategy requiring the permanent closure of Units 1, 2 and 3 by January 1, 2014 and installation and operation of SCR controls on Units 4 and 5 by July 31, 2018. On December 30, 2013, APS retired Units 1, 2 and 3.

The Four Corners plant site is leased from the Navajo Nation and is also subject to an easement from the federal government. APS, on behalf of the Four Corners participants, negotiated amendments to an existing facility lease with the Navajo Nation, which extends the Four Corners leasehold interest from 2016 to 2041. The Navajo Nation approved these amendments in March 2011. The effectiveness of the amendments also required the approval of the DOI, as did a related federal rights-of-way grant. A federal environmental review was undertaken as part of the DOI review process and culminated in the issuance by the DOI of a record of decision on July 17, 2015. The record of decision provided the authority for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to sign the lease amendments and rights-of-way renewals, which occurred in late July 2015.

On December 21, 2015, several environmental groups filed a notice of intent to sue with OSM and other federal agencies under the Endangered Species Act alleging that OSM's reliance on the Biological Opinion and Incidental Take Statement prepared in connection with the environmental review described above were not in accordance with applicable law. We are monitoring this matter and will intervene if a lawsuit is filed. We cannot predict the timing or outcome of this matter.

In 2012, several environmental groups filed a lawsuit in federal district court against OSM challenging OSM’s 2012 approval of a permit revision which allowed for the expansion of mining operations into a new area of the mine that serves Four Corners ("Area IV North"). In April 2015, the court issued an order invalidating the permit revision, thereby prohibiting mining in Area IV North until OSM takes action to cure the defect in its permitting process identified by the court. On

Showing the first 8K of 89K characters. Open the full section

In addition to the factors affecting specific business operations identified in the description of these operations contained elsewhere in this report, set forth below are risks and uncertainties that could affect our financial results. Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, the following risks and uncertainties apply to Pinnacle West and its subsidiaries, including APS.

REGULATORY RISKS

Our financial condition depends upon APS’s ability to recover costs in a timely manner from customers through regulated rates and otherwise execute its business strategy.

APS is subject to comprehensive regulation by several federal, state and local regulatory agencies that significantly influence its business, liquidity, results of operations and its ability to fully recover costs from utility customers in a timely manner. The ACC regulates APS’s retail electric rates and FERC regulates rates for wholesale power sales and transmission services. The profitability of APS is affected by the rates it may charge and the timeliness of recovering costs incurred through its rates. Consequently, our financial condition and results of operations are dependent upon the satisfactory resolution of any APS rate proceedings and ancillary matters which may come before the ACC and FERC, including in some cases how court challenges to these regulatory decisions are resolved. Arizona, like certain other states, has a statute that allows the ACC to reopen prior decisions and modify otherwise final orders under certain circumstances.

APS is currently pursuing certain activities, such as microgrid investments and construction of renewable facilities intended for specific customers. To date, APS has not received regulatory assurance of cost recovery for such investments. As APS engages in these activities, we will have to demonstrate to regulators that these investments are both prudent and useful in providing electric service to customers.

The ACC must also approve APS’s issuance of securities and any significant transfer or encumbrance of APS property used to provide retail electric service, and must approve or receive prior notification of certain transactions between us, APS and our respective affiliates. Decisions made by the ACC or FERC could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

In a recent appellate challenge to an ACC rate decision regarding a water company (referred to in Note 3 as "SIB"), the Arizona Court of Appeals considered the question of how the ACC should determine the “fair value” of a utility’s property, as specified in the Arizona Constitution, in connection with authorizing the recovery of costs through rate adjustors or surcharges outside of a rate case. The Court of Appeals reversed the ACC’s method of finding fair value in that case, and raised questions concerning the relationship between fair value findings and the recovery of capital and certain other utility costs through adjustors. The ACC sought review by the Arizona Supreme Court of this decision and APS filed a brief supporting the ACC’s petition to the Arizona Supreme Court for review of the Court of Appeals’ decision. On February 9, 2016, the Arizona Supreme Court granted review of the decision and oral argument is set for March 22, 2016. If the decision is upheld by the Supreme Court without modification, certain APS rate adjustors may require modification. This could in turn have an impact on APS’s ability to recover certain costs in between rate cases. APS cannot predict the outcome of this matter.

APS’s ability to conduct its business operations and avoid fines and penalties depends upon compliance with federal, state or local statutes, regulations and ACC requirements, and obtaining and maintaining certain regulatory permits, approvals and certificates.

APS must comply in good faith with all applicable statutes, regulations, rules, tariffs, and orders of agencies that regulate APS’s business, including FERC, NRC, EPA, the ACC, and state and local governmental agencies. These agencies regulate many aspects of APS’s utility operations, including safety and performance, emissions, siting and construction of facilities, customer service and the rates that APS can charge retail and wholesale customers. Failure to comply can subject APS to, among other things, fines and penalties. For example, under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, FERC can impose penalties (up to one million dollars per day per violation) for failure to comply with mandatory electric reliability standards. APS is also required to have numerous permits, approvals and certificates from these agencies. APS believes the necessary permits, approvals and certificates have been obtained for its existing operations and that APS’s business is conducted in accordance with applicable laws in all material respects. However, changes in regulations or the imposition of new or revised laws or regulations could have an adverse impact on our results of operations. We are also unable to predict the impact on our business and operating results from pending or future regulatory activities of any of these agencies.

On January 28, 2016, an ACC Commissioner, Robert L. Burns, sent APS a Notice of Investigation pursuant to an Arizona statute that authorizes a Commissioner and his agents to inspect the accounts, books, papers and documents of any public service corporation, and examine under oath any officer, agent or employee of such corporation in relation to the business and affairs of the corporation. The Notice states that Commissioner Burns intends to investigate whether APS has used funds recoverable from ratepayers for political contributions, lobbying, or charitable donations purposes; whether APS’s corporate affiliates have made contributions or donations under APS’ brand name; and the degree to which APS and Pinnacle West are “intertwined” in terms of organization, management and operations. APS intends to cooperate with this investigation to the full extent that the matter is lawfully authorized, but cannot predict its timing or outcome.

The operation of APS’s nuclear power plant exposes it to substantial regulatory oversight and potentially significant liabilities and capital expenditures.

The NRC has broad authority under federal law to impose safety-related, security-related and other licensing requirements for the operation of nuclear generation facilities. Events at nuclear facilities of other operators or impacting the industry generally may lead the NRC to impose additional requirements and regulations on all nuclear generation facilities, including Palo Verde. As a result of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunamis that caused significant damage to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan, various industry organizations analyzed information from the Japan incident and develop action plans for U.S. nuclear power plants. Additionally, the NRC performed its own independent review of the events at Fukushima Daiichi, including a review of the agency’s processes and regulations in order to determine whether the agency

should promulgate additional regulations and possibly make more fundamental changes to the NRC’s system of regulation. As a result of the Fukushima event, the NRC has directed nuclear power plants to implement the first tier recommendations of the NRC’s Near Term Task Force. In response to these recommendations, Palo Verde expects to spend approximately $0.5 million for capital enhancements to the plant over the next year in addition to the approximate $125 million that has already been spent on capital enhancements as of December 31, 2015 (APS’s share is 29.1%). We cannot predict whether these amounts will increase or whether additional financial and/or operational requirements on Palo Verde and APS may be imposed.

In the event of noncompliance with its requirements, the NRC has the authority to impose a progressively increased inspection regime that could ultimately result in the shut-down of a unit or civil penalties, or both, depending upon the NRC’s assessment of the severity of the situation, until compliance is achieved. The increased costs resulting from penalties, a heightened level of scrutiny and implementation of plans to achieve compliance with NRC requirements may adversely affect APS’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

APS is subject to numerous environmental laws and regulations, and changes in, or liabilities under, existing or new laws or regulations may increase APS’s cost of operations or impact its business plans.

APS is, or may become, subject to numerous environmental laws and regulations affecting many aspects of its present and future operations, including air emissions, water quality, discharges of wastewater and streams originating from fly ash and bottom ash handling facilities, solid waste, hazardous waste, and coal combustion products, which consist of bottom ash, fly ash, and air pollution control wastes. These laws and regulations can result in increased capital, operating, and other costs, particularly with regard to enforcement efforts focused on power plant emissions obligations. These laws and regulations generally require APS to obtain and comply with a wide variety of environmental licenses, permits, and other approvals. If there is a delay or failure to obtain any required environmental regulatory approval, or if APS fails to obtain, maintain, or comply with any such approval, operations at affected facilities could be suspended or subject to additional expenses. In addition, failure to comply with applicable environmental laws and regulations could result in civil liability as a result of government enforcement actions or private claims or criminal penalties. Both public officials and private individuals may seek to enforce applicable environmental laws and regulations. APS cannot predict the outcome (financial or operational) of any related litigation that may arise.

Environmental Clean Up. APS has been named as a PRP for a Superfund site in Phoenix, Arizona, and it could be named a PRP in the future for other environmental clean-up at sites identified by a regulatory body. APS cannot predict with certainty the amount and timing of all future expenditures related to environmental matters because of the difficulty of estimating clean-up costs. There is also uncertainty in quantifying liabilities under environmental laws that impose joint and several liability on all PRPs.

Regional Haze. APS has received final rulemakings imposing new requirements on Four Corners, Cholla and the Navajo Plant. Pursuant to these rules, EPA and ADEQ will require these plants to install pollution control equipment that constitutes BART to lessen the impacts of emissions on visibility surrounding the plants. The financial impact of installing and operating the required pollution control equipment could jeopardize the economic viability of these plants or the ability of individual participants to continue their participation in these plants.

Coal Ash. In December 2014, EPA issued final regulations governing the handling and disposal of CCR, which are generated as a result of burning coal and consist of, among other things, fly ash and bottom ash. The rule regulates CCR as a non-hazardous waste. APS currently disposes of CCR in ash ponds and dry storage areas at Cholla and Four Corners and in a dry landfill storage area at the Navajo Plant. To the extent the rule requires the closure or modification of these CCR units or the construction of new CCR units beyond what we currently anticipate, APS would incur significant additional costs for CCR disposal.

Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards. In 2015, EPA finalized revisions to the national ambient air quality standards for nitrogen oxides, which set new, more stringent standards intended to protect human health and human welfare. Depending on the stringency of the final standards and the implementation requirements, APS may be required to invest in new pollution control technologies and to generate emission offsets for new projects or facility expansions located in ozone nonattainment areas.

APS cannot assure that existing environmental regulations will not be revised or that new regulations seeking to protect the environment will not be adopted or become applicable to it. Revised or additional regulations that result in increased compliance costs or additional operating restrictions, particularly if those costs incurred by APS are not fully recoverable from APS’s customers, could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Due to current or potential future regulations or legislation coupled with trends in natural gas and coal prices, the economics of continuing to own certain resources, particularly coal facilities, may deteriorate, warranting early retirement of those plants, which may result in asset impairments. APS would seek recovery in rates for the book value of any remaining investments in the plants as well as other costs related to early retirement, but cannot predict whether it would obtain such recovery.

APS faces physical and operational risks related to climate effects, and potential financial risks resulting from climate change litigation and legislative and regulatory efforts to limit GHG emissions.

Concern over climate change has led to significant legislative and regulatory efforts to limit CO2, which is a major byproduct of the combustion of fossil fuel, and other GHG emissions.

Financial Risks - Greenhouse Gas Regulation and the Clean Power Plan. In 2015, EPA finalized a rule to limit carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants. The implementation of this rule within the jurisdictions where APS operates could result in a shift in in-state generation from coal to natural gas and renewable generation. Such a substantial change in APS’s generation portfolio could require additional capital investments and increased operating costs, and thus have a significant financial impact on the Company. See Note 10 for additional risks and uncertainties resulting from the Clean Power Plan.

Physical and Operational Risks. Weather extremes such as drought and high temperature variations are common occurrences in the Southwest’s desert area, and these are risks that APS considers in the normal course of business in the engineering and construction of its electric system. Large increases in ambient temperatures could require evaluation of certain materials used within its system and represent a greater challenge.

Deregulation or restructuring of the electric industry may result in increased competition, which could have a significant adverse impact on APS’s business and its results of operations.

In 1999, the ACC approved rules for the introduction of retail electric competition in Arizona. Retail competition could have a significant adverse financial impact on APS due to an impairment of assets, a loss of retail customers, lower profit margins or increased costs of capital. Although some very limited retail competition existed in APS’s service area in 1999 and 2000, there are currently no active retail competitors offering unbundled energy or other utility services to APS’s customers. On May 9, 2013, the ACC voted to re-examine the facilitation of a deregulated retail electric market in Arizona. The ACC subsequently opened a docket for this matter and received comments from a number of interested parties on the considerations involved in establishing retail electric deregulation in the state. One of these considerations is whether various aspects of a deregulated market, including setting utility rates on a “market” basis, would be consistent with the requirements of the Arizona Constitution. On September 11, 2013, after receiving legal advice from the ACC staff, the ACC voted 4-1 to close the current docket and await full Arizona Constitutional authority

before any further examination of this matter. The motion approved by the ACC also included opening one or more new dockets in the future to explore options to offer more rate choices to customers and innovative changes within the existing cost-of-service regulatory model that could include elements of competition.

One of these options would be a continuation or expansion of APS’s existing AG (Alternative Generation) - 1 program, which essentially allows up to 200 MW of cumulative load to be served via a buy-through arrangement with competitive suppliers of generation. On November 25, 2015, the ACC issued an order approving a request by several AG-1 customers and suppliers to extend the term of the program from July 1, 2016 to the conclusion of APS's next general rate case. The order also authorized APS to defer for future recovery unmitigated unrecovered costs attributable to the program at 90% of the first $10 million per year and at 100% of amounts above $10 million per year.

In 2010, the ACC issued a decision holding that solar vendors that install and operate solar facilities for non-profit schools and governments pursuant to a specific type of contract that calculates payments based on the energy produced are not “public service corporations” under the Arizona Constitution, and are therefore not regulated by the ACC. The use of such products by customers within our territory results in some level of competition. APS cannot predict when, and the extent to which, additional service providers will enter APS’s service territory, increasing the level of competition in the market.

Proposals to enable or support retail electric competition are made from time to time in legislative or other forums in Arizona. We cannot predict future regulatory or legislative action that might result in increased competition.

OPERATIONAL RISKS

APS’s results of operations can be adversely affected by various factors impacting demand for electricity.

Weather Conditions. Weather conditions directly influence the demand for electricity and affect the price of energy commodities. Electric power demand is generally a seasonal business. In Arizona, demand for power peaks during the hot summer months, with market prices also peaking at that time. As a result, APS’s overall operating results fluctuate substantially on a seasonal basis. In addition, APS has historically sold less power, and consequently earned less income, when weather conditions are milder. As a result, unusually mild weather could diminish APS’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Higher temperatures may decrease the snowpack, which might result in lowered soil moisture and an increased threat of forest fires. Forest fires could threaten APS’s communities and electric transmission lines and facilities. Any damage caused as a result of forest fires could negatively impact APS’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Effects of Energy Conservation Measures and Distributed Energy. The ACC has enacted rules regarding energy efficiency that mandate a 22% annual energy savings requirement by 2020. This will likely increase participation by APS customers in energy efficiency and conservation programs and other demand-side management efforts, which in turn will impact the demand for electricity. The rules also include a requirement for the ACC to review and address financial disincentives, recovery of fixed costs and the recovery of net lost income/revenue that would result from lower sales due to increased energy efficiency requirements. To that end, the settlement agreement in APS’s most recent retail rate case (the “2012 Settlement Agreement”) includes a mechanism, the LFCR, to address these matters.

APS must also meet certain distributed energy requirements. A portion of APS’s total renewable energy requirement must be met with an increasing percentage of distributed energy resources (generally, small

scale renewable technologies located on customers’ properties). The distributed energy requirement was 25% of the overall RES requirement of 3% in 2011 and increased to 30% of the applicable RES requirement for 2012 and subsequent years. Customer participation in distributed energy programs would result in lower demand, since customers would be meeting some or all of their own energy needs. Reduced demand due to these energy efficiency and distributed energy requirements, unless substantially offset through ratemaking mechanisms, could have a material adverse impact on APS’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Customer and Sales Growth. For the three years 2013 through 2015, APS’s retail customer growth averaged 1.3% per year. We currently expect annual customer growth to average in the range of 2.0-3.0% for 2016 through 2018 based on our assessment of modestly improving economic conditions in Arizona. For the three years 2013 through 2015 APS experienced annual increases in retail electricity sales averaging 0.1%, adjusted to exclude the effects of weather variations. We currently estimate that annual retail electricity sales in kWh will increase on average in the range of 0.5-1.5% during 2016 through 2018, including the effects of customer conservation and energy efficiency and distributed renewable generation initiatives, but excluding the effects of weather variations. Actual customer and sales growth may differ from our projections as a result of numerous factors, such as economic conditions, customer growth, usage patterns and energy conservation, impacts of energy efficiency programs and growth in distributed generation, and responses to retail price changes. Additionally, recovery of a substantial portion of our fixed costs of providing service is based upon the volumetric amount of our sales. If our customer growth rate does not continue to improve as projected, or if it declines, or if the Arizona economy fails to improve, we may be unable to reach our estimated demand level and sales projections, which could have a negative impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

The operation of power generation facilities and transmission systems involves risks that could result in reduced output or unscheduled outages, which could materially affect APS’s results of operations.

The operation of power generation, transmission and distribution facilities involves certain risks, including the risk of breakdown or failure of equipment, fuel interruption, and performance below expected levels of output or efficiency. Unscheduled outages, including extensions of scheduled outages due to mechanical failures or other complications, occur from time to time and are an inherent risk of APS’s business. Because our transmission facilities are interconnected with those of third parties, the operation of our facilities could be adversely affected by unexpected or uncontrollable events occurring on the larger transmission power grid, and the operation or failure of our facilities could adversely affect the operations of others. If APS’s facilities operate below expectations, especially during its peak seasons, it may lose revenue or incur additional expenses, including increased purchased power expenses. Concerns over physical security of these assets is also increasing, which may require us to incur additional capital and operating costs to address. Damage to certain of our facilities due to vandalism or other deliberate acts could lead to outages or other adverse effects.

The inability to successfully develop or acquire generation resources to meet reliability requirements, new or evolving standards or regulations could adversely impact our business.

Potential changes in regulatory standards, impacts of new and existing laws and regulations, including environmental laws and regulations, and the need to obtain certain regulatory approvals create uncertainty surrounding our generation portfolio. The current abundance of low, stably priced natural gas, together with environmental and other concerns surrounding coal-fired generation resources, create strategic questions related to the appropriate generation portfolio and fuel diversification mix. In addition, APS is required by the ACC to meet certain energy resource portfolio requirements such as the EES and the RES. The development of any generation facility is subject to many risks, including risks related to financing, siting, permitting, technology, the construction of sufficient transmission capacity to support these facilities and stresses to generation and transmission resources from intermittent generation characteristics of renewable resources.

APS’s inability to adequately develop or acquire the necessary generation resources could have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

The lack of access to sufficient supplies of water could have a material adverse impact on APS’s business and results of operations.

Assured supplies of water are important for APS’s generating plants. Water in the southwestern United States is limited, and various parties have made conflicting claims regarding the right to access and use such limited supply of water. Both groundwater and surface water in areas important to APS’s generating plants have been and are the subject of inquiries, claims and legal proceedings. In addition, the region in which APS’s power plants are located is prone to drought conditions, which could potentially affect the plants’ water supplies. APS’s inability to access sufficient supplies of water could have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

We are subject to cybersecurity risks and risks of unauthorized access to our systems.

In the regular course of our business, we handle a range of sensitive security, customer and business systems information. A security breach of our information systems such as theft or the inappropriate release of certain types of information, including confidential customer, employee, financial or system operating information, could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. We operate in a highly regulated industry that requires the continued operation of sophisticated information technology systems and network infrastructure. Despite implementation of security measures, our technology systems are vulnerable to disability, failures or unauthorized access. Our generation, transmission and distribution facilities, information technology systems and other infrastructure facilities and systems and physical assets could be targets of such unauthorized access. Failures or breaches of our systems could impact the reliability of our generation, transmission and distribution systems and also subject us to financial harm. If our technology systems were to fail or be breached and if we are unable to recover in a timely way, we may not be able to fulfill critical business functions and sensitive confidential data could be compromised, which could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

We are subject to laws and rules issued by multiple government agencies concerning safeguarding and maintaining the confidentiality of our security, customer and business information. One of these agencies, NERC, has issued comprehensive regulations and standards surrounding the security of our operating systems, and is continually in the process of developing updated and additional requirements with which the utility industry must comply. The increasing promulgation of NERC rules and standards will increase our compliance costs and our exposure to the potential risk of violations of the standards.

We have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, these types of threats and attempted intrusions. The implementation of additional security measures could increase costs and have a material adverse impact on our financial results. We have obtained cyber insurance to provide coverage for a portion of the losses and damages that may result from a security breach of our information technology systems, but such insurance may not cover the total loss or damage caused by a breach. These types of events could also require significant management attention and resources, and could adversely affect Pinnacle West’s and APS’s reputation with customers and the public.

The ownership and operation of power generation and transmission facilities on Indian lands could result in uncertainty related to continued leases, easements and rights-of-way, which could have a significant impact on our business.

Certain APS power plants and portions of the transmission lines that carry power from these plants are located on Indian lands pursuant to leases, easements or other rights-of-way that are effective for specified periods. APS is unable to predict the final outcome of pending and future approvals by applicable governing bodies with respect to renewals of these leases, easements and rights-of-way.

There are inherent risks in the ownership and operation of nuclear facilities, such as environmental, health, fuel supply, spent fuel disposal, regulatory and financial risks and the risk of terrorist attack.

APS has an ownership interest in and operates, on behalf of a group of participants, Palo Verde, which is the largest nuclear electric generating facility in the United States. Palo Verde constitutes approximately 19% of our owned and leased generation capacity. Palo Verde is subject to environmental, health and financial risks, such as the ability to obtain adequate supplies of nuclear fuel; the ability to dispose of spent nuclear fuel; the ability to maintain adequate reserves for decommissioning; potential liabilities arising out of the operation of these facilities; the costs of securing the facilities against possible terrorist attacks; and unscheduled outages due to equipment and other problems. APS maintains nuclear decommissioning trust funds and external insurance coverage to minimize its financial exposure to some of these risks; however, it is possible that damages could exceed the amount of insurance coverage. In addition, APS may be required under federal law to pay up to $111 million (but not more than $16.6 million per year) of liabilities arising out of a nuclear incident occurring not only at Palo Verde, but at any other nuclear power plant in the United States. Although we have no reason to anticipate a serious nuclear incident at Palo Verde, if an incident did occur, it could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. A major incident at a nuclear facility anywhere in the world could cause the NRC to limit or prohibit the operation or licensing of any domestic nuclear unit and to promulgate new regulations that could require significant capital expenditures and/or increase operating costs.

The use of derivative contracts in the normal course of our business could result in financial losses that negatively impact our results of operations.

APS’s operations include managing market risks related to commodity prices. APS is exposed to the impact of market fluctuations in the price and transportation costs of electricity, natural gas and coal to the extent that unhedged positions exist. We have established procedures to manage risks associated with these market fluctuations by utilizing various commodity derivatives, including exchange traded futures and options and over-the-counter forwards, options, and swaps. As part of our overall risk management program, we enter into derivative transactions to hedge purchases and sales of electricity and fuels. The changes in market value of such contracts have a high correlation to price changes in the hedged commodity. To the extent that commodity markets are illiquid, we may not be able to execute our risk management strategies, which could result in greater unhedged positions than we would prefer at a given time and financial losses that negatively impact our results of operations.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) contains measures aimed at increasing the transparency and stability of the over-the counter, or OTC, derivative markets and preventing excessive speculation. The Dodd-Frank Act could restrict, among other things, trading positions in the energy futures markets, require different collateral or settlement positions, or increase regulatory reporting over derivative positions. Based on the provisions included in the Dodd-Frank Act and the implementation of regulations, these changes could, among other things, impact our ability to hedge commodity price and interest rate risk or increase the costs associated with our hedging programs.

We are exposed to losses in the event of nonperformance or nonpayment by counterparties. We use a risk management process to assess and monitor the financial exposure of all counterparties. Despite the fact that the majority of APS’s trading counterparties are rated as investment grade by the rating agencies, there is still a possibility that one or more of these companies could default, which could result in a material adverse impact on our earnings for a given period.

Changes in technology could create challenges for APS’s existing business.

Alternative energy technologies that produce power or reduce power consumption or emissions are being developed and commercialized, including renewable technologies such as photovoltaic (solar) cells, customer-sited generation, energy storage (batteries), and efficiency technologies. Advances in technology and equipment/appliance efficiency could reduce the demand for supply from conventional generation, which could adversely affect APS’s business.

APS continues to pursue and implement advanced grid technologies, including transmission and distribution system technologies and digital meters enabling two-way communications between the utility and its customers. Many of the products and processes resulting from these and other alternative technologies have not yet been widely used or tested on a long-term basis, and their use on large-scale systems is not as established or mature as APS’s existing technologies and equipment. Widespread installation and acceptance of new technologies could enable the entry of new market participants, such as technology companies, into the interface between APS and its customers and could have other unpredictable effects on APS’s business.

Deployment of renewable energy technologies is expected to continue across the western states and result in a larger portion of the overall energy production coming from these sources. These trends, which have benefited from historical and continuing government subsidies for certain technologies, have the potential to put downward pressure on wholesale power prices throughout the western states which could make APS's existing generating facilities less economical and impact their operational patterns and long-term viability.

We are subject to employee workforce factors that could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

Like most companies in the electric utility industry, our workforce is maturing, with approximately 36% of employees eligible to retire by the end of 2018. Although we have undertaken efforts to recruit and train new employees, we face increased competition for talent. We are subject to other employee workforce factors, such as the availability of qualified personnel, the need to negotiate collective bargaining agreements with union employees and potential work stoppages. These or other employee workforce factors could negatively impact our business, financial condition or results of operations.

FINANCIAL RISKS

Financial market disruptions or new rules or regulations may increase our financing costs or limit our access to various financial markets, which may adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to implement our financial strategy.

Pinnacle West and APS rely on access to credit markets as a significant source of liquidity and the capital markets for capital requirements not satisfied by cash flow from our operations. We believe that we will maintain sufficient access to these financial markets. However, certain market disruptions or rules or regulations may cause our cost of borrowing to increase generally, and/or otherwise adversely affect our ability to access these financial markets.

In addition, the credit commitments of our lenders under our bank facilities may not be satisfied or continued beyond current commitment periods for a variety of reasons, including new rules and regulations, periods of financial distress or liquidity issues affecting our lenders or financial markets, which could materially adversely affect the adequacy of our liquidity sources and the cost of maintaining these sources.

Changes in economic conditions, monetary policy, financial regulation or other factors could result in higher interest rates, which would increase interest expense on our existing variable rate debt and new debt we expect to issue in the future, and thus reduce funds available to us for our current plans.

Additionally, an increase in our leverage, whether as a result of these factors or otherwise, could adversely affect us by:

• causing a downgrade of our credit ratings;

• increasing the cost of future debt financing and refinancing;

• increasing our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions; and

A downgrade of our credit ratings could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our current ratings are set forth in “Liquidity and Capital Resources — Credit Ratings” in Item 7. We cannot be sure that any of our current ratings will remain in effect for any given period of time or that a rating will not be lowered or withdrawn entirely by a rating agency if, in its judgment, circumstances in the future so warrant. Any downgrade or withdrawal could adversely affect the market price of Pinnacle West’s and APS’s securities, limit our access to capital and increase our borrowing costs, which would diminish our financial results. We would be required to pay a higher interest rate for future financings, and our potential pool of investors and funding sources could decrease. In addition, borrowing costs under our existing credit facilities depend on our credit ratings. A downgrade could also require us to provide additional support in the form of letters of credit or cash or other collateral to various counterparties. If our short-term ratings were to be lowered, it could severely limit access to the commercial paper market. We note that the ratings from rating agencies are not recommendations to buy, sell or hold our securities and that each rating should be evaluated independently of any other rating.

Investment performance, changing interest rates and other economic factors could decrease the value of our benefit plan assets and nuclear decommissioning trust funds and increase the valuation of our related obligations, resulting in significant additional funding requirements. We are subject to risks related to the provision of employee healthcare benefits and healthcare reform legislation. Any inability to fully recover these costs in our utility rates would negatively impact our financial condition.

We have significant pension plan and other postretirement benefits plan obligations to our employees and retirees, and legal obligations to fund nuclear decommissioning trusts for Palo Verde. We hold and invest substantial assets in these trusts that are designed to provide funds to pay for certain of these obligations as they arise. Declines in market values of the fixed income and equity securities held in these trusts may increase our funding requirements into the related trusts. Additionally, the valuation of liabilities related to our pension plan and other postretirement benefit plans are impacted by a discount rate, which is the interest rate used to discount future pension and other postretirement benefit obligations. Declining interest rates decrease the discount rate, increase the valuation of the plan liabilities and may result in increases in pension and other

postretirement benefit costs, cash contributions, regulatory assets, and charges to OCI. Changes in demographics, including increased number of retirements or changes in life expectancy and changes in other actuarial assumptions, may also result in similar impacts. The minimum contributions required under these plans are impacted by federal legislation. Increasing liabilities or otherwise increasing funding requirements under these plans, resulting from adverse changes in legislation or otherwise, could result in significant cash funding obligations that could have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

We recover most of the pension costs and other postretirement benefit costs and all of the nuclear decommissioning costs in our regulated rates. Any inability to fully recover these costs in a timely manner would have a material negative impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Employee healthcare costs in recent years have continued to rise. Most of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provisions have been implemented; however, costs and other effects of the legislation, which may include the cost of compliance and potentially increased costs of providing for medical insurance for our employees, cannot be determined with certainty at this time.

Our cash flow depends on the performance of APS.

We derive essentially all of our revenues and earnings from our wholly owned subsidiary, APS. Accordingly, our cash flow and our ability to pay dividends on our common stock is dependent upon the earnings and cash flows of APS and its distributions to us. APS is a separate and distinct legal entity and has no obligation to make distributions to us.

APS’s financing agreements may restrict its ability to pay dividends, make distributions or otherwise transfer funds to us. In addition, an ACC financing order requires APS to maintain a common equity ratio of at least 40% and does not allow APS to pay common dividends if the payment would reduce its common equity below that threshold. The common equity ratio, as defined in the ACC order, is total shareholder equity divided by the sum of total shareholder equity and long-term debt, including current maturities of long-term debt.

Pinnacle West’s ability to meet its debt service obligations could be adversely affected because its debt securities are structurally subordinated to the debt securities and other obligations of its subsidiaries.

Because Pinnacle West is structured as a holding company, all existing and future debt and other liabilities of our subsidiaries will be effectively senior in right of payment to our debt securities. The assets and cash flows of our subsidiaries will be available, in the first instance, to service their own debt and other obligations. Our ability to have the benefit of their cash flows, particularly in the case of any insolvency or financial distress affecting our subsidiaries, would arise only through our equity ownership interests in our subsidiaries and only after their creditors have been satisfied.

The market price of our common stock may be volatile.

The market price of our common stock could be subject to significant fluctuations in response to factors such as the following, some of which are beyond our control:

In addition, the stock market in general has experienced volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of a particular company. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

Certain provisions of our articles of incorporation and bylaws and of Arizona law make it difficult for shareholders to change the composition of our board and may discourage takeover attempts.

These provisions, which could preclude our shareholders from receiving a change of control premium, include the following:

While these provisions have the effect of encouraging persons seeking to acquire control of us to negotiate with our Board of Directors, they could enable the Board of Directors to hinder or frustrate a transaction that some, or a majority, of our shareholders might believe to be in their best interests and, in that case, may prevent or discourage attempts to remove and replace incumbent directors.

Neither Pinnacle West nor APS has received written comments regarding its periodic or current reports from the SEC staff that were issued 180 days or more preceding the end of its 2015 fiscal year and that remain unresolved.

Generation Facilities

APS’s portfolio of owned and leased generating facilities is provided in the table below:

See “Business of Arizona Public Service Company — Environmental Matters” in Item 1 with respect to matters having a possible impact on the operation of certain of APS’s generating facilities.

See “Business of Arizona Public Service Company” in Item 1 for a map detailing the location of APS’s major power plants and principal transmission lines.

Transmission and Distribution Facilities

Current Facilities. APS’s transmission facilities consist of approximately 6,070 pole miles of overhead lines and approximately 49 miles of underground lines, 5,847 miles of which are located in Arizona. APS’s distribution facilities consist of approximately 11,077 miles of overhead lines and approximately 18,071 miles of underground primary cable, all of which are located in Arizona. APS distribution facilities reflect an actual net gain of 169 miles in 2015. APS shares ownership of some of its transmission facilities with other companies. The following table shows APS’s jointly-owned interests in those transmission facilities recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2015:

Expansion. Each year APS prepares and files with the ACC a ten-year transmission plan. In APS’s 2015 plan, APS projects it will develop 275 miles of new lines over the next ten years. One significant project currently under development is a new 500kV path that will span from the Palo Verde hub around the western and northern edges of the Phoenix metropolitan area and terminate at a bulk substation in the northeast part of Phoenix. The Palo Verde to Morgan System includes Palo Verde-Delaney-Sun Valley-Morgan. The project consists of four phases. The first phase, Morgan to Pinnacle Peak 500kV, is currently in-service. The second

and third phases, Delaney to Palo Verde 500kV and Delaney to Sun Valley 500kV, are under construction and are expected to be energized by May 2016. The fourth phase, Morgan to Sun Valley 500kV, has been permitted and is in final design and development. In total, the projects consist of over 100 miles of new 500kV lines, with many of those miles constructed with the capability to string a 230kV line as a second circuit.

APS continues to work with regulators to identify transmission projects necessary to support renewable energy facilities. Two such projects, which are included in APS’s 2015 transmission plan, are the Delaney to Palo Verde line and the North Gila to Hassayampa line, both of which are intended to support the transmission of renewable energy to Phoenix and California. The North Gila to Hassayampa line went into service in May 2015.

Physical Security Standards. On July 14, 2015, FERC approved version 2 of the proposed Physical Security Reliability Standard CIP-014 (CIP-014-2). As a result, CIP-014-2, the Physical Security Reliability Standard that requires transmission owners and operators to protect those critical transmission stations and substations and their associated primary control centers that, if rendered inoperable or damaged as a result of a physical attack, could result in widespread instability, uncontrolled separation or cascading within an interconnection, became effective on October 2, 2015, triggering a series of staggered, but interdependent obligations for APS. As required by the Physical Security Reliability Standard, APS determined its critical transmission stations and substations and associated primary control centers that will be required to comply with the standard by October 2, 2015. However, as contemplated under CIP-014-2, this verification has triggered additional requirements and obligations within the Physical Security Reliability Standard that are not yet due to be completed. These remaining obligations, which consist of a risk evaluation and development and verification of a physical security plan, are due to be completed by the end the third quarter of 2016. Until APS has completed all required activities under the Physical Security Reliability Standard, we cannot predict the extent of any financial or operational impacts on APS.

NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection Requirements. In 2014, APS initiated a comprehensive project to ensure compliance with Version 5 of NERC's Critical Infrastructure Protection Requirements (CIP V.5) which will become effective April 1, 2016. APS will be incurring incremental capital expenditures through 2017 associated with the CIP V.5 compliance implementation project estimated to be approximately $52 million.

Plant and Transmission Line Leases and Rights-of-Way on Indian Lands

The Navajo Plant and Four Corners are located on land held under leases from the Navajo Nation and also under rights-of-way from the federal government. The right-of-way and lease for the Navajo Plant expire in 2019 and the right-of-way and lease for Four Corners were scheduled to expire in 2016. In March, 2011, the Navajo Nation Council signed a resolution approving a 25-year extension to the existing Four Corners lease term and providing Navajo Nation consent to renewal of the related rights-of-way. The effectiveness of the lease amendment also required the approval of the DOI, as did the related federal rights-of-way grant. A federal environmental review was undertaken as part of the DOI review process, and culminated in the issuance by DOI of a record of decision on July 17, 2015. The record of decision provides the authority for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to sign the lease amendments and rights-of-way renewals, which occurred in late July 2015.

Certain portions of the transmission lines that carry power from several of our power plants are located on Indian lands pursuant to rights-of-way that are effective for specified periods. Some of these rights-of-way have expired and our renewal applications have not yet been acted upon by the appropriate Indian tribes or federal agencies. Other rights expire at various times in the future and renewal action by the applicable tribe or federal agencies will be required at that time. In recent negotiations, certain of the affected Indian tribes have

required payments substantially in excess of amounts that we have paid in the past for such rights-of-way. The ultimate cost of renewal of certain of the rights-of-way for our transmission lines is therefore uncertain.

See “Business of Arizona Public Service Company — Environmental Matters” in Item 1 with regard to pending or threatened litigation and other disputes.

See Note 3 for ACC and FERC-related matters.

See Note 10 for information regarding environmental matters, Superfund–related matters, matters related to a September 2011 power outage and a New Mexico tax matter.

Not applicable.

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF PINNACLE WEST

Pinnacle West’s executive officers are elected no less often than annually and may be removed by the Board of Directors at any time. The executive officers, their ages at February 19, 2016, current positions and principal occupations for the past five years are as follows:

PART II

STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Pinnacle West’s common stock is publicly held and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. At the close of business on February 12, 2016, Pinnacle West’s common stock was held of record by approximately 20,570 shareholders.

QUARTERLY STOCK PRICES AND DIVIDENDS PAID PER SHARE

STOCK SYMBOL: PNW

APS’s common stock is wholly-owned by Pinnacle West and is not listed for trading on any stock exchange. As a result, there is no established public trading market for APS’s common stock.

The chart below sets forth the dividends paid on APS’s common stock for each of the four quarters for 2015 and 2014.

Common Stock Dividends

(Dollars in Thousands)

The sole holder of APS’s common stock, Pinnacle West, is entitled to dividends when and as declared out of legally available funds. As of December 31, 2015, APS did not have any outstanding preferred stock.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The following table contains information about our purchases of our common stock during the fourth quarter of 2015.

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION – CONSOLIDATED

The selected data presented below as of and for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011 are derived from the Consolidated Financial Statements. The data should be read in connection with the Consolidated Financial Statements including the related notes included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

(a) During the fourth quarter of 2015, we adopted the new accounting standard related to balance sheet presentation of debt issuance costs. See further discussion in Note 2.

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY – CONSOLIDATED

(a) During the fourth quarter of 2015, we adopted the new accounting standard related to balance sheet presentation of debt issuance costs. See further discussion in Note 2.

OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

INTRODUCTION

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with Pinnacle West’s Consolidated Financial Statements and APS’s Consolidated Financial Statements and the related Notes that appear in Item 8 of this report. For information on factors that may cause our actual future results to differ from those we currently seek or anticipate, see “Forward-Looking Statements” at the front of this report and “Risk Factors” in Item 1A.

OVERVIEW

Pinnacle West owns all of the outstanding common stock of APS. APS is a vertically-integrated electric utility that provides either retail or wholesale electric service to most of the state of Arizona, with the major exceptions of about one-half of the Phoenix metropolitan area, the Tucson metropolitan area and Mohave County in northwestern Arizona. APS currently accounts for essentially all of our revenues and earnings.

Areas of Business Focus

Operational Performance, Reliability and Recent Developments.

Nuclear. APS operates and is a joint owner of Palo Verde. The March 2011 earthquake and tsunamis in Japan and the resulting accident at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station had a significant impact on nuclear power operators worldwide. In the aftermath of the accident, the NRC conducted an independent assessment to consider actions to address lessons learned from the Fukushima events. The independent assessment, named the "Near Term Task Force," recommended a number of proposed enhancements to U.S. commercial nuclear power plant equipment and emergency plans. The NRC has directed nuclear power plants to begin implementing some of the Near Term Task Force’s recommendations. To implement these recommendations, Palo Verde expects to spend approximately $0.5 million for capital enhancements to the plant through 2016 in addition to the approximate $125 million that has already been spent on capital enhancements as of December 31, 2015 (APS’s share is 29.1%).

Coal and Related Environmental Matters and Transactions. APS is a joint owner of three coal-fired power plants and acts as operating agent for two of the plants. APS is focused on the impacts on its coal fleet that may result from increased regulation and potential legislation concerning GHG emissions. On June 2, 2014, EPA proposed a rule to limit carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants (the "Clean Power Plan"), and EPA finalized its proposal on August 3, 2015.

EPA’s nationwide CO2 emissions reduction goal is 32% below 2005 emission levels. As finalized for the state of Arizona and the Navajo Nation, compliance with the Clean Power Plan could involve a shift in generation from coal to natural gas and renewable generation. Until implementation plans for these jurisdictions are finalized, we are unable to determine the actual impacts to APS. APS continually analyzes its long-range capital management plans to assess the potential effects of these changes, understanding that any resulting regulation and legislation could impact the economic viability of certain plants, as well as the willingness or ability of power plant participants to continue participation in such plants.

Cholla

On September 11, 2014, APS announced that it would close its 260 MW Unit 2 at Cholla and cease burning coal at Units 1 and 3 by the mid-2020s if EPA approves a compromise proposal offered by APS to meet required environmental and emissions standards and rules. On April 14, 2015, the ACC approved APS's plan to retire Unit 2, without expressing any view on the future recoverability of APS's remaining investment in the Unit. (See Note 3 for details related to the resulting regulatory asset and Note 10 for details of the proposal.) APS believes that the environmental benefits of this proposal are greater in the long term than the benefits that would have resulted from adding emissions control equipment. APS closed Unit 2 on October 1, 2015.

Four Corners

Asset Purchase Agreement and Coal Supply Matters. On December 30, 2013, APS purchased SCE’s 48% interest in each of Units 4 and 5 of Four Corners. The final purchase price for the interest was approximately $182 million. In connection with APS’s most recent retail rate case with the ACC, the ACC reserved the right to review the prudence of the Four Corners transaction for cost recovery purposes upon the closing of the transaction. On December 23, 2014, the ACC approved rate adjustments related to APS’s acquisition of SCE’s interest in Four Corners resulting in a revenue increase of $57.1 million on an annual basis. On February 23, 2015, the ACC decision approving the rate adjustments was appealed. APS has intervened and is actively participating in the proceeding. The Arizona Court of Appeals has suspended the appeal pending the Arizona Supreme Court's decision in the SIB matter discussed below, which could have an effect on the outcome of this Four Corners proceeding. We cannot predict when or how this matter will be resolved.

Concurrently with the closing of the SCE transaction, BHP Billiton, the parent company of BNCC, the coal supplier and operator of the mine that serves Four Corners, transferred its ownership of BNCC to NTEC, a company formed by the Navajo Nation to own the mine and develop other energy projects. BHP Billiton will be retained by NTEC under contract as the mine manager and operator until July 2016. Also occurring concurrently with the closing, the Four Corners’ co-owners executed the 2016 Coal Supply Agreement for the supply of coal to Four Corners from July 2016, when the current coal supply agreement expires, through 2031. El Paso, a 7% owner in Units 4 and 5 of Four Corners, did not sign the 2016 Coal Supply Agreement. Under the 2016 Coal Supply Agreement, APS has agreed to assume the 7% shortfall obligation. On February 17, 2015, APS and El Paso entered into an asset purchase agreement providing for the purchase by APS, or an affiliate of APS, of El Paso’s 7% interest in each of Units 4 and 5 of Four Corners. The cash purchase price, which will be subject to certain adjustments at closing, is immaterial in amount, and the purchaser will assume El Paso's reclamation and decommissioning obligations associated with the 7% interest. Completion of the purchase is subject to the receipt of certain regulatory approvals and is expected to occur in July 2016.

When APS, or an affiliate of APS, ultimately acquires El Paso's interest in Four Corners, NTEC has the option to purchase the interest within a certain timeframe pursuant to an option granted by APS to NTEC. On December 29, 2015, NTEC notified APS of its intent to exercise the option. APS is negotiating a definitive purchase agreement with NTEC for the purchase of the 7% interest. The 2016 Coal Supply Agreement contains alternate pricing terms for the 7% shortfall obligations in the event NTEC does not purchase the interest.

Lease Extension. APS, on behalf of the Four Corners participants, negotiated amendments to an existing facility lease with the Navajo Nation, which extends the Four Corners leasehold interest from 2016 to 2041. The Navajo Nation approved these amendments in March 2011. The effectiveness of the amendments also required the approval of the DOI, as did a related federal rights-of-way grant. A federal environmental review was undertaken as part of the DOI review process, and culminated in the issuance by DOI of a record

of decision on July 17, 2015. The record of decision provided the authority for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to sign the lease amendments and rights-of-way renewals, which occurred in late July 2015. On December 21, 2015, several environmental groups filed a notice of intent to sue with OSM and other federal agencies under the Endangered Species Act alleging that OSM's reliance on the Biological Opinion and Incidental Take Statement prepared in connection with the environmental review described above were not in accordance with applicable law. We

Showing the first 8K of 85K characters. Open the full section

DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

See “Market and Credit Risks” in Item 7 above for a discussion of quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risks.

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND

FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

See Note 12 for the selected quarterly financial data (unaudited) required to be presented in this Item.

MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL

OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

(PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION)

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f), for Pinnacle West. Management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on our evaluation under the framework in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013), our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2015. The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2015 has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which is included herein and also relates to the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

February 19, 2016

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of

Pinnacle West Capital Corporation

Phoenix, Arizona

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Pinnacle West Capital Corporation and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2015. Our audits also included the financial statement schedules listed in the Index at Item 15. We also have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2015, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. The Company’s management is responsible for these financial statements and financial statement schedules, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial statement schedules and an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all

Showing the first 8K of 303K characters. Open the full section

ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

None.

(a)Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The term “disclosure controls and procedures” means controls and other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to a company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Pinnacle West’s management, with the participation of Pinnacle West’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, have evaluated the effectiveness of Pinnacle West’s disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2015. Based on that evaluation, Pinnacle West’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of that date, Pinnacle West’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

APS’s management, with the participation of APS’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, have evaluated the effectiveness of APS’s disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2015. Based on that evaluation, APS’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of that date, APS’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

(b)Management’s Annual Reports on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Reference is made to “Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting (Pinnacle West Capital Corporation)” on page 74 of this report and “Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting (Arizona Public Service Company)” on page 83 of this report.

(c)Attestation Reports of the Registered Public Accounting Firm

Reference is made to “Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” on page 75 of this report and “Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” on page 84 of this report on the internal control over financial reporting of Pinnacle West and APS, respectively.

(d)Changes In Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

No change in Pinnacle West’s or APS’s internal control over financial reporting occurred during the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2015 that materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, Pinnacle West’s or APS’s internal control over financial reporting.

None.

PART III

AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE OF PINNACLE WEST

Reference is hereby made to “Information About Our Board and Corporate Governance,” “Proposal 1 — Election of Directors” and to “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” in the Pinnacle West Proxy Statement relating to the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 18, 2016 (the “2016 Proxy Statement”) and to the “Executive Officers of Pinnacle West” section in Part I of this report.

Pinnacle West has adopted a Code of Ethics for Financial Executives that applies to financial executives including Pinnacle West’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer, Controller, Treasurer, and General Counsel, the President and Chief Operating Officer of APS and other persons designated as financial executives by the Chair of the Audit Committee. The Code of Ethics for Financial Executives is posted on Pinnacle West’s website (www.pinnaclewest.com). Pinnacle West intends to satisfy the requirements under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K regarding disclosure of amendments to, or waivers from, provisions of the Code of Ethics for Financial Executives by posting such information on Pinnacle West’s website.

Reference is hereby made to “Directors’ Compensation,” “Report of the Human Resources Committee,” “Executive Compensation,” and “Human Resources Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation” in the 2016 Proxy Statement.

CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

Reference is hereby made to “Ownership of Pinnacle West Stock” in the 2016 Proxy Statement.

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

The following table sets forth information as of December 31, 2015 with respect to the 2012 Plan and the 2007 Plan, under which our equity securities are outstanding or currently authorized for issuance.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

(a) This amount includes shares subject to outstanding performance share awards and restricted stock unit awards at the maximum amount of shares issuable under such awards. However, payout of the performance share awards is contingent on the Company reaching certain levels of performance during a three-year performance period. If the performance criteria for these awards are not fully satisfied, the award recipient will receive less than the maximum number of shares available under these grants and may receive nothing from these grants.

(b) The weighted-average exercise price in this column does not take performance share awards or restricted stock unit awards into account, as those awards have no exercise price.

(c) Awards under the 2012 Plan can take the form of options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, performance shares, performance share units, performance cash, stock grants, stock units, dividend equivalents, and restricted stock units. Additional shares cannot be awarded under the 2007 Plan. However, if an award under the 2012 Plan is forfeited, terminated or canceled or expires, the shares subject to such award, to the extent of the forfeiture, termination, cancellation or expiration, may be added back to the shares available for issuance under the 2012 Plan.

Equity Compensation Plans Approved By Security Holders

Amounts in column (a) in the table above include shares subject to awards outstanding under two equity compensation plans that were previously approved by our shareholders: (a) the 2007 Plan, which was approved by our shareholders at our 2007 annual meeting of shareholders and under which no new stock awards may be granted; and (b) the 2012 Plan, which was approved by our shareholders at our 2012 annual meeting of shareholders. See Note 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding these plans.

Equity Compensation Plans Not Approved by Security Holders

The Company does not have any equity compensation plans under which shares can be issued that have not been approved by the shareholders.

TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

Reference is hereby made to “Information About Our Board and Corporate Governance” and “Related Party Transactions” in the 2016 Proxy Statement.

FEES AND SERVICES

Pinnacle West

Reference is hereby made to “Accounting and Auditing Matters — Audit Fees and — Pre-Approval Policies” in the 2016 Proxy Statement.

APS

The following fees were paid to APS’s independent registered public accountants, Deloitte & Touche LLP, for the last two fiscal years:

(1) The aggregate fees billed for services rendered for the audit of annual financial statements and for review of financial statements included in Reports on Form 10-Q.

(2) The aggregate fees billed for assurance services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the financial statements that are not included in Audit Fees reported above, which primarily consist of fees for employee benefit plan audits performed in 2015 and 2014.

(3) The aggregate fees billed primarily related to tax compliance and tax planning.

(4) The aggregate fees billed for advice relating to the development of a statement of work for the Company's system integrator for its new Customer Information System.

Pinnacle West’s Audit Committee pre-approves each audit service and non-audit service to be provided by APS’s registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee has delegated to the Chair of the Audit Committee the authority to pre-approve audit and non-audit services to be performed by the independent public accountants if the services are not expected to cost more than $50,000. The Chair must report any pre-approval decisions to the Audit Committee at its next scheduled meeting. All of the services performed by Deloitte & Touche LLP for APS in 2015 were pre-approved by the Audit Committee or the Chair of the Audit Committee consistent with the pre-approval policy.

PART IV

Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedules

See the Index to Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedule in Part II, Item 8.

Exhibits Filed

The documents listed below are being filed or have previously been filed on behalf of Pinnacle West or APS and are incorporated herein by reference from the documents indicated and made a part hereof. Exhibits not identified as previously filed are filed herewith.

Showing the first 8K of 72K characters. Open the full section