Pinnacle West Capital 10-Q 2023-03-31

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2023

OR

For the transition period from to

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

Indicate by check mark whether each 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 every Interactive Data File required to be submitted 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 whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether each registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

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

TABLE OF CONTENTS

This combined quarterly report on Form 10-Q is separately provided by Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (“Pinnacle West”) and Arizona Public Service Company (“APS”). Any use of the words “Company,” “we,” and “our” refer to Pinnacle West. Each registrant is providing on its own behalf all of the information contained in this Form 10-Q that relates to such registrant and, where required, its subsidiaries. Except as stated in the preceding sentence, neither registrant is providing 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 1 of this report includes Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of Pinnacle West and Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of APS. Item 1 of this report also includes Combined Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

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,” “project,” “anticipate,” “goal,” “seek,” “strategy,” “likely,” “should,” “will,” “could,” 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 Part I, Item 1A of the Pinnacle West/APS Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 (“2022 Form 10-K”), Part II, Item 1A of this report and in Part I, Item 2 — “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of this report, these factors include, but are not limited to:

• the current economic environment and its effects, such as lower economic growth, a tight labor market, inflation, supply chain delays, increased expenses, volatile capital markets, or other unpredictable effects;

• our ability to manage capital expenditures and operations and maintenance costs while maintaining reliability and customer service levels;

• variations in demand for electricity, including those due to weather, seasonality (including large increases in ambient temperatures), the general economy or social conditions, customer and sales growth (or decline), the effects of energy conservation measures and distributed generation, and technological advancements;

• the potential effects of climate change on our electric system, including as a result of weather extremes, such as prolonged drought and high temperature variations in the area where APS conducts its business;

• power plant and transmission system performance and outages;

• competition in retail and wholesale power markets;

• regulatory and judicial decisions, developments, and proceedings;

• new legislation, ballot initiatives, and regulation or interpretations of existing legislation or regulations, including those relating to environmental requirements, regulatory and energy policy, nuclear plant operations, and potential deregulation of retail electric markets;

• fuel and water supply availability;

• our ability to achieve timely and adequate rate recovery of our costs through our rates and adjustor recovery mechanisms, including returns on and of debt and equity capital investment;

• our ability to meet renewable energy and energy efficiency mandates and recover related costs;

• the ability of APS to achieve its clean energy goals (including a goal by 2050 of 100% clean, carbon-free electricity) and, if these goals are achieved, the impact of such achievement on APS, its customers, and its business, financial condition, and results of operations;

• risks inherent in the operation of nuclear facilities, including spent fuel disposal uncertainty;

• current and future economic conditions in Arizona;

• the direct or indirect effect on our facilities or business from cybersecurity threats or intrusions, data security breaches, terrorist attack, physical attack, severe storms, or other catastrophic events, such as fires, explosions, pandemic health events, or similar occurrences;

• the development of new technologies which may affect electric sales or delivery, including as a result of delays in the development and application of new technologies;

• the cost of debt, including increased cost as a result of rising interest rates, and equity capital and the ability to access capital markets when required;

• environmental, economic, and other concerns surrounding coal-fired generation, including regulation of greenhouse gas emissions (“GHG”);

• volatile fuel and purchased power costs;

• the investment performance of the assets of our nuclear decommissioning trust, pension, and other postretirement benefit plans and the resulting impact on future funding requirements;

• the liquidity of wholesale power markets and the use of derivative contracts in our business;

• potential shortfalls in insurance coverage;

• new accounting requirements or new interpretations of existing requirements;

• generation, transmission, and distribution facility and system conditions and operating costs;

• the ability to meet the anticipated future need for additional generation and associated transmission facilities in our region;

• the willingness or ability of our counterparties, power plant participants, and power plant landowners to meet contractual or other obligations or extend the rights for continued power plant operations; and

• restrictions on dividends or other provisions in our credit agreements and Arizona Corporation Commission (“ACC”) orders.

These and other factors are discussed in the Risk Factors described in Part I, Item 1A of our 2022 Form 10-K, Part II, Item 1A of this report, and in Part I, Item 2 — “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” 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 — FINANCIAL INFORMATION

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(unaudited)

(dollars and shares in thousands, except per share amounts)

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INTRODUCTION

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with Pinnacle West’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and APS’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and the related Combined Notes that appear in Item 1 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 Part 1, Item 1A of the 2022 Form 10-K and Part II, Item 1A of this report.

OVERVIEW

Business Overview

Pinnacle West is an investor-owned electric utility holding company based in Phoenix, Arizona with consolidated assets of about $24 billion. For over 130 years, Pinnacle West and our affiliates have provided energy and energy-related products to people and businesses throughout Arizona.

Pinnacle West derives essentially all of our revenues and earnings from our principal subsidiary, APS. APS is Arizona’s largest and longest-serving electric company that generates safe, affordable and reliable electricity for approximately 1.3 million retail customers in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties. APS is also the operator and co-owner of Palo Verde — a primary source of electricity for the southwest United States and the largest nuclear power plant in the United States.

Inflation

Overall inflation has grown by 8.5% in Phoenix over the past twelve months, compared to 6% nationally; however, APS’s work with national and international companies has helped to partially reduce local cost escalation impacts on APS. The impacts from inflation have varied across separate categories of APS’s spending. Sharp price increases have begun to level off; however, APS has continued to see increases of up to 10% in the first quarter of 2023 from the heightened market in the fourth quarter 2022. APS has seen inflationary impacts in volatile spend categories such as fuel, chemicals, and electrical components impacted by raw material markets. Inflation has also impacted spend categories through pass-through costs such as supplier’s increased material costs, cost of insurance, and wage rates.

Even prior to these increases, APS has focused on its customer affordability initiative, which has enabled APS to mitigate against inflationary pressure. This initiative includes identifying efficiency opportunities through APS’s LEAN Sigma approach as well as other corporate decisions. For example, APS maintains its inventory to take advantage of lower pricing, when available, and to minimize supply chain delays that can increase the pricing due to expediting fees. Additionally, APS has proactively entered into long-term contracts to hedge against price volatility, which has allowed it to mitigate against several procurement spend areas such as transformers.

Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”). The IRA significantly expands the availability of tax credits for investments in clean energy generation technologies and energy storage. Key provisions that are relevant to the Company's clean energy commitment include (i) an

extension of tax credits for solar and wind generation, including a new option for solar investments to claim a Production Tax Credit (“PTC”) in lieu of the Investment Tax Credit (“ITC”) beginning in 2022; (ii) expansion of the ITC to cover stand-alone energy storage technology beginning in 2023; and (iii) introduction of a new PTC for nuclear energy produced by existing nuclear energy plants, available from 2024 through 2032. The Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Treasury continue to issue regulations and other guidance which will provide additional details and clarifications regarding how the Company may be able to claim each of these credits.

In addition, the IRA contains several provisions which could create additional tax liabilities for corporations, including a 15% corporate alternative minimum tax for corporations with net profits in excess of $1 billion and a 1% excise tax on stock buybacks. We currently do not believe the Company will be subject to any material tax liabilities as a result of these legislative provisions.

COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, APS experienced some delays in finished materials and a tight labor market. APS has measures in place to continually monitor and evaluate resource and labor needs and supply chain adequacy but cannot predict whether there will be material supply chain or labor shortages in the future as a result of COVID-19, another pandemic, or otherwise. APS also experienced higher electric residential sales and lower electric commercial and industrial sales from the outset of the pandemic through April 2021. Beginning in May 2021, electric sales from commercial and industrial customers increased to levels in line with pre-COVID-19 sales but residential sales continued to be higher than pre-COVID-19 sales.

Due to COVID-19, APS voluntarily suspended disconnections of customers for nonpayment beginning March 13, 2020 until December 31, 2020. The suspension of disconnection of customers for nonpayment ended on January 1, 2021, and customers were automatically placed on eight-month payment arrangements if they had past due balances at the end of the disconnection period of $75 or greater. APS voluntarily began waiving late payment fees of its customers on March 13, 2020. Effective February 1, 2023, late payment fees for residential customers were reinstated, and late payment fees for commercial and industrial customers were reinstated effective May 1, 2022. See Note 3 for additional information regarding the Summer Disconnection Moratorium.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act allowed employers to defer payments of the employer share of Social Security payroll taxes that would have otherwise been owed from March 27, 2020, through December 31, 2020. We deferred the cash payment of the employer’s portion of Social Security payroll taxes for the period July 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020, which was approximately $18 million. As of December 31, 2022, we have paid this cash deferral in full.

Strategic Overview

Our strategy is to deliver shareholder value by creating a sustainable energy future for Arizona by serving our customers with clean, reliable, and affordable energy.

Clean Energy Commitment

We are committed to doing our part to make the future clean and carbon-free. As Arizona stewards, we do what is right for the people and prosperity of Arizona. Our vision is to create a sustainable energy future for Arizona through providing clean, affordable, and reliable energy. We can accomplish our visions through collaboration with customers, communities, employees, policymakers, shareholders, and other stakeholders. Our clean energy goal is based on sound science and supports continued growth and economic development while maintaining reliability and affordable prices for APS’s customers.

APS’s clean energy goals consist of three parts:

• A 2050 goal to provide 100% clean, carbon-free electricity;

• A 2030 target of achieving a resource mix that is 65% clean energy, with 45% of the generation portfolio coming from renewable energy; and

• A commitment to end APS’s use of coal-fired generation by 2031.

APS’s ability to successfully execute its clean energy commitment is dependent upon a number of important external factors, some of which include a supportive regulatory environment, sales and customer growth, development of clean energy technologies, and continued access to capital markets.

2050 Goal: 100% Clean, Carbon-Free Electricity. Achieving a fully clean, carbon-free energy mix by 2050 is our aspiration. The 2050 goal will involve new thinking and depends on improved and new technologies.

2030 Goal: 65% Clean Energy. APS has an energy mix that is already 50% clean with existing plans to add more renewables and en

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See “Key Financial Drivers” and “Market and Credit Risks” in Item 2 above for a discussion of quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risks.

(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, as amended (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 March 31, 2023. 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, has evaluated the effectiveness of APS’s disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2023. 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) Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

The term “internal control over financial reporting” (defined in SEC Rule 13a-15(f)) refers to the process of a company that is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP.

No change in Pinnacle West’s or APS’s internal control over financial reporting occurred during the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2023, that materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, Pinnacle West’s or APS’s internal control over financial reporting.

PART II — OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

See “Business of Arizona Public Service Company — Environmental Matters” in Item 1 of the 2022 Form 10-K with regard to pending or threatened litigation and other matters.

See Note 4 for ACC and FERC-related matters.

See Note 8 for information regarding environmental matters, Superfund-related matters and other disputes.

In addition to the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully consider the factors discussed in Part I, Item 1A — Risk Factors in the 2022 Form 10-K, which could materially affect the business, financial condition, cash flows or future results of Pinnacle West and APS. The risks described in the 2022 Form 10-K are not the only risks facing Pinnacle West and APS. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect the business, financial condition, cash flows and/or operating results of Pinnacle West and APS.

Union Matters

Approximately, 1,100 APS employees are union employees represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (“IBEW”). The collective bargaining agreement expired on April 1, 2023, and APS and IBEW have engaged the services of a federal mediator to help facilitate ongoing negotiations. APS and IBEW remain committed to continue bargaining in good faith, and the current contract remains in full force and effect while negotiations continue.

Environmental Matters

EPA Revised Effluent Limitation Guideline Proposal. With respect to the management of bottom-ash transport wastewater at Four Corners, on March 8, 2023 EPA issued a revised proposal for effluent limitation guidelines governing power plant wastewater. For discharges of bottom-ash transport wastewater, EPA has proposed a more stringent “zero-liquid discharge” standard. We cannot at this time predict the outcome of this regulatory proceeding or when the EPA will take final action on this proposal. Depending on the eventual outcome, the costs associated with APS’s management of bottom-ash transport wastewater could materially increase, which could affect APS’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

Revised Mercury and Air Toxics Standard (“MATS”) Proposal. On April 5, 2023, EPA proposed revisions to the existing MATS regulations governing emissions of toxic air pollution from existing coal-fired power plants. If finalized, the proposal would make the limits used to demonstrate compliance with MATS, filterable particulate matter, significantly more stringent (potentially by an order of magnitude) and require the use of continuous emissions monitoring systems to ensure compliance (as opposed to periodic performance testing). Regulations would take effect for existing coal-fired power plants within three years of the proposal becoming final. We cannot at this time predict the outcome of this regulatory proceeding or when the EPA will take final action on this proposal. Depending on the eventual outcome, the costs associated with APS’s

controls for filterable particulate matter could materially increase, which could affect APS’s financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.

(a) Exhibits

*Furnished herewith as an Exhibit.

In addition, Pinnacle West and APS hereby incorporate the following Exhibits pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 12b-32 and Regulation §229.10(d) by reference to the filings set forth below:

(1) Reports filed under File Nos. 1-4473 and 1-8962 were filed in the office of the Securities and Exchange Commission located in Washington, D.C.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.