filings.toolsCover and table of contents
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Cover and table of contents
| UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 | |||||
| FORM 10-K | |||||
| ☒ | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 | ||||
| OR | |||||
| ☐ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 for the transition period from _________ to ___________ |
| Commission File Number | Registrant; State of Incorporation; Address and Telephone Number | IRS Employer Identification No. | ||||||
| 1-11459 | PPL Corporation (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter) Pennsylvania Two North Ninth Street Allentown, PA 18101-1179 (610) 774-5151 | 23-2758192 | ||||||
| 1-905 | PPL Electric Utilities Corporation (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter) Pennsylvania Two North Ninth Street Allentown, PA 18101-1179 (610) 774-5151 | 23-0959590 | ||||||
| 1-2893 | Louisville Gas and Electric Company (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter) Kentucky 220 West Main Street Louisville, KY 40202-1377 (502) 627-2000 | 61-0264150 | ||||||
| 1-3464 | Kentucky Utilities Company (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter) Kentucky and Virginia One Quality Street Lexington, KY 40507-1462 (502) 627-2000 | 61-0247570 |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s): | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
| Common Stock of PPL Corporation | PPL | New York Stock Exchange | ||||||
| Junior Subordinated Notes of PPL Capital Funding, Inc. | ||||||||
| 2007 Series A due 2067 | PPL/67 | New York Stock Exchange |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
| Common Stock of PPL Electric Utilities Corporation |
Indicate by check mark if the registrants are a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
| PPL Corporation | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ | |||||||||||||
| PPL Electric Utilities Corporation | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ | |||||||||||||
| Louisville Gas and Electric Company | Yes | ☐ | No | ☒ | |||||||||||||
| Kentucky Utilities Company | Yes | ☐ | No | ☒ |
Indicate by check mark if the registrants are not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
| PPL Corporation | Yes | ☐ | No | ☒ | |||||||||||||
| PPL Electric Utilities Corporation | Yes | ☐ | No | ☒ | |||||||||||||
| Louisville Gas and Electric Company | Yes | ☐ | No | ☒ | |||||||||||||
| Kentucky Utilities Company | Yes | ☐ | No | ☒ |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrants (1) have 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 registrants were required to file such reports), and (2) have been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
| PPL Corporation | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ | |||||||||||||
| PPL Electric Utilities Corporation | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ | |||||||||||||
| Louisville Gas and Electric Company | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ | |||||||||||||
| Kentucky Utilities Company | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrants have submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrants were required to submit such files).
| PPL Corporation | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ | |||||||||||||
| PPL Electric Utilities Corporation | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ | |||||||||||||
| Louisville Gas and Electric Company | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ | |||||||||||||
| Kentucky Utilities Company | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrants are large accelerated filers, accelerated filers, non-accelerated filers, smaller reporting companies or emerging growth companies. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company" and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | Accelerated filer | Non-accelerated filer | Smaller reporting company | Emerging growth company | |||||||||||||
| PPL Corporation | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ||||||||||||
| PPL Electric Utilities Corporation | ☐ | ☐ | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ||||||||||||
| Louisville Gas and Electric Company | ☐ | ☐ | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ||||||||||||
| Kentucky Utilities Company | ☐ | ☐ | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ |
If emerging growth companies, indicate by check mark if the registrants have 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.
| PPL Corporation | ☐ | ||||||||||||||||
| PPL Electric Utilities Corporation | ☐ | ||||||||||||||||
| Louisville Gas and Electric Company | ☐ | ||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky Utilities Company | ☐ |
Indicate by check mark whether each registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
| PPL Corporation | ☒ | ||||||||||||||||
| PPL Electric Utilities Corporation | ☐ | ||||||||||||||||
| Louisville Gas and Electric Company | ☐ | ||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky Utilities Company | ☐ |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrants are shell companies (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
| PPL Corporation | Yes | ☐ | No | ☒ | |||||||||||||
| PPL Electric Utilities Corporation | Yes | ☐ | No | ☒ | |||||||||||||
| Louisville Gas and Electric Company | Yes | ☐ | No | ☒ | |||||||||||||
| Kentucky Utilities Company | Yes | ☐ | No | ☒ |
As of June 30, 2022, PPL Corporation had 736,157,176 shares of its $0.01 par value Common Stock outstanding. The aggregate market value of these common shares (based upon the closing price of these shares on the New York Stock Exchange on that date) held by non-affiliates was $19,971,944,185. As of January 31, 2023, PPL Corporation had 736,677,854 shares of its $0.01 par value Common Stock outstanding.
As of January 31, 2023, PPL Corporation held all 66,368,056 outstanding common shares, no par value, of PPL Electric Utilities Corporation.
As of January 31, 2023, LG&E and KU Energy LLC held all 21,294,223 outstanding common shares, no par value, of Louisville Gas and Electric Company.
As of January 31, 2023, LG&E and KU Energy LLC held all 37,817,878 outstanding common shares, no par value, of Kentucky Utilities Company.
PPL Electric Utilities Corporation, Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company meet the conditions set forth in General Instructions (I)(1)(a) and (b) of Form 10-K and are therefore filing this form with the reduced disclosure format.
Documents incorporated by reference:
PPL Corporation has incorporated herein by reference certain sections of PPL Corporation's 2023 Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after December 31, 2022 and which will provide the information required by Part III of this Report.
PPL CORPORATION
PPL ELECTRIC UTILITIES CORPORATION
LOUISVILLE GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY
KENTUCKY UTILITIES COMPANY
FORM 10-K ANNUAL REPORT TO
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This combined Form 10-K is separately filed by the following Registrants in their individual capacity: PPL Corporation, PPL Electric Utilities Corporation, Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company. Information contained herein relating to any individual Registrant is filed by such Registrant solely on its own behalf and no Registrant makes any representation as to information relating to any other Registrant, except that information under "Forward-Looking Information" relating to subsidiaries of PPL Corporation is also attributed to PPL Corporation.
Unless otherwise specified, references in this Report, individually, to PPL Corporation, PPL Electric Utilities Corporation, Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company are references to such entities directly or to one or more of their subsidiaries, as the case may be, the financial results of which subsidiaries are consolidated into such Registrants' financial statements in accordance with GAAP. This presentation has been applied where identification of particular subsidiaries is not material to the matter being disclosed, and to conform narrative disclosures to the presentation of financial information on a consolidated basis.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
PPL Corporation and its subsidiaries
CEP Reserves - CEP Reserves, Inc., a cash management subsidiary of PPL that maintains cash reserves for the balance sheet management of PPL and certain subsidiaries.
KU - Kentucky Utilities Company, a public utility subsidiary of LKE engaged in the regulated generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity, primarily in Kentucky.
LG&E - Louisville Gas and Electric Company, a public utility subsidiary of LKE engaged in the regulated generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity and the distribution and sale of natural gas in Kentucky.
LKE - LG&E and KU Energy LLC, a subsidiary of PPL and the parent of LG&E, KU and other subsidiaries.
LKS - LG&E and KU Services Company, a subsidiary of LKE that provides administrative, management and support services primarily to LG&E and KU, as well as to LKE and its other subsidiaries.
Narragansett Electric - The Narragansett Electric Company, an entity that serves electric and natural gas customers in Rhode Island. On May 25, 2022, PPL and its subsidiary, PPL Rhode Island Holdings announced the completion of the acquisition of Narragansett Electric, which will continue to provide services under the name Rhode Island Energy.
PPL - PPL Corporation, the ultimate parent holding company of PPL Electric, PPL Energy Funding, PPL Capital Funding, LKE, RIE and other subsidiaries.
PPL Capital Funding - PPL Capital Funding, Inc., a financing subsidiary of PPL that provides financing for the operations of PPL and certain subsidiaries. Debt issued by PPL Capital Funding is fully and unconditionally guaranteed as to payment by PPL.
PPL Electric - PPL Electric Utilities Corporation, a public utility subsidiary of PPL engaged in the regulated transmission and distribution of electricity in its Pennsylvania service area and that provides electricity supply to its retail customers in this area as a PLR.
PPL Energy Funding - PPL Energy Funding Corporation, a subsidiary of PPL and the parent holding company of PPL Global and other subsidiaries.
PPL Energy Holdings - PPL Energy Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of PPL and the parent holding company of PPL Energy Funding, LKE, PPL Electric, PPL Rhode Island Holdings, PPL Services and other subsidiaries.
PPL EU Services - PPL EU Services Corporation, a subsidiary of PPL that provided administrative, management and support services primarily to PPL Electric. On December 31, 2021, PPL EU Services merged into PPL Services.
PPL Global - PPL Global, LLC, a subsidiary of PPL Energy Funding that, prior to the sale of the U.K. utility business on June 14, 2021, primarily through its subsidiaries, owned and operated WPD, PPL's regulated electricity distribution businesses in the U.K. PPL Global was not included in the sale of the U.K. utility business on June 14, 2021.
PPL Rhode Island Holdings - PPL Rhode Island Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of PPL Energy Holdings formed for the purpose of acquiring Narragansett Electric to which certain interests of PPL Energy Holdings in the Narragansett SPA were assigned.
PPL Services - PPL Services Corporation, a subsidiary of PPL that provides administrative, management and support services to PPL and its subsidiaries.
PPL WPD Limited - PPL WPD Limited, a U.K. subsidiary of PPL Global. Prior to the sale of the U.K. utility business on June 14, 2021, PPL WPD Limited was an indirect parent to WPD. PPL WPD Limited was not included in the sale of the U.K. utility business on June 14, 2021.
RIE - Rhode Island Energy, the name under which Narragansett Electric will continue to provide services subsequent to its acquisition by PPL and its subsidiary, PPL Rhode Island Holdings on May 25, 2022.
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Other terms and abbreviations
£ - British pound sterling.
401(h) account(s) - a sub-account established within a qualified pension trust to provide for the payment of retiree medical costs.
Act 11 - Act 11 of 2012 that became effective on April 16, 2012. The Pennsylvania legislation authorized the PAPUC to approve two specific ratemaking mechanisms: the use of a fully projected future test year in base rate proceedings and, subject to certain conditions, a DSIC.
Act 129 - Act 129 of 2008 that became effective in October 2008. The law amended the Pennsylvania Public Utility Code and created an energy efficiency and conservation program and smart metering technology requirements, adopted new PLR electricity supply procurement rules, provided remedies for market misconduct and changed the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS).
Act 129 Smart Meter program - PPL Electric's system-wide meter replacement program that installs wireless digital meters that provide secure communication between PPL Electric and the meter as well as all related infrastructure.
Adjusted Gross Margins - a non-GAAP financial measure of performance used in "Item 7. Combined Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" (MD&A).
Advanced Metering Infrastructure - meters and meter reading infrastructure that provide two-way communication capabilities, which communicate usage and other relevant data to LG&E and KU at regular intervals, and are also able to receive information from LG&E and KU, such as software upgrades and requests to provide meter readings in real time.
AFUDC - allowance for funds used during construction. The cost of equity and debt funds used to finance construction projects of regulated businesses, which is capitalized as part of construction costs.
AOCI - accumulated other comprehensive income or loss.
ARO - asset retirement obligation.
ATM Program - at-the-market stock offering program.
Cane Run Unit 7 - a NGCC generating unit in Kentucky, jointly owned by LG&E and KU.
CCR(s) - coal combustion residual(s). CCRs include fly ash, bottom ash and sulfur dioxide scrubber wastes.
Clean Air Act - federal legislation enacted to address certain environmental issues related to air emissions, including acid rain, ozone and toxic air emissions.
Clean Water Act - federal legislation enacted to address certain environmental issues relating to water quality including effluent discharges, cooling water intake, and dredge and fill activities.
COVID**-**19 - the disease caused by the coronavirus identified in 2019 that caused a global pandemic.
CPCN - Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. Authority granted by the KPSC pursuant to Kentucky Revised Statute 278.020 to provide utility service to or for the public or the construction of certain plant, equipment, property or facility for furnishing of utility service to the public. A CPCN is required for any capital addition, subject to KPSC jurisdiction, in excess of $100 million.
Customer Choice Act - the Pennsylvania Electricity Generation Customer Choice and Competition Act, legislation enacted to restructure the state's electric utility industry to create retail access to a competitive market for generation of electricity.
DDCP - Directors Deferred Compensation Plan.
DSIC - Distribution System Improvement Charge. Authorized under Act 11, which is an alternative ratemaking mechanism providing more-timely cost recovery of qualifying distribution system capital expenditures.
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DSM - Demand Side Management. Pursuant to Kentucky Revised Statute 278.285, the KPSC may determine the reasonableness of DSM programs proposed by any utility under its jurisdiction. DSM programs consist of energy efficiency programs intended to reduce peak demand and delay the investment in additional power plant construction, provide customers with tools and information regarding their energy usage and support energy efficiency.
Earnings from Ongoing Operations - a non-GAAP financial measure of earnings adjusted for the impact of special items and used in "Item 7. Combined Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" (MD&A).
EBPB - Employee Benefit Plan Board. The administrator of PPL's U.S. qualified retirement plans, which is charged with the fiduciary responsibility to oversee and manage those plans and the investments associated with those plans.
ECR - Environmental Cost Recovery. Pursuant to Kentucky Revised Statute 278.183, Kentucky electric utilities are entitled to the current recovery of costs of complying with the Clean Air Act, as amended, and those federal, state or local environmental requirements that apply to coal combustion wastes and byproducts from the production of energy from coal.
ELG(s) - Effluent Limitation Guidelines, regulations promulgated by the EPA.
EPA - Environmental Protection Agency, a U.S. government agency.
EPS - earnings per share.
FERC - Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the U.S. federal agency that regulates, among other things, interstate transmission and wholesale sales of electricity, hydroelectric power projects and related matters.
GAAP - Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the U.S.
GBP - British pound sterling.
GHG(s) - greenhouse gas(es).
GLT - gas line tracker. The KPSC approved mechanism for LG&E's recovery of certain costs associated with gas transmission lines, gas service lines, gas risers, leak mitigation, and gas main replacements.
Green Tariff - a KPSC approved rate schedule, permitting customers to contract with LG&E or KU for the purchase of renewable energy certificates, construction of solar generation and use of the energy produced, or the purchase of energy from a renewable energy generator.
GWh - gigawatt-hour, one million kilowatt hours.
IBEW - International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
ICPKE - The PPL Incentive Compensation Plan for Key Employees. The ICPKE provides for incentive compensation to certain employees below the level of senior executive.
IRS - Internal Revenue Service, a U.S. government agency.
ISO - Independent System Operator.
KPSC - Kentucky Public Service Commission, the state agency that has jurisdiction over the regulation of rates and service of utilities in Kentucky.
KU 2010 Mortgage Indenture - KU's Indenture, dated as of October 1, 2010, to The Bank of New York Mellon, as supplemented.
kVA - kilovolt ampere.
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kWh - kilowatt hour, basic unit of electrical energy.
LCIDA - Lehigh County Industrial Development Authority.
LG&E 2010 Mortgage Indenture - LG&E's Indenture, dated as of October 1, 2010, to The Bank of New York Mellon, as supplemented.
LIBOR - London Interbank Offered Rate.
Mcf - one thousand cubic feet, a unit of measure for natural gas.
MMBtu - one million British Thermal Units.
Moody's - Moody's Investors Service, Inc., a credit rating agency.
MW - megawatt, one thousand kilowatts.
MWac - megawatt, alternating current. The measure of the power output from a solar installation.
NAAQS - National Ambient Air Quality Standards periodically adopted pursuant to the Clean Air Act.
NEP - New England Power Company, a National Grid U.S. affiliate.
NERC - North American Electric Reliability Corporation.
NGCC - Natural gas combined cycle.
NPNS - the normal purchases and normal sales exception as permitted by derivative accounting rules. Derivatives that qualify for this exception may receive accrual accounting treatment.
OCI - other comprehensive income or loss.
OVEC - Ohio Valley Electric Corporation, located in Piketon, Ohio, an entity in which LG&E owns a 5.63% interest and KU owns a 2.50% interest, which are recorded at cost. OVEC owns and operates two coal-fired power plants, the Kyger Creek plant in Ohio and the Clifty Creek plant in Indiana, with combined capacities of 2,120 MW.
PAPUC - Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the state agency that regulates certain ratemaking, services, accounting and operations of Pennsylvania utilities.
PEDFA - Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority.
Performance unit - stock-based compensation award that represents a variable number of shares of PPL common stock that a recipient may receive based on PPL's attainment of (i) relative total shareowner return (TSR) over a three-year performance period as compared to companies in the PHLX Utility Sector Index; or (ii) corporate return on equity (ROE) based on the average of the annual ROE for each year of the three-year performance period. In light of the transformational nature of the potential sale of the U.K. utility business in 2021, PPL's ROE-based performance units issued for 2021 were based on a one-year performance period from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021; however, these units retained the three year vesting schedule and other characteristics.
PJM - PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., operator of the electricity transmission network and electricity energy market in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.
PLR - Provider of Last Resort, the role of PPL Electric in providing default electricity supply within its delivery area to retail customers who have not chosen to select an alternative electricity supplier under the Customer Choice Act.
PP&E - property, plant and equipment.
PPA(s) - power purchase agreement(s).
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PPL EnergyPlus - prior to the June 1, 2015 spinoff of PPL Energy Supply, LLC, PPL EnergyPlus, LLC, a subsidiary of PPL Energy Supply that marketed and traded wholesale and retail electricity and gas, and supplied energy and energy services in competitive markets.
PPL Energy Supply - prior to the June 1, 2015 spinoff, PPL Energy Supply, LLC, a subsidiary of PPL Energy Funding and the indirect parent company of PPL Montana, LLC.
PPL EU Services - PPL EU Services Corporation, a former subsidiary of PPL that, prior to being merged into PPL Services on December 31, 2021, provided administrative, management and support services primarily to PPL Electric.
PPL Montana - prior to the June 1, 2015 spinoff of PPL Energy Supply, PPL Montana, LLC, an indirect subsidiary of PPL Energy Supply that generated electricity for wholesale sales in Montana and the Pacific Northwest.
PPL WPD Investments Limited - PPL WPD Investments Limited, which was, prior to the sale of the U.K. utility business on June 14, 2021, a subsidiary of PPL WPD Limited and parent to WPD plc. PPL WPD Investments Limited was included in the sale of the U.K. utility business on June 14, 2021.
RAR – Retired Asset Recovery rider, established by KPSC orders in 2021 to provide for recovery of and return on the remaining investment in certain electric generating units upon their retirement over a ten-year period following retirement.
RCRA - Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976.
Registrant(s) - refers to the Registrants named on the cover of this Report (each a "Registrant" and collectively, the "Registrants").
RIPUC - Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission, a three-member quasi-judicial tribunal with jurisdiction, powers, and duties to implement and enforce the standards of conduct under R.I. Gen. Laws § 39-1-27.6 and to hold investigations and hearings involving the rates, tariffs, tolls, and charges, and the sufficiency and reasonableness of facilities and accommodations of public utilities.
Riverstone - Riverstone Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and, as of December 6, 2016, ultimate parent company of the entities that own the competitive power generation business contributed to Talen Energy.
Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities and Carriers - the Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, which is headed by an Administrator who is not a Commissioner of the RIPUC, exercises the jurisdiction, supervision, power, and duties not specifically assigned to the RIPUC.
RTO - Regional Transmission Operator, an electric power transmission system operator that coordinates, controls and monitors a multi-state electric grid.
Safari Energy - Safari Energy, LLC, which was, prior to the sale of Safari Holdings on November 1, 2022, a subsidiary of Safari Holdings that provided solar energy solutions for commercial customers in the U.S.
Safari Holdings - Safari Holdings, LLC, which was, prior to its sale on November 1, 2022, a subsidiary of PPL and parent holding company of Safari Energy.
Sarbanes-Oxley - Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which sets requirements for management's assessment of internal controls for financial reporting. It also requires an independent auditor to make its own assessment.
Scrubber - an air pollution control device that can remove particulates and/or gases (primarily sulfur dioxide) from exhaust gases.
SEC - the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, a U.S. government agency primarily responsible to protect investors and maintain the integrity of the securities markets.
SIP - PPL Corporation's Amended and Restated 2012 Stock Incentive Plan.
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Smart metering technology - technology that can measure, among other things, time of electricity consumption to permit offering rate incentives for usage during lower cost or demand intervals. The use of this technology also has the potential to strengthen network reliability.
SOFR - Secured Overnight Financing Rate, a broad measure of the cost of borrowing cash overnight collateralized by Treasury securities.
S&P - S&P Global Ratings, a credit rating agency.
Superfund - federal environmental statute that addresses remediation of contaminated sites; states also have similar statutes.
Talen Energy - Talen Energy Corporation, the Delaware corporation formed to be the publicly traded company and owner of the competitive generation assets of PPL Energy Supply and certain affiliates of Riverstone, which as of December 6, 2016, became wholly owned by Riverstone.
Talen Energy Marketing - Talen Energy Marketing, LLC, the successor name of PPL EnergyPlus, after the spinoff of PPL Energy Supply that marketed and traded wholesale and retail electricity and gas, and supplied energy and energy services in competitive markets, after the June 1, 2015 spinoff of PPL Energy Supply.
TCJA - Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Comprehensive U.S. federal tax legislation enacted on December 22, 2017.
Total shareowner return - the change in market value of a share of the company's common stock plus the value of all dividends paid on a share of the common stock during the applicable performance period, divided by the price of the common stock as of the beginning of the performance period. The price used for purposes of this calculation is the average share price for the 20 trading days at the beginning and end of the applicable period.
Treasury Stock Method - a method applied to calculate diluted EPS that assumes any proceeds that could be obtained upon exercise of options and warrants (and their equivalents) would be used to purchase common stock at the average market price during the relevant period.
U.K. utility business - PPL WPD Investments Limited and its subsidiaries, including, notably, WPD plc and the four distribution network operators, which substantially represented PPL's U.K. Regulated segment. The U.K. utility business was sold on June 14, 2021.
USW - The United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, commonly known as the United Steelworkers.
VEBA - Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association. A tax-exempt trust under the Internal Revenue Code Section 501 (c)(9) used by employers to fund and pay eligible medical, life and similar benefits.
VSCC - Virginia State Corporation Commission, the state agency that has jurisdiction over the regulation of Virginia corporations, including utilities.
WPD - Prior to the sale of the U.K. utility business on June 14, 2021, refers to PPL WPD Limited Investments and its subsidiaries. WPD was included in the sale of the U.K. utility business on June 14, 2021.
WPD plc - Western Power Distribution plc, prior to the sale of the U.K utility business, a U.K. indirect subsidiary of PPL WPD Limited. Its principal indirectly owned subsidiaries are WPD (East Midlands), WPD (South Wales), WPD (South West) and WPD (West Midlands). WPD plc was included in the sale of the U.K. utility business on June 14, 2021.
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Forward-looking Information
Statements contained in this Annual Report concerning expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical fact are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Although the Registrants believe that the expectations and assumptions reflected in these statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that these expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are subject to many risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in forward-looking statements. In addition to the specific factors discussed in "Item 1A. Risk Factors" and in "Item 7. Combined Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in this Annual Report, the following are among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from the forward-looking statements:
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strategic acquisitions, dispositions, or similar transactions, including the acquisition of Narragansett Electric, and our ability to consummate these business transactions or realize expected benefits from them;
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COVID-19 or other pandemics and their impact on economic conditions, financial markets and supply chains;
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other pandemic health events or other catastrophic events such as fires, earthquakes, explosions, floods, droughts, tornadoes, hurricanes and other extreme weather-related events (including events potentially caused or exacerbated by climate change);
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capital market conditions, including the availability of capital, credit or insurance, changes in interest rates and certain economic indices, and decisions regarding capital structure;
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volatility in or the impact of other changes in financial markets, commodity prices and economic conditions, including inflation;
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the outcome of rate cases or other cost recovery or revenue proceedings;
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the direct or indirect effects on PPL or its subsidiaries or business systems of cyber-based intrusion or the threat of cyberattacks;
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significant changes in the demand for electricity;
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expansion of alternative and distributed sources of electricity generation and storage;
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the effectiveness of our risk management programs, including commodity and interest rate hedging;
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defaults by counterparties or suppliers for energy, capacity, coal, natural gas or key commodities, goods or services;
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a material decline in the market value of PPL's equity;
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significant decreases in the fair value of debt and equity securities and their impact on the value of assets in defined benefit plans, and the related cash funding requirements if the fair value of those assets decline;
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interest rates and their effect on pension and retiree medical liabilities, ARO liabilities and interest payable on certain debt securities, and the general economy;
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the potential impact of any unrecorded commitments and liabilities of the Registrants and their subsidiaries;
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new accounting requirements or new interpretations or applications of existing requirements;
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adverse changes in the corporate credit ratings or securities analyst rankings of the Registrants and their securities;
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any requirement to record impairment charges pursuant to GAAP with respect to any of our significant investments;
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laws or regulations to reduce emissions of GHGs or the physical effects of climate change;
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continuing ability to access fuel supply for LG&E and KU, as well as the ability to recover fuel costs and environmental expenditures in a timely manner at LG&E and KU and natural gas supply costs at LG&E and RIE;
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weather and other conditions affecting generation, transmission and distribution operations, operating costs and customer energy use;
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war, armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, or similar disruptive events, including the war in Ukraine;
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changes in political, regulatory or economic conditions in states, regions or countries where the Registrants or their subsidiaries conduct business;
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receipt of necessary governmental permits and approvals;
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changes in state or federal tax laws or regulations;
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changes in state, federal or foreign legislation or regulatory developments;
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the impact of any state, federal or foreign investigations applicable to the Registrants and their subsidiaries and the energy industry;
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our ability to attract and retain qualified employees;
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the effect of changing expectations and demands of our customers, regulators, investors and stakeholders, including heightened emphasis on environmental, social and governance concerns;
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the effect of any business or industry restructuring;
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development of new projects, markets and technologies;
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performance of new ventures;
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collective labor bargaining negotiations and labor costs; and
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the outcome of litigation involving the Registrants and their subsidiaries.
Any forward-looking statements should be considered in light of these important factors and in conjunction with other documents of the Registrants on file with the SEC.
New factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Registrants to predict all such factors, or the extent to which any such factor or combination of factors may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and the Registrants undertake no obligation to update the information contained in the statement to reflect subsequent developments or information.
PART I