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DOCUMENT ID: [Release No. 35-27762]

NOTICE: NOTICES

SUBJECT CATEGORY: Filings Under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as Amended (``Act'')

DOCUMENT SUMMARY: November 14, 2003.

Notice is hereby given that the following filing(s) has/have been made with the Commission pursuant to provisions of the Act and rules promulgated under the Act. All interested persons are referred to the application(s) and/or declaration(s) for complete statements of the proposed transaction(s) summarized below. The application(s) and/or declaration(s) and any amendment(s) is/are available for public inspection through the Commission's Branch of Public Reference.

Interested persons wishing to comment or request a hearing on the application(s) and/or declaration(s) should submit their views in writing by December 8, 2003, to the Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 205490609, and serve a copy on the relevant applicant(s) and/or declarant(s) at the address(es) specified below. Proof of service (by affidavit or, in the case of an attorney at law, by certificate) should be filed with the request. Any request for hearing should identify specifically the issues of facts or law that are disputed. A person who so requests will be notified of any hearing, if ordered, and will receive a copy of any notice or order issued in the matter. After December 8, 2003, the application(s) and/or declaration(s), as filed or as amended, may be granted and/or permitted to become effective.
Allegheny Energy, Inc., et al.

[7010100]

Allegheny Energy, Inc. (``Allegheny''), a registered holding company, and
[[Page 65748]]
Allegheny Energy Supply Company LLC (``AE Supply''), a registered holding company and public utility company subsidiary of Allegheny (collectively, ``Applicants''), 10435 Downsville Pike, Hagerstown, Maryland 21740, have filed a posteffective amendment (``Amendment'') to a previous applicationdeclaration under sections 6(a), 7, 9, and 12 of the Act and rules 46, 52 and 54 under the Act.

Applicants seek a continuation through December 31, 2004 of the relief granted by previous order described below from the Commission's requirement that they maintain a common equity ratio of at least 30 percent. Applicants also seek a continuation through December 31, 2004, of certain revised financing conditions authorized in earlier financing orders described below. In addition, Applicants seek continuation of authority for AE Supply to pay dividends out of capital and unearned surplus through December 31, 2004 and authority to make certain changes to Allegheny's debt financing.

By order dated December 31, 2001 (Holding Co. Act Release No. 27486) (``Original Financing Order''), Applicants received authorization to engage in a broad range of financing transactions through December 31, 2005. This order was supplemented by the following orders: Holding Co. Act Release No. 27521 (April 17, 2002) (``April Order''), Holding Co. Act Release No. 27579 (October 17, 2002) (``Supplemental Order'', and together with the Original Financing Order and the April Order, ``Financing Order''), Holding Co. Act Release No. 27652 (Feb. 21, 2003) (``Capitalization Order''), and Holding Co. Act Release No. 27701 (July 23, 2003) (``Trust Preferred Securities Order:''). The Financing Order grants, among other things, the following authorizations to Allegheny and its subsidiaries:

1. Allegheny to issue up to $1 billion in equity securities at any time outstanding;

2. Allegheny and/or AE Supply,\1\ in the aggregate, to issue and sell to nonassociated third parties up to $4 billion in shortterm debt at any time outstanding and up to $4 billion in unsecured long term debt at any time outstanding, provided that total debt and equity authority under (1) and (2) shall not exceed $4 billion at any time outstanding; \2\
\1\ AE Supply is the principal electric generating company for the Allegheny system.
\2\ The Original Financing Order reserves jurisdiction over the issuance of secured longterm debt under the $4 billion cap. Under the Financing Order, the Capitalization Order, and the Trust Preferred Securities Order, Allegheny currently has $564 million of unsecured debt outstanding and AE Supply currently has $1.927 billion of secured debt and $131 million of unsecured debt outstanding (assuming all AE Supply letters of credit were converted into debt). Allegheny has not issued any equity securities to date under the authorization of the Financing Order.

3. Allegheny and/or its subsidiaries to enter into guarantees, obtain letters of credit, extend credit, enter into guaranteetype expense agreements or otherwise provide credit support with respect to the obligations of an associate company (collectively, ``Guarantees''), in the aggregate amount not to exceed $3 billion any time outstanding;

4. Allegheny to exceed the Rule 53 aggregate investment limitation and to utilize a portion of the proceeds of the equity issuances, shortterm debt, longterm debt and Guarantees in any combination to increase its ``aggregate investment'' (as defined in rule 53(a)) up to $2 billion in exempt wholesale generators (``EWGs'') and foreign utility companies (``FUCOs'') under the Act;

5. Allegheny and certain other subsidiaries \3\ to form one or more direct or indirect special purpose financing subsidiaries that will, among other things, issue debt and/or equity securities and loan the proceeds to Allegheny, AE Supply, and the Other Subsidiaries; and \3\ The direct and indirect subsidiaries of Allegheny, other than the operating companies as defined below and AE Supply, are referred to as the ``Other Subsidiaries.''

6. Allegheny, AE Supply and the subsidiaries of Allegheny (other than the operating companies),\4\ whether now existing or created later or acquired, to engage in intrasystem financings up to $4 billion.\5\ \4\ Allegheny has three regulated electric public utility companies, West Penn Power Company (``West Penn''), Monongahela Power Company (``Monongahela Power'') (Monongahela Power also has a regulated natural gas utility division as a result of its purchase of West Virginia Power), The Potomac Edison Company (``Potomac Edison''), and a regulated public utility natural gas company, Mountaineer Gas Company, which is a whollyowned subsidiary of Monongahela Power (all collectively doing business as Allegheny Power and collectively, ``Operating Companies'').
\5\ The Financing Order also authorized companies in the Allegheny system to enter into, perform, purchase and sell financial instruments intended to manage the volatility of interest rates and currency exchange rates, and the Other Subsidiaries to pay dividends out of capital and unearned surplus.

The Financing Order established a number of financing parameters that are conditions to the financing transactions authorized in that order and that are applicable through December 31, 2003. These include a requirement that Allegheny maintain, on a consolidated basis, common equity of 30 percent of total capitalization and that AE Supply individually maintain common equity of 30 percent of total capitalization. In the Capitalization Order, the Commission modified the financing parameters as follows (``Revised Financing Conditions''):

1. The common equity of Allegheny, on a consolidated basis, will not fall below 28 percent of its total capitalization; and the common equity of AE Supply, on a consolidated basis, will not fall below 20 percent of its total capitalization;

2. The effective cost of capital on any security issued by Allegheny or AE Supply will not exceed competitive market rates available at the time of issuance for securities having the same or reasonably similar terms and conditions issued by similar companies of reasonably comparable credit quality; provided that in no event will (a) the interest rate on any debt securities issued under a bank credit facility exceed the greater of (i) 900 basis points over the comparable term London Interbank Offered Rate (``LIBOR'') \6\ or (ii) the sum of 9 percent plus the prime rate as announced by a nationally recognized money center bank, and (b) the interest rate on any debt securities issued to any other financial investor exceed the sum of 12 percent plus the prime rate as announced by a nationally recognized money center bank; and
\6\ It should be noted, however, that the interest rate applicable after the occurrence of a default may be increased by an additional increment, typically 200 basis points.

3. The underwriting fees, commissions and other similar remuneration paid in connection with the noncompetitive issuance of any security issued by Allegheny or AE Supply will not exceed the greater of (a) five percent of the principal or total amount of the securities being issued or (b) issuances expenses that are paid at the time in respect of the issuance of securities having the same or reasonably similar terms and conditions issued by similar companies of reasonably comparable credit quality;

4. The respective financing transactions will not be subject to the requirement to maintain either unsecured longterm debt or any commercial paper that may be issued at investment grade level; and

5. The Applicants may issue shortterm and/or longterm debt under circumstances when the debt, upon issuance is either unrated or is rated below investment grade.

Applicants committed in their application seeking the Capitalization Order that at any time Allegheny's ratio of common equity to total capitalization
[[Page 65749]]
is not at least 30 percent, neither Allegheny nor any of its subsidiaries will invest or commit to invest any funds in any new projects which qualify as EWGs or FUCOs under the Act; provided, however, that Allegheny may increase its investment in EWGs as a result of the qualification of existing projects as EWGs, and Allegheny may make additional investments in an existing EWG to the extent necessary to complete any project or desirable to preserve or enhance the value of Allegheny's investment in the EWG.\7\ Allegheny requested the Commission to reserve jurisdiction over any additional investment by Allegheny and its Subsidiaries in EWGs and FUCOs during the period that Allegheny's common equity ratio is below 30 percent.
\7\ The existing EWGs in which Allegheny and its subsidiaries have investments as of the date hereof are as follows: Allegheny Energy Hunlock Creek, LLC, Hunlock Creek Energy Ventures, AE Supply Gleason Generating Facility, LLC, AE Supply Wheatland Generating Facility, LLC, AE Supply Lincoln Generating Facility, LLC, Buchanan Generation, LLC, Acadia Bay Energy Company and Buchanan Generation, LLC.

Applicants also committed that at any time Allegheny's ratio of common equity to total capitalization is not at least 30 percent, neither Allegheny nor any of its subsidiaries will invest or commit to invest any funds in any new energyrelated company within the meaning of rule 58 under the Act (``Rule 58 Company''); provided, however, that Allegheny may increase its investment in an existing Rule 58 Company to the extent necessary to complete any project or desirable to preserve or enhance the value of Allegheny's investment in the company. The commitment also stipulated that Allegheny and/or AE Supply may invest in one or more new Rule 58 Companies which may be created in connection with the restructuring and/or reorganization of the existing energy trading business of AE Supply and its subsidiaries. Allegheny requested that the Commission reserve jurisdiction over any additional investment by Allegheny and its Subsidiaries in Rule 58 Companies during the period that Allegheny's common equity ratio is below 30 percent.

The Capitalization Order also reserved jurisdiction over (i) the financing authorizations at a time that the common equity ratio levels of Allegheny and AE Supply were below 28 percent and 20 percent, respectively, and (ii) the issuance of debt securities at an interest rate in excess of the modified interest rates. In the Trust Preferred Securities Order, the Commission granted the Applicants' request to release jurisdiction over the issuance by Allegheny of up to $325 million of convertible trust preferred securities.

In addition, the Capitalization Order authorized AE Supply to pay dividends out of capital and unearned surplus up to $500 million through December 31, 2003, in order to provide Allegheny with necessary liquidity.

The Capitalization Order required the Applicants to file an application with the Commission if they wish to seek relief from the 30 percent common equity requirement after December 31, 2003 and to extend the Revised Financing Conditions. This Amendment seeks that relief and extension of the Revised Financing Conditions, including the 28 and 20 percent common equity requirements applicable to Allegheny and AE Supply, respectively.

This Amendment also seeks continuation of authority for AE Supply to pay dividends out of capital and unearned surplus up to $500 million through December 31, 2004. Allegheny proposes to use these funds to pay debt on outstanding indebtedness and for general corporate purposes. Specifically, AE Supply \8\ will declare and pay dividends to Allegheny only to the extent required by Allegheny to pay debt service on outstanding indebtedness which becomes payable beginning the first quarter of 2004 in an aggregate amount of up to $275 million. Applicants seek authority for AE Supply to pay dividends out of capital and unearned surplus of up to $275 million for this purpose and request the Commission to reserve jurisdiction over the remainder of AE Supply's $500 dividend authority.
\8\ Since AE Supply is a limited liability company, ``dividend'' shall include for this purpose any distribution by AE Supply in respect of its membership interests.

Allegheny commits that any dividends received by Allegheny from AE Supply will be used solely to pay the principal of and interest on this indebtedness and none of the amounts will be used by Allegheny to pay dividends to its stockholders. To the extent that Allegheny does not require proceeds of dividends from AE Supply to pay indebtedness of Allegheny during 2004, Applicants request that the Commission reserve jurisdiction over the declaration and payment of dividends by AE Supply out of capital and unearned surplus up to an aggregate amount of $500 million.

Applicants state that they continue to make significant progress toward the resolution of their financial difficulties. On July 25, 2003, Allegheny completed its private placement of $300 million of convertible trust preferred securities, as authorized by the Trust Preferred Securities Order. On July 28, 2003, AE Supply announced that its subsidiary, Allegheny Trading Finance Company (``ATF'') had entered into an agreement to sell its energy supply contract with the California Department of Water Resources (the ``CDWR Contract'') and associated hedge transactions (collectively, ``West Book'') to J. Aron & Company (``Aron''), a division of The Goldman Sachs Group, for $405 million, subject to adjustments for market price changes and hedge transactions not transferred.

On September 15, 2003, AE Supply and ATF announced that they completed the sale of the West Book to Aron for $354 million. Much of the adjustment from the estimated sale price, previously announced on July 28, 2003, is attributable to contracts with one counterparty, valued at $38.6 million, which were removed from the sale by mutual agreement of the parties. Changes in the marktomarket value of the remaining contracts at closing and reduction in the number of remaining trades assumed by Aron, account for the rest of the adjustment. The proceeds from the sale were applied, in large part, to finance the termination of tolling agreements with Williams Companies, Inc. and Las Vegas Cogeneration II and certain related hedging arrangements. In addition, Allegheny will have deposited, after certain escrow funds are released and pursuant to an authorization by certain of its creditors, the remainder of the proceeds (estimated to be approximately $75 million) in a cash collateral account for the benefit of certain of its lenders.\9\
\9\ As noted in the amendments submitted in this file on August 19 and September 23, 2003, as a condition to closing, Aron escrowed $71 million of the proceeds pending an order from the Commission authorizing AE Supply to undertake the guarantees connected with the sale of the West Book. A notice of this amendment was issued on September 23, 2003 (Holding Co. Act Release No. 27723).

Sale of the West Book was described in the Trust Preferred Securities Application as, along with the sale of the securities authorized by the Trust Preferred Securities Order, one of the major components of Allegheny's plan to return to financial health. In addition, AE Supply and its subsidiaries Allegheny Energy Supply Conemaugh, LLC, Allegheny Energy Supply Hunlock Creek, LLC, and Allegheny Energy Supply Development Services, LLC have entered into asset sales
[[Page 65750]]

agreements, which also are an important part of this plan.

For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, pursuant to delegated authority.
Margaret H. McFarland,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 0329086 Filed 112003; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 801001P

SUMMARY: Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 filings,

DOCUMENT BODY 2: November 14, 2003.

Notice is hereby given that the following filing(s) has/have been made with the Commission pursuant to provisions of the Act and rules promulgated under the Act. All interested persons are referred to the application(s) and/or declaration(s) for complete statements of the proposed transaction(s) summarized below. The application(s) and/or declaration(s) and any amendment(s) is/are available for public inspection through the Commission's Branch of Public Reference.

Interested persons wishing to comment or request a hearing on the application(s) and/or declaration(s) should submit their views in writing by December 8, 2003, to the Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 205490609, and serve a copy on the relevant applicant(s) and/or declarant(s) at the address(es) specified below. Proof of service (by affidavit or, in the case of an attorney at law, by certificate) should be filed with the request. Any request for hearing should identify specifically the issues of facts or law that are disputed. A person who so requests will be notified of any hearing, if ordered, and will receive a copy of any notice or order issued in the matter. After December 8, 2003, the application(s) and/or declaration(s), as filed or as amended, may be granted and/or permitted to become effective.
Allegheny Energy, Inc., et al.

[7010100]

Allegheny Energy, Inc. (``Allegheny''), a registered holding company, and
[[Page 65748]]
Allegheny Energy Supply Company LLC (``AE Supply''), a registered holding company and public utility company subsidiary of Allegheny (collectively, ``Applicants''), 10435 Downsville Pike, Hagerstown, Maryland 21740, have filed a posteffective amendment (``Amendment'') to a previous applicationdeclaration under sections 6(a), 7, 9, and 12 of the Act and rules 46, 52 and 54 under the Act.

Applicants seek a continuation through December 31, 2004 of the relief granted by previous order described below from the Commission's requirement that they maintain a common equity ratio of at least 30 percent. Applicants also seek a continuation through December 31, 2004, of certain revised financing conditions authorized in earlier financing orders described below. In addition, Applicants seek continuation of authority for AE Supply to pay dividends out of capital and unearned surplus through December 31, 2004 and authority to make certain changes to Allegheny's debt financing.

By order dated December 31, 2001 (Holding Co. Act Release No. 27486) (``Original Financing Order''), Applicants received authorization to engage in a broad range of financing transactions through December 31, 2005. This order was supplemented by the following orders: Holding Co. Act Release No. 27521 (April 17, 2002) (``April Order''), Holding Co. Act Release No. 27579 (October 17, 2002) (``Supplemental Order'', and together with the Original Financing Order and the April Order, ``Financing Order''), Holding Co. Act Release No. 27652 (Feb. 21, 2003) (``Capitalization Order''), and Holding Co. Act Release No. 27701 (July 23, 2003) (``Trust Preferred Securities Order:''). The Financing Order grants, among other things, the following authorizations to Allegheny and its subsidiaries:

1. Allegheny to issue up to $1 billion in equity securities at any time outstanding;

2. Allegheny and/or AE Supply,\1\ in the aggregate, to issue and sell to nonassociated third parties up to $4 billion in shortterm debt at any time outstanding and up to $4 billion in unsecured long term debt at any time outstanding, provided that total debt and equity authority under (1) and (2) shall not exceed $4 billion at any time outstanding; \2\
\1\ AE Supply is the principal electric generating company for the Allegheny system.
\2\ The Original Financing Order reserves jurisdiction over the issuance of secured longterm debt under the $4 billion cap. Under the Financing Order, the Capitalization Order, and the Trust Preferred Securities Order, Allegheny currently has $564 million of unsecured debt outstanding and AE Supply currently has $1.927 billion of secured debt and $131 million of unsecured debt outstanding (assuming all AE Supply letters of credit were converted into debt). Allegheny has not issued any equity securities to date under the authorization of the Financing Order.

3. Allegheny and/or its subsidiaries to enter into guarantees, obtain letters of credit, extend credit, enter into guaranteetype expense agreements or otherwise provide credit support with respect to the obligations of an associate company (collectively, ``Guarantees''), in the aggregate amount not to exceed $3 billion any time outstanding;

4. Allegheny to exceed the Rule 53 aggregate investment limitation and to utilize a portion of the proceeds of the equity issuances, shortterm debt, longterm debt and Guarantees in any combination to increase its ``aggregate investment'' (as defined in rule 53(a)) up to $2 billion in exempt wholesale generators (``EWGs'') and foreign utility companies (``FUCOs'') under the Act;

5. Allegheny and certain other subsidiaries \3\ to form one or more direct or indirect special purpose financing subsidiaries that will, among other things, issue debt and/or equity securities and loan the proceeds to Allegheny, AE Supply, and the Other Subsidiaries; and \3\ The direct and indirect subsidiaries of Allegheny, other than the operating companies as defined below and AE Supply, are referred to as the ``Other Subsidiaries.''

6. Allegheny, AE Supply and the subsidiaries of Allegheny (other than the operating companies),\4\ whether now existing or created later or acquired, to engage in intrasystem financings up to $4 billion.\5\ \4\ Allegheny has three regulated electric public utility companies, West Penn Power Company (``West Penn''), Monongahela Power Company (``Monongahela Power'') (Monongahela Power also has a regulated natural gas utility division as a result of its purchase of West Virginia Power), The Potomac Edison Company (``Potomac Edison''), and a regulated public utility natural gas company, Mountaineer Gas Company, which is a whollyowned subsidiary of Monongahela Power (all collectively doing business as Allegheny Power and collectively, ``Operating Companies'').
\5\ The Financing Order also authorized companies in the Allegheny system to enter into, perform, purchase and sell financial instruments intended to manage the volatility of interest rates and currency exchange rates, and the Other Subsidiaries to pay dividends out of capital and unearned surplus.

The Financing Order established a number of financing parameters that are conditions to the financing transactions authorized in that order and that are applicable through December 31, 2003. These include a requirement that Allegheny maintain, on a consolidated basis, common equity of 30 percent of total capitalization and that AE Supply individually maintain common equity of 30 percent of total capitalization. In the Capitalization Order, the Commission modified the financing parameters as follows (``Revised Financing Conditions''):

1. The common equity of Allegheny, on a consolidated basis, will not fall below 28 percent of its total capitalization; and the common equity of AE Supply, on a consolidated basis, will not fall below 20 percent of its total capitalization;

2. The effective cost of capital on any security issued by Allegheny or AE Supply will not exceed competitive market rates available at the time of issuance for securities having the same or reasonably similar terms and conditions issued by similar companies of reasonably comparable credit quality; provided that in no event will (a) the interest rate on any debt securities issued under a bank credit facility exceed the greater of (i) 900 basis points over the comparable term London Interbank Offered Rate (``LIBOR'') \6\ or (ii) the sum of 9 percent plus the prime rate as announced by a nationally recognized money center bank, and (b) the interest rate on any debt securities issued to any other financial investor exceed the sum of 12 percent plus the prime rate as announced by a nationally recognized money center bank; and
\6\ It should be noted, however, that the interest rate applicable after the occurrence of a default may be increased by an additional increment, typically 200 basis points.

3. The underwriting fees, commissions and other similar remuneration paid in connection with the noncompetitive issuance of any security issued by Allegheny or AE Supply will not exceed the greater of (a) five percent of the principal or total amount of the securities being issued or (b) issuances expenses that are paid at the time in respect of the issuance of securities having the same or reasonably similar terms and conditions issued by similar companies of reasonably comparable credit quality;

4. The respective financing transactions will not be subject to the requirement to maintain either unsecured longterm debt or any commercial paper that may be issued at investment grade level; and

5. The Applicants may issue shortterm and/or longterm debt under circumstances when the debt, upon issuance is either unrated or is rated below investment grade.

Applicants committed in their application seeking the Capitalization Order that at any time Allegheny's ratio of common equity to total capitalization
[[Page 65749]]
is not at least 30 percent, neither Allegheny nor any of its subsidiaries will invest or commit to invest any funds in any new projects which qualify as EWGs or FUCOs under the Act; provided, however, that Allegheny may increase its investment in EWGs as a result of the qualification of existing projects as EWGs, and Allegheny may make additional investments in an existing EWG to the extent necessary to complete any project or desirable to preserve or enhance the value of Allegheny's investment in the EWG.\7\ Allegheny requested the Commission to reserve jurisdiction over any additional investment by Allegheny and its Subsidiaries in EWGs and FUCOs during the period that Allegheny's common equity ratio is below 30 percent.
\7\ The existing EWGs in which Allegheny and its subsidiaries have investments as of the date hereof are as follows: Allegheny Energy Hunlock Creek, LLC, Hunlock Creek Energy Ventures, AE Supply Gleason Generating Facility, LLC, AE Supply Wheatland Generating Facility, LLC, AE Supply Lincoln Generating Facility, LLC, Buchanan Generation, LLC, Acadia Bay Energy Company and Buchanan Generation, LLC.

Applicants also committed that at any time Allegheny's ratio of common equity to total capitalization is not at least 30 percent, neither Allegheny nor any of its subsidiaries will invest or commit to invest any funds in any new energyrelated company within the meaning of rule 58 under the Act (``Rule 58 Company''); provided, however, that Allegheny may increase its investment in an existing Rule 58 Company to the extent necessary to complete any project or desirable to preserve or enhance the value of Allegheny's investment in the company. The commitment also stipulated that Allegheny and/or AE Supply may invest in one or more new Rule 58 Companies which may be created in connection with the restructuring and/or reorganization of the existing energy trading business of AE Supply and its subsidiaries. Allegheny requested that the Commission reserve jurisdiction over any additional investment by Allegheny and its Subsidiaries in Rule 58 Companies during the period that Allegheny's common equity ratio is below 30 percent.

The Capitalization Order also reserved jurisdiction over (i) the financing authorizations at a time that the common equity ratio levels of Allegheny and AE Supply were below 28 percent and 20 percent, respectively, and (ii) the issuance of debt securities at an interest rate in excess of the modified interest rates. In the Trust Preferred Securities Order, the Commission granted the Applicants' request to release jurisdiction over the issuance by Allegheny of up to $325 million of convertible trust preferred securities.

In addition, the Capitalization Order authorized AE Supply to pay dividends out of capital and unearned surplus up to $500 million through December 31, 2003, in order to provide Allegheny with necessary liquidity.

The Capitalization Order required the Applicants to file an application with the Commission if they wish to seek relief from the 30 percent common equity requirement after December 31, 2003 and to extend the Revised Financing Conditions. This Amendment seeks that relief and extension of the Revised Financing Conditions, including the 28 and 20 percent common equity requirements applicable to Allegheny and AE Supply, respectively.

This Amendment also seeks continuation of authority for AE Supply to pay dividends out of capital and unearned surplus up to $500 million through December 31, 2004. Allegheny proposes to use these funds to pay debt on outstanding indebtedness and for general corporate purposes. Specifically, AE Supply \8\ will declare and pay dividends to Allegheny only to the extent required by Allegheny to pay debt service on outstanding indebtedness which becomes payable beginning the first quarter of 2004 in an aggregate amount of up to $275 million. Applicants seek authority for AE Supply to pay dividends out of capital and unearned surplus of up to $275 million for this purpose and request the Commission to reserve jurisdiction over the remainder of AE Supply's $500 dividend authority.
\8\ Since AE Supply is a limited liability company, ``dividend'' shall include for this purpose any distribution by AE Supply in respect of its membership interests.

Allegheny commits that any dividends received by Allegheny from AE Supply will be used solely to pay the principal of and interest on this indebtedness and none of the amounts will be used by Allegheny to pay dividends to its stockholders. To the extent that Allegheny does not require proceeds of dividends from AE Supply to pay indebtedness of Allegheny during 2004, Applicants request that the Commission reserve jurisdiction over the declaration and payment of dividends by AE Supply out of capital and unearned surplus up to an aggregate amount of $500 million.

Applicants state that they continue to make significant progress toward the resolution of their financial difficulties. On July 25, 2003, Allegheny completed its private placement of $300 million of convertible trust preferred securities, as authorized by the Trust Preferred Securities Order. On July 28, 2003, AE Supply announced that its subsidiary, Allegheny Trading Finance Company (``ATF'') had entered into an agreement to sell its energy supply contract with the California Department of Water Resources (the ``CDWR Contract'') and associated hedge transactions (collectively, ``West Book'') to J. Aron & Company (``Aron''), a division of The Goldman Sachs Group, for $405 million, subject to adjustments for market price changes and hedge transactions not transferred.

On September 15, 2003, AE Supply and ATF announced that they completed the sale of the West Book to Aron for $354 million. Much of the adjustment from the estimated sale price, previously announced on July 28, 2003, is attributable to contracts with one counterparty, valued at $38.6 million, which were removed from the sale by mutual agreement of the parties. Changes in the marktomarket value of the remaining contracts at closing and reduction in the number of remaining trades assumed by Aron, account for the rest of the adjustment. The proceeds from the sale were applied, in large part, to finance the termination of tolling agreements with Williams Companies, Inc. and Las Vegas Cogeneration II and certain related hedging arrangements. In addition, Allegheny will have deposited, after certain escrow funds are released and pursuant to an authorization by certain of its creditors, the remainder of the proceeds (estimated to be approximately $75 million) in a cash collateral account for the benefit of certain of its lenders.\9\
\9\ As noted in the amendments submitted in this file on August 19 and September 23, 2003, as a condition to closing, Aron escrowed $71 million of the proceeds pending an order from the Commission authorizing AE Supply to undertake the guarantees connected with the sale of the West Book. A notice of this amendment was issued on September 23, 2003 (Holding Co. Act Release No. 27723).

Sale of the West Book was described in the Trust Preferred Securities Application as, along with the sale of the securities authorized by the Trust Preferred Securities Order, one of the major components of Allegheny's plan to return to financial health. In addition, AE Supply and its subsidiaries Allegheny Energy Supply Conemaugh, LLC, Allegheny Energy Supply Hunlock Creek, LLC, and Allegheny Energy Supply Development Services, LLC have entered into asset sales
[[Page 65750]]

agreements, which also are an important part of this plan.

For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, pursuant to delegated authority.
Margaret H. McFarland,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 0329086 Filed 112003; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 801001P