Pinnacle West Reports Lower 2025 First-Quarter Financial Results

   -- Results in line with company's expectations; full year 2025 earnings 
      guidance affirmed 
 
   -- Planned power plant outages contribute to higher operations and 
      maintenance expenses versus a year ago 
 
   -- APS employees focus on summer preparedness, reliability and resilience 
PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 01, 2025-- 

Pinnacle West Capital Corp. $(PNW)$ today reported a consolidated net loss attributable to common shareholders of $4.6 million, or a loss of $0.04 per diluted share of common stock, for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. This result compares with consolidated net income attributable to common shareholders of $16.9 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, for the same period in 2024.

The results reflect a decrease of about $22 million, primarily the result of higher operations and maintenance expense; depreciation and amortization expense, mostly due to increased plant and intangible assets; lower pension and other benefit service cost credits; lower other income due to the gain on the sale of a former subsidiary recognized in the prior year; and higher interest charges. These negative factors were partially offset by the favorable impacts of new customer rates; a gain from a non-utility equity investment made by subsidiary El Dorado; lower income taxes due to lower pretax income and higher tax benefits related to employee benefits; higher transmission revenue; and higher revenue resulting from Arizona Public Service Co.'s (APS) Lost Fixed Cost Recovery $(LFCR)$ adjustor mechanism.

"Financial results in the first quarter were in line with our expectations, especially given the power plant overhauls and maintenance work that we had built into our budget to ensure our system runs reliably during the upcoming summer months," said Pinnacle West Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Ted Geisler. "We remain optimistic that we will achieve our annual targets as customer and electricity sales growth remain robust, along with Arizona's overall economy.

"With Arizona's population growing faster than the national average, it's clear that people view Arizona as an attractive place to live and do business."

A Thriving, Growing Service Territory

The total number of APS retail customers in the first quarter grew a robust 2.3%, while retail sales increased 2.1% quarter over quarter as Arizona's economy remains a diverse growth and investment hub. In fact, a recent study by the U.S. Census Bureau indicates Maricopa County (home to about 70% of APS's customers) had the third-largest numeric growth among U.S. counties. Only Harris County, Texas -- where Houston is located -- and Miami-Dade County, Fla., experienced larger growth. Further, according to a separate Commercial Cafe report, Phoenix remains the number one spot as the best-positioned industrial real estate market, ranking ahead of Orange County and the Inland Empire in California.

Summer Reliability and Safety Preparations

With temperatures in Arizona quickly heating up, employees have been focused on comprehensive summer preparedness designed to ensure safe and reliable power is delivered when the company's 1.4 million customers need it most to cool their homes and businesses. "To serve our customers with top-tier reliability, we work year-round on operational preparedness, resource planning, procuring sufficient reserve margins, creating customer partnerships to manage peak demand, and maintaining a comprehensive fire mitigation program," Geisler emphasized.

APS crews continually conduct patrols -- on foot, by vehicle and in the air -- across a sprawling network of more than 40,000 miles of power lines, to protect and maintain a strong and resilient energy system. In addition, APS employees are nearing completion of a scheduled maintenance and refueling outage at Palo Verde Generating Station Unit 1. The three-unit nuclear plant -- a primary source of clean electricity for the Southwest and one of the largest power producers in the U.S. -- is critical to meeting summer demand across the Desert Southwest.

With Arizona's hot summers, low rainfall and dry vegetation, the company is taking further action to support wildfire-prone communities by employing advanced risk modeling tools; expanding its Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) program to mitigate fire risks and help keep communities safe; and installing innovative fire- and weather-tracking technology on the grid. Among its newly adopted technology, APS has deployed artificial intelligence (AI) fire-sensing cameras to proactively search for early signs of wildfires, thereby enhancing the company's already vigorous wildfire mitigation program. These cameras alert APS fire mitigation experts and fire dispatch centers when smoke and heat traces are detected in targeted, high fire-risk areas.

"The new AI cameras function as powerful extra sets of eyes and are key to helping us deliver safe, reliable energy to all our customers," said Geisler. "When minutes matter, integration of this advanced detection technology improves firefighter rapid-response capabilities, thereby helping protect both critical infrastructure and surrounding communities."

Enhancing Customers' Experiences

The company's focus on summer readiness extends to delivering an industry-leading customer experience. Customer touchpoints -- including an interactive outage map and email and text alerts -- are continually being enhanced ahead of Arizona's peak summer season. In conjunction with APS's 24/7 Customer Care Center, these tools will help customers stay better informed during any outages.

Furthermore, APS customers are benefiting from an industry-leading call-center featuring fast response times and knowledgeable, courteous advisors; increased proactive email and text notifications; and an industry-leading digital experience through aps.com and the APS mobile app that helps customers stay informed and complete transactions, monitor energy consumption, select their optimal rate plan and efficiently manage their account. All the while, the company continues to emphasize employee learning, tools and resources to ensure all team members understand their individual and collective roles in customers' experiences and interactions with APS.

Financial Outlook

For 2025, the company continues to estimate its consolidated earnings will be within a range of $4.40 to $4.60 per diluted share on a weather-normalized basis. Key factors and assumptions underlying this outlook can be found in the first-quarter 2025 earnings presentation slides at pinnaclewest.com/investors.

Conference Call and Webcast

Pinnacle West invites interested parties to listen to the live webcast of management's conference call to discuss the company's financial results and recent developments, and to provide an update on the company's longer-term financial outlook, at noon ET (9 a.m. Arizona time) today, May 1. The webcast can be accessed at pinnaclewest.com/presentations and will be available for replay on the website for 30 days. To access the live conference call by telephone, dial (888) 506-0062 or (973) 528-0011 for international callers and enter participant access code 554993. A replay of the call also will be available at pinnaclewest.com/presentations or by telephone until 11:59 p.m. ET, Thursday, May 8, 2025, by calling (877) 481-4010 in the U.S. and Canada or (919) 882-2331 internationally and entering replay passcode 52252.

General Information

Pinnacle West Capital Corp., an energy holding company based in Phoenix, has consolidated assets of more than $27 billion, about 6,500 megawatts of generating capacity and approximately 6,400 employees in Arizona and New Mexico. Through its principal subsidiary, Arizona Public Service, the company provides retail electricity service to about 1.4 million Arizona homes and businesses. For more information about Pinnacle West, visit the company's website at pinnaclewest.com.

Dollar amounts in this news release are after income taxes. Earnings per share amounts are based on average diluted common shares outstanding. For more information on Pinnacle West's operating statistics and earnings, please visit pinnaclewest.com/investors.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release 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. These factors include, but are not limited to:

   -- uncertainties associated with the current and future economic environment, 
      including economic growth rates, labor market conditions, inflation, 
      supply chain delays, increased expenses, volatile capital markets, or 
      other unpredictable effects; 
 
   -- current and future economic conditions in Arizona, such as the housing 
      market and overall business and regulatory environment; 
 
   -- our ability to manage capital expenditures and operations and maintenance 
      costs while maintaining reliability and customer service levels; 
 
   -- 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; 
 
   -- 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; 
 
   -- the ability of APS 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; 
 
   -- 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 our ability to access capital markets when 
      required; 
 
   -- environmental, economic, and other concerns surrounding coal-fired 
      generation, including regulation of greenhouse gas emissions; 
 
   -- volatile fuel and purchased power costs; 
 
   -- the investment performance of the assets of our nuclear decommissioning 
      trust, captive insurance cell, coal mine reclamation escrow, 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 facilities and system 
      conditions and operating costs; 
 
   -- our ability to meet the anticipated future need for additional generation 
      and associated transmission facilities in our region; 
 
   -- the willingness or ability of 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 orders. 

These and other factors are discussed in the most recent Pinnacle West/APS Form 10-K and 10-Q along with other public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, 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.

 
                  PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORPORATION 
             CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME 
                             (unaudited) 
     (dollars and shares in thousands, except per share amounts) 
 
                                                 THREE MONTHS ENDED 
                                                     MARCH 31, 
                                              ------------------------ 
                                                 2025         2024 
                                              -----------  ----------- 
 
Operating Revenues                            $1,032,280   $951,712 
                                               ---------    ------- 
 
Operating Expenses 
   Fuel and purchased power                      380,071    357,864 
   Operations and maintenance                    300,109    257,578 
   Depreciation and amortization                 234,940    210,294 
   Taxes other than income taxes                  59,354     59,164 
   Other expense                                     584         20 
                                               ---------    ------- 
      Total                                      975,058    884,920 
                                               ---------    ------- 
 
Operating Income                                  57,222     66,792 
                                               ---------    ------- 
 
Other Income (Deductions) 
   Allowance for equity funds used during 
    construction                                  13,249     10,292 
   Pension and other postretirement 
    non-service credits - net                      2,958     11,568 
   Other income                                   17,461     30,607 
   Other expense                                  (2,570)    (7,567) 
                                               ---------    ------- 
      Total                                       31,098     44,900 
                                               ---------    ------- 
 
Interest Expense 
   Interest charges                              104,943     99,774 
   Allowance for borrowed funds used during 
    construction                                 (10,102)   (13,141) 
                                               ---------    ------- 
      Total                                       94,841     86,633 
                                               ---------    ------- 
 
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes                 (6,521)    25,059 
 
Income Taxes                                      (6,183)     3,891 
                                               ---------    ------- 
 
Net Income (Loss)                                   (338)    21,168 
 
      Less: Net income attributable to 
       noncontrolling interests                    4,306      4,306 
 
Net Income (Loss) Attributable To Common 
 Shareholders                                 $   (4,644)  $ 16,862 
                                               =========    ======= 
 
 
Weighted-Average Common Shares Outstanding - 
 Basic                                           119,594    113,621 
 
Weighted-Average Common Shares Outstanding - 
 Diluted                                         119,594    114,227 
 
Earnings Per Weighted-Average Common Share 
 Outstanding 
   Net income (loss) attributable to common 
    shareholders - basic                      $    (0.04)  $   0.15 
   Net income (loss) attributable to common 
    shareholders - diluted                    $    (0.04)  $   0.15 
 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250501684779/en/

 
    CONTACT:    Media Contact: 

Alan Bunnell

(602) 250-3376

Analyst Contact:

Amanda Ho

(602) 250-3334

Website:

pinnaclewest.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 01, 2025 08:40 ET (12:40 GMT)