Back to GetFilings.com

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003

OR

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission file number 0-296

El Paso Electric Company

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (915) 543-5711

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. YES x NO ¨

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). YES x NO ¨

As of June 30, 2003, the aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $586,138,226 (based on the closing price as quoted on the New York Stock Exchange on that date).

As of March 5, 2004, there were 47,588,360 shares of the Company’s no par value common stock outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for the 2004 annual meeting of its shareholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report.

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

DEFINITIONS

The following abbreviations, acronyms or defined terms used in this report are defined below:

(i)

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

TABLE OF CONTENTS

(ii)

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

PART I

General

El Paso Electric Company is a public utility engaged in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in an area of approximately 10,000 square miles in west Texas and southern New Mexico. The Company also serves wholesale customers in Texas and periodically in the Republic of Mexico. The Company owns or has significant ownership interests in six electrical generating facilities providing it with a total capacity of approximately 1,500 MW. For the year ended December 31, 2003, the Company’s energy sources consisted of approximately 50% nuclear fuel, 27% natural gas, 9% coal, 14% purchased power and less than 1% generated by wind turbines.

The Company serves approximately 324,000 residential, commercial, industrial and wholesale customers. The Company distributes electricity to retail customers principally in El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico (representing approximately 58% and 9%, respectively, of the Company’s operating revenues for the year ended December 31, 2003). In addition, the Company’s wholesale sales include sales for resale to other electric utilities and periodically sales to the CFE and power marketers. Principal industrial and other large customers of the Company include steel production, copper and oil refining, and United States military installations, including the United States Army Air Defense Center at Fort Bliss in Texas and White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.

The Company’s principal offices are located at the Stanton Tower, 100 North Stanton, El Paso, Texas 79901 (telephone 915-543-5711). The Company was incorporated in Texas in 1901. As of March 5, 2004, the Company had approximately 1,000 employees, 31% of whom are covered by a collective bargaining agreement. A new collective bargaining agreement, which expires June 2006, was entered into with these employees in July 2003. The Company has also begun collective bargaining negotiations with an additional 75 employees from the Company’s meter reading and collections area and facilities services area who voted for union representation in 2003.

The Company makes available free of charge through its website, www.epelectric.com, its annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Facilities

The Company’s net installed generating capacity of approximately 1,500 MW consists of approximately 600 MW from Palo Verde Units 1, 2 and 3, 482 MW from its Newman Power Station, 246 MW from its Rio Grande Power Station, 104 MW from Four Corners Units 4 and 5, 68 MW from its Copper Power Station and 1.32 MW from Hueco Mountain Wind Ranch.

Palo Verde Station

The Company owns a 15.8% interest in each of the three nuclear generating units and Common Facilities at Palo Verde, in Wintersburg, Arizona. The Palo Verde Participants include the Company

1

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

and six other utilities: APS, Southern California Edison Company (“SCE”), PNM, Southern California Public Power Authority, Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District (“SRP”) and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. APS serves as operating agent for Palo Verde.

The NRC has granted facility operating licenses and full power operating licenses for Palo Verde Units 1, 2 and 3, which expire in 2024, 2025 and 2027, respectively. In addition, the Company is separately licensed by the NRC to own its proportionate share of Palo Verde.

Pursuant to the ANPP Participation Agreement, the Palo Verde Participants share costs and generating entitlements in the same proportion as their percentage interests in the generating units, and each participant is required to fund its share of fuel, other operations, maintenance and capital costs. The ANPP Participation Agreement provides that if a participant fails to meet its payment obligations, each non-defaulting participant shall pay its proportionate share of the payments owed by the defaulting participant.

Decommissioning. Pursuant to the ANPP Participation Agreement and federal law, the Company must fund its share of the estimated costs to decommission Palo Verde Units 1, 2 and 3, including the Common Facilities, through the term of their respective operating licenses. The Company’s decommissioning costs are estimated every three years based upon engineering cost studies performed by outside engineers retained by APS.

In accordance with the ANPP Participation Agreement, the Company is required to establish a minimum accumulation and a minimum funding level in its decommissioning account at the end of each annual reporting period during the life of the plant. In January 2003, the Company made an additional deposit of $4.7 million into the decommissioning trust fund such that the trust fund met ANPP minimum accumulation levels at December 31, 2002. The Company remained above its minimum funding level as of December 31, 2003. The Company will continue to monitor the status of its decommissioning funds and adjust its deposits, if necessary, to remain at or above its minimum accumulation requirements in the future.

In August 2002, the Palo Verde Participants approved the 2001 Palo Verde decommissioning study. Some changes in the cost calculations occurred between the prior 1998 study and the 2001 study. The 2001 study estimated that the Company must fund approximately $311.6 million (stated in 2001 dollars) to cover its share of decommissioning costs. The previous cost estimate from the 1998 study estimated that the Company would fund approximately $280.5 million (stated in 1998 dollars). The 2001 estimate reflects an 11.1% increase, or 3.6% average annual compound increase, from the 1998 estimate primarily due to increases in estimated costs for site restoration at each unit, pre and post-shutdown transitioning and decommissioning preparations, spent fuel storage after operations have ceased and the Unit 2 steam generator storage. The decommissioning study is stated in 2001 dollars and makes no inflation assumptions. See “Spent Fuel Storage” below.

Although the 2001 study was based on the latest available information, there can be no assurance that decommissioning cost estimates will not continue to increase in the future or that regulatory requirements will not change. In addition, until a new low-level radioactive waste repository opens and operates for a number of years, estimates of the cost to dispose of low-level radioactive waste are subject to significant uncertainty. The decommissioning study is updated every three years and a new study is expected to be completed in 2004. See “Disposal of Low-Level Radioactive Waste” below.

2

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

Historically, regulated utilities such as the Company have been permitted to collect in rates the costs of nuclear decommissioning. Under the Texas Restructuring Law, which, among other things, deregulates generation services, the Company, through an affiliated transmission and distribution utility, will be able to collect from customers the costs of decommissioning. The collection mechanism utilized in Texas is a “non-bypassable wires charge” through which all customers, even those who choose to purchase energy from a supplier other than the Company’s retail affiliate, will be required to pay a fee, which includes the cost of nuclear decommissioning, to the Company’s affiliated transmission and distribution utility. In the Company’s case, collection of the fee through the Company’s transmission and distribution utility will begin in Texas if and when retail competition is implemented in the Company’s Texas service territory. See “Regulation – Texas Regulatory Matters – Deregulation” for further discussion.

Spent Fuel Storage. The original spent fuel storage facilities at Palo Verde had sufficient capacity to store all fuel discharged from normal operation of all three Palo Verde units through 2003. Alternative on-site storage facilities and casks have been constructed to supplement the original facilities. In March 2003, APS began removing spent fuel from the original facilities as necessary, and placing it in special storage casks which are stored at the new facilities until it is accepted by the DOE for permanent disposal. The 2003 decommissioning study assumes that costs to store fuel on-site will become the responsibility of the DOE after 2037. APS believes that spent fuel storage or disposal methods will be available for use by Palo Verde to allow its continued operation through the term of the operating license for each Palo Verde unit.

Pursuant to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as amended in 1987 (the “Waste Act”), the DOE is legally obligated to accept and dispose of all spent nuclear fuel and other high-level radioactive waste generated by all domestic power reactors. In accordance with the Waste Act, the DOE entered into a spent nuclear fuel contract with the Company and all other Palo Verde Participants. The DOE has previously reported that its spent nuclear fuel disposal facilities would not be in operation until 2010. Subsequent judicial decisions required the DOE to start accepting spent nuclear fuel by January 31, 1998. The DOE did not meet that deadline, and the Company cannot currently predict when spent fuel shipments to the DOE’s permanent disposal site will commence.

The Company expects to incur significant on-site spent fuel storage costs during the life of Palo Verde that the Company believes are the responsibility of the DOE. These costs will be amortized over the burn period of the fuel that will necessitate the use of the alternative on-site storage facilities until an agreement is reached with the DOE for recovery of these costs. In December 2003, APS, in conjunction with other nuclear plant operators, filed suit against the DOE on behalf of the Palo Verde Participants to recover monetary damages associated with the delay in the DOE’s acceptance of spent fuel. The Company is unable to predict the outcome of these matters at this time.

Disposal of Low-Level Radioactive Waste. Congress has established requirements for the disposal by each state of low-level radioactive waste generated within its borders. Arizona, California, North Dakota and South Dakota have entered into a compact (the “Southwestern Compact”) for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste. California will act as the first host state of the Southwestern Compact, and Arizona will serve as the second host state. The construction and opening of the California low-level radioactive waste disposal site in Ward Valley has been delayed due to extensive public hearings, disputes over environmental issues and review of technical issues related to the

3

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

proposed site. Palo Verde is projected to undergo decommissioning during the period in which Arizona will act as host for the Southwestern Compact. The opposition, delays, uncertainty and costs experienced in California demonstrate possible roadblocks that may be encountered when Arizona seeks to open its own waste repository. APS currently believes that interim low-level waste storage methods are or will be available for use by Palo Verde to allow its continued operation and to safely store low-level waste until a permanent disposal facility is available.

Steam Generators. Palo Verde has experienced degradation in the steam generator tubes of each unit. The projected service lives of the Palo Verde steam generators are reassessed by APS periodically in conjunction with inspections made during scheduled outages at the Palo Verde units. New steam generators were installed at Unit 2 during 2003 at an estimated total cost to the Company of $47.1 million. This replacement was based on an analysis of the net economic benefit from expected improved performance of the unit and the need to realize continued production from that unit over its full licensed life.

APS has identified accelerated degradation in the steam generator tubes in Units 1 and 3 and has concluded that it is economically desirable to replace the steam generators at those units. While analyses related to timing of installation of steam generators at Units 1 and 3 are ongoing, the Company and the other participants approved the expenditure of $202.1 million (the Company’s portion being $31.9 million) for fabrication and transport of steam generators for Units 1 and 3. In addition, APS has proposed, and the participants have approved the expenditure of $28.4 million (the Company’s portion being $4.5 million) for pre-installation and power uprate work for Units 1 and 3. In addition to these approved amounts, the installation of the Units 1 and 3 replacement steam generators and the completion of power uprates at those units will require the expenditure of $278.6 million (the Company’s portion being $44.0 million). Present plans are for replacement steam generators to be installed at Units 1 and 3 in 2005 and 2007, respectively.

The eventual total cash expenditures for steam generator replacement for Units 1, 2 and 3 is currently estimated to be $718.9 million excluding replacement power costs (the Company’s portion being $113.6 million). As of December 31, 2003, the Company has paid approximately $46.7 million of such costs. The remaining balance is expected to be paid over the course of the steam generator replacements. The Company expects its portion will be funded with internally generated cash.

The Texas Rate Stipulation precludes the Company from seeking a rate increase to recover additional capital costs incurred at Palo Verde during the Freeze Period. The Company cannot assure that its wholesale power rates and its competitive retail rates will be sufficient to recover its costs when or if retail competition for generation services begins. See also Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Overview.”

Liability and Insurance Matters. In 1957, Congress enacted the Price-Anderson Act as an amendment to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to provide a system of financial protection for persons who may be injured or persons who may be liable for a nuclear incident. The Price-Anderson Act expired on December 31, 2003. Existing licensees, such as the Company, are grandfathered and will continue to be subject to the provisions of the Price-Anderson Act in the event Congress does not reauthorize the Price-Anderson Act. The Price-Anderson Amendments Act of 2003 has been placed on the legislative calendar under general order (Calendar No. 422). If passed the Act will amend the Atomic Energy Act to: (i) increase from $63 million to $94 million the maximum amount of standard

4

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

deferred premiums charged a licensee following any nuclear incident under an industry retrospective rating plan; and (ii) increase from $10 million to $15 million (adjusted for inflation) in any one year the maximum amount of such premiums for each facility for which the licensee must maintain the maximum amount of primary financial protection. The amount of DOE indemnification currently available under the act is $9.4 billion. Additionally, the Palo Verde Participants have public liability insurance against nuclear energy hazards up to the full limit of liability under the Price-Anderson Act. The insurance consists of $200 million of primary liability insurance provided by commercial insurance carriers, with the balance being provided by an industry-wide retrospective assessment program, pursuant to which industry participants would be required to pay a retrospective assessment to cover any loss in excess of $200 million. Presently, the maximum retrospective assessment per reactor for each nuclear incident is approximately $88.1 million, subject to an annual limit of $10 million per incident. Based upon the Company’s 15.8% interest in Palo Verde, the Company’s maximum potential retrospective assessment per incident is approximately $41.8 million for all three units with an annual payment limitation of approximately $4.7 million.

The Palo Verde Participants maintain “all risk” (including nuclear hazards) insurance for damage to, and decontamination of, property at Palo Verde in the aggregate amount of $2.8 billion, a substantial portion of which must first be applied to stabilization and decontamination. The Company also has obtained insurance against a portion of any increased cost of generation or purchased power which may result from an accidental outage of any of the three Palo Verde units if the outage exceeds 12 weeks.

Newman Power Station

The Company’s Newman Power Station, located in El Paso, Texas, consists of three steam-electric generating units and one combined cycle generating unit with an aggregate capacity of approximately 482 MW. The units operate primarily on natural gas but can also operate on fuel oil.

Rio Grande Power Station

The Company’s Rio Grande Power Station, located in Sunland Park, New Mexico, adjacent to El Paso, Texas, consists of three steam-electric generating units with an aggregate capacity of approximately 246 MW. The units operate primarily on natural gas but can also operate on fuel oil.

Four Corners Station

The Company owns a 7% interest, or approximately 104 MW, in Units 4 and 5 at Four Corners, located in northwestern New Mexico. Each of the two coal-fired generating units has a total generating capacity of 739 MW. The Company shares power entitlements and certain allocated costs of the two units with APS (the Four Corners operating agent) and the other participants, PNM, TEP, SCE and SRP.

Four Corners is located on land held on easements from the federal government and a lease from the Navajo Nation that expires in 2016, with a one-time option to extend the term for an additional 25 years. Certain of the facilities associated with Four Corners, including transmission lines and almost all of the contracted coal sources, are also located on Navajo land. Units 4 and 5 are located adjacent to a surface-mined supply of coal.

5

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

Copper Power Station

The Company’s Copper Power Station, located in El Paso, Texas, consists of a 68 MW combustion turbine used primarily to meet peak demands. The unit operates primarily on natural gas but can also operate on fuel oil. The Company leased the combustion turbine until December 2003 at which time the facilities were purchased at a total purchase price of $8.4 million, which included the balance of any remaining payments under the lease.

Hueco Mountain Wind Ranch

The Company’s Hueco Mountain Wind Ranch, located in Hudspeth County, east of El Paso County and adjacent to Horizon City, currently consists of two wind turbines with a total capacity of 1.32 MW.

Transmission and Distribution Lines and Agreements

The Company owns or has significant ownership interests in four major 345 kV transmission lines in New Mexico, three 500 kV lines in Arizona, and owns the transmission and distribution network within its New Mexico and Texas retail service area and operates these facilities under franchise agreements with various municipalities. The Company is also a party to various transmission and power exchange agreements that, together with its owned transmission lines, enable the Company to deliver its energy entitlements from its remote generation sources at Palo Verde and Four Corners to its service area. Pursuant to standards established by the North American Electric Reliability Council and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council, the Company operates its transmission system in a way that allows it to maintain system integrity in the event that any one of these transmission lines is out of service.

Springerville-Diablo Line. The Company wholly owns a 310-mile, 345 kV transmission line from TEP’s Springerville Generating Plant near Springerville, Arizona, to the Luna Substation near Deming, New Mexico, and to the Diablo Substation near Sunland Park, New Mexico. This transmission line provides an interconnection with TEP for delivery of the Company’s generation entitlements from Palo Verde and, if necessary, Four Corners.

Arroyo-West Mesa Line. The Company wholly owns a 202-mile, 345 kV transmission line from the Arroyo Substation located near Las Cruces, New Mexico, to PNM’s West Mesa Substation located near Albuquerque, New Mexico. This is the primary delivery point for the Company’s generation entitlement from Four Corners, which is transmitted to the West Mesa Substation over approximately 150 miles of transmission lines owned by PNM.

Greenlee-Newman Line. The Company owns 40% of a 60-mile, 345 kV transmission line between TEP’s Greenlee Substation near Duncan, Arizona to the Hidalgo Substation near Lordsburg, New Mexico, approximately 57% of a 50-mile, 345 kV transmission line between the Hidalgo Substation and the Luna Substation and 100% of an 86-mile, 345 kV transmission line between the Luna Substation and the Newman Power Station. These lines provide an interconnection with TEP for delivery of the Company’s entitlements from Palo Verde and, if necessary, Four Corners. The Company owns the Afton 345 kV Substation located approximately 57 miles from the Luna Substation on the Luna-to-Newman portion of the line which interconnects a generator owned and operated by PNM.

6

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

AMRAD-Eddy County Line. The Company owns 66.7% of a 125-mile, 345 kV transmission line from the AMRAD Substation near Oro Grande, New Mexico, to the Company’s and TNP’s high voltage direct current terminal at the Eddy County Substation near Artesia, New Mexico. This terminal enables the Company to connect its transmission system to that of SPS, providing the Company with access to purchased and emergency power from SPS and power markets to the east.

Palo Verde Transmission and Switchyard. The Company owns 18.7% of two 45-mile, 500 kV lines from Palo Verde to the Westwing Substation located northwest of Phoenix near Peoria, Arizona and 18.7% of a 75-mile, 500 kV line from Palo Verde to the Kyrene Substation located near Tempe, Arizona. These lines provide the Company with a transmission path for delivery of power from Palo Verde. The Company also owns 18.7% of two 500 kV switchyards connected to the Palo Verde-Kyrene 500 kV line: the Hassayampa switchyard adjacent to the southern edge of the Palo Verde 500 kV switchyard and the Jojoba switchyard approximately 24 miles from Palo Verde. These switchyards were built to accommodate the addition of new generation and transmission in the Palo Verde area.

Environmental Matters

The Company is subject to regulation with respect to air, soil and water quality, solid waste disposal and other environmental matters by federal, state, tribal and local authorities. Those authorities govern current facility operations and have continuing jurisdiction over facility modifications. Failure to comply with these environmental regulatory requirements can result in actions by regulatory agencies or other authorities that might seek to impose on the Company administrative, civil, and/or criminal penalties. In addition, unauthorized releases of pollutants or contaminants into the environment can result in costly cleanup obligations that are subject to enforcement by the regulatory agencies. Environmental regulations can change rapidly and are often difficult to predict. While the Company strives to prepare for and implement changes necessary to comply with changing environmental regulations, substantial expenditures may be required for the Company to comply with such regulations in the future.

The Company analyzes the costs of its obligations arising from environmental matters on an ongoing basis and believes it has made adequate provision in its financial statements to meet such obligations. As a result of this analysis, the Company has a provision for environmental remediation obligations of approximately $0.9 million as of December 31, 2003, which is related to compliance with federal and state environmental standards. However, unforeseen expenses associated with compliance could have a material adverse effect on the future operations and financial condition of the Company.

The Company is not aware of any active investigation of its compliance with environmental requirements by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, or the New Mexico Environment Department. Furthermore, the Company is not aware of any unresolved, potentially material liability it would face pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, also known as the Superfund law.

7

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

Construction Program

Utility construction expenditures reflected in the following table consist primarily of expanding and updating the transmission and distribution systems and the cost of capital improvements and replacements at Palo Verde and other generating facilities, including the fabrication and shipment of Palo Verde Units 1 and 3 steam generators. Replacement power costs expected to be incurred during replacements of Palo Verde steam generators are not included in construction costs. Preliminary studies indicate that the Company will need additional supply-side and demand-side resources in 2006 to meet increasing load requirements on its system. As a result, the Company released a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) seeking bids to supply 150 MW of additional resources beginning in 2006 and an additional 100 MW beginning in 2009. Responses to the Company’s RFP have been received and analyzed. Based on the analysis of the RFPs received to date, it does not appear as if the selection will require the use of cash by the Company to construct a facility to obtain power for its 2006 requirements. The Company is still evaluating its 2009 requirements.

The Company’s estimated cash construction costs for 2004 through 2007 are approximately $277.0 million. Actual costs may vary from the construction program estimates shown. Such estimates are reviewed and updated periodically to reflect changed conditions.

8

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

Energy Sources

General

The following table summarizes the percentage contribution of nuclear fuel, natural gas, coal and purchased power to the total kWh energy mix of the Company. Energy generated by wind turbines accounted for less than 1% of the total kWh energy mix.

Allocated fuel and purchased power costs are generally passed through directly to customers in Texas and New Mexico pursuant to applicable regulations. Historical fuel costs and revenues are reconciled periodically in proceedings before the Texas and New Mexico Commissions to determine whether a refund or surcharge based on such historical costs and revenues is necessary. See “Regulation – Texas Regulatory Matters” and “– New Mexico Regulatory Matters.”

Nuclear Fuel

The nuclear fuel cycle for Palo Verde consists of the following stages: the mining and milling of uranium ore to produce uranium concentrates; the conversion of the uranium concentrates to uranium hexafluoride (“conversion services”); the enrichment of uranium hexafluoride (“enrichment services”); the fabrication of fuel assemblies (“fabrication services”); the utilization of the fuel assemblies in the reactors; and the storage and disposal of the spent fuel. The Palo Verde Participants have contracts in place that will furnish 100% of Palo Verde’s operational requirements for uranium concentrates, conversion services and enrichment services through 2008. Such contracts could also provide 100% of enrichment services in 2009 and 2010. The Palo Verde Participants have a contract for fabrication services through 2015 for each Palo Verde unit.

Nuclear Fuel Financing. Pursuant to the ANPP Participation Agreement, the Company owns an undivided interest in nuclear fuel purchased in connection with Palo Verde. The Company has available a total of $100 million under a revolving credit facility that provides for both working capital and up to $70 million for the financing of nuclear fuel. At December 31, 2003, approximately $42.2 million had been drawn to finance nuclear fuel. This financing is accomplished through a trust that borrows under the credit facility to acquire and process the nuclear fuel. The Company is obligated to repay the trust’s borrowings with interest and has secured this obligation with First Mortgage Collateral Series Bonds. In the Company’s financial statements, the assets and liabilities of the trust are consolidated and reported as assets and liabilities of the Company.

9

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

Natural Gas

The Company manages its natural gas requirements through a combination of a long-term supply contract and spot market purchases. The long-term supply contract provides for firm deliveries of gas at market based index prices. In 2003, the Company’s natural gas requirements at the Rio Grande Power Station were met with both short-term and long-term natural gas purchases from various suppliers. Interstate gas is delivered under a firm transportation agreement which expires in 2005 but which is expected to continue beyond 2005. The Company anticipates it will continue to purchase natural gas at spot market prices on a monthly basis for a portion of the fuel needs for the Rio Grande Power Station for the near term. The Company will continue to evaluate the availability of short-term natural gas supplies versus long-term supplies to maintain a reliable and economical supply for the Rio Grande Power Station.

Natural gas for the Newman and Copper Power Stations was primarily supplied pursuant to an intrastate natural gas contract that expires in 2007. The Company will also continue to evaluate short-term natural gas supplies to maintain a reliable and economical supply for the Newman and Copper Power Stations.

Coal

APS, as operating agent for Four Corners, purchases Four Corners’ coal requirements from a supplier with a long-term lease of coal reserves owned by the Navajo Nation. APS, on behalf of the Company and the other Four Corners Participants, has extended the Four Corners coal contract with the supplier to 2016 to coincide with the Four Corners Plant lease with the Navajo Nation. Based upon information from APS, the Company believes that Four Corners has sufficient reserves of coal to meet the plant’s operational requirements for its useful life.

Purchased Power

To supplement its own generation and operating reserves, the Company engages in firm and non-firm power purchase arrangements which may vary in duration and amount based on evaluation of the Company’s resource needs and the economics of the transactions. The Company purchased 103 MW of firm energy in 2003 and will continue to purchase an identical annual amount through 2005 based on a purchase agreement entered into in 2001. This agreement includes demand, energy and transmission charges. Other purchases of shorter duration were made primarily to replace the Company’s generation resources during planned and unplanned outages.

10

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements