El Paso Electric Announces Fourth Quarter and Annual Financial Results

EL PASO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--El Paso Electric (NYSE:EE):

“Our earnings for the fourth quarter of 2012 were consistent with our expectations given the Texas rate decrease, which went into effect on May 1, 2012, and the milder winter weather in our service territory.”

Overview

• For the fourth quarter of 2012, EE reported net income of $4.8 million, or $0.12 basic and diluted earnings per share. In the fourth quarter of 2011, EE reported net income of $5.5 million, or $0.14 and $0.13 basic and diluted earnings per share, respectively.
• For the twelve months ended December 31, 2012, EE reported net income of $90.8 million, or $2.27 and $2.26 basic and diluted earnings per share, respectively. Net income for the twelve months ended December 31, 2011 was $103.5 million, or $2.49 and $2.48 basic and diluted earnings per share, respectively.

“We were pleased with the overall financial results for the year which included increased kWh retail sales reflecting steady customer growth in our service territory,” said Tom Shockley, Chief Executive Officer. “Our earnings for the fourth quarter of 2012 were consistent with our expectations given the Texas rate decrease, which went into effect on May 1, 2012, and the milder winter weather in our service territory.”

Earnings Summary

The table and explanations below present the major factors affecting 2012 net income relative to 2011 net income.

		Quarter Ended									Twelve Months Ended
		Pre-Tax Effect			After-Tax Net Income			Basic EPS			Pre-Tax Effect			After-Tax Net Income			Basic EPS
December 31, 2011					$	5,453		$	0.14					$	103,539		$	2.49
Changes in:
	Allowance for Funds Used During Construction	$	1,786		1,559			0.04			$	1,991		1,745			0.04
	Non Palo Verde O&M	2,123			1,401			0.04			(6,551		)	(4,324		)	(0.11		)
	Depreciation and amortization expense	1,329			877			0.02			2,775			1,831			0.05
	Transmission revenues	83			55			—			(2,705		)	(1,785		)	(0.04		)
	Retail non-fuel base revenues	(3,744		)	(2,471		)	(0.06		)	(9,674		)	(6,385		)	(0.16		)
	Deregulated Palo Verde Unit 3 revenues	(421		)	(278		)	(0.01		)	(4,972		)	(3,282		)	(0.08		)
	Other				(1,777		)	(0.05		)				(493		)	—
December 31, 2012					$	4,819		$	0.12					$	90,846		$	2.19
	Change in weighted average number of shares							—									0.08
December 31, 2012								$	0.12								$	2.27

Fourth Quarter 2012

Income for the quarter ended December 31, 2012, when compared to the same period last year, was positively affected by:

• Increased allowance for funds used during construction (“AFUDC”) due to higher balances of construction work in progress subject to AFUDC.
• Decreased non Palo Verde O&M primarily due to decreased transmission operating expense resulting from a $1.6 million credit recorded in the fourth quarter of 2012 related to the settlement of a rate case for the purchase of transmission with no comparable activity in the fourth quarter of 2011, decreased planned maintenance outages at our local fossil-fuel generating plants, and decreased customer accounts and service expense, partially offset by increased administrative and general expense.
• Decreased depreciation and amortization due to reduced depreciation rates on gas-fired generating units and on transmission and distribution plant as a result of the Texas rate case settlement.

Income for the quarter ended December 31, 2012, when compared to the same period last year, was negatively affected by:

• Decreased retail non-fuel base revenues due to a reduction in non-fuel base rates for our Texas customers, and a 3.6% decrease in kWh sales to our residential customers due to milder winter weather in the three months ended December 31, 2012 compared to the same period in 2011.

Year to Date

Earnings for the twelve months ended December 31, 2012, when compared to the same period last year, were positively affected by:

• A decrease in the weighted average number of shares outstanding as a result of our 2011 repurchases of common stock.
• Decreased depreciation and amortization expense due to a reduction in depreciation rates for Palo Verde reflecting the approval of a license extension for Palo Verde by the NRC in April 2011, and reduced depreciation rates on gas-fired generating units and on transmission and distribution plant as a result of the Texas rate case settlement in 2012. The depreciation rate reductions were partially offset by higher depreciation expense due to an increase in depreciable plant.
• Increased AFUDC primarily due to higher balances of construction work in progress subject to AFUDC.

Earnings for the twelve months ended December 31, 2012, when compared to the same period last year, were negatively affected by:

• Decreased retail non-fuel base revenues due to a 4.1% and 7.4% decrease in non-fuel base revenues from sales to small commercial and industrial customers and large commercial and industrial customers, respectively. Revenues from these customer classes decreased primarily due to a reduction in non-fuel base rates in Texas effective May 1, 2012. KWh sales to large commercial and industrial customers also decreased 1.2%.
• Increased non Palo Verde O&M primarily due to increased employee pension and benefits expense reflecting lower discount rates used to determine pension and other postretirement benefits costs, and increased fossil-fuel plant O&M expense primarily due to the timing of planned maintenance of our gas-fired generating units, partially offset by decreased customer accounts and service expense.
• Decreased revenues from retail sales of deregulated Palo Verde Unit 3 power due to lower proxy market prices associated with the decline in natural gas prices, an 11% decrease in generation at Palo Verde Unit 3 due to the March 17 through April 17, 2012 refueling outage with no comparable outage in the prior year, and an 18.4% increase in the cost of nuclear fuel burned.
• Decreased transmission revenues due to a 2011 settlement agreement with Tucson Electric Power Company involving a transmission dispute that resulted in one-time income of $3.9 million, pre-tax, recorded in the third quarter of 2011.

Retail Non-fuel Base Revenues

Retail non-fuel base revenues decreased $3.7 million, pre-tax, or 3.1% in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011 due to a reduction in non-fuel base rates for our Texas customers which became effective May 1, 2012 and primarily impacted commercial and industrial customers. Non-fuel base revenues from sales to small commercial and industrial customers and large commercial and industrial customers decreased 5.3% and 9.4%, respectively, in the fourth quarter. The decrease in non-fuel base revenues was also due to a decrease in kWh sales in our residential customer class reflecting milder winter weather in the three months ended December 31, 2012 compared to the same period in 2011. Heating degree days decreased 27.6% in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011, and were 16.5% below the 10-year average. KWH sales to public authorities increased 3.1% and non-fuel base revenues from public authorities increased 4.0%. Non-fuel base revenues and kilowatt-hour sales are provided by customer class on page 10 of the release.

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2012, retail non-fuel base revenues decreased by $9.7 million, pre-tax, or 1.7% compared to the same period in 2011. The decrease in revenues was due to a reduction in non-fuel base rates to Texas customers which primarily impacted commercial and industrial customers. Non-fuel base revenues from sales to small commercial and industrial customers and large commercial and industrial customers decreased 4.1% and 7.4%, respectively. In addition, increased use of lower interruptible rates and decreased consumption by several large commercial and industrial customers contributed to the decrease in non-fuel base revenues. KWh sales to large commercial and industrial customers decreased 1.2%. KWh sales to small commercial and industrial customers increased 0.6% primarily due to the 0.8% increase in the average number of customers served. KWh sales to residential customers increased 0.6% due to the 1.4% increase in the average number of customers served despite significantly milder weather in 2012 compared to 2011. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2012, cooling degree days decreased 8.3% when compared to the same period in 2011 but were 9.2% above the 10-year average. Heating degree days decreased 16.4% during the twelve months ended December 31, 2012 when compared to the same period in 2011 and were 9.8% below the 10-year average. KWh sales to public authorities increased 2.4% and non-fuel base revenues from public authorities increased 1.9%. Non-fuel base revenues and kilowatt-hour sales are provided by customer class on page 12 of the release.

Rate Matters

On April 17, 2012, the City Council of El Paso, Texas approved the settlement of our 2012 Texas retail rate case in PUCT Docket No. 40094. For Texas service areas outside of the city limits of El Paso, the settlement was filed with the PUCT, and the PUCT approved the settlement, on May 18, 2012. In the settlement, we agreed to a reduction in our non-fuel base rates of $15 million annually, with the decrease being allocated primarily to Texas commercial and industrial customer classes. The rate decrease was effective May 1, 2012. The settlement also allowed us to revise the depreciation rates for our gas-fired generating units and for transmission and distribution plant that lowers depreciation expense by $4.1 million annually.

Capital and Liquidity

In December 2012, we issued $150 million of 3.30% Senior Notes, due to mature on December 15, 2022, to fund construction expenditures and to repay the outstanding balance of our revolving credit facility (the "RCF") used for working capital and general corporate purposes. We continue to maintain a strong capital structure in which common stock equity represented 44.7% of our capitalization (common stock equity, long-term debt, and short-term borrowings under the RCF). The 3.30% Senior Note issuance, cash from operations, and our RCF are expected to provide the liquidity needed by the Company to fund its capital requirements for the next 12 months. In addition, we should continue to have access to the capital markets on favorable terms. At December 31, 2012, we had a balance of $111.1 million in cash and cash equivalents.

Cash flows from operations for the twelve months ended December 31, 2012 were $273.1 million compared to $251.5 million in the corresponding period in 2011. The primary factor affecting the increased cash flow was an increase in the collection of deferred fuel revenues in 2012. The difference between fuel revenues collected and fuel expense incurred is deferred to be either refunded (over-recoveries) or surcharged (under-recoveries) to customers in the future. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2012, the Company had a fuel over-recovery, net of refunds, of $11.7 million, as compared to an under-recovery of fuel costs, net of refunds, of $26.0 million during the twelve months ended December 31, 2011. At December 31, 2012, we had a net fuel over-recovery balance of $4.6 million, including $2.3 million in Texas and $2.3 million in New Mexico.

During the twelve months ended December 31, 2012, our primary capital requirements were for the construction and purchase of electric utility plant, purchases of nuclear fuel, and payment of common stock dividends. Capital requirements for new electric plant were $202.4 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2012 and $178.0 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2011. Capital requirements for purchases of nuclear fuel were $46.0 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2012 and $39.6 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2011. Rio Grande Resources Trust (the “RGRT”) is the trust through which we finance our portion of nuclear fuel for Palo Verde and is consolidated in the Company's financial statements.

On January 17, 2013, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share payable on March 29, 2013 to shareholders of record on March 14, 2013. On December 28, 2012, we paid $10.0 million of dividends to shareholders. We paid a total of $38.9 million in cash dividends during the twelve months ended December 31, 2012. We expect to continue paying quarterly dividends during 2013 and we expect to review the dividend policy in the second quarter of 2013.

No shares of common stock were repurchased during the twelve months ended December 31, 2012. As of December 31, 2012, a total of 393,816 shares remain available for repurchase under the currently authorized stock repurchase program. The Company may repurchase shares in the open market from time to time.

On August 28, 2012, we completed a refunding transaction related to our 2005 Series A refunding pollution control bonds totaling $59.2 million in which new pollution control bonds totaling $59.2 million were issued at a fixed rate of 4.5%. The bonds are unsecured and will mature in 2042. On August 28, 2012, we also completed a remarketing transaction related to our 2002 Series A refunding pollution control bonds totaling $33.3 million in which new pollution control bonds totaling $33.3 million were issued at a fixed rate of 1.875%. The bonds are unsecured and mature in 2032 although they are due to be remarketed in 2017.

We maintain the RCF for working capital and general corporate purposes and financing of nuclear fuel through the RGRT. The RCF has a term ending September 2016. On March 29, 2012, we increased the aggregate unsecured borrowing available under the RCF from $200 million to $300 million. The terms of the agreement provide that amounts we borrow under the RCF may also be used for working capital and general corporate purposes. The total amount borrowed for nuclear fuel by RGRT was $132.2 million at December 31, 2012 of which $22.2 million had been borrowed under the RCF and $110 million was borrowed through senior notes. Borrowings by RGRT for nuclear fuel were $123.4 million as of December 31, 2011, of which $13.4 million had been borrowed under the RCF and $110 million was borrowed through senior notes. Interest costs on borrowings to finance nuclear fuel are accumulated by RGRT and charged to us as fuel is consumed and recovered through fuel recovery charges. No borrowings were outstanding at December 31, 2012 under the RCF for working capital or general corporate purposes. At December 31, 2011, $20.0 million was outstanding under the RCF for working capital and general corporate purposes.

2013 Earnings Guidance

We are providing earnings guidance for 2013 within a range of $2.20 to $2.60 per basic share.

Conference Call

A conference call to discuss fourth quarter 2012 earnings is scheduled for 9:00 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, on February 19, 2013. The dial-in number is 888-428-9480 with a conference ID number of 1634701. The conference leader will be Steven P. Busser, Vice President - Treasurer. A replay will run through March 6, 2013 with a dial-in number of 888-203-1112 and a conference ID number of 1634701. The conference call and presentation slides will be webcast live on the Company's website found at http://www.epelectric.com. A replay of the webcast will be available shortly after the call.

Safe Harbor

This news release includes statements that may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This information may involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: (i) increased prices for fuel and purchased power and the possibility that regulators may not permit EE to pass through all such increased costs to customers or to recover previously incurred fuel costs in rates; (ii) recovery of capital investments and operating costs through rates in Texas and New Mexico; (iii) uncertainties and instability in the general economy and the resulting impact on EE's sales and profitability; (iv) unanticipated increased costs associated with scheduled and unscheduled outages; (v) the size of our construction program and our ability to complete construction on budget and on time; (vi) costs at Palo Verde; (vii) deregulation and competition in the electric utility industry; (viii) possible increased costs of compliance with environmental or other laws, regulations and policies; (ix) possible income tax and interest payments as a result of audit adjustments proposed by the IRS or state taxing authorities; (x) uncertainties and instability in the financial markets and the resulting impact on EE's ability to access the capital and credit markets; and (xi) other factors detailed by EE in its public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. EE's filings are available from the Securities and Exchange Commission or may be obtained through EE's website, http://www.epelectric.com. Any such forward-looking statement is qualified by reference to these risks and factors. EE cautions that these risks and factors are not exclusive. EE does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of EE except as required by law.

El Paso Electric Company and Subsidiary
Consolidated Statements of Operations
Quarter Ended December 31, 2012 and 2011
(In thousands except for per share data)
(Unaudited)
		2012		2011		Variance
Operating revenues, net of energy expenses:
	Base revenues	$	115,768	$	119,486	$	(3,718	)	(a)
	Deregulated Palo Verde Unit 3 proxy market pricing	2,755		3,176		(421		)
	Other	7,388		8,072		(684		)
Operating Revenues Net of Energy Expenses		125,911		130,734		(4,823		)
Other operating expenses:
	Other operations and maintenance	49,971		52,094		(2,123		)
	Palo Verde operations and maintenance	29,193		29,660		(467		)
Taxes other than income taxes		13,812		12,430		1,382
Other income (deductions)		1,077		446		631
Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization		34,012		36,996		(2,984		)	(b)
Depreciation and amortization		19,227		20,556		(1,329		)
Interest on long-term debt		13,805		13,520		285
AFUDC and capitalized interest		5,837		4,044		1,793
Other interest expense		325		212		113
Income Before Income Taxes		6,492		6,752		(260		)
Income tax expense		1,673		1,299		374
Net Income		$	4,819	$	5,453	$	(634	)
Basic Earnings per Share		$	0.12	$	0.14	$	(0.02	)
Diluted Earnings per Share		$	0.12	$	0.13	$	(0.01	)
Dividends declared per share of common stock		$	0.25	$	0.22	$	0.03
Weighted average number of shares outstanding		40,016		39,957		59
Weighted average number of shares and dilutive
	potential shares outstanding	40,090		40,210		(120		)
(a)	Base revenues exclude fuel recovered through New Mexico base rates of $16.3 million and $16.3 million, respectively.
(b)	EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure and is not a substitute for net income or other measures of financial performance in accordance with GAAP.

El Paso Electric Company and Subsidiary
Consolidated Statements of Operations
Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2012 and 2011
(In thousands except for per share data)
(Unaudited)
		2012		2011		Variance
Operating revenues, net of energy expenses:
	Base revenues	$	562,600	$	572,078	$	(9,478	)	(a)
	Deregulated Palo Verde Unit 3 proxy market pricing	9,848		14,820		(4,972		)
	Other	29,106		32,459		(3,353		)	(b)
Operating Revenues Net of Energy Expenses		601,554		619,357		(17,803		)
Other operating expenses:
	Other operations and maintenance	198,706		192,155		6,551
	Palo Verde operations and maintenance	98,191		99,507		(1,316		)
Taxes other than income taxes		57,443		55,561		1,882
Other income (deductions)		4,677		3,362		1,315
Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization		251,891		275,496		(23,605		)	(c)
Depreciation and amortization		78,556		81,331		(2,775		)
Interest on long-term debt		54,632		54,115		517
AFUDC and capitalized interest		20,312		18,186		2,126
Other interest expense		1,190		989		201
Income Before Income Taxes		137,825		157,247		(19,422		)
Income tax expense		46,979		53,708		(6,729		)
Net Income		$	90,846	$	103,539	$	(12,693	)
Basic Earnings per Share		$	2.27	$	2.49	$	(0.22	)
Diluted Earnings per Share		$	2.26	$	2.48	$	(0.22	)
Dividends declared per share of common stock		$	0.97	$	0.66	$	0.31
Weighted average number of shares outstanding		39,974		41,350		(1,376		)
Weighted average number of shares and dilutive
	potential shares outstanding	40,056		41,587		(1,531		)
(a)	Base revenues exclude fuel recovered through New Mexico base rates of $74.2 million and $73.5 million, respectively.
(b)	2011 includes $3.9 million related to the settlement of a transmission dispute with Tucson Electric Power Company.
(c)	EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure and is not a substitute for net income or other measures of financial performance in accordance with GAAP.

El Paso Electric Company and Subsidiary
Cash Flow Summary
Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2012 and 2011
(In thousands and Unaudited)
				2012			2011
Cash flows from operating activities:
	Net income			$	90,846		$	103,539
	Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operations:
		Depreciation and amortization of electric plant in service		78,556			81,331
		Deferred income taxes, net		43,561			45,688
		Other		47,771			49,768
	Change in:
		Net overcollection (undercollection) of fuel revenues		11,668			(26,001		)
		Accounts receivable		13,448			(4,663		)
		Other		(12,742		)	1,855
			Net cash provided by operating activities	273,108			251,517
Cash flows from investing activities:
	Cash additions to utility property, plant and equipment			(202,387		)	(178,041		)
	Cash additions to nuclear fuel			(46,009		)	(39,551		)
	Decommissioning trust funds			(9,163		)	(12,515		)
	Other			(8,495		)	(7,298		)
			Net cash used for investing activities	(266,054		)	(237,405		)
Cash flows from financing activities:
	Repurchase of common stock			—			(86,508		)
	Dividends paid			(38,889		)	(27,223		)
	Borrowings under the revolving credit facility			(11,224		)	28,675
	Proceeds from issuance of long-term senior notes			149,682			—
	Other			(3,774		)	(32		)
			Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	95,795			(85,088		)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents				102,849			(70,976		)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period				8,208			79,184
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period				$	111,057		$	8,208

El Paso Electric Company and Subsidiary
Quarter Ended December 31, 2012 and 2011
Sales and Revenues Statistics
										Increase (Decrease)
					2012		2011			Amount			Percentage
MWh sales:
	Retail:
		Residential			535,277		555,143			(19,866		)	(3.6	)%
		Commercial and industrial, small			540,078		536,137			3,941			0.7	%
		Commercial and industrial, large			288,246		278,491			9,755			3.5	%
		Public authorities			390,720		378,968			11,752			3.1	%
			Total retail sales		1,754,321		1,748,739			5,582			0.3	%
	Wholesale:
		Sales for resale			11,204		10,611			593			5.6	%
		Off-system sales			647,572		524,838			122,734			23.4	%
			Total wholesale sales		658,776		535,449			123,327			23.0	%
				Total MWh sales	2,413,097		2,284,188			128,909			5.6	%
Operating revenues (in thousands):
	Non-fuel base revenues:
		Retail:
			Residential		$	46,357	$	47,710		$	(1,353	)	(2.8	)%
			Commercial and industrial, small		38,718		40,890			(2,172		)	(5.3	)%
			Commercial and industrial, large		9,701		10,704			(1,003		)	(9.4	)%
			Public authorities		20,566		19,782			784			4.0	%
				Total retail non-fuel base revenues	115,342		119,086			(3,744		)	(3.1	)%
		Wholesale:
			Sales for resale		426		400			26			6.5	%
				Total non-fuel base revenues	115,768		119,486			(3,718		)	(3.1	)%
	Fuel revenues:
		Recovered from customers during the period			27,468		35,959			(8,491		)	(23.6	)%
		Under (over) collection of fuel			2,289		(3,607		)	5,896			—
		New Mexico fuel in base rates (a)			16,273		16,303			(30		)	(0.2	)%
			Total fuel revenues		46,030		48,655			(2,625		)	(5.4	)%
	Off-system sales:
		Fuel cost			16,869		13,959			2,910			20.8	%
		Shared margins			2,326		1,161			1,165			—
		Retained margins			274		137			137			100.0	%
			Total off-system sales		19,469		15,257			4,212			27.6	%
	Other				7,535		8,265			(730		)	(8.8	)%
			Total operating revenues		$	188,802	$	191,663		$	(2,861	)	(1.5	)%
(a)	Includes deregulated Palo Verde Unit 3 revenues for the New Mexico jurisdiction of $2.7 million and $3.2 million, respectively.

El Paso Electric Company and Subsidiary
Quarter Ended December 31, 2012 and 2011
Other Statistical Data
							Increase (Decrease)
			2012		2011		Amount		Percentage
Average number of retail customers:
	Residential		342,076		337,498		4,578		1.4	%
	Commercial and industrial, small		37,883		38,154		(271	)	(0.7	)%
	Commercial and industrial, large		51		50		1		2.0	%
	Public authorities		4,687		4,477		210		4.7	%
		Total	384,697		380,179		4,518		1.2	%
Number of retail customers (end of period):
	Residential		341,682		337,659		4,023		1.2	%
	Commercial and industrial, small		37,712		37,942		(230	)	(0.6	)%
	Commercial and industrial, large		50		49		1		2.0	%
	Public authorities		4,654		4,596		58		1.3	%
		Total	384,098		380,246		3,852		1.0	%
Weather statistics:							10 Yr Average
	Heating degree days		794		1,097		951
	Cooling degree days		164		138		119
Generation and purchased power (MWh):							Increase (Decrease)
			2012		2011		Amount		Percentage
	Palo Verde		1,146,910		1,107,404		39,506		3.6	%
	Four Corners		174,553		161,325		13,228		8.2	%
	Gas plants		706,814		682,962		23,852		3.5	%
		Total generation	2,028,277		1,951,691		76,586		3.9	%
	Purchased power		496,700		447,980		48,720		10.9	%
		Total available energy	2,524,977		2,399,671		125,306		5.2	%
	Line losses and Company use		111,880		115,483		(3,603	)	(3.1	)%
		Total MWh sold	2,413,097		2,284,188		128,909		5.6	%
	Palo Verde capacity factor		83.7	%	80.6	%	3.1	%

El Paso Electric Company and Subsidiary
Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2012 and 2011
Sales and Revenues Statistics
											Increase (Decrease)
					2012			2011			Amount			Percentage
MWh sales:
	Retail:
		Residential			2,648,348			2,633,390			14,958			0.6	%
		Commercial and industrial, small			2,366,541			2,352,218			14,323			0.6	%
		Commercial and industrial, large			1,082,973			1,096,040			(13,067		)	(1.2	)%
		Public authorities			1,617,606			1,579,565			38,041			2.4	%
			Total retail sales		7,715,468			7,661,213			54,255			0.7	%
	Wholesale:
		Sales for resale			64,266			62,656			1,610			2.6	%
		Off-system sales			2,614,132			2,687,631			(73,499		)	(2.7	)%
			Total wholesale sales		2,678,398			2,750,287			(71,889		)	(2.6	)%
				Total MWh sales	10,393,866			10,411,500			(17,634		)	(0.2	)%
Operating revenues (in thousands):
	Non-fuel base revenues:
		Retail:
			Residential		$	234,095		$	234,086		$	9		—
			Commercial and industrial, small		188,014			196,093			(8,079		)	(4.1	)%
			Commercial and industrial, large		42,041			45,407			(3,366		)	(7.4	)%
			Public authorities		96,132			94,370			1,762			1.9	%
				Total retail non-fuel base revenues	560,282			569,956			(9,674		)	(1.7	)%
		Wholesale:
			Sales for resale		2,318			2,122			196			9.2	%
				Total non-fuel base revenues	562,600			572,078			(9,478		)	(1.7	)%
	Fuel revenues:
		Recovered from customers during the period (a)			130,193			145,130			(14,937		)	(10.3	)%
		Under (over) collection of fuel			(18,539		)	13,917			(32,456		)	—
		New Mexico fuel in base rates (b)			74,154			73,454			700			1.0	%
			Total fuel revenues		185,808			232,501			(46,693		)	(20.1	)%
	Off-system sales:
		Fuel cost			62,481			74,736			(12,255		)	(16.4	)%
		Shared margins			9,191			3,883			5,308			—
		Retained margins			1,098			(560		)	1,658			—
			Total off-system sales		72,770			78,059			(5,289		)	(6.8	)%
	Other (c)				31,703			35,375			(3,672		)	(10.4	)%
			Total operating revenues		$	852,881		$	918,013		$	(65,132	)	(7.1	)%
(a)	Excludes $6.9 million and $12.0 million of refunds in 2012 and 2011, respectively, related to prior periods Texas deferred fuel revenues.
(b)	Includes deregulated Palo Verde Unit 3 revenues for the New Mexico jurisdiction of $9.8 million and $14.8 million, respectively.
(c)	2011 includes $3.9 million related to the settlement of a transmission dispute with Tucson Electric Power Company.

El Paso Electric Company and Subsidiary
Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2012 and 2011
Other Statistical Data
							Increase (Decrease)
			2012		2011		Amount		Percentage
Average number of retail customers:
	Residential		340,962		336,219		4,743		1.4	%
	Commercial and industrial, small		37,966		37,652		314		0.8	%
	Commercial and industrial, large		50		50		—		—
	Public authorities		4,610		4,626		(16	)	(0.3	)%
		Total	383,588		378,547		5,041		1.3	%
Number of retail customers (end of period):
	Residential		341,682		337,659		4,023		1.2	%
	Commercial and industrial, small		37,712		37,942		(230	)	(0.6	)%
	Commercial and industrial, large		50		49		1		2.0	%
	Public authorities		4,654		4,596		58		1.3	%
		Total	384,098		380,246		3,852		1.0	%
Weather statistics:							10 Yr Average
	Heating degree days		2,009		2,402		2,228
	Cooling degree days		2,876		3,135		2,633
Generation and purchased power (MWh):							Increase (Decrease)
			2012		2011		Amount		Percentage
	Palo Verde		5,045,772		4,942,055		103,717		2.1	%
	Four Corners		655,108		647,932		7,176		1.1	%
	Gas plants (a)		3,560,763		3,346,789		213,974		6.4	%
		Total generation	9,261,643		8,936,776		324,867		3.6	%
	Purchased power		1,768,810		2,135,124		(366,314	)	(17.2	)%
		Total available energy	11,030,453		11,071,900		(41,447	)	(0.4	)%
	Line losses and Company use		636,587		660,400		(23,813	)	(3.6	)%
		Total MWh sold	10,393,866		10,411,500		(17,634	)	(0.2	)%
	Palo Verde capacity factor		92.3	%	90.7	%	1.6	%
(a)	2011 gas plant generation includes 193,460 MWhs related to pre-commercial testing of Newman Unit 5 Phase II. Newman Unit 5 Phase II began commercial operation on April 30, 2011.

El Paso Electric Company and Subsidiary
Financial Statistics
At December 31, 2012 and 2011
(In thousands, except number of shares, book value per share, and ratios)
Balance Sheet		2012			2011
Cash and cash equivalents		$	111,057		$	8,208
Common stock equity		$	824,999		$	760,251
Long-term debt		999,535			816,497
	Total capitalization	$	1,824,534		$	1,576,748
Current maturities of long-term debt		$	—		$	33,300
Short-term borrowings under the revolving credit facility		$	22,155		$	33,379
Number of shares - end of period		40,112,078			39,959,154
Book value per common share		$	20.57		$	19.03
Common equity ratio (a)		44.7		%	46.3		%
Debt ratio		55.3		%	53.7		%
(a)	The capitalization component includes common stock equity, long-term debt and the current maturities of long-term debt, and short-term borrowings under the revolving credit facility.