Decision on Timing to Implement Remedy Still Pending
SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Calpine Corporation
(NYSE: CPN) provided the following update to today's Delaware Court of
Chancery's ruling in its action against The Bank of New York, as collateral
trustee (Collateral Trustee) for Calpine's Senior Secured Note Holders, and
Wilmington Trust Company, as indenture trustee for Calpine's First Lien Notes
(First Lien Trustee), and as indenture trustee for Calpine's Second Lien Notes
(Second Lien Trustee). In his ruling, Vice Chancellor Leo E. Strine, Jr.
concluded that Calpine's use of approximately $313 million of proceeds from
the sale of its domestic gas assets to purchase certain gas storage inventory
violated the second lien indenture and use of the proceeds for similar
contracts is impermissible. Approximately $400 million from the sale of the
company's domestic gas assets remains in an account at the Bank of New York.
Calpine is still permitted to use its natural gas asset sale proceeds to
purchase certain natural gas assets or repurchase certain secured debt in
accordance with the company's indentures.
Vice Chancellor Strine has not ruled on the appropriate timing to
implement the remedy for his decision and noted the following:
-
The First Lien Trustee lacks standing to request a remedy.
- The Second Lien Trustee's tardiness warrants a deferral of the
restorative remedy determination and delayed decision on when
restoration of the $313 million plus some modest interest will be
returned to Calpine's account at the Bank of New York. The primary
question is when restoration has to occur and what timing flexibility
Calpine will have to devote those restored proceeds to the purchase of
proper Designated Assets or First Lien Notes. The lateness of the
Second Lien Trustee in filing the counterclaims will be taken into
account in that remedial calculus.
- The question of remedy is deferred until Calpine has answered the
Second Lien Trustee's counterclaims (which it shall do by November 28,
2005) and conferred with the Second Lien Trustee. In the absence of
agreement between the parties as to remedy, the parties must present
expedited submissions addressing the form of relief by November 30,
2005, and file replies the next day, December 1, 2005.
- Calpine shall indemnify the First Lien Trustee and the Second Lien
Trustee for their reasonable expenses upon submission of proper
documentation and the Collateral Trustee's motion to dismiss is denied.
A major power company, Calpine Corporation supplies customers and
communities with electricity from clean, efficient, natural gas-fired and
geothermal power plants. Calpine owns, leases and operates integrated systems
of plants in 21 U.S. states and in three Canadian provinces and is building a
plant in Mexico. It is included in the S&P 500 Index and is publicly traded
on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CPN. For more information,
visit http://www.calpine.com .
This news release discusses certain matters that may be considered
"forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, including statements regarding the intent, belief or
current expectations of Calpine Corporation ("the Company") and its
management. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking
statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of
risks and uncertainties that could materially affect actual results such as,
but not limited to, (i) the timing and extent of deregulation of energy
markets and the rules and regulations adopted on a transitional basis with
respect thereto; (ii) the timing and extent of changes in commodity prices for
energy, particularly natural gas and electricity; (iii) commercial operations
of new plants that may be delayed or prevented because of various development
and construction risks, such as a failure to obtain the necessary permits to
operate, failure of third-party contractors to perform their contractual
obligations or failure to obtain financing on acceptable terms; (iv)
unscheduled outages of operating plants; (v) a competitor's development of
lower cost generating gas-fired power plants; (vi) risks associated with
marketing and selling power from power plants in the newly-competitive energy
market; (vii) the successful exploitation of an oil or gas resource that
ultimately depends upon the geology of the resource, the total amount and
costs to develop recoverable reserves and operations factors relating to the
extraction of natural gas; (viii) the effects on the Company's business
resulting from reduced liquidity in the trading and power industry; (ix) the
Company's ability to access the capital markets or obtain bank financing on
attractive terms; (x) the direct or indirect effects on the Company's business
of a lowering of its credit rating (or actions it may take in response to
changing credit rating criteria), including, increased collateral
requirements, refusal by the Company's current or potential counterparties to
enter into transactions with it and its inability to obtain credit or capital
in desired amounts or on favorable terms; and (xi) other risks identified from
time-to-time in the Company's reports and registration statements filed with
the SEC, including the risk factors identified in its Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 , and in its Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2005, which can also be found on
the Company's website at www.calpine.com. All information set forth in this
news release is as of today's date, and the Company undertakes no duty to
update this information.
SOURCE Calpine Corporation
11/22/2005
CONTACT: media, Katherine Potter, +1-408-792-1168, or
kpotter@calpine.com, or investors, Karen Bunton, +1-408-792-1121, or
kbunton@calpine.com, both of Calpine Corporation
Web site: http://www.calpine.com