Board Of Aldermen - Agenda - 4/10/2018 - P22
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projects, and preliminarily approve proposed 2018 WICA projects. This petition process was in
a “suspended” state for most of 2017, as the results of the PWW Rate Case, if approved per the
Settlement Agreement, would terminate the WICA program and replace it with a new program
inclusive in those rates. The new program would be analogous to the WICA program, but would
be eligible for all capital improvement projects and expenditures, not just certain main
replacement projects. The new program, if approved in that rate order, would be called the
Qualified Capital Project Adjustment Charge (QCPAC), and would be subject to ongoing and
annual filings and compliancy with the NHPUC.
On November 7, 2017, the PUC issued Order No. 26,070 which approved replacement of the
current WICA program with an annual QCPAC, which will apply an annual surcharge between
rate cases. This surcharge will be based on essentially all of the capital projects undertaken and
completed by PWW each year.
Financing
On June 8, 2017, Pennichuck East Utility, Inc. completed a financing transaction with the New
Hampshire Department of Environmental Services under the State of New Hampshire’s Drinking
Water Revolving Loan Fund in the amount of $2,400,000 for a 20-year term at an interest rate of
1.96%. The loan will fund the installation of a Merrimack River crossing interconnection pipeline
connecting the distribution main owned by Pennichuck Water Works, Inc. in the Town of Merrimack
to the existing Pennichuck East Utility, Inc. distribution system in the Town of Litchfield.
On June 8, 2017, Pennichuck East Utility, Inc. completed a financing transaction with the New
Hampshire Department of Environmental Services under the State of New Hampshire’s Drinking
Water Revolving Loan Fund in the amount of $570,000 for a 30-year term at an interest rate of
1.96%. The loan will fund the replacement of approximately 2,400 linear feet of water main on
Brady Avenue in the Maple Hills Community Water System in Derry, NH.
On June 8, 2017, Pennichuck East Utility, Inc. completed a financing transaction with the New
Hampshire Department of Environmental Services under the State of New Hampshire’s Drinking
Water Revolving Loan Fund in the amount of $245,000 for a 20-year term at an interest rate of
1.96%. The loan will fund the replacement of approximately 1,200 linear feet of water main on
Hillerest Road in Litchfield, NH.
On October 19, 2017, Pennichuck East Utility, Inc. filed a petition with the Public Utilities
Commission relative to debt financings, to be serviced by CoBank ACB, as well as the refinance
of intercompany loans with Pennichuck Corporation. Pennichuck East Utility, Inc. seeks
approval for (1) a term loan of up to $500,000 to fund 2017 capital projects not funded by SRF
loans, (2) a 3-year $3.0 million Fixed Asset Line of Credit to provide for short-term financing of
capital projects, and (3) the refinance of three Intercompany Loans with Pennichuck Corporation,
in the amount of $2,858,919, for a new term of 30 years. The order on these financings is still
pending with the NHPUC as of this date.
On November 29, 2017, Pennichuck Water Works, Inc. filed a petition with the Public Utilities
Commission relative to debt financings, to: (1) issue up to $32.5 million of tax-exempt or taxable
bonds through the NH Business Finance Authority and (2) to put a 2-year, renewable, $10 million
