December 22, 2015 - 4:39 PM EST
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Pepco and Exelon Highlight Real and Substantial Benefits of Merger to the District as Record Closes

Merger guarantees affordability, reliability and sustainability benefits for the District

Pepco Holdings Inc. (NYSE: POM) and Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC) are emphasizing the tangible affordability, reliability and sustainability benefits their merger will provide residents and others in the District as the Dec. 23 closing of the record nears in proceedings before the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (PSC).

“If the merger is completed, residents, businesses and organizations in the District will benefit from a stronger utility that will provide enhanced electric service, more affordable rates and more sustainability benefits,” said Donna Cooper, region president, Pepco.

Under the settlement reached in early October with the District of Columbia government and others, Pepco and Exelon committed to providing numerous, enhanced benefits to residents, communities and organizations in District, such as:

  • $25.6 million to offset distribution rate increases for residential customers through March 2019;
  • $14 million for a direct bill credit of more than $50 per residential customer within 60 days of the merger completion;
  • $16.15 million for low-income customer energy assistance;
  • Passing tens of millions of dollars in merger savings on to customers through rates lower than they would be if the merger does not occur;
  • $5.2 million for workforce development;
  • Hiring more than 100 union workers in the District;
  • New, higher requirements for fewer and shorter power outages;
  • Exceeding PSC standards for reliability in every year from 2016 to 2020;
  • Up to 10 megawatts of new solar generation in the District;
  • Making it easier for customers to install solar panels;
  • $3.5 million to fund renewable energy;
  • $3.5 million for energy efficiency programs;
  • $10.05 million to support the District’s Green Building Fund;
  • Purchasing 100 megawatts of wind energy;
  • Developing four new microgrids in coordination with the District; and
  • $19 million in charitable contributions over 10 years to local nonprofits.

The commitments in the settlement respond directly to many of the priorities residents and organizations throughout the District have expressed to Pepco and Exelon. At the same time, the companies, recognizing some residents have concerns about the merger, will continue to listen and make every effort to show Pepco’s and Exelon’s commitment to the highest levels of service and accountability to communities and the environment.

More than 40,000 District residents have signed a petition in support of the merger, and approximately 9,000 District residents have sent letters of support. The petition signatures and letters have been filed with the PSC.

Among those who signed on to the settlement agreement are Mayor Muriel Bowser, the Department of Energy and Environment, the Office of the People’s Counsel, the Attorney General, the Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington, the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, the National Consumer Law Center and the National Housing Trust. A majority of D.C. Councilmembers also have endorsed the merger.

The merger has been approved in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and Virginia and by federal regulators. The D.C. PSC has set a schedule which would allow for completing the proceeding by the first quarter of 2016.

About Exelon Corporation

Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC) is the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with 2014 revenues of approximately $27.4 billion. Headquartered in Chicago, Exelon does business in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. Exelon is one of the largest competitive U.S. power generators, with approximately 32,000 megawatts of owned capacity comprising one of the nation’s cleanest and lowest-cost power generation fleets. The company’s Constellation business unit provides energy products and services to more than 2.5 million residential, public sector and business customers, including more than two-thirds of the Fortune 100. Exelon’s utilities deliver electricity and natural gas to more than 7.8 million customers in central Maryland (BGE), northern Illinois (ComEd) and southeastern Pennsylvania (PECO). Follow Exelon on Twitter @Exelon.

About Pepco Holdings Inc.

Pepco Holdings Inc. is one of the largest energy delivery companies in the Mid-Atlantic region, serving about 2 million customers in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland and New Jersey. PHI subsidiaries Pepco, Delmarva Power and Atlantic City Electric provide regulated electricity service; Delmarva Power also provides natural gas service. PHI also provides energy efficiency and renewable energy services through Pepco Energy Services. For more information, visit online: www.pepcoholdings.com.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Except for the historical information contained herein, certain of the matters discussed in this communication constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, both as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “predict,” “project,” “future,” “potential,” “intend,” “seek to,” “plan,” “assume,” “believe,” “target,” “forecast,” “goal,” “objective,” “continue” or the negative of such terms or other variations thereof and words and terms of similar substance used in connection with any discussion of future plans, actions, or events identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding benefits of the proposed merger, integration plans and expected synergies, the expected timing of completion of the transaction, anticipated future financial and operating performance and results, including estimates for growth. These statements are based on the current expectations of management of Exelon Corporation (Exelon) and Pepco Holdings, Inc. (PHI), as applicable. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements included in this communication. For example, (1) the uncertainty surrounding reconsideration of the denial of the Merger application by the DC Public Service Commission may delay the merger or cause the companies to abandon the merger; (2) conditions to the closing of the merger may not be satisfied; (3) problems may arise in successfully integrating the businesses of the companies, which may result in the combined company not operating as effectively and efficiently as expected; (4) the combined company may be unable to achieve cost-cutting synergies or it may take longer than expected to achieve those synergies; (5) the merger may involve unexpected costs, unexpected liabilities or unexpected delays, or the effects of purchase accounting may be different from the companies’ expectations; (6) the credit ratings of the combined company or its subsidiaries may be different from what the companies expect; (7) the businesses of the companies may suffer as a result of uncertainty surrounding the merger; (8) the companies may not realize the values expected to be obtained for properties expected or required to be sold; (9) the industry may be subject to future regulatory or legislative actions that could adversely affect the companies; and (10) the companies may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Other unknown or unpredictable factors could also have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the combined company. Therefore, forward-looking statements are not guarantees or assurances of future performance, and actual results could differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. Discussions of some of these other important factors and assumptions are contained in Exelon’s and PHI’s respective filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, including: (1) Exelon’s 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K in (a) ITEM 1A. Risk Factors, (b) ITEM 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and (c) ITEM 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data: Note 22; (2) Exelon’s Third Quarter 2015 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q in (a) Part II, Other Information, ITEM 1A. Risk Factors; (b) Part 1, Financial Information, ITEM 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and (c) Part I, Financial Information, ITEM 1. Financial Statements: Note 19; (3) the definitive proxy statement that PHI filed with the SEC on August 12, 2014 and mailed to its stockholders in connection with the proposed merger (as supplemented by PHI’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 12, 2014); (4) PHI’s 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K in (a) ITEM 1A. Risk Factors, (b) ITEM 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and (c) ITEM 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data: Note 15; and (5) PHI’s Third Quarter 2015 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q in (a) PART I, ITEM 1. Financial Statements, (b) PART I, ITEM 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and (c) Part II, Other Information, ITEM 1A. Risk Factors. In light of these risks, uncertainties, assumptions and factors, the forward-looking events discussed in this communication may not occur. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this communication. Neither Exelon nor PHI undertakes any obligation to publicly release any revision to its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this communication. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Exelon or PHI to predict all such factors. Furthermore, it may not be possible to assess the impact of any such factor on Exelon’s or PHI’s respective businesses or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any specific factors that may be provided should not be construed as exhaustive.

Exelon
Paul Elsberg
312-394-7417
or
Pepco Holdings
Myra Oppel
202-872-2680


Source: Business Wire (December 22, 2015 - 4:39 PM EST)

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